Mana Rocks | EDHRECast 169

We will, we will, mana rock you! This week it's all about those awesome artifacts that accelerate our mana. Which ones dominate the format, which ones are we sick of, and how can we customize our decks from right within the mana base?
Support the cast on Patreon! / edhrecast
Check out our new custom altersleeves at www.altersleeves.com/content-...
EDHREC is sponsored by CardKingdom, TCGPlayer.com, and altersleeves.com. Use the price links on EDHREC or visit cardkingdom.com/edhrec and www.altersleeves.com/edhrecast to support the show!
Follow the cast on Twitter:
@EDHRECast
@JosephMSchultz
@danaroach
@mathimus55
Interested in writing for EDHREC? Send us your pitch at edhrec.com/apply or send us an email at [e-mail]
Special thanks to @The Command Zone for post-production work on the podcast, and for bringing it to a whole new level!
Subscribe to our weekly EDH stream! Live paper Commander games every Wednesday at 6pm PST: / edhrecast
Want to see the decks we play? Check them out here!
articles.edhrec.com/edhrecast...
Question, comment, or data insight? Email us at:
[e-mail]
Music: "Crunk Knight" by Kevin Macleod licensed via Creative Commons:
• Kevin MacLeod ~ Crunk ...

[@nik700]

On the subject of overcosed mana rocks, I have a soft spot for Tome of the Guildpact. It's super narrow and only taps for one, but it makes my whole Rienne deck into 50+ cantrips

[@rockandrolljew89]

With Fellwar stone up to $5, so there are just a ton of cheaper options for 2 mana rocks. By the same token, diamonds are dirt cheap after being reprinted. Just makes them so much more attractive, especially for new decks that you can upgrade later (just like you'd add fetches in place of guildgates)

[@kaiokenx100]

just built a Carth the Lion deck and i stumbled on Honor-Worn Shaku. I can tap my planeswalkers to untap the Shaku for extra mana. Value located.

[@ericsanchz]

Could I see a deck list? I’ve been wanting to build a deck around him

[@kaiokenx100]

@@ericsanchz yeah absolutely! tappedout.net/mtg-decks/01-07-21-carth-superfriends/

[@ericsanchz]

@@kaiokenx100 Thanks!!👍🏼

[@SWNJim]

I’m building a planeswalker cube and that might fit in nicely. 🤔

[@alanpigate8776]

The only place I use thran Dynamo and Gilded Lotus is my gishath Dino deck. The difference in a turn 5 gishath and a turn 7 gishath is HUGE

[@Isheian]

Both are good in big mana decks.

[@ajespers426]

I want to put Liquimetal Torque into a lot of decks, probably replacing Mindstone. Making artifact removal suddenly able to hit something else seems really useful, especially in certain color combinations and/or when on a budget. You can even respond to someone else's Vandalblast. And its real cheap, at least for now.

[@silentcrow5220]

Definitely a sleeper, I'm running it in mono white with all my artifact/ enchantment removal

[@rteishe]

Thought the same thing...this card is a sleeper. Picked up a playset of them for practically nothing, and I've already swapped it in over Mindstone & Prismatic Lens in my rakdos & red decks that have a hard time with enchantments but have plenty of artifact removal

[@silentcrow5220]

@@rteishe definitely turn those enchantments to artifacts and go to town

[@BFG93]

Honestly didnt even conceive of the idea of turning something to artifact and pop. Fantastic tactic

[@andrewpeli9019]

I really like this card when playing mono- nongreen. My builds of these decks tend to be very vulnerable to artifact wipes, at least this gives you the ability to give a little crackback. It's kind of fun to make a bane of progress blow itself up.

[@artemisfowl52]

The design trend for 3 mana rocks with gradual-building, but high-impact effects is interesting, but I think the LGS meta has already gotten too fast for things like Midnight Clock or Replicating Ring to work outside decks that already have preexisting synergies to exploit or rush their payoff abilities. The reason why 2 mana ETB tapped rocks don't play well is because their relative advantage compared to 3 mana rocks is extraordinarily narrow. If you don't have your Diamond/Myr in hand on turn 2 and draw it after, it's effectively a color-limited Manalith, since if you play the card, your available mana that turn is reduced by 2, whereas with a Signet, your available mana the turn you play it is only reduced by 1. When people talk about increased speed 2 mana rocks have over 3 mana rocks, the speed advantage is in the tempo advantage and lower opportunity costs casting said rock after turn 2.

[@tortle1055]

I would say fellwar stone has been pricecrept more than powercrept

[@bcoble121691]

Commander's Sphere is still one of my favorite rocks, especially in a white deck because of how well it plays with things like sun titan

[@skraddypoo]

I adore Everflowing Chalice. The ability to scale it depending on when you need a mana sink is a huge thing for a lot of my decks.

[@kylelonnes5833]

Bonder’s Ornament is a favorite mana rock of mine, taps for 1 colorless or pay 4 and tap to draw a card.

[@Kryptnyt]

Bonder's adds any color of mana. Also collusion is possible

[@JABarnes18]

Arcane signet should have been tap for 1 colorless or tap for one color of your identity if you control your commander imo

[@Iwoqvossik]

I actually run Manascape Refractor in my Ashaya deck.

[@tortle1055]

Oh, that’s gross but in a good way

[@connoringram4948]

Mana scape reactor is one of my favorite janky powerfull cards. I run it in my 5 color golos lands and it does some dumb stuff. It can be cabal coffers itlimoc dark depths an thespian, but it can also be creature lands. I use golos to get lumbering falls celestial colonnade all the elemental creature lands. With a training grounds out you make your mana scape the grul for a counter then unblockable with the dimir land, or colonade for flying an vigilance, then turn it into the rakdos an pump it. Finally you turn it into needle spires for double strike. At any time you can turn it into lumbering falls for hexproof. That combo costs 8 colored and howerver much you can pump into the rakdos but with training grounds zirda some other stuff you got a janky super creature.

[@Weasels42]

@@connoringram4948 It's also a combo with Mutavault or Faceless Haven and Griffin Canyon. Use Mutavault or the Haven's ability to turn Manascape Refractor into a creature with all creature types. Then, Griffin Canyon's Ability: Tap: Untap target Griffin. That Griffin gets +1/+1 until end of turn. It untaps and pumps itself an arbitrarily large number of times.

[@SirRiconious]

Matt: I have a hard time finding a place for Everflowing Chalice in any deck Jhoira Storm decks: am I a joke to you?

[@tortle1055]

Matt only plays selesnya so it’s fine

[@ToxicAtom]

I still think there's a place for Dimir keyrune, since it can become an unblockable attacker in case getting damage through is something you need to trigger an effect.

[@tommybrink1989]

I was a little sad they didn't mention nyx lotus during the 4+ mana rocks

[@timbombadil4046]

Honestly, in non-green 3c decks, I love that mana fixing isn't too complicated. You can find reasons to not use rocks primarily, but ignoring crypt/vault you have 9 rocks (3sig/3tal/Sol/ASig/Fellwar) and ~3 floating slots to personalize with. Yes you get less utility compared to what you'd use in a 2c or mono deck, but it's good 3c gives up something for the color access.

[@MarioLopez-iq1kq]

I like darksteel ignot for my mono black, white and red decks where I can't ramp or draw into lands as easily because when I ramp with my rocks, they usually try to slow me down and destroy a Mana rock or when they destroy all artifacts

[@flyerbeast9178]

I have great respect for Replicating Ring since it saved me after 7 whole turns of The Eon Fog plane (everyone skips their untap steps) then gave me enough mana for an X=11 Villainous Wealth against an Eldrazi deck... suffice to say the game ended soon after!

[@zackkelley2940]

why WOULDN'T anyone have this? Worst case you have a 3 mana rock that can add 1 of any color.

[@TheCrimsonYoshi]

I really thought that the first card that was going to get mentioned in the 4+ mv mana rocks discussion was going to be The Great Henge.

[@Morrodin182]

Great video (as usual) so happy to see my pet 'rock' chromatic lantern is getting a correct review. To be honest I consider it actually a color fixer first and only accidentally as a mana rock. Just like Joey I also run it in my feather deck :)

[@6midlan]

Another niche 0 mana rock: Mox Tantalite! Suspend 3 for 0 is awkward in most decks, sure, but in my Vega the Watcher deck if I play it on turn 1, play Vega by turn 3, then on turn 4 Tantalite comes online and I get a free card!

[@mfsoab]

Probably nobody gonna read this, but: Nyx Lotus! Comes tapped, but most of the time it just generates sooo much mana the next turn in 2-3c decks. Running a bunch of multi colored cards boosts that thing through the roof. Also: The Great Henge, anyone? Yeah, green only and a bit expensive by now, but should have gotten at least an honorable mention, as one of the best rocks out there!

[@twitchster77]

Currently running a high powered casual Memnarch deck with 26 artifact mana rocks and I'm loving it! :D

[@grevedanko]

My favorite mana rock is without a doubt The great henge. That card does everything!

[@alfascorpi]

Great decktech! I’m onto the goading idea!

[@LunarWingCloud]

Hot take: I don't play Sol Ring in my Omnath, Locus of Rage deck. I want land ramp, not rocks

[@salomaogabriel5264]

I respect you good sir

[@twitchster77]

Is that even legal in commander?

[@breathofire1449]

39:24 My proliferate deck doesn't run much ramp but Replication Ring is one that is in there.

[@darthdespot5120]

Nyx Lotus is great in a 2 color or mono colored deck. It almost always taps for 4+ colored mana.

[@kylekoehler1271]

I have really enjoyed using Phyrexian Totem, Joey you should absolutely give it a try! It sticks around post board wipe and becomes an instant beater until blockers start to come back out. I first chose it as a budget card but has quickly made it to "pet card" status.

[@jamespatterson5644]

i ran a boardwipe.deck when totem was in standard. it and grinning ignus were my wincons. so much a soft spot for that card

[@tortle1055]

I put Springleaf drum in my yorion deck and have loved it, underrated in commander IMO

[@alex.sanders]

It's great in Kalamax

[@micahhonig1575]

Love using all the border posts in my niv mizzet reborn deck!

[@elguapobandito2833]

For some reason I can’t wrap my mind around Wayfarers bauble Being better than a basic land in a mono color deck

[@twitchster77]

Bauble actually ramps you as it puts the land directly into play potentially putting you up +1 land for the game.

[@SWNJim]

I build mostly Mardu decks. First cards are always Sol Ring (duh), Arcane Signet, and Fellwar Stone. I come back towards the end of deck building to figure out what else it needs and more so to cover weaknesses. I’m like Dana and don’t run basics (no green) so often the signets would be next. My Licia deck actually wants to lose life so the talismans are actually better in it. Finally I look at how susceptible I am to Blood Moon and those types of effects. Usually that’s high not playing basics, but tapping for red isn’t a big deal in Mardu. If I really feel uneasy about it (say it’s heavy black, low red) then I’ll add Skyclave Relic and then Darksteel Ingot, if necessary. There’s a lot of artifact hate in green, white, and red, so indestructible is a useful ability to have for what is then essential fixing. Extreme color fixing (basically no generic costs in cards) would probably require a Chromatic Lantern at that point. Speaking of 3 mana rocks, I kind of found it funny that playing a 4+ mana rock (which you can ramp into on turn 2) is looked down on, but everyone gets excited at the potential to make 8x Replicating Rings on turn 10-12. Unless there’s multiple upkeeps, multiple turns, doubling effects, or proliferate strategies, I’m not excited about that card in the least and will get more out of the more expensive rock over those same turns. I will agree that the more expensive they get, the more niche they become and always remember there’s more to ramp than just rocks.

[@8Smoker8]

In order to get instant value out of a caged sun, you NEED big mana rocks like Thran Dynamo. If you can tap for 12 with 12 mountains...well xD

[@serenab5707]

I ritual the everflowing Chalice early game then proliferate with karns bastion, or return it to my hand and replay it over and over as my mana base grows. I do this in rackdos colors. I use it as my contingency if my commander is being hammered by removal or there's a stalled board state and my damage output dips, so I can play my eldrazi late game

[@torchofgenesis]

So you were all mentioning Mana Vault, Grim Monolith and the like, saying they're kinda a symbol of a more tuned, more powerful deck. Maybe it's just my playgroup, but I've always felt that if I don't play those cards in a deck, it falls behind so much in the early game to all the green decks that I can't keep pace so I have to play them. My solution to their cost was to get proxies for each of them and just own one copy of each so I don't need to buy $80+ cards over and over again for each of my decks.

[@Shadfillet]

My favourite manarock is Surveyor's Scope, even though it might not be the best. :D

[@ancientswordrage]

I think Sedgemoor Witch was lost in the set fatigue

[@davecohnmusicproduct]

I run Grim Feast and Dina in my Savra Deck, they are both awesome!!

[@ronsmall9033]

Hatin so hard on Cold Steel Heart. I identity with this card so much. Give it a bit of love.🤭

[@Timby_]

Sad my fave Elementalist’s Palette wasn’t mentioned. Though it’s niche, it’s essentially a free sol ring every turn in an X spells deck, more if you play more than one X spell in a turn

[@nathanstruble8587]

this is late, but I think Everflowing chalice is actually a little better than the cast gives credit for because of the flexibility in its mana curve for bigger commanders. For example, if it's in your starting hand it can either cover your 2 cmc slot, giving you 4 mana turn 3, or it can cover your 4 cmc slot, potentially giving you 7 mana turn 4. It's a semi casual godsend of a card because of this. Just giving your deck greater consistency across starting hands, since a terrible series of mulligans can really screw you over in a long game.

[@Kryptnyt]

A lot of times when I have a 3cmc commander that wants to come down early, I'll look at including Jeweled Amulet

[@facehill72]

Love rocks

[@GrimmGrinner]

Fellwar Stone is most powerful in a steal and copy deck, because it helps insure you have the color to use your opponent's cards

[@thecmoose4754]

I'm a big fan of Replicating ring, and Skyclave Relic. I like the multiple copy potential and cheating replicated ring using proliferate is pure gravy.

[@andrewp979]

Felwar Stone is great for every deck. 2cmc and makes mana on its own. It's better than basically all the colourless rocks at 2cmc since it makes colour most of the time, and it can even beat signets since they can't make mana on their own.

[@adamcappella8088]

Sedgmore witch and the sorcery spell plumb the forbidden. Bam sack a bunch of tokens, pay life draw cards. Sedgmore witch gives you a bunch of tokens back that give you life when they die. You are practically just paying the mana cost of the spell and will easily gain your life and tokens back

[@adoo765]

Challange stats showing GOLD as aways!!!

[@RollieB89]

Another good 3 mana mana rock is Inspiring Statuary in equipment heavy decks. Inspiring Statuary will tap for 1. Other equipment will also tap for 1.

[@zackkelley2940]

Any artifact, not just equipment. Recommend for anything that uses lots of equips or makes lots of artifacts/artifact creatures that ISN'T a colorless deck.

[@RollieB89]

@@zackkelley2940 now you can also add it into treasure decks

[@zackkelley2940]

@@RollieB89 Clue and Food Tokens too come to think of it^^

[@jasonhart543]

Everflowing Chalice can be a nerve-wracking mana rock, but it absolutely shines with Master Transmuter.

[@zackkelley2940]

Love it! A 0 Mana artifact you can just keep bouncing to play ANY artifact for a single Blue.

[@jasonhart543]

@@zackkelley2940 Yep, & then if you ever need a mana sink, drop a bunch into Chalice. Tormod's Crypt is another great dual-utility for Transmuter.

[@Grimmlocked]

My red green deck gets a lot of card draw off creatures entering. I swapped a ramp spell for cursed mirror just to get another creature entering effect

[@MrManukenchin]

I like thran dynamo and gilded lotus in my mono black deck.

[@andrewpeli9019]

I really don't understand the concern with arcane signet. The card just isn't a problem. Sol Ring, Mana Crypt, Wild Growth, Utopia Sprawl, Three Visits, and Nature's Lore are all non-creature ramp spells that I'd always rather play. And the 1 drop dorks are situationally better in decks with creature synergies. I think that arcane signet is HEALTHY for the format. It is affordable, and unlike dockside and the monoliths it isn't an easy card to abuse, and it allows non-green decks to compete with decks that contain green. Personally, I love this card's design.

[@cloudyboi13]

LFGGG!!! 🔥🔥🔥

[@crawdaddy2004]

Gilded Lotus and Thran Dynamo do combo better than the mana rocks that tap for less. One of my decks needs a rock that I can blink and tap for three mana.

[@crawdaddy2004]

Everflowing chalice is an all star.

[@coinswaptrader2915]

i also agree it is amazing...can be played for 0 mana to add a spell for storm!

[@crawdaddy2004]

@@coinswaptrader2915 I probably cast it for zero 1/5 of the time for that, to draw a card with Jhoira or just to have an artifact to sacrifice for Goblin Welder or whatever.

[@coinswaptrader2915]

@@crawdaddy2004 or it is a good mana dump if you have infinite mana and make the chalice 1000000 mana rock lol

[@JamesBond-wk2mr]

Pentax prism. Is a mana rock I use in the right deck

[@gamerzbl00d]

Honestly, I still run sol ring in Nikya cause it is easy to cast beforehand and she gets removed a lot so it pays for commander tax usually

[@zackkelley2940]

If you kick Skyclave Relic and have Adrix and Nev out, yes you would make 4 tapped token copies of Skyclave Relic instead of 2. Assuming of course you don't have any OTHER token doublers on the field^^

[@ncuco]

I love medallions! Except I'm a budget player so I actually sold my red one and bought a green one

[@abrahamdrinkin2534]

We seriously need a reprinting of medallions

[@jamespatterson5644]

my Atrheos deck runs the black and white one and both monuments since the goal is to cast the same creature a dozen times in a turn

[@SamundraDarion]

Mana rocks on Ep 169 - I see what you did there 😜

[@PlatinumAbra]

Anyone like worn powerstone?

[@abentevent]

No mention of the great henge? We all know it's busted. But where do you think it's BEST played? Where does it fit on curve? I'm positive it's got some hidden synergies too.

[@yes.thatjanedoe]

You can use Sol Ring to cast Nikya though

[@zackkelley2940]

Which does lead to an interesting workaround. You can cast them before AND continue to use them after. Not sure how useful that is but its there I suppose. Though I imagine much grumbling from Nikya about them being there^^

[@joshelderkin9592]

Thanks matt fornot takeing joey bad puns

[@ghost64626]

I love Chromatic Orrery, it's one of my favourite Mana rocks. Also I'm surprised they didn't even mention Basalt Monolith

[@zackkelley2940]

It is budget Grim Monolith and does exactly the same thing... albeit with a slightly higher cast cost and a slightly lower untap cost

[@Teebs1996]

Sedgemoor doesn't really go in very spell heavy colors other than Dimir stuff I find. As a Thalisse player I really don't like using spells to make tokens because it's asking for you to get boardwiped. I'd rather use lands, enchantments, or creatures. Sedgemoor will require me to have itself and another card which isn't all THAT common since in the fail case it's very unimpactful. Meanwhile young pyromancer is in izzit which plays 20 spells per turn

[@xayidegreymind5782]

Only deck I use Darksteel ingot is in my zombie deck to pair with phlactary lich

[@justinhoudeshell4031]

Cold steel heart is awesome in jorn

[@themoviewatcher]

Nothing on The Great Henge, the most broken 2 mana rock ever made? (We all know no one pays full price for it)

[@SamundraDarion]

Here is a Challenge the Stats - Arcane Signet - it is in 40% of Decks - Why not all. Sure not colorless Decks can use it - why don't the other Decks use it? What color Decks are out there that don't use the Arcane Signet?

[@coinswaptrader2915]

mono colored decks dont need it...

[@gadoo24]

Do the mana myrs count as rocks or dorks?

[@tryndameregaming7387]

dorks, because they are creatures

[@ApexZer0]

Sedgemore witch is only worth it if your playing 25-30 instant and sorcerers at a minimum

[@joshelderkin9592]

I heart cluestones

[@lodusrex]

With so few one mana mana rocks out there, I’m surprised you didn’t mention Springleaf drum. In non-green go wide creature decks, it seems kind of essential.

[@tryndameregaming7387]

I think a underapreciated rock is "Khalni Gem". It's a great fit for landfall decks, and for decks low on lands.

[@garethNP]

I think when putting mana rocks, one should consider whether your deck has how many 2,3,4 drops before considering which to put. For example, if your deck has many 2 drops, it might not be good to put 2 drop mana rocks. Also, I often put rocks that can ramp me up to my commander. For example, if my commander is 5 mana, I put 3 or 4 mana rocks so that i can cast my commander the next turn. Also, avoid mana rocks with the same mana cost as your commander as you’ll tear your hair out on which to cast.

[@joshelderkin9592]

Feather should be a bird everytime i hear the name i think bird i didnt even know it was an angel 😂

[@nickzimmer2753]

Too many mana rocks? I came here for more for my mono colours LMAO get out the commander, feed the engine

[@kks557]

I've been trying out Medallions and I'm not much of a fan. They can't contribute mana when I'm trying to ramp with mana rocks in the early game and that's a huge downside to me.

[@jamesbrooks3664]

Kid Mana Rock keep it going!

[@danriehl4244]

The first ever Pokemon gym leader was Mana Brock.

[@M3WT-va]

This entire episode is basically "Here's the best rocks for Osgir the Reconstructor... Oh yeah and the other guys." Lol

[@dragonman979]

i feel like basalt monolith should have poped up in the 3 mana section as a way of doubling mana the next turn and does a simpler job as than dynamo

[@petersteiman2443]

In regards to the two mana tapped mana rocks, their downside can be mitigated by being played on say turn two.

[@joshelderkin9592]

I hate the diamonds

[@coinswaptrader2915]

Who needs any mana rocks in cEDH 1vs1 if you dont need them for any actual combo inside the deck? I can understand 4 player commander decks could tolerate some mana rocks... I personally dont even play sol ring or mana crypt in certain decks and kill players turn 3 or 4 regularly...

[@francescognerre2408]

Alright, sol ring is not the iconic card for commander. Command tower is. And I will fight for and die on that hill.

[@nik700]

Commander is older than the 2011 precons, so Tower is firmly in 2nd place

[@uphillwalrus5164]

Sol ring still goes in mono colored decks

[@jakeapplegate6642]

I run sol ring in more decks than I run command tower. Sol ring is still good in mono color.

[@Neuverfleischer]

I'm done with the first half right now, and I'm massively irritated about Prismatic Lense not being mentioned. Like...huh? Guess I'll pick up some more copies before more players find out about it.

[@uphillwalrus5164]

Not a big fan of wayfarer's bauble. I'm usually playing on tempo so it just sits there until like turn 7 and the game is pretty much already over at that point

[@koelkast9]

It is one of the budget ramp that gets cut early

[@alanpigate8776]

Gotta play it on turn 1 to crack on turn 2. That's is ceiling, it's floor is being a 3 mana Rampant Growth. But for not green that is huge

[@Isheian]

I hate signets, your taping two to make two mana. A talisman is better.

[@twitchster77]

I tend to agree, though signets fix your mana better. I run Talismans way more than I run signets though.