Archidekt Contest Rewards Players for Flexing Commander Deckbuilding Skills

Last updated on March 7, 2025

Trivia Contest | Illustration by Caroline Gariba

Ever wanted to win store credit for doing something you'd do anyways (i.e. build EDH decks)? Archidekt has you covered, as they are running a promo with EDHREC that will feature monthly deckbuilding contests. This Archidekt Deckbuilding Contest will feature a different deckbuilding theme each month, allowing participants to flex their creative muscles.

For context, your goal for the contest will be to build a Commander-legal deck that fulfills the prompt in a creative or unique fashion. At the end of each month, three finalists will be selected for you to vote on at EDHREC. Whoever gets the most votes will be crowned the winner, although all three finalists receive a prize.

March's Contest

At the beginning of last month, Gavin Verhey introduced the Commander Brackets Beta, a tiered system for Commander deck analysis. The most resent iteration of this contest will focus specifically on your wildest, most creative Exhibition (Bracket 1) decks. Think lower power level, with a strong commitment to a theme and perhaps some (highly convoluted) combos, as you won't be able to use tutors or two-card combos in this bracket.

Notably, this bracket allows for no Game Changers, so leave Thassa's Oracle at home for this one.

How to Participate

• Brew an EDH/Commander legal deck on Archidekt that satisfies the prompt.
• Any unreleased cards spoiled during the contest’s duration are allowed.
• Silver-bordered and acorn cards, while cool, are not allowed.
• Digital-only cards (such as those designed for the Alchemy format on Arena) are not allowed.
• Strictly one deck submitted per user.

What Kind of Prizes Can You Win?

The official prize info for the contest is as follows:

“On Wednesday, March 19, 2025, we’ll announce three finalists via the Archidekt Discord and a brief article on EDHREC highlighting each deck.

Each finalist will be awarded credit on cardsphere.com. The value of the credit is in US dollars and depends on the finalist's placement in deck upvotes at the end of the week-long polling period”:

• 1st Place Prize – $250
• 2nd Place Prize – $150
• 3rd Place Prize – $100

Should You Participate?

Yes Man, Personal Securitron | Illustration by Dan Scott

Yes of course! If you are already into building EDH decks, this is an easy way to potentially win some real prizes while engaging in a fun deckbuilding exercise. Just keep in mind that Bracket 1 should be fairly low power level, below your average precon in fact!

For inspiration, check out this “Plague Auras” deck that won February's competition, which had the deckbuilding stipulation of building a 2-color deck with a theme atypical of that color combination. January's stipulation asked people to brew around turning a commander's drawback into a strength for the deck. For additional inquiries, check out Archidekt's Discord server.