Conquering your Commander: Etrata, the Silencer EDH / CMDR guide for

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"Overworld" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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[@MTGMuddstah]

This intro was brought to you by the folks over at CMDR Ninety-Nine (kzbin.info/door/xu0u3xoMijHNxO4cAa5VoQ) Here's the thread I spoke about in the video: www.reddit.com/r/CompetitiveEDH/comments/9g3vg0/loopholes_in_the_cleanup_step_a_niche_rules/

[@Zerschnitzler77]

please post your decklist!

[@feyakut]

Can you make more "Conquering your commander" videos (especially The Ur-Dragon :D) Also, I will be very happy to see more Gargos and Kenrith players Lastly, are there any Kenrith lists that you can recommend? (From your games)

[@aidendon4127]

Decklist???

[@lonelyrobot4515]

Plz bring back this show.

[@darylchiu9030]

Good to see you resuming "Conquering your Commander" videos. I look forward to more. ^_^

[@ronniewells5231]

This was a fun watch. You should definitely do this for more commanders.

[@commandernights8365]

Omg I was looking for a video like this to stage a proper Etrata deck for soooo long !!! Thank you so much and keep up the good work !! Happy new year

[@commandernights8365]

Also waiting for the decklist asap !!

[@hiimreyna]

Good to see this series back, missed it.

[@r.a.w.780]

Very nice! Really missed these kinds of videos

[@AffinityForCommander]

An interesting commander! I can't wait to see her in action!

[@kyojitakenouchi9706]

Phasing works that way. also protects from sorcery speed spells

[@typoholic]

Love this series. You really should do more… even if they’re simply updates of Commanders you’ve already done before. Cards are always being added to the mix, and players would love to hear what additions are worth adding to certain decks. Take Krenko, for instance. I’m sure you could showcase 10 cards you’ve added since your original. Anyways, good stuff. Keep it up.

[@MTGMuddstah]

That's a fair idea! Maybe I'll add a year tag to the videos, so that people can find the most current ones faster.

[@chaostrife44]

Hey Muddstah, cool deck tech/guide! I thought of a neat interaction when you brought up ninjutsu. If etrata has first or double strike, whatever you ninjutsu in will also get a hit in. I’m not sure it’s worth leaning into, or even playing at all, but I thought it was worth mentioning. Cheers!

[@floydyutiamco]

Now I'm including her in my ninja deck. Thanks for the cool video

[@kiba6601]

Already in the works of building Etrata. U/B control style with some fun stuff.

[@nolife874]

Iv already ordered a hall of the bandit lord for this deck and a million bounce spells I cant wait to play it

[@lucasreis4400]

I don't understand why use bounce spells?

[@afspeellijstnaruto]

@@lucasreis4400 so he won't have to recast the commander from his library/commandzone and thus exploit here 'on damage' trigger and dodge the 'shuffle into library' trigger.

[@diegosaez4885]

I'm impressed that there's no mention of Mirror Gallery, it makes any source of clone-generation such as Rite of Replication or Mirrorpool enable a similar strategy to Helm of the Host.

[@LivingThing28]

Bring this series back!!!!

[@nolife874]

Another good card I found is hatred because she cant be blocked it fits perfectly also swords might work well with her mainly feast and famine you can untap all your lands before her trigger to have mana to bounce and replay her

[@Tetsumikun]

I knew it! Cheers dude.

[@suzzbuzz]

very cool, crazy ability thanks for the TIPS :)

[@gfkxj123]

If you wanted to copy etrata you could also look into Mirror Gallery, but that might helps your opponents if they have clone spells.

[@matiasrochaix2234]

I think that the blink strategy is quite nice with crystal shards, since you can also run other etb creatures as back up and easy combos like peregrine drake, displace and archaeomancer

[@nolife874]

You can also use dramatic reversal to untap Strionic Resonator or make inf mana if you put it on scepter and have a few mana rocks

[@MTGMuddstah]

Good call!

[@ch0asu472]

Fun fact:In a lazav the multifarious edh deck, you can copy etrata if it is in your graveyard and after combat damage is dealt, switch lazav to any other card by using his ability, hence there would be no etrata and hence lazav will not be shuffled into the deck.

[@Avatarbee]

I don't think that works. Lazav would still shuffle himself into your library. When a card references itself by name you can replace it with the phrase "this card" no matter how many times Lazav transforms after the Etrata trigger goes on the stack he is still the same instance of the same card. This is why the vector asp trick works. You can give vector asp(lazav) infect then transform it and the transformed lazav would still have infect.

[@shawnboley4994]

She looks really fun. Could also be good as multiples in a casual deck as well.

[@Birchie84]

Another good inclusion though rather pricey is 'Power Artifact, on Stoic Resignator. I have also been having great success with 'Curaror's Ward' as an addition to LG and SFB in my blue decks.

[@N0madic]

Nice, I was curious when I’d see more Conquering Your Commander videos appear. Btw, if you wanted to take a more artifact based slant Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas could be pretty interesting giving you the option of draw or converting an opponent non-creature artifact into something you could deal with Etrata.

[@MTGMuddstah]

I really dig the idea of turning their rocks into creatures, only to exile them! Great suggestions!

[@puffin-onehandedgamer1164]

so.... it still says "decklist coming soon". After a year, I'm guessing you forgot? I would love to see a deck list. I really like this commander, as I really like alternative wincons. there is also a new clone out that would be helpful. Spark double. you can make him into a copy of Etrata and attack with him. other unique clones: Sakashima the imposter, same as spark double, gets around legendary rule. there is also "Mirror Gallery", with that out, you can have all your clones come in as a copy of Etrata and kill everyone if you can give them haste. what's more, you can have Clever impersonator become a copy of Mirror gallery, in case they want to remove it

[@FrajAce]

Well, thanks to the last part of your video, you've conviced me not to play etrata as my commander but as part of the 99 in my yuriko ninjutsu deck. I mean, i'll likely never ever pull off the win con but the steady flow of exiling stuff seems worth it, maybe?

[@lehandroz]

Our playgroup was just all over this card, too! I had janky ideas like Mirror Gallery + Blade of Selves or Minion Relector. xD

[@MTGMuddstah]

Harry put me on to it. He's kind of a mad genius with deck building.

[@AustinRonald]

She was going in to my Yuriko deck, just because she's so cool (and unblockable). I didn't realise I could legitimately bounce her with Ninjutsu as well. So cheers for that!

[@killerkurez9233]

Just a small touch here.... Cavern of souls if ya got the money for it. Getting her countered always will hurt. XD

[@eric81757]

Essence flux and Snap both can go on Isochron Scepter, and are good flicker/bounces for Etrata.

[@JackThrowerofPrinnys]

Very late to the party but etrata can be very good with an artifacts subtheme since alot of the key cards in the deck are artifacts. One way you can get around creature light decks is to animate your opponents mana rocks and artifacts. Etrata can only exile creatures but 2nd half only cares that the person 3 cards in exile with hit counters.

[@jthrone7768]

This was fast, I wanna see a game with her once she comes out

[@marcelomattina5901]

please do more conquering your commander videos!!!! yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!! :))))

[@gysahlgemuse7208]

You haven't done a Conquering your Commander video in 10 months. Is there a reason for that? I'm craving for more.

[@clockhf]

Great video dude the effect works with commanders? Since the player can send them to the command zone

[@xakuyer]

Etrata begins the Ravnica hype train !

[@godofwar10510]

Mimic vat seems like a must

[@thecuetobrat7979]

Huh guilds of ravinca ad before this video how fitting but my favorite part is where the giant spiller says “Daddy DADDY”

[@masterofshadowfire]

The side wincing could be a voltron staregy

[@matthewrickard4849]

What software do you use to put life totals on top of your video recording of gameplay?

[@jundsheep7599]

Do a conquering your commander on Niv Mizzet, Parun please.

[@MRSoda-sc8ib]

Can you do one of these on melek with a storm archetype

[@jinxcurse6113]

followed footsteps Followed footsteps FOLLOWED FOOTSTEPS

[@enterchannelname2508]

Surprised you didn't mention Mirror of the Forebears or Planar Bridge

[@seasnek7024]

Can you do your next vid for this show on Lazav Dimir Mastermind?

[@fragarach97]

Wow I missed this series...

[@robertmitchell8052]

Hey mate, your channel is fantastic. What do you think about this combo to stop Etrata being shuffled? Sac outlet (eg. High Market, Viscera Seer) plus Soul Channeling. Attack, sac Etrata, regenerate her with Soul Channeling for just 2 life. Even serves as solid protection for possible board wipes or targeted removal (that isn't exiling her).

[@erniespratt1660]

Bad news. Regeneration does not prevent your creature from being sacrificed. It only replaces "Destroy" effects and lethal damage, whereas sacrifice is a different thing.

[@vooshPOW]

Honestly, Yuriko is just such a better commander. Etrada's downside is so critical and difficult to recover from that you have to build your whole deck just so you can play a regular EDH game. However, not only Yuriko is a straightforward commander to play with no downside - her ability even lets you ignore commander tax. And as we all know from Derevi, that can be incredibly powerful. The real kicker is that she draws you a card and deals damage to all your opponents equal to its CMC, so we should try to run cards with high CMC but that are easier to cast (i.e. Temporal Mastery, Dig Through Time, Treasure Cruise). The way you build her is to cast a cheap creature with evasion ASAP, like Tormented Soul. Then you attack and use Yuriko's ninjitsu to bounce that tiny creature back to your hand and connect her with your opponent's face. Then you reveal the top card and chunk your opponents. Finally, sac Yuriko to a sac outlet so she stays protected in the command zone, and begin the cycle anew.

[@MTGMuddstah]

Yea, I like Yuriko, but I was just drawn to Etrata's ability. It's so different!

[@erniespratt1660]

Yuriko is kinda lame to be honest. Cheap small creature that draws you a card when you deal combat damage with it. And also damages to everybody equal to cmc. That's just *so* , *SO* _very vanilla_ ! _Now Etrata_ by comparison looks like a fun build around. I really like the fact that she's both an enabler for your Ninjutsu boys and also a payoff for them. Very kinky. Hands down a better ninja than Yuriko.

[@dillonj9889]

Great tech! One question: Ninjutsu doesn't allow her combat damage to be dealt correct? Wouldn't that just prevent her ability from going off?

[@MTGMuddstah]

It's all about WHEN you respond with Ninjitsu. Normally, people would activate it as soon as their creature is attacking and unblocked. What I'm proposing is you let her connect, deal the damage, and with her trigger on the stack THEN activate Ninjistu. This is fine per the rules, as all Ninjitsu cares about is that a creature is attacking and unblocked, which in this case Etrata would be.

[@purplepudding9384]

You can still use Ninjitsu after the damage step but before combat ends. She'd still be considered an "unblocked attacker". It won't trigger the ninja's ability, but it'll save your commander.

[@dillonj9889]

@@MTGMuddstah Ah okay. Makes sense. Sneaky sneaky.

[@dreddbolt]

@@MTGMuddstah This! 👍

[@EDHCommander99]

Everything about this is amazing! Great tech. Great intro. 😉 Another option for a Dimir bounce legend. What if I told you we don't play the tuck rule? What then? 😁

[@ecos889]

Weird question if I attack with her and target another players commander? Does she still trigger to back into the deck if the player chooses to put the commander in the command zone instead as it does not go into exile?

[@fearanarchy]

She triggers the defending players creatures. Their commander will retain the counter.

[@straydog8178]

Using sundial of the infinite could work right?

[@dreddbolt]

Ah. Clutch of the Undercity. Transmute it, because the general is a CMC of 4. Also, Lim-Dûl's Vault is a good tutor for Dimir colors. Noting the ninjutsu, but instead of ninjutsu, Quickling and Ætherize can be used as well.

[@arrowsty839]

im planing a voltron way to make for her

[@sintwelve]

Can you do one with the new teyza?

[@hungjury7482]

Standardized Intro! And without shoes, she doesn't seem too strong

[@timbauros9606]

If you go to pre release, you should record it

[@MTGMuddstah]

Not sure I'll have a chance =( I may film while at GP Montreal and GP New Jersey though.

[@NoobRealms]

I am sure the thread covers my question but i am simply not understanding it. When you attack with her all of those abilities need to resolve before you can bounce or anything. It's all 1 big text box. Its not seperated like O-ring . ITs a case of O-ring vs banishing light right? So if she attacks and you bounce you dont get any of the triggers ?

[@nolife874]

You bounce her in response to the trigger before the ability resolves. She doesn't have to be on the field to have the ability resolve

[@flarenite1004]

You might,ve missed proliferate too but great video as always!

[@stalkerstomper3304]

Proliferate only works with counters on "permanents and/or players". A permanent is defined as "a card or token on the battlefield . . . and it stops being a permanent as it's moved to another zone by an effect or rule." (Rule 110.1). Because the cards exiled by Etrata, the Silencer are not permanents, Proliferate cannot interact with these exiled cards.

[@flarenite1004]

@@stalkerstomper3304 ahhh darn

[@knowyourchances]

Use Supplant Form to bounce Etrata to your hand at instant speard and leave a token copy of her on the battlefield.

[@MTGMuddstah]

Supplant Form is a card that always slips my mind!

[@thrash208]

My secrecy, my advantage, my guild

[@ryanworthington8095]

People keep missing the fact that etrata only cares about CARDS in exile. Meaning if you animate like an artifact (u/b is good at this) you can exile them and still kill your opponent with etratas ability. Almost all decks play artifacts and should have ample targets.

[@danesperling9693]

Would the flicker spells really work? I'm building the deck and that is the one question I have. It's with my understanding that she would still be on the battlefield when it resolves and the ability would make you shuffle her into her library. Just want to make sure this isn't true, I want this deck to work.

[@MTGMuddstah]

The trigger is from the first instace of Etrata. By flickering her and bringing her back, she becomes a new instance of herself. This is why you can flicker a creature in response to a removal spell and when it comes back it won't just instantly be re-targeted by the old removal spell.

[@danesperling9693]

@@MTGMuddstah That's what I was hoping for. Just finished making the deck and i cannot wait to play it

[@Barjack521]

Hey sorry if this is a dumb suggestion, but wouldn't Blade of Selves let you hit everyone in the game with her before using one of the ninjitsu/blink/return to hand abilities to keep her from tucking?

[@MTGMuddstah]

No, the copies of Etrata would need you to resolve the legendary rule which means you'd still only have the one.

[@Barjack521]

ah, see, thanks, I knew there had to be an obvious reason I was missing, so barring a Mirror Gallery it's a non starter.

[@BAndersJ74]

I don't understand why double strike doesn't work with this card. Wouldn't it do combat damage to a player each time damage resolves, so it would trigger twice?

[@BAndersJ74]

Nevermind, I get it. Because it gets shuffled in after the first strike before it can do the second. Reading the card explains the card, duh.

[@MTGMuddstah]

No worries! I was in the same vein of thought initially, until I read her ability a few times over.

[@DuelMasterTresdin]

Hey quick thing, lightning greaves is a terrible idea cause then how you gonna bounce your card?????????

[@fearanarchy]

Ninjitsu

[@DuelMasterTresdin]

@@fearanarchy My apologies I didn't realize ninjitsu doesn't target. I originally thought it did

[@adams333]

We can always sacrifice the creature in response of the target to avoid losing the game, but nevertheless, this commander will be annoying...

[@nemesist-type4294]

What about sun dial

[@fearanarchy]

Assuming you mean the "End the Turn" Sundial? The purposefully didn't seperate the shuffle and ability resolution. It is 1 ability. If you go ability on the stack, then End Turn, you get Etrata in play but no ability resolution as it is tied to resolving the ability. Bouncing, etc work because the ability still reaolves even if she is not in play.

[@DeanJayJackmanJr]

Wait is this seriously the last deck tech you've done?! :O

[@MTGMuddstah]

I might be doing one for Mistform once I've finished moving to Ottawa.

[@zombieguy75]

would sundial of the infinite work?

[@pietromasneri2872]

yes

[@nigelfogelquist]

You can hear Purp’s theme in the background. He probably was in the room staring at Muddstah from inside a closet

[@shooflies]

Where did Muddstah come from?

[@MTGMuddstah]

I used to play Everquest. My charcater, an ogre shaman, was named Muddie Buddie. It kind of evolved from there with people calling me Mudds or Muddstah.

[@shawnjeanty5882]

You need to bring back that goblin noise I’m not playing with you bruh

[@eoindoyle1203]

If Etrata is your Commander you can put it into your command zone instead of into your library. You still shuffle your library and have to pay commander tax to recast her but it is a lot easier then having to find her in your library.

[@aidendon4127]

Decklist???

[@Thomeyis]

A thought about First Strike/Double Strike: it's still worthwhile to include. Giving Etrata first strike allows you to exile any of the defender's other blockers, saving your other attackers from potential bad combat situations. Also, if she has first strike you can ninjutsu her away after the first strike step, and the ninja you put down will still get their normal combat damage trigger. I'm not saying you should jam first strike equipment just for this interaction, but it's handy to know in case an Akroma's Memorial or something finds its way into your list.

[@MTGMuddstah]

That's pretty spicy!

[@spodfish]

Daily reminder that our savior exists and its name is Generic Goblin Noise

[@Rewwgh]

Hopefully she will have an alternate art, I am not feeling this one.

[@pops91]

OR make a lazav deck and put entrata in it, when he becomes entrata he keeps the name lazav and the effect specifies entrata and not this creature.

[@namename8004]

No, anything that refers to itself just means "this card". It doesn't work like you want it to.

[@pwpryan]

If etrada is to be shuffled into it's owners' library, you can choose to have it go to the command zone. It's a replacement effect. www.dragonhighlander.net/rules.php Play rule #9 Great video!

[@MTGMuddstah]

Right, but then you'd have to pay 2 colorless more to recast her. That's not great =(

[@pwpryan]

Agreed, but it's also pretty hard to find her once she's shuffled in. 6 in one, half dozen in another, i guess.

[@MTGMuddstah]

True. This is why it's almost always better to bounce her =)

[@cpudraner]

What happened to your spoiler card?

[@MTGMuddstah]

I didn't get one for this set.

[@cpudraner]

@@MTGMuddstah Awww... hopefully one for the next!

[@myredgames6215]

You forgot about Sundial of the Infinite. Using it in a response of the shuffle trigger lets you keep her on the battlefield

[@swery1fan734]

The shuffle and hit trigger are the same trigger, if you sundial you won't get the hit trigger

[@architectofdreams73]

Except here's the problem with trying to bounce or blink Etrata. Once her damage is dealt her effect goes off and you cannot respond to it. I've tried this many times on MTGO and on MTGA, they both will not give you priority in order to do anything in between her removal effect and her being shuffled back into the library. But you can use the Commander's Beacon in order to cheat it back into your hand. I have yet to pull of a win with her effect. She is fun, but pretty much a garbage commander. The combo with the Resonator, Rings, and Key could work as long as one person has 3 creatures. Good luck making this happen 2 more times in a 4 player game. If shuffling her back in was on a separate line, you could then respond to it.

[@MTGMuddstah]

You don't respond to the shuffling, but to the entire trigger as a whole. It'll still go off even if she's back in your hand.

[@architectofdreams73]

@@MTGMuddstah Well then she is marginally better then if that is the case. They need to fix that on MTGO and MTGA because there is no option to respond to her damage trigger as it stands

[@emilviuff2514]

Etrata could be gross with helm of the host. EDIT: You already included it in the video, i was too triggerhappy when i saw the card.

[@lazyassslothin]

Greaves gives shroud so probably not the best with a lot of stuff

[@PaulGaither]

By tye tine that you have assembled so many cards, you could have just won the game with a better combo.

[@jacoblemire2478]

Well now I have a ninja commander

[@PaulGaither]

Scepter win Vampiric Tutor should just win you the game as well, no matter what is in your deck. Just find anything you want for the rest of the game? How can you not win?

[@Magnivore519]

I mean, technically you do win by doing combat damage.

[@MTGMuddstah]

Right, but not twenty one points ideally.

[@johannpohland2826]

She would be good in the 99 of lazav as his name remains lazav you wouldnt have to shuffle him in. Or at least I understand it this way

[@camzombies]

whenever a card refers to itself by name, it's essentially saying "this card". so lazav doesn't particularly get around the shuffle effect

[@Zendrig]

It would be much stronger if her ability let you win the game instead.

[@johannpohland2826]

NONONO you cant bounce her back or blink. Her combat ability is all a single ability. When you exile a creature with her (combat damage trigger, not attack trigger), her full ability resolves and you can not react with something at instant speed before the WHOLE ability resolves. If you choose to blink her, you would have to do it before combat damage and you wont be able to use her ability. Same with ninjutsu

[@the88thtoenail93]

Johann Pöhland You just respond to the trigger, so it hasn't started to resolve yet

[@johannpohland2826]

@@the88thtoenail93IK, but then you dont get to use etratas ability, which kinda defeats the point of having her as a commander apart from her being a ninjutsu enabler

[@johannpohland2826]

@@the88thtoenail93 ah ok I think I understood now, she deals damage, trigger on stack, you blink/bounce her, ability still resolves as the source doesnt matter when its on the stack

[@the88thtoenail93]

Johann Pöhland Her ability is already on the stack

[@the88thtoenail93]

Johann Pöhland Basically Yeah

[@glasseagle8368]

1st

[@YBladeY]

Not always a good thing to be first. ;)

[@theKerbsan]

Muddstah a bit out of date regarding the library ruling, unless your group plays by the old rules. "Previously a Commander acted as normal if returned to its owner's hand or placed into his or her library (this act was known as tucking the Commander). This is no longer the case. Now, if a Commander would be returned to its owner's library or hand it can be moved to the Command Zone instead as a replacement effect."

[@MTGMuddstah]

I am aware of this, but I can see how my narration was unclear. Basically, what I was trying to boil this down to was that neither option (be it command zone or library) are exactly great.

[@theKerbsan]

Agree with that.

[@NEFARIOUS-D]

I love your videos, but please review actual commanders for this series ;_;. She costs 18 over 6 turns to use her ability once, seems terrible

[@ms.sysbit5511]

Eh... not exactly my cup of tea. There are some cool ideas in this, namely ninjutsu, but taking away some amazing game play? I’d rather the latter. But if you’re enjoying em then enjoy em. I just hope they don’t crowd out why at least I come here.

[@MTGMuddstah]

These would be purely supplementary videos. They wouldn't take the place of the games on MON / THURS.

[@ms.sysbit5511]

MTG Muddstah oh so another game play in a few hours? I thought this was taking its slot up for Thursday. Well, then power to ya!

[@MTGMuddstah]

Yea, Monday and Thursday's will remain unchanged. Friday's have typically been games that aren't paper EDH when I have time, and perhaps Wednesday will be for these kinds of videos moving forward. This week has four videos M-W-Th-F.

[@MageSkeleton]

Slower than infect.

[@IcenhardMtgO]

At the end.. this card design sux for cmdr... period