Neriv, Crackling VanguardNeriv, Crackling Vanguard | art by Lucas Graciano

If you’re one of the countless people who picked up the new Mardu precon for Tarkir: Dragonstorm, you probably got pulled towards running Zurgo StormrenderZurgo Stormrender as your commander.

His mix of life drain, while drawing cards is a hard combo to pass up. However, today I will be shining a spotlight on the other legend in the box: Neriv, Crackling Vanguard, one of the new Spirit Dragons!

Neriv’s synergy with unique tokens is a deckbuilding challenge that a lot of Magic players will likely gravitate towards. The precon does a nice job with making tokens with a wide array of names, but I wanted to take that theme to the next level by highlighting a few mechanics and budget singles that will only amplify that plan.

Whether you’re building from the ground up or adding some cards to the deck off the shelf, this list will help you along the way! My name is Tyler ‘Savesya’ Bucks, and here are fourteen cards under $14 to help you build around Neriv, Crackling VanguardNeriv, Crackling Vanguard.

The Commander - Neriv, Crackling Vanguard

Neriv, Crackling VanguardNeriv, Crackling Vanguard loves nothing more than variety. As proof of that, whenever your commander attacks, you’re going to exile a card for each uniquely named token you control. With that in mind, I found plenty of synergistic cards that make very specific tokens, all to appease the mighty Neriv.

So, because this deck will be filled with many one-off tokens, you might want to pick yourself up a fresh pack of InfiniTokens (not a sponsor of this article, just a really good product to have on hand for this kind of build.)

Toby, Beastie Befriender

Starting off our list, we have Toby, Beastie BefrienderToby, Beastie Befriender. This card is an example of something that benefits your deck in two different ways. First, it helps give your board evasion if you have four or more tokens, which is great for closing out games.

Second, it does something that this deck will really take advantage of by being one of the only cards in these colors that can create a beast token. I can just imagine the excited look on Neriv's face when he sees that beastie on the board as he attacks!

Lagomos, Hand of Hatred

Our next card, Lagomos, Hand of HatredLagomos, Hand of Hatred, ensures that you always have a new token at the start of each of your combats. Making a hasty Elemental each turn will be very helpful with triggering your commander, but its second ability is great in this type of deck as well.

Since you will most likely be swinging all out with your board, it’s inevitable that a lot of creatures won’t survive combat, making that tutor effect all the more possible.

Plus, even if five creatures don’t die when you attack, sacrificing that Elemental along with any of the Warrior tokens you make with the new ‘mobilize’ mechanic will be sure to get you there.

Iraxxa, Empress of Mars

A great way to capitalize off of casting so many spells from exile in this deck is with Iraxxa, Empress of MarsIraxxa, Empress of Mars, a lesser-known legend from the Doctor Who set. Playing this creature on a turn where you’ll be casting a whole bunch of cards from exile will help amplify your board presence, especially since those Alien Warrior tokens are unique only to Iraxxa.

Plus, during combat, that battle cry ability will give a power buff to your creatures, making it even harder for your opponents to decide on blocks.

Elturel Survivors

Myriad is already powerful; in this deck, however, it can be taken to the next level. When you attack with Elturel SurvivorsElturel Survivors, you’ll make a copy of it attacking each of your other opponents, which your commander will see as a token with a new name and exile a card for you to play.

On top of that value, this is just a great creature in the deck, making some really big trampling bodies to pressure your opponents' life totals,; especially that one player who somehow always ends up having seventeen lands on the board…

The Jolly Balloon Man

I hope you're not afraid of clowns, because The Jolly Balloon ManThe Jolly Balloon Man helps this deck on its quest to make as many one-off tokens as possible, by creating balloon copies of your creatures.

Say you have a Beetleback ChiefBeetleback Chief on the battlefield (which comes in the Mardu Precon); you can have the Balloon Man make a 1/1 flying token copy of it. Neriv will then see that as a token with a new name once you move to combat, all while you get to reuse that ETB effect, and hit someone in the face with a goblin shaped balloon! Sounds like a good time, right?

Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon

Now believe it or not, Gnome tokens can be made by a few different cards, but none do it better than Anim Pakal, Thousandth MoonAnim Pakal, Thousandth Moon. In this deck, if this card goes unchecked, each combat will be more impactful than the last.

Hitting your foes over and over again with a growing army of Gnomes is a great enough gameplan, but the fact that you have a way to repeatedly make unorthodox tokens will ensure you’re consistently exiling at least one card with your commander when you attack.

Quintorius Kand

The planeswalker Quintorius KandQuintorius Kand is a great example of a card that helps you at several different points in the game. Its static ability of shocking the table and gaining you some life when you cast spells from exile will help pad your life total while you push forward a very aggressive gameplan.

The first plus ability making a 3/2 Spirit can give you some benefits if you don’t already have a Spirit on the board. Even its two minus abilities can help the deck, either discovering into something impactful or using its ultimate and recurring some spells, plus gaining a whole bunch of mana to cast them!

Darkstar Augur

Flying in from Bloomburrow, we have Darkstar AugurDarkstar Augur, bringing card draw and offspring along with it! When you cast the Augur you have the option to pay a mana to get a token copy of it, which again works very well with your commander.

However, even though Neriv’s ability is a form of ‘card draw’, you could get stuck in a spot where you can’t get any good attacks in and those cards stay in exile, and you don’t want to be caught in that position, so adding additional ways to gain some card advantage along the way will be very important.

Space Marine Devastator

A mechanic very similar to offspring is squad, showcased here on Space Marine DevastatorSpace Marine Devastator. When it comes to squad, you can pay its cost as many times as you would like, which turns this into a partial board wipe if you have the resources for it.

Of course, by the end of it, you’ll have a unique token to go with your gameplan, all while messing with your opponents' boards. That type of crossover will assist your deck with not feeling too one-note, and a dynamic deck is always more enjoyable to play!

Curse of Opulence

A card I was surprised didn’t show up in the Mardu precon was Curse of OpulenceCurse of Opulence (it did however appear in the Jeskai deck). Neriv doesn’t just love looking at different types of creature tokens but instead marvels at any token you can create! So, in a deck where you’ll be constantly pushing into the red zone, having a cheap way to gain some mana back will help your engine to continue forward.

Also, since Curse of OpulenceCurse of Opulence makes a Gold token, you can still have all the Treasure-makers you want, and you’ll still be triggering your commander often.

We Ride at Dawn

Speaking of helping with mana, We Ride at DawnWe Ride at Dawn offers a powerful twist to this list. It gives all those creature tokens you’re making a way to assist with casting not just your commander but every other powerful legend in your deck. Not only does it add convoke to your utility belt, but it also makes you a mercenary token whenever your commander attacks, which is this deck’s whole thing.

I can see a nice play pattern where you make a whole board of tokens, tap them for a few big creatures, and move to close out the game as soon as you can.

Not Dead After All

If you can’t tell, this deck is very reliant on its commander, which will make it a big target for removal. Not Dead After AllNot Dead After All only costing a single mana, and bringing your most important piece back from the dead is great, but it also has another layer which helps your deck!

Your creature will come back with a Wicked Role attached to it, which will be yet another unique token to add to your list. Protection, on top of adding to your gameplan, this card fits perfectly into your dastardly plans…

Caesar, Legion's Emperor

A commander we got last year in these colors that happens to enjoy tokens as well is Caesar, Legion's EmperorCaesar, Legion's Emperor. Adding this card to a token deck brings a lot of necessary toolbox affects you might need. It can give you tokens, card draw, and even removal when you need it the most, just at the cost of one of your creatures.

Caesar also fits nicely into your curve, since you can cast him the turn before your commander and start setting the groundwork for your explosive endgame.

Neyali, Suns' Vanguard

Finally, we have a card that fits perfectly into this strategy, Neyali, Suns' VanguardNeyali, Suns' Vanguard. Giving your board full of one-of-a-kind tokens double strike is enough of a reason for it to be here, but there’s more! Neyali also lets you exile cards from the top of your library, with the condition that you can only cast them on a turn you’ve attacked with a token.

Luckily, in this deck, that won’t be a problem. Just be sure not to mix up your exile piles, and prolong the game trying to figure out who exiled what… That will only give your opponents more reasons to dislike this deck.

In Closing

Well, there you have it, fourteen cards under $14 to help you upgrade that Mardu precon, or to start a build from the ground up. Neriv is such an interesting take on a token deck, and putting this list together was a whole lot of fun.

If you want to see the cards I considered for this deck, check out my Archidekt list for it right here. Let me know in the comments what cards you would add to this list, I would love to see even more ways to make wild tokens!