Sultai AscendancySultai Ascendancy | Art by Karl Kopinsky

Greetings and salutations, my dear brewers, and welcome to the second to last installment of the Branching Out series, where I try to find some weird ideas for you to brew in each and every color combination.

Today, we're headed toward murky jungles, fetid swamps, and Opulent PalacesOpulent Palaces. It's time to pay a visit to Sultai.

is a rather peculiar color combination, often tied to death shenanigans, graveyard recursion and a propensity for self-mill. There's a plethora of available options, so let's first take a look at the most popular commanders:

• The Wise MothmanThe Wise Mothman: 30,111 decks (rank #11), with the most popular themes being Mill (4.5k decks), +1/+1 Counters (3.4k), and Mutants (1.7k).
• Teval, the Balanced ScaleTeval, the Balanced Scale: 28,618 decks (rank #17), with the most popular themes being Reanimator (1.8k decks), Mill (1.2k), and Lands Matter (1.1k).
• Muldrotha, the GravetideMuldrotha, the Gravetide: 22,430 decks (rank #30), with the most popular themes being Sacrifice (1.6k decks), Mill (1.4k), and Reanimator (1.1k).
• Glarb, Calamity's AugurGlarb, Calamity's Augur: 20,181 decks, with the most popular themes being Frogs (863 decks), Lands Matter (849), and Reanimator (584).
• Zaxara, the ExemplaryZaxara, the Exemplary: 17,324 decks, with the most popular themes being X Spells (4.3k decks), Hydras (1.7k), and +1/+1 Counters (1.3k).

There are few interesting tidbits already worthy of notice.

First, the rather obvious inclination towards decks that favour mill and reanimation, as evoked earlier.

Second, Sultai is the one of the only two color combinations with two commanders in the top 20, second only to Mardu, claiming three spots with Edgar MarkovEdgar Markov (#2), Kaalia of the VastKaalia of the Vast (#6), and Isshin, Two Heavens as OneIsshin, Two Heavens as One (#20).

Third, the variety of brews for Glarb, Calamity's AugurGlarb, Calamity's Augur. Despite having more than 20k decks to its name, no strategy rises above the 1k mark, an oddity given the figures seen so far. An explanation could be that Glarb is the epitome of the Good Stuff commander, providing massive value straight from the command zone.

Fourth, Zaxara's fifth spot. More on that in a moment.

Meanwhile, let's take a look at the most popular strategies:

• Mill: 11,569 decks:
• +1/+1 Counters: 7,677 decks.
• Lands Matter: 6,902 decks.
• Reanimator: 6,493 decks.
• X Spells: 4,594 decks.

See a pattern? Exactly the same themes featured in the top commanders, much more so than in the other colors seen insofar.

With this in mind, I'd like to introduce you to three ideas for peculiar builds, that will most likely raise eyebrows around the table. Let's begin with...

Zaxara, the ExemplaryZaxara, the Exemplary, Nefarious Aristocrat

Right, so I know I promised something rather exotic, and here I am with the fifth most popular commander in Sultai.

Before going any further, I'd like to give a massive shout out to the one and only Michael Celani. His article back in 2021 was an epiphany, and the main reason I totally revamped my own Zaxara list, and if you prefer the video format, be sure to have a look over here!

Now then, what's all this about?

It's all a matter of perspective. Most lists I've seen focus strongly on casting spells with a high value for X, ideally with doublers of all sorts, to make a huge army of massive creatures ready to stomp the board.

This build... well, it's the exact opposite. A fine work of finesse and delicacy, if you will.

The beauty of spells is that you can choose to pay any amount you want into it. Any amount... including .

By doing so, you get a couple of bodies – one being courteously provided by your commander – that will die instantly, triggering all sorts of painful prickles in the process. Why bother with bulky sacrifice outlets when your minions kindly go to the grave on their own?

This is, for all intents and purposes, a full-on Aristocrats build, leveraging Zaxara's ability to double all effects. Get your pingers online, play a draw-on-death trigger, and snowball to victory.

Just bear in mind it's rather easy to make this quite powerful. I would advise playing the deck more in Bracket 3 than in 2, unless you nerfed it considerably.

There's also a neat combo potential if you decide to play MortuaryMortuary, which will endlessly recur your Hydras. With a Pitiless PlundererPitiless Plunderer in play, this is a nice way to make infinite ETBs.

To make this work, you'll need:

• X spells: The meat and bone of the deck. I'd play all the free ones that simply cost XX (sorry, ), and then all the cheap spells have a single in their mana cost. Late game, Genesis WaveGenesis Wave can close games on its own.
• Pingers: All classic nobility outlets are more than welcome. Poison-Tip ArcherPoison-Tip Archer, Marionette ApprenticeMarionette Apprentice, Zulaport CutthroatZulaport Cutthroat, the more, the merrier.
• Draw-on-Death: You want squeeze your Hydras for as much card advantage as you can. Moldervine ReclamationMoldervine Reclamation will net you a lot of life in the long run, FecundityFecundity will outdraw any opponent, Spinner of SoulsSpinner of Souls is vastly underplayed, Satoru, the InfiltratorSatoru, the Infiltrator has no limits... Be generous here, there's a surprisingly high count of fun stuff to tinker with.
• Protection: This is more on the optional side, but more and more I believe some deterrents are required, like PropagandaPropaganda or Elephant GrassElephant Grass. After all, your board is very likely to be quite empty most of the time. Although you could also make yourself a little army of blockers before showing your true colors...

You will like this deck if:

• You want to surprise the table.
• You think sinking massive amounts of mana into X is a waste of resources.
• You like Aristocrats but you're sick of playing them in .
• You enjoy elegant infinite combos.

You won't like this deck if: 

• You don't want your board to be a highway.
• You don't like to attract unwanted attention.
• You want to deal massive blows, not mosquito bites.
• You think graveyard interactions are overrated.

And in case you're curious and want a template, here's my current list:

Felix Five-BootsFelix Five-Boots, aka Avalokiteshvara

Let's continue this journey with another very popular contender and try twisting its arm(s) a bit. The infamous Ooze was the secondary commander from the Grand Larceny precon from Outlaws of Thunder Junction, and it wasn't given that many options to shine therein.

With 6,863 decks to its name, calling it underplayed would be an insult, yet there are only 224 with the Equipment tag, and that's simply too low. Felix is a fantastic option to create an invulnerable killing machine.

I own a list that crams each and every possible Sword in it, as well as other implements of death. These encompass the various Swords of This and That, as well as anything that has a worthy trigger, such as Quietus SpikeQuietus Spike, Bloodforged Battle-AxeBloodforged Battle-Axe, Wand of OrcusWand of Orcus, or Mask of MemoryMask of Memory. Add a few double-strike outlets into the mix and a couple of unblockable creatures and you're in for a wild ride of massive repeated triggers.

The end goal is to assemble the ultimate killing machine by equipping all the different Swords of X and Y. Not an easy feat by any means, but a tale for the ages!

Incidentally, did you know that Avalokiteshvara is the incarnation of ultimate compassion, often represented with a thousand arms?

To make this work, you'll need:

• Sword, Swords, Swooooooooooooooords!: This is what makes this deck rather unique. Heck, I even play Sword of Dungeons and Dragons. And the fact that, for once, an Equipment deck has no no white in it is gravy on top. Come on, Wizards, make this Commander-legal!
• More Swooooooooooooooords!: Pack as many double-strike outlets as you can. Bonus points if they're Equipment as well. Don't underestimate the potential of Brass KnucklesBrass Knuckles.
• Protection: You can bet your last penny your arsenal is going to cause worried glances to your side of the table. Make sure your stuff can stick to the table.
• A couple of Plan Bs: If you don't want to over-commit, some other solid finishers, such as Old GnawboneOld Gnawbone or Koma, World-EaterKoma, World-Eater, are solid options.

You will like this deck if: 

• You like swinging huge beasts.
• You enjoy triggering stuff again and again.
• You want to play Oozes that are not Slime Against HumanitySlime Against Humanity or The MimeoplasmThe Mimeoplasm.
• You're the reincarnation of a Bodhisattva.

You won't like this deck if: 

• You don't like to build slow and steady.
• You're bad at keeping track of triggers, let alone doubling them.
• You don't like turns that take a while to resolve.
• You're not comfortable with how vulnerable artifacts can be.

TatsunariTatsunari and his Toad, and his Toad, and his...

Let's round this up with a fun little thing I've played against not too long ago. My apologies to the brewer, sadly I totally forgot your nickname, but if you recognize yourself, feel free to comment below to claim paternity!

At any rate, this fun little Ninja is an interesting and different take on your usual Enchantress decks. If you don't have a friend, he makes a friend. And if you have one, he pings.

This is all fun and cute, but rather limited, as you can't really make copies of Keimi by simply casting enchantments. Granted, you could use it as sacrifice fodder to make a new one, but that's a bit convoluted.

What if there was a way to actually make clones of your little Frog, so that every enchantment now drains for two, five, nine?

Enter Mutate. And Clones.

The idea is rather simple: make a Keimi, mutate something nice above it so that it's no longer a Keimi, then play cheap ClonesClones to make more. Since the Mutated Keimi is no longer legendary, you might as well duplicate it ad libitum!

And just like that, you end up with an army of Frogs that can mercilessly ping to death.

To make this work, you'll need:

• Creatures with Mutate: Don't be skimpy, simply play all that fit the colors.
• Cheap Clone-effects: There are several that cost two or three mana. Not a bad ratio to make an additional pinger.
• Auras and cheap enchantments: You'll need the regular draw package for Enchantress decks, but also cheap Auras that can either be cast repeatedly or protect your outlets. I really like Mana BloomMana Bloom and the various Cartouches from Amonkhet here. Vesuvan DuplimancyVesuvan Duplimancy also looks rather juicy.
• A few spectacular finishers: There's nothing like kicking a Rite of ReplicationRite of Replication!

You'll like this deck if: 

• You enjoy convoluted lines of play.
• You think there are never too many Frogs.
• You like the idea of playing a Ninja that's not either Yuriko, Nashi, or Satoru.
• You're looking for the unholy union of Enchantress and Aristocrats.

You won't like this deck if: 

• You don't want to be at the mercy of a well-timed removal spell.
• You're more into sacrificing and less into cloning.
• You think Auras are too risky.
• You absolutely HATE the Mutate mechanic.

Conclusion

Nine down, one to go!

I'd really love to hear your thoughts on this one. Anything nudge that mad brewer in you? Any suggestions for hidden gems?

Let me know in the comments below, and don't forget to vote for the next Trim!

See you in two weeks for the final iteration of Branching Out!