(Boros GuildgateBoros Guildgate | Art by Titus Lunter)

The Boros Blues

Welcome back to Pursuit of Knowledge, the series where we use EDH gameplay data and EDHREC statistics to identify the best cards to select in each category to design a deck around a featured commander. In this installment of Pursuit of Knowledge, we will spend some time digging treasures for Boros, the most overlooked guild in EDH.

EDHREC's database contains a low 7,308 Boros decks spread across 24 Boros commanders. To give a measure of comparison, the most prominent guild, Golgari, features 14,259 decks, almost twice the number of Boros. The most popular commander, Aurelia, the WarleaderAurelia, the Warleader leads a meager 941 decks, despite being featured in a surprisingly high 9,558 EDH decks as part of the 99, the fourth most prevalent of all legendary creatures. In fact, three of the four most popular legendary creatures in the EDHREC database are red-white creatures: Gisela, Blade of GoldnightGisela, Blade of Goldnight, the top legendary creature, can be found in a staggering 11,956 decks! Iroas, God of VictoryIroas, God of Victory's presence can be felt in 10,674 decks.

Boros has a reputation of offering a one-dimensional, combat-centric toolbox. However, even if that is one-dimensional, it does excel in that area, and I am surprised that this strength does not translate into a greater following. After spending time crunching numbers, analyzing cards and synergies, I, for one, am now a convert. How about you?

Boros's bad reputation extends to the Command Zone gameplay data: Only thirteen Boros decks made it in the 435 streamed games part of the EDH gameplay corpus! This is almost four times lower than the average 50 decks we see for each of the other guilds.

I originally had Aurelia, the WarleaderAurelia, the Warleader in mind for Boros, but two of our readers requested Adriana, Captain of the GuardAdriana, Captain of the Guard for Boros, a commander out from Conspiracy: Take the Crown, that masters the art of Melee. Adriana's combat support is a good fit as a Boros commander. She gets my nod for the featured commander.

Every time we attack, Adriana gives our army +1/+1 for each attacked opponent. With three creatures attacking each an opponent in a four-player game, this reads: "At the beginning of every combat, each attacking creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn." Not bad. If we can add combat steps to our turns, our creatures grow bigger every combat step. Our goal for this deck will be to get enough creatures in play that can safely attack each of our opponents each turn to eventually overrun them. To achieve this goal, we will attempt to go wide. We also want our attacks to be multiple and impactful. As we implement our plan, our aggression will likely cause our opponents to get mad and we will likely become a target. Consequently, we will design our deck to provide enough of a defense to survive retaliation.

Boros provides a suite of very effective token producers and lends itself well for a go-wide strategy. The following graph presents the average Adriana card type distribution. For our deck, we will go lower with the creature count to bring in more cards that generate tokens in order to go wider.

Average Card Type Distribution

The extended Command Zone gameplay data ranked 626 spells and 142 lands complying to Boros color identity. We will now present a breakdown of the different cards from our deck in categories. For each category, we will present a table of the best ranked spell according to the card pool. We will highlight the cards we select for our card with a shaded background and display the rank of each card in parenthesis beside each card name. We include in our deck some cards that have not been seen enough times in our gameplay data to be ranked. These cards are typically found at end of table.

In addition to the basic categories (ramp, card advantage/filtering, disruption, mass removal, standalone creature/noncreature spells and lands), we will introduce four new categories: tokens, combat enhancers, evasion and swarm. The tokens category will allow us to go wide. The combat enhancer and swarm categories will provide us more impactful combat phases. The evasion category will ensure our attackers can safely contribute to each melee.

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Ramp

With our average CMC hovering around 3.41 and our commander requiring 5 mana to get into action, we need a comprehensive ramp package. Ideally, our ramp package would also complement our token production and strengthen our ability to be impactful during our combat phases. This requirement for versatility in ramp puts some pressure on the presence of mana rocks in our deck. Our ramp will end up focusing more on bringing in lands quicker to the battlefield, with cards like Wayfarer's BaubleWayfarer's Bauble, Solemn SimulacrumSolemn Simulacrum, and Sword of the AnimistSword of the Animist.

Wayfarer's BaubleWayfarer's Bauble (3)	Solemn SimulacrumSolemn Simulacrum (16)	Dowsing DaggerDowsing Dagger // Lost Vale (38)	Lion's Eye DiamondLion's Eye Diamond (89)
Astral CornucopiaAstral Cornucopia (5)	Expedition MapExpedition Map (17)	Ashnod's AltarAshnod's Altar (47)	Basalt MonolithBasalt Monolith (119)
Sol RingSol Ring (6)	Gilded LotusGilded Lotus (23)	Azor's GatewayAzor's Gateway // Sanctum of the Sun (49)	Oblivion SowerOblivion Sower (124)
Temple of the False GodTemple of the False God (~7)	Thought VesselThought Vessel (30)	Myriad LandscapeMyriad Landscape (~58)	Crystalline CrawlerCrystalline Crawler (143)
Phyrexian AltarPhyrexian Altar (9)	Everflowing ChaliceEverflowing Chalice (31)	Conduit of RuinConduit of Ruin (67)	Gauntlet of PowerGauntlet of Power (145)
Chrome MoxChrome Mox (13)	Mox DiamondMox Diamond (32)	Legion's LandingLegion's Landing // Adanto, the First Fort (69)	Sword of the AnimistSword of the Animist (165)
Mana GeyserMana Geyser (14)	Primal AmuletPrimal Amulet // Primal Wellspring (34)	Thaumatic CompassThaumatic Compass // Spires of Orazca (71)	Oketra's MonumentOketra's Monument
Mana CryptMana Crypt (15)	Shrine of the Forsaken GodsShrine of the Forsaken Gods (~35)	Curse of OpulenceCurse of Opulence (77)	Smothering TitheSmothering Tithe

Two of the ramp cards that we select have the potential to generate tokens. The first one, Legion's LandingLegion's Landing, an enchantment that brings in a 1/1 lifelink token, can be used once transformed to either provide an additional white mana source or a way to generate tokens. Since our focus is to attack wide, transforming Legion's LandingLegion's Landing should be trivial. Our second mana accelerator that helps with token generation is Oketra's MonumentOketra's Monument. Although our focus is not so much on creatures, the Monument should facilitate their casting and allow us to get creature tokens that can attack but stay untap, providing us good defense on our opponents' turns.

Two of our mana acceleration sources also provide us added power to help in combat. Dowsing DaggerDowsing Dagger is a low cost Gilded LotusGilded Lotus and plays well in a go-wide deck or with evasion. Sword of the AnimistSword of the Animist pumps one of our creatures while bringing more lands every combat step.

Smothering TitheSmothering Tithe, the new star for white, rounds up our ramping package and has the potential to provide us at least three additional mana each turn, mana that can be kept aside for a more explosive turn.

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Card Advantage/Filtering

Red and white are not traditionally good sources of card draw. However, red and white bring some of the best enchantment and Equipment tutors in the game. Our card advantage/filtering choices will thus be a balanced mixture of card draw and tutoring.

Enlightened TutorEnlightened Tutor (1)	Primal AmuletPrimal Amulet // Primal Wellspring (34)	Trading PostTrading Post (70)	Oracle's VaultOracle's Vault (139)
Reliquary TowerReliquary Tower (~1)	Tamiyo's JournalTamiyo's Journal (35)	Sram, Senior EdificerSram, Senior Edificer (92)	Heliod's PilgrimHeliod's Pilgrim (142)
SkullclampSkullclamp (2)	Filigree FamiliarFiligree Familiar (44)	Planar BridgePlanar Bridge (99)	Scroll RackScroll Rack (146)
Sensei's Divining TopSensei's Divining Top (7)	Recruiter of the GuardRecruiter of the Guard (46)	Cathartic ReunionCathartic Reunion (109)	Wall of OmensWall of Omens (149)
Solemn SimulacrumSolemn Simulacrum (16)	Stoneforge MysticStoneforge Mystic (51)	Ichor WellspringIchor Wellspring (110)	Herald's HornHerald's Horn (150)
Kozilek, Butcher of TruthKozilek, Butcher of Truth (18)	Godo, Bandit WarlordGodo, Bandit Warlord (57)	Sandstone OracleSandstone Oracle (114)	Mindclaw ShamanMindclaw Shaman (155)
Path of AncestryPath of Ancestry (~18)	Steelshaper's GiftSteelshaper's Gift (63)	Blasted LandscapeBlasted Landscape (~115)	Stonehewer GiantStonehewer Giant (157)
Imperial RecruiterImperial Recruiter (28)	Drifting MeadowDrifting Meadow (~63)	Mentor of the MeekMentor of the Meek (120)	Temple of TriumphTemple of Triumph (~177)
Sanctum of UginSanctum of Ugin (~29)	Thalia's LancersThalia's Lancers (65)	Mesa EnchantressMesa Enchantress (126)	Academy RectorAcademy Rector (207)
Alhammarret's ArchiveAlhammarret's Archive (33)	Conduit of RuinConduit of Ruin (67)	Smuggler's CopterSmuggler's Copter (138)	Grenzo, Havoc RaiserGrenzo, Havoc Raiser (466)

Our top card draw spell is SkullclampSkullclamp, especially effective in a token deck, turning tokens into card draw. Recruiter of the GuardRecruiter of the Guard and Imperial RecruiterImperial Recruiter allow us to search for either a creature that ramps, a token producer or a creature like Academy RectorAcademy Rector that can cheat into play a finisher enchantment like True ConvictionTrue Conviction, Cathars' CrusadeCathars' Crusade or Luminarch AscensionLuminarch Ascension.

Smuggler's CopterSmuggler's Copter fits well the Melee aspect of the deck, providing us a creature that can fly over our opponents' defenses for card draw. Trading PostTrading Post can cycle artifacts in and out of the graveyard with token assistance to produce some form of card advantage. Grenzo, Havoc RaiserGrenzo, Havoc Raiser rewards us every time one of our creatures connects with one of our opponents, giving us the opportunity to play cards from their decks, an additional source of card advantage.

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Disruption

Our disruption cards contain a mixture of targeted removal, protection, combat enhancers, and chaos spells.

Strip MineStrip Mine (~2)	Scour from ExistenceScour from Existence (27)	Grand AbolisherGrand Abolisher (62)	Odric, Master TacticianOdric, Master Tactician (199)
Swords to PlowsharesSwords to Plowshares (4)	Gift of ImmortalityGift of Immortality (39)	Selfless SpiritSelfless Spirit (64)	Boros CharmBoros Charm (206)
Scavenger GroundsScavenger Grounds (~7)	ForkFork (48)	Cauldron of SoulsCauldron of Souls (66)	WearWear // Tear (273)
Lightning GreavesLightning Greaves (8)	Scourge of ValkasScourge of Valkas (53)	Thaumatic CompassThaumatic Compass // Spires of Orazca (71)	Savage BeatingSavage Beating (304)
ReverberateReverberate (10)	Soul of New PhyrexiaSoul of New Phyrexia (55)	Zealous ConscriptsZealous Conscripts (72)	Gideon JuraGideon Jura (455)
Path to ExilePath to Exile (12)	Kor HavenKor Haven (~56)	Collective EffortCollective Effort (80)	Grenzo, Havoc RaiserGrenzo, Havoc Raiser (466)
Teferi's ProtectionTeferi's Protection (22)	Thalia, Heretic CatharThalia, Heretic Cathar (58)	Rootborn DefensesRootborn Defenses (106)	Gisela, Blade of GoldnightGisela, Blade of Goldnight (488)
Comet StormComet Storm (25)	TriskelionTriskelion (59)	Hellkite ChargerHellkite Charger (123)	Disrupt DecorumDisrupt Decorum

To keep our army growing over the course of the game, we need our creatures to survive as much removal as possible. For this reason, we include a number of protection spells. Lightning GreavesLightning Greaves protects our commander and is key to insuring we can come up strong every combat step. Teferi's ProtectionTeferi's Protection, Soul of New PhyrexiaSoul of New Phyrexia, Boros CharmBoros Charm, and Rootborn DefensesRootborn Defenses are good protection against mass removal, but could also insure all of our creatures survive a concerted attack. Rootborn DefensesRootborn Defenses even helps us grow our ranks, copying our best token in play.

To help us open breaches in our opponents' defenses, we bring in three cards that forces our opponents to attack with some or all of their creatures. Disrupt DecorumDisrupt Decorum forces our opponents to go head-to-head, Goading all of their creatures, and Grenzo, Havoc RaiserGrenzo, Havoc Raiser lets us Goad the most menacing creatures in play, provided we can damage our opponents. We can then sit and look at our opponents battling it out until our next turn, at which time we have the field open for an attack that should bring one or more of our opponents' life totals very low. Gideon JuraGideon Jura acts as both a targeted removal,and a way of making one of our opponents open to our next attack.

Collective EffortCollective Effort can be quite effective in a go-wide deck and quite versatile at either removing permanents from the board or bolstering our creatures with +1/+1 counters.

We will talk more about Gisela, Blade of GoldnightGisela, Blade of Goldnight and Savage BeatingSavage Beating in the Combat Enhancer section.

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Mass Removal

We will select our mass removal spells to take advantage of our go-wide strategy.

FumigateFumigate (11)	Elspeth, Sun's ChampionElspeth, Sun's Champion (61)	Molten DisasterMolten Disaster (154)	Mass CalcifyMass Calcify (216)
Blasphemous ActBlasphemous Act (24)	Austere CommandAustere Command (85)	PyrohemiaPyrohemia (166)	Cleansing NovaCleansing Nova (232)
Chain ReactionChain Reaction (41)	EarthquakeEarthquake (98)	Ryusei, the Falling StarRyusei, the Falling Star (173)	Hour of RevelationHour of Revelation (235)
Volcanic VisionVolcanic Vision (42)	Martial CoupMartial Coup (135)	Archangel AvacynArchangel Avacyn (176)	Hour of ReckoningHour of Reckoning (245)
Elesh Norn, Grand CenobiteElesh Norn, Grand Cenobite (52)	Divine ReckoningDivine Reckoning (152)	Akroma's VengeanceAkroma's Vengeance (182)	Chandra's IgnitionChandra's Ignition (308)

Elspeth, Sun's ChampionElspeth, Sun's Champion is a perfect fit for our deck. Clearing the board of creatures with power 4 or greater before our combat phase leaves the board open to our creatures, whose power will be less than 4 before the Melee ability takes effect. Martial CoupMartial Coup clears the board, but leaves us with an army of tokens.

Chandra's IgnitionChandra's Ignition could be used as an emergency measure to remove all creatures from the board, but it shines most as a finisher when one of our creature becomes really tall - for instance, after growing from a Cathars' CrusadeCathars' Crusade and the Melee ability.

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Core Synergy: Tokens

Our main strategy is to go wide, so our first core synergy, tokens, provides us the means to do so. We have an assortment of spells that can generate several tokens in one shot: Increasing DevotionIncreasing Devotion, Martial CoupMartial Coup, Tempt with VengeanceTempt with Vengeance, and Secure the WastesSecure the Wastes. We also have some spells that can be used to sink our excess mana before the start of our turn to create more tokens: Luminarch AscensionLuminarch Ascension, Sacred MesaSacred Mesa, Trading PostTrading Post, Legion's LandingLegion's Landing, and Kjeldoran OutpostKjeldoran Outpost. The 0/1 Goat token that comes from Trading PostTrading Post usually serves as sacrifice outlet or block fodder, but with the Melee ability, we can send the Goat creatures to combat. Aren't we all dreaming of getting our Goats to assign lethal damage?

Heliod, God of the SunHeliod, God of the Sun (21)	Young PyromancerYoung Pyromancer (78)	Tempt with VengeanceTempt with Vengeance (153)	Hanweir GarrisonHanweir Garrison // Hanweir, the Writhing Township (210)
Spawning PitSpawning Pit (26)	Increasing DevotionIncreasing Devotion (87)	Phyrexian ProcessorPhyrexian Processor (163)	Divine VisitationDivine Visitation (214)
Intangible VirtueIntangible Virtue (29)	Nahiri, the LithomancerNahiri, the Lithomancer (88)	Decree of JusticeDecree of Justice (164)	Karn, Scion of UrzaKarn, Scion of Urza (218)
Anointed ProcessionAnointed Procession (40)	Hero of BladeholdHero of Bladehold (90)	Kjeldoran OutpostKjeldoran Outpost (~166)	Captain of the WatchCaptain of the Watch (219)
Elspeth, Sun's ChampionElspeth, Sun's Champion (61)	Utvara HellkiteUtvara Hellkite (101)	Elspeth TirelElspeth Tirel (167)	BatterskullBatterskull (225)
Legion's LandingLegion's Landing // Adanto, the First Fort (69)	Rootborn DefensesRootborn Defenses (106)	Secure the WastesSecure the Wastes (183)	Oketra's MonumentOketra's Monument
Trading PostTrading Post (70)	Sacred MesaSacred Mesa (116)	Thopter AssemblyThopter Assembly (198)	Brimaz, King of OreskosBrimaz, King of Oreskos
Luminarch AscensionLuminarch Ascension (75)	Martial CoupMartial Coup (135)	Akroan HorseAkroan Horse (203)	Legion WarbossLegion Warboss

Our last source of tokens comes from creatures, artifacts, and planeswalkers, either from attacking, activating a planeswalker ability, or just casting a spell. Brimaz, King of OreskosBrimaz, King of Oreskos and Oketra's MonumentOketra's Monument's vigilant tokens enhance our own defense.

We include in the deck three enchantments that improves the quality and quantity of our token generation. Anointed ProcessionAnointed Procession doubles our ability to generate tokens. Divine VisitationDivine Visitation turns all of our tokens into 4/4 flying Angel tokens. Cathars' CrusadeCathars' Crusade buffs each of our token (and nontoken) creatures when a creature enters the battlefield on our side. Each of these enchantments has the potential to be a game finisher in its own right.

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Core Synergy: Combat Enhancer

Our second core synergy comes from a suite of cards that makes our combat phase more oppressive, pumping our creatures, giving them more combat abilities, increasing the damage, or forcing the damage through on our opponents. We also include a couple of cards that increase the number of combat phases we can perform each turn.

Heliod, God of the SunHeliod, God of the Sun (21)	Hellkite ChargerHellkite Charger (123)	Gratuitous ViolenceGratuitous Violence (231)	Savage BeatingSavage Beating (304)
Intangible VirtueIntangible Virtue (29)	Scourge of the ThroneScourge of the Throne (162)	Relentless AssaultRelentless Assault (234)	Jazal GoldmaneJazal Goldmane (336)
Godo, Bandit WarlordGodo, Bandit Warlord (57)	Duelist's HeritageDuelist's Heritage (169)	Furnace of RathFurnace of Rath (256)	ReconnaissanceReconnaissance (353)
Cathars' CrusadeCathars' Crusade (82)	World at WarWorld at War (197)	Frontline MedicFrontline Medic (262)	Flamekin VillageFlamekin Village (~392)
Hero of BladeholdHero of Bladehold (90)	Odric, Master TacticianOdric, Master Tactician (199)	Mirror EntityMirror Entity (268)	Gisela, Blade of GoldnightGisela, Blade of Goldnight (488)
Inferno TitanInferno Titan (97)	Boros CharmBoros Charm (206)	Sun TitanSun Titan (296)	Aurelia, the WarleaderAurelia, the Warleader (509)
Hanweir BattlementsHanweir Battlements (~105)	Purphoros, God of the ForgePurphoros, God of the Forge (222)	True ConvictionTrue Conviction (298)	Adriana, Captain of the GuardAdriana, Captain of the Guard
Hall of the Bandit LordHall of the Bandit Lord (~105)	Odric, Lunarch MarshalOdric, Lunarch Marshal (230)	Akroma's MemorialAkroma's Memorial (301)	Brimaz, King of OreskosBrimaz, King of Oreskos

We plan to attack a lot, but we do not want to leave our defense open. For this reason, we include a number of cards that provide vigilance to our troops: Heliod, God of the SunHeliod, God of the Sun, Intangible VirtueIntangible Virtue, Akroma's MemorialAkroma's Memorial, and ReconnaissanceReconnaissance. We also took good care selecting a number of creatures with built-in vigilance.

Our creatures have the potential to grow +3/+3 every combat step. Adding an additional combat step each turn with the likes of Hellkyte ChargerHellkyte Charger or Aurelia, the WarleaderAurelia, the Warleader, or as a combat trick with an Entwined Savage BeatingSavage Beating, can wreak havoc on our opponents.

With Odric, Master TacticianOdric, Master Tactician leading an attack, we can plow through our opponents at will, dispose of any threat through combat damage, and deliver the rest of the damage right to our enemy's life total.

Gisela, Blade of GoldnightGisela, Blade of Goldnight and True ConvictionTrue Conviction double the damage that each of our creatures can inflict to our opponents and their creatures. Gisela, Blade of GoldnightGisela, Blade of Goldnight also prevents half of the damage that can be done to us or any of our creatures. Chandra's IgnitionChandra's Ignition with Gisela on board can become a one-sided board wipe.

ReconnaissanceReconnaissance's ability can be activated at end of combat after damage is applied to untap all attacking creatures, giving them something very close to vigilance. Or it can also be used to remove from combat one of our creature that is about to die. This gives us a way to attack and increase our Melee effect without sustaining any loss in creatures.

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Core Synergy: Evasion

We will be sending creatures to as many opponents as we can each combat. Giving our creature evasion allows us to keep our creatures safe from combat and ensures our opponents' life totals keep going down each combat.

ReveillarkReveillark (20)	Utvara HellkiteUtvara Hellkite (101)	Sword of Fire and IceSword of Fire and Ice (178)	Bruna, the Fading LightBruna, the Fading Light // Brisela, Voice of Nightmares (257)
Knollspine DragonKnollspine Dragon (43)	Sacred MesaSacred Mesa (116)	Trailblazer's BootsTrailblazer's Boots (188)	Citadel SiegeCitadel Siege (278)
Scourge of ValkasScourge of Valkas (53)	Hellkite ChargerHellkite Charger (123)	Sunscorch RegentSunscorch Regent (192)	Squee, Goblin NabobSquee, Goblin Nabob (284)
Karmic GuideKarmic Guide (54)	Hellkite TyrantHellkite Tyrant (137)	Eldrazi ConscriptionEldrazi Conscription (194)	EndbringerEndbringer (289)
Luminarch AscensionLuminarch Ascension (75)	Smuggler's CopterSmuggler's Copter (138)	Yosei, the Morning StarYosei, the Morning Star (196)	Akroma's MemorialAkroma's Memorial (301)
Eldrazi MonumentEldrazi Monument (84)	Scourge of the ThroneScourge of the Throne (162)	Odric, Master TacticianOdric, Master Tactician (199)	Rogue's PassageRogue's Passage (~339)
Tyrant's FamiliarTyrant's Familiar (93)	Decree of JusticeDecree of Justice (164)	Divine VisitationDivine Visitation (214)	Grenzo, Havoc RaiserGrenzo, Havoc Raiser (466)
Dragon MageDragon Mage (100)	Ryusei, the Falling StarRyusei, the Falling Star (173)	Hoarding DragonHoarding Dragon (236)	Aurelia, the WarleaderAurelia, the Warleader (509)

Evasion comes in the form of creatures with flying, but also some additional combat tricks, like Goading creatures, forcing our opponents to attack Gideon JuraGideon Jura, or messing with the selection of blockers with cards like Odric, Master TacticianOdric, Master Tactician. Evasion serves two purposes: the first is to connect with our opponents to bring their life down; and the second is to prevent the creatures that attack and enhance the Melee effect from dying, which helps preserve our board state.

Akroma's MemorialAkroma's Memorial acts as another finisher in our deck. With the right board state, we can attack with impunity, with an army ready to block pretty much any wave coming our way.

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Core Synergy: Swarm

The idea behind our last core synergy, Swarm, is to add spells that leverages the go wide aspect of the deck, spells that shine with an army large in number.

Eldrazi MonumentEldrazi Monument (84)	Coat of ArmsCoat of Arms (147)	Hangarback WalkerHangarback Walker (246)	Shared AnimosityShared Animosity (440)
Metallic MimicMetallic Mimic (107)	Scourge of the ThroneScourge of the Throne (162)	Mirror EntityMirror Entity (268)	Throne of the God-PharaohThrone of the God-Pharaoh (557)
Hellkite ChargerHellkite Charger (123)	Purphoros, God of the ForgePurphoros, God of the Forge (222)	Jazal GoldmaneJazal Goldmane (336)	Obelisk of UrdObelisk of Urd (601)
Gauntlet of PowerGauntlet of Power (145)	Goblin BombardmentGoblin Bombardment (240)	Adaptive AutomatonAdaptive Automaton (366)	Impact TremorsImpact Tremors (613)

Mirror EntityMirror Entity beefs up each of our creatures, especially our tokens, to a level that can be lethal to our opponents.

Purphoros, God of the ForgePurphoros, God of the Forge, a classic include in any red token deck, and Impact TremorsImpact Tremors chips life away from our opponents every time a creature enters the battlefield. Purphoros also makes our tokens more lethal with its pumping ability.

Throne of the God-PharaohThrone of the God-Pharaoh adds insult to injury, pinging each opponent at end of turn for one life for each tapped creature.

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Standalone Creatures

With all the good cards we stuffed into our deck to implement our go-wide strategy, there is not much need for additional standalone creatures, but one shines in this deck despite not being part of our ranked card pool: Stalking VengeanceStalking Vengeance.

Kiki-Jiki, Mirror BreakerKiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker (19)	Magus of the WheelMagus of the Wheel (148)	Armory AutomatonArmory Automaton (265)	Suture PriestSuture Priest (400)
Dragonspeaker ShamanDragonspeaker Shaman (50)	Artisan of KozilekArtisan of Kozilek (151)	Soul WardenSoul Warden (277)	Akroma, Angel of WrathAkroma, Angel of Wrath (406)
Felidar GuardianFelidar Guardian (68)	Lovisa ColdeyesLovisa Coldeyes (174)	Charmbreaker DevilsCharmbreaker Devils (325)	Emeria ShepherdEmeria Shepherd (408)
Soul's AttendantSoul's Attendant (113)	Myr RetrieverMyr Retriever (179)	Rhox FaithmenderRhox Faithmender (332)	Reya DawnbringerReya Dawnbringer (423)
Stuffy DollStuffy Doll (122)	Gisela, the Broken BladeGisela, the Broken Blade (193)	Leonin ShikariLeonin Shikari (343)	Pilgrim's EyePilgrim's Eye (438)
Bruse Tarl, Boorish HerderBruse Tarl, Boorish Herder (127)	Mikaeus, the LunarchMikaeus, the Lunarch (200)	Heartless HidetsuguHeartless Hidetsugu (355)	Akroma, Angel of FuryAkroma, Angel of Fury (458)
GuttersnipeGuttersnipe (140)	Oreskos ExplorerOreskos Explorer (260)	Goblin ChieftainGoblin Chieftain (356)	Stalking VengeanceStalking Vengeance

Stalking VengeanceStalking Vengeance ensures that any attacking creature that dies does an extra round of damage. This creature may also dissuade opponents from performing mass removal when we have enough power in play to dispose of someone from all our creature dying. Stalking VengeanceStalking Vengeance can also have an immediate impact on the board from its haste ability and its power, which could get pumped to 8, nothing to scoff at.

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Standalone Spells

The rest of the available standalone spells in our ranked card pool do not really leverage any of the synergies we have put forward. We list some of the top standalone spells in the table below for reference, in case we would want to change the focus of our deck.

Sneak AttackSneak Attack (36)	Marshal's AnthemMarshal's Anthem (86)	Paradox EngineParadox Engine (156)	Mirage MirrorMirage Mirror (239)
Altar of DementiaAltar of Dementia (37)	Mycosynth WellspringMycosynth Wellspring (115)	Crucible of FireCrucible of Fire (175)	Mizzix's MasteryMizzix's Mastery (253)
Nim DeathmantleNim Deathmantle (45)	PanharmoniconPanharmonicon (118)	Wheel of FortuneWheel of Fortune (180)	Contagion ClaspContagion Clasp (254)
Sigarda's AidSigarda's Aid (56)	Increasing VengeanceIncreasing Vengeance (129)	BonehoardBonehoard (185)	Blackblade ReforgedBlackblade Reforged (264)
God-Pharaoh's GiftGod-Pharaoh's Gift (60)	Clock of OmensClock of Omens (130)	Bloodforged Battle-AxeBloodforged Battle-Axe (191)	ScytheclawScytheclaw (285)
Crucible of WorldsCrucible of Worlds (74)	Helm of KaldraHelm of Kaldra (134)	Inquisitor's FlailInquisitor's Flail (201)	MirariMirari (287)
Bonus RoundBonus Round (81)	The Chain VeilThe Chain Veil (141)	ReplenishReplenish (224)	Land TaxLand Tax (293)

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Lands

Our land base provides a base group of lands for mana fixing and ramping. It also features some lands that help us in the combat aspect and the token generation.

Command TowerCommand Tower (1)	Temple of the False GodTemple of the False God (9)	MirrorpoolMirrorpool (17)	Temple of TriumphTemple of Triumph (55)
Reliquary TowerReliquary Tower (2)	Arid MesaArid Mesa (10)	City of BrassCity of Brass (18)	Naya PanoramaNaya Panorama (62)
Strip MineStrip Mine (3)	Scavenger GroundsScavenger Grounds (11)	MountainMountain (21)	Needle SpiresNeedle Spires (73)
Wooded FoothillsWooded Foothills (4)	Urborg, Tomb of YawgmothUrborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth (12)	Command BeaconCommand Beacon (26)	Rogue's PassageRogue's Passage (89)
Scalding TarnScalding Tarn (5)	Path of AncestryPath of Ancestry (13)	Kor HavenKor Haven (28)	Slayers' StrongholdSlayers' Stronghold (92)
Bloodstained MireBloodstained Mire (6)	High MarketHigh Market (14)	Myriad LandscapeMyriad Landscape (29)	Flamekin VillageFlamekin Village (100)
PlateauPlateau (7)	Sacred FoundrySacred Foundry (15)	Hall of the Bandit LordHall of the Bandit Lord (39)	Battlefield ForgeBattlefield Forge (108)
Marsh FlatsMarsh Flats (8)	Sanctum of UginSanctum of Ugin (16)	Kjeldoran OutpostKjeldoran Outpost (53)	PlainsPlains (130)

Flamekin VillageFlamekin Village, Hall of the Bandit LordHall of the Bandit Lord, Hanweir BattlementsHanweir Battlements, and Slayers' StrongholdSlayers' Stronghold bring some hastiness to our crew, the former also being the last tool in our arsenal to give vigilance to one of our creatures. Rogue's PassageRogue's Passage makes one of our creatures unblockable.

We finalize our land package with a couple of protection lands. Kor HavenKor Haven can protect us from the most potent attacker on board. Command BeaconCommand Beacon saves us once from paying the commander tax in case our commander dies and must return to the battlefield to complete our mission.

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Putting It All Together

Winning a commander game with tokens can be a daunting task unless we can generate a very large amount of them. The pump Adriana provides makes the token strategy more realistic. Adriana turns even weak 1/1 tokens into potent 4/4 creatures during our combat phase when we attack each of our opponents. With a go-wide strategy, and the appropriate support, we strive to take our adversaries out through combat and a couple more life loss tricks. With our EDH gameplay data at hand, we have identified cards that should perform well within the synergies of our deck. We have also come up with a list of templates that can be reused to create many more Boros decks.

In our next article, we will wrap up our guild analysis with Selesnya. Sigarda, Heron's GraceSigarda, Heron's Grace and Karametra, God of HavestsKarametra, God of Havests have been submitted as potential commanders so far. The polls are still open for readers' requests!

What is your experience with Boros? What Boros cards have fared well in your gameplay environment? Always curious to hear our readers speak their minds.