Hello, everyone! I'm Levi from The Thought Vessel, and I am back from SCG Con Charlotte. It was a wonderful time, and I had the opportunity to play a lot of games with some new friends. When I came across a decklist that I found particularly interesting, I asked the deck-builder to send me their list and information so I could share them with all of you. So, without further ado, here is the Commander Field Report: SCG Charlotte edition.

The first list up is "Initiate and Annihilate" from Jesse Eller, also known as Lumowolf on Moxfield. This is a Dimir Initiative deck with Rilsa Rael, Kingpin as the commander. It's rare to see an Initiative deck these days, but what made this deck particularly interesting was its ninja typal subtheme. Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow generates massive value from each ninja hit, providing both card advantage and additional damage. Archetype of Imagination is a great inclusion since it makes all of your creatures unblockable, allowing you to maximize ninjutsu abilities. Sarevok's Tome also seems like a strong addition, granting the initiative upon entering, ramping for two mana if you have the initiative, and even providing free spells upon dungeon completion. Here is the full list.

Initiate and Annihilate | Commander | Jess Eller "Lumowolf"

• Commander (1)
• 1 Rilsa Rael, Kingpin

• Creatures (32)
• 1 Aarakocra Sneak
• 1 Abhorrent Oculus
• 1 Abyssal Harvester
• 1 Archetype of Imagination
• 1 Azure Beastbinder
• 1 Boggart Trawler
• 1 Custodi Lich
• 1 Dauthi Voidwalker
• 1 Enduring Curiosity
• 1 Faerie Mastermind
• 1 Fallen Shinobi
• 1 Feywild Caretaker
• 1 Ghostly Pilferer
• 1 Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor
• 1 Imoen, Mystic Trickster
• 1 Ingenious Infiltrator
• 1 Kitesail Larcenist
• 1 Ledger Shredder
• 1 Malcolm, Alluring Scoundrel
• 1 Murktide Regent
• 1 Nashi, Moon Sage's Scion
• 1 Overlord of the Floodpits
• 1 Passageway Seer
• 1 Psychic Frog
• 1 Ravenloft Adventurer
• 1 Shoreline Looter
• 1 Silent-Blade Oni
• 1 Subtlety
• 1 Tomb of Horrors Adventurer
• 1 Troll of Khazad-dum
• 1 Vicious Battlerager
• 1 Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow

• Planeswalkers (2)
• 1 Kaito, Bane of Nightmares
• 1 Kaito, Cunning Infiltrator

• Instants (20)
• 1 Archmage's Charm
• 1 Counterspell
• 1 Dig Through Time
• 1 Drown in the Loch
• 1 Fact or Fiction
• 1 Filter Out
• 1 Fell the Profane // Fell Mire
• 1 Flare of Malice
• 1 Force of Negation
• 1 Force of Will
• 1 Hagra Mauling // Hagra Broodpit
• 1 Lethal Scheme
• 1 Mystic Confluence
• 1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
• 1 Soul Shatter
• 1 Suspended Sentence
• 1 Three Steps Ahead
• 1 V.A.T.S.
• 1 Waterlogged Teachings // Inundated Archive
• 1 Withering Torment

• Sorceries (6)
• 1 Feed the Swarm
• 1 From the Catacombs
• 1 Lorien Revealed
• 1 Sea Gate Restoration // Sea Gate, Reborn
• 1 Season of Weaving
• 1 Toxic Deluge

• Enchantments (2)
• 1 Black Market Connections
• 1 Call of the Ring

• Artifacts (6)
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Dimir Signet
• 1 Midnight Clock
• 1 Sarevok's Tome
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Talisman of Dominance

• Battles (1)
• 1 Invasion of Fiora // Marchesa, Resolute Monarch

• Lands (30)
• 8 Island
• 5 Swamp
• 1 Bojuka Bog
• 1 Clearwater Pathway // Murkwater Pathway
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Creeping Tar Pit
• 1 Dimir Aqueduct
• 1 Drowned Catacomb
• 1 Fetid Pools
• 1 Gloomlake Verge
• 1 Morphic Pool
• 1 Otawara, Soaring City
• 1 Sanctum of Eternity
• 1 Shipwreck Marsh
• 1 Sunken Hollow
• 1 Sunken Ruins
• 1 Undercity Sewers
• 1 Underground River
• 1 Watery Grave

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The next deck is from David Harper, who goes by Randdxx on Moxfield. David played a Lynde, Cheerful Tormentor curses deck. The plan was to play Lynde and stack as many curses as possible. According to David, the three most important cards in the deck are Doomwake Giant, Curse of Misfortune, and Claws of Gix. Doomwake Giant keeps the board clear by consistently removing smaller creatures. Curse of Misfortune is a huge problem for opponents, as it tutors up a new curse every turn, steadily worsening their situation. Claws of Gix is a particularly interesting inclusion since it allows you to sacrifice curses, which Lynde can then reassign while also drawing extra cards. The longer the game goes on, the harder it becomes for opponents to do much of anything. Here is the full list.

Lynde, Cheerful Tormentor | Commander | David Harper "Randdxx"

• Commander (1)
• 1 Lynde, Cheerful Tormentor

• Creatures (13)
• 1 Accursed Witch
• 1 Agent of Erebos
• 1 Bitterheart Witch
• 1 Blightcaster
• 1 Clever Impersonator
• 1 Doomwake Giant
• 1 Entity Tracker
• 1 Grim Guardian
• 1 Nightscape Familiar
• 1 Protean Thaumaturge
• 1 Silent Arbiter
• 1 Solemn Simulacrum
• 1 Thoughtrender Lamia

• Planeswalkers (1)
• 1 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker

• Instants (10)
• 1 Arcane Denial
• 1 Chaos Warp
• 1 Counterspell
• 1 Fire Covenant
• 1 Negate
• 1 Perilous Research
• 1 Rakdos Charm
• 1 Read the Runes
• 1 Terminate
• 1 Thirst for Meaning

• Sorceries (3)
• 1 Blasphemous Act
• 1 Read the Bones
• 1 Vandalblast

• Enchantments (28)
• 1 Cruel Reality
• 1 Curse of Bloodletting
• 1 Curse of Death's Hold
• 1 Curse of Disturbance
• 1 Curse of Echoes
• 1 Curse of Fool's Wisdom
• 1 Curse of Hospitality
• 1 Curse of Inertia
• 1 Curse of Leeches
• 1 Curse of Misfortunes
• 1 Curse of Obsession
• 1 Curse of Opulence
• 1 Curse of Shaken Faith
• 1 Curse of Shallow Graves
• 1 Curse of Stalked Prey
• 1 Curse of Surveillance
• 1 Curse of the Nightly Hunt
• 1 Curse of the Pierced Heart
• 1 Curse of the Restless Dead
• 1 Curse of Thirst
• 1 Curse of Unbinding
• 1 Curse of Verbosity
• 1 Fraying Sanity
• 1 Imprisoned in the Moon
• 1 Maddening Hex
• 1 Propaganda
• 1 Torment of Scarabs
• 1 Trespasser's Curse

• Artifacts (9)
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Claws of Gix
• 1 Commander's Sphere
• 1 Crystal Chimes
• 1 Despotic Scepter
• 1 Mind Stone
• 1 Rakdos Signet
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Thought Vessel

• Lands (35)
• 4 Island
• 5 Mountain
• 4 Swamp
• 1 Bojuka Bog
• 1 Choked Estuary
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Crumbling Necropolis
• 1 Dragonskull Summit
• 1 Drowned Catacomb
• 1 Evolving Wilds
• 1 Foreboding Ruins
• 1 Haunted Ridge
• 1 Maestros Theater
• 1 Reliquary Tower
• 1 Seething Landscape
• 1 Shadowblood Ridge
• 1 Shipwreck Marsh
• 1 Smoldering Marsh
• 1 Stormcarved Coast
• 1 Sulfur Falls
• 1 Sunken Hollow
• 1 Temple of Epiphany
• 1 Temple of Malice
• 1 Terramorphic Expanse
• 1 Xander's Lounge

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Our third list is from Chris Morris, who goes by ChrisM16 on Moxfield. Similar to the Initiative deck earlier, we're back in the dungeon with a Sefris of the Hidden Ways dungeon deck. Chris described his objective simply:

"If I can crawl through multiple dungeons, I'm happy. I do not care if I win or lose."

His three favorite cards in the deck are as follows:

SpaceGodzilla, Death Corona/Void Beckoner - "It's one of my favorite cards in the deck because I love Godzilla, and it's the recalled version of the card."

Mulldrifter - "I love the art from the Secret Lair that the kids drew."

Athreos, God of Passage - "I included this in the deck because I had a Shadowborn Apostle deck for a very long time, and it was one of my favorites."

This is a perfect example of playing the cards you love. It was great to see a player focusing on personal enjoyment rather than just winning. Here is the full decklist.

Sefris of the Hidden Ways| Commander | Chris Morris "ChrisM16"

• Commander (1)
• 1 Sefris of the Hidden Ways

• Creatures (31)
• 1 Athreos, God of Passage
• 1 Baleful Strix
• 1 Barrowin of Clan Undurr
• 1 Blood Artist
• 1 Cruel Celebrant
• 1 Filth
• 1 Fleshbag Marauder
• 1 Fleshtaker
• 1 God-Eternal Oketra
• 1 Grave Titan
• 1 Grim Haruspex
• 1 Hama Pashar, Ruin Seeker
• 1 Midnight Pathlighter
• 1 Mulldrifter
• 1 Nadaar, Selfless Paladin
• 1 Ophiomancer
• 1 Pawn of Ulamog
• 1 Phantasmal Image
• 1 Plaguecrafter
• 1 Radiant Solar
• 1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
• 1 Shriekmaw
• 1 Solemn Simulacrum
• 1 Spark Double
• 1 Sun Titan
• 1 Syr Konrad, the Grim
• 1 Triumphant Adventurer
• 1 Viscera Seer
• 1 Void Beckoner
• 1 Yuan-Ti Malison
• 1 Zulaport Cutthroat

• Instants (10)
• 1 Anguished Unmaking
• 1 Brainstorm
• 1 Brought Back
• 1 Despark
• 1 Entomb
• 1 Forbidden Alchemy
• 1 Path to Exile
• 1 Swords to Plowshares
• 1 Vampiric Tutor
• 1 Village Rites

• Sorceries (7)
• 1 Buried Alive
• 1 Diabolic Intent
• 1 Feed the Swarm
• 1 Forever Young
• 1 Necromantic Selection
• 1 Reanimate
• 1 Victimize

• Enchantments (5)
• 1 Land Tax
• 1 Phyrexian Arena
• 1 Search for Azcanta
• 1 Smothering Tithe
• 1 Tortured Existence

• Artifacts (9)
• 1 Altar of Dementia
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Ashnod's Altar
• 1 Dungeon Map
• 1 Fellwar Stone
• 1 Mind Stone
• 1 Phyrexian Altar
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Wayfarer's Bauble

• Lands (37)
• 5 Island
• 6 Plains
• 5 Swamp
• 1 Arcane Sanctum
• 1 Choked Estuary
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Creeping Tar Pit
• 1 Darkwater Catacombs
• 1 Drowned Catacomb
• 1 Exotic Orchard
• 1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
• 1 Godless Shrine
• 1 High Market
• 1 Morphic Pool
• 1 Nimbus Maze
• 1 Port Town
• 1 Prairie Stream
• 1 Raffine's Tower
• 1 Silent Clearing
• 1 Sunken Hollow
• 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
• 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1 Vault of Champions
• 1 Watery Grave

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Finally, we have "WIP Murica" from MakGyver. The theme, according to MakGyver, is simply "Murica," with a heavy focus on the Monarch mechanic and tax effects. The deck-builds up a secure board while swinging in with unblockable creatures thanks to its commander, Aragorn, King of Gondor. Staying on the value train, the three most important cards to the deck are Propaganda, to deter attackers, and the combination of Rhystic Study and Smothering Tithe, which help the deck pull ahead in value. The deck can outpace the rest of the table by avoiding the taxes and blockers that hinder other players. The full list is below.

WIP Murica | Commander | MakGyver

• Commander (1)
• 1 Aragorn, King of Gondor

• Creatures (29)
• 1 Adeline, Resplendent Cathar
• 1 Archivist of Gondor
• 1 Archon of Coronation
• 1 Bastion Protector
• 1 Boromir, Warden of the Tower
• 1 Champions of Minas Tirith
• 1 Combat Celebrant
• 1 Coppercoat Vanguard
• 1 Emberwilde Captain
• 1 Eomer, King of Rohan
• 1 Eowyn, Shieldmaiden
• 1 Esper Sentinel
• 1 Faramir, Prince of Ithilien
• 1 Faramir, Steward of Gondor
• 1 Frontline Medic
• 1 Gilraen, Dunedain Protector
• 1 Loran of the Third Path
• 1 Lossarnach Captain
• 1 Palace Jailer
• 1 Prince Imrahil the Fair
• 1 Professional Face-Breaker
• 1 Rem Karolus, Stalwart Slayer
• 1 Riders of Rohan
• 1 Selfless Squire
• 1 Riders of the Mark
• 1 Roaming Throne
• 1 Sun Titan
• 1 Theoden, King of Rohan
• 1 Weathered Wayfarer

• Instants (7)
• 1 Akroma's Will
• 1 Boros Charm
• 1 Cyclonic Rift
• 1 Flawless Maneuver
• 1 Generous Gift
• 1 Path to Exile
• 1 Swords to Plowshares

• Sorceries (5)
• 1 Blasphemous Act
• 1 Farewell
• 1 Forth Eorlingas!
• 1 Supreme Verdict
• 1 Taunt from the Rampart

• Enchantments (11)
• 1 Court of Ardenvale
• 1 Court of Embereth
• 1 Court of Grace
• 1 Court of Ire
• 1 Court of Vantress
• 1 Fealty to the Realm
• 1 Ghostly Prison
• 1 Propaganda
• 1 Rhystic Study
• 1 Smothering Tithe
• 1 Trouble in Pairs

• Artifacts (12)
• 1 Anduril, Narsil Reforged
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Archaeomancer's Map
• 1 Crown of Gondor
• 1 Herald's Horn
• 1 Horn of Gondor
• 1 Lightning Greaves
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Talisman of Conviction
• 1 Talisman of Creativity
• 1 Talisman of Progress
• 1 Thought Vessel

• Lands (35)
• 2 Island
• 3 Mountain
• 5 Plains
• 1 Arid Mesa
• 1 Cavern of Souls
• 1 Clifftop Retreat
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Deserted Beach
• 1 Exotic Orchard
• 1 Flooded Strand
• 1 Glacial Fortress
• 1 Hallowed Fountain
• 1 Minas Tirith
• 1 Otawara, Soaring City
• 1 Path of Ancestry
• 1 Raugrin Triome
• 1 Reflecting Pool
• 1 Reliquary Tower
• 1 Rogue's Passage
• 1 Sacred Foundry
• 1 Scalding Tarn
• 1 Sea of Clouds
• 1 Spectator Seating
• 1 Steam Vents
• 1 Sulfur Falls
• 1 Sundown Pass
• 1 Throne of the High City
• 1 Training Center

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To conclude, one of the best parts of attending conventions is encountering "fresh blood" - seeing new strategies and commanders you might not get a chance to experience at home. This happens at every convention, in every city, throughout the year. If you get a chance to attend a convention like CommandFest in Orlando this April, take the opportunity.

Until next time, happy gaming!