I want to preface this primer by saying this is
NOT a cEDH deck. While it is possible that you can play Maelstrom Wanderer at a cEDH table, it's randomness and lack of interaction makes it very inconsistent at a cEDH table. This is a deck that I use at non cEDH tables and has been built with that in mind. If you are looking for a Commander that can be really competitive in a "75%" meta, Maelstrom Wanderer does glorious things!
Deck Introduction
This is my take on Maelstrom Wanderer, built as a good stuff deck using aggressive Timmy cards. Maelstrom Wanderer is a commander that can be built in a very modular fashion and this can primarily be attributed to the fact that Wanderer double cascades into anything 7 CMC or less. While there are some key cards that I think are absolutely essential for Wanderer (hence why I'm writing this primer) this deck pretty much builds itself with a lot of the Timmy cards in your rares binder. This is probably one of my favorite things about this commander; even though this decklist is my finalized/optimized list, every week when I play EDH, I can swap around my cascade targets to mix things up a bit.
Note: Everything in my deck costs 7 CMC or less. Because of this Maelstrom Wanderer can cascade into ALL spells in this deck.
One of the great things about this deck is that it's extremely easy to pilot. Your main goal in the early game is to ramp, play Maelstrom Wanderer, cascade, rinse and repeat. While the deck has a very linear gameplan in the early game, it has the potential to lead into some interesting and complex board states depending on what you cascade into. This deck typically wins in one of three ways:
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Commander Damage - Maelstrom Wanderer is a hasty 7 power creature; 3 hits with this guy and someone is dead.
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Combo Finishers - This deck runs some Kiki-Jiki combos to close out games.
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Board Presence - Sometimes you'll just cascade into an insane board state that your opponents can't keep up with.
Given the explosive nature of cascade most of your opponents will always view you as a threat the second you sit at the table and they'll definitely start shaking in their boots when they see you ramping like a madman. As a result of this you will probably draw a lot of focus from your enemies; be prepared for that. Games can typically turn into Archenemy when piloting this deck.
Who Am I?
Hey, I'm Dany.
I've been playing Magic since the release of the original Zendikar block. I used to play a ton of Standard when I first started playing Magic and dabbled a little in Modern. In 2013 I was introduced to the glorious format of EDH (through the Commander 2013 precons) and since then I haven't looked back. I pretty much only play Commander now, as I find it to be the most entertaining format in Magic. After hundreds of games (and thousands of dollars), I'd like to say that I'm pretty well-versed in both EDH and cEDH deck building and want to start sharing my thoughts on TappedOut.
Traditionally, I'm more of a combo/control player and as a result of this throughout the years of collecting Magic cards I've amassed an ungodly amount of Timmy cards which I never play. I built Maelstrom Wanderer with the intention to use those Timmy cards on my terms; cheating them in. I've been piloting this deck for about 6 months now and I can say that this deck is a blast to play, even though this is something I would traditionally stray away from. Through Maelstrom Wanderer I have channeled the Timmy inside me and have been having a blast doing it!
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Cascade generates an insane amount of value.
- Wins very easily through commander damage.
- Plays BUFF and HASTY creatures; including Maelstrom Wanderer himself.
- Very easy to pilot.
Cons:
- Cascade generates an insane amount of value...sometimes.
- Tends to play with the top of your library more than the cards in your hand.
- Gameplan is very linear; play Maelstrom Wanderer as many times as you can.
- Is a very "all-in" deck.
Why Play this Deck?
You might enjoy this deck if you:
- Like playing big, dumb Timmy cards.
- Want to play an aggressive deck and want to win fast.
- Enjoying winning through commander damage.
- Like complex/durdley strategies or boardstates.
- Enjoy playing Temur colors.
You might not enjoy this deck if you:
- Dislike the randomness and inconsistency of cascade.
- Like to play interactive Magic.
- Don't like combos/extra turns. (Though you can modify your list to run them, given how modular this deck is)
- Dislike playing Archenemy.