In EDH, Voltron decks are both extremely popular and quite powerful. If your opponent isn’t prepared, they risk getting run over by a big threat suited up with lots of auras and equipment. While this can dish on damage quickly, putting all of your eggs in one basket puts you at risk of getting blown out. Fortunately, one MTG Fallout Legend can circumvent this by spreading auras across a wide board.
MTG Three Dog, Galaxy News DJ
For a three-mana creature, Three Dog, Galaxy News DJ offers quite a unique array of effects. Not only does it pay you off for playing lots of auras, but it also rewards you for going wide. While this does require some setup, Three Dog doesn’t have to attack itself to trigger, so you never have to put it in harm’s way.
With this in mind, you’re strongly incentivized to spend your early turns developing a board of creatures. Efficient token producers like Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin and Jacked Rabbit make for great inclusions that only get better when they’re suited up with auras. Other army in a can spells like Secure the Wastes and Song of Totentanz also go a long way in helping you go wide.
From there, your goal is to jam Three Dog and an aura so you can get value right away after attacking. Having cards like Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist, alongside a powerful aura already in play can help make this process less mana-intensive. Creatures like Hero of Iroas that reduce the cost of your auras also help you cast multiple spells in a turn.
By sacrificing any aura that grants evasion, such as Gryff’s Boon or Spirit Mantle, you ensure that your token attackers can get through combat unscathed. Defensive auras like Timely Ward also play an important role by protecting your squad against board wipes. Of course, with enough attackers, sacrificing an aura like Ethereal Armor will let you attack for boatloads of damage right away.
Where things get really interesting, though, is when you can generate a ton of value from Three Dog’s trigger. You can sacrifice Rune of Sustenance or Dragon Mantle, for example, to refill your hand a heartbeat. Unquestioned Authority mixes the best of both worlds both since it also grants protection to your attackers. Alternatively, cards like Archon of Sun’s Grace or Ajani’s Chosen will net you a boatload of new tokens, enabling you to grow your board exponentially over the course of multiple turns.
Going Above and Beyond
While any auras that grant evasion, buff your creatures, or draw you cards when they enter are worthy inclusions in a Three Dog deck, there are some specific effects that make winning games much easier. Sheltered by Ghosts is a great example, letting you completely decimate each opponent’s board. Pain for All can have a similar effect by helping you take out opposing creatures while setting up lethal damage.
Another game-altering addition that attacks from a different angle is Etali’s Favor. Unlike with many other value-generating auras, Etali’s Favor lets you cast a bunch of extra spells for free. With some luck, you may be able to add a ton of unexpected pressure to the board. Token-doubling effects like Elspeth, Storm Slayer, also make for incredible additions thanks to doubling both creature tokens and copied auras.
Once you’ve assembled a board of enchanted creatures, Winds of Rath quickly becomes one of your best tools against creature decks. Go-wide typal decks are always super popular and have only seen their stock rise with Lorwyn Eclipsed, and Winds of Rath is the closest this to Plague Wind you have access to.
An Underrated Commander
As a whole, Three Dog, Galaxy News DJ’s unique thematic approach, coupled with its ability to take over games, makes it quite an exciting Commander to build around. Once you factor in its efficiency, this Bard becomes even more appealing.
Yet, the legend remains an underplayed option in EDH. Three Dog appears in fewer than 3,500 decks according to EDHREC. Fortunately, this card’s lack of popularity has contributed to its minuscule price tag of under 25 cents. So, for anyone hoping to build a new Commander deck without having to break the bank, Three Dog is a great choice.
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