<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sokka, Lateral Strategist" href="#" target="_blank">Sokka, Lateral Strategist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/tithendar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Axel Sauerwald</a></span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hello and welcome to another <em>Avatar</em> deck tech! I grew up watching <em>The Last Airbender</em>, so I've been following this set's spoilers quite closely. Of course, the Gaang's cards have been of particular interest to me, so I'm super excited to write this deck tech about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sokka, Lateral Strategist" href="#" target="_blank">Sokka, Lateral Strategist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sokka, Lateral Strategist"></div></div></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is actually one of four Sokka cards that's been previewed so far, and the strongest option for the command zone too.</span></p>
<h2>What Does Sokka, Lateral Strategist Do?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This version of Sokka is actually a pretty simple card. For <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-wu" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-wu" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, we get a 2/4 Human Warrior Ally with vigilance. That's far from an impressive statline, but Sokka's bigger toughness will help with his main ability: When he and at least one other creature attack, we get to draw a card. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All together, these abilities give us a solid, if basic, game plan. We want to ensure that we've got at least one attacker on the battlefield by the time Sokka's arrived, so that they can attack together to provide us with card advantage right away.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Funnily enough, I'm reminded of two <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> Equipment commanders when I look at Sokka. He's extremely similar to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Merry, Esquire of Rohan" href="#" target="_blank">Merry, Esquire of Rohan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a two-drop that lets draw cards if he attacks with a buddy. I'm also reminded of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Akiri, Fearless Voyager" href="#" target="_blank">Akiri, Fearless Voyager</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a three-drop that lets us draw cards when we attack with equipped creatures. </span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Merry, Esquire of Rohan"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akiri, Fearless Voyager"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All three of these legends serve similar roles at the helm of a Commander deck. If we meet some simple conditions, we get a little bit of card advantage as a reward. Plus, their commanders' open-endedness lets us fill out the 99 as we see fit.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking of, let's talk about the rest of this deck. There's evasive creatures to trigger our commander's ability, hate-bears to ensure that our opponents don't get too far ahead, and even some cool finishers to close out the game in style. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let's see what this Sokka deck's got in store!</span></p>
<h2>Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sokka, Lateral Strategist" href="#" target="_blank">Sokka, Lateral Strategist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>I've filled the deck with a ton of two-drops - a full 30 of them to be exact. It's extremely important to get an attacker on the board on turn two, so we can cast our commander on turn three and start generating extra card advantage on turn four. This high two-drop count also lets us potentially cast two two-drops on turn four, meaning that we'll almost always have an efficient early-game curve-out.</p>
<p>There's far too many of these creatures for me to talk about all of them, so I'll talk about a few of the best ones from each of the three broad categories that many of these card find themselves in: light stax, card advantage, and protection.</p>
<h3>Light Stax</h3>
<p>This deck's strategy is, inherently, slower. We've got a lot of small creatures, and our opponents could outpace us relatively easily. So, hate-bears like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lavinia, Azorius Renegade" href="#" target="_blank">Lavinia, Azorius Renegade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will hopefully bring everyone down to our level so we've got a fighting chance.</p>
<p>Control pieces like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scheming Fence" href="#" target="_blank">Scheming Fence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dennick, Pious Apprentice" href="#" target="_blank">Dennick, Pious Apprentice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be effective early-game plays too, limiting our opponents from going off too early. There's also creatures that make us tokens when an opponent takes specific game actions (like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wizened Mentor" href="#" target="_blank">Wizened Mentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), and even creatures that can slow our opponents' game plans down by a full turn (like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imposing Sovereign" href="#" target="_blank">Imposing Sovereign</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scheming Fence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wizened Mentor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Azure Beastbinder"></div></div>
<p>I also wanted to shout out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Azure Beastbinder" href="#" target="_blank">Azure Beastbinder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It may not be the flashiest card in our deck, but it's an incredibly effective way to lock down a high-impact threat.</p>
<p>There's maybe half a dozen more hate-bears in the 99 of this deck, but I think it's high time we talk about some more exciting cards.</p>
<h3>Card Advantage</h3>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silent Hallcreeper" href="#" target="_blank">Silent Hallcreeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does a little bit of everything that this deck wants. It's unblockable - which makes it an ideal attacking partner for Sokka - it gives us an extra card, and it can even become a copy of a more effective creature should we have one on the battlefield.</p>
<p>I'm also a big fan of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pollywog Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Pollywog Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who will evolve into a 2/4 if our commander enters the battlefield after it. It will, admittedly, likely not evolve beyond that considering the average size of creatures in this list. But, it's still an effective card advantage engine at nonetheless!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silent Hallcreeper"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pollywog Prodigy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mischievous Mystic"></div></div>
<p>Then, one of our hate-bears from earlier makes a disturbing reappearance. The flip side of Dennick, <span class="edhrecp__link only-back"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dennick, Pious Apprentice" href="#" target="_blank">Dennick, Pious Apprentice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is actually an effective card draw piece too. This creature serves as an effective Clue maker, generating them during combat, and whenever mill and/or aristocrats decks do their thing. I love cards that fill multiple roles in a deck, so I'm thrilled that I get to mention Dennick twice.</p>
<p>As a bonus, with all the cards we'll be drawing, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mischievous Mystic" href="#" target="_blank">Mischievous Mystic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an all-star. We'll certainly be making a 1/1 on each of our turns, and there's a good chance we can make additional Faeries on our opponents' turns too!</p>
<h3>Protection</h3>
<p>We've got a few creatures that can protect our gameplan. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selfless Spirit" href="#" target="_blank">Selfless Spirit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great way to keep our board safe, and it's a cheap, evasive attacker to pair with Sokka. Same goes for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gold-Forged Thopteryx" href="#" target="_blank">Gold-Forged Thopteryx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which lends ward <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> to the 16 legendary permanents in our deck. And, with our go-wide plan, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unsettled Mariner" href="#" target="_blank">Unsettled Mariner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides a lot of protection for just <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. There's 46 creatures in this deck, and even more ways to make creature tokens, so we'll certainly appreciate the <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> tax on all targeted interaction that comes our way.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Selfless Spirit"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gold-Forged Thopteryx"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unsettled Mariner"></div></div>
<h2>How Does This Sokka Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We'll be putting a lot of small creatures onto the board. But in most EDH games, that won't be enough to win. Luckily, we've got some ways to punch through for victory. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moonshaker Cavalry" href="#" target="_blank">Moonshaker Cavalry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>is <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>'s version of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and easily one of the most effective game-enders we've got access to. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There's also anthems like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flowering of the White Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Flowering of the White Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angel of Invention" href="#" target="_blank">Angel of Invention</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for smaller, persistent buffs. And, as either an early-game advantage piece or late-game finisher, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dollmaker&#039;s Shop // Porcelain Gallery" href="#" target="_blank">Dollmaker&#039;s Shop // Porcelain Gallery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works fantastically.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Moonshaker Cavalry"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angel of Invention"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dollmaker&#039;s Shop // Porcelain Gallery"></div></div></p>
<p>We've even got a few one-sided board wipes to push for the win. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an EDH staple, letting us make tokens, sweep bigger creatures off the board, and even get a sweet emblem if we manage to activate her ultimate ability.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Battle of Bywater" href="#" target="_blank">The Battle of Bywater</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dusk // Dawn" href="#" target="_blank">Dusk // Dawn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are both effective wipes too, clearing (most of) our opponents key pieces while providing us with a bonus for our deck full of small creatures.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Battle of Bywater"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dusk // Dawn"></div></div>
<h2>Sokka, Lateral Strategist Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Building a Go-Wide Deck with Sokka, Lateral Strategist" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Sokka, Lateral Strategist
[/Commander]
[Sorceries]
*1 Dusk // Dawn
*1 The Battle of Bywater
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Dollmaker&#039;s Shop // Porcelain Gallery
*1 Flowering of the White Tree
*1 Legion&#039;s Landing // Adanto, the First Fort
*1 Skrelv&#039;s Hive
[/Enchantments]
[Creatures]
*1 Adeline, Resplendent Cathar
*1 Angel of Invention
*1 Aven Interrupter
*1 Azure Beastbinder
*1 Clarion Conqueror
*1 Dauntless Dismantler
*1 Dennick, Pious Apprentice // Dennick, Pious Apparition
*1 Dorothea, Vengeful Victim // Dorothea&#039;s Retribution
*1 Enduring Curiosity
*1 Faerie Mastermind
*1 Floodpits Drowner
*1 Ghostly Pilferer
*1 Giver of Runes
*1 Gold-Forged Thopteryx
*1 Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar
*1 Hope of Ghirapur
*1 Hydroelectric Specimen // Hydroelectric Laboratory
*1 Imposing Sovereign
*1 Knight of the White Orchid
*1 Lavinia, Azorius Renegade
*1 Ledger Shredder
*1 Loyal Warhound
*1 Malcolm, Alluring Scoundrel
*1 Mischievous Mystic
*1 Mockingbird
*1 Moonshaker Cavalry
*1 Mother of Runes
*1 Pippin, Guard of the Citadel
*1 Pollywog Prodigy
*1 Samurai of the Pale Curtain
*1 Sanctifier en-Vec
*1 Scheming Fence
*1 Selfless Spirit
*1 Serra Ascendant
*1 Shoreline Looter
*1 Silent Hallcreeper
*1 Siren Stormtamer
*1 Skrelv, Defector Mite
*1 Soul Warden
*1 Suture Priest
*1 Tithe Taker
*1 Unsettled Mariner
*1 Welcoming Vampire
*1 Witch Enchanter // Witch-Blessed Meadow
*1 Wizened Mentor
[/Creatures]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion
*1 Kaito, Cunning Infiltrator
[/Planeswalkers]
[Artifacts]
*1 Bident of Thassa
*1 Ebony Fly
*1 Thousand Moons Smithy // Barracks of the Thousand
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Counterspell
*1 Get Lost
*1 Into the Flood Maw
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Swan Song
*1 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Adarkar Wastes
*1 Deserted Beach
*1 Diamond City
*1 Faerie Conclave
*1 Floodfarm Verge
*8 Island
*1 Meticulous Archive
*1 Mystic Gate
*1 Nimbus Maze
*16 Plains
*1 Restless Anchorage
*1 Sea of Clouds
*1 Skycloud Expanse
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>That's all for this week, folks! I think this is a pretty interesting Bracket 2 deck. I like the way that it's got some stax pieces to slow the game down, without putting a hard lock on it. It can be fun to play a game with hate-bears on the field, as it creates a sort of puzzle for the table to deal with.</p>
<p>That's not to say that harder control pieces like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hokori, Dust Drinker" href="#" target="_blank">Hokori, Dust Drinker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are my jam, but that I think stax doesn't need to be as scary as many EDH players think it is.</p>
<p>What do you think? Does stax have a place in casual EDH at all? Let me know your take in the comments below! I'll see you all next week for another deck tech!</p>
<h3>More <em>Avatar</em>:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="KVoHZ0ryVO"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/hei-bai-spirit-of-balance-spirits-and-sacrifices/">Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance - Spirits and Sacrifices</a></p></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="GlSGU4Yxgc"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/yue-the-moon-spirit/">Yue, The Moon Spirit</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Yue, The Moon Spirit&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/yue-the-moon-spirit/embed/#?secret=otzVpwVXgq#?secret=GlSGU4Yxgc" data-secret="GlSGU4Yxgc" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="0Kutt8VJS2"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/top-10-landfall-cards-for-toph-the-first-metalbender-in-cedh/">Top 10 Landfall Cards for Toph, the First Metalbender in cEDH</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Top 10 Landfall Cards for Toph, the First Metalbender in cEDH&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/top-10-landfall-cards-for-toph-the-first-metalbender-in-cedh/embed/#?secret=OVAdlQG6HW#?secret=0Kutt8VJS2" data-secret="0Kutt8VJS2" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>


azorius stax

Building a Go-Wide Deck With Sokka, Lateral Strategist