Mondrak, Anointed Dominus (EDH / Commander)

How does Norn's loyalist become one of the biggest threats on the battlefield? Create a few creature tokens, and watch your battlefield flood!

>Why Mondrak?

• I've been wanting to build a Phyexian deck for a while, now we finally got this set to add new weapons into this deck's arsenal, as well as, the commander himself. I orginally wanted to build Atraxa, Grand Unifier, but she is four colors, too expensive in mana value and deck value, and mostly revolved around blinking strats. The Dominus cycle offered some new incredibly powerful legendary creatures that may be used as commanders, and although I just built a mono-white deck, Mondrak was by far my favorite, and the most powerful choice of the phyrexian elite in Phyrexia: All Will Be One.
• I started by looking at all of the new white and colorless cards from the ONE set, and added the best ones that fit this deck's strategy. Hopefully more cards will release in the future that create Phyrexian Mites or toxic creatures.
• My idea for this deck was originally surrounding mite generation, toxic creatures, and proliferation. However, the direction shifted more towards heavy token generation to take advantage of Mondrak's ability having toxic as a back up mechanic with proliferation on the side to trigger some corrupt abilities. Unfortunately, this strays away from an army of unified Phyrexians fighting for the greater good of the hive mind, and turned more into Phyrexians, soldiers, knights, vampires and so on fighting side-by-side for the glory of Phyrexia...? Yea, I know, don't think about it too much. Mondrak's ability is too good to not have these staples in the deck, plus there aren't enough white and colorless toxic spells to throw into the 99, unfortunately.
• So, finally... why Mondrak? Why you ask? Read the card. It's a dang Anointed Procession as a recastable creature from the command zone and can give itself indestructible. This is a damn good card, and is definitely the best of the Dominuses... Domini?... You get what I mean.

>What to tutor for…

• There are plenty of artifacts and enchantments to grab with Enlightened Tutor, so pick what you'd like at that point in the game, but I'll list my favs below...
  • Enlightened Tutor (Artifacts) ➜ Strionic Resonator (copy Mondrak's ability for more tokens); Inspiring Statuary (basically use your mites to convoke non-artifact spells); Skrelv, Defector Mite (protection); Halo Fountain (quick token generation and untap synergy); Strixhaven Stadium (set up for player elimination); and any mana rock necessary at the time.
  • Enlightened Tutor (Enchantments) ➜ Anointed Procession (need I say more?); Smothering Tithe (goes without saying); Ghostly Prison (since Phyrexian Mites can't block, this offers protection from other token based and creature heavy decks); Deafening Silence (shuts down red and blue decks trying to combo off); Land Tax (if you're struggling to top deck lands); Legion Loyalty (late game win con if you're board state is huge); Daxos, Blessed by the Sun (ridiculous life gain when generating and sacrificing tokens); Heliod, Sun-Crowned (life gain and +1/+1 counters that you may proliferated to make your Phyrexian Mites mightier!)*
• Recruiter of the Guard ➜ Soul Warden (insane life gain ♥); Grand Abolisher (protection from spells on your turn, usually baits out a counter spell as well); Esper Sentinel (mana taxing and card advantage); Bennie Bracks, Zoologist (card draw on token generation); Mite Overseer (token generation)

>Win Cons…

• Akroma's Will
  • Great mid to late game closer with just a few creatures and tokens on the field
• Halo Fountain
  • Consistent token generation, card draw, and a quick win con if it's not destroyed
• Legion Loyalty
  • Expensive to cast, but a guaranteed win con if you can pull it off
  • For example, if you have 10 tokens, you attack one opponent with those 10 tokens, 10 more tokens ETB for each other opponent for a total of 30 more tokens, that now turns into 60 tokens instead with Mondrak on the battlefield (90 tokens if Anointed Procession is on the field as well)! What's wilder is you get to keep the tokens that were created off of Mondrak and Anointed Procession, while exiling the ones created from the Myriad effect!
  • This also works for big creatures and creatures with ETBs and attack triggers! Have a Solemn Simulacrum on the board and attacking? Six more ETB, and now you're ramping up to 6 more lands!
• Strixhaven Stadium
  • This is a cheeky way to eliminate one to two opponents if left unchecked, it's incredibly easy to get up to 10 counters in just one combat phase!
  • You can also proliferate the counters when able

>Other potential adds to the deck...

• Basilica Skullbomb
• Basri Ket
• Contagion Clasp
• Contagion Engine
• Cut a Deal
  • Much needed card draw
• Dawn of Hope
• Daxos, Blessed by the Sun*
• Eiganjo Castle
• Eldrazi Monument
• Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines
• Eye of Vecna
  • Unfortunately, there's not much card draw in this deck, I may add this to card advantage
• Finale of Glory
• Heliod, Sun-Crowned*
• Inquisitorial Rosette
• Keeper of the Accord
• Kor Haven
• Mana Tithe
• Mirran Safehouse
• Myr Convert
• Norn's Choirmaster
• Plated Onslaught
• Prophetic Prism
• Recruiter of the Guard
  • There's so many great creatures that you can tutor for with this card, but I don't have an extra one to slot in at the moment
• Rogue's Passage
• Selfless Cathar
• Serra's Sanctum
• Sinew Dancer
• Strionic Resonator
  • Make four times the amount of tokens with Mondrak's triggered ability
• Swallow Whole
• Tablet of Compleation
  • Cool card to go along with the Phyrexian theme of the deck, but too slow for me even with potential proliferation
• Throne of Geth
• Tithe

*In the deck, but may take out to meet the 99 requirement.