Non-Singleton

Non-singleton is a unique deck archetype that evades the typical Commander rules that restrict players from using more than one copy of any card (excluding basic lands) in their deck by using cards that state otherwise in their rules. Non-singleton cards specifically allow a deck to contain any number (or up to a specific number) of copies of that card. Non-singleton decks still must conform to other Commander deckbuilding restrictions, including an exactly 100-card deck.

**Non-Singleton cards include:**

* Shadowborn Apostle
* Relentless Rats
* Rat Colony
* Persistent Petitioners
* Seven Dwarves

## **Strategy**

Non-singleton decks are able to utilize a number of cards that provide no benefit to other Commander decks, particularly cards that mention cards 'of the same name'. When used in decks that contain over 20 or 30 copies of the same card, these effects can become overwhelmingly powerful in games of Commander.

* Thrumming Stone
* Remembrance
* Secret Salvage
* Bloodbond March
* Doubling Chant
* Echoing Return

Additionally, because non-singleton decks contain so many cards of the same name and creature types, some non-singleton decks also make use of Tribal cards such as {{card|Coat of Arms, Kindred Discovery, or Kindred Dominance to take advantage of their creatures' shared characteristics.

However, non-singleton decks may also occasionally become less effective with or more vulnerable to other popular cards in the format. Popular cards like Guardian Project, for instance lose their efficacy with creatures that share names, and opponents playing removal cards such as Maelstrom Pulse or Detention Sphere will stop the non-singleton player in their tracks.

## **Common Deck Categories**

Despite suggesting uniquely useful cards for non-singleton decks, the actual categories of cards such a deck will want will depend on what archetype the actual non-singleton card mimics:

* **Persistent Petitioners** plays as a variant on your typical Mill or even Self-Mill deck.
* **Relentless Rats** and **Rat Colony** decks due to their density of aggressive creatures play like an Aggro or Tribal deck.
* **Shadowborn Apostle** with it's tendency to sacrifice creatures can play like Aristocrats or it's ability to produce large threats early can take cues from Voltron or Reanimator.

## **Strengths and Weaknesses**

### **Strengths**

* Non-singleton is an extremely unique archetype that makes use of cards no other deck can utilize, which may often produce powerful and unexpected game states that opponents are unprepared to deal with.

* Non-singleton decks tend to be Commander-Agnostic, able to adapt to many different color combinations without relying on a specific commander or color identity.

* Because these decks contain so many copies of the same card, they tend to be much more consistent than other archetypes, able to establish similar play patterns from game to game.

### **Weaknesses**

* Though non-singleton gameplay is consistent, it can also become repetitive. Players who enjoy the high variance of Commander gameplay may not enjoy the linearity of this archetype.

* Because all non-singleton cards printed thus far are creatures, these decks are highly board-reliant. Like Tribal or aggro decks, they may be severely set back by mass removal.

* Finding a balance of non-singleton cards within the deck can be a difficult exercise, particularly because it leaves so little room for other cards in the deck. Non-singleton decks may find themselves unable to use many extremely powerful Commander cards to ensure they have enough card slots in their deck devoted to their non-singleton creatures.

* Cards that effect other cards by name have a much larger than normal effect, potentially shutting down the entire deck as opposed to just one creature. Some of the most common of these are: Phyrexian Revoker, Detention Sphere, Evil Twin, Pithing Needle, Godsend, Echoing Truth and Nevermore

**References:**

* EDHREC Shadowborn Apostle theme
* EDHREC Relentless Rats theme
* EDHREC Rat Colony theme
* EDHREC Persistent Petitioners theme