Cut-Rate Commander | Totentanz, Swarm Piper

Edit: Pricing for Skull Clamp is displayed incorrectly in the video (shows as $0.42). Should be $5.50 (this is calculated properly in the final price of the deck).
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Cut-Rate Commander - Episode 87 - Featuring Totentanz, Swarm Piper from Wilds of Eldraine
#mtg #edh #commander #mtgwoe
Hey Folks! Submitted for your approval , we have our 5th and final Cut-Rate Commander build for the Wilds of Eldraine - this time covering Eldraine's own pied piper - Totentanz, Swarm Pipe.
In this build, we'll be aiming to combine both the rat tribal and aristocrats sides of Totentanz's kit to derive the maximum value from his Aristoc-Rats centric gameplan. Of course that means we'll be running a decent number of rats and token generators to get more tribal bodies into play to benefit from our commanders deathtouch granting, as well as a decent number of other rat payoffs to work alongside Totentanz to make our vermin horde even more dangerous. And then on the artistocrats side of the equation, we'll be adding the greatest hits that Rakdos has at its disposal - comprised of sac effects / sac outlets to help our commander create more rat tokens while generating us value, and more on death payoffs to generate even more value or to suck the life out of our opponents as our creatures die off. Then from there, we'll be adding in a handful of ways to pile on the damage even further as our ETB and swing in to whittle down our opponents even faster, as we'll as a small number recursion/reanimation pieces to help us get our resources back from the bin as we sac them away to get extra uses out of them - enabling Totentanz to build up our army of rats more and more until they gnaw away the last of our opponents life.
Let me know if the comments below if you agree with my choices and/or what you would add to the deck instead. Also, let me know know who you would like to see next by voting on in the comments on the three choices of commander listed at the end of the video.
Decklist - archidekt.com/decks/6208445/c...
All art used is copyright of Wizards of the Coast
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CHAPTERS
00:00 - Introduction
00:46 - Commander & Playstyle
06:13 - Creature
15:53 - Instant
17:23 - Sorcery
18:59 - Enchantment
22:14 - Artifact
23:37 - Land
24:46 - Breakdown
28:36 - Closing Thoughts

[@GrazzetMTG]

Hey folks! Let me now if the comments if you agree with my suggestions for this build, if there are any cards you don't agree with / think could should be in the build, and what commanders you want to see me cover from The Lost Caverns of Ixalan in future videos!

[@Schattenbaroee]

"Totentanz" means dance of death in German. It is based on the fairy tale of the Pied Piper of Hameln. A rat catcher lured the rates out of the city with his instrument. When the village people refused to pay him, he lured all the children away with his songs. :)

[@GrazzetMTG]

I knew about the Pied Piper but not of the meaning behind his name. The more you know!

[@stephenmoran7855]

That's a true story. The city remembers those lost. He used moldy rye flour for its hallucinogenic properties on the rats, then the children.

[@benrichardson5662]

This is an example of why I really like Eldraine. The references to European folklore and fairy tales lend the plane a very fun flavor.

[@leozmaxwelljilliumz3360]

I am So excited to make this deck. Thanks for the early Christmas present! Always amazes me how content creators know how to incorporate so much synergy into these decks

[@GrazzetMTG]

Glad to hear you enjoyed the build and, to be fair, since Rakdos arguably has the best Arstocrat's pieces and definitely has the best rat support, our friend Totentanz here us absolutely spoiled for choice when it comes to builds - which is not too shabby for a uncommon commander.

[@jdmills007]

The hype is real for this deck. Fantastic job 👏

[@GrazzetMTG]

Thanks and I hope you enjoyed it!

[@SeekerOf7ruth]

A great theme for a terrifying folklore character, not to mention some fantastically flavorful cards! I'm surprised I haven't seen more of Totentanz yet.

[@benrichardson5662]

Ferocity of the Wilds would be very nice here. Deathtouch and Trample are a potent combo as you noted with Wave of Rats, and Ferocity of the Wilds gives +1/+0 too so you'll get at least one damage per attack unless your opponents are willing to double block rat tokens.

[@chrisw.735]

I was looking forward to this one and it was worth the wait. How fitting for the holidays :D

[@gloind123]

Hi Grazzet, nice Deck build you have a new fan from Germany👍 Merry Christmas to all!!🎅

[@danielmartin3739]

This looks like such a fun deck. I will definitely be putting this one together!

[@Eisenwulf666]

Powerful and flavourful

[@crovax1375]

I built Totentanz right when the set released and I've been getting a lot of use out of Eliminate the Competition and Tymaret, the Murder King

[@johnsato6109]

This looks so fun to play Grazzet! Will definitely build it 😊

[@GrazzetMTG]

Yep, it was certainly fun to pilot in testing, so I hope you enjoy it too!

[@Sayocakes]

Happy Holidays Grazzet! Thanks for the awesome videos in 2023

[@GrazzetMTG]

Thanks for the well wishes! Same to you and here's to more builds for 2024 (So many precons next year....)!

[@barrysetser3909]

Feel like the subtitle of this deck should be "Black Death Tour". Tangled Colony and Blas Act are serious game shortners

[@barrysetser3909]

Happy Holidays!

[@Bruhmilk1987]

I'm excited you're back. Hope your doing well. I would totally love a tetzin deck

[@jeremiahjones9940]

Early Christmas present. Thanks Graz 👍

[@GrazzetMTG]

Enjoy!

[@xanderjones6239]

Love Totentanse. ❤️ so glad to see another deck tech

[@GrazzetMTG]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@charlie8brown]

this is exactly the level of spice I need for my playgroup

[@GrazzetMTG]

Glad to hear it and I hope your table enjoys it!

[@nickatwork]

Happy Holidays, Grazzet! And a Merry Ratmas to all who celebrate!

[@GrazzetMTG]

Happy Holidays! 🐭🐀🎄

[@TheMagicBeaner]

I definitely want this deck, I know I have urbog and cabal coffers so I think I might take out a swamp and the filter land for those two. Not completely sure on that, I have a Marrow Gnawer deck I can use the commander for and I suppose buying Purphoros would be a nice upgrade to my other decks too

[@joshuarudling2102]

Can't wait to build this new way to annoy my play group 😂

[@HalcyonAcorn]

Merry Christmas to all!!

[@maxwellgarr4264]

Threat of activation is real with this deck, looks really fun to play

[@NGRhino]

Love all these videos your millicent restless revenant sprit deck helped me kick some as at my local LGS. Any chance you could build a deck around Goro-Goro and Satoru as the commander.

[@roborob6033]

There is also [tattered ratter] who buffs rats when they become blocked

[@islarf5095]

Id love to see a Krark the Thumbless build, with something not Sakashima. Theres not many videos covering builds him!

[@bigZ..D..]

Was considering building this rat deck. May have to after this video.

[@GrazzetMTG]

Well, I hope it works well for you if you do end up building it!

[@amarauk9687]

All choices on the pool are lit, can I put a vote on each of them 😅? The more interesting of the 3 though is Tetzin imo

[@Pain-qg8wz]

I know the Jurassic park cards don’t quite fit the cut-rate commander deck, but it would be fun to see one of the Jurassic park commanders! My vote is for Owen, raptor trainer and blue, loyal raptor

[@TheDrunkinfox]

10 pipers piping

[@Galchoo1]

Finally, a rival to AristoCats! Bad references aside, amazing video as always! Now as for my vote... something compels me to pick the Mycotyrant. The shrooms I smoked an hour ago? I dunno. Day 845 of waiting for the face reveal... say, have you watched Hbomberguy's latest video? Cause it is... quite the doozy.

[@GrazzetMTG]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it! And I'm sure the mind control spores you inhaled previosuly had nothing to do with voting for our new fungal overlord, so I wouldn't worry about it. Honestly, I had not heard of Hbomberguy previous - but it his plagerism video looks interesting (since there has been a lot of that going around on youtube these past few years). I've watched a bit of it and enjoyed it, but sadly 4 hours is a but much for more to take watching content when I have my own to make. Maybe I'll watch the rest bit by bit over the holiday.

[@AdamKaiser1]

The Rat King Rides Again to fight the Nutcrackers.

[@GrazzetMTG]

I suppose that its fitting for a build arriving just before Christmas!

[@chrisgallo2236]

You have Raid Bombardment but how about Cavalcade Of Calamity? The rats without any pump are 1/1 so it might be worth an include…

[@shadow14338]

How is it with the Tokens? There 1/1 Black Rats .. and there 1/1 Black Rats that cant block - there two different Stacks, correct?

[@FlowMofo]

Where can you get a skullclamp for 42¢?

[@GrazzetMTG]

Sorry, that was a typo (must have slipped past in editing). The correct price (at the time according to my spreadsheet) would have been $5.50. I'll add this to the description to avoid confusion. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.