Iron Chef Optimization Nexus I

[3drinks]

Welcome to Optimization Stadium, the field of combat for our storied competition. Here the contestants will be transmuting lead into gold as we showcase the overlooked, underused, weird, wild, and wonky commander decks.

This round is the starter round to determine just how much interest this totally not shamelessly stolen concept from another board fares on this board!

Welcome, contestants, judges, and guests to Iron Chef. Here in Optimization Colosseum, contestants will endeavor to create an optimized and flavorful commander deck using a specified block, expansion set, or mechanic as a "Secret Ingredient" (hereby referred to as the "SI").

Contestants: You will need to present a full one-hundred card build for your entry. Also required is a rundown of how your build works at beginning - mid stages to prove it's validity in a real game. Traditionally contestants give "snapshots" of tactics and abilities at certain points, though you do you. The purpose of these snapshots is not just to showcase your use of the SI, it is to demonstrate that your character is playable at every level. For this reason, it's still worth giving a snapshot before you have entered the SI.

Menu: The "SI" can be drawn from any legal source, provided it has a paper print. For this inaugural attempt at this game, the "SI" is Phasing

Kitchen: Competitors will be free to use any card(s) from any set, provided it had a black or white bordered paper print. Deviating from this may be allowed, but note including such silver-bordered or otherwise non-tournament legal card may result in a points deduction for for "Elegance", at the discretion of the judge.

Cooking Time: Contestants will have until 23:59 PST on Friday, January 8th, 2021 to create their builds and PM them to the Chairman, which in this opening round test will have to be @3drinks, in the form of a PM. Please put the name of your build in the subject line of your PM. Builds will then be posted simultaneously, to avoid copying. Judges will have until 23:59 PST on Friday, January 15th, 2021 to judge the builds and submit their scores. If no judges have scored by that point, only the scores of the first judge to submit will be counted.

Judging: Judging will be based on the following criteria, with each build rated on a scale from 1 (very poor) to 5 (exemplary) in each area: Originality, Power, Elegance, Use of Secret Ingredient. You can PM myself if you'd like to be a judge, and in such an event, you cannot vote on your own creation. C'mon, that's tacky and you know that.
Power level is up to you. Cheese is acceptable, but should be kept to a sane level. Remember, "a little cheddar can be nice, but avoid the mature Gruyere unless you're making a cheese fondue."
Elegance could bear a little elaboration. It basically measures how skillfully you put your build together, and whether you sacrificed flavor for power. We're cooking here - if your dish doesn't taste good, it doesn't matter how well-presented it is.
Presentation: Builds will be posted anonymously, in order to avoid the potential of bias towards a particular competitor. For this reason, please don't put your name in the build, as I'm likely to miss it when reviewing the entries!
Speculation: Please don't post or speculate on possible builds until the "reveal," in order to avoid spoiling the surprise if a particular competitor is producing a build along those lines.

[MeowZeDung]

Fun! If we choose to submit an entry, should it be just the decklist or should it include a write-up?

Edit: NVM, reading is hard

Also required is a rundown of how your build works at beginning - mid stages to prove it's validity in a real game. Traditionally contestants give "snapshots" of tactics and abilities at certain points, though you do you. The purpose of these snapshots is not just to showcase your use of the SI, it is to demonstrate that your character is playable at every level. For this reason, it's still worth giving a snapshot before you have entered the SI.