How Good Is Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief in EDH? 🛠 Magic: The Gathering

Summary

In this video, Commander Mechanic Chris explores the strategic potential of the card Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief, from Dominaria United. He discusses her ability to copy spells targeting creatures, the synergy with mutate and bestow mechanics, and how to maximize spell duplication with cards like Irenicus's Vile Duplication. The deck tech focuses on low-cost spells for efficient casting and copying, with a game plan centered around combat damage and enchantments for exponential growth. Chris also highlights tech cards for token manipulation and board control, offering a budget-friendly build under $200 through Moxfield.

Takeaways

• 🛠 Chris is a Commander Mechanic who is excited about the card Ivy Gleeful Spellthief from Dominaria United.
• 🧝 Ivy is a 2-mana 2/1 Faerie Rogue with flying that can copy spells targeting another creature, with the copy targeting Ivy instead.
• 📜 Copies of aura spells or any permanent spells become tokens, which can lead to a significant number of permanents on the battlefield.
• 🔄 Ivy's copying ability interacts with the Mutate mechanic, allowing for powerful combinations that can enhance creatures' abilities.
• 🌟 The original Ivy in a stack of mutated creatures determines the commander, meaning it retains its identity for damage purposes.
• 🎁 The Bestow mechanic synergizes with Ivy, providing board wipe protection and additional power on the battlefield.
• 🔄 Chris suggests using cards like Irenicus's Vile Duplication, Spark Double, and Vesuvan Duplemancy to make non-legendary copies of Ivy for more spell copying.
• 🗝 Twinning Staff and Errant Street Artist are highlighted as ways to copy Ivy's copies, further enhancing the deck's spell duplication strategy.
• 🃏 Archmage Emeritus is used to draw cards when casting or copying instants or sorceries, emphasizing the importance of low-cost spells.
• 🗡 The deck focuses on combat damage strategies, with Nylea's Colossus as a key card for exponential growth through its Constellation ability.
• 🌲 Jaheira, Friend of the Forest, is a tech inclusion that allows for generating mana by tapping any token, including aura tokens.
• 🛡 It's important to play cautiously with Ivy, ensuring protection from removal and having other creatures to target spells before Ivy is played.
• 🔄 Token doublers like Parallel Lives, Doubling Season, Adrix, and Nev are mentioned as upgrades for the deck to further increase the number of copies.

Q & A

Who is the speaker in the video script?

The speaker in the video script is Chris, who refers to himself as 'YOUR Commander Mechanic'.

What is the main character in the script that Chris is smitten with?

Chris is smitten with Ivy Gleeful Spellthief, a character revealed in Dominaria United.

What unique ability does Ivy Gleeful Spellthief have in the game?

Ivy Gleeful Spellthief has the ability to copy spells that target only a single creature other than herself.

What is the significance of the reminder text for a copy of an aura spell?

The reminder text is significant because a copy of an aura spell, or any permanent spell, becomes a token.

How does the mutate mechanic interact with Ivy's ability?

When a mutate creature spell is cast, Ivy's ability triggers, allowing you to get a token copy of the mutated creature that can be placed over or under Ivy.

What happens when you mutate a creature over Ivy?

When you mutate a creature over Ivy, the resulting creature has the mutated creature's name, power, toughness, and the abilities of both creatures.

What is the importance of the original Ivy's position in a stack of mutated creatures?

The original Ivy's position in a stack of mutated creatures determines the amalgamation that acts as your commander, which is important for dealing commander damage regardless of its new name.

How does the Bestow mechanic work with Ivy?

The Bestow mechanic can be cast on a creature to give it +4/+2, with a token copy targeting Ivy. If the creature with Bestow leaves the battlefield, the Bestow effect stays in play as a creature.

What is Irenicus's Vile Duplication and how does it relate to Ivy?

Irenicus's Vile Duplication is a card that targets a creature other than Ivy to make a non-legendary copy, which is useful for copying spells again in the deck.

What is the strategy for winning with Ivy in the deck?

The strategy for winning with Ivy is largely combat damage-centric, using creatures like Nylea's Colossus and taking advantage of the Constellation ability to grow Ivy's power exponentially.

What is the role of Jaheira, Friend of the Forest in the deck?

Jaheira, Friend of the Forest allows you to tap any token for green mana, including aura tokens, providing a unique way to generate mana.

What is the deck's approach to ramping mana?

The deck features on-brand ramping options, such as Jaheira, Friend of the Forest, and focuses on playing low-cost spells to simplify ramping.

How does the deck protect Ivy from removal?

The deck suggests holding cards like Blossoming Defense or Tamiyo's Safekeeping to protect Ivy from an initial barrage of removal spells.

What are some ways to double token copies in the deck?

Token doublers like Parallel Lives, Doubling Season, and cards featuring Adrix and Nev are used to copy token copies in the deck.

How can one access the full list of the deck?

The full list of the deck can be accessed by visiting the sponsor Moxfield, a deck building platform.