One of the most beloved creature types in Magic is undoubtedly Dragons. Since Shivan Dragon was printed all the way back in Alpha, Wizards of the Coast has made it a point to continue printing exciting Dragon haymakers. As fun as playing with a bunch of Dragons in EDH can be, though, it can be difficult to deploy all of your big bombs in a timely manner.
In any competitive setting, you’re bound to get run over or combo killed before you can get your engine rolling. Well, that is unless you have a combo finish of your own. Thanks to the presence of an old combo enabler printed in Stronghold, a sweet five-color Dragons shell has emerged in Duel Commander. This deck is faster and more consistent than you might expect.
Combo Kills With Dream Halls
The main combo piece this deck is centered around is Dream Halls. It essentially acts as an Omniscience for both players, except that in order to cast a spell for free, the player needs to discard a card that shares a color with the spell in question.
While this does mean your opponent gets an advantage as well, this deck is built to abuse Dream Halls like no other. That’s because in the Command Zone, Tiamat serves as a reliable game ender.
With Dream Halls in play, all you need to do is discard a card of any color to cast Tiamat for free. From there, you get a quintuple Dragon tutor. There are six other Dragons in the decklist to search for, and you’ll be able to end the game most of the time with them.
The most important Dragons to grab are Terror of the Peaks, Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm, and Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund. Marang River Regent, Murktide Regent, and Gluttunous Hellkite round things out. After tutoring for five Dragons, there are a couple ways to close the game.
The first is to win via Terror of the Peaks triggers. Leading with Miirym and following up with Terror enables you to create a token copy of Terror and deal five damage to the opponent. After that, resolving Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund or Marang River Regent will send a boatload of damage your opponent’s way and win you the game. You do need enough cards in hand to discard to Dream Halls to make this combo line work, though this shouldn’t be a problem.
In the event you don’t have access to Terror or it gets removed, Karrthus gives all of your Dragons Haste to enable a lethal attack. Marang River Regent can bounce opposing fliers to clear a path if necessary.
Tons of Tutors
Given how much this strategy is centered around Dream Halls, you need ways to make your gameplan as consistent as possible. After all, Duel Commander is a Singleton format, so there’s a good chance you won’t draw Dream Halls naturally.
With this in mind, one thing you’ll notice when taking a look at the decklist is the vast array of tutors. From Demonic Tutor to Profane Tutor, there’s no shortage of ways to find Dream Halls. Wishclaw Talisman is another tutor you get to play in spite of its downside, since you’re often able to win the same turn you activate it.
This deck goes as far as to utilize Enlightened Tutor and Idyllic Tutor with only four total enchantments in the decklist. Every now and again, you’ll search for Temporary Lockdown or Leyline Binding. Still, these effects are mainly here to add redundancy to your main game plan.
In addition to traditional tutors, spells that provide elite card selection are worthy inclusions. Stock Up and Consult the Star Charts make it more likely you’ll find Dream Halls or a tutor in short order. Plus, they keep your hand full of cards so that when you jam Dream Halls, you’ll have the resources necessary to set up a win.
Buying Time
Most of the rest of the deck is filled with ways to keep your opponent off-balance until you find a window to play Dream Halls. Removal is key when it comes to slowing down opposing Cloud, Midgar Mercenary players.
Swords to Plowshares and Fatal Push are super efficient, so they unsurprisingly make the cut. Board wipes such as Toxic Deluge and Damn do a good job keeping fast aggro starts in check.
Lots of cheap sources of counter magic make an appearance as well. Force Spike and Mana Tithe are capable of countering much more expensive spells, giving you a mana advantage. Two-mana counters like Counterspell and Evasive Action then serve as more reliable options.
Fair Threats
Lastly, it’s worth mentioning that there are some fair threats that are capable of providing an alternate route to victory. Minsc & Boo is a perfect example. In conjunction with your wealth of interaction, the powerful Planeswalker will end games quickly if it sticks.
Against fast creature decks, simply preventing opposing creatures from staying on board long term and using Pyrogoyf or Oko, Thief of Crowns to stabilize and pull ahead will sometimes get the job done. Efficient monsters like Murktide Regent and Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury are capable of winning games singlehandedly.
It’s important to have a backup plan in case you lose a counter war over Dream Halls. Facing Lier, Disciple of the Drowned decks that feature tons of Counterspells and a combo kill of their own is far from ideal. Still, if you’re able to land one of your midrange beaters, there’s a chance your own sources of counter magic will mess with your opponent long enough for you to cross the finish line.
It’s also worth noting that these individually strong options may bait out Counterspells from your opponent. Cards like Teferi, Time Raveler demand an answer, too, or you’ll be able to slam Dream Halls without fear.
It’s awesome seeing Tiamat and its Dragon friends make a splash in a competitive, one-versus-one format. Dragon enthusiasts rejoice!
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