Building Two Legendary Matters Commander Decks

Commander Spotlight: Betor, Ancestor's Voice

Tarkir: Dragonstorm Mechanics Primer

Abzan Armor Precon Guide - Tarkir: Dragonstorm

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anafenza, the Foremost" href="#" target="_blank">Anafenza, the Foremost</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>| art by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jamesrymanart/?hl=en">James Ryman</a></h6>
<p>Welcome back to <em>Bottom of the Barrel</em>! This is a series where we pick a theme from EDHREC and look at the “bottom of the barrel.” This means that we look at the least played color-combinations and pick a commander in those colors to brew a spicy new deck around!</p>
<p>In honor of <em>Aetherdrift's</em> release, this week's episode is based around a theme that I've never built around before: vehicles! The new "death race" set provides us with a ton a sweet tech for this archetype, and I couldn't wait to brew around it!</p>
<p>Thanks to <em>Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty's</em> vehicle precon, the most popular color combination for this archetype is Azorius (white and blue).</p>
<p>Looking at the "bottom of the barrel", one of the least played color combination for this archetype is Abzan (white, black, and green), with 47 decks in the database.</p>
<p>Seeing this color combination, I immediately thought of an old legend from the original <em>Tarkir</em> block: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anafenza, the Foremost" href="#" target="_blank">Anafenza, the Foremost</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anafenza, the Foremost"></div></div>
<p>Anafenza is well known for her "<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leyline of the Void" href="#" target="_blank">Leyline of the Void</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>"-style ability, but this deck makes her first line of text really shine.</p>
<p>When Anafenza attacks, she can put a +1/+1 counter on another tapped creature, and since crewing a vehicle requires you to tap a creature, this seemed like the perfect match!</p>
<h2>Category #1: Kind-of Vehicles (Mounts!)</h2>
<p>Our first category acts similarly to our overall vehicle plan, as the new "Mount" sub-type requires us to tap a creature for an additional benefit. Mounts are interesting because they are still creatures that can attack without being saddled.</p>
<p>Because of this, they get around a common vehicle downside: without a creature to crew the vehicle, it usually does nothing.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, being creatures right off the bat also means that mounts are more susceptible to removal, so that's something to keep in mind.</p>
<p>Mounts were introduced in <em>Outlaws of Thunder Junction</em>, but there are a few new ones from <em>Aetherdrift</em> that <em>needed</em> to be in this deck.</p>
<p>Bulwark Ox doubles down on the +1/+1 counter sub-theme and provides our modified creatures with much needed protection; District Mascot provides artifact removal in an adorable package (I mean, just look at him!!); Guardian Sunmare may be the strongest mount in the deck as it provides a consistent tutor effect for nonland permanents under 4 mana value; Seraphic Steed comes down early and provides extra power in the air via 3/3 Angel tokens; and The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride can allow us to draw an <em>absurd</em> amount of cards and put any number of those cards into play if they're lands.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bulwark Ox"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="District Mascot"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Guardian Sunmare"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seraphic Steed"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride"></div></div>
<h2>Category #2: Creatures that <em>want </em>to be tapped</h2>
<p>Any vehicle deck can benefit from creatures that have triggers when they become tapped, and we are lucky to have a suite of great new options thanks to <em>Duskmourn's</em> "survival" mechanic.</p>
<p>For example: Kona, Rescue Beastie lets us drop <em>any permanent</em> if it is tapped in our second main phase; Rip, Spawn Hunter allows us to dig for more creatures and vehicles; and Reluctant Role Model just gets better and better each time its survival ability triggers!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kona, Rescue Beastie"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rip, Spawn Hunter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reluctant Role Model"></div></div>
<p>Outside of these picks from Duskmourn, there are a few other stars of the show: Wylie Duke, Atiin Hero gives us great card draw; Emmara, Soul of the Accord creates a 1/1 soldier token with lifelink (which is nothing to scoff at); Stonybrook Schoolmaster <em>also</em> creates a 1/1 body; Sanwell, Avenger Ace lets us dig for more vehicles; and King Macar, the Gold-Cursed provides removal <em>and</em> a gold token for the low price of untapping him!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wylie Duke, Atiin Hero"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emmara, Soul of the Accord"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stonybrook Schoolmaster"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sanwell, Avenger Ace"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="King Macar, the Gold-Cursed"></div></div>
<h2>Category #3: Creating "Pilots" and/or "Cowboys"</h2>
<p>We need creatures to crew our vehicles and saddle our mounts, and outside of that, just having consistent ways to generate creatures is never a bad thing!</p>
<p>Esika's Chariot was a standard all-star for a reason, and it allows us to double up on any creature token that we choose; Virtue of Loyalty lets us create a knight token at instant speed, all while being an absolute power house when we cast the 5-mana side; Parhelion II is expensive, but the pay-off for attacking with it is <em>insane; </em>Valor's Flagship is a fantastic new card that we can cycle in a pinch for some actual pilot tokens; The Prydwen, Steel Flagship gives us benefits for casting artifact spells; March of the Multitudes can create an instant board; Thousand Moons Smithy creates a huge Gnome token, which is hilarious; and Rolling Hamsphere creates hamster tokens, which is also hilarious.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Esika&#039;s Chariot"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Virtue of Loyalty"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Parhelion II"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Valor&#039;s Flagship"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Prydwen, Steel Flagship"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="March of the Multitudes"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thousand Moons Smithy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rolling Hamsphere"></div></div>
<h2>Category #4: The "Secret Spice"</h2>
<p>There are 2 cards that round out our "secret spice" category this week, and one of them is a popular finisher in white token decks: Halo Fountain.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Halo Fountain"></div></div>
<p>This card is an absolute <em>house</em>, and can do just about anything. Need to create a token? Done. Draw a card? Done. Win the game?</p>
<p>Well, harder than the first two, but still an option. With all of the token makers in this deck, getting to 15 creatures should be no problem at all!</p>
<p>Our second "secret spice" is a card that I've been trying to brew around since it was spoiled: Mechtitan Core.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mechtitan Core"></div></div>
<p>With the sheer amount of vehicles in the deck, creating Mechtitan should be a breeze. The best part about this card?</p>
<p>If Mechtitan somehow gets removed, <em>we get everything we exiled back to the battlefield! </em>(Minus Mechtitan core, but hey, at least we did the cool thing once!)</p>
<h2>Closing Thoughts</h2>
<p data-slot-rendered-content="true">Now that <em>Aetherdrift</em> is here, it was the perfect time to build this deck. I hope this article builds some excitement for <em>Aetherdrift</em>, and I hope you can use my decklist as inspiration for your own vehicle deck!</p>
<p data-slot-rendered-content="true">This brings us to the end of our sixth edition of <em>Bottom of the Barrel</em>! I hope you enjoyed exploring a lesser-played color-combination in the world of vehicles!</p>
<p>Check out my decklist below!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Bottom of the Barrel - Anafenza, the Foremost" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Anafenza, the Foremost
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Avacyn&#039;s Pilgrim
*1 Bulwark Ox
*1 Caradora, Heart of Alacria
*1 Caustic Bronco
*1 District Mascot
*1 Drumbellower
*1 Emmara, Soul of the Accord
*1 Guardian Sunmare
*1 House Cartographer
*1 Intrepid Stablemaster
*1 King Macar, the Gold-Cursed
*1 Kona, Rescue Beastie
*1 Lita, Mechanical Engineer
*1 Miriam, Herd Whisperer
*1 Oviya, Automech Artisan
*1 Reluctant Role Model
*1 Rip, Spawn Hunter
*1 Sanwell, Avenger Ace
*1 Seraphic Steed
*1 Sram, Senior Edificer
*1 Stonybrook Schoolmaster
*1 Teshar, Ancestor&#039;s Apostle
*1 The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride
*1 Wylie Duke, Atiin Hero
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Alacrian Armory
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Bessie, the Doctor&#039;s Roadster
*1 Conqueror&#039;s Galleon // Conqueror&#039;s Foothold
*1 Debris Beetle
*1 Demonic Junker
*1 Dodgy Jalopy
*1 Dune Drifter
*1 Ebony Fly
*1 Esika&#039;s Chariot
*1 Foreboding Steamboat
*1 Guidelight Matrix
*1 Halo Fountain
*1 Lumbering Worldwagon
*1 Mechtitan Core
*1 Mighty Servant of Leuk-o
*1 Parhelion II
*1 Peacewalker Colossus
*1 Reckoner Bankbuster
*1 Recon Craft Theta
*1 Rolling Hamsphere
*1 Salvation Engine
*1 Smuggler&#039;s Copter
*1 Sol Ring
*1 The Prydwen, Steel Flagship
*1 Thousand Moons Smithy // Barracks of the Thousand
*1 Thunderhawk Gunship
*1 Thunderous Velocipede
*1 Unidentified Hovership
*1 Valor&#039;s Flagship
*1 Wand of the Worldsoul
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Dazzling Theater // Prop Room
*1 Virtue of Loyalty // Ardenvale Fealty
*1 Well Rested
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 One Last Job
*1 Split Up
*1 Tune Up
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Lethal Scheme
*1 March of the Multitudes
*1 Revitalizing Repast // Old-Growth Grove
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Abstergo Entertainment
*1 Ancient Den
*1 Bleachbone Verge
*1 Bountiful Promenade
*1 Brushland
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Caves of Koilos
*1 Command Tower
*1 Darkmoss Bridge
*1 Demolition Field
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Fabled Passage
*3 Forest
*1 Goldmire Bridge
*1 Indatha Triome
*1 Inventors&#039; Fair
*1 Llanowar Wastes
*1 Mech Hangar
*1 Minas Morgul, Dark Fortress
*1 Monumental Henge
*3 Plains
*1 Scene of the Crime
*1 Spire of Industry
*2 Swamp
*1 Temple of Malady
*1 Temple of Plenty
*1 Temple of Silence
*1 Thornglint Bridge
*1 Tree of Tales
*1 Vault of Whispers
[/Lands]"></span></div>


Bottom of the Barrel - Anafenza, the Foremost

From the Brim to the Trim – Tough Bodies and Weak Budgets

Counterpunch - Ghave Precon Upgrade

Wombo Combo - Best Abzan Combos in EDH

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani&#039;s Pridemate" href="#" target="_blank">Ajani&#039;s Pridemate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | <a href="https://www.artstation.com/velinov">Art by Svetlin Velinov</a>)</h6>
<h1>Got Pride, Mate?</h1>
<p>Hello, and welcome back to <em>Singleton Shmingleton</em>, where I bend the singleton rules of Commander by building decks with as many functional reprints of a certain card as possible. This week, I'm talking about a kitty that loves a healthy lifestyle. Dude gets <strong>hyped</strong> when you eat your spinach, because when you gain health, he gets swole. Of course I am talking about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani&#039;s Pridemate" href="#" target="_blank">Ajani&#039;s Pridemate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a fan favorite since <em>Magic 2011</em>. For more than a decade, this card is the go-to answer whenever some killjoy asks, "But how does your lifegain deck <em>win</em>?"</p>
<p>And at this point in the game, there are enough nearly-identical cards that get bigger whenever we gain life that we can rely on them as our only win conditions. Here is a list of cards that gain counters whenever we gain life.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Life---&gt;Counters" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Enchantments]
*1 Cleric Class
*1 Cradle of Vitality
*1 Light of Promise
*1 Sunbond
[/Enchantments]
[Creatures]
*1 Ageless Entity
*1 Ajani&#039;s Pridemate
*1 Archangel of Thune
*1 Blood Researcher
*1 Bloodbond Vampire
*1 Bloodthirsty Aerialist
*1 Celestial Unicorn
*1 Cleric of Life&#039;s Bond
*1 Gideon&#039;s Company
*1 Heliod, Sun-Crowned
*1 Karlov of the Ghost Council
*1 Nykthos Paragon
*1 Scion of the Swarm
*1 Serene Steward
*1 Treebeard, Gracious Host
*1 Trelasarra, Moon Dancer
*1 Twinblade Paladin
*1 Vampire Scrivener
*1 Voice of the Blessed
*1 Wall of Limbs
[/Creatures]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Ajani, Strength of the Pride
[/Planeswalkers]"></span></div>


<p>Since when are there twenty-five of these cards? This is an example of a phenomenon that has been happening more and more often lately; critical mass redundancy sneaks up on me through supplemental releases. In this case, there's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gideon&#039;s Company" href="#" target="_blank">Gideon&#039;s Company</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from a planeswalker deck, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treebeard, Gracious Host" href="#" target="_blank">Treebeard, Gracious Host</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from a Commander release stapled to a <em>Universes Beyond</em> release, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nykthos Paragon" href="#" target="_blank">Nykthos Paragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from <em>Modern Masters 2</em>, and some other cards that have just slipped under my radar. But this mass is critical!</p>
<p>The most-played Pridemate is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archangel of Thune" href="#" target="_blank">Archangel of Thune</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with 40,552 decks. What a classic feel-good card. I remember when this Angel dominated Standard, and it hasn't gotten any worse since. Buffing our whole team is just real good. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cleric Class" href="#" target="_blank">Cleric Class</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> comes in a close second with 40,504 decks, and it sure offers a whole lot of good things if you have mana. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani&#039;s Pridemate" href="#" target="_blank">The OG cat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is our triumphant third finisher with 21,572 decks, showing that despite being outclassed by a decade of power creep, simplicity and name recognition are still powerful.</p>
<p>The least-played Pridemate is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treebeard, Gracious Host" href="#" target="_blank">Treebeard, Gracious Host</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with 529 decks. I know he's new, but show him some love! He is one of the more powerful Pridemates, growing in proportion to the amount of life we gain, not just the frequency, and that can get out of hand fast. All the others see play in over a thousand decks, so these are all definitely cards with a place in the world. There aren't the usual stinkers like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Endure" href="#" target="_blank">Endure</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frankenstein&#039;s Monster" href="#" target="_blank">Frankenstein&#039;s Monster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archangel of Thune"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cleric Class"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treebeard, Gracious Host"></div></div>
<h2>How To Swole-Up Your Kitties</h2>
<p>While a couple Pridemates like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cleric of Life&#039;s Bond" href="#" target="_blank">Cleric of Life&#039;s Bond</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nykthos Paragon" href="#" target="_blank">Nykthos Paragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> only trigger once per turn, most of our creatures get a counter whenever we gain life. This means that to maximize them, we should find effects that generate a lot of instances of lifegain as opposed to cards that just gain a large amount of life. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Soul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul&#039;s Attendant" href="#" target="_blank">Sisters</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, creatures that gain life whenever a creature comes into play, are classic pieces to fill this niche, and they work perfectly. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sun Droplet" href="#" target="_blank">Sun Droplet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a personal favorite of mine, keeps our life total from ever going too low and can generate a point of life on every player's upkeep. It even has a cat in the art! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sunscorch Regent" href="#" target="_blank">Sunscorch Regent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> goes absolutely nuts, gaining life (and getting huge) whenever our opponents do anything at all.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Impassioned Orator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sun Droplet"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sunscorch Regent"></div></div>
<p>All of the Pridemates fall into the Abzan (white, black, green) color combination, so we have a lot of support for +1/+1 counter synergies as well. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hardened Scales" href="#" target="_blank">Hardened Scales</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can double up our counters, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conclave Mentor" href="#" target="_blank">Conclave Mentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can even gain us life if it gets killed! And while we're talking counters synergies, there's a perfect Abzan commander for this deck in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tayam, Luminous Enigma" href="#" target="_blank">Tayam, Luminous Enigma</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We run a whole bunch of creatures with mana value three or less, so <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tayam, Luminous Enigma" href="#" target="_blank">Tayam</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lets us grind for value, trading counters for extra creatures, many of which will get their own counters. In a deck that relies on synergies between individually small creatures, the ability to rebuild our pieces after removal gives us a deadly resilience.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hardened Scales"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Conclave Mentor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tayam, Luminous Enigma"></div></div>
<p>And since we have repeatable recursion on our commander, we can put include some wonderful utility creatures. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haywire Mite" href="#" target="_blank">Haywire Mite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> acts both as removal and as lifegain, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sakura-Tribe Elder" href="#" target="_blank">Sakura-Tribe Elder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help us ramp, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knight of Autumn" href="#" target="_blank">Knight of Autumn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is also removal while intersecting both of our themes. In addition, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spore Frog" href="#" target="_blank">Spore Frog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Martyr of Sands" href="#" target="_blank">Martyr of Sands</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are infamous for their power alongside repeatable recursion, and they can make us virtually invincible while our Pridemates grow larger and larger.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kami of Whispered Hopes" href="#" target="_blank">Kami of Whispered Hopes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is exactly the same as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spore Frog" href="#" target="_blank">Spore Frog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> but in white, but a lot of people don't seem to know about it. It's played in less than a third the number of decks as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spore Frog" href="#" target="_blank">Spore Frog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, in spite of white having plentiful ways to recur small creatures. In this package, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ranger-Captain of Eos" href="#" target="_blank">Ranger-Captain of Eos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> pulls double duty as both a tutor for our annoying creatures and a repeatable way to stop our opponents from casting spells.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ranger-Captain of Eos"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kami of False Hope"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Martyr of Sands"></div></div>
<h2>Card Spotlights</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tenured Inkcaster" href="#" target="_blank">Tenured Inkcaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: I love finding the exact niche a card needs to thrive. This card can get out of hand. For each Pridemate we attack with, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tenured Inkcaster" href="#" target="_blank">Tenured Inkcaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> drains our opponents and puts a ton of counters on our Pridemates. It's a must-kill threat.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Disciple of Bolas" href="#" target="_blank">Disciple of Bolas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>/<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Momentous Fall" href="#" target="_blank">Momentous Fall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Card advantage <em>and</em> lifegain? It must be Christmas! These cards are classics and still pull their weight in any deck looking to make big beaters. Having recursion in the command zone only helps.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heliod, Sun-Crowned" href="#" target="_blank">Heliod, Sun-Crowned</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Walking Ballista" href="#" target="_blank">Walking Ballista</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <a href="https://commanderspellbook.com/combo/1370/">Just a sneaky little infinite combo</a>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heliod, Sun-Crowned" href="#" target="_blank">Heliod&#039;s</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ability can target <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Walking Ballista" href="#" target="_blank">Walking Ballista</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and then every counter removed will gain us a life, do a damage, and put a counter back. Rinse and repeat. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heliod, Sun-Crowned" href="#" target="_blank">Heliod</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was on-theme anyways, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Walking Ballista" href="#" target="_blank">Walking Ballista</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can get tutored up with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ranger-Captain of Eos" href="#" target="_blank">Ranger-Captain of Eos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, so the combo is basically free value.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tenured Inkcaster"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heliod, Sun-Crowned"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Walking Ballista"></div></div>
<h2>The Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Ajani&#039;s Pridemate" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Tayam, Luminous Enigma
[/Commander]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Ajani, Strength of the Pride
[/Planeswalkers]
[Creatures]
*1 Ageless Entity
*1 Ajani&#039;s Pridemate
*1 Archangel of Thune
*1 Auriok Champion
*1 Blood Researcher
*1 Bloodbond Vampire
*1 Bloodthirsty Aerialist
*1 Celestial Unicorn
*1 Cleric of Life&#039;s Bond
*1 Conclave Mentor
*1 Crested Sunmare
*1 Daxos, Blessed by the Sun
*1 Dina, Soul Steeper
*1 Disciple of Bolas
*1 Distinguished Conjurer
*1 Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim
*1 Essence Warden
*1 Gideon&#039;s Company
*1 Haywire Mite
*1 Heliod, Sun-Crowned
*1 Impassioned Orator
*1 Kami of False Hope
*1 Kami of Whispered Hopes
*1 Karlov of the Ghost Council
*1 Knight of Autumn
*1 Lathiel, the Bounteous Dawn
*1 Lunarch Veteran // Luminous Phantom
*1 Martyr of Sands
*1 Prosperous Innkeeper
*1 Ranger of Eos
*1 Ranger-Captain of Eos
*1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
*1 Serene Steward
*1 Soul Warden
*1 Soul&#039;s Attendant
*1 Spore Frog
*1 Sunscorch Regent
*1 Suture Priest
*1 Tenured Inkcaster
*1 The Gaffer
*1 Treebeard, Gracious Host
*1 Trelasarra, Moon Dancer
*1 Twinblade Paladin
*1 Valentin, Dean of the Vein // Lisette, Dean of the Root
*1 Voice of the Blessed
*1 Walking Ballista
*1 Winding Constrictor
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Cleric Class
*1 Hardened Scales
*1 Light of Promise
[/Enchantments]
[Artifacts]
*1 Ozolith, the Shattered Spire
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Sun Droplet
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Council&#039;s Judgment
*1 Damn
*1 Sevinne&#039;s Reclamation
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Assassin&#039;s Trophy
*1 Momentous Fall
*1 Mortality Spear
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Stroke of Midnight
*1 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Arctic Treeline
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Canopy Vista
*1 Command Tower
*1 Concealed Courtyard
*1 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
*1 Flooded Strand
*2 Forest
*1 Godless Shrine
*1 Idyllic Grange
*1 Indatha Triome
*1 Isolated Chapel
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Murmuring Bosk
*1 Obscura Storefront
*1 Overgrown Tomb
*8 Plains
*1 Scattered Groves
*1 Snowfield Sinkhole
*1 Sunlit Marsh
*1 Sunpetal Grove
*3 Swamp
*1 Temple Garden
*1 Verdant Catacombs
*1 Windswept Heath
*1 Woodland Cemetery
[/Lands]"></span></div>


<p>This is a deck for people who love dice and keeping track of triggers. I like this kind of deck because it makes me pay attention to the board state and keeps me engaged in the game. Lifegain decks also just activate a feel-good part of my brain, making me feel invincible when everyone else is at fifteen life and I'm at fifty. I had worried this deck would feel too similar to <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/singleton-shmingleton-servant-of-the-scale/">the <em>Modular</em> deck I built this spring</a>, but the lifegain theme and reanimation package give it its own flavor, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani&#039;s Pridemate" href="#" target="_blank">Ajani&#039;s Pridemate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and friends truly are the stars of the show. No opponent will ever underestimate <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gideon&#039;s Company" href="#" target="_blank">Gideon&#039;s Company</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> again.</p>
<h2>Until Next Time</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fleshbag Marauder"></div></div>
<p>Who loves <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Attrition" href="#" target="_blank">Attrition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? This card is just asking to be broken. It's a powerful but symmetrical ability on a cheap body: endless potential. Come back next time to figure out how a deck can profit from running nine functional reprints of this disgustingly-named card.</p>
<h3>Read More:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="0PSJpLaTLf"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/archetune-up-licia-durdle-less-lifegain/">Archetune-Up - Licia, Durdle-less Lifegain</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Archetune-Up - Licia, Durdle-less Lifegain&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/archetune-up-licia-durdle-less-lifegain/embed/#?secret=ZJTiZGmq0T#?secret=0PSJpLaTLf" data-secret="0PSJpLaTLf" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="nHG3JxgT28"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/singleton-shmingleton-servant-of-the-scale/">Singleton Shmingleton - Servant of the Scale</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Singleton Shmingleton - Servant of the Scale&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/singleton-shmingleton-servant-of-the-scale/embed/#?secret=wbBTDbaYiY#?secret=nHG3JxgT28" data-secret="nHG3JxgT28" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>


Singleton Shmingleton - Ajani's Pridemate

Enduring Enchantments - Upgrade Guide

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