Stax Slicer Stacks Damage

Commander / EDH Artifact Budget Chaos Competitive Equip Mono-Red Primer Unblockable Voltron

lukecwolf

31 - 34 lands (all mountains suffice) (33)

• 1x Ancient Tomb
• 1x Command Beacon
• 1x Crystal Vein
• 1x Darksteel Citadel
• 1x Geier Reach Sanitarium
• 1x Gemstone Caverns
• 1x Great Furnace
• 1x Mishra's Workshop
• 18x Mountain
• 1x Shatterskull Smashing  ^Flip
• 1x Snow-Covered Mountain
• 1x Sundering Eruption  ^Flip
• 1x Treasure Vault
• 1x Urza's Cave
• 1x Urza's Saga
• 1x Valakut Awakening  ^Flip

Voltron evasion and boost (9)

• 1x Champion's Helm
• 1x Desperate Ritual
• 1x Lightning Spear
• 1x O-Naginata
• 1x Pyretic Ritual
• 1x Strength-Testing Hammer
• 1x Sword of Once and Future
• 1x Umezawa's Jitte
• 1x Whispersilk Cloak

Draw / tutor (7)

• 1x Gamble
• 1x Goblin Engineer
• 1x Jeska's Will
• 1x Magus of the Wheel
• 1x Powerbalance
• 1x Wheel of Fortune
• 1x Wheel of Misfortune

Ramp (15)

• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x ________ Goblin
• 1x Cursed Mirror
• 1x Everflowing Chalice
• 1x Jeweled Amulet
• 1x Liquimetal Torque
• 1x Lotus Petal
• 1x Mana Vault
• 1x Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
• 1x Rite of Flame
• 1x Seething Song
• 1x Simian Spirit Guide
• 1x Skirk Prospector
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Strike it Rich

Interaction (10)

• 1x Dead / Gone
• 1x Fire Prophecy
• 1x Lightning Axe
• 1x Lightning Bolt
• 1x Pyroblast
• 1x Pyrokinesis
• 1x Ricochet Trap
• 1x Stingscourger
• 1x Tibalt's Trickery
• 1x Zoyowa's Justice

Silver bullets (4)

• 1x Anje's Ravager
• 1x Chaos Warp
• 1x Cursed Totem
• 1x Uba Mask

Boardwipes (3)

• 1x Brotherhood's End
• 1x Delayed Blast Fireball
• 1x Spiteful Banditry

Commander (1)

 ^Flip

Goodstuff / stax (13)

• 1x Blood Moon
• 1x Defense Grid
• 1x Deflecting Swat
• 1x Gilded Pinions
• 1x Goblin Chirurgeon
• 1x Key to the City
• 1x Magus of the Moon
• 1x Smoke
• 1x Soulless Jailer
• 1x Sticky Fingers
• 1x Swiftfoot Boots
• 1x Torpor Orb
• 1x Welding Jar

Voltron pricy (5)

• 1x Chrome Mox
• 1x Lightning Greaves
• 1x Mox Diamond
• 1x Mox Opal
• 1x The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

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Sideboard

Interaction (7)

• 1x Go for Blood
• 1x Reckless Handling
• 1x Red Elemental Blast
• 1x Rolling Earthquake
• 1x Thunderclap
• 1x Vandalblast
• 1x Wild Magic Surge

More equipments excluding universes beyond although Fallout set had good stuff (7)

• 1x Commander's Plate
• 1x Goldvein Pick
• 1x Lost Jitte
• 1x Shadowspear
• 1x Sword of Fire and Ice
• 1x Sword of Sinew and Steel
• 1x Sword of Wealth and Power

Meta calls (6)

• 1x Blasphemous Act
• 1x Chalice of the Void
• 1x Damping Sphere
• 1x Grafdigger's Cage
• 1x Ratchet Bomb
• 1x Uphill Battle

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Maybeboard

Budget options excluding universes beyond (10)

• 1x Banshee's Blade
• 1x Beamtown Beatstick
• 1x Diamond Pick-Axe
• 1x Dreadmaw's Ire
• 1x Infiltration Lens
• 1x Latulla's Orders
• 1x Palladium Myr
• 1x Prowler's Helm
• 1x Stitcher's Graft
• 1x Tilonalli's Crown

Chiss-goria CMDR swaps (5)

• 1x Birgi, God of Storytelling  ^Flip
• 1x Chimil, the Inner Sun
• 1x Cityscape Leveler
• 1x Clown Car
• 1x Stonecoil Serpent

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Stax Slicer Stacks Damage. Usual Mono Red Stax.

Slicer decks pass Slicer around the table and try to deal 21 commander damage to each player. Or just don't bother keeping track of commander and watch the damage fly.

This used to be an insane deck when you could get Mountain + Mana Crypt/Jeweled Lotus and rush out Slicer t1 and recover with Dockside Extortionist. As of the 9/23/24 banlist, Slicer guns out t2.

No matter how you play the deck, Slicer decks die to removal, have no combos, and grind to a halt in the long game. Smart players will dogpile on you if no one is equally fast and susceptible fast, like RogSi or Kriik or Magda. Don't stop let that stop you from chasing that sweet feeling of knocking someone out t3 and winning by t6 though.

This is a reactive Slicer deck rather than the proactive version most players simply because I built this from what I owned at the time. This deck was built from the base of my Dargo/Jeska deck and its sideboard cards. All the equipment, stax, and removal that didn't make the final cut just happened to fit into Slicer. Thus this Slicer was born 2024-3, and it was maxed out months later as it kept understandably losing.

Credit to Kiko1337 on Moxfield for the basis of the cEDH version of this decklist. This primer is mostly a place to archive a decklist and rationalize my thoughts about this busted commander. Kiko1337's deck has less than a dozen views the first I saw it but is far better than over a dozen cEDH Slicer lists I've seen with thousands of views. No long-winded explanatory crap too. Give it a look if you want some ideas. www.moxfield.com/decks/FSIGIzCw2EO60Gj4f4ONDA

Embrace the Optimum Pride tiktok meme that kickstarted this deck.

https://youtu.be/qN2pcweX3iI

1) Why Mono-Red?

Because red-team is the best team.

In seriousness, red is arguably the best mono-color you can choose, and your land base will be cheap. You have access to a plethora of interaction, can be extremely proactive, and can make up for many shortcomings using artifacts that can be tutored for in red. If you're playing competitively, you also have access to Blood Moon and Magus of the Moon, which can devestate multicolor decks and blue/black thassa's oracle combo decks.

For comparison, Slicer has single good cards but no infinite combos, so it's easy to know which hands do not need a mulligan. Any hand that can rush out Slicer t1 is insane: Jewled Lotus, Mountain + Mana Crypt. A t1 slicer thus has the possibility of knocking one player out by t2 with 3+6+6+6= 21 commander damage. Meanwhile, opening stax pieces saves the inherent fragility of Slicer and can let it catch up to other decks. On the other hand, Slicer has the distinct issue of needing to knock commander damage against all opponents and strategic opponents will probably mulligan until they have removal.

For contrast, Godo is the classic 2018 cEDH commander that is a 0 card combo with Helm of the Host. The deck had a high probability of winning t1-2 requiring 4-11 mana to win but realistically sits around doing nothing. It just keeps seeing play and will never be powercrept. Unfortunately, everyone knows what it does and if it's interacted with during its combo turn, it loses. Godo is also one of the least interactive decks and is boring to pilot.For the latter reason, a lot of Godo players pivoted to Slicer.

For contrast, Dargo/Jeska has streamlined lines of plays and can go as slow or as fast as needed. It's arguably the most difficult to pilot here, with fragility and combo possibility second to Godo. Unfortunately, Dargo/Jeska is hindered by the more common rule of law stax pieces. Stax barely hinders Slicer.

For contrast, Magda has a wide access to a series of stax and combo cards. It also accrues value very quickly and only requires 5-10 treasures into Magda to accrue its wonky infinite combo. Slicer also matches in speed and never feels like it does nothing.

For contrast, Outside of cEDH, lots of mono-red commanders just have great value. All the Krenkos get lots of goblins, Burn commanders like Torbrand and Ojar-Axonil are goated, Toralf has Blasphemous act cards that end the game if they resolve, and chaos is viable using stuff like Grenzo. Mono-red is perhaps also easy to pilot as well.

2) What should Slicer's opening hand be?

-Your whole strategy is to Pass Slicer to your opponent's temporary control to try to deal damage.

Ideal hand: A t2 Slicer or Stax piece. 1. Ramp fast. Keep hands with a sol ring or something similar. Cast whatever side of slicer is most cost effective.

1. Alternatively, keep any hand that has a good stax piece against opponents. E.g. Blood Moon and Magus of the Moon against devastate multicolor decks and blue/black thassa's oracle combo decks is great.

2. Accumulate Damage Use generic removal and stax to fill spare slots if needed.

3. Buff Slicer Up. Attach whatever equipments and auras you have.

4. Win?

-Slicer loses by being slow and taking opponents out one at a time. I've also lost a decent amount of times when opponents just have a few chump blockers out. Double Strike means it deals first strike, then normal combat damage. So sometimes, an opponent's 4+/4+ creature is enough to stall slicer. Stat reduction is also rare, like Jace, the Perfected Mind, but effective.

Slicer is strong but lacks ways to inherently attack opponents directly, so try to use artifacts to work around that.

In summary, Slicer decks deal solid damage but are inherently a "dies to removal" commander because there is nothing else the deck does to win except attack with Slicer.

3) Making Sense of Slicer and the Gatherer Text

AKA random tidbits to expand on this convoluted commander/ rules expanded

At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, you have the choice between giving control of Slicer or converting him into a vehicle.

If you give Slicer to an opponent, he's goaded and untapped and can't be sacrificed. He returns to your control at the end of the turn. This is in time for you to get the trigger again in the next opponent's upkeep.

If you don't, he reduces to his weaker form until you successfully deal combat damage to an enemy. His weaker form is not a creature unless it's your turn, so he successfully dodges Day of Judgment style effects.

Relevant Gatherer Text:

Typically, cast the car, then transform into robot.

• "More Than Meets the Eye [cost]" means "You may cast this card converted by paying [cost] rather than its mana cost." It functions in any zone from which the spell can be cast.(2022-10-14)

You do pay commander tax each time you cast from command zone.

• The cost is an alternative cost, so it can't be combined with any other alternative costs. It can be combined with any applicable additional costs.(2022-10-14)

• When you cast a spell using its More Than Meets the Eye ability, the card is put onto the stack with its back face up. The resulting spell has all characteristics of that face.(2022-10-14)

• When you goad a creature, that creature must attack each combat if able and must attack a player other than you if able. It stays goaded until your next turn.(2022-10-14) It cannot attack a planeswalker that player controls.

• Converting a permanent doesn't affect any Auras or Equipment that are attached to it. Similarly, any counters on the permanent will remain on that permanent after it converts. Any continuous effects from a resolved spell or ability will continue to affect it. Any spells or abilities on the stack that target a permanent continue to do so after that permanent converts.(2022-10-14)

• Relevant Things About Slicer In order of phases.

• Your opponents gain control of a nonhuman commander. They can get a free deadly rollick/deflecting swat/mox amber. Not a big issue.

• Avoid Any enchantment aura that says "Enchant creature you control" as the aura will be put into its owner's graveyard if another player gains control of the enchanted creature, such as Flamespeaker's Will.

• You can choose not to give control to your opponent. If you do, it converts to a vehicle. Thus, it cannot attack until your combat. You should turn him from robot to car if:

• there's a boardwipe incoming.
• if someone can take unfair advantage of Slicer, e.g. Winota (is that really the only commander that can abuse Slicer?)
• if someone's not doing politics correctly

• Slicer is likely to crash into a big creature, so you have to readjust your resources.

• Your opponents gain control of Slicer, but not any auras or equipments. As such, if you control the auras and equipments, you get their relevant triggers. So if Slicer under an opponent's control but is equiped with your Sword of Fire and Ice, you get to deal 2 damage and draw a card, not the creature's controller. The same applies to your opponent's aura or equipments.

• Tangentially, cards like Umezawa's Jitte only care about combat damage. Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage, put two charge counters on Umezawa’s Jitte. This can be when under opponent's control, and you still get to remove charge counters anytime.

• The car has to deal combat damage to transform. As such, turbo fog mechanics essentially defang the car.

• Phasing: e.g. Teferi's Protection with Slicer: If Slicer is in someone else's control while they use Teferi's Protection, Slicer does phase out with them as Teferi's Protection reads all permanents under its player's control. He wouldn't return to your board until he is phased back in. March of Swirling Mists hurts.

4) How Does the cEDH version work?

The cEDH version builds the deck for the best case scenario of rushing on Slicer t1 and knocking out 3 opponents with 21+ commander damage by t4. As such, 15 + slots are devoted exclusively to pertinent fast mana and rituals.

This is around $2000 total. Or $1 at your local library/print shop for paper proxies. They certainly creep this out of being a budget deck.

The rest of the deck is filled with stax and and buffs for the likely scenario that your opponents just remove Slicer a bunch.

Equipments are less pertinent than fast mana, but the expensive ones you should include are Commander's Plate , Sword of Wealth and Power , and Sword of Fire and Ice

Pertinent fast mana: From best to worst

• Ancient Tomb

• Mana Vault

• Mox Diamond was removed due to redundancy.

Rituals

• Rite of Flame

• Desperate ritual

• Pyretic ritual

• Seething song

• Name sticker goblin

By rushing out Slicer t1 before your opponents can have sufficient blockers, you can theoretically knock out each opponent by t4... provided they are willing to abandon their game plan and help Slicer win. On turn 2, Opponent 2 can lose to 3+6+6+6 commander damage if opponent 3 or 4 attacks opponent 2. Then Slicer can knock out the other commanders on turns 4 or 5.

Slicer, regardless of deck budget, still dies to removal :(

Slicer sees plenty of tournament play, but that's moreso an indication of its popularity than its power. It can definitely be too powerful for casual, and not something you should think too hard about.

What I will mention is that lots of online cEDH decklists I saw weren't equipped to handle removal. When I got back into cEDH in 2022 and 2023, I was astonished at the number of online decks than ran plenty of counterspells but little to no removal. This made a number of glass cannon decks quite viable in the meta.

For this reason, Chain Veil Teferi kept winning, Mardu decks dominated summer 2023 including many Dihada decks and a Kaalia deck with 20 lands, and Lightpaws is more viable because removal is more potent against lightpaws than counterspells. So maybe Slicer won't die every turn.

For comparison, Najeela doesn't seem to have problems dealing combat damage in cEDH. But I constantly run into this issue when I play in person and in lower power pods, so I don't know what cEDH players are smoking.
Over half of cEDH players side out Champion of Lambolt with Najeela's warriors to evade blockers, but in over half of the games I play I need to use her. So maybe Slicer will attack undeterred. I don't know.

I don't think about the cEDH meta for my own sanity. Believe in yourself. Do your best.

5) NOTABLE INCLUSIONS AND EXCLUSIONS

EQUIPMENT CMC 3, EQUIP 2

Almost all of the sword of x and y are amazing in Slicer, as you protection and get the triggers whenever they deal combat damage, so up to number of opponents + 1. The problem is that they're all off curve.

Take a theoretical game where you accrue one mana a turn. t1 1 land, ramp/interaction t2 stax, ramp t3 slicer, t4 Sword of x and y t5 Equip sword of x and y

Contrast this with a 2 cmc equipment t1 1 land, ramp/interaction t2 stax, 2cmc equipment out t3 slicer, attack, t4 equip to slicer.

Even if that's not the case and you do happen to have fast mana, a 2 cmc equipment just works better in all situations. As such, I've replaced included some more 2 cmc cards.

I've made exceptions for particularly good Swords. For equipment that are less than $10:

• Whispersilk Cloak is amazing, as it solves all the problems Slicer has without interfearing with game plan.

• Sword of Once and Future is great, letting you dig through your library and maybe toss out a few more lightning bolts.

• Sword of Sinew and Steel is fine.

EXCLUSIONS

• Chrome Mox / Mox Amber There's just no good payoff. Yes, you get mana quickly, but it's mostly used to cast Slicer. The 2 cmc rituals are better. And from my tests, the rite of flame was redundant. Chrome Mox notably hasn't been helpful as the slew of artifacts makes it difficult to pitch something. A stax piece has a higher impact as I'll be honest, using damage isn't the fastest.

• stax: 1x Void Mirror.

• storage matrix winter orb static orb all hurt you as much as they hurt your opponent. Avoid.

Alexios, Deimos of Kosmos CMDR

W0tc didn't understand no one likes Slicer, so they gave us another one with Ubisoft's Assassin's creed crud Alexios, Deimos of Kosmos CMDR. So now he's an alternate commander. But pauper legal!

Alexios is strategically similar to Slicer in which we pass them around and force opponents to have removal in opening hands, but the decks are built differently. Slicer is better simply because it costs less mana. It thus gets out faster and requires less mana to cast after being killed again and again.

• slicer is much easier to cheat out t1 and win the first few turns. Slicer can theoretically kill one opponent in 1 turn if everyone targets one person, three opponents in 3-4 turns. Alexios needs 2 to kill one opponent, but 3 turns for all three.

• slicer doesn't have to be be given to other players. Of course, the niche difference is for very specific decks: winota, yuriko, combat oriented stuff kike Najeela or 5 legged slime guy...

• slicer can save itself from boardwipes. You can sometimes foresee this when someone tutors.

• alexios constantly gets bigger. Slicer has static stats.

• alexios is almost guaranteed to hit due to its increasing size and trample. Sometimes Slicer hits a wall.

• for buffs, Slicer should get trample, Alexios should get haste and double strike.

In short, Slicer decks benefit more from more speed and buffs. Alexios focuses more on recovery, protection, and combat tricks. Both are removal and stax heavy decks, and deck builders should adjust ratios as they see fit.

I eventually built a pauper edh deck with this commander

Date added	7 months
Last updated	2 days
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	9 - 6 Mythic Rares 35 - 5 Rares 21 - 5 Uncommons 16 - 4 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	2.07
Tokens	Construct 0/0 C, Treasure