Magic Monday: Snake Charmer

It's been a while since I've written a deck list for Magic: The Gathering. The trouble is, when I get started on one deck, I find ideas to refine or build so many other decks along the way that sometimes nothing winds up getting finished. For example, I've reworked this deck a bit more today while planning a completely different deck that may or may not actually get started tonight. I decided to share the revised list and some thoughts on the process.

I shared the Snake Charmer decklist on Moxfield, which I still prefer to TappedOut, but may not be the best list-builder out there.

This is a significant update of a deck I have been tinkering with off and on for a while. I wrote about it way back in 2021. The commander remains Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons, but I no longer run The Gitrog Monster in this deck, and should build something specifically suited to his broken mechanics. NO MORE DISTRACTIONS YET! Instead, I added Fynn, the Fangbearer as a secret backup commander and supporting card.

As for the rest of the deck, I added more non-basic lands and probably replaced about half of the cards that were there almost 4 years ago. This kind of overhaul is part of building any Commander deck from scratch in my experience. Cards that seemed like a good fit don't work out. Cool cards have such a high mana cost that they don't see play even if they are drawn. People share ideas in person or online based on the theme, giving new ideas for refining the deck. New cards get printed. It's an ongoing process, and no end is in sight.

However, as the deck becomes more and more cohesive, fewer and fewer cards feel out-of-place or underpowered, and it eventually approaches "done." I still have a half-dozen or so cards in this version of the deck which might see replacement, but I'm happy with this deck overall now. Specifically, I think I may replace Pharika, Gift of Paradise, New Horizons, and Verdant Haven with artifacts and enchantments which protect and enhance Hapatra. Magebane Armor and Illusionist's Bracers come to mind. I'm open to your suggestions, too.

This is a decidedly casual deck. Mana ramp is minimal, scry/draw/tutoring is basically nonexistent, combo wins are not in the game plan. However, this can generate a lot of snake tokens to keep my opponents on the ropes and give me a good chance to win through good ol' honest combat.

Ha! Who am I kidding? Fynn and Triumph of the Hordes mean I'm trying to win in the saltiest way through secret infect. The threat of poison counters guarantee I'll become the Archenemy if I reveal that aspect too soon.