Tymna the Weaver and Vial Smasher the Fierce - Mardu Haymakers
1. Introduction
Here is my Mardu Haymaker build, as it stands right now. I find it’s really fun deck both to play and to play against. This style of play is one that I’ve gravitated more as a player, since it that keeps me interested in the game no matter how it unfolds. It has the tools to stay relevant throughout the game even if it runs into tough situations, and also tends to end the game differently every time when it does win. It’s a deck that’s nuanced enough to require good decisions, while also remaining at the power level where your opponents can take advantage if you make the wrong ones.
2. Why Play These Commanders?
The Partner mechanic offers a strong complimentary role between these two – Vial Smasher the Fierce and Tymna the Weaver. First with Vial Smasher, she lends immediately to an attrition/bleed strategy by turning every one of your spells into a Burn X-spell pointed at a random player. There is a lot of flexibility after that in what is being cast, with really anything of high cost fitting the bill, but one common thread to most every Vial Smasher deck would be building up to a huge mana count. This particular deck focuses on big X-spells that align with the trigger, preferably copied as many times as possible with Fork effects to end the game.
As for Tymna, she offers Vial Smasher the color of White. I find that possibly the best haymaker spells in the game find themselves in White (Debt to the Deathless, Entreat the Angels, so on), along with some great protection cards and removal of course. Most importantly though, she offers a source of card draw from the Command Zone. The main obstacle to landing a huge spell for lethal is that it requires many different cards that are reliant on one another to do their thing. It just takes a lot more cards than the typical 2-3 card combo. Also playing for the long game will demand some removal and reactive cards, and those have their own way of affecting the ratio of cards in hand to cards on board. Tymna shores up that hunger for cards with incredible consistency.
Other options for Commanders in Mardu colors take the deck in a different direction. Probably the most similar in these colors would be the “akido” style, which also aims to control the game politically until a big finisher can be landed, typically in the form of a card like Delirium or Agonizing Demise. This style of deck is typically piloted by Queen Marchesa, Oros, the Avenger , or Tariel, Reckoner of Souls. Next most similar would probably be another Mardu deck with Vial Smasher, substituting Tymna for one of the Boros generals - Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder and Akiri, Line-Slinger. Another Tymna deck in Mardu would also use one of the Boros generals, and would be more combat oriented. Of course, there are also more attacking-oriented options in Mardu without using the Partner mechanic, as with Kaalia of the Vast, Zurgo Helmsmasher or Alesha, Who Smiles at Death. As none of these generals really relish a high mana-count, and in several instances the opposite, Vial Smasher really makes for a unique take on Mardu.
3. Deck History
I have been playing Mardu decks since Alesha, Who Smiles at Death was released, and endlessly tinkering with their variations. I started playing Mardu even more after Queen Marchesa was released, and the variations grew further. When the ability to draw cards consistently was added to the decks, a few things that Mardu had always struggled with became possible. When the Partner generals were released, particularly Tymna the Weaver, I knew that she would be at the helm of many a deck of mine in the future. Vial Smasher the Fierce also aligned perfectly to what I had been gravitating toward playing already.
A) Attackers for Tymna - This section is for cards that come down prior to Turn 3 that can ideally be played early to draw additional cards from Tymna’s ability. Particular focus here was on three aspects – CMC of 2 or less, Evasion, and some sort of defensive utility. I have tried creatures in here that are stronger with no evasion (e.g. Mother Of Runes), creatures with a more offensive sort of utility (e.g. Serra Ascendant), and those with more reliable evasion (e.g. Nether Traitor), and the remaining selections have been the most consistently well rounded. I would go no less than 12x or so slots for this in order to keep the deck running, since the land count for this build is fairly low.
Bearer of Silence – Playable early as a looter, and a solid effect for later also.
Bitterblossom – Won’t be able to attack with something Turn 3, but the best card of the list that can power out multiples.
Cavalry Pegasus – Found this one by digging pretty deep. Has some utility with Tymna, and with a few other cards in the list that really want to be evasive (Alesha, Who Smiles at Death). Just about every critter in the list without some sort of evasion of its own benefits from this.
Kari Zev, Skyship Raider – Really solid for Tymna. She will be unblockable herself against at least one player well into the middle game, and the Monkey can also find someone open early and create a bit of tension later on.
Selfless Spirit – Staple card in Tymna and elsewhere. Defensive MVP.
Shinewend – War Priest of Thune is the better card, Ronom Unicorn types are solid too, but Flying is what justifies this in this slot. It continues to get in for damage on at least one player for a few more turns into the middle game.
Suture Spirit – Another one you don’t see very often, it is better here than usual due to the deck often passing with spare mana open.
Topplegeist – A card that’s worth it on its own in EDH, very strong here. The delirium ability keeps back pesky Eldrazi, and the ETB is also great for pushing an extra trigger through a blocker.
Walking Atlas – Generating extra land drops is strong enough on its own for a deck that goes over hand size so often, much more so when it can get in for an attack early. Strong enough even without its own evasion.
Stoneforge Mystic – Format staple, usually useless as an attacker but finds paydirt here when needed.
Vizkopa Guildmage – When a card straddles the weenie and the haymaker category both, it’s a must-run. Certain cards in here like Debt to the Deathless are multiplied with the second ability, and don’t forget it can be activated multiple times. This ability is also one of the few in the deck that can take full advantage of a Sword of Feast and Famine untap, since the effect lasts until end of turn. Lifelink is very powerful also for Vial Smasher, and hilarity ensues when you use both abilities on her and cast a spell.
Spirit Bonds – Another one that can’t attack right away, but makes up for it if another 2cmc creature is drawn. This Turn 2 and an evasive creature Turn 3 picks up the lost card with a Tymna on 4. Later game, the protection is highly valuable.
Recruiter of the Guard – Solid card in singleton, picks up one of the above or Crypt Ghast. Will probably never get in for an attack on its own, but that’s what Swords are for.
Alesha Who Smiles at Death - I couldn’t play this many evasive weenies without Alesha. A natural compliment to Tymna. I’m more than happy to tutor for her with a Recruiter, and then the deterrent of blocking something like a Recruiter or a Stoneforge forces some decisions than can lead to more cards.
B) Mana Base - It’s go big or go home with this mana base. Since Turns 2-4 are ideally taken up with a flier, Tymna, and Vial Smasher, 4-5 mana cost is a sweet spot for mana rocks. They fit perfectly with ramping up to a huge mana count for a haymaker, anyway.
Everflowing Chalice – Very flexible card, don’t be afraid to kick it 3x or more.
Mana Vault – These rocks that don’t naturally untap are perfect for high output and the Voltaic Key package, and this one is the best of the bunch.
Voltaic Key – When it’s good it’s amazing, when it’s bad it does nothing. But all of the mana rocks in the deck untap for 2 or more (or are Pyromancer’s Goggles), and the deck is drawing a lot, so patience is a virtue. I wouldn’t go without it.
Doubling Cube – Obviously it does what it does and gets better the more mana you have, but also not to be forgotten, it fixes the color of mana on those haymaker turns. Perfect because the deck tends to be very R intensive on those turns with multiple Fork castings on burn spells, but tends not to need a lot of R otherwise.
Basalt Monolith – Big single-shot ramp card, fits in line just perfect with the strategy.
Clock of Omens – More untap, more big plays. Good to use with the equipment lying around, and there usually will be one or two.
Crypt Ghast – Good for at least 2-3 more mana per turn, but sometimes a lot more via Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth. I opt for it over Caged Sun in this deck because de jure Swamps need to continue to make R/W mana. Nirkana Revenant is good here also.
Hedron Archive – Solid card at 4 that can be exchanged for cards if a wipe hits, or game is stalled.
Thran Dynamo – Staple card for big mana, no other card at 4 gives 3 mana.
Gilded Lotus – Ever popular card that comes in untapped and refunds 3 mana of color on same turn.
Pyromancer's Goggles – A really sweet card that multiplies off of several cards on the list. Yes, untapping this with Voltaic Key or Clock of Omens and using the RR to cast a spell will multiply it twice, not just once. Also, the trigger can be copied with Strionic Resonator.
C) Haymakers - – The main win conditions of the deck. They play well with each other and with Vial Smasher, and it’s fun to see exactly what the deck will give you in a particular game.
Increasing Vengeance – Possibly my favorite card in all of EDH. Casting it twice in the same turn is fun, flashing it back with Pyromancer’s Goggles is the dream.
Molten Psyche – This card is a deceptively effective burn card because it contains its own multiplier when copied. A flashback Increasing Vengeance against it on its own will deal 6 damage to a player for each card in hand (1 + 2 + 3). It is also not a bad card sifting spell for this deck, where there are a lot of reactive cards and it’s common to be sitting on max hand size the whole game. This helps turn those reactive cards in for more mana and board presence.
Reiterate – The deck wants a second fork, and this one is in here now due to the upside. It will rarely be bought back on a big turn, but you probably won’t need it there besides.
Fiery Confluence – The 6 damage to opponents option is a lot of burn in this format for a small package. There are a lot of other things to like about this card for the mid early game also.
Wound Reflection – Another super busted, opponent only multiplier. Don’t forget that the ability is an actual trigger for Strionic Resonator. The Vial Smasher trigger against it, plus attacker damage, plus a copy (or two) of this trigger is usually enough to drop a player.
White Sun's Zenith – This card has always performed well for me in this setup, despite being weak to Propaganda and assorted tricks that disrupt combat. It’s a natural Instant, so it’s not very prone to being wiped. It also really doesn’t mind being cast for 4-5 or so, particularly considering the access to Tymna and being able to draw off the tokens. It has happened more than once that I redrew it on the subsequent turn via the next Tymna trigger.
Entreat the Angels – This one is similarly great as an Instant when played off of Sensei’s Divining Top or Hedron Archive set up by Scroll Rack. It was even better when there was more draw in the deck like Greed, but still great on a draw step miracle, or just a natural cast. I can see something else in this slot, but the potential for huge upside is to be valued here.
Debt to the Deathless – The best X spell in the game. The Richard Sherman of MTG haymakers, and one of the main reasons behind Tymna to be in White.
Rakdos' Return – What I wanted in this slot was a finisher that was not reliant on combat like the others, and wasn’t prone to sitting in my hand during the middle game like Comet Storm. Casting this for X = 4-5 in the middle game usually takes one player out, and is worth spending a Fork spell on it if the opportunity is there.
D) Equipments - – I’ve waffled between using more equipments and just more creatures to make use of Tymna, but finally settled on some equips. The reason is that two creatures I will for sure be able to cast each game are each Commander, and they have no natural evasion. Of course of all the equips that grant some form of evasion, the Swords are consistently top tier on value added.
Sword of Fire and Ice – The evasion is not as consistent as FaF, but the card draw is nice. Most importantly though, small creatures like Sisay, Mizzix, etc, need to get zapped.
Sword of Light and Shadow – Good with all the small creatures in the deck. It can be a judgment call whether to tutor this first with Stoneforge Mystic, since with it in hand people will usually not want to block and kill it.
Sunforger – What would Mardu be without Sunforger? A super fun card that grants consistent access to answer spells when you need them.
E) Sunforger Package - The Sunforger game is alive and well, even more so in a deck that likes its mana. The package is actually pretty minimal here, but has all the staple tricks, removal cards and defensive spells.
Boros Charm – The quintessential Sunforger card. Forger uses your mana, and this protects your mana (and incidentally the rest of your board).
Rakdos Charm – A combo-breaker in all modes, and this deck will use it quite often as a burn spell copied as many times as permits.
Anguished Unmaking – The king of removal cards, when you need something gone and gone for good.
Utter End – The second copy, without the life loss.
Lapse of Certainty – It never gets old casting this. Protects you from the Instants, Sorceries, and ETB’s that would otherwise be difficult to deal with. There is no shuffle effect for now in the deck, but having one in would be a solution to the top of library aspect.
Benevolent Offering – A card for when creatures get wiped and the rebuild with Tymna begins. That is the main purpose of the card, with the accessibility with Sunforger and the lifegain being perks. It is also not bad when Vizkopa Guildmage is out.
Comeuppance – A personal favorite of mine from Sunforger. It leaves a little bit to be desired in stopping incremental damage from activations, such as via the notorious Vicious Shadows, but it’s been important because the deck is largely lacking in creature sweeps.
Patrician's Scorn – Another favorite of mine for Sunforger, particularly for this deck that really doesn’t want to deal with Propaganda effects at any point of the game, middle or end. And, a lot of players still build as if Enchantments are a completely safe permanent type to overextend onto the board. Punish.
F) Draw Tools - I’ve made a lot of space in the deck by relying on Tymna to draw for me. These are just the essentials to make sure the deck doesn’t give cards that are unneeded. Between the Sunforger package and so many conditional offensive cards, the deck really needs a way to filter draws. It’s also necessary to find cards that add to your options without going into your hand size, since it frequently runs at 7 cards.
Scroll Rack – Since the deck runs at maximum hand size most of the time, this card works out great. There are plenty of shuffle effects in here too to make use of it.
G) Tutor Package - Mostly what mitigates the interdependencies of the deck is an abundance of tutors. Thankfully, it’s easy to run a lot in these colors. There are even some good ones that are missing from this list.
H) Miscellaneous - A few high mileage cards that really fit the theme of the deck. Killing creatures is a good thing for the deck to do in order to go late, and the deck can bear the weight of a few more mana-intensive cards for that. These are good for pushing damage too, so they fit well here.
Olivia Voldaren – Good at neutralizing threats of all sizes, and at using mana to grow big. One of my favorite cards for EDH.
Sorin, Grim Nemesis Has what he needs in the deck and the strategy to work well, and the minus ability also comes in handy.
6. Strategies
Early – Draw cards with small creatures and Tymna.
Middle – Play out mana base, run out Vial Smasher when appropriate, get Sunforger going if possible.
End – Finish with big mana haymakers.
I really like Drana, Liberator of Malakir with Tymna and tiny creatures/tokens. Had you considered running her, or is she just too narrowly dedicated to aggro for this deck?
I like the kind of card that gets more mileage out of the small dudes, but ultimately I was rarely winning the game that way. With the prior lists more dedicated to combat, I was still just tutoring for Molten Psyche/Fiery Confluence/Acidic Soil + Increasing Vengeance with the extra draw power. If I took the deck more in that direction, it probably would end up with Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder as the second General, and there are a few decklists here with that partnership.
Alesha has survived to this current list, though, so there's that. If there's a number two behind her, it's probably Necropolis Regent. I've played her before in similar decks with equips, and she was always really solid. Drana 2.0 seems like a lower mana cost version of her.
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1. Introduction
Here is my Mardu Haymaker build, as it stands right now. I find it’s really fun deck both to play and to play against. This style of play is one that I’ve gravitated more as a player, since it that keeps me interested in the game no matter how it unfolds. It has the tools to stay relevant throughout the game even if it runs into tough situations, and also tends to end the game differently every time when it does win. It’s a deck that’s nuanced enough to require good decisions, while also remaining at the power level where your opponents can take advantage if you make the wrong ones.
2. Why Play These Commanders?
The Partner mechanic offers a strong complimentary role between these two – Vial Smasher the Fierce and Tymna the Weaver. First with Vial Smasher, she lends immediately to an attrition/bleed strategy by turning every one of your spells into a Burn X-spell pointed at a random player. There is a lot of flexibility after that in what is being cast, with really anything of high cost fitting the bill, but one common thread to most every Vial Smasher deck would be building up to a huge mana count. This particular deck focuses on big X-spells that align with the trigger, preferably copied as many times as possible with Fork effects to end the game.
As for Tymna, she offers Vial Smasher the color of White. I find that possibly the best haymaker spells in the game find themselves in White (Debt to the Deathless, Entreat the Angels, so on), along with some great protection cards and removal of course. Most importantly though, she offers a source of card draw from the Command Zone. The main obstacle to landing a huge spell for lethal is that it requires many different cards that are reliant on one another to do their thing. It just takes a lot more cards than the typical 2-3 card combo. Also playing for the long game will demand some removal and reactive cards, and those have their own way of affecting the ratio of cards in hand to cards on board. Tymna shores up that hunger for cards with incredible consistency.
Other options for Commanders in Mardu colors take the deck in a different direction. Probably the most similar in these colors would be the “akido” style, which also aims to control the game politically until a big finisher can be landed, typically in the form of a card like Delirium or Agonizing Demise. This style of deck is typically piloted by Queen Marchesa, Oros, the Avenger , or Tariel, Reckoner of Souls. Next most similar would probably be another Mardu deck with Vial Smasher, substituting Tymna for one of the Boros generals - Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder and Akiri, Line-Slinger. Another Tymna deck in Mardu would also use one of the Boros generals, and would be more combat oriented. Of course, there are also more attacking-oriented options in Mardu without using the Partner mechanic, as with Kaalia of the Vast, Zurgo Helmsmasher or Alesha, Who Smiles at Death. As none of these generals really relish a high mana-count, and in several instances the opposite, Vial Smasher really makes for a unique take on Mardu.
3. Deck History
I have been playing Mardu decks since Alesha, Who Smiles at Death was released, and endlessly tinkering with their variations. I started playing Mardu even more after Queen Marchesa was released, and the variations grew further. When the ability to draw cards consistently was added to the decks, a few things that Mardu had always struggled with became possible. When the Partner generals were released, particularly Tymna the Weaver, I knew that she would be at the helm of many a deck of mine in the future. Vial Smasher the Fierce also aligned perfectly to what I had been gravitating toward playing already.
4. Deck List
1x Vial Smasher the Fierce
1x Tymna the Weaver
Creature (20)
1x Topplegeist (1)
1x Weathered Wayfarer (1)
1x Kari Zev, Skyship Raider (2)
1x Cavalry Pegasus (2)
1x Selfless Spirit (2)
1x Suture Spirit (2)
1x Pteron Ghost (2)
1x Shinewend (2)
1x Bearer of Silence (2)
1x Vizkopa Guildmage (2)
1x Walking Atlas (2)
1x Stoneforge Mystic (2)
1x Recruiter of the Guard (3)
1x Alesha, Who Smiles at Death (3)
1x Crypt Ghast (4)
1x Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient (4)
1x Olivia Voldaren (4)
1x Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief (5)
1x Thalia's Lancers (5)
1x Gisela, Blade of Goldnight (7)
Artifact (18)
1x Everflowing Chalice (0)
1x Sol Ring (1)
1x Mana Vault (1)
1x Voltaic Key (1)
1x Sensei's Divining Top (1)
1x Doubling Cube (2)
1x Strionic Resonator (2)
1x Scroll Rack (2)
1x Basalt Monolith (3)
1x Sword of Light and Shadow (3)
1x Sword of Feast and Famine (3)
1x Sword of Fire and Ice (3)
1x Sunforger (3)
1x Hedron Archive (4)
1x Thran Dynamo (4)
1x Clock of Omens (4)
1x Gilded Lotus (5)
1x Pyromancer's Goggles (5)
1x Bitterblossom (2)
1x Spirit Bonds (2)
1x Wound Reflection (6)
Instant (13)
1x Vampiric Tutor (1)
1x Enlightened Tutor (1)
1x Increasing Vengeance (2)
1x Rakdos Charm (2)
1x Boros Charm (2)
1x Reiterate (3)
1x Lapse of Certainty (3)
1x Anguished Unmaking (3)
1x Patrician's Scorn (4)
1x Comeuppance (4)
1x Utter End (4)
1x Benevolent Offering (4)
1x White Sun's Zenith (3X)
Sorcery (8)
1x Steelshaper's Gift (1)
1x Demonic Tutor (2)
1x Molten Psyche (3)
1x Beseech the Queen (3)
1x Fiery Confluence (4)
1x Rakdos' Return (2X)
1x Entreat the Angels (3XX)
1x Debt to the Deathless (4X)
Planeswalker (1)
1x Sorin, Grim Nemesis (6)
Land (35)
1x Arid Mesa
1x Bloodstained Mire
1x Marsh Flats
1x Scalding Tarn
1x Wooded Foothills
1x Flooded Strand
1x Polluted Delta
1x Verdant Catacombs
1x Windswept Heath
1x Blood Crypt
1x Godless Shrine
1x Sacred Foundry
1x Smoldering Marsh
1x Tainted Peak
1x Command Tower
1x Reflecting Pool
1x Nomad Outpost
1x Graven Cairns
1x Rugged Prairie
1x Kor Haven
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1x Cabal Coffers
1x Thespian's Stage
1x Reliquary Tower
1x Molten Slagheap
1x Shizo, Death's Storehouse
3x Swamp
3x Plains
3x Mountain
5. Card Options
A) Attackers for Tymna - This section is for cards that come down prior to Turn 3 that can ideally be played early to draw additional cards from Tymna’s ability. Particular focus here was on three aspects – CMC of 2 or less, Evasion, and some sort of defensive utility. I have tried creatures in here that are stronger with no evasion (e.g. Mother Of Runes), creatures with a more offensive sort of utility (e.g. Serra Ascendant), and those with more reliable evasion (e.g. Nether Traitor), and the remaining selections have been the most consistently well rounded. I would go no less than 12x or so slots for this in order to keep the deck running, since the land count for this build is fairly low.
Bearer of Silence – Playable early as a looter, and a solid effect for later also.
Bitterblossom – Won’t be able to attack with something Turn 3, but the best card of the list that can power out multiples.
Cavalry Pegasus – Found this one by digging pretty deep. Has some utility with Tymna, and with a few other cards in the list that really want to be evasive (Alesha, Who Smiles at Death). Just about every critter in the list without some sort of evasion of its own benefits from this.
Kari Zev, Skyship Raider – Really solid for Tymna. She will be unblockable herself against at least one player well into the middle game, and the Monkey can also find someone open early and create a bit of tension later on.
Pteron Ghost – Another niche find, sort of a Guardian Beast that can get in early for a draw trigger.
Selfless Spirit – Staple card in Tymna and elsewhere. Defensive MVP.
Shinewend – War Priest of Thune is the better card, Ronom Unicorn types are solid too, but Flying is what justifies this in this slot. It continues to get in for damage on at least one player for a few more turns into the middle game.
Suture Spirit – Another one you don’t see very often, it is better here than usual due to the deck often passing with spare mana open.
Topplegeist – A card that’s worth it on its own in EDH, very strong here. The delirium ability keeps back pesky Eldrazi, and the ETB is also great for pushing an extra trigger through a blocker.
Walking Atlas – Generating extra land drops is strong enough on its own for a deck that goes over hand size so often, much more so when it can get in for an attack early. Strong enough even without its own evasion.
Weathered Wayfarer – This card is best since PrimeTime at double tutoring for a Cabal Coffers-Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth setup. Added perk for the possibility of getting in early game for a trigger.
Stoneforge Mystic – Format staple, usually useless as an attacker but finds paydirt here when needed.
Vizkopa Guildmage – When a card straddles the weenie and the haymaker category both, it’s a must-run. Certain cards in here like Debt to the Deathless are multiplied with the second ability, and don’t forget it can be activated multiple times. This ability is also one of the few in the deck that can take full advantage of a Sword of Feast and Famine untap, since the effect lasts until end of turn. Lifelink is very powerful also for Vial Smasher, and hilarity ensues when you use both abilities on her and cast a spell.
Spirit Bonds – Another one that can’t attack right away, but makes up for it if another 2cmc creature is drawn. This Turn 2 and an evasive creature Turn 3 picks up the lost card with a Tymna on 4. Later game, the protection is highly valuable.
Recruiter of the Guard – Solid card in singleton, picks up one of the above or Crypt Ghast. Will probably never get in for an attack on its own, but that’s what Swords are for.
Alesha Who Smiles at Death - I couldn’t play this many evasive weenies without Alesha. A natural compliment to Tymna. I’m more than happy to tutor for her with a Recruiter, and then the deterrent of blocking something like a Recruiter or a Stoneforge forces some decisions than can lead to more cards.
B) Mana Base - It’s go big or go home with this mana base. Since Turns 2-4 are ideally taken up with a flier, Tymna, and Vial Smasher, 4-5 mana cost is a sweet spot for mana rocks. They fit perfectly with ramping up to a huge mana count for a haymaker, anyway.
Everflowing Chalice – Very flexible card, don’t be afraid to kick it 3x or more.
Mana Vault – These rocks that don’t naturally untap are perfect for high output and the Voltaic Key package, and this one is the best of the bunch.
Sol Ring – Yeah, Sol Ring.
Voltaic Key – When it’s good it’s amazing, when it’s bad it does nothing. But all of the mana rocks in the deck untap for 2 or more (or are Pyromancer’s Goggles), and the deck is drawing a lot, so patience is a virtue. I wouldn’t go without it.
Doubling Cube – Obviously it does what it does and gets better the more mana you have, but also not to be forgotten, it fixes the color of mana on those haymaker turns. Perfect because the deck tends to be very R intensive on those turns with multiple Fork castings on burn spells, but tends not to need a lot of R otherwise.
Basalt Monolith – Big single-shot ramp card, fits in line just perfect with the strategy.
Clock of Omens – More untap, more big plays. Good to use with the equipment lying around, and there usually will be one or two.
Crypt Ghast – Good for at least 2-3 more mana per turn, but sometimes a lot more via Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth. I opt for it over Caged Sun in this deck because de jure Swamps need to continue to make R/W mana. Nirkana Revenant is good here also.
Hedron Archive – Solid card at 4 that can be exchanged for cards if a wipe hits, or game is stalled.
Thran Dynamo – Staple card for big mana, no other card at 4 gives 3 mana.
Gilded Lotus – Ever popular card that comes in untapped and refunds 3 mana of color on same turn.
Pyromancer's Goggles – A really sweet card that multiplies off of several cards on the list. Yes, untapping this with Voltaic Key or Clock of Omens and using the RR to cast a spell will multiply it twice, not just once. Also, the trigger can be copied with Strionic Resonator.
C) Haymakers - – The main win conditions of the deck. They play well with each other and with Vial Smasher, and it’s fun to see exactly what the deck will give you in a particular game.
Increasing Vengeance – Possibly my favorite card in all of EDH. Casting it twice in the same turn is fun, flashing it back with Pyromancer’s Goggles is the dream.
Strionic Resonator – Very nice with both Tymna and Vial Smasher to begin with, but also comes into play during the haymaker turns with Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient , Pyromancer’s Goggles, Voltaic Key, so on.
Molten Psyche – This card is a deceptively effective burn card because it contains its own multiplier when copied. A flashback Increasing Vengeance against it on its own will deal 6 damage to a player for each card in hand (1 + 2 + 3). It is also not a bad card sifting spell for this deck, where there are a lot of reactive cards and it’s common to be sitting on max hand size the whole game. This helps turn those reactive cards in for more mana and board presence.
Reiterate – The deck wants a second fork, and this one is in here now due to the upside. It will rarely be bought back on a big turn, but you probably won’t need it there besides.
Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient – This guy is really fun to play. He chips in with Sensei’s Divining Top and Sunforger during the course of the game, and also copies some great activations in Voltaic Key , Strionic Resonator, and Basalt Monolith for big haymakers.
Fiery Confluence – The 6 damage to opponents option is a lot of burn in this format for a small package. There are a lot of other things to like about this card for the mid early game also.
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight – Super busted, must-kill creature. If it lives an orbit, opponents start to drop. I wish it worked with Debt to the Deathless, but the rest aren’t bad.
Wound Reflection – Another super busted, opponent only multiplier. Don’t forget that the ability is an actual trigger for Strionic Resonator. The Vial Smasher trigger against it, plus attacker damage, plus a copy (or two) of this trigger is usually enough to drop a player.
White Sun's Zenith – This card has always performed well for me in this setup, despite being weak to Propaganda and assorted tricks that disrupt combat. It’s a natural Instant, so it’s not very prone to being wiped. It also really doesn’t mind being cast for 4-5 or so, particularly considering the access to Tymna and being able to draw off the tokens. It has happened more than once that I redrew it on the subsequent turn via the next Tymna trigger.
Entreat the Angels – This one is similarly great as an Instant when played off of Sensei’s Divining Top or Hedron Archive set up by Scroll Rack. It was even better when there was more draw in the deck like Greed, but still great on a draw step miracle, or just a natural cast. I can see something else in this slot, but the potential for huge upside is to be valued here.
Debt to the Deathless – The best X spell in the game. The Richard Sherman of MTG haymakers, and one of the main reasons behind Tymna to be in White.
Rakdos' Return – What I wanted in this slot was a finisher that was not reliant on combat like the others, and wasn’t prone to sitting in my hand during the middle game like Comet Storm. Casting this for X = 4-5 in the middle game usually takes one player out, and is worth spending a Fork spell on it if the opportunity is there.
D) Equipments - – I’ve waffled between using more equipments and just more creatures to make use of Tymna, but finally settled on some equips. The reason is that two creatures I will for sure be able to cast each game are each Commander, and they have no natural evasion. Of course of all the equips that grant some form of evasion, the Swords are consistently top tier on value added.
Sword of Feast and Famine – Great mana production, great evasion and spell protection.
Sword of Fire and Ice – The evasion is not as consistent as FaF, but the card draw is nice. Most importantly though, small creatures like Sisay, Mizzix, etc, need to get zapped.
Sword of Light and Shadow – Good with all the small creatures in the deck. It can be a judgment call whether to tutor this first with Stoneforge Mystic, since with it in hand people will usually not want to block and kill it.
Sunforger – What would Mardu be without Sunforger? A super fun card that grants consistent access to answer spells when you need them.
E) Sunforger Package - The Sunforger game is alive and well, even more so in a deck that likes its mana. The package is actually pretty minimal here, but has all the staple tricks, removal cards and defensive spells.
Boros Charm – The quintessential Sunforger card. Forger uses your mana, and this protects your mana (and incidentally the rest of your board).
Rakdos Charm – A combo-breaker in all modes, and this deck will use it quite often as a burn spell copied as many times as permits.
Anguished Unmaking – The king of removal cards, when you need something gone and gone for good.
Utter End – The second copy, without the life loss.
Lapse of Certainty – It never gets old casting this. Protects you from the Instants, Sorceries, and ETB’s that would otherwise be difficult to deal with. There is no shuffle effect for now in the deck, but having one in would be a solution to the top of library aspect.
Benevolent Offering – A card for when creatures get wiped and the rebuild with Tymna begins. That is the main purpose of the card, with the accessibility with Sunforger and the lifegain being perks. It is also not bad when Vizkopa Guildmage is out.
Comeuppance – A personal favorite of mine from Sunforger. It leaves a little bit to be desired in stopping incremental damage from activations, such as via the notorious Vicious Shadows, but it’s been important because the deck is largely lacking in creature sweeps.
Patrician's Scorn – Another favorite of mine for Sunforger, particularly for this deck that really doesn’t want to deal with Propaganda effects at any point of the game, middle or end. And, a lot of players still build as if Enchantments are a completely safe permanent type to overextend onto the board. Punish.
F) Draw Tools - I’ve made a lot of space in the deck by relying on Tymna to draw for me. These are just the essentials to make sure the deck doesn’t give cards that are unneeded. Between the Sunforger package and so many conditional offensive cards, the deck really needs a way to filter draws. It’s also necessary to find cards that add to your options without going into your hand size, since it frequently runs at 7 cards.
Sensei's Divining Top – Amazing card with fetch lands to filter draws, and great to find Entreat the Angels in the library with it.
Scroll Rack – Since the deck runs at maximum hand size most of the time, this card works out great. There are plenty of shuffle effects in here too to make use of it.
G) Tutor Package - Mostly what mitigates the interdependencies of the deck is an abundance of tutors. Thankfully, it’s easy to run a lot in these colors. There are even some good ones that are missing from this list.
Enlightened Tutor – Hits most everything needed – Pyromancer’s Goggles, Pyromancer’s Goggles… Voltaic Key for more goggles.
Vampiric Tutor – Grabs all of the above, plus Entreat the Angels for miracles, and the missing piece of Urborg-Coffers.
Demonic Tutor – Best tutor in the game, nuff said.
Beseech the Queen – Nice to do what Demonic does, and trigger Vial Smasher for 6.
Thalia's Lancers – Used to be Rune-Scarred Demon, but found myself always fetching goggles, Urborg, Kurkesh, or Gisela nearly every time.
Steelshaper's Gift – Can’t beat the cost, and I like Sunforger
H) Miscellaneous - A few high mileage cards that really fit the theme of the deck. Killing creatures is a good thing for the deck to do in order to go late, and the deck can bear the weight of a few more mana-intensive cards for that. These are good for pushing damage too, so they fit well here.
Olivia Voldaren – Good at neutralizing threats of all sizes, and at using mana to grow big. One of my favorite cards for EDH.
Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief – Similar to Olivia, not as swingy, hits harder.
Sorin, Grim Nemesis Has what he needs in the deck and the strategy to work well, and the minus ability also comes in handy.
6. Strategies
Early – Draw cards with small creatures and Tymna.
Middle – Play out mana base, run out Vial Smasher when appropriate, get Sunforger going if possible.
End – Finish with big mana haymakers.
I like the kind of card that gets more mileage out of the small dudes, but ultimately I was rarely winning the game that way. With the prior lists more dedicated to combat, I was still just tutoring for Molten Psyche/Fiery Confluence/Acidic Soil + Increasing Vengeance with the extra draw power. If I took the deck more in that direction, it probably would end up with Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder as the second General, and there are a few decklists here with that partnership.
Alesha has survived to this current list, though, so there's that. If there's a number two behind her, it's probably Necropolis Regent. I've played her before in similar decks with equips, and she was always really solid. Drana 2.0 seems like a lower mana cost version of her.