Commander Deck Tech - Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres

Phyrexia: All Will Be One showed us very interesting commanders, giving players a wide variety of decks to build.

Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres is chosen this time. While it also indirectly interacts with +1/+1 counters like its previous version, Ezuri, Claw of Progress, the focus of the deck is a little different. Let's check!

Ezuri replaces Roalesk, Apex Hybrid in proliferate decks. The mechanic was explored not too long ago in War of The Spark, and now in Phyrexia: All Will Be One we have enough cards to build a solid and scary deck for Commander.

Decklist

The list is authorial, and from it, I will explain the main mechanics of the deck, victory conditions, and the reason for some other cards.

At the end of the article there will also be another authorial list that I run in tabletop Magic, in this case, a version focused on planeswalkers.

Proliferate

The Proliferate mechanic consists of picking any number of counters on permanents and players, and then adding one more of those counters to the respective permanents and players. This includes experience counters as in the aforementioned Ezuri, Claw of Progress, energy counters as in Aetherworks Marvel and poison counters, given by creatures with toxic, infect, or poison, or by effects of other cards, such as Prologue to Phyresis.

On permanents, we have several types of counters, such as +1/+1 counters, loyalty counters on planeswalkers, indestructible counters, and more.

Proliferate can be found on activated or triggered abilities. Contagion Clasp is an example where it triggers, and the commander himself has it triggered, happening only when he enters the battlefield and also using 3 generic mana.

Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres is a great gear for the mechanic, making sure you always have cards in your hand when proliferating. And his ability to enter the battlefield proliferating twice by paying 3 generic mana improves even further, thus providing at least 2 more cards.

But something is important to remember about proliferate: even if there are no counters on permanents or players, it's still possible to proliferate, since any number chosen can also be zero. So casting Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres early game can be something even without using its triggered ability, to draw cards and find resources, like with a Thrummingbird, for example.

Winconditions

This deck, has several ways to win, either with or without combo. For players who like to combo, here are some options to end the game:

Infinite turns with Magistrate's Scepter.

The artifact just needs to have at least one counter, and enough mana to activate an engine with proliferate. We have as a first option, Merfolk Skydiver, because it costs less mana and doesn't have any cost that needs to tap the creature.

Another possible card is Viral Drake, which, despite costing more mana, its ability costs one less.

Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus is a big help here (as well as for the entire deck), lowering the amount of necessary mana to activate the chosen creature's ability. Using Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus along with Contagion Engine also works to have infinite turns.

Here we have infinite activation of planeswalkers with Teferi, Temporal Archmage and The Chain Veil. It takes at least up to three permanents that can generate four generic mana. Over the course of the game, this can be done with Sol Ring, Astral Cornucopia, Glistening Sphere, Gyre Sage and other mana rocks or mana generating creatures.

The combo is to activate The Chain Veil, untap 4 permanents, one being the Veil, and another 3 that generate enough mana to activate it again, thus resulting in infinite planeswalker activations.

With some other planeswalker on the board, like Teferi, Master of Time it's possible to have infinite turns and phase out all opponents' creatures. Ichormoon Gauntlet also allows infinite turns with this combo, in addition to infinite proliferate.

Here we have finishers that don't necessarily count as a combo, but are winconditions.

Darksteel Reactor having 20 counters isn't that hard in this deck, even more so with Deepglow Skate. Winning with poison counters is also an alternative, especially when facing decks with lifegain. All it takes is for an opponent to have a poison counter and proliferate up to 10.

Considering that the commander itself already proliferates twice, and the deck is completely focused on this, it can be said that in most cases it is the fastest way to win.

Cards like Planewide Celebration alongside Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider or Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus can end the game quickly if the opponents have at least 2 poison counters.

Here we will explain some deck cards that fit into specific groups, respectively ramp, card draw, answers and proliferate. They will be analyzed and why they were chosen, in addition to talking about how some of them interact with Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres.

Ramp

Ramps are essential for green decks, and this one is no exception. In this version, we have snow lands to access Into the North to specifically seek Rimewood Falls or any other basics. The idea of Into the North is the same function as Nature's Lore and Three Visits.

Cultivate and Kodama's Reach are also essential for a good start to the game. Having a wide variety of cards that are forest island type is in addition to fixing the mana curve, and we make use of Nissa, Who Shakes the World to guarantee extra mana. Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth is a great iteration alongside Nissa.

Despite the green color, artifacts are also important for getting the famous "god hand" plays, such as mana, Sol Ring and Arcane Signet. Other alternatives to Arcane Signet are Talisman of Curiosity, Simic Signet, and Thought Vessel. In addition to being great early-game accelerators, they're essential for The Chain Veil's combo with Teferi, Temporal Archmage.

As mentioned before, Astral Cornucopia or Everflowing Chalice with enough counters also helps a lot. Glistening Sphere is not left out, with its potential to generate up to three green mana or three blue mana, and proliferates as soon as it enters the battlefield.

Highlights

The cards shown above are highlighted precisely because they interact very well with proliferate. They are permanents that generate mana that with each use of proliferate they will grow and consequently generate more mana, making it possible to cast many spells in the same turn.

The only card that doesn't grow with counters mentioned above is Staff of Compleation, which needs no comment. But it's a very dangerous card, casting it early can make you die for your pride, after all, the greed that moves you is the same that kills you.

Card Draw

This package causes cards to be drawn or at least one card to be put into your hand.

The cards shown above are the ones that offer draw on their own, not counting the Ezuri, Claw of Progress ability on the ones that proliferate: Steady Progress, Contentious Plan, Experimental Augury and Tezzeret's Gambit work really well with the commander, giving you more resources and more cards in your hand.

Contaminant Grafter and Prologue to Phyresis help to start the opponents' 10 poison counter countdown.

Narset, Parter of Veils and Teferi, Master of Time are two planeswalkers that grant you "more life", as they will be targeted for being quite troublesome: Narset prevents more than one draw per turn to opponents, which is quite annoying, and Teferi activating every turn is worrying, especially in a proliferate-themed deck where his ultimate can come quickly.

Highlights

Rhystic Study is a pretty obvious card in this session, along with Narset, who doesn't do the job of drawing cards all that well, but stands out for its secondary effect.

Prologue to Phyresis is the perfect way to start infecting all your opponents at once and still draw a card, it definitely deserves space here.

And last but not least, we have one of the most feared planeswalkers in Multiplayer for gaining loyalty rapidly, Teferi, Master of Time.

Answers

Counterspells and bounces will always be needed without black, red and white colors. Blue and green are definitely one of the best combinations of two colors in Commander, but they lack in some aspects that need to be compensated in the way that is possible, such as with Arcane Denial, An Offer You Can't Refuse, Negate and Reject Imperfection, which can still proliferate.

Playing not only your turn, but the others to bluff is also a strategic option, especially with Leyline of Anticipation or Alchemist's Refuge.

Remembering that spells with flash work for As Foretold. In this color combination, it is possible to simulate the banned Prophet of Kruphix with the enchantment or land mentioned next to Seedborn Muse.

Protection is also needed for drastic measures, hence the choice of Cyclonic Rift, Serum Snare, Beast Within and Heroic Intervention.

Highlights

Surprising opponents with a one-mana counter is always a joy when playing blue, so An Offer You Can't Refuse clearly ranks high alongside Cyclonic Rift and Heroic Intervention, which are absurd cards for almost any situation, and finally Infectious Bite, which like the aforementioned Prologue to Phyresis applies poison counter to all opponents at the same time.

Proliferate

The deck's main mechanic and engine. Most creatures rely on toxic to quickly deal with opponents, and the other cards have pretty obvious functionality here.

Basically, all cards with the instance to proliferate. It's pretty literal, so the highlights will explain it better in a nutshell.

Highlights

Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus can be called a second commander in this deck. Its combination with Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres is simply harmonic and absurd, triggering draws with proliferate, and proliferate twice.

Inexorable Tide is an enchantment that should get more attention for what it does, especially considering the deck. It is very dangerous that it is in play, but obviously for your opponents.

Planewide Celebration almost 100% of the time will be used to proliferate 4 times, but be prepared for whatever comes and goes because Commander can be a chaotic world. Staff of Compleation proliferating basically for free, after all, life is a resource.

Considering the sheer amount of noncreature spells, Flux Channeler is almost an Inexorable Tide that blocks. And Contagion Engine which for 4 mana proliferates twice, can only be good within this whole set.

The blue and green combination, in addition to being strong and interactive in Commander, is very fun to pilot, and has a variety of commanders and themes, granting many possibilities of playing in a single turn: having a range of options is always useful and should be considered when building a deck.

Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres has turned out to be a great proliferate and counters commander in general, granting plenty of build options beyond what's shown.

The list below, for example, is a personal list I use for personal play. It's considerably different from the Deck Tech list, as I don't like combo that much. A list focused on planeswalkers and poison counters, for games leaned towards more relaxed playgroups.

It is worth mentioning that it is not because it is a different version focused on something specific that it will necessarily be better or worse than the previous one: it is an alternative that shows how this commander covers more than one proposal for piloting the deck.

Commanders with mechanics that can be well exploited make the game much more fun in the format than just what is undoubtedly strong. Building something that isn't as popular but can be synergistic is one of the joys of the Commander player, and I am included in that.

And you, what did you think of Deck Tech? Would you play with this list? Would you like a Tech from another commander who seems to be strong but not as popular? Say it in the comments!