Brion, the Thinking Man's Giant (Commander / EDH MTG Deck)

Brion, the Thinking Man's Giant

Commander / EDH* RW (Boros)

Snarwin

Creature (22)

Sunforger (10)

Yoink (6)

Tutor (5)

Haste (3)

Interaction (18)

Mana (13)

Draw (8)

Protection (4)

Commander (1)

Land (38)

Recursion (9)

Equipment (5)

OHKO (3)

Maybeboard

Other (3)

"Your body and will are strong. Now we must train your mind."
—Houn, Jeskai Elder

What do you think of when you hear "Boros"?

Let me guess: aggro decks. Lots of small creatures. Burn spells. Combat tricks. Multiple combat steps. Maybe mass land destruction, if you're that kind of player. Something a lot like that, right?

What if I told you that you could play Boros without any of those?

Deck Structure

I'm a Johnny at heart, so rather than focus on a single, linear plan, I like to build my decks with lots of interlocking parts and overlapping subthemes. Here's a quick overview of what this deck has to offer:

Falcon Punch!

This is really only two cards—Serra Avatar and Phyrexian Processor, with maybe an honorable mention for Malignus—but they're the most powerful win conditions in the deck. Though Processor is, in theory, repeatable, you'll almost never get to hit more than one player with it if you go "all in", and you should evaluate lines of play with that assumption in mind.
Steal 'n' Fling

There are six Act of Treason effects in the deck. That probably doesn't sound like a lot, but it's enough that you'll see one in most games (and Grab the Reins is tutorable with Sunforger). Most often, they just function as removal + burn, and maybe clear away a blocker, but every once in a while you get to make an absurdly sweet play. ("Take your Thought Gorger, hit you with it, fling it, draw 5.") These are by far the cards that lead to the best stories.
Sacrifice and Recursion

Nim Deathmantle is the main enabler for this theme, with backup from Adarkar Valkyrie, Sigil of the New Dawn, and Mimic Vat. Draw cards with Solemn Simulacrum or Humble Defector, control the board with Archon of Justice and Duergar Hedge-Mage, or finish off an opponent with Yosei, the Morning Star.
Voltron

Yeah, I know, but look—we're already running Nim Deathmantle and Skullclamp for synergy, and Sunforger is too much value to pass up, so we might as well throw in Loxodon Warhammer and make it a full equipment package. Stonehewer Giant, Steelshaper's Gift, and both artifact tutors can find any equipment we need, while Boros Charm, Overblaze, and Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion can help us reach lethal damage with a single attack.
Artifacts

We've got artifact creatures. We've got equipment. We've got Phyrexian Processor as a "destroy target player" button. So, let's play Hoarding Dragon and Enlightened Tutor to find them, and Trading Post and Buried Ruin to get them back if they're destroyed. Plus, Trading Post gives us a backup sacrifice outlet if we can't keep Brion in play.
Lifegain

Well of Lost Dreams is the big payoff here, but Serra Avatar, Phyrexian Processor, and Serra Ascendant all appreciate us gaining life as well. Most of the time it'll be from our commander's lifelink ability, but Loxodon Wahammer, Wurmcoil Engine, and even Trading Post can do the job in a pinch.

Playing the Deck

In a multiplayer format, all decks reward good political play, but some require it more than others. I've tried to pack as much card advantage into this deck as I can, but in red-white, the options are pretty limited, and you'll never be so far ahead that your opponents can't run you out of gas if they really try.

Early in the game, it's important to avoid making enemies. In particular, if you attack with Brion Stoutarm, spread out the damage. Opponents who aren't afraid of dying to commander damage are much more likely to let you keep Brion in play, and save their removal for something more immediately threatening. Similarly, it's often a good idea to attack the player with the highest life total—it helps keep your Serra Avatar lethal, and the player "on the throne" is the least likely to feel threatened by an attack.

In the mid-game, avoid overextending. If you already have Mimic Vat in play, it's probably best to hold onto your Nim Deathmantle in case an opponent's packing something like Bane of Progress or Vandalblast. If you have a choice between holding up mana for Nim Deathmantle or playing out a new creature, hold the mana up. If you have a Sun Titan in hand and a Sunforger in play, you should probably wait to play the Titan until after someone inevitably blows up the Sunforger.

Finally, when you decide to go in for the kill, it's best if you can take your target out in one fell swoop. In particular, be careful with how you use Phyrexian Processor—it's very easy for your opponents to disrupt if they know it's coming.

Budget Considerations

The only expensive ($5+) card in this deck that doesn't have a good replacement is Enlightened Tutor. That said, while it's really handy to have a flexible tutor as a Sunforger target, the deck will still function without it.

For other cards, the standard rules apply: replace like with like, and try not to alter the mana curve too much. For example, any 2-mana creature with an EtB or death trigger can take the place of Dockside Extortionist (for example, the previous occupant of that slot was Dire Fleet Daredevil), but you probably don't want to replace it with a 4-mana enchantment.

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Date added	10 years
Last updated	1 year
Legality	This deck is not Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	6 - 0 Mythic Rares 38 - 0 Rares 27 - 0 Uncommons 6 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.59
Tokens	Copy Clone, Goat 0/1 W, Golem 3/3 C, Minion X/X B, On an Adventure, Treasure, Wurm 3/3 C w/ Deathtouch, Wurm 3/3 C w/ Lifelink
Folders	Stuff, MA DECKS, Hurrdurr, Stuff I like
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