Bre of Clan StoutarmBre of Clan Stoutarm | Art by Jesper Ejsing

Lifegain decks have become more and more popular in recent years, rising to become the fourth most played archetype here on EDHREC. One of the biggest reasons for that ascent is the amount of great new commanders we've gotten who spark inspiration in the community.

Bre of Clan StoutarmBre of Clan Stoutarm is the latest Lifegain legend that's inspiring many players to brew decks around this strategy, including myself. So, join me Tyler 'Savesya' Bucks, as I go over a full budget Commander deck centered around this lovable Giant that you can pick up for about $40.

What Does Bre of Clan Stoutarm Do?

Bre of Clan StoutarmBre of Clan Stoutarm is what I like to call a goal-based commander: She offers you a big payoff, as long as you can enact your game plan of gaining life during your turn. Exiling cards from the top of your library and possibly casting one of them for free combines the security that comes with padding your life total with the thrill of a mechanic like discover (example: Geological AppraiserGeological Appraiser.)

Plus, Bre can even hand out flying and lifelink to any of the big creatures that make up this list.

With all that in mind, let's take a look at what makes this deck tick, in order to get a clear picture of just how much value you could be getting on your end step.

Lifegain Effects

• Soul WardenSoul Warden: First up, an absolute classic staple in Lifegain decks. Getting this into play on turn one will ensure that you're increasing your life total for every creature that hits the board, while setting you up to support your commander once she's out.
• Case of the Uneaten FeastCase of the Uneaten Feast: Here's an enchantment that can gain you life in the early game, or assist with some graveyard recursion later on, when important pieces of your board have been dealt with.
• Diamond MareDiamond Mare: This deck is very heavy with white spells, which means that this little Horse could be gaining you a lot of incremental life for simply deploying the cards in your deck.

• Balefire LiegeBalefire Liege: Since we're returning to the plane of Lorwyn, why not bring back a classic creature from the original block? Pumping your creatures is nice, but dealing out damage and life gain as the game goes on could set you up to take over the rest of the table.
• For the Emperor!For the Emperor!: Gaining life is great for keeping your engine rolling, but sometimes you just need to close out a game. With this card, you're able to pump your board, give it lifelink, and still leave your team back as blockers after the damage is done.
• Spirit LinkSpirit Link: While this Aura might look like another way to give a creature lifelink, just like your commander, it's actually a bit more nuanced than that. This enchantment is actually a triggered ability, whereas lifelink is a static effect. Because of that subtle difference, you can actually double up your life gain with this card.

Lifegain Support & Payoffs

• Aerith GainsboroughAerith Gainsborough: This deck's whole goal is to have as many different life gaining sources as possible, which is why creatures that grow after each trigger help your board scale with the game. On top of that, Aerith already has lifelink, which means that just one big attack could ensure that you can cast anything in your deck for free at the end of turn.
• Voice of the BlessedVoice of the Blessed: Even though this creature can't gain life on its own, it still gains plenty of keywords as its power grows to make up for it. Which makes it a great target for Bre of Clan StoutarmBre of Clan Stoutarm to hand out lifelink to it.
• Elenda's HierophantElenda's Hierophant: Having a flyer on your board that grows bigger and bigger as the turns go on is great, but the real star of the show on this card is that it turns into an army of lifelinking Vampires if it happens to die.

• Rhox FaithmenderRhox Faithmender: Any card that doubles the main effect your deck is built around is going to put in a lot of work during a game. Every extra point of life you gain on your turn gets you one step closer to that free spell on your end step.
• Cleric ClassCleric Class: Having this enchantment on the board will feel great. Not only does it give you those all-important lifegain triggers, it also ensures that you always have something to do with your mana, since you can unlock its other two levels when you need them the most.
• Angel of VitalityAngel of Vitality: Sometimes gaining just one more life is enough to help you cast something for free at the end of your turn, which is what this Angel brings to the deck. Plus, it's another great creature for Bre to give lifelink to in a pinch.

Synergistic Card Advantage

• Well of Lost DreamsWell of Lost Dreams: It's hard to have a deck centered around upping your life total that doesn't include this card drawing artifact. Having this in play means that any additional mana you have sitting around can be turned into cards, which helps ensure you don't get left behind on resources as a game goes on.
• Sigarda's SplendorSigarda's Splendor: Here's a card that doesn't see too much play, but it finds a nice home here. Sure, you'll need to take note of your life total during each upkeep, but hopefully that extra card you'll be drawing will be worth searching for a pen and paper.
• Heartwarming RedemptionHeartwarming Redemption: Refreshing your own hand can be useful during a game, especially if seeing a new grip can help you dig for answers, but it's even more powerful in a deck like this. All the life you'll gain when this resolves could set you up to cast that card from exile on your end step for free.

• Mangara, the DiplomatMangara, the Diplomat: As the Commander format continues to get new tools at cheaper rates, players these days are more likely to chain spells together. Which is where this legend with lifelink comes in by drawing you a card, plus acting as a deterrent against your opponents' sending attackers your way.
• Aurelia, the Law AboveAurelia, the Law Above: A major thing to note with this Angel is that it triggers whenever any players' creatures attack, not just yours. So, you could be drawing cards, dealing damage, and gaining life on everyone else's turns. Profiting off of the chaos of a game is always a fun tactic to play around with.
• Star CharterStar Charter: Looking through the creatures in this deck, you'll notice that most of them tend to be on the smaller side. This works perfectly for this Bat, since it'll give you another way to look at the top cards of your library in order to get some more card advantage at the end of your turn.

Removal With a Lifegain Twist

• Heliod's InterventionHeliod's Intervention: When I first started building this deck, I was so happy to see that this card was only about $2. The removal it brings to the 99 is incredible, but it also gives you just another way to gain a big chunk of life if you need it at that time.
• Battle MenuBattle Menu: This spell is a real toolbox in the list, bringing a whole host of useful effects to a game. Typically, you'll be casting this to destroy a big creature, or gain just a little more life, but you never know when those other modes could come in handy.
• Lightning HelixLightning Helix: Here's a card that's incredibly iconic to the game of Magic, which makes it even more perfect that it fits right into this list. Dealing three damage and gaining three life at instant speed could make the difference between winning and losing a game.

Bre of Clan Stoutarm Commander Deck List

In Closing

There you have it, a full budget 99 built around Bre of Clan StoutarmBre of Clan Stoutarm that you could pick up for only about $40. Lorwyn Eclipsed is shaping up to be an instant classic. So if you're just as excited as I am for the things to come, be sure to stay tuned for my upcoming Bulk Up article where I cover the best commons and uncommons from the set.

Also, if you want to see even more budget content from me, you can find plenty of that on my YouTube channel The Pillow Fort.