List of EDH Staples and Power Cards

Commander / EDH* Epochalyptik

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Izzet says... #1

Jace, Memory Adept can allow reanimation decks to hugely self mill into a Living End or something like that. If you can protect it, it can also be a nice clock.

Sword of Vengeance is a great utility equipment for EDH.

Karmic Justice and No Mercy are great for ensuring your survival.

Maelstrom Wanderer is a great 3 for 1 and a great general.

Syphon Mind is great card advantage in multiplayer EDH.

Helldozer is painful mass land destruction.

Hermit Druid is not only great self mill for reanimation decks but a win condition with Laboratory Maniac .

Forbidden Alchemy is great self mill and card advantage for reanimation decks.

Profane Command is a great win condition and great for reanimator especially considering all the ways to ramp in EDH.

July 4, 2013 10:38 a.m.

Izzet says... #2

Oh and Peacekeeper can really lock down EDH games.

July 4, 2013 10:44 a.m.

Izzet says... #3

I meant Living Death not Living End . Sorry for the multiple posts.

July 4, 2013 10:56 a.m.

CapnBMo says... #4

Pilgrim's Eye is a cheap flying, Skullclamp -able body that ensures land drops in non green decks. Can be pretty key in some decks.

July 6, 2013 2:16 p.m.

CapnBMo says... #5

Likewise for Armillary Sphere and Wayfarer's Bauble . Not as good as Expedition Map but awesome for decks that need to hit their land drops without green (think mono black needing more swamps for Cabal Coffers and other mana doublers

July 6, 2013 2:21 p.m.

CapnBMo says... #7

I agree with KingSorin re: basics. One of the first lessons I had to learn was the importance of basics. When I started with tri-colored decks, I thought: "the more duals (even if etb tapped) the better". Wrong. The loss of tempo was huge (as I'm sure you all know). Can't be emphasized enough for new players: non basics can have a huge impact, but you need basics too!

Also, I agree strongly with captainunderpants98 about Go for the Throat and Terminate . Reliable removal in their colors.

July 10, 2013 9:51 p.m.

Epochalyptik says... #8

@Izzet:

  • Jace, Memory Adept is limited in EDH. The mill ability isn't that great, and the +1 is underwhelming.
  • No Mercy is kind of underwhelming and ineffective.
  • Forbidden Alchemy is limited in EDH. It's sometimes passable, but it's by no means either a staple or a power card.
  • Pilgrim's Eye seems underwhelming. I've seen it played, but 3 mana to put the basic in your hand (as opposed to the battlefield) seems kind of meh.

@captainunderpants98: I don't think the cycling lands are good in EDH. They're slow as lands, and it's probably better to just run the basic or another utility land and always have the land drop than it is to have either a slow land or a vanilla cantrip.

July 10, 2013 10 p.m.

Krayhaft says... #9

For budget players, Pilgrim's Eye should definitely be a staple. It's average-costed land tutoring that's playable by every color, which is made more prominent by colors that normally can't do that.

July 10, 2013 10:05 p.m.

scarmask says... #10

Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief is a bomb as well as good removal.

Dark Impostor - great removal, being able to exile in black is nice.

Plague Wind is perfect for EDH.

Army of the Damned - wincon.

Spine of Ish Sah reliable non-colour-specific removal.

Phyrexian Obliterator . It's Phyrexian Obliterator .

Mikaeus, the Unhallowed ? Good in any black creature deck.

(I play mono black a lot if you couldn't tell)

July 14, 2013 9:53 a.m.

I would argue that Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief and Dark Impostor , while not the worst, are far from the best. They're expensive and slow to use.

Army of the Damned is iffy. I don't see anyone play it because there are better things to cast with your mana.

Spine of Ish Sah is expensive, but I suppose artifact-based removal is hard to find.

July 15, 2013 3:35 a.m.

MirranTitan says... #12

Making a slight restatement here, but some of the cards I mentioned are quite powerful.

Sylvan Primordial This guy is solid, he functions like Woodfall Primus (This guy should see the list too I think, he's really playable) as well as terrastodon.Aurelia, the Warleader has been seeing a lot of play lately, and it is really powerful. it makes for a massive amount of damage, and it enables for quick kills, which is important in EDH.

True Conviction is extremely powerful, not only does it make it easy to kill an opponent, it also makes opponents have a harder time killing you.

Mind Over Matter is a huge combo enabler, I know not everyone likes combo, but those who do, this is a card. When it resolves it is easy to win (most of the time)

Karn, Silver Golem is very strong, very versatile as well. even in response to Day of Judgement?!?!?!! you can turn artifacts that need to be removed into creatures. And typically, turning Darksteel Forge into a 9/9 indestructible is good.

Zealous Conscripts is a card that I like a lot, not only can it be used for combo, but it can take a PW, or an enchantment, or a creature or artifact, it's very versatile, and I have seen it win games, it also combos with Kiki-Jiki, who I noticed is on the list.

Palinchron and friend Deadeye Navigator both very solid creatures. deadeye makes your ETBs better, and gives evasion. The ability is well costed and efficient. Palichron is a Huge enabler and I see it frequently in combo decks.

Angelic Skirmisher is a solid combat card. Vigilance on your turn, during an opponents turn, first strike. Good for offense and defense. supports all your creatures nicely.

Angel of Serenity is really good in edh because of all the outlets that it has. It can remove blockers at the very least, it can rescue your cards in a pinch, you can blink it quickly for an effect like Tide-hollow scruller and it is a solid flying body for a 7CMC. It also has evasion, very good utility card.

Illusionist's Bracers is another rings of brighthearth effect that turns many generals into very effective cards.

Merciless Eviction is great removal. I like it a lot.

July 15, 2013 3:47 a.m.

MirranTitan says... #13

Edit. Apparently some of my suggestions made the list.

Many apologies.

July 15, 2013 3:51 a.m.

scarmask says... #14

Yeah I can see what you mean about Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief and Dark Impostor , they probably don't fit the list but they've served me well.

Army of the Damned is slow, but I considered it too fun to not at least recommend.

I just love spine of ish sah because it at least gives mono- black a chance against game-changing artifacts and enchantments, seeing as it sucks at removing them. I've only played in a fairly closed playgroup though, so I might not be that insightful when it comes to the overall EDH environment.

July 15, 2013 4:43 a.m.

KetokMejik says... #15

July 21, 2013 11:26 a.m.

ms says... #16

the new garruk Garruk, Caller of Beasts is extremely good for mono green

July 21, 2013 11:29 a.m.

Kalonian Hydra is, in my opinion, too slow. It doesn't do anything until the next turn, and it has to sit there for a while to become a real threat unless you're playing a deck entirely based on +1/+1 counters.

Rise of the Dark Realms might find a place on this list.

July 21, 2013 11:29 a.m.

Bellock86 says... #18

While I actually like Kalonian Hydra a lot I don't know that it would be a staple. In a certain deck like my Let the tokens hit the board (HELP) it could be very powerful if not dealt with quickly. But that is one very specific archetype.

July 21, 2013 11:35 a.m.

ms says... #19

stuff like Crosis's Catacombs , Dromar's Cavern and the other lairs should be taken out because even though it gives you choice of three colours it sets you back 1 turn in lands

July 21, 2013 11:40 a.m.

ms says... #20

ah i see you added Garruk, Caller of Beasts

July 21, 2013 11:44 a.m.

Krayhaft says... #21

Rupture Spire is on here, why not Transguild Promenade ?

July 21, 2013 11:54 a.m.

Bellock86 says... #22

Probably because of entering tapped and you have to pay one. It sets you back a turn if not 2.

July 21, 2013 11:55 a.m.

I must have missed it. Added.

Even though I personally don't like Transguild Promenade or Rupture Spire , they're decent options for budget players who don't have access to expensive dual lands and still want to play 3+ colors.

July 21, 2013 11:57 a.m.

KetokMejik says... #24

Grim Return is instant speed. Should be in any black reanimate deck. Can target opponent's creature and gain control of it.

July 21, 2013 9:02 p.m.

MirranTitan says... #25

Ring of Three Wishes albeit that it is slow, it can be very powerful in decks that specialize in artifacts, or decks that do not tutor easily. It finds homes in R/W/G decks alike as well as decks that have Sharuum or Sen Triplets as a general. I feel it is a very powerful card.

and I am in agreement on Rise of the Dark Realms I feel it might see the banned list shortly enough.

July 21, 2013 9:09 p.m.

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