Runo Stromkirk | Upping the Average

[@davinconway3451]

Having Wonder in the graveyard and giving all your big boys flying *chefs kiss*

[@Yesnomu]

This series is always so great, especially with the now-standard budget considerations. Great work, Joey!

[@xEddyTheGr8x]

Added some of your suggestions to my "upgrades"-wants-list. Can't wait to take Runo to town, after I had basically the whole sea monster-suit in my Arixmethes deck already, but going Dimir seems more fun than being the 2893457th Simic-player.

[@shesgard37]

That final card in hand joke was on tier with Matt's jokes

[@Pairsath]

it most likely came from Matt...

[@bryankopkin6869]

I love this series! Thanks for the great content Joey!

[@starfish753]

I've been playing magic for about 8 months now and I've always done precons commander decks and upgraded that way and this is my first Commander deck im constructing by myself and I must say i am really enjoying this.

[@MaxLevelArt]

Good luck!

[@MyAverageLife01]

I’m so happy that Waker of waves was mentioned. I love him

[@bigoldnerd2346]

LETS GO WAKER OF WAVES I WAS WAITING THE WHOLE EPISODE IT'S SO GOOD

[@jeremymayville6799]

Love your vids! never stop.

[@IAmVikng]

I just built this deck! The tune looks sweet! Thanks friend.

[@lightfut]

Mmmm new spin on sea monster tribal! Love these weird edge tribes

[@rteishe]

As a long time Gyruda player who's struggling NOT to build Runo right now (and was super bummed that they gave Runo an odd cmc), I think Incarnation Technique is worth a look in this deck with all the looting & self mill. I feel like everyone forgot about that reanimation spell from the Strix decks (or wrote it off because everyone thought 'demonstrate' sucked)...but lemme tell ya...5 cmc (only one black pip & 4 generic) to self mill 10, reanimate TWO huge fatties, and give the spellslinger deck or whatever at the table the demonstrate copy...it feels reeeeeally good in decks like this 😁

[@EDHRECast]

10/10 suggestion, love this idea

[@MaxLevelArt]

I forgot that this card was also recursion! Yeah, that's a great call.

[@rubyyrare]

holy shit that's a big brain suggestion, i didn't even think of that. definitely gotta stuff it in this deck now!

[@ToxicAtom]

Dreamscape Artist is 100% a pet card of mine, I love that thing. Harrow in blue is too good to pass up. People love to cash in on the "white can't ramp" bill, but really, blue is worse off at ramp, and Dreamscape Artist certainly alleviates that.

[@thomaspadilla6965]

I still think one of my favorite cards that did not get put in is Archetype of Imagination. It goes well with Stormtide Leviathan to create a lock on opponents attacking and making your creatures unblockable

[@xicy133x]

The problem with that card is the fact it’s not a sea creature. You’ll find when playing Runo, you’ll want to be spending your mana on copy effects, and pretty much exclusively, wonder is enough since there are a multitude of ways to put it into your graveyard. Archetype needs to not only stay on the field, but also does really nothing without the support of a Seamonster, so just replace that with a seamonster, it helps more than you can know

[@kyleanderson6829]

@@xicy133x being a sea monster is a bonus, but not necessarily. Giving all your creatures flying and taking flying away from opponents is definitely worth the 6 mana. And at 6 cmc he still procs runo’s transform.

[@xicy133x]

@@kyleanderson6829 or you could just play wonder, archetype is way too clunky

[@joaovitornonaka2591]

I don't understand why is no one talking about creature lands for runo. Dropping one in the first few turns garantee something for krothuss to copy right away. Specially if it faceless haven or mutavault, since you'd be creating two copies of them

[@MaxSpider2000]

Holy shit that's genius! Thanks mate!

[@K9affirmative]

this is so disgusting and I'm mad that I never even considered it

[@michaeld2440]

Brilliant. I'm building this deck now and LOVE that addition

[@allenyates3469]

Thank you for this you evil genius. 😍

[@UgoneTheBest]

I love this series so much, you kinda make me wanna build every single deck you show here! Keep it up! BTW, Millicent next please? :D

[@caiopereira1289]

HAHAHA, same here! I actually have to stop looking at these videos, cause i wanna ake a different one every time. My budget can't take it!

[@krunkdat5227]

A really great add here would be (Jalira, Master Polymorphist{2}{U}, {T}, Sacrifice another creature: Reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a nonlegendary creature card. Put that card onto the battlefield and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.) considering how many huge nonlegendary creatures are run here. Another really cool card to run would be piracy.

[@BaronOfBread]

Other cards worth thinking about are reanimation effects that have haste added in. Bond of Revival and Apprentice Necromancer aren't normally big cards in reanimator, but when they bring out your Icebreaker Kraken to get copied immediately you can get some serious damage out of nowhere. This is also why Araumi of the Dead Tide does work, because five krakens are better than one. Oh, and Shifty Doppelganger for cheating the big boys in from your hand.

[@hectormorales4090]

Another hit Mr. J.

[@Nagoragama]

Thanks for this, I'm working on building Runo right now.

[@thomaspadilla6965]

Cannot wait to build this commander

[@spacekrill]

We don't talk about Runo.

[@-Cetus-]

Fuck yeah, my favorite tribal type gets a video

[@Neuverfleischer]

That R-UNO joke hit me like a truck xD

[@kccallaway6433]

Joey, love your content. Please at some point do one of these on Wulfgar. I need inspiration and you ALWAYS have amazing ideas

[@CaptainRoss]

I played against a variation oh this deck and was absolutely swept up in the undertow. I will say that getting it to flip can be tricky and was a set back for a bit for them. If that becomes an issue for you consider more cards like Haunted Crossroads. This upped average deck is a strong wave. In my experience Hullbreaker Horror is becoming so backbreaking when resolved it's worthy of saying you're running it in pregame talk.

[@JohnDoe-df7bl]

Can you do one for Rielle the everwise?

[@SignatureSpellBomb]

Solid new video! I'll be watchingn

[@MysterguesMan]

Opinions on Araumi of the dead tide? Encore a big boy to make 3 copies (assuming 4 player game), then with runo you make 2 more copies for 5 total copies. And I'm pretty sure you keep the runo copies right?

[@MaxSpider2000]

Yeah definitely works. I might be crazy enough to add gary and massacre noodle for shits and giggles. Ah dimir is so nasty. Copying creatures, stealing stuff, countering spells. Got like 5 dimir decks and by the looks of things kamigawa will open the gates for a new one with the spoiled ninjutsu commander

[@gibbysg8143]

I was just thinking how this would be a fun deck to brew. Read my mind!

[@rubyyrare]

another good addition that came out recently in kamigawa neon dynasty is acquisition octopus. the equipment part doesn't matter too much, unless you equip it to an unblockable creature already in the deck, but it's a cheaply costed octoboi that draws whenever it or the equipped creature does combat damage to a player, so it's kind of a second copy of sea-dasher octopus in a sense, just instead of mutate it has reconfigure. sadly, due to ruling, equipping it doesn't give the octo creature type to whatever creature is equipped, so it doesn't help in that sense like sea-dasher, but it's still all around pretty damn solid for this deck i think. you can just play it as a creature and choose not to use the reconfigure ability, and it can help you keep the pace a little bit with lower cmc decks because of the card draw. i'm gonna playtest it soon hopefully to see how it performs :D

[@TheBananaProject15]

I’d love to see an upping the average of grand arbiter Augustine the IV, kess, or jodah archmage eternal

[@Itssomeguy2020]

Wish I knew about this channel months ago

[@styfen]

How can you talk about Runo without opening with his super sexy version of the art?

[@davidwalshpng]

Would absolutely love to see your take on Nethroi, Apex of Death, Hamza, Guardian of Arashin, or Fynn, the Fangbearer Joey! Great stuff thanks man

[@firefang92]

So I love Runo, probably the most fun deck I run right now. My normal PSA is Sakashima because Kothus copying kothus leads to exponential growth and Math is Murde...er power! Yeah Power. Given the video mentioned Sakashima, This time I will go with Mistform Mutant, fits the bill of being a big creature to flip Runo, and can turn your Consecrated Sphinxs and such into sea monsters.

[@ThunderstruckElectronix]

Nice, I'll probably go for Runo ditt my first commander deck:)

[@WobegonEffect]

Merfolk Looter effects can be help flip Runo and then get copied by Runo on the first available combat step

[@2turnt11]

Its now ranked at 131! Big improvement😎

[@chasm9557]

I'd love to see a series where you build the best budget deck you can with a specific strategy in mind. Something like, what's the best $40 aristocrat deck or the best $100 group slug deck each of you can come up with on your own.

[@mikenitzsche7513]

What do you think about Sanctum of Eternity and/or Dread Return as an addition?

[@MrMulinn]

I would definitly like to see a Sefris of the hidden Ways or Vrondiss, Rage of Ancients. I really like your Ideas and where you take the Decks. :D

[@StormDunakin]

Lets get Kraken... I get it. Lol

[@cristianurbina9187]

I really need a yarok deck for this upping the average

[@DJ-me9kw]

Man, people always forgot that runo doesn't say only sea monsters. I run several demons, along with stuff like mask wood nexus to help with synergy. Plus, burning rune demon is fun to use

[@zaine7715]

Interesting. Got a list?

[@connormcconnell7112]

Would copying a land that turns into a creature until the end of the turn, end up as an extra land or would it fizzle out at the end of the turn?

[@luisgonzalez7781]

When copying a land activated to be a creature, like Faceless Haven and the like, you would come get copy of the land, but not as a creature.

[@BozzLightyr]

The streets have been begging for a Kyler, Sirgadian Emissary Upping the average.

[@kurowasanabe]

Spark Double is amazing for the deck.

[@Knightfall8]

Real talk. Does this deck feel like too much work to make a couple of copies of a 6/6 every turn? Does a runo deck ever get to the point of feeling like a threat?

[@lazarusspeaking7324]

It's stronger than it looks on paper. A number of the creatures have great etbs or other abilities that can virtually soft-lock opponents when you make 2 additional copies each turn, and/or they snowball damage (Hullbreaker, Scourge of Fleets, Stormtide, Junk Winder, and Spawning Kraken for the latter - seen all these lock the win pretty tidily). Plus the damage tends to stack up more quickly than you'd think. Obviously playgroup power levels effect things etc, but the deck is surprisingly strong

[@heithrobinson996]

Vamp tutor seems solid

[@BoredOCM]

A card I have in my Krothuss Deck is Faceless Haven, because the creature it turns into has Changeling, meaning cloning it gives you 2 copies that go back to being lands at the end of your turn, and after 2 combat phases, even if an opponent blocks a token copy, the copies you've made pay for Faceless Havens man-land effect from then on. Also, Wrexial triggers on dealing combat damage combat to an opponent, not attacking, so wouldn't the legend rule kick in once you've made the tapped and attacking tokens of Wrexial, causing them to sacrifice before combat damage can be dealt? I'm not sure of the rule, but thats how I saw the interaction being when I was making the deck and what actually caused me to cut it from the decklist. Anyways, great episode.

[@thesodiumcat]

I'm also running Faceless Haven for that reason for more copies for lands as well as Mutavault that does the same thing.

[@krotash7740]

Small note, but when you copy an animated land, like faceless haven, or anything else, the copy enters as the base card. So if you copy Faceless Haven, it just puts 2 tapped lands onto the battlefield. They are not creatures when they enter.

[@rubyseverinwhitworth9066]

I am surprised that the partner sakashima is not in the deck. In my tests it has been a bomb

[@EDHRECast]

You might enjoy the high-budget Honorable Mentions at 16:25 ;)

[@rhonir3209]

How is Slinn Voda a good pick for this deck? When you reanimate it you can't pay it's kicker cost! Also yes, the average deck is a good start but wtf we start with couple hundreds bucks... Nonetheless interesting and good video!

[@moonlight2870]

I like selhoff entomber in this deck. It lets you discard a big baddie to draw a card, what's not to like? Also, ever after works great here. Sure it's expensuve, but all your fatties are, so 6 mana to put like 12, 14, 16 mana on the fielr seem very much worth it.

[@FriendlyNewt]

Twinning staff. Sapphire Medallion.

[@dotmp3883]

15:49 nitpicking nerds are malding at this point in the video

[@Dragynstone1202]

Just make sure the copy creatures copy runo after he's flipped, copies of double sided cards don't have a back face to flip into.

[@ahoyturtle]

A subtheme I'm a little surprised not to see in Runo is mind control and stealing. Take an opponent's monster, and make the copy your own. With something like Thassa, Deep Dwelling you can even blink the original into your hands. Roil Elemental, Agent of Treachery and Keiga, the Tide Star all flip Runo by themselves, and are pretty great doubling targets. You can also use Overtaker for a quick and relatively cheap threaten effect AND graveyard setup.

[@codyscherer6930]

charix?

[@tylerholzhauser9076]

I got absolutely massacred by a friend who Sakashima copied Krothuss and made about 30 copies.

[@xDukii]

Hahahah

[@niktee431]

Don't forget Scroll Rack!

[@jeffjackson8755]

I guess there isn't much you can do against board wipes?

[@Knightfall8]

I can't even think of any deck that would want nemesis of reason lol

[@Master20Bucks]

It's not great but that name is metal to say the least

[@jerilee5057]

Deck seriously needs some counterspells. One removal can set your game plan back 2-3 turns.

[@jeramyseago1760]

I am curious why mutavault didn't end up on here. It works amazing with runo. Gotta ramp.

[@fatbosa]

great stuff, joey! now for my obligatory chainer, nighmare adept propaganda.

[@NewOldEBM]

Pretty huge personal bias to mention Grave Titan for the deck over Agent of Treachery lol

[@maxleveladventures]

Off-theme, but Keen Duelist seems like a silly addition to this deck.

[@ghost64626]

Personally I use Mirror Gallery to ditch the legend rule

[@MaxLevelArt]

Mirror Box just came out and does the same thing, but better and also cheaper. Check it out, if you've missed it.

[@Vanden_Vanden]

We don't talk about Runo...

[@allenyates3469]

I dropped slinn voda out of my 99. To get the effect of the card you need to CAST it and KICK it. You're looking at ten mana for a temporary board wipe that doesn't get it's etb from copying itself. Meh

[@happybrain2674]

ohh maybe as a boardwipe put in pestilence or effects like it in, cause you have most likely the biggest badies :)

[@burningpapersun1]

Thryx is great for creature cost reduction

[@BrunoNunes83]

kroxAAaAaaaaAAAaa

[@shikabaneconga]

quest for ula budget hahahah

[@wananana15]

My runo deck IS a mill deck.

[@Luke_Powers]

Mana

[@chrishiggins2651]

BOOO! Bad Slinn Voda joke!! Lmao

[@observerran8136]

here we go again. instead of going for a lesser known commander and give him so popularity lets go for a popular one to get the views and clicks. sad, sad, sad, sad....

[@Hyuuga2109]

Instead of being overly cynical and seeing it as "being for views and clicks", have you considered that covering popular Commanders is the natural way to make content interesting and enjoyable for more viewers on average ? They are popular because players enjoy them. Chill out.

[@EDHRECast]

Heaven forbid a reanimator player get excited to talk about a reanimator deck.

[@luiscordero9171]

Popular? I’m the only one at my lgs that plays Runo

[@observerran8136]

@@EDHRECast heaven forbid joey schultz talks about a commander that has less than 300 decks to his name. OH NO - NO VIEWS and CLICKS

[@krisdaschwab912]

Go start your own channel.

[@Pigotti94]

We don't talk about Runo