Ivy (EDH / Commander) [Révision 6]

Gameplan

1. Play [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]].
2. Circumvent the "legend rule" to allow copies of [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]] to be created.
3. Make as many copies of [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]] as possible and somehow win the game.

Getting around the "legend rule"

• [[Mirror Box]] and [[Sakashima of a Thousand Faces]] simply remove the "legend rule" problem.
• [[Double Major]], [[Helm of the Host]], [[Irenicus's Vile Duplication]], [[Spark Double]], [[Vesuvan Duplimancy]], and [[Echoing Equation]] can create copies of [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]] that are not legendary. Once a nonlegendary version of [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]] is on the battlefield, it can be copied again without interference from the "legend rule."

To make getting one of these cards easier,

• [[Fabricate]] can search for [[Mirror Box]] or [[Helm of the Host]].
• [[Solve the Equation]] can search for [[Fabricate]], [[Irenicus's' Vile Duplication]], [[Intuition]], or any other spell that might be needed.
• [[Intuition]] can search for anything.

Copy effects

• The copy cards can create copies of [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]]. If [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]] has already been copied, then casting a targeted copy spell can generate 2 additional copies, for a total of 4 [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]]s. After that, another targeted copy spell creates 4 additional copies for a total of 8.
• [[Replication Technique]] and [[Stolen Identity]] are a little more versatile because they can copy other things if necessary.
• [[Followed Footsteps]] and [[Endless Evil]] get copied when they are cast, so multiple new [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]]s can be created on every upkeep!
• [[Orvar, the All-Form]] combines with the copy spells and also the draw spells to create extra copies of [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]].
• [[Sublime Epiphany]] can be used as a copy spell, but be careful because if any of the other modes are chosen, then [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]] cannot copy [[Sublime Epiphany]]. Overall it is a versatile and on-theme card.
• [[Echoing Equation]] can turn non-[[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]] creatures into [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]]s, which can be an explosive way to generate more copies of [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]].

Creatures
Creatures are important to this deck because the best way to start the game off is by playing [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]] and then casting a spell on a non-[[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]] creature to get 2 copies of the spell. For this reason, there are many creatures in the deck.

• Mana dorks are a great way to accelerate while also having spell targets. For example, if you start by playing [[Birds of Paradise]] into [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]] then you set up for casting a draw spell or a copy spell on the [[Birds of Paradise]]. The point is that while you are copying your [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]]s, you can also be copying other things like mana dorks.
• [[Sakura-Tribe Elder]] is better than spell-based options because it can be targeted and/or copied.
• [[Skullwinder]] and [[Eternal Witness]] are better than [[Regrowth]] here because they can be targeted/copied.
• [[Edric, Spymaster of Trest]] is a card draw engine that can be targeted/copied.
• [[Archmage Emeritus]] is a card draw engine that can be targeted/copied and triggers off [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]]'s copies of spells.
• [[Collector Ouphe]] is a great stax piece that can be targeted/copied.

Draw spells
There are many targeted draw spells that can become powerful when copied. 1-mana instants are prioritized.

• [[Curious Obsession]] gets copied for each [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]], so that can turn into a lot of card draw.

Notable interactions

• There are some on-theme cards in the mana base: [[Vastwood Fortification]] pumps all the [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]]s, while [[Glasspool Mimic]] can become an extra [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]].
• [[Biovisionary]] can randomly win since there are so many copy effects.
• [[One with Nature]] is a great ramp option because it can get copied onto all the [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]]s.
• [[Spider Umbra]] is a great wrath protection option because it can get copied onto the [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]]s.
• [[Gaea's Cradle]] is obviously good with the creature plan.
• Protection spells can save every copy of [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]] at once. (some even put +1/+1 counters on them all while protecting them!)
• [[Verdant Confluence]] is cool because it can target one creature with 2, 4, or 6 +1/+1 counters and also do other things (ramp and card advantage) at the same time. Then when it gets copied, it does the other things multiple times while buffing all the [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]]s.

Side-/Maybeboard Thoughts
There are many redundant pieces in the side-/maybeboards. The balance is hard to see.

• For example, getting around the "legend rule" is tantamount to this deck's strategy, but [[Mirror Gallery]] is still in the sideboard for now.
• Pump cards like [[Become Immense]] aren't in the main deck right now on the though that generating many copies of [[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]] with a single counter on them will kill people already.
• There are other draw, protection, and ramp options that just didn't all fit.