So, for this week's article I've decided to have EDH take quite a different turn. At Trick's suggestion, I've set out to make the spikiest of EDH lists. Note that this is probably not a list I would play, unless there were some sort of heavy prizes on the line. This deck goes against the principles I believe should be in play for a multiplayer game, so don't expect to be invited back to a casual crowd. That being said, if your group is not one for social contracts, or just plays primarily to win then this will probably be the deck for you!

In my opinion the best way to make sure your opponents do not win is to simply deny them the opportunity to do so. There are a few ways to accomplish this. One is mana denial. The problem with mana denial is that your deck generally needs to be built around it. Even worse you need a dominant board position to actually seal the deal before you cast the LD spell. Mana denial of course has its place, but only in moderation with other more aggressive or controlling strategies. This means our deck will have some version of LD, just not as much as initially expected.

The next method to ensure an opponent does not win is to simply counter everything they do. This is by far the most obnoxious method to deny the opponent their chances. Nothing is more frustrating than watching everything you do go down the drain in a one for one manner. Worse, control decks usually back these spells up with card drawing to counteract their one for one barrage with card advantage. Counterspells will be our primary tool to win, or at least set up enough time for victory, with this deck.

The final method is to simply not let the opponent take another turn. There are ample extra turn effects in EDH, and I've seen them used to great success. It can be particularly effective to take the rest of the turns in a match. This past weekend I was the head judge for the TCGplayer.com Open Qualifier in Orlando. Several rounds in a row I witnessed a player use Pyromancer's Ascension to take all five of the extra turns in the extended time. Each time this happened that player won the game. Unfair? Yes. Effective? Undoubtedly.

For this deck we will be using mono-blue. Blue offers us the most number of counterspells, and of course the most card drawing. Mono colored also lets us optimize the number of non-color producing lands we can use. Blue also offers us a solid number of generals to choose from. While there is much to be said for Vendilion Clique, Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir, and of course Azami, Lady of Scrolls, I have selected Arcanis the Omnipotent to lead the troops. Arcanis lets us draw cards and will ultimately let us combo out, killing an entire table in one fell swoop!

Let's look at the various breakdowns, starting with mana denial effects. Strip Mine and Wasteland are almost uncounterable ways to destroy lands and just get better when we are able to recur them. Enter Crucible of Worlds! Crucible lets us reuse those amazing effects until we get tired of crushing dreams. We also have a nice kill condition and crushing land destruction effect in Sundering Titan. The titan single handedly wipes out many lands and cripples board positions, typically to the point of no return.

Up next we have our extra turn effects. They are fairly straight forward, as are the card drawing effects, so instead I would like to highlight some of the tutor options available. Personal Tutor and Mystical Tutor are both great ways to find extra turn effects, and in some cases the more powerful card drawers. We also use a great tutor effect in Planar Portal. The portal lets us go infinite with Beacon of Tomorrows and also lets us set up some of the true infinite combos the deck has to offer.

Finally, we have the counterspell package. I've packed fifteen counterspells into this list, and each has an added benefit. Each spell steals creatures, counters game breaking effects, and of course draws cards. There have been games that have been won by commandeering a key combo piece, and of course simply winning from an unwinnable position. Just remember, we only need to go to the mid to late game, use your counterspells sparingly! This is especially true if you are going to be battling with more than one opponent. Ultimately we have multiple ways to combo infinitely and simply need the time to have that happen.

Without further ado, I give you the final list. This list is based off of a very competitive deck piloted by two of my friends, Shawn French in Atlanta (DFMT!) and Chris Boyle in Cape Coral, Florida.

"Arcanis, the Spikiest of EDH"

• General (0)

• Extra turn Effects (7)
• 1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
• 1 Time Warp
• 1 Capture of Jingzhou
• 1 Temporal Manipulation
• 1 Time Stretch
• 1 Walk the Aeons
• 1 Beacon of Tomorrows

• Counterspells/Card Drawing (26)
• 1 Force of Will
• 1 Misdirection
• 1 Commandeer
• 1 Pact of Negation
• 1 Thwart
• 1 Rewind
• 1 Remand
• 1 Hinder
• 1 Counterspell
• 1 Desertion
• 1 Mana Drain
• 1 Cryptic Command
• 1 Dismiss
• 1 Deprive
• 1 Negate
• 1 Memory Jar
• 1 Time Spiral
• 1 Time Reversal
• 1 Twincast
• 1 Opportunity
• 1 Compulsion
• 1 Frantic Search
• 1 Fact or Fiction
• 1 Ancestral Vision
• 1 Jace's Ingenuity
• 1 Stroke of Genius

• Tutors (4)
• 1 Planar Portal
• 1 Personal Tutor
• 1 Mystical Tutor
• 1 Sensei's Divining Top

• Mana Acceleration (9)
• 1 Extraplanar Lens
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Sapphire Medallion
• 1 Gauntlet of Power
• 1 Mana Crypt
• 1 Grim Monolith
• 1 Mana Vault
• 1 Gilded Lotus
• 1 Solemn Simulacrum

• Utility Cards (17)
• 1 Mind Over Matter
• 1 Lightning Greaves
• 1 Treachery
• 1 Control Magic
• 1 Bribery
• 1 Vedalken Shackles
• 1 Capsize
• 1 Evacuation
• 1 Spin into Myth
• 1 Vensir, Shaper Savant
• 1 Forcefield
• 1 Wipe Away
• 1 Sundering Titan
• 1 Crucible of Worlds
• 1 Leyline of Anticipation
• 1 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
• 1 Tezzeret the Seeker

• Lands (36)
• 1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
• 1 Strip Mine
• 1 Wasteland
• 1 Tolaria West
• 1 Magosi, the Water's Veil
• 1 Ancient Tomb
• 1 Maze of Ith
• 1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
• 28 Island

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There are multiple infinite combos packed into this list and while I would love to take the time to run through them this week, that will have to wait for another time. Next week I will be in Amsterdam testing for my level three Judge certification (yay!), so join me in two weeks when we go through the ins and outs of being a jerk in EDH!

Until then, this is Benjamin McDole giving you a hundred reasons to play magic!