MTG Foundations Jumpstart is really proving itself the dark horse of the Foundations product line. Many of the new anime art legends are becoming highly popular, and some cards in the set have also surpassed $50 in price, which is wild even for Jumpstart. Clearly, there’s a lot of power here, for Commander in particular.
As far as I can see, nowhere is this power more densely concentrated than in Dionus, Elvish Archdruid, one of the best Elf support cards MTG has seen in years. If you like making mana but don’t like playing fair, then this could be the Commander for you.
Dionus, Elvish Archdruid: MTG Combo Aficionado
Dionus, Elvish Archdruid is the kind of MTG card you really need to read twice, just to make sure you got it right. You’re telling me I get to tap all of my Elves twice a turn? And I get rewarded with +1/+1 counters for doing so? Elves is a deck that’s already more than capable of ramping out of control, and Dionus just takes that to another level.
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the card is its capacity for generating infinite combos. There’s a pesky “once per turn” clause on the ability it grants, which seemingly prevents this, however, this can be broken. All you have to do is bounce and replay Dionus to reset the ability. This opens up the door for a number of broken combo loops.
For example, you can pair Dionus with Temur Sabertooth. This is a bit of a green Commander staple, and here it can be your second combo piece. That said, you will need a few Elves in play too, enough to tap for at least seven mana. With everything assembled, you can tap your elves for mana, which will untap them with Dionus’ ability. Then, you can then use Sabertooth’s activated ability to bounce Dionus and replay it with four of your remaining five mana. Repeat this loop as many times as you like for infinite mana, which you can funnel into a win con of your choice. Genesis Wave, maybe.
This combo is also possible using Bramble Sovereign, albeit in a much more unwieldy form thanks to the legend rule. If you’re splashing white, cards like Emiel the Blessed can do something similar via blinking. The bottom line is, that it’s very easy to combo off with Dionus in an Elves deck.
Playing A Fair Game
Combos aside, Dionus, Elvish Archdruid is also just a great addition to MTG Elf decks in general. Doubling your Elf mana is often enough to ramp you into a huge finisher like Craterhoof Behemoth, after all. On top of that, there are plenty of other ways you can tap your Elves and leverage this ability.
To start with the obvious, just attacking with your Elves will tap them, thus triggering Dionus’ ability. In an aggressive deck, this essentially gives all of your Elves Vigilance and a +1/+1 counter each time they attack. That’s a great lord effect, and would likely earn a slot in Elves alone if written as such.
Dionus also plays very nicely with Convoke cards. Chord of Calling is the first one that springs to mind, being an Elves staple in multiple formats. There are other great options too, however, like Impervious Greatworm and Nissa’s Expedition. Tapping mana-generating Elves for Convoke with Dionus out is another way to squeeze some extra value out of them.
Honestly, it’s hard to find an Elf card that Dionus doesn’t have heavy synergy with. The card is one of the easiest additions to the 99 of an Elf deck in years, and it could even be good enough for the Commander role. Lack of access to black, as you get with Lathril, is unfortunate, but the raw power here could be enough to overcome that.
Dionus’ current price reflects this widespread appeal. Right now it’s sitting at around $15 a copy, which is heavy stuff for an uncommon. Unlike the other financial big hitters in Foundations Jumpstart, I can really see this one holding its value long-term. Elf decks are always popular, and this card will always be good in them.
