New Five-Color Soup Commander Creates Infinite Mana Prepared Combo

As a capstone set that’s been three years in the making, it’s unsurprising that Reality Fracture has tons of exciting cards. Between powerful new staples and fantastic new Commanders, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Hell, even the “What If” theme has been a popular fan request for ages, and the set didn’t disappoint.

It’s a testament to just how good Reality Fracture is that even one of the most boring Commanders is seriously exciting. Codie, Ravenous Codex may be a dull five-color soup Commander, but it has serious potential. Alongside a few extra cards, this new Codie can even make infinite mana and pop off like mad!

MTG Codie, Ravenous Codex

At first, building a deck around Codie, Ravenous Codex feels exceptionally boring. After all, not only is this a five-color Commander, letting you play all the best cards, but it’s a set-mechanic Commander. Because of that, you might expect deckbuilding to start and end with slapping together a bunch of Prepared spells and staples and calling it a day.

Technically, while this is how you build Codie, the deck is far from boring, because its synergy is silly. Alongside Grave Researcher Grave Researcher At the beginning of your upkeep, surveil 1. Then if there are three or more creature cards in your graveyard, this creature becomes prepared. (While it's prepared, you may cast a copy of its spell. Doing so unprepares it.) , for instance, not only do you get two creatures for one mana, but Preparing it is easy. Unsurprisingly, this also works especially well with all of the best Prepared spells, as they go that much harder with Codie in play.

Because Codie lets you easily repeat Prepared spells, they become upgrades, rather than replacements, for many existing spells. With Studious First-Year Studious First-Year This creature enters prepared. (While it's prepared, you may cast a copy of its spell. Doing so unprepares it.) in play, for instance, you don’t need any other ramp effects. Similarly, Harmonized Trio Harmonized Trio {T}, Tap two untapped creatures you control: This creature becomes prepared. (While it's prepared, you may cast a copy of its spell. Doing so unprepares it.) and Emeritus of Ideation Emeritus of Ideation Flying, ward {2}
This creature enters prepared.
Whenever this creature attacks, you may exile eight cards from your graveyard. If you do, this creature becomes prepared. can provide more card draw than you’d ever need.

On top of this, Prepared spells also provide removal, tutors, bodies, buffs, and even land hate if you’re feeling spicy. As if this wasn’t enough to create a compelling deck, you can also run many Spellslingers staples, like Archmage Emeritus Archmage Emeritus Magecraft — Whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell, draw a card. , Storm-Kiln Artist Storm-Kiln Artist This creature gets +1/+0 for each artifact you control.
Magecraft — Whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell, create a Treasure token. (It's an artifact with "{T}, Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.") , and Monastery Mentor Monastery Mentor Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, create a 1/1 white Monk creature token with prowess. for added value.

Thanks to the intricacies of Prepared spells, Codie even enables a few atypical support pieces like Kellan, the Kid Kellan, the Kid Flying, lifelink
Whenever you cast a spell from anywhere other than your hand, you may cast a permanent spell with equal or lesser mana value from your hand without paying its mana cost. If you don't, you may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield. . Similarly, Displacer Kitten Displacer Kitten Avoidance — Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, exile up to one target nonland permanent you control, then return that card to the battlefield under its owner's control. can let you reset many Prepared spells, while Doc Aurlock, Grizzled Genius Doc Aurlock, Grizzled Genius Spells you cast from your graveyard or from exile cost {2} less to cast.
Plotting cards from your hand costs {2} less. provides cost reduction. With all this synergy, the only real issue is having enough mana to keep using Codie, but there’s a sneaky solution for that, too.

Infinite Mana for Infinite Prepared Spells

While it does require a few pieces, it is possible to go infinite using Codie, Ravenous Codex and Blazing Firesinger Blazing Firesinger This creature enters prepared. (While it's prepared, you may cast a copy of its spell. Doing so unprepares it.) . With Seething Song Seething Song Add {R}{R}{R}{R}{R}. as a Prepared spell, a single cast nets you ten mana, since Codie copies it. This gives you enough to untap Codie with Freed from the Real Freed from the Real Enchant creature
{U}: Tap enchanted creature.
{U}: Untap enchanted creature. , tap it again, and cast Seething Song once more.

The only wrinkle is that you need a way to spend red mana as if it were any color, like Mycosynth Lattice Mycosynth Lattice All permanents are artifacts in addition to their other types.
All cards that aren't on the battlefield, spells, and permanents are colorless.
Players may spend mana as though it were mana of any color. . Alternatively, Chromatic Orrery Chromatic Orrery You may spend mana as though it were mana of any color.
{T}: Add {C}{C}{C}{C}{C}.
{5}, {T}: Draw a card for each color among permanents you control. can do the same, but realistically you’ll want one or the other in the 99. As effective as this combo can be, you’re better off running something like Seedborn Muse Seedborn Muse Untap all permanents you control during each other player's untap step. and Cryptolith Rite for extra mana.

The End of an Era?

All in all, thanks to Prepared spells naturally being so interesting, Codie, Ravenous Codex looks like a seriously fun Commander. Even without leaning too much into five-color soup, it looks really strong, too, which is always a plus. The only slight wrinkle with this Commander is the fact that Wizards made it five colors.

With Mystery Booster: Commander Edition revealed, Rulebreaker cards are now in the design toolbox. Considering these cards were designed to combat five-color soup decks, Wizards making more of these cards is surprising. That said, there may simply be a delay in this mechanic being adopted in future sets.

Even if Codie isn’t a Rulebreaker Commander, this legend is only as boring as you make it. Thankfully, with Prepared spells providing so many interesting avenues, it’s easy to avoid these regular pitfalls. As such, Codie looks like a fantastic Commander to build around once Reality Fracture becomes legal on September 25th.

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