Hello Everyone! I'm Levi from The Thought Vessel, and this week we're back with our Commander Kryptonite series, featuring one heck of an aggro commander--Isshin, Two Heavens as One. This is an incredibly powerful and popular commander with nearly 20,000 reported decks to its name over the past two years. But before we dive into the deck as a whole, let's take a closer look at Isshin.

The Commander

Isshin, Two Heavens as One is an interesting commander from the Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty set. Isshin doubles up on attack triggers, earning the nickname "Painharmonicon." While doubling effects have become a common design trend, Wizards of the Coast released a similar commander--Wulfgar of Icewind Dale--about 18 months earlier in Adventures in the Forgotten Realms. However, Isshin sets itself apart by living in the Mardu color identity (red, White, and Black), which provides a lower curve and a faster, more aggressive playstyle compared to Wulfgar. There's no secret strategy here--Isshin wants to attack early and often.

The Deck

Given Isshin's Mardu identity, the deck's primary goal is speed. Deploy Isshin and value-packed attackers as quickly as possible, allowing you to generate momentum before opponents can establish a solid defense with blockers or removal. Many builds incorporate protection cards like Reconnaissance and Iroas, God of Victory to keep attacking creatures safe. Some lists even opt for a "go big" strategy, abusing mechanics like exalted, which gives a lone attacking creature +1/+1 for each instance of Exalted on the battlefield--or in Isshin's case, +2/+2.

Here is an example of a decklist for Isshin, Two Heavens as One.

Stock Isshin, Two Heavens as One | Commander | EDHRec Average List

• Commander (1)
• 1 Isshin, Two Heavens as One

• Creatures (30)
• 1 Adeline, Resplendent Cathar
• 1 Adriana, Captain of the Guard
• 1 Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate
• 1 Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon
• 1 Audacious Thief
• 1 Aurelia, the Law Above
• 1 Aurelia, the Warleader
• 1 Breena, the Demagogue
• 1 Brutal Hordechief
• 1 Caesar, Legion's Emperor
• 1 Captain Lannery Storm
• 1 Commissar Severina Raine
• 1 Delina, Wild Mage
• 1 Etali, Primal Storm
• 1 Goldspan Dragon
• 1 Goro-Goro, Disciple of Ryusei
• 1 Hanweir Garrison
• 1 Hellrider
• 1 Hero of Bladehold
• 1 Iroas, God of Victory
• 1 Karlach, Fury of Avernus
• 1 Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
• 1 Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin
• 1 Mishra, Claimed by Gix
• 1 Myrel, Shield of Argive
• 1 Otharri, Suns' Glory
• 1 Raiyuu, Storm's Edge
• 1 Skyknight Vanguard
• 1 Sun Titan
• 1 Tectonic Giant

• Artifacts (13)
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Boros Signet
• 1 Diamond Pick-Axe
• 1 Fellwar Stone
• 1 Lightning Greaves
• 1 Orzhov Signet
• 1 Rakdos Signet
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Swiftfoot Boots
• 1 Sword of the Animist
• 1 Talisman of Conviction
• 1 Talisman of Hierarchy
• 1 Talisman of Indulgence

• Enchantments (8)
• 1 Brave the Sands
• 1 Curse of Opulence
• 1 Duelist's Heritage
• 1 Fervent Charge
• 1 Mardu Ascendancy
• 1 Revenge of Ravens
• 1 Rising of the Day
• 1 Smothering Tithe

• Instants (9)
• 1 Akroma's Will
• 1 Anguished Unmaking
• 1 Boros Charm
• 1 Chaos Warp
• 1 Damn
• 1 Despark
• 1 Generous Gift
• 1 Path to Exile
• 1 Swords to Plowshares

• Sorceries (5)
• 1 Blasphemous Act
• 1 Farewell
• 1 Painful Truths
• 1 Ruinous Ultimatum
• 1 Vandalblast

• Lands (34)
• 1 Arid Mesa
• 1 Battlefield Forge
• 1 Blood Crypt
• 1 Caves of Koilos
• 1 Clifftop Retreat
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Dragonskull Summit
• 1 Evolving Wilds
• 1 Exotic Orchard
• 1 Godless Shrine
• 1 Isolated Chapel
• 1 Luxury Suite
• 1 Marsh Flats
• 6 Mountain
• 1 Nomad Outpost
• 1 Path of Ancestry
• 5 Plains
• 1 Rogue's Passage
• 1 Sacred Foundry
• 1 Savai Triome
• 1 Spectator Seating
• 1 Sundown Pass
• 2 Swamp
• 1 Vault of Champions

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Strengths

This deck's strength is its speed. With a low curve and aggressive gameplan, Isshin can quickly bring games to a close before opponents have a chance to stabilize. It preys on pods where players spend the first few turns durdling around, casting cantrips or ramp spells. Since Isshin is merely an enabler, the deck can still function without its commander, keeping the strategy afloat even as the game drags on.

Weaknesses

The absence of Blue or Green means Isshin struggles with card draw and late-game staying power. Most lists rely on niche White draw spells, Red's impulse draw, or Black's life-costing draw effects, which can force you to hold back attackers for defense. If the game runs long, attacking for triggers becomes risky, and losing key pieces in combat can make recovery difficult.

Cards to Watch Out For

Here are some key cards that can cause serious trouble when playing against Isshin:

1. Reconnaissance - One of the most broken enchantments in the game. Reconnaissance lets Isshin remove any attacker from combat for free--even during the end of combat step after damage is dealt. This effectively gives creatures vigilance and allows for more daring attacks. Imagine Isshin swinging five 1/1 soldiers at you, with only three blockers on your side. Isshin can simply remove the blocked creatures from combat, letting two attackers through every turn. This enchantment removes almost all of Isshin's combat weaknesses.
2. Arabella, Abandoned Doll - A terrifying commander on its own, but in an Isshin deck, her life-draining trigger becomes devastating. It's not uncommon for Arabella's ability to close out games without ever needing to deal combat damage. Worst of all? She only costs two mana. If you see her hit the board, remove her immediately.
3. Aurelia, the Warleader - Extra combat steps are game-ending in a deck like Isshin's. Since Isshin copies Aurelia's combat trigger, you end up attacking three times per turn. If the triggers don't kill you, the combat damage surely will. Aurelia has haste, making her hard to prepare for. Keep a removal spell like Swords to Plowshares at the ready.
4. Lightning Greaves - This card is far scarier for its haste enabler than its Shroud ability. Like Aurelia, giving creatures haste can lead to some devastating turns.
5. Sword of the Animist - Mardu decks lack consistent land ramp, so Sword of the Animist can be game-changing. Combine it with Isshin to get two basic lands per attack step. Left unchecked, this will thin the deck and ramp into bigger threats quickly. Targeting equipment with removal like Vandalblast or Bane of Progress is a great way to slow Isshin down.

Game Plan

Your best chance of surviving Isshin is to outlast the aggression. Early blockers are essential to deter attacks. Deathtouch creatures force trades and help maintain board control. Prioritize removing key value cards like Reconnaissance, Dolmen Gate, and Iroas, God of Victory, as they ensure Isshin's success in combat. Push Isshin into topdeck mode, where their three-drop creatures won't stand a chance against the late-game bombs from other players. If you survive into the late game, most decks will have no trouble overtaking Isshin's aggressive strategy.

Commander Kryptonite

If you're still struggling to contain Isshin, consider adding these cards to your 99:

1. Ghostly Prison/Propaganda - With such an aggressive, low-curve strategy, every mana matters. Forcing Isshin to pay an extra two mana per attacker can redirect their focus to another player.
2. Inkshield - I've mentioned this card in previous articles. You only have to cast it once for your opponents to always fear "Inkshield mana" being held open. I've even removed Inkshield from a deck after casting it once, just to keep the bluff alive. In a game against Isshin, this card can easily create enough 2/1 flying Inklings to swing the game in your favor.
3. Silent Arbiter/Crawlspace - Since Isshin wants to go wide, limiting the number of attackers can seriously mess with their plans. In 1v1 scenarios, these cards can nearly shut Isshin down entirely. With fewer creatures attacking, blocking and removal become much easier.

And that's how you slow down Isshin's assault! Who's next? Let us know what commander you want to see featured in the Commander Kryptonite series by emailing us at thoughtvesselshow@gmail.com.