Avatar AangAvatar Aang | Art by Fahmi Fauzi

Even if you're not a fan of the Avatar series, our commander for the day should still be pretty familiar to you. Aang is the main protagonist of the show, and Avatar AangAvatar Aang captures when he masters the bending of all four elements.

Drawing a card whenever you bend water, earth, fire, or air is a huge payoff. Plus, if you're able to bend all four in one turn, you're now ready to send Aang into the Avatar state, which takes this deck to a whole new level.

This Commander Can Save the World

This version of Aang loves to see others utilize their bending, so the main goal with the deck is to flood your board with creatures in the early game. Then, once you've built up your team with allies and enemies from the show, you can cast your commander and start pulling in the value while you bend the elements.

When it comes to this list, the main goal is to highlight some of the cards from the set that progresses your strategy forward, while hopefully not breaking your bank.

Plus, I added great budget cards to the 99 from outside the set that'll fit nicely with the mechanics already in the deck, including a solid five-color landbase. So, with all that in mind, let's get started by taking a look at how each element fits into this list!

Waterbending - Power in Gathering

(While paying a waterbend cost, you can tap your artifacts and creatures to help. Each one pays for .)

• Katara, Water Tribe's HopeKatara, Water Tribe's Hope: Here's an instance of waterbending that works great in two ways for this deck. Of course, you can try to make your creatures as big as possible, however if you activate that ability one creature/land/artifact at a time, you'll draw a card for each one you tap because of Avatar AangAvatar Aang's ability. Now that's a lot of card advantage!
• Waterbending LessonWaterbending Lesson: Including some standard card draw in this deck is important, just in case Aang isn't on the battlefield. However, if he is on the board, you could draw an additional card after you waterbend with this spell.
• Waterbender AscensionWaterbender Ascension: This deck is relatively aggressive, which means that you'll be sending creatures into combat pretty often. With that in mind, you should be getting enough experience counters on this enchantment to start drawing even more cards, while having the option to add evasion to your board.

Earthbending - Awaken Your Manabase

(Target land you control becomes a 0/0 creature with haste that's still a land. Put a number of +1/+1 counters on it equal to the number next to that ability. When it dies or is exiled, return it to the battlefield tapped.)

• Haru, Hidden TalentHaru, Hidden Talent: Since this creature is only two mana, it'll start your earthbending engine right away. Plus, once Aang is on the board, all it takes to draw some cards is by just deploying more and more Allies.
• Dai Li AgentsDai Li Agents: Earthbending multiple times when these Agents enter helps with building your land army. On top of that, it adds a way to close out the game if they attack and you have enough creatures with counters on your board.
• Earthbender AscensionEarthbender Ascension: This enchantment does it all; not only does it help you earthbend, but it also fetches a basic land onto your board. Then when you build up those four quest counters, you'll buff up a creature and help it trample over your opponent's defenses.

Firebending - Ignite Your Combat

(Whenever a creature with firebending attacks, add equal to the number next to that ability. This mana lasts until end of combat.)

• Zuko, Exiled PrinceZuko, Exiled Prince: Sure, this may be the version of Zuko who's hunting down Aang, however, they still work great together in this deck. Firebending 3 is already a powerful effect, especially when you can spend all that mana to gain access to the top card of your library in a pinch.
• Fire Nation AttacksFire Nation Attacks: Since Aang draws you cards each time you firebend, getting as many bodies on the board as possible that have that ability ensures you'll be refilling your hand during combat. This spell also has flashback, which means you can recast it later when you're looking for a place to spend all your red firebending mana.
• Firebender AscensionFirebender Ascension: This enchantment is an absolute powerhouse in this deck. It brings you a token when it enters, which'll help unlock that second ability pretty quickly. Each time a firebending creature goes into combat, you'll get closer to doubling all your attack triggers.

Airbending - Bounce the Board

(Exile a target. While it's exiled, its owner may cast it for rather than its mana cost.)

• Appa, Loyal Sky BisonAppa, Loyal Sky Bison: Of course, Aang needs to have Appa close by at all times, which luckily adds some airbending to the deck. Giving a creature flying during combat is helpful, and exiling one of your permanents in order to recast it later will now draw you a card in the process.
• Airbending LessonAirbending Lesson: Here's a great way to weaponize airbending, by temporarily getting rid of someone else's threat in order to progress your own game plan. Since it's an instant, you could cast it during combat in order to utilize some of the mana you make with firebending.
• Airbender AscensionAirbender Ascension: This enchantment does a whole lot for only two mana. It airbends something when it enters, while also getting to the point where you could blink a creature at the end of each of your turns.

Cards From Outside the Avatar Set

• HarrowHarrow: This is already a staple in the format, so its inclusion here shouldn't be too surprising, but it also pairs with earthbending in a very interesting way. If you sacrifice a land that's already been earthbended, it'll come back to the battlefield tapped, which means you won't be down a land once this spell resolves.
• Faeburrow ElderFaeburrow Elder: Here's one of the best mana dorks in the format, which is luckily still in a comfortable budget range. It's perfect in this list, since Avatar AangAvatar Aang is four colors, allowing this Treefolk to eventually tap for four mana at a time.

• Commune with LavaCommune with Lava: Since this deck is filled with so many creatures with firebending, having an instant spell like this can be a great outlet for all that red mana. Gaining access to a huge chunk of cards during your combat step could truly take the table by surprise.
• Shamanic RevelationShamanic Revelation: One of the deck's main goals is to get as many creatures as possible onto the board, and start bending away. So, having a spell that draws you a card for each member on your team will definitely help you out in the late game.

• Become the AvalancheBecome the Avalanche: Not only does this sorcery have a perfect name to fit thematically,it can also close out games. On top of that, this list is filled with several large creatures that'll trigger that draw effect, adding even more upside to the mix.
• Overwhelming StampedeOverwhelming Stampede: Sure, this is a great callback to when Aang leads a horde of animals through Ba Sing Se, but it's also just a powerful finisher for your strategy.

• Temple of PlentyTemple of Plenty: When it comes to earthbending your lands, you might end up losing a few of them during combat. If that's the case, having some of these scry lands in the deck can help get you even more value when they re-enter the battlefield after leaving it.
• Sheltered ThicketSheltered Thicket: Yes, having mana fixing is important in a five-color deck like this. However, including some of these cycling lands works well with your firebending creatures. If you don't have anything to use that red mana on during combat, you can always throw these away to draw a new card.

Avatar Aang Commander Deck List

In Closing

There you have it, a full deck built around Avatar AangAvatar Aang. When we first saw this card all those months ago, it was a complete mystery just how powerful it was going to be, since we didn't know what the bending mechanics were going to look like. Now that we've seen the whole set, we now know just how powerful this legend turned out to be.

Aang will truly be a great home for all your favorite cards from the set, so if you open him in one of your packs, it might just be a sign that you should put this list together. Especially since it'll only run you about $20 to buy the cards from outside of the set to assist you with getting the deck in fighting shape!

If you've already ripped through some Avatar boosters in the past week, then you should check out my latest edition of Bulk Up. This set is jam packed with great commons and uncommons that'll slot right into your favorite decks; so do yourself a favor and don't let those collect dust if you can help it!