(Vedalken PlotterVedalken Plotter | Art by Greg Staples)

Plotting a Course

Welcome back to The Toolbox! Here, we take a look at underplayed cards and evaluate where they ought to see more play. Today, we’re taking a look at a disruptive creature that I think is very often overlooked: Vedalken PlotterVedalken Plotter!

This is a creature that I originally threw into an Adeliz, the Cinder WindAdeliz, the Cinder Wind deck on a whim as a creature-based way to interact with lands, similar to Acidic SlimeAcidic Slime. I expected to be very underwhelmed, but was pleasantly surprised with the amount of work that this card put in. As a 1/1 creature, Vedalken PlotterVedalken Plotter is not exactly threatening, even in Adeliz. However, the ability to swap an extra IslandIsland with an opponent's Gaea's CradleGaea's Cradle, Nykthos, Shrine to NyxNykthos, Shrine to Nyx, Cabal CoffersCabal Coffers, or heck, even a Reliquary TowerReliquary Tower, can be extremely useful! There is also the aspect of mana color disruption against more color-intensive decks, such as stealing a Command TowerCommand Tower from a Horde of NotionsHorde of Notions player. While this can be a very meta-dependent inclusion, I think that the amount of utility and the number of valuable targets make Plotter a worthy inclusion in more decks than those it's currently in.

Zedruu the GreatheartedZedruu the Greathearted is the most common commander for Vedalken PlotterVedalken Plotter, and for very good reason. This deck is quite literally dedicated to giving your permanents to your opponents, then benefiting through Zedruu or setting them back with cards like Aggressive MiningAggressive Mining, so it's clear why Vedalken PlotterVedalken Plotter fits so well by disrupting and exchanging permanents.

Then there's Thada Adel, AcquisitorThada Adel, Acquisitor who's based around more of a Theft theme. While Vedalken PlotterVedalken Plotter is a little bit more of a balanced thief compared to Thada herself (not to mention Pirates like HullbreacherHullbreacher), they do still fit the bill thematically. Finally, there is AtogatogAtogatog, who I cannot make sense of, to be honest. I have looked at every card listed on the EDHREC page, and the only synergy that I can find is that Plotter is a good utility creature.

While the top two decks are great fits for Vedalken PlotterVedalken Plotter, I think that there are a lot of other unexplored commanders, so let's get into it!

Is it Wizards?

Get it? Like, Izzet Wizards? Yeah, I'll see myself out. Seriously, though, Adeliz, the Cinder WindAdeliz, the Cinder Wind is one of the more aggressive Wizard Tribal options as a flier that buffs each Wizard whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell. So let's get into why I think that Vedalken PlotterVedalken Plotter is a good fit!

Empirically, Plotter has put in work for me when I've played Adeliz. In Commander, there are a lot of "Maze of IthMaze of Ith"-type lands running around that can easily negate the evasion of Adeliz and any damage from her triggers. Having a way that mitigates this issue, gives protection from big creatures, and can turn sideways on its own is huge for a deck like this. Every point of damage, and every Adeliz trigger, adds up to win games.

Vedalken PlotterVedalken Plotter can also be tutored for with Vedalken AethermageVedalken Aethermage when there is a problem such as Maze of IthMaze of Ith, and Plotter can also be discarded to Faithless LootingFaithless Looting if they're not needed or replaced with Valakut Awakening // Valakut StoneforgeValakut Awakening // Valakut Stoneforge! Due to all the little synergies, and my personal experience, I think that Plotter is an invaluable inclusion for Adeliz. If you don't believe me, take a look at the decklist!

The Eternal Blinking

Anyone that has played against Brago, King EternalBrago, King Eternal knows how much of an eternal pain he can be. His ability to fly and to get extra enter-the-battlefield triggers every turn is what makes him such a powerful option to overtake opponents. Truthfully, this section could be focused on Aminatou, the FateshifterAminatou, the Fateshifter, Roon of the Hidden RealmRoon of the Hidden Realm, or even Yorion, Sky NomadYorion, Sky Nomad. I chose to write about Brago because one of the first times I drafted was Conspiracy, so all the commanders from that set have a special place in my heart.

At a base level, utility lands are becoming more plentiful even within mono-colored decks, with War RoomWar Room, Field of the DeadField of the Dead, Command BeaconCommand Beacon, and all those I named above. This rise makes it even more important to me to have some way to interact with these lands and even benefit from doing so!

To me, this makes Vedalken PlotterVedalken Plotter the perfect fit as a creature that can be flickered by Brago, King EternalBrago, King Eternal himself, as well as one that can be tutored for with Recruiter of the GuardRecruiter of the Guard or doubled up with PanharmoniconPanharmonicon. While this may seem pretty minor, the repeated ability to disrupt opponents' lands can be very major against some decks, such as stealing a Dakmor SalvageDakmor Salvage from the The Gitrog MonsterThe Gitrog Monster player. You can call me paranoid, but I think that my paranoia is warranted for a deck that aims to grind games out by leveraging repeated enter-the-battlefield triggers.

Actual Toolbox Deck

Time for the hot contender: Prime Speaker VannifarPrime Speaker Vannifar! She is an Elf Ooze Wizard, which is just awesome, but more importantly she is basically a Birthing PodBirthing Pod on a stick. This lends herself nicely to be an aggressive creature combo commander, as well as a very versatile toolbox commander. What this means is that she utilizes her tutoring ability to find specific answers, important creatures, and ways to end the game.

Obviously, the Prime Speaker, herself, can find Vedalken PlotterVedalken Plotter whenever they are needed, as well as other options, such as Woodland BellowerWoodland Bellower. The ability to borrow a Minamo, School at Water's EdgeMinamo, School at Water's Edge, Wirewood LodgeWirewood Lodge, or any of the mana-boosting lands like Gaea's CradleGaea's Cradle, and find Plotter at any point is what makes me think they are such a good fit! They can also be copied by Bramble SovereignBramble Sovereign if that's really needed.

They can also be used as a form of disruption by limiting the possible points of interaction from opponents through exchanging a tapped ForestForest for a blue mana source they held up to CounterspellCounterspell another important piece. It is really impossible to go through all of the possible game states that you could leverage Plotter, but they are numerous! The best thing I can recommend is to take a look at the decklist and even jam some games to test them out.

Happy New Year!

Happy new year, and I hope that your 2021 is much better than your 2020! I hope that you enjoyed reading this installment and that you've found a new home for Vedalken PlotterVedalken Plotter. What other commanders do you think pair well with Vedalken PlotterVedalken Plotter? Do you think that I’m overestimating this card, or do you agree it’s highly underrated? What other cards are you hoping to see get their place in the spotlight? Let’s talk about it in the comments below. Thank you all once again, and please stay safe!

Elijah Klein

Elijah is a mildly obsessive EDH player from Georgia. He started playing during Battle for Zendikar with Green/Black Eldrazi Aristocrats and still pays tribute to the plane with his Omnath, Locus of Rage storm brew. He is always excited to innovate and try new things in Magic and Life. Elijah is currently a full time student looking to go into Computer Engineering but also has a bit of an artistic streak.