Poke Decks: Firkraag, the Druddigon
Firkraag, Cunning Instigator | Illustrated by Andrew Mar
Not Dragon the Game On
There are a bevy of Dragons in Magic; they are one of the most popular and most beloved creature types in the game. Dragons are also extremely popular and powerful in Pokemon, and they constitute some of the most powerful Mons in the game. Not all Dragons are built for power, however. Some operate in a more subtle fashion, and one, in particular appealed to my Kerosene and Matches deckbuilding phase, and just so happened to stretch into one of my coolest Poke Alters.
What is a PokeDeck? A PokeDeck is a collaboration between brewer and alterist that results in a uniquely flavored Commander deck. The commander of the deck is altered with the visage of a Pokemon, and the deck, in turn, represents the moves of that Pokemon. The fusion of these elements takes commanders in distinctly new directions and creates a cohesive experience that both brewer and alterist can be proud of every time the commander hits the table.
Firkraag is an interesting commander, and it was tough to figure out exactly what to base an alter off of. There aren't many Water/Dragon, Fire/Dragon, or Water/Fire types, so I had to be a bit creative. The concept of goading creatures into combat is also something rare to find in game design. But there is a move that forces targets to attack in Pokemon: Taunt. Taunt is a primarily anti-meta move, designed to prevent opponents from using setup moves or defensive status moves. I looked up Dragon-type Pokemon with Taunt to see if any had blue and red in their designs, which is where I found an unsung Dragon: Druddigon!
Unlike most Dragon-type Pokemon, Druddigon isn't a huge, imposing, powerful pseudo-legend. Its stats aren't great; it doesn't evolve from or into anything (or didn't, as of this article), shares its typing with both Haxorus and Goodra, which far outclass it, and it has a limited movepool. Furthermore, unlike a lot of Pokemon, Druddigon's design isn't instantly recognized, nor is it particularly cool. So, how did Fox and I make it badass? We focused on its claw, beckoning the opponent forward.
Goading them, if you will.
Firkraag's Abilities
Firkraag's abilities informed the alter, as he goads opposing creatures into combat, and then rewards us when creatures connect that were forced to attack. This is a deck with a lot of high-costing spells, as well as a deck that walks the razor's edge between feeding opponents creatures and getting run over by said creatures. As a result, we need to draw cards early and often, rewarding us for attacking while still having some functionality when the board gets clogged.
Windreader Sphinx is a tremendously underrated card. In addition to being an evasive flier that draws cards when it attacks, whether or not it deals damage, and featuring a large enough toughness to survive most combats, the Sphinx triggers when ANY flier attacks. Chart a Course is a solid and cheap card draw spell that helps smooth draws and loses its downside when we attack, which should be fairly often. Coastal Piracy and related effects allow us to continually draw cards while doing what we do well: attacking and connecting. The more people are forced to attack, especially other people, the more they're open on the crackback!
Druddigon's Moves
The next challenge is to figure out how to cross the IP from Pokemon to Magic. Druddigon's moveset is somewhat limited, but Taunt was the move that informed the alter, and it's a big part of how the deck functions. Firkraag cares about whether the creatures that dealt damage were forced to attack, not that they were specifically goaded, although goading is a type of forced combat. Goading is also a condition that goes over being forced to attack, so the two conditions can layer on each other, so it's not a non-bo to have cards that force all creatures to attack.
Warmonger Hellkite is a powerful beatstick, a universal forced attack effect, and a mass pump spell for ANY attacking creatures, not just ours! On top of all that, it's a Dragon, which triggers Firkraag's ability! Perfect fit. Grand Melee is a powerful chaotic effect that not only forces combat, but it also forces blocks, making it so that even creatures cast in the post-combat main phase to dissuade attacks aren't safe! Spectacular Showdown is a game-breaking spell, both forcing a player to attack someone besides you and turning that player into a massive sledgehammer. The double strike counters stick around even after the goad wears off, so it's best to make sure you can win on the crackback, or just use it on your own creatures.
The Perfect Fusion
Arguably, the most difficult job is to fuse together the commander and the Pokemon. Firkraag wants players to attack, especially us. Druddigon's Taunt forces everyone to attack. The question then becomes: what are we or others attacking with? This is where the Kerosene and Matches part comes in. Some Group Hug decks share card draw. Others share ramp. What we're sharing...is bodies.
One of the first cards that fascinated me when I learned how to play the game was Varchild's War-Riders. It was one of the first cards I saw in any card game that gave opponents things, in this case, ever-increasing Survivor tokens. Around the time I learned about the War-Riders, I saw them in conjunction with Repercussion, which damages players whenever their creatures take damage. Now blocking is a really dangerous endeavor!
Like the Hellkite, Hunted Dragon is a Dragon that synergizes well with our draconic commander. It's a cheap flying beater that gives opponents bodies with vigilance to encourage attacking. Like the War-Riders, it's an older creature that I've had an eye on for a while, and now, it's found a home among its brethren.
Tempt with Vengeance is a type of card I refer to as an "army in a can". It makes a bunch of creatures out of nowhere, and not just for me. The problem is, as anyone who has played with a Tempting offer card will attest, you NEVER should let yourself be tempted. Still, you have to admit, a large board of cute little Elementals is quite tempting...
Firkraag, Use Taunt!
Here is the most recent iteration of the deck, although it has recently been scrapped for parts and turned into an Oathbreaker deck, with Jaya Ballard as the commander and Incite Rebellion as the Signature Spell.
