Yisan, the Rabbit Hat
Please feel free to comment any suggestions and/or comments! I would love to get some feedback.
This description is under construction!
Construction began at 10:00am on 27/08/17 (AEST) - Please Grizzly Bears with me while I complete this.
The deck is currently undergoing an overhaul utilizing cards being purchased now for the holidays, additionally the deck has had alterations since the list was last updated so, expect more updates soon!
I have been loving playing this deck for over a year now! I figured it was about time I updated my profile here for this deck and so I will be now going through all of the card selections and most common play lines! Additionally, I shall be going over some cuts, and inclusions which I have yet to make and cards I believe are worth testing that I have not gotten to try yet! So disclaimer over let's get to discussing cards!
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Overall Comment
This is intended to be an in depth guide for anyone wishing to build their own Yisan, the Wanderer Bard deck. I also intend to keep this guide up to date for whenever I make adjustments or new cards are introduced. I would love to have people contribute so please feel free to give me as much or as little input as you like! I have worked hard on this and would love to hear from others about it.
The card selections below are broken into four groups "Current" which is all cards in the ninety-nine. Then there are "Additions" which are cards that ideally should be in the ninety-nine but are not because of availability or budget. "To Be Tested" is the section which quite simply needs to be tested before being put into the ninety-nine. Lastly, is "Cut" which are cards that for one reason or another have been tested and found not worthy of their slot. These range from cards which I can see being brought back in such as Yeva, Nature's Herald through to cards I believe are a mistake to include Card:Thragtusk. All cards will have a justification besides them detailing why they are in their section.
This deck is very complex to play well, most games you will find yourself wishing you had tutored up other cards instead and that is a totally normal part of learning to play this deck. It requires thinking ahead several steps as cards lower down the chain combo with cards higher up the chain. The most important part is that you learn when to stay flexible and when you are safe to go in on a line. Aside from your opponents decks, a good way of determining this is looking at your hand, as this can either open or close doors by giving you an additional card of a CMC that you were looking for, or cutting out a card from a chain you were going for. Something worth remembering for when you have played enough games with this deck to feel confident is that you can hold priority with a Yisan, the Wanderer Bard trigger on the stack to untap and repeat the trigger to effectively skip a CMC/s in exchange for two or more of a later CMC. This is most often not the correct line as most synergies come at differing CMCs. However a great example of this is skipping 2CMC for Azusa, Lost but Seeking and Ramunap Excavator when you have access to a Strip Mine. In no way would I recommend this deck as the first deck for someone playing Commander, and also in no way would I recommend this deck for someone who is not willing to lose at least a few matches while they learn how to pilot it.
Stats
- Card Draw: #
- Ramp: #
- Targeted Removal: #
- Board Wipes: #
Analysis
- Card Draw:
- Ramp:
- Targeted Removal:
- Board Wipes:
Power Level
- 0 - 4 : Jank
- 5 - 6 : Precon
- 7 - 8 : Tuned
- 9 : Optimised
- 10 : CEDH
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Deck Variations
When considering constructing this deck there are a few main questions you should ask yourself. Firstly there are what I consider to be the 'big three' is the key questions I always ask myself when I am about to construct a new deck.
1. What cards do I already own to test this with?
2. What is my budget for expanding the deck?
3. What power level do I want the deck to be?
Secondly, there are some more specific questions for this deck.
1. Do I want to play Elf Tribal?
2. How much do I want to rely on the ability of Yisan, the Wanderer Bard?
The first option divides all Yisan, the Wanderer Bard decks quite definitively, and leads to two completely different decks. I have never fully explored the tribal option, as I found it less appealing initially, and this is because I found the deck more linear, and more easily crippled, although potentially this variant can probably be more explosive, due to Priest of Titania. The second question leads into things like combo, and tutors in the deck. Cards like Worldly Tutor while excellent, are more useful when you intend to cast cards from your hand, and rely less on the abilitys of Yisan, the Wanderer Bard itself. This choice is perfectly valid, but I like to lean very heavily onto the ability of card: Yisan, the Wander Bard and my decklist reflects that.
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Yisan Tutor Targets
1 CMC
Current:
- Elvish Mystic - Refer to Arbor Elf.
- Llanowar Elves - Refer to Arbor Elf.
- Birds of Paradise - Refer to Arbor Elf.
- Fyndhorn Elves - Refer to Arbor Elf.
- Boreal Druid - Refer to Arbor Elf.
- Arbor Elf - Having a 1CMC accelerant that lets you play Yisan, the Wanderer Bard on turn two is the most important part of an opening hand aside from two lands at least one of them producing green. So much so that most hands without one I consider a muligan. Every single card that meets this criterion is an auto include.
- Quirion Ranger - This card is simply the best card in the deck. It is what allows this deck to hold its own against stronger decks with explosive turns, and have an additional tutor every turn.
- Wirewood Symbiote - Since Quirion Ranger is the best card in the deck, a second copy is amazing! This card is worse as it is harder to stay efficient in terms of mana but later on opens up great synergy with cards like Wood Elves, Reclamation Sage, and a few others. Additionally, if your opponents know what they are doing and blow your Yisan, the Wanderer Bard up quickly, you can get this guy online in addition to your card:Quiriron Ranger.
- Magus of the Candelabra - So this is the best mana dork in the deck when you get Gaea's Cradle or Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx into play. It is actually just insane... turns out Candelabra of Tawnos but as a tutorable effect is insane.
- Sylvan Safekeeper - This card is very risky, get it too early and people are suspicious, miss your chance to get it when an opponent knows the danger you possess and you will regret it. Another upside that I personally overlooked, is that people are far too hesitant to utilize their cards when they know they will fail, no one wants to reanimate a Dragonlord Silumgar and have your opponent sacrifice a land, rather then stealing their commander to attempt to shut off their deck. This card is a great inclusion that rewards higher level play. The best possible situation is to retrieve this card in response to an effect, rather than paint a target on yourself and make it clear that you are willing to give up lands for the effect. If you do take it on curve, Scryb Ranger or Seeker of Skybreak is a great 2CMC target to recover the untap effect, and Ramunap Excavator can recover any lands that were sacrificed. But let's be perfectly clear, this card is what you will get as a 1CMC creature, almost every time.
Additions:
To Be Tested:
Cut:
- Scute Mob - This card goes the distance, it is good for one simple reason and that is for when your Yisan, the Wanderer Bard gets destroyed too many times and you want a relevant 1CMC creature for a late game tutor. In that situation, it never disappointed me, and proved an excellent version for the more budget-friendly version of the deck. However, the more tuned it has become, the less I have wanted this card. But it is definitely one which can come in and out.
- Veteran Explorer - In terms of the most explosive starts possible for this deck, this card is excellent. However, there simply are not enough draws where he can be used effectively, and thus he has been cut for consistency.
- Joraga Treespeaker - This card should be the definition of disappointment. In so many other decks and formats it is fantastic, but here no. It has the appearance of cards like Llanowar Elves but if you have actually used it you will know it is different. The intention of 1CMC ramp creatures in this deck is to get you to three mana on turn two. This card fails to establish that and also cuts you off potentially deploying a two drop if you want it online right away. Simply it is not worth the slot.
- Ulvenwald Tracker - Here is a tricky one, this card is useful and often seems like a great inclusion. However, I feel the majority of the time it underperforms. It was never a tutor target at 1CMC, and often would only be capable of killing key creatures post combat damage, or too late to be relevant. In my assessment this card is not worth the slot.
2 CMC
Current:
- Tajuru Preserver - Have you ever seen a black mage that doesn't run sacrifice effects? Dictate of Erebos for example? This card rarely comes out, but every time it does, it is so worth it.
- Scavenging Ooze - Play this card, play this card, play this card. If there is something this deck is bad at it is dealing with graveyard decks, and right here is some serious protection.
- Seeker of Skybreak - This card is a tutorable untap effect that has no downsides to untap a creature.
This card is simply a must, and the only downside is when you have the really insane nut draws, it cannot untap the turn it comes into play.
- Gyre Sage - This is the best mana dork in the deck. Almost every game I play this is the first target at 2CMC for the deck's current composition. It is also particularly effective for when you can land a Verdurous Gearhulk to place counters upon it.
- Phyrexian Revoker - This is the first silver bullet of the deck. It is incredibly useful in many scenarios and if there is a commander who has activated abilities you don't want to see used, this locks them down. Such commanders include Arcum Dagsson, Jhoira of the Ghitu, Marath, Will of the Wild, Breya, Etherium Shaper, and many more.
- Scryb Ranger - This one simply is the best two drop I currently have in the deck. Turns out untapping Yisan, the Wanderer Bard is almost never a bad thing to be able to do. However, I do not reccomend getting this as a 2CMC creature in the chain the first time around, as it is useful for a late game recovery after a Wrath of God effect.
Additions:
To Be Tested:
Cut:
- Wall of Blossoms - Sometimes you just have to fill a slot with the best thing at hand. A budget card, as you never really want to draw it, or search for it, but is usually just okay.
- Voyaging Satyr - This card is a situational powerhouse. If you have a Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx in play or maybe you are also running Gaea's Cradle then this card lets you just go off with lots of mana. Currently he is sitting out, due to mostly being a worse card: Magus of the Candalabra.
- Sakura-Tribe Elder - Trusty old Steve currently serves more as a place holder and a filler. However, as a filler Steve is great.
- Elvish Visionary - Unfortunately this card is typically quite disappointing. Usually, it pales in comparison to other two drops available. However, it pairs quite nicely with Wirewood Symbiote. This deck really wants its card advantage in terms of selection, and the ability off Yisan, the Wanderer Bard, not drawing cards in and of itself. Put simply this card has too small of an impact.
- Fauna Shaman - .
- Frontier Guide - .
- Priest of Titania - Alright this cut has got to be highly controversial, so do hear me out. I am not playing Elf Tribal, I wanted more variety and flexibility, so I am not playing enough Elves to make this card worth it. If you are playing Yisan, the Wanderer Bard as an Elf Tribal commander, this card is simply the best card in the deck. Without that tribal though, it really isn’t worth it.
- Dawntreader Elk - .
- Den Protector - This card was probably in here more as a pet card. My favourite ever deck was a five colour morphs deck using all basic lands that was primarily green and was for Khans Block Constructed. I also had a prerelease foil for this so I played it. Turns out it just isn’t that great when you can only tutor for it face up.
- Duskwatch Recruiter
- This card is better in a more combo centric version of the Yisan deck. It also works better in one which you want to rely less on using the ability of Yisan and more on drawing cards and playing out of hand. Personally I am not a fan of ‘going infinite’, and really do prefer using the ability as much as possible and thusly this card ended up not really pulling its weight. Although if you do like infinite mana, get this card into your deck right away.
- Gaea's Herald - .
- Whisperer of the Wilds - Are you playing a budget Yisan deck? If so this card is great. Once upon a time my deck didn’t have things like Craterhoof Behemoth, Oracle of Mul Daya and Azusa, Lost but Seeking. If that is you, this commander is still great and you should probably play this card. But eventually 2 CMC mana dork has to be pretty nuts to hold its slot. This one was just solid.
3 CMC
Current:
- Nissa, Vastwood Seer
- .
- Ramunap Excavator - This card is the best addition to the deck in recent times, tutor for it when you have drawn into a Stripmine, or Wasteland and shred down your opponents mana base. Combines extremely well with Oracle of Mul Daya, and even better with Azusa, Lost but Seeking.
- Reclamation Sage - Number one save your life card. Stops your opponents from beating you with what ever shenanigans they have going on.
Additions:
- Azusa, Lost but Seeking - One of the most expensive cards for the deck, you can live without it but you will notice the difference when you use it. Opens up some great potential plays, my only wish is that Ramunap Excavator was at 2 CMC so that you could get both more easily.
- Fierce Empath - Secretly one of the best cards in the deck, this card is a must, and it is cheap. It allows you to recover from a late game stumble much faster when you have the mana but have lost Yisan allowing you to get the later creatures into hand. Additionally when combined with Woodland Bellower lets you get any creature in the deck.
- Shaman of Forgotten Ways - The second ability says it all about this card, it is a potential win condition on its own and if not should drastically reduce the life totals of most of your opponents.
To Be Tested:
Cut:
- Eternal Witness - This is just an amazing card. If someone else told me that this card needed to be cut, I would tell them that's insane, or just wrong. But it is at 3CMC, and there are better cards at that CMC and probably nothing you really want to return yet. Also when you do usually want something back, there is a replacement avaliable.
- Courser of Kruphix - So this card is really good. Having top the ability to see your top card and even play lands off of it when you shuffle a lot, is really really good. But the problem is that at 3CMC it just isn't good enough, the 3CMC slot is the biggest squeeze, so the best cards that get cut are here. Besides you usually will go for an Oracle of Mul Daya at 4CMC for the same effect but with an extra land drop.
- Managorger Hydra - This card is just awesome. It grows completely out of control and is just such a sweet card. But realistically, this card cannot contend with the faster pace of play a more tuned version of this deck provides. It got cut not because it isn't a great card, but just because the deck evolved into something different.
- Reverent Hunter - So it never comes down big enough at the 3CMC slot, you needed to either draw it or get it at the 6CMC slot with card:Woodland Bellowerer. Quite simply it does not hold up.
- Wood Elves - Classically a really good card. It is just too slow, and does not have enough impact.
4 CMC
Current:
Additions:
- Oracle of Mul Daya - Courser of Kruphix was good enough to make the deck at the 3CMC slot which is a much tighter squeeze then 4CMC. This card is better by far, if you have one, play it.
To Be Tested:
Cut:
- Yeva, Nature's Herald - There are two ways to split builds of this deck, and my preferred method is to focus as much as possible on the ability of Yisan, the Wanderer Bard, rather then casting spells from hand. Additionally, I found there are other cards at 4 CMC which proved to be more essential. In summary, not worth the slot, despite being an excellent card.
5 CMC
Current:
- Acidic Slime - Your one stop shop to fix any one problem now. It is just like [Reclamation Sage] but slightly better and it can really make someone not want to attack you.
- Entourage of Trest - Awesome budget card, who doesn’t like free card draw and also you get a fancy crown. It is a classic for making the games more entertaining and exciting while also being a good card.
- Seedborn Muse - Alright so there are fair commander cards, and unfair commander cards. This one is just simply super unfair. If you tutor this card and then don’t win the game on your next turn, then something has gone horribly wrong.
- Verdurous Gearhulk - Alright so this card doesn’t seem too amazing does it. Not considering how picky some of these cuts have been anyway. This card is here because of [Gyre Sage] and that pair was a match made in heaven. Although just, in general, this card is really cool.
- Whisperwood Elemental - Emergency board wipe protection. I know people tended to hate Manifest but it is a great mechanic, and the deck is also very creature dense meaning you have a high chance of being able to flip the cards. Also if people are dropping board wipes they might be low on hit points, an army of 2/2 creatures could be enough to still finish someone, especially when they just lost their blockers. Aside from the sacrifice effect, it is card advantage through manifesting.
Additions:
To Be Tested:
Cut:
6 CMC
Current:
- Cloudthresher - .
- Greenwarden of Murasa - This card seemed like it would be great but it is actually rather disappointing. Turns out two Eternal Witness’s stapled together really has demising returns. Also there just simply are too many cards at 6CMC that are better.
- Pathbreaker Ibex - .
- Vigor - This card ends games, it is a finisher. But it is also the lowest CMC finisher in terms of dealing damage to your opponent, if you need that big push, and you have the creatures, go for it.
- Woodland Bellower - This card Is a must, it is one of the best cards in the deck as it opens up all the extra flexibility in the world. Combine it with Fierce Empath for even better results. I only wish it could search for Legendary Creatures.
Additions:
To Be Tested:
Cut:
7 CMC
Current:
- Avenger of Zendikar - .
- Hornet Queen - You know what card is perfect when people go “Guys we really need to deal with this Yisan, the Wanderer Bard” Something that makes a bunch of 1/1 Flying Deathtouch Creatures. Also works pretty well with Craterhoof Behemoth due to the number of bodies.
- Regal Force - .
Additions:
To Be Tested:
Cut:
8 CMC
Current:
- Craterhoof Behemoth - This card needs no explanation but I’ll do it anyway. This card is one of my favourites, and it an absolute bomb of a card. There is no finisher quite like a Craterhoof Behemoth, but do remember it is only good once you’re already going. It is my favourite card to play in this deck, and people will learn to fear the sound of you thundering away on the table as they’re about to get ‘hoofed.
- Terastodon - You’re a problem, that’s a problem and that one is kinda just annoying. But hey guys guess what you can have some tokens! It is a triple beast within stapled to a creature so it is tutor able, what more do you want from a card? Also, this is worth including because sometimes you just can't get through, you need something dead now, or your card:Craetorhoof Behemoth won't do it.
Additions:
To Be Tested:
Cut:
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Other Cards
Lands
Current:
- Strip Mine - The best of the land destruction effects in the deck, utilise Ramunap Excavator to lock down an opponent, and if you combine that with the use of Oracle of Mul Daya or even better Azusa, Lost but Seeking obliterate their mana... por cano los dos?
- Wasteland - It is worse then Strip Mine especially when it comes to locking someone down, but if someone is running Atraxa, Praetors' Voice, or Breya, Etherium Sculptor or another four colour set up, this will break them.
- Ghost Quarter - It singleton format, we need redundancy, just start with the player who has the most colours of mana in their deck... or someone who doesn't understand the value of playing card:Waste
- Dryad Arbor - This is the only 'tapped' land in the deck. It is played because it lets Green Sun's Zenith be a one mana ramp spell, and can offer an extra body which sometimes makes the difference for things like Craterhoof Behemoth and opposing triggers such as Goblin Assassin.
- Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx - It is a slower Gaea's Cradle but it can potentially produce more mana, making it often a better card for you, and it is so much cheaper.
Additions:
- Dust Bowl - .
- card:Gaea's Cradel - I don't have one, I want one. If you have one, play one. If you cannot afford one the deck is still awesome, so don't worry.
To Be Tested:
Cut:
Tutors
Current:
Additions:
To Be Tested:
Cut:
Misc
Current:
Additions:
To Be Tested:
Cut:
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Play Lines
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Flip
