Since its release, March of the Machine: The Aftermath has largely been considered one of the worst MTG sets of all time. With only 50 new cards being distributed in small booster packs, it’s easy to see why the set didn’t resonate with Magic players.
Still, there are some cool EDH designs that entered the Magic universe that haven’t gotten the attention they deserve. One particular five color Commander option that’s built to abuse an old Shadowmoor mechanic continues to fly under the radar.
MTG Tazri, Stalwart Survivor
Of all the five color legends out there, Tazri, Stalwart Survivor may not be the most powerful, but it makes for a really unique build-around. The goal with Tazri is to play it alongside tons of creatures with potent activated abilities. Being able to tap your creatures at will for mana is a powerful ability that is easily abusable.
Knowing that your Commander turns your creatures into mana rocks, support pieces including Leyline of Abundance and Badgermole Cub can take your mana production to the next level. From there, untap effects like Seedborn Muse and Unstoppable Plan enable you to get value during other player’s turns.
Once you’ve built out a board of creatures, elite mana sinks like Kenrith, the Returned King and Spectral Sailor are welcome inclusions. Alternatively, interactive elements like Dark Imposter or Zacama, Primal Calamity go a long way in keeping your opponents in check. These effects only become stronger when you incorporate cost reducers like Biomancer’s Familiar and Training Grounds into the mix.
Going Infinite
As powerful as your cost reducers are in a general sense, they also open the door for numerous infinite combos. This is primarily thanks to the synergy between Tazri and creatures from the Shadowmoor block that feature the untap symbol. With Tazri in play, Knacksaw Clique and other creatures with an untap activated ability can repeatedly tap for mana, then use that mana to help untap themselves and generate value. Because Biomancer’s Familiar and Training Grounds successfully reduce Kacksaw Clique’s activation to a single blue mana, you can easily win the game by exiling every card from each opponent’s library. Hateflayer can fill a similar role dealing infinite damage to your opponents, while Patrol Signaler can net you infinite creature tokens.
For more infinite combos, creatures like Patrol Signaler that generate creature tokens through their activated abilities make it trivial to go infinite with Intruder Alarm. If you replace Patrol Signaler with Faerie Formation, assuming you have enough other creatures on board that can tap for mana, you get to draw your whole deck.
Despite all the cool avenues Tazri opens for EDH deckbuilers, Tazri doesn’t even account for 2,000 decks as the Commander according to EDHREC. With copies available for under 20 cents, this legend hardly breaks the bank, either. So, for anyone looking for a fun five-color Commander to craft around on the cheap, consider giving Tazri, Stalwart Survivor a whirl.
Stick with us here at mtgrocks.com: the best site for Magic: The Gathering coverage. Be sure to check out our deckbuilder for your next big brew!