<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jenova, Ancient Calamity" href="#" target="_blank">Jenova, Ancient Calamity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/b03di" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ignatius Budi</a></em></p>
<p>Well <em>Magic</em> players, it's time to introduce you all to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jenova, Ancient Calamity" href="#" target="_blank">Jenova, Ancient Calamity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, one of the biggest villains in <em>Final Fantasy VII.</em> For those of you that don’t know: Jenova, is an ancient Alien creature that's central to the plot of the story. It infects lifeforms like a virus, turning them into monsters, which is captured perfectly with this new card. Modifying a creature and then drawing cards when it dies is a powerful ability to build around.</p>
<p>So, join me, Tyler ‘Savesya’ Bucks, as I highlight 14 cards for under $14 that can get you started on a new deck! With this list, we'll look at a few creatures that are naturally Mutants, which makes it even easier to draw cards off of when they die, as well as show off some synergistic sacrifice outlets that will give you more control over when your creatures leave the board.</p>
<h2>What Does Jenova, Ancient Calamity Do?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jenova, Ancient Calamity"></div></div>
<p>Let’s kick things off by taking a look at the commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jenova, Ancient Calamity" href="#" target="_blank">Jenova, Ancient Calamity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a four-mana 1/5 that hands out +1/+1 counter equal to their power to one of your creatures at the start of your combat. When that happens, that creature becomes a Mutant in addition to its other types.</p>
<p>But that’s not all. Whenever a Mutant you control dies during your turn, you draw cards equal to its power.</p>
<h2>Budget Mutant Cards for Jenova, Ancient Calamity</h2>
<p>Of course, throwing something like a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yargle and Multani" href="#" target="_blank">Yargle and Multani</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into this deck would be great, but I wanted to first show off some creatures that are already Mutants.</p>
<h3>Rampaging Yao Guai</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rampaging Yao Guai"></div></div>
<p>The first Mutant we’re showcasing today comes with some counters of its own, as well as removal stapled to it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampaging Yao Guai" href="#" target="_blank">Rampaging Yao Guai</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be strong in the early game as well as the late game, allowing you to clear the board of pesky artifacts and enchantments while getting you a big body on the board.</p>
<p>It's also a great blocker and attacker that you won’t care about dying during combat, since you’ll be drawing all those cards with your commander.</p>
<h3>Lily Bowen, Raging Grandma</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lily Bowen, Raging Grandma"></div></div>
<p>Another card that comes with its own counters is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lily Bowen, Raging Grandma" href="#" target="_blank">Lily Bowen, Raging Grandma</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Even though she already has a way to grow her counters, throwing an additional one on with Jenova could be beneficial, since it'll only grow your Granny faster.</p>
<p>Now all but one of those counters will go away once Lily gets more than sixteen of them, which just means you should be attacking as much as possible or looking for one of the sacrifice outlets we'll talk about later to cash her in when she's at her most powerful.</p>
<h3>Watchful Radstag</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Watchful Radstag"></div></div>
<p>We'll be talking about a lot of big creatures on this list, but let’s take a look at a way to go a bit wider with our board. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Watchful Radstag" href="#" target="_blank">Watchful Radstag</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> creates a token of itself whenever it evolves, which means that as you simply play out your game plan, you could be getting a bigger board of Elk.</p>
<p>Since Jenova doesn’t care about how your Mutants die, you can recklessly use those tokens for attacking, all while drawing cards in the process.</p>
<h3>Lumbering Megasloth</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lumbering Megasloth"></div></div>
<p>If you already have plenty of counters building up on your board, well then <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lumbering Megasloth" href="#" target="_blank">Lumbering Megasloth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is here to come down for as little as two mana. It's naturally an 8/8, which is great for getting into the red zone, or just straight up sacrificing to draw an obscene number of cards.</p>
<p>Do yourself a favor and hold off on casting this Sloth until you’re ready to get full value out of it, because let’s be honest, 12 mana is just too high. Also, don’t overlook the fact that the mana reduction takes into account all counters on the board, not just yours.</p>
<h3>Ursine Monstrosity</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ursine Monstrosity"></div></div>
<p>Let's step away from <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/pip" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Fall Out</em></a> Mutants for a second with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ursine Monstrosity" href="#" target="_blank">Ursine Monstrosity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This creature has trample as well as a way to grow when you move to combat, milling you a card and then getting +1/+1 for each card type in your graveyard. Since it also gains indestructible, this will be a great target for the counters Jenova passes along, making it a constant threat on each of your turns for one random unlucky opponent.</p>
<p>As another bonus, since the Monstrosity only costs three mana, you can get it down the turn before your commander, and start the pain train as early as possible.</p>
<h3>Feral Ghoul</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Feral Ghoul"></div></div>
<p>In this deck a lot of cards will be going to your graveyard, whether it's from milling or sacrificing; the latter of the two is something that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feral Ghoul" href="#" target="_blank">Feral Ghoul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> loves to see. Gaining +1/+1 counters whenever another creature you control dies means that you could get this down early, then continue your game plan of sacrificing bigger creatures to draw cards, all while the Ghoul gets bigger and bigger, setting you up to cash it in for value later in the game. Then you draw a bunch of cards and throw a whole lot of rad counters onto your opponents in the process.</p>
<h3>Evolution Witness</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Evolution Witness"></div></div>
<p>As I just mentioned, a lot of these value pieces we look at today will most likely end up in your bin - but that’s where <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evolution Witness" href="#" target="_blank">Evolution Witness</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> comes in. Whenever you add a counter to it, you’ll return a permanent from your graveyard to your hand, which makes for a great combo with your commander, since you can have a repeatable way to regrow something each turn if you need to build your board back.</p>
<h2>Budget Sacrifice Outlets for Jenova</h2>
<p>In this next section, we'll highlight some great sacrifice outlets, which always feel even better to run when you have more ways to bring your cards back, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evolution Witness" href="#" target="_blank">Evolution Witness</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h3>Wight of the Reliquary</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wight of the Reliquary"></div></div>
<p>Let's kick off this section on sacrifice outlets with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wight of the Reliquary" href="#" target="_blank">Wight of the Reliquary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Not only is this a creature that grows in size, which Jenova would love to turn into a Mutant, but it also gives you the ability to grab any land from your deck.</p>
<p>If you’re drawing huge chunks of cards in this deck, the main thing that will hold you back is not having enough mana to cast those spells. Ramp like this that synergizes on multiple levels of your game plan makes it a slam dunk inclusion for this list.</p>
<h3>Illuminor Szeras</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Illuminor Szeras"></div></div>
<p>Up next we have the most expensive card on the list, but its worth it since it helps us with that mana problem I was just referring to. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Illuminor Szeras" href="#" target="_blank">Illuminor Szeras</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can tap to sacrifice a creature, and gives you black mana equal to the creature’s mana value. Imagine using that ability with the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lumbering Megasloth" href="#" target="_blank">Lumbering Megasloth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> we talked about earlier: drawing eight cards, and making twelve mana could just push you towards closing the game out faster than anyone is ready for.</p>
<h3>Flare of Cultivation</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flare of Cultivation"></div></div>
<p>Keeping with the ramp theme, our next spell, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flare of Cultivation" href="#" target="_blank">Flare of Cultivation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, can feed into everything you need and cost you zero mana in the process. As you cast it, you can sacrifice a nontoken green creature, which makes it free. This card is flexible since at its base, it’s just a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivate" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But when your game plan is humming, it can also refill your hand. Ramp and card draw for free sounds pretty nice to me!</p>
<h3>Cultist of the Absolute</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cultist of the Absolute"></div></div>
<p>Not many cards on this list help grow Jenova’s stats, which you do want since you put counters on something equal to its power, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultist of the Absolute" href="#" target="_blank">Cultist of the Absolute</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was too good to pass up. Giving +3/+3, great keywords, and ward is amazing, but it's also a sacrifice outlet on your upkeep.</p>
<p>There's a chance that this card might put you in an awkward position where you don’t want to get rid of a member of your team, but if your commander gave four counters to a creature on your last turn, and then you cash it for cards, you'll likely be able to add a lot more fodder to the board from there.</p>
<h3>Deadly Brew</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deadly Brew"></div></div>
<p>If you want your opponents to join in the fun of sacrificing their creatures, then <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadly Brew" href="#" target="_blank">Deadly Brew</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is here for you. Two mana to have each player get rid of a creature is a solid rate. When you add the fact that you want to be doing that with your creatures anyway, you’ll be sure to come out on top of this exchange. Plus, this sorcery allows you to then return something from your graveyard to your hand, which can help you get back a key piece you sacrificed earlier in the game for value.</p>
<h3>Daemogoth Titan</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Daemogoth Titan"></div></div>
<p>Alright, let’s not mess around anymore… <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Daemogoth Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Daemogoth Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a four mana 11/10. When you move to combat, Jenova can give it a counter, turning the Titan into a Mutant. Then you either sacrifice it to one of the effects we’ve mentioned before, or just attack with it on your turn. It’s a lose-lose situation for your opponents, since its sacrifice ability allows you to target itself.</p>
<h3>The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride"></div></div>
<p>Closing things out this week, we have a little bit of redundancy for your commander with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride" href="#" target="_blank">The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. When I first saw Jenova, my mind immediately went to <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/otj" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Thunder Junction’s</em></a> take on this Frog Horror, and they work perfectly together.</p>
<p>Here’s a little example: before combat, have that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Daemogoth Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Daemogoth Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> saddle The Gitrog. Then move to combat and place a counter on the Titan turning it into a Mutant. Then, when The Gitrog deals damage to someone, you’ll sacrifice the Titan, which will draw you 12 cards with Gitrog, and then you can put up to twelve lands into play. Jenova will also trigger, drawing you another 12 cards… At that point, you’ll be so far ahead that the best hope your foes will have to take you out is that you draw yourself to death.</p>
<h2>In Closing</h2>
<p>There you have it: 14 cards for under $14 to jump-start a new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jenova, Ancient Calamity" href="#" target="_blank">Jenova, Ancient Calamity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck. This list was a lot of fun to put together and allows you to have a lot of big splashy moments during a game, while still getting a little tricky with it at some points. Let me know in the comments below what cards you would add to this list so we can help our fellow players find more great cards!</p>


Jenova, Ancient Calamity - Build a Team of Mutants on a Budget

Brewing Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER on a Budget

Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER - Final Fantasy Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spirit Bonds" href="#" target="_blank">Spirit Bonds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/willmurai" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Willian Murai</a></em></p>
<p>As <em>Magic</em> players, we've all been there: the aristocrats player waits for the perfect moment to unleash a long string of sacrifice effects that ends the game. On one hand, it's impressive to watch; it feels like a complex puzzle being assembled before your eyes. On the other hand, it can feel like an unsatisfying way to lose, essentially having your game plan amount to nothing.</p>
<p>Whatever your feelings may be on aristocrats, there's no denying their popularity within <em>Magic</em>, especially in Commander. According to EDHREC data, there are over 100 thousand <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/aristocrats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aristocrat decks in their database</a>. This huge amount of popularity means that there are only six deck "themes" or strategies that are more popular than it on EDHREC.</p>
<p>Most aristocrat decks are heavily associated with the color black, as it provides the most support for both sacrifice outlets and cards that benefit from creatures dying. However, there are plenty of great aristocrat cards outside of black, and this mini-series of articles covers the best options for aristocrat players in every color!</p>
<p>We began this series over on <a href="https://commandersherald.com/the-best-aristocrat-cards-in-commander-green-edition/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Commander's Herald with green</a>, and will be continuing our "mini-series" here with white.</p>
<p>This list is in no particular order, but the first card is an absolute heater...</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Martyr&#039;s Cause" href="#" target="_blank">Martyr&#039;s Cause</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Martyr&#039;s Cause"></div></div>
<p>Martyr's Cause is a rare sacrifice outlet in white that covers two critical categories for any aristocrat deck: protection, and free sacrifice outlet. By "free," I mean that it doesn't cost any mana to sacrifice creatures, and the difference between having to use mana vs. not is pretty huge. The "protection" piece comes in the form of protecting our life total; we're playing aristocrats, so there's no denying that we will be attacked. This card allows us to blank potentially lethal attacks, and aristocrat decks often only need to survive one or two combat steps before being able to go off.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fanatical Devotion" href="#" target="_blank">Fanatical Devotion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fanatical Devotion"></div></div>
<p>Fanatical Devotion is another "free" white sacrifice outlet, which is amazing, but it also provides aristocrat decks with a rare opportunity: regeneration. Regenerate is not a mechanic that's seen too often anymore, but that's no reason to underrate it.</p>
<p>If you're unfamiliar with how regeneration works, it's pretty simple. Whenever a creature is destroyed (either from a "destroy" effect or from damage), you may activate the regenerate ability (in this case, sacrificing a creature), tap the creature, and remove it from combat (if it's in combat). When you do this, the damage is removed and the creature is not destroyed. This can save some critical creatures in response to spot removal or a board wipe, and that's what makes this card so good.</p>
<p>Aristocrat decks often have several expendable creatures, so sacrificing something expendable for the good of protecting something more important is a price we're willing to pay.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knight-Captain of Eos" href="#" target="_blank">Knight-Captain of Eos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Knight-Captain of Eos"></div></div>
<p>Like our first two picks, this is another sacrifice outlet, but a little more specific. It does two things that we want: it generates disposable bodies when it enters, and it gives us a sacrifice outlet that can protect our life total. Sure, we need to sacrifice Soldiers, but this creature makes Soldiers when it enters <em>and</em> Soldiers are one of the most common creature types in white.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Martyred Rusalka" href="#" target="_blank">Martyred Rusalka</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Martyred Rusalka"></div></div>
<p>This card might seem innocuous, but it can prevent an opponent's biggest threat from attacking us. It's the perfect political piece, as we can threaten to activate it if an opponent is aiming to attack us. The mana cost on any sacrifice ability can be tricky, but holding up one white mana can telegraph this <em>and</em> things like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Path to Exile" href="#" target="_blank">Path to Exile</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Swords to Plowshares"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Path to Exile"></div></div>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Promise of Bunrei" href="#" target="_blank">Promise of Bunrei</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Promise of Bunrei"></div></div>
<p>This card can act as a three-mana spell that creates four disposable bodies for our strategy, and that's amazing. The only tricky part about it is that we can't choose exactly when to trigger it; we <em>have</em> to sacrifice it as soon as one of our creatures die. We should have enough sacrifice outlets where this shouldn't be a problem, but it's important to keep in mind.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Promise of Tomorrow" href="#" target="_blank">Promise of Tomorrow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Promise of Tomorrow"></div></div>
<p>There is no other card that can be riskier to our strategy than this one. Exiling our creatures is not a "may" trigger, so any reanimation effects are effectively turned off while this is in play.</p>
<p>The floor of this card might be low, but the ceiling is incredibly high. If we have a sacrifice outlet onboard, we can sacrifice our creatures to trigger this whenever we need. On the plus side, this card is crazy against board wipes, as it basically renders any effort from our opponents to deal with our board null and void (outside of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Farewell" href="#" target="_blank">Farewell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Farewell"></div></div>
<p>One thing to keep in mind with this: it <em>does not </em>take away any death triggers you may have, as the creatures become exiled <em>after</em> they die - which is so cool!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spirit Bonds" href="#" target="_blank">Spirit Bonds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spirit Bonds"></div></div>
<p>This card creates tokens from our nontoken creatures entering the battlefield, for the small price of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. While that ability is pretty good, we're going to focus primarily on the second ability: making a non-Spirit indestructible. Similarly to Knight-Captain of Eos, this relies on a specific creature type, but also like Knight-Captain of Eos, this card creates the creature type we need.</p>
<p>It turns out, protecting our important pieces is very good!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Worthy Cause" href="#" target="_blank">Worthy Cause</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Worthy Cause"></div></div>
<p>This is a single-use sacrifice spell that gains us life equal to the sacrificed creature's toughness. Instead of seeing this as a one-mana spell, I advise you to see it as a three-mana spell, as we'll want to use the buyback ability. Always having a three-mana, instant-speed way to keep us alive is huge. Remember when I said we'll probably be getting attacked a lot?</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anafenza, Unyielding Lineage" href="#" target="_blank">Anafenza, Unyielding Lineage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anafenza, Unyielding Lineage"></div></div>
<p>This card just came out in <em>Tarkir: Dragonstorm</em>, but it's incredible for aristocrat decks. Endures 2 means that we can put two +1/+1 counter on Anafenza or we can create a 2/2 Spirit. Getting Anafenza big doesn't really do anything, as she doesn't have evasion, but the ability to create more expendable creatures is why I'm talking about this card. Our creatures <em>will</em> die, and if we can benefit by creating more creatures in the process, we're in a winning position.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Loyal Retainers" href="#" target="_blank">Loyal Retainers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Loyal Retainers"></div></div>
<p>I tried to stay away from creatures with single-use sacrifice abilities, but this one is just too strong. Not only can it generate infinite combos (this is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gerrard, Weatherlight Hero" href="#" target="_blank">Gerrard, Weatherlight Hero</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s best friend), but it can also bring back our commander in a pinch. Depending on the commander, this may not matter, but it's likely that our commander will be a magnet for removal, and rather than casting it for 10 or more mana, we can just return it with this ability!</p>
<div id="238-2533-5147" style="width: 100%; position: relative; overflow: visible; display: flex; justify-content: center;"><img decoding="async" id="csbLoad" src="https://commanderspellbook.com/images/gear.svg" alt="csb logo" width="300" /><br />
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<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="." width="0" height="0"></iframe><br />
Outside of "protecting" our commander or going infinite, the game is flooded with great legendary creatures these days, and that makes this card the perfect reanimation option for any white deck (especially if it lacks black!).</p>
<p>That concludes my list for the color white. I hope all you aristocrat players out there learned something new today. Stay tuned for my exploration into the remaining colors, all while saving the best (black) for last!</p>


The Best White Aristocrat Cards in Commander

Korvold, Gleeful Glutton Budget EDH Deck Tech

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commissar Severina Raine" href="#" target="_blank">Commissar Severina Raine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>|Art by <a href="https://jakemurraystudio.com/">Jake Murray</a></h6>
<h1>The Call at Dawn</h1>
<p>Hi, and welcome to <em>Beyond the Multiverse</em>, where we go outside the <em>Magic: The Gathering </em>universe, and explore outside IPs. Today, we're turning our attention to the <em>Warhammer </em>universe (specifically 40k). That particular release was important as it was the first time we had a major release from <em>Universes Beyond</em>.</p>
<p>Such releases fell in two categories: A full-on set, or the soon-to-be-extinct precon releases. <em>Warhammer</em> fell into the latter category, featuring Necrons, Tyranids, Chaos, and the Imperium.</p>
<p>However, it's that last faction we're looking at today. Of the 99 in that precon, one stood out to me as particularly strong, and being an engine on her own. Also, we're picking a deck that's partially outside my wheelhouse. Without further ado, let's get to it.</p>
<h1>Greeting the Commander</h1>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Commissar Severina Raine"></div></div>
<p>Severina was an Imperial Commissar who served the Astra Militarum, protecting a region known as the Bane Stars from the forces of Chaos. Before she assumed command of her regiment, she executed the previous captain, a well-beloved figure, for going against the Lord General Militant's orders, saying that the mission was a suicidal charge.</p>
<p>Severina would go forward with the mission, commanding the regiment, and securing victory despite heavy losses. However, she had to quell a near-mutiny when she took command, and those troops still harbor a grudge for the death of their captain.</p>
<p>Firstly, Severina wants us to go wide, and on the offensive, because her attack trigger will soften our opponents' life totals before our army even connects. More more you attack with, the stronger the effect. However, she also draws you cards by sacrificing a creature by paying two generic mana. A simple, yet paradoxical card.</p>
<h1>Harboring a Grudge</h1>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bastion of Remembrance"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Morbid Opportunist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pitiless Plunderer"></div></div>
<p>I'm going to get this out of the way: I do not like Aristocrats. I despise the archetype for a number of reasons, especially the "death by a thousand cuts" plan. I feel like you're so dependent on assembling an infinite combo to really make cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> shine.</p>
<p>While I enjoyed the Vampire precon from <em>Lost Caverns of Ixalan</em>, that didn't do much to address my disdain for the archetype. There's only one other thing I hate more than aristocrats, so this is number two in a top five list (If you must know, it's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Merieke Ri Berit" href="#" target="_blank">Merieke Ri Berit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>). That said, I'm writing this for you, readers, so I'll swallow my grudge and carry on.</p>
<p>To begin, we do not have a lot of Blood Artist-like effects, so we'd have to take what we can get. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirkwood Bats" href="#" target="_blank">Mirkwood Bats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (272,056 decks) stands among the best of these, checking for any token that comes in or is sacrificed, which we'll be doing plenty. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sanguinary Priest" href="#" target="_blank">Sanguinary Priest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (11,344 decks) pings a target, and gains us a life back.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bastion of Remembrance" href="#" target="_blank">Bastion of Remembrance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (173,899 decks) gives us a token, and does a good impression of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zulaport Cutthroat" href="#" target="_blank">Zulaport Cutthroat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (using an in-universe example). Lasty, while it's no Blood Artist, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pitiless Plunderer" href="#" target="_blank">Pitiless Plunderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (219,588 decks) gives us treasure when another creature we control dies.</p>
<h1>Rallying the Creatures</h1>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Securitron Squadron"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Captain of the Watch"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Death in Heaven"></div></div>
<p>Most importantly, we need creatures to sacrifice, and what better options are there, but tokens? Firstly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Captain of the Watch" href="#" target="_blank">Captain of the Watch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (27,946 decks) replenishes our board with soldiers. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Company Commander" href="#" target="_blank">Company Commander</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (18,366 decks) is best played early on, as its enters ability is strongest when all of your opponents are present.</p>
<p>On the other hand, we also have a number of creatures with the Squad mechanic, which we play premium for an extra copy of the card. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Securitron Squadron" href="#" target="_blank">Securitron Squadron</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (18,922 decks), if you pay enough into the Squad cost, is a game-ender. Likewise, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ultramarines Honour Guard" href="#" target="_blank">Ultramarines Honour Guard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (18,417 decks) is another anthem effect that could make our creatures bigger.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Death in Heaven" href="#" target="_blank">Death in Heaven</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (10,658 decks) is a graveyard hoser and, picking the right target, an army-in-a can. Lastly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Entrapment Maneuver" href="#" target="_blank">Entrapment Maneuver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (20,403 decks) makes our opponent sacrifice a creature, and we get an army for it. Be sure to use it right to get maximum value out of it. Four mana is a lot to leave up, after all.</p>
<p>The myriad mechanic is another good choice, but will not count for Severina's attack trigger, so keep that in mind. However, the one that stands out here is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dalek Squadron" href="#" target="_blank">Dalek Squadron</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (15,401 decks), which has to be double-blocked.</p>
<p>Alternatively, there's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blade of Selves" href="#" target="_blank">Blade of Selves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (76,859 decks), but it'll need the right creature to equip to get mileage in this list. That said, I brought up aristocrats, so what kind of value can we reap from sacrificing our tokens?</p>
<h1>Planning a Strategy</h1>
<p>If there's one thing aristocrat decks tend to gain, it's value. I mentioned the Blood Artist effects earlier, but we have more payoffs. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Market" href="#" target="_blank">Black Market</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (126,459 decks) gets us an absurd amount of mana.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod&#039;s Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod&#039;s Altar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (reskinned as Bedivere's Scales; 405,311 decks) does this, too, and it's a free outlet. Those are the ones to immediately slam into the deck (ironically not in this list for a reason I'll explain when we get to it).</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Call for Unity" href="#" target="_blank">Call for Unity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (12,406 decks) is slow to get going, but it can add up. On the other hand, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Morbid Opportunist" href="#" target="_blank">Morbid Opportunist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (164,466 decks) gives us a card if a creature died each turn. In a similar vein, it's best to treat <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (667,040 decks) as a sacrifice outlet if the tokens are 1/1s, as that'll draw us two cards for each one you 'clamp.</p>
<p>Lastly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Golden Throne" href="#" target="_blank">The Golden Throne</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (25,043 decks) gives us three mana if we sacrifice a creature. It also can save us from a lethal strike, but only once, and it puts us at one life, so hope no one pings you, and make you lose in such an embarrassing manner.</p>
<p>Alternatively, swinging out with a big board works just as well. However, you need to have a large number of creatures to make that worthwhile, but don't hesitate if you can land a hit in.</p>
<p>One or two life on attack isn't much, but it can add up quickly. There is this tension between this, and an aristocrats plan, so it's best to know when to lean into one strategy more than the other, then switch it when you're ready to do so.</p>
<h1>Addressing the Deck</h1>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Going Universes Beyond-The Call to War" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Commissar Severina Raine
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 And They Shall Know No Fear
*1 Anguished Unmaking
*1 Crush Contraband
*1 Darkness
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Entrapment Maneuver
*1 Flawless Maneuver
*1 Galadriel&#039;s Dismissal
*1 Go for the Throat
*1 Lethal Scheme
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Secure the Wastes
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Unbreakable Formation
*1 Utter End
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Hierarchy
*1 The Golden Throne
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Ballroom
*1 Command Tower
*1 Desolate Mire
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Isolated Chapel
*1 Memorial to Glory
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Path of Ancestry
*10 Plains
*1 Scoured Barrens
*1 Shineshadow Snarl
*1 Silent Clearing
*10 Swamp
*1 Tainted Field
*1 Temple of Silence
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 War Room
*1 Windbrisk Heights
[/Lands]
[Sorceries]
*1 Austere Command
*1 Collective Effort
*1 Crisis of Conscience
*1 Dread Return
*1 Everything Comes to Dust
*1 Exterminatus
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 Fell the Mighty
*1 For the Emperor!
*1 Increasing Devotion
*1 Martial Coup
*1 Night&#039;s Whisper
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bastion of Remembrance
*1 Black Market
*1 Black Market Connections
*1 Call for Unity
*1 Dawn of Hope
*1 Death in Heaven
*1 Intangible Virtue
*1 Vault 75: Middle School
[/Enchantments]
[Creatures]
*1 Captain of the Watch
*1 Company Commander
*1 Dalek Squadron
*1 Elder Arthur Maxson
*1 Escarpment Fortress
*1 General&#039;s Enforcer
*1 Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff
*1 Mentor of the Meek
*1 Mirkwood Bats
*1 Morbid Opportunist
*1 Overseer of Vault 76
*1 Pitiless Plunderer
*1 Primaris Chaplain
*1 Sanguinary Priest
*1 Securitron Squadron
*1 Sloppity Bilepiper
*1 Space Marine Devastator
*1 The Meep
*1 Ultramarines Honour Guard
*1 Wasteland Raider
*1 White Glove Gourmand
[/Creatures]"></span></div>
<h1>Turning the Tide of the Game</h1>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="For the Emperor!"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exterminatus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Galadriel&#039;s Dismissal"></div></div>
<p>You'll see that, in this list, I made aristocrats a sub-theme, and focused harder on the aggro plan. This is because you're more likely to get Severina's attack trigger than use the activated ability.</p>
<p>Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Meep" href="#" target="_blank">The Meep</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (provided you sacrifice a big enough creature; 529 decks) and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="For the Emperor!" href="#" target="_blank">For the Emperor!</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (8,418 decks) are swingy finishers in their own right. It had been my original plan all along, and the aristocrats aspect of the deck just came naturally.</p>
<p>For a token list, there's a lot of wipes, but very few are absolute. Firstly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Martial Coup" href="#" target="_blank">Martial Coup</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (79,645 decks) leaves behind an army to work with. Secondly, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fell the Mighty" href="#" target="_blank">Fell the Mighty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crisis of Conscience" href="#" target="_blank">Crisis of Conscience</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (68,710 and 5,119 decks respectively) both ensure that our tokens stick around.</p>
<p>The absolute wipes we do have are a last resort, and should be treated as such. Above all, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exterminatus" href="#" target="_blank">Exterminatus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (besides being absolutely fun to slam down; 7,978 decks) will wipe out everything, except lands.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Everything Comes to Dust" href="#" target="_blank">Everything Comes to Dust</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (20,284 decks) will help secure our board, if you use the convoke cost. However, be aware that you'll be sparing some of your opponents' creatures, too.</p>
<p>That said, while we have a ton of wipes, the list also carries lots of board protection. The best of these is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Galadriel&#039;s Dismissal" href="#" target="_blank">Galadriel&#039;s Dismissal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (47,752 decks), which either saves our stuff, or clears the way for lethal damage.</p>
<p>However, that's not to say other cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flawless Maneuver" href="#" target="_blank">Flawless Maneuver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unbreakable Formation" href="#" target="_blank">Unbreakable Formation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (260,956 and 174,495 decks respectively) are slouches, either.</p>
<p>Each one has their uses, be it free to cast or can be used to advance our board state in some way. On the other hand, you might even want the board wiped of threats, or to enable the aristocrats subtheme. Perhaps it's both.</p>
<h1>Going Home</h1>
<p>In conclusion, with the limited but burgeoning card pool we have, we can still make something out of it. Even archetypes I tend to not like can be made here. Who knows? We might even get a Blood Artist reskin down the line. Aristocrats is not an archetype I tend to venture into for reasons I explained, but I hope that the list does a good enough job to convey it.</p>
<p>When building the list, I was originally looking at some of the other options that could fit a similar mold. Firstly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Colonel Autumn" href="#" target="_blank">Colonel Autumn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would strengthen your tokens, but you need a critical mass of legendary creatures to make him useful. Secondly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="MacCready, Lamplight Mayor" href="#" target="_blank">MacCready, Lamplight Mayor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would've worked if we weren't using many anthem effects.</p>
<p>Lastly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elder Arthur Maxson" href="#" target="_blank">Elder Arthur Maxson</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who is in the decklist, gives counters to our tokens, and is a free sacrifice outlet himself, mainly to protect himself. I was going to randomize what commander to use before each game, but I eventually settled on Severina, since the others have a niche to them the deck couldn't satisfy.</p>
<p>Maybe one day I can make that work for a different deck (Though, the Boros Equipment deck from last week is a good candidate for this).</p>
<p>Join me next time, when we return to an earlier franchise with a favorite deck in mind. Until then, may you be inspired by what's beyond <em>Magic</em>'s IP.</p>


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