The Beast Within that Radiated Love at the Target of the World

This deck was initially inspired by and built for Emrakul's Evangel to transform a large army of small tokens into Eldrazi Horrors. Descent of the Dragons turns them into Dragons, and also targets opponents' creatures.

The deck was rebuilt around Ink-Treader Nephilim, Zada, Hedron Grinder, Mirrorwing Dragon, and Radiate, which can transform all creatures when casting Mercy Killing, Pongify, Rapid Hybridization, Beast Within, or Polymorph. They also enable a lot of interesting plays with cantrips, stealing, and untapping, letting you dig for wincons like a Storm deck.

With General Tazri as your commander, you can reliably find Zada, Hedron Grinder, and Ally tribal synergies become viable. Polymorph triggers a Scapeshift of Allies, while mass recursion returns the creatures you sacrificed or destroyed like a Living Death. Token-doubling enchantments, stealing opponents' creatures, and Polymorphous Rushing your creatures to provide value on dying means this process puts you much further ahead than opponents.

The final product is a Rube-Goldberg machine where you might transform creatures several times and copy multiple spells to generate a winning boardstate.

  1. General Tazri can tutor Zada, Hedron Grinder (also Ink-Treader Nephilim or Mirrorwing Dragon if you have Arcane Adaptation choosing Ally). Green Sun's Zenith finds Ink-Treader Nephilim, Emrakul's Evangel, or mana creatures like Bloom Tender and Harabaz Druid. Wargate finds Gaea's Cradle, Growing Rites of Itlimoc  , Arcane Adaptation, or any other permanent.

  2. Increase creature count by making tokens, animating lands with Natural Affinity, or stealing creatures by using Kari Zev's Expertise with Ink-Treader Nephilim or Radiate. Ink-Treader Nephilim + Willbreaker allows you to steal creatures by targeting Ink-Treader Nephilim with any spell as long as Willbreaker doesn't die before the stolen creatures. Natural Affinity allows even lands to be stolen by Kari Zev's Expertise or Willbreaker. Silverfur Partisan doubles our Wolves each time you cast a targeted spell.

  3. Polymorphous Rush + Silverfur Partisan gets really ridiculous, by casting Polymorphous Rush targeting Zada, Hedron Grinder, Mirrorwing Dragon, or Ink-Treader Nephilim choosing itself (so it doesn't transform), then choosing Silverfur Partisan for all the copies of Polymorphous Rush. Targeting Zada, Hedron Grinder, Mirrorwing Dragon, or Ink-Treader Nephilim with more instants after all your other creatures become Silverfur Partisans makes lots of Wolves. Transforming just 3 other creatures into Silverfur Partisans will create 96 more Wolves after 2 targeted spells on each creature. Arcane Adaptation choosing Wolf gives you a higher starting number of Wolves to multiply. Choosing Ally for Arcane Adaptation + Turntimber Ranger can create infinite 2/2 Wolf Ally tokens, although it is also useful to stop once you have as many creatures as our library size so you can draw your library with a cantrip targeting Zada, Hedron Grinder or Mirrorwing Dragon.

  4. Give your creatures persist with Cauldron of Souls. Or prepare to bring them back from the dead with Faith's Reward or Thrilling Encore.

  5. Target Zada, Hedron Grinder, Mirrorwing Dragon, or Ink-Treader Nephilim with cantrips like Expedite, Crimson Wisps, and Cerulean Wisps to draw cards and find any missing pieces. Swell of Growth ramps you by putting into play all the lands drawn. Crypsis, Cerulean Wisps and Kari Zev's Expertise can untap all your mana creatures to extend the combo, and untap Sea Gate Loremaster for more card draw. Targeting Ink-Treader Nephilim with Kari Zev's Expertise also steals opponents' creatures while casting other cheap spells for free. Animating lands with Natural Affinity means they also get untapped and stolen. Harabaz Druid + Polymorphous Rush can turn a few of your creatures into Harabaz Druid for a massive amount of mana, and being tapped isn't an issue as they will be transformed into other creatures later. This is mana positive if we turn at least 2 other creatures into Harabaz Druid, even if we have no other Allies.

  6. Fiery Gambit with Zada, Hedron Grinder, Mirrorwing Dragon, Ink-Treader Nephilim, or Radiate draws cards and untaps lands, with a 66% chance of drawing 9 or more cards if there are 8 copies of the spell from 8 potential targets, at the cost of killing about 10% of your creatures if you haven't pumped them, although you can target opponents' creatures first, and choose to keep flipping coins until you lose to preserve certain creatures.

  1. Glaring Spotlight ensures that all opponents' creatures are transformed, and afterwards makes your transformed army unblockable.

  2. For even more tokens from the transformation, cast Otherworldly Outburst targeting Zada, Hedron Grinder, Mirrorwing Dragon, or Ink-Treader Nephilim. Polymorphous Rush + Reef Worm also works by turning all your creatures into Reef Worm or its Fish or Whale tokens to leave you with Fishes or Whales or Krakens. Cauldron of Souls + Willbreaker steals all opponents' creatures temporarily to use as sacrifice fodder, and if done the turn before you sacrifice them, those creatures will not return under opponents' control. Descent of the Dragons + Willbreaker turns everyone's creatures into your Dragons. Make Mischief after Mercy Killing on Ink-Treader Nephilim turns everyone's Elves into your Devils.

  3. Sacrifice your creatures to Emrakul's Evangel, destroy all creatures with Descent of the Dragons, or copy the targeted transforming spells with Radiate, Zada, Hedron Grinder, Mirrorwing Dragon, or Ink-Treader Nephilim. Anointed Procession, Parallel Lives, and Doubling Season will give you a bigger army than what your opponents get. When you Radiate Beast Within, the initial target should be your token-doubling enchantment so you get the most Beast tokens. Beast Within + Radiate also removes all lands, artifacts, enchantments, and planeswalkers, so opponents can't fight back.

  4. You can even stack the token generation by targeting Zada, Hedron Grinder or Mirrorwing Dragon with Pongify, Rapid Hybridization, or Beast Within after you have the Elves from Mercy Killing (but before Zada dies), or by casting Descent of the Dragons or activating Emrakul's Evangel to transform the Elves. Comboing any of those with token-doublers can multiply your army fourfold or sixteenfold or more, and also upgrades the tokens from Elenda, the Dusk Rose and Reef Worm. Fresh Meat at the end turns dead creatures into Beasts, especially if there were multiple rounds of death and sacrifice, and if you have token-doublers.

  5. Polymorph targeting Zada, Hedron Grinder or Mirrorwing Dragon can transform your creatures into a Scapeshift of Allies from your library, which should deal lethal damage with Purphoros, God of the Forge,Hagra Diabolist, and Kalastria Healer if you have 20 or more creatures to Polymorph into all the remaining creatures in your library, depending on the order they are put into play. Targeting Ink-Treader Nephilim with Polymorph is also fine if opponents have few or no creatures in play or in their libraries, or you are certain you can deal lethal damage without worrying about any creatures opponents might get, or you intend to steal their Polymorphed creatures.

  6. Your creatures dying triggers Zulaport Cutthroat to drain opponents. Polymorphous Rush + Zulaport Cutthroat is lethal for opponents with 9 Zulaport Cutthroats killed sequentially (or 7 Zulaport Cutthroats killed simultaneously, which makes it a good response to boardwipes). The Devils from Make Mischief also burn opponents when they die. Pitiless Plunderer gives you Treasure tokens so you can cast even more cantrips and transforming spells. Fresh Meat gives you Beasts for each of your creatures that died that turn, even more if there were multiple rounds of creatures dying.

  1. Your creatures come back from the graveyard to the battlefield as their original selves, triggering their abilities. Purphoros, God of the Forge, Hagra Diabolist, and Kalastria Healer deal heavy damage to opponents, possibly killing them. Chasm Guide grants haste. Tajuru Warcaller pumps all your creatures massively. General Tazri tutors any missing Ally.

  2. Lands come back from the graveyard if they were animated or if you used Faith's Reward, which ramps your mana and triggers Retreat to Emeria to give you even more Ally tokens or pump your creatures further. You can sacrifice the Treasure from Pitiless Plunderer to cast General Tazri from the command zone to tutor any missing Allies (or any other creature if you have Arcane Adaptation choosing Ally).

  3. Targeting Zada, Hedron Grinder, Mirrorwing Dragon, or Ink-Treader Nephilim with Heat Shimmer multiplies your Allies for even more triggers, and Polymorphous Rush turns your army into Hagra Diabolists, Kalastria Healers, Turntimber Rangers, or Tajuru Warcallers to trigger by summoning more Allies. Targeting them with Swell of Growth pumps your creatures, Crimson Wisps or Expedite give your creatures haste, and Slip Through Space or Crypsis make your creatures unblockable, but be careful not to draw more cards than your library size. Shadow Rift grants evasion if targeting Zada, Hedron Grinder or Mirrorwing Dragon (not Ink-Treader Nephilim, although that can give opponents' creatures shadow before you sacrifice yours to make non-shadow tokens they can't block). If you have Arcane Adaptation choosing Ally, General Tazri can pump all your creatures, and Turntimber Ranger makes infinite Wolf Allies that deal infinite damage if you also have Hagra Diabolist, Kalastria Healer, Purphoros, God of the Forge, or Chasm Guide.

  4. With 30 potential targets, Fiery Gambit has a 65% chance of dealing 42 damage to each opponent and winning the game outright, if you only flip the coin up to twice for each copy. Alternatively, you can flip the coin up to thrice per copy for a 53% chance of drawing 36 or more cards and untapping all your lands (while still dealing 21 damage to each opponent), so you can find other ways to win.

  5. If any opponents are still alive, attack for the win.

There are many alternative card choices for this deck. It is quite possible to drop the handful of black cards and use Ink-Treader Nephilim as commander, if legality is not a concern. This also allows you to switch to a 4-color mana base instead.

Chaos Warp can also act like Polymorph with help from Ink-Treader Nephilim, Zada, Hedron Grinder, Mirrorwing Dragon, or Radiate, but also finds non-creature permanents like a Primal Surge. This should replenish your mana by putting into play lands, mana rocks, and possibly mana creatures with Chasm Guide for haste, and Sea Gate Loremaster for card draw. It does require a very large number of targets to get good value out of it, because although it starts out with about 70% chance of putting a permanent into play, the probability gets lower as more permanents are taken out of the library and put into play.

Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer can turn all your tokens into another creature if you have Heat Shimmered that creature. Divine Visitation turns all your tokens into Serra Angels.

Twinflame and Cackling Counterpart can become Clone Legion when targeting Zada, Hedron Grinder or Mirrorwing Dragon, but can't copy opponents' creatures when targeting Ink-Treader Nephilim unlike Heat Shimmer. Fated Infatuation is harder to cast but will also scry very deep into your deck. Spitting Image costs a lot of mana but gets exponential if retraced, especially with token-doubling enchantments. Rite of Replication permanently copies creatures, and if kicked targeting Ink-Treader Nephilim is like casting Clone Legion 5 times for each player. Supplant Form targeting Ink-Treader Nephilim essentially gives you control of everyone's creatures, and flickers our Allies for their triggered abilities while bouncing the originals so you can cast them to trigger even more. Quasiduplicate is a reusable copy effect. Mark of Mutiny and Besmirch also steal opponents' creatures and give all creatures haste.

Crafty Cutpurse can turn all tokens created into your tokens, by flashing it in or by killing the Cutpurse and reanimating it with Cauldron of Souls or Thrilling Encore.

Conqueror's Pledge, Increasing Devotion, Nomads' Assembly, and Deploy to the Front can make an army of tokens quickly. Chasm Skulker and The Locust God create lots of Insects and Squids thanks to your cantrips. Spawning Breath is also a good followup to Mercy Killing on Ink-Treader Nephilim, turning everyone's Elves into our Eldrazi Spawn for further transformation or mana. Launch the Fleet can multiply your army when you attack. Empty the Warrens potentially makes a lot of Goblins during the turn you go off. Mitotic Slime splits into more and more tokens when you transform it. Gutter Grime can generate very big Ooze tokens especially with Doubling Season to double the slime counters. Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper and Ogre Slumlord also generate lots of tokens from nontoken creatures dying. Requiem Angel generates lots of tokens from both token and nontoken creatures dying. Tooth and Claw gives infinite ETB triggers with one token-doubling enchantment in play, and makes infinite tokens with two token-doubling enchantments.

Primal Vigor appears to be a double-edged sword compared to Doubling Season since it gives opponents double the tokens as well, but it is superior if you can steal all those tokens afterwards. Gather Specimens steals all opponents' tokens when you cast Descent of the Dragons or target Ink-Treader Nephilim with removal.

Hellion Eruption also works like Emrakul's Evangel.

Contract Killing can transform all creatures into your Treasure, which is good for comboing off if you can recur or summon creatures and generate tokens after that. Battle Hymn gives you mana for each of your creatures without killing them. Jeskai Ascendancy untaps mana creatures so you can keep casting spells, while pumping your creatures and looting for cards. Sylvan Awakening also animates your lands so they can be untapped by Jeskai Ascendancy. Paradox Engine untaps your creatures and mana rocks. Twitch can also untap lands and artifacts and draw cards for each of those, making it amazing with Radiate (although untapping opponents' permanents can be risky).

Alternative ramp cards to consider are Gemhide Sliver, Manaweft Sliver, Sylvan Caryatid, Fellwar Stone, Cryptolith Rite, Knotvine Mystic, Xenagos, the Reveler, Pir's Whim, Tempt with Discovery, Coalition Relic, Utopia Sprawl, Wild Growth, Mirari's Wake, and Seedguide Ash.

Graceful Reprieve and Reincarnation become mass recursion when targeting Zada, Hedron Grinder or Mirrorwing Dragon, with Reincarnation having the advantage of reanimating any creature in your graveyard even when a token dies. Cauldron Haze targeting Zada, Hedron Grinder or Mirrorwing Dragon can give your creatures persist. Mikaeus, the Unhallowed recurs all your non-Humans. Rally the Ancestors easily reanimates all your creatures since their mana costs are low. Patriarch's Bidding choosing Ally also works if you don't expect opponents to have tribal decks, or aren't worried about them. Second Sunrise also helps opponents bring back their permanents, which can be exploited if you have Tuktuk Scrapper to burn them.

Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite makes opponents' tokens much smaller and yours much bigger. Opponents' Elves all die after Mercy Killing, and they will have no lands after Natural Affinity.

Vela the Night-Clad acts as a counterpart to Purphoros, God of the Forge, while also making your Eldrazi Horrors unblockable.

Legion Loyalist is an interesting source of evasion if you can transform all opponents' creatures into tokens. Champion of Lambholt is also great. Stun is a cantrip that makes your creatures unblockable if it targets Ink-Treader Nephilim.

Accelerate gives your creatures haste while drawing cards.

Might of the Masses and Sigil Blessing pump your creatures by a lot. Rally the Righteous pumps them a lot and untaps them. Blossoming Defense and Vines of Vastwood pumps them while granting hexproof. Confront the Unknown also pumps them while generating Clue tokens. Wild Defiance turns other targeted spells into Giant Growths. Cathars' Crusade is an easy way to grow your creatures when lots of them enter play.

Tuktuk Scrapper deals more damage to opponents while destroying problematic artifacts. Ondu Cleric gives massive amounts of life. Halimar Excavator mills out opponents instead of burning. Bala Ged Thief discards opponents' hands. Agadeem Occultist brings back opponents' creatures under your control. Kor Entanglers taps opponents' creatures so you can attack without getting blocked. Hero of Goma Fada makes your creatures indestructible so your spells create tokens without destroying the original creatures, but this also means they don't go to the graveyard so you can't reanimate them to trigger their abilities again. Jwari Shapeshifter can copy any Ally creature you have.

Ember-Fist Zubera can deal a lot of damage if copied with Polymorphous Rush before sacrificing all of them to Emrakul's Evangel or Descent of the Dragons.

Dovescape prevents players from casting noncreature spells and generates lots of Birds, but the copies from spells targeting Zada, Hedron Grinder, Mirrorwing Dragon, or Ink-Treader Nephilim don't get countered, which you can use to your advantage.

Kira, Great Glass-Spinner prevents your creatures from dying to the first targeted spell, so you can target Ink-Treader Nephilim for a one-sided boardwipe. Nivmagus Elemental is even better as it allows you to choose which spells resolve and which don't by exiling any of the copied spells, so every spell you cast is to your advantage, with no collateral damage to the creatures you want to keep.

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