Heliod, the Radiant Dawn
[[Heliod, the Radiant Dawn]] turns everything you know about cEDH on its head. We want our opponents to draw cards and to try to win the game. Our power comes from flipping our commander into [[Heliod, the Warped Eclipse]], allowing us to play at instant speed on top of anything our opponents do for what can often be dramatically reduced mana costs. This creates a highly interactive and stack management-intensive playstyle, one that requires precision timing by both us and our opponents.
This deck is ideal for players who enjoy winning on top of opponents’ wins on their turns, navigating deep & intricate stack battles, and piecing together wins with modular combos.
Why Play Heliod, the Radiant Dawn?
Strengths:
Reactive Gameplay: You can respond effectively to threats with Heliod flipped, often casting spells for free or reduced costs.
Interaction Point Complexity: Getting flooded with cards while mana advantage ebbs away can be an alien experience for most opponents. It’s made even stranger by the ways the deck abuses timing restrictions, distorting their expectations of how a counter war should be fought. This is our home turf, and we know how to exploit their every mistake.
High Skill Ceiling: Offers rewarding gameplay for experienced pilots who enjoy managing resources and timing.
Weaknesses:
Slow Early Game: Our flipped commander costs a total of seven mana and may be seen as kill-on-sight. That’s a lot of mana for an Azorius deck to generate, and then we need the mana to protect him. Our game plan requires careful setup.
Commander Dependency: Flipping Heliod is a key part of the strategy, so removal or disruption is a substantial setback.
Steep Learning Curve: Success depends on timing interactions and balancing proactive and reactive plays.
Game Plan
The game plan can be divided into three stages:
Early Game
The early game focuses on setting up mana and card advantage to prepare for flipping Heliod.
Key Priorities:
Ramp with cards like [[Sol Ring]], [[Arcane Signet]], and [[Talisman of Progress]].
Establish value engines like [[Mystic Remora]], [[Rhystic Study]], and [[Esper Sentinel]] to keep your hand stocked.
Protect your position with cheap interaction such as [[Swords to Plowshares]] and [[Swan Song]].
The early game typically concludes when Heliod flips. Avoid flipping him prematurely unless you have mana to capitalize on his cost-reduction ability.
Mid Game
Once Heliod flips, the deck shifts to a reactive strategy, disrupting opponents while assembling combo pieces. Heliod’s cost reduction allows you to efficiently interact and develop your board state.
Key Goals:
Protect Heliod with counterspells or bounce effects to maintain your cost-reduction engine.
Use Heliod’s synergy with opponents’ card draw to cast spells and activate abilities at reduced costs.
Begin assembling your win conditions, leveraging Heliod’s efficiency to find and play key pieces.
End Game
The deck typically waits for another player to present a win that the other opponents are unable to stop. In response, we proceed to execute our combo at instant speed on the top of the stack.
Combo Lines
[[Capsize]] Loops
Requirements: [[Capsize]], a mana rock that can pay a [[symbol:u]][[symbol:u]][[symbol:u]] cost such as [[Gilded Lotus]] and Heliod cost reduction sufficient to recast the rock for free.
Tap the mana rock to cast [[Capsize]], targeting the mana rock, paying the buyback cost.
Recast the mana rock for [[symbol:0]].
Repeat the loop, generating infinite mana.
Repeatedly cast [[Capsize]], paying the buyback to return as many of your opponents’ permanents to their hands as you want.
If you are looping [[Coveted Jewel]] or [[Chromatic Orrery]] or have access to another draw trigger generator, proceed to draw into an outlet like [[Glaring Fleshraker]] or [[Blind Obedience]] to win the game.
Kitten Teferi Loops
Requirements: [[Displacer Kitten]], [[Teferi, Time Raveler]], and a mana neutral non-creature permanent such as [[Sol Ring]]
With [[Teferi, Time Raveler]] and [[Displacer Kitten]] on the battlefield, tap sol ring for [[symbol:2]].
Activate [[Teferi, Time Raveler]], targeting [[Sol Ring]].
Resolve the ability, returning [[Sol Ring]] to hand and drawing a card.
Cast [[Sol Ring]], triggering [[Displacer Kitten]].
Target [[Teferi, Time Raveler]] with the trigger.
Resolve the trigger, [[Teferi, Time Raveler]] re-entering as a new instance with reset loyalty.
Activate [[Teferi, Time Raveler]], targeting [[Sol Ring]].
Repeat the loop to generate a [[symbol:1]] and draw a card each time.
[[Hullbreaker Horror]]
Requirements: [[Hullbreaker Horror]], two collectively mana positive non-creature permanents such as [[Sol Ring]] and [[Mox Opal]].
Steps:
Tap [[Sol Ring]] for [[symbol:2]].
Cast [[Mox Opal]] and target [[Sol Ring]] with the [[Hullbreaker Horror]] trigger.
Tap [[Mox Opal]] for [[symbol:u]] or [[symbol:w]].
Cast [[Sol Ring]] and target [[Mox Opal]] with the [[Hullbreaker Horror]] trigger.
Repeat for [[symbol:infinity-w]][[symbol:infinity-u]][[symbol:infinity-c]].
Win Conditions
Infinite Cast Triggers
Requirements:
Infinite [[symbol:w]] or infinite mana of any color and [[Chromatic Orrery]],
[[Blind Obedience]]
Infinite spell cast triggers
Execution:
Cast a spell, paying the extort cost
Repeat to drain the table
Infinite Mana
Requirements:
Infinite mana
Outlets like [[Even the Score]], [[Drown in Dreams]], or [[Walking Ballista]]
Execution:
Cast the spell for infinite damage or infinite draw
Mulligan Guide
A good starting hand will include:
Ramp: [[Sol Ring]], [[Talisman of Progress]], or other early mana sources.
Value Engines: [[Mystic Remora]] or [[Esper Sentinel]] ensure card advantage.
Interaction: Keep one or two pieces of removal or counterspells to protect your setup.
[[Smothering Tithe]]: a source of game-winning advantage in any deck. For us, it’s among the most threatening cards we can play.
Avoid hands with high-cost cards and no early ramp, as they will leave you unable to establish a board presence or interact effectively.
Conclusion
Heliod, the Radiant Dawn is a powerful, interactive cEDH deck that thrives on precision play and flexible win conditions. Its unique mechanics create a dynamic experience, making it a rewarding choice for players who enjoy solving complex puzzles and casting spells with efficiency. While it requires practice to master, its explosive mid-to-late game potential makes it a formidable contender in any pod.
References:
God of Timing and Priority
