Talrand, Sky Summoner | Upping the Average

[@etherealbonds]

Some recommendations when piloting budget Talrand: I've basically been playing this budget Talrand spellslingers list for the last years and I ran into some problems (playing in a group that tends to play midrange to late game decks): Talrand gets removed very very fast every time (literally like everytime before I can get the first trigger off) since he has no protection whatsoever and seems to impose a threat to many players (also without him your deck is pretty much useless aside from bouncing and countering stuff) 1. I (re-)added sub-synergies with Flying and Wizards and more creatures that fit the kaywords and synergize with non-creatures (I almost exclusively play flying wizards for that cause and it really pays off) 2. Mana tax counters are basically useless in this context so I swapped all of them for hard counters (yes, even Mana Leak) 3. It actually needs at least two to four budget "finisher" cards so I (re-)added Hullbreacher Horror, Octavia, Guile and Scourge of Fleets. Sure no direct synergy with Talrand here but they bring more to the table than only producing more flyers, they are dangerous even without Talrand and they give new angles and make it more fun for me to play this deck 4. Arcanis the Omnipotent may seem clunky but at turn 6 most players have bigger immediate threats in the game wich draw removal and he always draws me 6-9 cards.. makes him totally worth it for me tbh 5. Play at least some protection in form of the two hasty protective Boots, they will trigger all "non-creature" effects that I run as well and your big boys will love haste+protection Hope this provides a new angle.

[@sdeanni]

Man Joey, I retired my Talrand deck long ago but I got to say watching this? I think it's time to bring the boy back from 2013 with a TON of new cards and upgrades. Also if I may, I think an EDHRECast episode covering old commanders would be really cool, I recently built Kemba Kha Regent, and its amazing how the deck is comprised mostly of cards made in the past few years!

[@jacobjensen7704]

I second this!!! I would love to see an episode on how old commanders have changed over the years!

[@theronabell1126]

I love these videos! They put deck building in a whole new perspective. Thank you for all the hard work you do for commander players everywhere! ✨

[@gangrel1234]

Favorite series

[@Lonewanderer6666]

Last time I was this early, Drake was just a 2/2 and haven't started his rapping career yet.

[@Lovabledingo]

This joke is bad and you should feel bad

[@chrismcfallan8265]

Started from the bottom now he has flying.

[@chrismcfallan8265]

Makes me happy as I play talrand and my drake tokens are altered images on drake dancing in the hotline bling music video. Still include the standard mtg drake stats too

[@whatgoat_]

One thing Talrand does really well that the video did not touch on is Polymorph effects. As you don't want to be playing many creatures, you can simply include a package of 3-5 bomb creatures like Stormtide Leviathan, Diluvian Primordial, Scourge of Fleets etc that you can cast Polymorph (or even play Proteus Staff) on a drake to find. Of course, you can't add low impact creatures like Murmuring Mystic and Baral if you're using this strategy, but I think cards like the former are just win-more in Talrand anyway. while they aren't budget friendly, extraplanar lens and caged sun are huge for Talrand as well, especially if you're playing cards like frantic search and rewind.

[@whatgoat_]

@@MageSkeleton I think you might have a very skewed perception of what top tier means

[@impecMH]

@@MageSkeleton maybe if you're playing against precon level decks

[@Kobabel333]

Maybe archaeomancer in the average list as a polymorph target (with Peregrine Drake and ghostly flicker)?

[@whatgoat_]

@@Kobabel333 possible, but also since polymorph and proteus staff are not appearing in the aggregate list, its safe to assume it isnt a very common strategy

[@trenttrombley9414]

Doing the lord's work recommending Cipher ;)

[@edoardospagnolo6252]

What I love Upping the Average the most isn't actually the featured commanders (I'm a new player to the format and haven't had the chance to build with most of these generals yet), but rather the staggeringly good suggestions that can be applied to other decks in similar colors. 1 mana ramp in blue for non-Orvar decks, and for 22 cents to boot? Count me in!! :D

[@guzelmadian]

thank you for this. talrand is my 1st ever commander and it’s great to have the average deck being upgraded with your insights would love to continue with “older” commanders as supposed to newer ones to give them a much needed love and facelift

[@AaKkisa]

Would love to see you take on Mono-Red and give us Torbran, Thane of Red Fell next!

[@AaKkisa]

@@MageSkeleton Really? He's done 14 of them without any blue. That is almost half of his total videos.

[@rafaelzan1307]

As Talrand causes a lot of hate in the table and is constantly removed, one add that has being working as a great protection for Talrand is the enchantament " Vanishing", pays 1 island to equip, and 2 to phase out, whenever some one targets him, you just phase out Talrand. Thanks for the video!

[@digitalscribbler68]

This is a good deck list. I've been looking at changing up my own Talrand deck to make it more generally playable. I added Archaeomancer, Deadeye Navigator and Peregrine Drake at another player's suggestion as a splashy big win con, but I think I've only finished a game once this way. Mass Polymorph and Proteus Staff help get those cards into play. But I think it might be better to weave in a couple win cons that flow more smoothly out of the deck's overall strategy, rather than including five cards that feel secondary to it.

[@Veon97]

Awesome episode! I’m currently building Dralnu control, and this has given me very good advice on the cuts!

[@brianokafor9748]

Love talrand. It was my second commander I built. I have been in love with it ever since. You are right talrand doesn't necessarily need to have the most expensive cards to function. I run a upgraded version of commander quarter $10 talrand and it slaps. Joey, a card in the deck I don't recommend putting in talrand deck is rise from tides. 6 mana sorcery speed to cast 2/2 black zombie that enter tapped is such tempo lost and also u need have a bunch of instants in your graveyard for it to be impactful. There are already a lot of graveyard hate in the format. There is one card I didn't see is this list that surprised me was a card: echoing truth. For 2 mana bounce target nonland and other nonland permanents with same name as that permanent. This is great to bounce problematic permanent and also is great against token-based commanders like alela, krenko, gruul omnath, sai, and etc.

[@zamutax]

by far best vids ever, would like to see in the future Karlov the ghost council, Skullbriar and Sigarda host of herons , i love these voltronish commanders, would like to see ur take on em :). keep up the good content.

[@MobileEnthusiast]

I would love to see your take on Chainer, Dementia Master! (Mono Black)

[@petersteiman2443]

Archmage Emeritus from Strixhaven looks like it should be a good addition once that set comes out. Resculpt is another consideration. And while adding foretell cards, consider Ravenform and Mystic Reflection. Color pie breaking be damned, having one or two cards in the deck that can deal with a problematic artifact after it hits the table is a nice effect to have access to in mono-blue. And with Talrand out Mystic Reflection just lets you copy the best creature on the battlefield or you can use it to turn something dangerous into a 2/2 flier. Love the series. Hope to see an episode on The Mimeoplasm at some point. That pre-con was my second commander deck and holds a special place in my heart and I know it is also near and dear to you as well Joey.

[@isaachaahr8691]

An instant that does a good scour all possibilities impression is Flickr of freedom from theros beyond death. On top of being a cantrip that can be recast once after another round at the table it can likely do it again

[@nik700]

Opens notepad Writes "Abjure"

[@therealjeromeo4366]

Loved that card since I’ve heard of it. Need to personally get a copy for my alela deck

[@Silver_light77]

I got a talrand from my first experience with a core set, i started around original innistrad block and spell slinging for tons of drakes was my first brush with blue

[@tomatojeff2174]

Oh talrand, I first got into magic in the m13 duel of the planeswalkers. He has been bullied forever.

[@KevinIsBold]

If you're looking for more spellslinger commanders (you know because Strixhaven) I'd love to see you tackle Toshiro Umezawa! I feel like his average decklist has a lot of "Destroy target nonblack creature" spells and I'd be interested to see which ones you drop and which ones you think might be worth the "nonblack" disadvantage. Also he's my favorite commander of all time and he's very fun and cool and loves murder

[@Yontanian]

I just cut Talrand from my kalamax precon deck, which means i can now make a Talrand deck! Yay. Quite a bit of overlap with kalamax and my Linvala flying deck though so perhaps I'll wait. Cheers for the steer. :)

[@ethancross2322]

I'm going to use this as a template to build a new OTJ Geralf deck.

[@silentkingsubject]

hey Joey i recently came across the edhrecast channel and im absolutely loving the upping the average series!! since you're a graveyard player yourself, i was wondering if you have plans to do one of these for Kathril, Aspect Warper? the Syr Konrad video made me think about the ratios involved in milling out the optimal cards and got me intrigued. regardless, amazing work with the videos!!

[@EDHRECast]

No video yet on Kathril, but thanks for the kind words and the recommendation! It's added to the list :)

[@plain6677]

@@EDHRECast She’s so complicated and interesting to build!

[@silentkingsubject]

@@EDHRECast I'll be looking forward to it, thank you!!

[@juliosamaniego2206]

The budget option looks like fun. 👍🏻

[@Jonnyguitar1877]

I think Shark Typhoon is a lot of fun in Talrand just to get double the tokens with every cast. That does take away from the cantrip theme by wanting some bigger sharks though.

[@CorsairJoshua]

I loved my "oops all cantrips" Talrand deck. If it didn't say "draw a card" it didn't belong in the deck.

[@chrismcfallan8265]

Hullbreacher loves this deck too

[@tyr-valiant2956]

If I may recommend “Neyith of the Dire Hunt” She is an absolute Blast to play and has been Awesome to build. I would love to see your take

[@Zumteifl]

For anyone new trying to build Talrand.. Candlekeep Inspiration.. since it wasn't arround when the video came out. It's literally a Game Ender.

[@RagingR0nin]

Could you do Krark, the thumbless partnered with Sakashime of a thousand faces? The page is very cEDH and im having trouble brining the price down. Love the series, I've taken your advice multiple times now and my decks are always better of for it.

[@imdevie1443]

It would be awesome if you could do a Lord Of Tresserhorn deck c: really interested on how you'd build him (:

[@GODOFDRAGONS666]

Omg I need an overburdened in my deck. I would love to have a bit more control. I was able to keep an eldrazi deck tapped and beat them. Token drakes are the best fodder.

[@RogerLoUSPSA]

looks like there isn't any partner commanders featured in this series yet! How about Rograkh and Ardenn next episode Joey?

[@electromancer2645]

This is one of the commanders I was considering building. Thanks for making the prices on these cards go up, guys. (I'm kinda joking... kinda)

[@JonathanHecht]

with the new commander precons fully spoiled id like an episode on esix, fractal bloom please

[@derekmccoy2799]

Can you do grenzo? I just built a really fast and powerful doomsday variant and would like to see which way you would take it.

[@shikabaneconga]

yay i unlocked the next part of the video 😂😂😂

[@poio2]

I enjoy Upping the Average videos! Also how would you better Ghen, Arcanum Weaver?

[@kamilgame91]

when will there be a site for brawl and brawl historic?

[@mattdelson3264]

This is a great decklist, but I prefer a creatureless build with proteus staff that lets me stack my deck

[@seliphsnom2596]

Poor talrand got dethroned by whiriza Edit: also I personally would cut the murming mystic for something else like another instant

[@johanandersson8252]

It seems that people is more into Stax than Stax.

[@whatsupdoc6358]

I just added veilstone amulet to mine

[@mikeprokop1306]

Do Liesa next!

[@Hashbrown1682]

Wonder what Dana has to say about this.

[@RogerLoUSPSA]

Rip no up the average this week :(

[@Salvazar1000]

Not to mention Hullbreacher is banned in Commander, so.....

[@orgazmo686971]

Ok Joey, let's see if you can buff my deck.

[@corbanbrantley3365]

About a third of those islands can be replaced by utility lands. Other recommendations were good 👍

[@jacobjensen7704]

Unless you want to play mono-colored mana doublers, then you want close to all islands ;)

[@corbanbrantley3365]

@@jacobjensen7704 forgot about high tide...

[@jacobjensen7704]

@@corbanbrantley3365 that, caged sun, gauntlet of power, extraplanar lense if you want. The like :) I think it's preference over one being the objective better one. Some people like what lots of utility lands gives them, others like what mana doublers give them.

[@half-assedcraftswithbigmik4301]

I run him at the head of a "Nope" tribal. It's fun, but not for my opponents.

[@teddy7799wastaken]

pleeeeeaaase do obunn

[@mrpopsful]

Guile.

[@darkclaymore1184]

You should delete or remake this video because Hullbreacher is banned from commander