The Weekly Draw - Deck Talk Gets Real

Welcome back!

Hope everyone had a great week. My cube finally cracked open the Dragonstorm precons, and the games did not disappoint. Sultai Arisen took game one with Lord of Extinction into Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord finisher. Temur Roar brought the heat in game two with, well, dragons doing dragon things.

In today’s edition:

• Can commons carry a whole deck? Zada says yes.

• Scryfall search tips.

• Budget utility lands you’re probably overlooking.

• The great removal debate (and why you might be under-packed).

Grab your coffee and lets dig in!

Commander Corner

Zada: Budget Storm Engine

The Commander's Quarters shows how Zada, Hedron Grinder turns cheap cantrips into game-ending plays. Target her with a draw or pump spell, and suddenly your token army becomes a card-drawing, power-boosted nightmare. At under $15, it’s explosive, fun, and absurdly efficient. LINK

Reese: Golgari Elves With a Twist

The Trinket Mage brings new life to elves with Rhys the Exiled. Sacrificing elves to regen makes it surprisingly resilient, and the life gain opens the door for drain combos. Tribal, but not your usual green flood. LINK

Oops! All Commanders

Some of us love a little variety when designing and building our decks. Quips&Guac took it a step further and created an Oops All Commanders deck with 33 Potential Commanders inside. The idea is to play with a different creature each game. He has somehow turned chaos into something usable, check it out! LINK

Still Bad 1 Year Later?

Jolene, Plundering Pugalist must've stepped in something, because she only has 124 decks listed on EDHREC. [Unpopular MTG] is attempting to challenge her unpopularity by building a combat-focused, spell-copying, doubling-everything deck. Does Jolene deserve the hate? LINK

Community Highlights

Tarkir Lore Deep Dive

If you're a bit of a vorthos and love learning about the history and lore of the Magic and each of it's planes, then you should checkout Out of Mana's most recent video. This video explores all of the events in Tarkir leading up to our present-day Dragonstorm. LINK

The Great Removal Debate

A popular thread reignited the age-old conversation: are you running enough interaction? Consensus suggests 8–10 targeted pieces and 2–3 wipes. I've noticed games going on way too long when no player can break parity with removal. Might be time to double-check that deck you call “casual.” LINK

Rethinking Deck Templates

Speaking of removal, do deckbuilding templates help—or hurt? This reddit post argues that rigid checklists can limit creativity. Your commander should guide the build, not a 10-ramp/10-draw rule. LINK

Proxy Culture is Shifting

Proxies are gaining traction as more players share their experience. Many are finding gameplay creativity matters more than authenticity of the cards. The amount of new cards the prices of key pieces feels overwhelming. Proxying might be the solution. LINK

Four-Color Woes

There are still only nine four-color commanders, and players want more. Some are turning to Nephilim with house rules. The demand is clear, but WoTC has made their reason clear as to why they aren't a fan. LINK

Dragonstorm Precons Ranked

Wahfulz Command Zone released a video ranking the Tarkir: Dragonstorm Precons. Some might say there's no right answer, but there's definitely a right answer... This is only their second Youtube video, but I think they are worth a subscribe! LINK

The Sideboard

The Scryfall Cheat Sheet

EDHREC does an great job of showing you what an average deck looks like for a commander. If you want to make a unique deck, you need to start using tools like Scryfall. A community-made cheat sheet shows how to use Scryfall syntax to find cards by effect, not popularity. Lots of great suggestions in the comments. LINK

Budget Utility Lands

The Trinket Mage highlights cheap but effective utility lands. Great for tuning on a budget. LINK

Staples Under the Microscope

The Commander's Quarters questions whether cards like Solemn Simulacrum and Eternal Witness belong in every deck. The message: prioritize synergy over habit. LINK

Mana Rocks with a Twist

We all want more creative mana rocks that offer utility beyond mana. Examples like Sonic Screwdriver (personal auto-include) and Cursed Mirror are gaining popularity and pushing back against Sol Ring auto-includes. LINK

Wrapping Up

This week’s content reminded me why I love this format - not for the efficiency or optimization, but for the creativity. Offbeat decks, oddball commanders, and bold challenges to what a “good” EDH list looks like. That’s where the real fun begins.

What trends are you seeing in your local scene or playgroup?

Got a favorite YouTube channel, Reddit thread, or a deck primer you’ve written? Hit reply and share it - I’d love to start highlighting more community content in future issues.

— Mark
EDHMatch & The Weekly Draw