Jet, Rebel LeaderJet, Rebel Leader | Art by Keiuu

Welcome back to Plot Twist, the series where we build a Commander deck that looks like it's going to tell one kind of story only to throw out a twist for our opponents mid-game.

Last time, we built a Selesnya () Aristocrats list with some Spellslinger elements helmed by Aang, A Lot to LearnAang, A Lot to Learn that could pivot between going wide with a bunch of creatures or tall with a single creature as needed. It was a resilient, flexible deck that looked to live the dream by hitting an opponent for lethal with Ram ThroughRam Through.

This week, we're taking a look at Jet, Rebel LeaderJet, Rebel Leader, another commander from Avatar: The Last Airbender that acts like a mini Collected CompanyCollected Company every time he attacks.

How Does Jet, Rebel Leader Work?

Jet continues a recent trend of straightforward Plot Twist commanders (be sure to check out Plot Twist #41 and #36 for other near-vanilla commanders) since he has only one ability: "Whenever Jet attacks, look at the top five cards of your library. You may put a creature card with mana value 3 or less from among them onto the battlefield tapped and attacking. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order."

Jet's ability is sort of like getting half of a Collected CompanyCollected Company every time he attacks. Collected Company was taking over Standard and Modern when I got back into playing Magic and I've always loved creature-centric decks, so Jet is the type of commander that's near and dear to my heart.

While creatures with mana value three or less have limited utility in Commander, Jet's still in an interesting design space.

In looking at Jet's EDHREC page, we can see a bunch of Commander staples like Path to ExilePath to Exile and Swiftfoot BootsSwiftfoot Boots show up in his Top Cards section alongside cards that care about low mana value creatures like Sun TitanSun Titan and Tocasia's WelcomeTocasia's Welcome. Though there are only about fifty Jet decks as of the time of writing this article, brewers seem to be pretty set on building a deck that's full of high-impact, low-mana value creatures surrounded by staples.

But this is Plot Twist, where we like to do things a little differently. So that's why we're building our Jet, Rebel LeaderJet, Rebel Leader list so that every nonland card in the deck can be chosen off of Jet's trigger. That's right, we're running 34 lands and 65 creatures with mana value three or less.

Doing the Twist

We built something similar to this way back in Plot Twist #19 around Nashi, Searcher in the DarkNashi, Searcher in the Dark, which was designed to fill our hand with cards every time Nashi dealt combat damage. Only 16 cards in the entire list weren't legendary and/or enchantments, so we were almost guaranteed to refill our hand every time Nashi connected with an opponent.

While the overall card quality of a "can't miss" style deck might be lower, it ensures that we'll never whiff when Jet, Rebel LeaderJet, Rebel Leader triggers and allows us to run a lot of cards that otherwise might not make the deck list. It's an interesting restriction that encourages us to run creatures that work with our commander, like Fiend HunterFiend Hunter, instead of a staple like Swords to PlowsharesSwords to Plowshares.

The deck packs a few extra surprises, like Myr SuperionMyr Superion and Phyrexian SoulgorgerPhyrexian Soulgorger, that we can cheat into play tapped and attacking with Jet's trigger to put extra pressure on our opponents. We also have plenty of creatures like Gatta and LuzzuGatta and Luzzu and Proud Pack-RhinoProud Pack-Rhino, which we can flip off our commander to keep her alive.

Overall, it's a combat-centric deck that revolves around keeping Jet, Rebel LeaderJet, Rebel Leader alive and attacking. Since we never miss off a Jet trigger, we'll be able to slowly snowball towards victory with surprise hits like Intrepid AdversaryIntrepid Adversary, Mirror EntityMirror Entity, and Summon: Choco/MogSummon: Choco/Mog.

Let's dive in!

Ramping Ourselves Up

One of the biggest issues you'll run into with a deck like this is the lack of traditional ramp. Fortunately, white has built up quite a bit of "catch-up ramp" creatures like Claim JumperClaim Jumper, Knight of the White OrchidKnight of the White Orchid, and Loyal WarhoundLoyal Warhound over the years. We're running quite a few of them to help us ensure that we hit our early land drops.

The dream scenario with cards like these will be that an opponent ahead of us casts a Rampant GrowthRampant Growth or Shared RootsShared Roots on turn two, allowing us to play a catch-up ramp spell on turn two and then Jet, Rebel Leader on turn three.

Tataru TaruTataru Taru is another excellent way for us to cast our commander a turn early and almost made the deck, but ended up being one of the last five cuts.

We've also got a handful of creatures like Ambitious FarmhandAmbitious Farmhand and Oreskos ExplorerOreskos Explorer that allow us to search for a Plains and put it into our hand. These would probably be the first cuts for Sol RingSol Ring and Arcane SignetArcane Signet if we wanted to ramp more reliably and pivot off of our "can't miss" restriction.

One excellent benefit of most of the ramp in this deck is it allows us to shuffle our library. So if we need to deal with a problematic artifact or enchantment and we know that Earth Kingdom JailerEarth Kingdom Jailer and Loran of the Third PathLoran of the Third Path are on the bottom of our library from a previous Jet trigger, we can shuffle our library to increase the odds of finding an answer.

It's also the reason we're running fetch lands like Arid MesaArid Mesa and Windswept HeathWindswept Heath in our mono-white deck.

Keeping Jet Alive and Attacking

Once we've gotten Jet, Rebel LeaderJet, Rebel Leader out - hopefully a turn early - and ready to attack, we'll definitely want to make sure we have a few ways to protect him. Even on turn four, we might not find an opponent we can safely attack with our commander, despite his rather robust 3/4 stat line.

Fortunately, we have quite a few creatures we can either cast during our first main phase, or flip off of a Jet trigger to help protect him.

Archetype of CourageArchetype of Courage, Kabira EvangelKabira Evangel, Rune-Tail, Kitsune AscendantRune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant, Stalwart PathlighterStalwart Pathlighter, and Tegan JovankaTegan Jovanka can all make it difficult or impossible for our opponents to block Jet. Rune-Tail in particular is fantastic because if we get it off of a Jet trigger and have 30 or more life, it'll immediately flip and prevent our attackers from taking damage.

Boromir, Warden of the TowerBoromir, Warden of the Tower, Selfless SpiritSelfless Spirit, and Spectacular Spider-ManSpectacular Spider-Man all give us the ability to give our creatures indestructible when we need to save Jet in a pinch or in response to a board wipe. Selfless Spirit and Spider-Man can also be evasive attackers when we flip them off of Jet, so they're even more likely to survive combat.

Gatta and LuzzuGatta and Luzzu is a really novel way to both save Jet from damage and make him more likely to survive future combat. They're like Selfless SquireSelfless Squire, but allow us to choose a creature to buff instead of fogging damage dealt to us.

They're definitely the kind of card that makes for an epic story the first time we resolve them and leave our opponents guessing if we have Gatta and Luzzu in hand whenever we hold open mana in future games.

Refilling Our Hand

Since our curve tops out at four mana, we'll quickly run out of cards with this deck. We'll want to make sure we have at least one reliable form of card draw out to keep our hand stocked rather than relying on flips off of Jet's attack trigger. Fortunately, this is another area where white creatures have gotten a lot of support in recent years.

Enduring InnocenceEnduring Innocence and Welcoming VampireWelcoming Vampire are the two best card advantage engines we're running since our deck is full of creatures that will trigger them and draw us an extra card. Definitely don't sleep on Delney, Streetwise LookoutDelney, Streetwise Lookout though. While Delney doesn't explicitly draw us cards, being able to double up on the effects of many of our creatures can easily be worth a card as well.

Nadaar, Selfless PaladinNadaar, Selfless Paladin and White Plume AdventurerWhite Plume Adventurer each let us introduce the dungeon mechanic into the game. While these don't provide the same card advantage that the monarch mechanic does, they do encourage our opponents to attack to try to grab the initiative, which plays right into our game plan. They also provide a ton of value if we're able to complete a dungeon.

Last but not least, we have a few creatures like ED-E, Lonesome EyebotED-E, Lonesome Eyebot, Gavony DawnguardGavony Dawnguard, Inspiring OverseerInspiring Overseer, and Militia BuglerMilitia Bugler that either directly draw us a card or allow us to look at the top of our library for a creature. These creatures can cantrip for us and aren't bad in combat either, so we'll be happy to either cast them or flip them off of Jet's trigger in combat.

Surprise! We Can Interact Too

One of the first cards that made our deck this week was Fiend HunterFiend Hunter. Flipping into Fiend Hunter or a functional reprint like Banisher PriestBanisher Priest, Earth Kingdom JailerEarth Kingdom Jailer, Fairgrounds WardenFairgrounds Warden, etc. is a great way to remove a problematic blocker or other permanent from an opponent's battlefield. We'll need to be careful where we send these attackers when they enter, but fortunately Jet allows them to enter tapped and attacking any of our opponents.

Charismatic ConquerorCharismatic Conqueror, Kinjalli's SunwingKinjalli's Sunwing, and Thalia, Heretic CatharThalia, Heretic Cathar are great to play either proactively to tap our opponents' creatures down so they can't block, or great hits off of Jet because they'll stop hasty threats from being able to attack us back. Charismatic Conqueror in particular is great because it make more attackers for us whenever an opponent chooses to have their stuff come in untapped.

Masako the HumorlessMasako the Humorless is one of the best "defensive" spells in our deck since she'll allow our tapped attackers to suddenly become blockers. She's particularly strong in combination with Archetype of CourageArchetype of Courage or any of our indestructible effects that allow us to do more than just chump block.

Masako was also an all-star in Plot Twist #20 and #36 if you want to see what sort of shenanigans she can get up to.

We've even got creatures that can exile all graveyards (Dauntless ScrapbotDauntless Scrapbot), tax any opponents who want to attack back (Forbidding SpiritForbidding Spirit), phase out our creatures in response to a FarewellFarewell (Guardian of FaithGuardian of Faith), or even destroy a problematic land (White Orchid PhantomWhite Orchid Phantom).

The beauty of a toolbox deck like this one is that it can run a ton of silver bullet answers for just about any situation.

Winning the Game With Jet, Rebel LeaderJet, Rebel Leader

At the end of the day, this is a creature-based deck that's going to win through combat damage. We'll want to attack early and as often as we can. Hopefully we'll get a few effects like Rune-Tail, Kitsune AscendantRune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant and Stalwart PathlighterStalwart Pathlighter to protect our creatures as we go, but you could always add a few extra effects like Dolmen GateDolmen Gate or Clever ConcealmentClever Concealment if you want a few more ways to protect your creatures.

We do have a surprising number of creatures with huge stats given their low mana value that are worth calling out. Phyrexian SoulgorgerPhyrexian Soulgorger is the best of the best here, but don't sleep on Myr SuperionMyr Superion and Serra AscendantSerra Ascendant either since they'll stick around and attack turn after turn.

Guardian of the Great DoorGuardian of the Great Door, Patched PlaythingPatched Plaything, Relic GolemRelic Golem, and The Warring TriadThe Warring Triad are all great flips off of Jet's trigger that can attack again relatively easily too.

Our other way to win the game will be buffing our team with +1/+1 "anthem" effects. Benalish MarshalBenalish Marshal is a good start, while Suki, Courageous RescuerSuki, Courageous Rescuer and Summon: Choco/Mog fill similar roles. Intrepid AdversaryIntrepid Adversary is probably the best of this effect since we can pay a lot of mana into it when it enters to buff our team by +1/+1 for any extra we have sitting around when it enters.

Two other notable win conditions worth calling out are Skyhunter Strike ForceSkyhunter Strike Force and Mirror EntityMirror Entity. While Skyhunter Strike Force won't trigger when we flip it off of Jet, it's a great effect for us to cast and then attack, potentially buffing our team by +3/+3 if we attack all of our opponents. Meanwhile, Mirror Entity can give all of our creatures a huge base power and toughness when we flip it off Jet if we happen to have extra mana sitting around.

When we combine a few of these anthem creatures together, it'll quickly be tough for our opponents to block our suddenly over-stated, under-costed army.

A Few Additional Twists for Good Measure

Now it's time for the best part of the week: where we look at the weird creatures that came up on Scryfall while building our deck this week.

First and foremost comes Sand ScoutSand Scout, a piece of catch-up ramp that also encourages us to run a package of Deserts in our deck. Between Arid ArchwayArid Archway, Lazotep QuarryLazotep Quarry, Scavenger GroundsScavenger Grounds, and Shefet DunesShefet Dunes, there's quite a few Deserts that help us get some extra value out of our mana base in this deck.

Rinoa, Angel WingRinoa, Angel Wing is a card I definitely missed when the Final Fantasy Holiday Release was announced but seems amazing in a deck like this since she'll return any one of our attacking creatures that dies right back to the battlefield, herself included. Oh, and she'll buff all of our fliers by giving them +1/+1 and vigilance at the start of combat too.

Summon: IxionSummon: Ixion is another Final Fantasy card that seems poised to shine in this week's deck. It'll act as a removal spell the turn it comes down, and then help buff Jet, Rebel LeaderJet, Rebel Leader and/or another creature we control on the next two turns. Since it's a Saga creature, it'll eventually die, but the tempo we gain in the meantime might be enough to push us over the edge.

Last, but not least, this deck feels like a great home for Emeria, the Sky RuinEmeria, the Sky Ruin, a card I love oh so much. Sure, getting to seven Plains is a lot and maybe too slow for Commander in 2025, but given it's basically free to play in a mono-white deck, it's hard to pass up on playing Emeria.

Jet, Rebel Leader Commander Deck List

Here's the full deck list for you to peruse:

Roll the Credits

I hope you enjoyed reading the latest edition of Plot Twist featuring Jet, Rebel Leader. Next time you sit down for a game of Commander, see what sort of plot twists you can add to take the game's narrative in a new direction.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's deck and what cards could find a home in it in the comments below or on Archidekt. The Maybeboards of my deck lists are always filled with cards I thought could work but didn't make the final list.

You can check out my other articles here or see what decks I'm currently playing here. I just spent a long day jamming games with some friends and got to put in some reps with my Marchesa Wizards Kindred and Kalamax Spellslinger-Voltron decks that I've been itching to play. I'm always tinkering with my Karador Cycling and Secret Commander: Wild Pair lists too.

Stay tuned to see what other twists and turns are headed your way in the next edition of Plot Twist.