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Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep

CMR · uncommon · Released 2020-11-20

Power

brawl
tier-2tier-1Game-defining
commander
tier-2tier-1Game-defining

Tier shown as baseline → best-case (in its ideal shell).

Derived from the 7 atoms below.

on

on rate

incremental

minor value alone

synergy

wants support

takes over

can take over a game

flexible

multiple modes

broad

broadly useful

fragile

easily answered

Commander Bracket

1Precon2Core3Upgraded4Optimized5cEDH

Archetypes

positive:
controlmerfolk
negative:
aggrotokens-go-wide

Roles

top-end-finishermass-bounceboardwipe-asymmetricmidrange-threat

Risks

slow-setuppip-heavycounter-vulnerablesorcery-speed-only

Mechanics

mech-kicker

Typal

synergy:
merfolkkrakenleviathanserpent
anti:

Structural

kickertriggered-ability

Rationale

Slinn Voda is an 8cmc 8/8 Leviathan that, when kicked for an additional {1}{U}, bounces all creatures except Merfolk, Krakens, Leviathans, Octopuses, and Serpents — a massive asymmetric board wipe-by-bounce that resets the table while leaving select tribal creatures intact. It's a premier top-end finisher in Merfolk tribal and blue sea-creature shells, and a powerful control finisher whenever the board needs clearing. Without the kicker it's just a vanilla 8/8, making it awkward outside tribal contexts at 10-mana kicked cost.

Learnings (3)

  • The kicker cost brings the total mana investment to {7}{U}{U}{U} (9 mana, 3 blue pips), which is extremely demanding — in non-merfolk shells this nearly always means waiting until late game with mana open, telegraphing the play heavily.

    tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6

  • Slinn Voda's bounce exemption covers five creature types (Merfolk, Krakens, Leviathans, Octopuses, Serpents), making it uniquely strong as both a Merfolk tribal piece AND a Sea Monsters / Simic sea-creature top-end finisher — it protects the whole 'blue sea creature' genre.

    tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6

  • Without the kicker, Slinn Voda is a vanilla 8/8 with no evasion, which is below rate for 8 mana in Commander; the card is essentially unplayable without planning to kick it.

    tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6

Popularity

  • EDHREC rank: #4,407