Defining the Culinary Commander Concept
Commander, or EDH, stands as one of Magic: The Gathering’s most beloved and versatile formats. Its emphasis on social gameplay, unique deckbuilding challenges, and the sheer variety of playable cards has secured its place as a staple of the Magic community. A crucial tool for navigating the vast card pool of Commander is EDHREC, a website that aggregates data from countless player-submitted decks to identify popular cards, strategies, and trends. Themes in Commander decks are ever expanding, as the community looks for new and interesting ways to play. A growing theme that is developing is the “food” theme.
The “food theme EDHREC” topic has seen an increase in popularity. This article aims to explore the emerging popularity and potential strategies of the “Food” theme in Commander, using EDHREC data as a guide, highlighting the increasing availability of food support, and showcasing how you can build a delicious and strategic deck around this flavorful archetype.
Before diving into the data, it’s important to define what constitutes a “Food” theme in Commander. This isn’t just about running a few cards that happen to make food tokens; it’s about building a deck that synergizes with the Food token mechanic. Think of it as a culinary masterpiece, where each ingredient works in harmony to create a satisfying result.
The cornerstone of any Food deck is, unsurprisingly, the Food tokens themselves. These are artifacts with the subtype “Food” and the activated ability to pay two mana and sacrifice them to gain three life. While the life gain seems simple, it opens up a world of strategic possibilities.
A well constructed food themed deck can use food in several ways. Life gain is a critical element, and can be leveraged to enable certain card abilities. Cards that require sacrifices, are perfect for food synergy, providing a steady stream of sacrifice fodder. Additionally, there are cards that specifically care about the sacrifice of food, so there are several win conditions that food decks can enable.
EDHREC’s Bounty: Commanders Who Love to Eat
EDHREC is an invaluable tool for identifying the most popular commanders that are at the helm of food-themed EDH decks. It’s important to note that a commander does not need to specifically create food to be associated with a food theme. Here are some commanders that stand out, based on EDHREC’s data on these culinary crusaders:
- **Gyome, Master Chef:** Gyome is a natural fit. This commander not only creates a food token on each of your turns but also provides a ward to your creatures as long as you control a food. EDHREC data consistently points to Gyome as a core component of many Food strategies, making him one of the top picks. Gyome decks utilize lifegain, and token strategies.
- **Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar:** While a mouthful to pronounce, Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar is an efficient and effective commander for a food theme. Needing to discard a card to play Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar, can be easily mitigated by the cards that enable the food theme. Decks leveraging this commander are sacrifice heavy, focusing on generating value from sacrificing food tokens.
- **The Gitrog Monster:** While not directly related to food, the Gitrog Monster synergizes perfectly with sacrifice effects. Sacrificing a food token to gain life can be immediately converted into a card draw with the Gitrog Monster. Decks using this commander are very fast and can run over opponents with ease. This commander supports the food subtheme well in a self mill strategy.
Beyond the established leaders, some up-and-coming commanders show promise within the Food theme. These commanders may be undervalued or underutilized, but they offer unique angles on the archetype. These commanders can easily be used to create a new take on the food theme. These commanders include:
- **Alela, Artful Provocateur:** Alela creates a fairy token whenever you play an artifact or enchantment. Considering food tokens are artifacts, this commander enables a steady stream of fairies while also being able to make food tokens.
- **Ognis, the Dragon’s Lash:** Ognis cares about creatures you control leaving the battlefield. By sacrificing food tokens, this can be a constant stream of treasures. These treasures can ramp you into the late game easily.
EDHREC provides a valuable perspective on commander selection, allowing you to identify proven strategies and explore new possibilities within the Food theme.
The Recipe Book: Essential Ingredients for a Food Deck
EDHREC also highlights the cards that consistently perform well in Food decks, regardless of the specific commander. These are the essential ingredients that every aspiring culinary Commander should consider:
- **Food Token Generators:** These cards are the bread and butter of the strategy. Gyome, Master Chef consistently appears on EDHREC as the prime candidate for generating food tokens. Trail of Crumbs, and Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar are all other good choices for token generation.
- **Sacrifice Outlets:** You need ways to sacrifice those delicious Food tokens for value. Disciple of the Vault, Mayhem Devil, and Academy Manufactor all appear as commonly used cards with sacrifice effects.
- **Payoffs for Sacrificing Food:** This is where you convert your Food into tangible advantages. Feasting Hobbit allows you to draw a card when you sacrifice a food. Korvold, Fae-Cursed King, and Wernog, Rider’s Chaplain provide extra value.
EDHREC’s data reveals the cards that are most frequently included in successful Food decks, providing a clear roadmap for building a cohesive and effective strategy.
Strategies Worth Savoring
The beauty of the Food theme lies in its versatility. You can build a Food deck around several core strategies, each with its unique strengths and weaknesses. Here are a few approaches, informed by EDHREC’s insights:
- **Lifegain Focus:** Construct a food deck to revolve around gaining life. Aetherflux Reservoir is an alternate win condition in this strategy. This is an easy win condition in a food deck, as food tokens provides a constant stream of lifegain.
- **Token Swarm:** Create as many tokens as possible to overwhelm opponents. Combine cards like Doubling Season and Parallel Lives with food token creation to create an unstoppable horde.
- **Sacrifice Engine:** Build a deck that constantly sacrifices Food for incremental value. Zulaport Cutthroat, and Blood Artist provides additional ways to win with a sacrifice heavy strategy.
A Pinch of Salt: Challenges and Considerations
Despite its growing popularity and inherent synergies, the Food theme is not without its challenges. One of the main concerns is how the deck is vulnerable to removal. Food tokens are artifacts and are susceptible to artifact removal. The deck also requires both food generation and sacrifice effects, and therefore requires a certain amount of mana to get going.
A Taste of Victory: Sample Decklists
To illustrate the potential of the Food theme, here’s a sample decklist for Gyome, Master Chef, combining elements of lifegain, token generation, and sacrifice:
- **Commander:** Gyome, Master Chef
- **Creatures:** Feasting Hobbit, Disciple of the Vault, Korvold, Fae-Cursed King
- **Artifacts:** Food tokens, Parallel Lives, Aetherflux Reservoir
For additional inspiration, explore the EDHREC page for Gyome, Master Chef, where you can find countless other decklists and card suggestions.
Final Course: Savoring the Food Theme in Commander
The Food theme in Commander offers a unique and flavorful deckbuilding experience. EDHREC is an invaluable tool for navigating the vast card pool and identifying the most effective strategies. With its growing popularity and inherent synergies, the Food theme is poised to become a staple of the Commander format. So, gather your ingredients, fire up your cauldron, and prepare to serve up a delicious Commander victory!
This is just the start; explore the “food theme EDHREC” pages, experiment with different commanders and card combinations, and discover the endless possibilities of this exciting archetype. Now, share your own Food deck ideas and experiences in the comments below – let’s continue the culinary conversation!
