Arcane Maelstrom
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- Commander
- Kalamax, the Stormsire
- Cards
- 100
- Current value
- $148.08
- Grade
- B+
How it grades
Fundamentals 85/100. Plays like Spellslinger.
This reads as Spellslinger, built around Kalamax, the Stormsire. The spells are the deck: every instant and sorcery triggers payoffs (drain, tokens, copies, treasure), so chaining cheap cantrips is the game plan. Creature count stays low by design; protect the two or three payoff engines and the velocity does the rest. Kalamax, the Stormsire sits on the cEDH tier list, so the ceiling here is tournament-grade, and experienced tables will treat it that way. Its strongest fundamental is commander synergy (40 of 61 spells play into your commanders' plan. Counts the builds players run with your commanders (Spellslinger, Storm, Voltron; from EDHREC)); the first thing to tighten is card quality: Median EDHREC rank #7,834 · 1 game-changer.
- BMana reliability
- B+Land count
- B+Mana curve
- A+Ramp
- A-Card draw
- A-Interaction
- A+Commander synergy
- AWin conditions
- BCard quality
- A+Legality & size
Where it falls short
- BMana reliability81% of your spells arrive on time. Dualcaster Mage is the riskiest: its R cost is heavy for this mana base, so expect it several turns late.
- B+Land count38 lands. About 41 fits this curve for Spellslinger.
- B+Mana curve21% of spells cost ≤2, 13% cost 6+.
- BCard qualityMedian EDHREC rank #7,834 · 1 game-changer
Strong on ramp, card draw, interaction, commander synergy, win conditions and legality & size.
90 cards graded: A- 11, B+ 19, B 46, B- 8, C+ 5, C 1. The command zone is the plan, so it isn't graded.
Upgrades
Made together, they take Arcane Maelstrom from B+ to A-.
Fierce Guardianship2U$64.02
In place of Jace, Architect of Thought: its U cost is heavy for this mana base; expect it several turns late (62/100)
Fills the removal gap (you're at 9 of 10+). Fuels your instant-and-sorcery payoffs (11 in deck). Top-5% staple by play data.
Cyclonic Rift1U$39.16
In place of Nascent Metamorph: doesn't ramp, draw, interact or threaten. What is it for? (40/100)
WotC game-changer. Feeds the commanders' instant-and-sorcery payoff. EDHREC Spellslinger staple.
Jeska's Will2R$41.87
In place of Glademuse: weakest slot in the deck (50/100)
Fuels your instant-and-sorcery payoffs (11 in deck). Top-5% staple by play data. WotC game-changer.
Mystical TutorU$19.46
In place of Predatory Impetus: weakest slot in the deck (50/100)
Fuels your instant-and-sorcery payoffs (11 in deck). Top-5% staple by play data. WotC game-changer.
GambleR$18.75
In place of Clash of Titans: weakest slot in the deck (52/100)
Fuels your instant-and-sorcery payoffs (11 in deck). Top-5% staple by play data. WotC game-changer.
Lightning BoltR$0.81
In place of Prophetic Bolt: weakest slot in the deck (66/100)
Fills the removal gap (you're at 9 of 10+). Fuels your instant-and-sorcery payoffs (11 in deck). Top-5% staple by play data.
BrainstormU$0.94
In place of Haldan, Avid Arcanist: weakest slot in the deck (53/100)
Fuels your instant-and-sorcery payoffs (11 in deck). Top-5% staple by play data. Feeds the commanders' instant-and-sorcery payoff.
Young Pyromancer1R$0.31
In place of Surreal Memoir: weakest slot in the deck (53/100)
Pays off your instant-and-sorcery engine (26 producers). Fits the commander's plan. Chases the same instant-and-sorcery plan as your commanders.
Storm-Kiln Artist3R$1.64
In place of Ravenous Gigantotherium: weakest slot in the deck (55/100)
Pays off your artifact engine (8 producers). Pays off your instant-and-sorcery engine (26 producers). Top-5% staple by play data.
Archmage Emeritus2UU$0.70
In place of Whiplash Trap: weakest slot in the deck (57/100)
Pays off your instant-and-sorcery engine (26 producers). Top-5% staple by play data. Chases the same instant-and-sorcery plan as your commanders.
Save a copy to try them. The editor's Improve list has these and more, with the swaps one click each.
Decklist
Commander 1
Creatures 21
- B
- C+
- B
- B
- C
- C+
- B-
- B-
- B
- A-
- B+
- B
- A-
- B
- B-
- B
- B
- B
- B+
- A-
- B
Planeswalkers 1
- B
Instants 25
- B
- B+
- B
- B+
- B+
- B
- B+
- B-
- B+
- B
- C+
- B
- B+
- A-
- B-
- A-
- B+
- A-
- B+
- B
- B
- B
- B-
- A-
- B+
Sorceries 1
- C+
Artifacts 7
- B-
- B+
- B
- A-
- A-
- A-
- A-
Enchantments 6
- B
- B+
- B-
- B+
- C+
- B
Lands 38
- B
- B
- B
- B
- B
- B
- B
- B
- B
- B
- B+
- B+
- B
- B+
- B+
- B
- B+
- B
- B
- B
- B×3
- B×3
- B×2
- B×2
- B×2
- B
- B×2
- B×2
- B
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