Havi, the All-FatherHavi, the All-Father| Art by Daniel Correia

Crossing the Rainbow Bridge

Hello, and welcome to Beyond the Multiverse! Last week, I said that I was recommended a deck, but it got buried under the Final Fantasy previews. Recently, I was able to remember it, and now it's here. Ironically, the set actually bolstered the commander significantly. Patience is a virtue, and all that. Without further ado, let's begin.

Meeting Odin

Odin and Havi (henceforth known as Odin) are one and the same, depending on who you ask. He was an Isu (read:god) who was widely revered in the Nordic pantheon. As imminent catastrophe drew closer, Odin sought a way to avoid death. He achieved this by stealing one such method from The Capitoline TriadThe Capitoline Triad. Consequently, when Rangarök came and Odin died, he and eight others used Yggdrasil, Rebirth EngineYggdrasil, Rebirth Engine to insert their DNA into the human race. Odin himself would go on to be reborn as Eivor, Wolf-KissedEivor, Wolf-Kissed.

Odin's card seems simple enough. He wants us to run lots and lots of legendary creatures so we can exploit his Sage Project ability and recur said creatures. Thankfully, there's a lot of creature cards in the Universes Beyond card pool that work with legendary creatures. The result is a simple deck with a simple gameplan.

Opening the Doors to Valhalla

Like I said, there's a number of cards that work with legendary cards. However, this is mostly in the guise of a theme of historic cards. Firstly, we witness the return of Surtr, Fiery JötunSurtr, Fiery Jötun, who is an ironic flavor fit here. With each historic spell cast, we can bolt something (or someone's face if we're inclined). Speaking of opponents' faces, Arbaaz MirArbaaz Mir drains our opponents for each historic spell cast. Meanwhile, both Gimli of the Glittering CavesGimli of the Glittering Caves and Legolas GreenleafLegolas Greenleaf get stronger for each legendary creature we cast. From the same IP, Samwise GamgeeSamwise Gamgee allows us to recur historic cards from our graveyard. Worth noting that a deck with Odin tends to run a lot of creatures. Having said that, we'll be making a lot of Food tokens.

Waiting for the Final Fantasy set proved worthwhile since doing so gave us more options for this deck. In that vein, Serah FarronSerah Farron is among the best from the release. We'll have more than enough legendary creatures to flip her. Once she does, she becomes an anthem for our legends. Both sides also reduce the cost of legendary creatures we cast. However, that discount only applies to our first legend spell cast, so choose wisely. Also, Venat, Heart of HydaelynVenat, Heart of Hydaelyn draws us a card each turn if we cast a legend. If we can pay a whopping seven mana to blow something up, we get to flip her. When that happens, Hydaelyn will bolster a creature and give it indestructible; if it's a legendary creature, we get to draw a card as well.

The Endless Battle

Earlier, I said Odin's gameplan was simple, and it really is: ATTACK! Being in red, green, and white really helps with this. Tifa, Martial ArtistTifa, Martial Artist will boost herself and will potentially give us an extra combat step. If multiple creatures with power seven or greater hit other opponents as well, that's even more combat steps! Combine her with Bayek of SiwaBayek of Siwa for so many combat steps we effectively win that turn. Speaking of double strike, Sabin, Master MonkSabin, Master Monk will be sure to SuplexSuplex our opponents while being able to recur himself via the blitz ability.

There's also some great incentives to attack. Lightning, Army of OneLightning, Army of One, when she connects, will ensure that an opponent will take double damage until our next turn. Be sure to give her double strike, too. With each historic spell cast, Jamie McCrimmonJamie McCrimmon will get huge, and he already has trample to boot. Heroes' PodiumHeroes' Podium, Day of DestinyDay of Destiny, and Flowering of the White TreeFlowering of the White Tree, alongside others, will boost our legends into beefy threats. In addition, Rising of the DayRising of the Day gives a small boost to our legends, but the most important part is that it grants our creatures haste.

The beauty of this deck is that we can mix and match our legends line up to our tastes, since there's so many options out there.

All-You-Can-Eat Feast

The Stories of Our Time

The average Odin list is as I described it, and this list is no exception. Both Gau, Feral YouthGau, Feral Youth and Cyan, Vengeful SamuraiCyan, Vengeful Samurai get benefits from creatures leaving our graveyard. Meanwhile, Savage BeatingSavage Beating and Overwhelming StampedeOverwhelming Stampede can end games outright if we have the set up for them. The protection spells (Ultimate Magic: HolyUltimate Magic: Holy, etc.) shield our board while we reach said board state. Samut, Voice of DissentSamut, Voice of Dissent gives our creatures haste and is a decent attacker in one card; the activated ability is just the gravy on top.

In addition, Wakka, Devoted GuardianWakka, Devoted Guardian is a nifty card. He's got two relevant keywords, decent stats, removes pesky artifacts or enchantments, and buffs our team. That's a lot of utility if you ask me. Speaking of utility, Jenny, Generated AnomalyJenny, Generated Anomaly has double strike and lets us explore twice if we hit someone with her. That said, she's on the frail end, so boosting her stats would help. As a consequence, our opponents will block her and deny the triggers if she's big enough.

Tales Beyond Valhalla

Going in-universe gives us a lot to work with, and these words don't do it justice. The big addition is Saffi EriksdotterSaffi Eriksdotter, who can sacrifice herself to save a creature, and bring back a cheaper creature. Then, the next time a creature dies, we can bring Saffi right back to do it again! There's got to be some kind of combo somewhere. On the other hand, Cadric, Soul KindlerCadric, Soul Kindler creates a copy of any legend we cast. The juicy part is that we sacrifice the token later on, so it would trigger Odin to bring something back. I'm not a judge, so correct me if this isn't right. Of course, what's a legends deck without a doubler like Annie Joins UpAnnie Joins Up?

Moreover, Reki, the History of KamigawaReki, the History of Kamigawa will potentially draw a lot of cards. Hajar, Loyal BodyguardHajar, Loyal Bodyguard can be repeatedly recurred to protect our creatures. If we wanted to add a few tutors, a good one would be Captain SisayCaptain Sisay. Kolvori, God of KinshipKolvori, God of Kinship and Djeru and HazoretDjeru and Hazoret will help us dig for even more legends for us to cast. Lastly, Bard ClassBard Class buffs legends, makes them cheaper, and exiles a couple off the top to cast if we cast a legend.

Final Oblivion

In summary, it's safe to say that Odin's emblematic of the heavy dose of legendary creatures (historic cards, too) coming out of Universes Beyond releases. It's a kind of deck that'll only get more support as time goes on. However, like a lot of commanders in this archetype, Odin gets overshadowed by the likes of Jodah, the UnifierJodah, the Unifier. Frankly, that's too easy, and it'd be more reward if you were to shave a color or three off. Going for fewer colors tends to breed creativity, which is part of the fun.

Come back next time when we tackle a deck I tried to make earlier this year, but couldn't. Watching it in action and reading the card again has given me an idea. Tune in to see precisely what I'm scheming next time.