I. Introduction
So I usually type up my game reports at night on my laptop in bed with my wife after the kids are asleep. My wife is usually watching The Bachelorette or some other horrible reality programming, and she typically leaves me in peace while I pound away on the keyboard. But this time, after another guy is finished making a fool of himself proclaiming his love in front of a camera crew for a (admittedly hot) female he just met 2 weeks ago, my wife looks at my screen, points at my avatar, and says "What's that?"
"It's a picture of me. They like being able to put a face to the author of the articles."
"Why is our daughter in the picture?"
"I dunno. Just wanted to find a picture that fit the size requirements that had me in it, and this was the first one I found."
"Doesn't it weird you out that all those random people out there know what our daughter looks like?"
"This is a site for Magic players. They probably aren't pervs. Probably. Besides, it's the same as the stuff you put on Facebook."
"You should change it."
"Seriously? Fine. I'll be Corporal Hicks! He's cool, and kicks Alien butt. Plus, he fought Wyatt Earp and went up against the Terminator and fathered John Connor!"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Just another night in the Leviathan household. So I will change my avatar pic when I find one that I like, but until then, you guys get a kicker of Alien butt who says lines like, "Looks like love at first sight to me. Oh, he likes you Burke!" and has to talk down Hudson when Hudson's screaming, "Game over man!" I still love that movie.
Anyway, this one is based on another reader request. Rith with tokens! I think I can do that. On a side note, I noticed somewhere that people refer to Rith as a female. I have no idea about the sex of most of the critters in Magic, unless it's very obvious. So if I screw up the sex, and refer to Uyo, Silent Prophet or whoever your favorite legend is as a woman, just keep that in mind.
II. The Deck: Token making with something extra
So let's take a look at our Commander:

That's right, I'm using the From the Vault version of Rith, because it's the best one. Deal with it. Rith is a dragon that can make a bunch of tokens when she hits. As we know already based upon the Asmira, Holy Avenger deck I worked on a while back, it's pretty easy to make tokens. So we are essentially going to use the Asmira shell and use Red for some added fun. The interesting thing about Rith is that by making her own tokens, she can essentially double token production every turn. Let's see what I did with it.
Red opens up a bunch of possibilities. I really wanted to add Hazezon Tamar to the deck because he can make a ton of dudes. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough sac outlets to push him over the top. Let's take a closer look at the cards I did use.
Token Production |
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Ant Queen, Avenger of Zendikar, Captain of the Watch, Dragon Broodmother, Mycoloth, Rhys the Redeemed, Luminarch Ascension, Rise of the Hobgoblins, Conqueror's Pledge, Decree of Justice, Martial Coup, Nomads' Assembly, Night Soil, Kher Keep: Aside from your Commander, these are some typical token producers that I already went over in the Asmira article. However, I added Captain of the Watch not only because of how efficient she is, but also because many of the tokens the deck makes are also soldiers. Dragon Broodmother is basically a flying Verdant Force, and cheaper as well. You are still taking a chance while you wait for Nomads' Assembly to rebound, but typically it gives you 6 tokens for the first casting anyway, so I think it's worth it. Other red cards to consider include Goblin Assault and Siege-Gang Commander.
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Token Help |
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Captain of the Watch, Kamahl, Fist of Krosa, Mirror Entity, Eldrazi Monument, Ajani Goldmane, Beastmaster Ascension, Glory of Warfare, Savage Beating, Titanic Ultimatum: Red really shines here. Glory of Warfare is great when you have a bunch of tokens out. Your guys hit harder, and the ones you keep back on defense can absorb more damage. Savage Beating is awesome as well, especially with one or two of these other pumpers. The only other Anthem effect I considered was Marshal's Anthem. I just barely had enough creatures to really consider it, but the high amount of white needed to bring back even just one creature made me think I could do better. I really want to play Titanic Ultimatum, but I can't seem to draw it. I guess Doubling Season could be considered token help as well, but it didn't fit with the other guys. |
Mana Help |
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Coalition Relic, Darksteel Ingot, Worn Powerstone, Mana Reflection, Mirari's Wake, Explosive Vegetation, Kodama's Reach, Sylvan Scrying, Gaea's Cradle, Oracle of Mul Daya: Nothing out of the ordinary here. Mirari's Wake has the added benefit of pumping your creatures. I tried Mana Crypt instead of Worn Powerstone for a little while, but I had a run of games where I never won the flip. Sylvan Scrying in the early game usually goes for Krosan Verge, and in the late game goes for Gaea's Cradle. |
Removal |
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Duplicant, Nullmage Shepherd, Aura Shards, Glare of Subdual, Krosan Grip, Swords to Plowshares, Pure/Simple: Aura Shards is awesome, and definitely worth the price. Glare of Subdual is a card I missed in the Asmira deck. It doesn't really act as removal, but it keeps things, even Eldrazi, tapped down. Pure/Simple is great, because most Commanders are multi-colored. In addition, we don't run any auras and only 1 piece of equipment, so both sides are great. |
So I basically used red here as a support color. It basically is in to pump your tokens and provide additional token providers. However, in some of these decks, I've seen red used to give your creatures haste, with cards like Fires of Yavimaya, Anger, and In the Web of War. I do have Sarkhan Vol in this deck, so at least there's that. Furystoke Giant is a cool card that can lead to direct damage taking out specific creatures, as well as directly at opponents. Goblin Bombardment works well when someone Wraths in getting your guys to lead to damage.
I also wanted to use Breath of Fury, hoping for a ton of extra attack phases by hitting someone without defenses. The problem is that by the time you get enough tokens to really use the card, people do have defenses up. So Breath of Fury got cut. However, you can always use something like Aggravated Assault, Waves of Aggression or World at War for extra attack steps.
Otherwise, it's pretty simple: Make tokens and beat down. Rith is actually pretty good at beating down all by himself, so don't feel like you always have to use his triggered ability. But if there are a good number of green permanents out there, you should always strongly consider doing it.
Let's see how it works!
III. The Game: Fight!
This game is going to be a little different. First, though, let's see who our opponents are:
You guys know what to expect Uril to do. Nemata obviously seems like it will be another token themed deck. Ob Nixilis will probably be some form of mono-black control. I haven't played against an Ob Nixilis deck yet, so I'm interested to see if he brings anything new to the table. Uril wins the roll, and decides to go first. My opening hand:
I like hands with a ton of land, so I keep. Ob Nixilis mulligans into oblivion, and concedes. That's just sad. I know that people do this sometimes, but I don't think it's worth it. I know that I've kept hands of 4 cards without lands, then end up drawing lands and being competitive. Usually people will leave you alone, because they know that you need some help. Many times, someone will play a
Howling Mine effect early on, and that will help you out as well. Basically, what I'm saying is that you shouldn't concede, even when things look horrible with your opening hand.
So anyways, this is going to be a three player game. Three player games are usually a lot faster, and you can have a chance to dominate much more quickly. I like them when I don't have as much time, or when I'm dealing with the kids. As usual, U =
Uril, the Miststalker, and N =
Nemata, Grove Guardian.
Round 1
N: Forest.
Round 2
N: Forest,
Earthcraft. That gives me the "uh-oh" feeling.
Round 3

Good times.
Round 4
Round 5
U: Forest. Discards
Lifelink to get to 7 at end of turn.

Sometimes people can forget about the Fog effect.
Round 6
N: Plays a Forest, then
Primal Command, putting
Aura Shards on top of my library, then shuffling my graveyard (consisting solely of
Arid Mesa) into my library. Sad times, and I have a feeling I know what's going to happen during Uril's turn. N then plays
Eternal Witness, getting Earthcraft back. U sacs
Evolving Wilds for a Plains.
Round 7

Unexpected.
He then pumps Uril, making him 20/18. I go to (22) while U goes to (54).
Round 8
U: Attacks me with Uril. Expecting a trick, I block with all 21 of my saprolings. Uril dies, taking out 5 of them. U notes that he had hoped I wouldn't have blocked with as many tokens, as he could have taken me out with General damage. Good thing I did.
Me: Draw
Mirror Entity. Attack U with Rith, and N with my remaining 16 saprolings. U concedes. N notes that he would have lived at least another turn, since it would have been only 18 General damage, but it’s too late. N then Fogs using
Spore Flower. Afterward, I play
Conqueror's Pledge, kicked.
Aura Shards triggers, and I take out N’s
Mana Reflection and
Earthcraft. N then concedes as well, as he has no cards in hand.
IV. Conclusion
So the thing to keep in mind about this deck is that it can be a little too aggressive. You don't really want to come out guns blazing most of the time, because you will paint a target on your forehead and everyone will gang up on you. I had one game where I was playing against two mono-blue decks and an Esper deck. I got out an early Aura Shards and kept everyone in check for a while. Before I could get close to taking anyone out, they began to bounce, counter, then steal everything. I put up a fight, but having all three against me and a Gauntlet of Power set on blue were too much for me to handle. So try not to go all out early on unless you think that you can really maintain control.
If you are concerned about Wrath effects, Dauntless Escort and Loxodon Hierarch deserve a shot. You can also use Privileged Position to help protect your guys. Homura, Human Ascendant can make all your tokens little dragons as well. Just some more ideas.
I hope you liked this look at another dragon legend. I'm taking next week off, but the following week I will be back. A reader requested an anti-Eldrazi deck, and I will show you various ways to deal with them using Dakkon Blackblade!
Until next time!
Leviathan, aka Tarasco on MTGO
mrmorale32 at yahoo dot com
11 Comments
Completely forgot, I was going to talk about Paul’s deck that he posted in the comments of the last article. Here it is again, for reference:
[Artifact]
1 Behemoth Sledge
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Firewild Borderpost
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Wildfield Borderpost
[Creature]
1 Acidic Slime
1 Civic Wayfinder
1 Corrupt Eunuchs
1 Deadwood Treefolk
1 Desolation Giant
1 Emeria Angel
1 Eternal Dragon
1 Eternal Witness
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Harmonic Sliver
1 Indrik Stomphowler
1 Ivy Elemental
1 Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
1 Kird Ape
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Knight of the White Orchid
1 Krosan Tusker
1 Loam Lion
1 Mangara of Corondor
1 Mogg Fanatic
1 Mystic Enforcer
1 Planar Guide
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Ranger of Eos
1 Reveillark
1 Rith, the Awakener
1 Scute Mob
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Totem-Guide Hartebeest
1 Troll Ascetic
1 Vithian Renegades
1 Weathered Wayfarer
1 Wickerbough Elder
1 Wild Nacatl
1 Yavimaya Elder
[Enchantment]
1 Faith's Fetters
1 Mammoth Umbra
1 Marshal's Anthem
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Splinter Twin
[Instant]
1 Condemn
1 Miraculous Recovery
1 Naya Charm
1 Otherworldly Journey
1 Path to Exile
1 Swords to Plowshares
[Sorcery]
1 All Suns' Dawn
1 Decree of Justice
1 False Defeat
1 Hallowed Burial
1 Hymn of Rebirth
1 Martial Coup
1 Primal Command
1 Rolling Earthquake
1 Wrath of God
[Land]
1 Ancient Amphitheater
1 Boros Garrison
1 Evolving Wilds
6 Forest
1 Graypelt Refuge
1 Gruul Turf
1 Jungle Shrine
1 Kabira Crossroads
1 Khalni Garden
1 Krosan Verge
1 Llanowar Reborn
4 Mountain
1 Naya Panorama
1 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
8 Plains
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Selesnya Sanctuary
1 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Vivid Crag
1 Vivid Grove
1 Vivid Meadow
You obviously don’t have to go the token route with Rith, there are plenty of other options. The colors actually are pretty good for just straight beatdown. Paul went a slightly different direction, with an emphasis on white for a bunch of recursion effects. Interestingly, he also includes a bunch of one drops that you typically don’t see in EDH games, like Kird Ape and Loam Lion. If I were to change the deck, I would take out some of these weaker one drops for more powerful versions, such as Dragonmaster Outcast, Protean Hydra, Figure of Destiny, or even Loyal Sentry. I would also add Proclomation of Rebirth and Karmic Guide to help the recursion aspect. The deck’s only other issue I can see is a lack of graveyard hate, so maybe also include Relic of Progenitus. Anyway, this is another way to go with a Rith deck. I really like Meglanoth in a deck like this also.
Aura Shards is such a beating particularly in a token generator. Tell your wife at least one puremgtoer agrees with her, even if we didn't know the context of the image. Better safe than sorry Mike. Re my deck, yeah the zoo theme was a hidden trick for you though someone spoiled it last week by mentioning it. It does have some applicability because none of the creatures (except planar guide) are particularly weak but 2/3s generally don't have much weight in multiplayer except as chumpers with decent behinds. So yeah if I owned them in would go outcast (love the dragons for nothing aspect of that), student of warfare, figure of destiny. Not sure about Protean Hydra. He often seems less good when I go to include him in decks. I DID have Meglanoth in this deck and I have absolutely no idea why he didn't make the final cut. Call it a brain fart. I just got Karmic Guide (3.3 tickets ouch! but better than 5) so that would definitely fit. As usual good article. Next week Dromar?
Agree with Paul and your wife about a non-daughter-containing-photo as your avatar. Don't take chances.
The problem I have found with the dragons that have to attack to have an effect (Treva, Darigaaz, etc) is, well, you have to attack to get an effect. Sheldon has switched out Darigaaz for Karrthus, noting that a hasty dragon is top notch. I might do that with my Commander deck, ditching Darigaaz for Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund.
I made a Rith EDH deck (physical) and have it ready for anyone that doesn't have one in case I ever play in real life. If they're very nice, I could just give it away since it's just built out of spare (but good) cards. It's kind of a "starter" EDH deck that can be modified by whomever finally gets it.
Have you considered doing an article on how to "break into" edh with a cheap deck? Maybe start with mono colored Commander, flesh it out, add another color/Commander later to add play value?
Your Rith deck has given me at least three good cards to add to my physical Rith deck (Night Soil, Nullmage Shepherd, and Ant Queen). How did I forget about Ant Queen?!
Paul - So it was a test? Funny guy.
No Dromar. If he could bounce colorless cards I would consider him. But he doesn't and therefore isn't effective against Eldrazi.
As for a beginner commander article, that's a good idea. Although the Kaervek deck in my last article comes in around 11 tux which is really cheap. Maybe also a review of cheap commander staples. Things to think about.
This is the first article of your I have read. Rith caught my attention as I have a physical rith deck myself. My version, originally being a Mayael the Anima is based on ramping up quickly and getting huge creatures on the field, so I am intrigued by your token stategy. I am curious why there isn't a verdant force or verdant embrace in the deck?
I am a big fan of EDH and consider myself one of the lucky people who gets to play EDH with Sheldon Menery on a weekly basis. One of the things he mentioned about EDH/Commander strategy is simular to what you mention here, and that's not to be the biggest threat at the table first. Usually the person who is next to start showing power is the one who has a good chance of winning due to the other people wasting resources to take out the original table threat.
As far as Rith being female, she is. I am currently catching up and reading all the books in chroniligical order and a few months ago read the books on the 5 primeval dragons. Rith was the first to be awakened and was refered to as a female.
Great article. Now I have a need to go back and catch up on your older articles.
Thank you so much for making the deck I requested. It looks like quite the fun deck, and really looks like it can perform as well. Can't wait to build and tweak it! Seeing you take out Uril was sweet too!
I would also like to say that it's probably wise of your wife to suggest that you not include your daugther in your profile picture. Although most of the people I know who read this site seem to be nice normal guys, I can't vouch for everyone on the internet.
For a while I had a profile picture of me holding my daughter when she was about a year old. I eventually decided to change it for the same reasons as have been echoed here. Now, I don't mind talking about my daughter online in a very generic way without giving out specific names and locations. I try to avoid devulging too much about my family just to be on the safe side of things.
You guys are definitely right about the pic. I remember looking around for something that fit the requirements and that was the first one I could find. I then promptly forgot about it. I've been looking for a replacement pic but all of them are with my kids. Corporal Hicks it is then.
Sheldon seems like an interesting guy. He said he based his lord of tresserhorn deck off of mine, so I thought that was cool.
The verdant cards are good and worth considering. However I'm generally not a fan of auras, and I don't like waiting for my tokens to accumulate. Plus force costs a lot. I like dragon broodmother though because of the flying. Feel free to tweak and change the list as much as you want.
Thanks for the comments people.
Rith and Treya are actually both the females and the other 3 are males if I remember correctly. But ugh, great article, though I cant put into words how sick I am of seeing Uril. Everytime its the same thing derp derp Here's Uril and Enchantments. Like its basically the most net-deckded EDH general around since the gameplan is so horrifyingly obvious. And it's not too terribly good, since they almost rely completely on uril and a handful of other threats.
Sheldon is a great guy and defenitly interesting to talk to. I love sitting in the card shop and just picking his brain before the tournament starts.
On a side note does anyone think it not safe for me to have a picture with my cat?
The incidence of cats being stalked on the internet to date is ...0? So he's probably safe but to be sure you want to photoshop bunny ears on him so they don't know who to look for.