Building a Counters-Matter Spider-Man Noir Deck

<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyan, Vengeful Samurai" href="#" target="_blank">Cyan, Vengeful Samurai</a> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/christian-angel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christian Angel</a>
Early in Final Fantasy VI, the villainous clown Kefka poisons the water supply at the kingdom of Doma, resulting in the death of its military, citizens, and royalty. Cyan, the legendary samurai protector of Doma, emerges as the lone survivor despite losing his wife and young son in the massacre.
This tragic event spurs Cyan to enter the fight against the dreaded imperials, channeling his outrage into considerable thwacks with his “Bushido” sword arts.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cyan, Vengeful Samurai"></div></div>
Wizards of the Coast nails the design for <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyan, Vengeful Samurai" href="#" target="_blank">Cyan, Vengeful Samurai</a>, found in the recent Final Fantasy Commander release. The greater the number of fallen soldiers, the quicker Cyan can emerge to avenge their deaths. It felt fitting, though somewhat cruel, to build a deck in which Cyan, relegated to the command zone, must relive the horrors of losing his brethren every time you shuffle up.
<h2>What Does Cyan, Vengeful Samurai Do?</h2>
Cyan appears as a seven-mana 3/3 double striker whose cost is reduced by the number of creatures in your graveyard. He also gains a +1/+1 counter when a creature card leaves your graveyard, whether that’s back onto the battlefield, into your hand, or into exile never to be seen again.
Cyan thrives on reunions and farewells alike.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Teshar, Ancestor&#039;s Apostle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mavinda, Students&#039; Advocate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Karador, Ghost Chieftain"></div></div>
As a graveyard commander, Cyan plays like he has delve without requiring any pesky exiling to reduce his mana cost. This places him in an odd space among mono-white graveyard compatriots like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teshar, Ancestor&#039;s Apostle" href="#" target="_blank">Teshar, Ancestor&#039;s Apostle</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Celestine, the Living Saint" href="#" target="_blank">Celestine, the Living Saint</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mavinda, Students&#039; Advocate" href="#" target="_blank">Mavinda, Students&#039; Advocate</a>, who can recur cards rather than benefit from letting them lie.
If anything, it’s as if <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karador, Ghost Chieftain" href="#" target="_blank">Karador, Ghost Chieftain</a> shed its green and black color identities and leaned into a Voltron strategy. Plus, even in a color rife with cheap commanders, Cyan can reliably come down for a single mana and actually benefits from graveyard hate when he’s on the battlefield.
<h2>Key Cards for Cyan, Vengeful Samurai</h2>
First up are the cheap, self-sacrificial creatures that hit the board early and fuel Cyan’s arrivals later.
Many of these serve a dual purpose as sources of disruption, such as:
<ul>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bounty Agent" href="#" target="_blank">Bounty Agent</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cathar Commando" href="#" target="_blank">Cathar Commando</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nettle Guard" href="#" target="_blank">Nettle Guard</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Remorseful Cleric" href="#" target="_blank">Remorseful Cleric</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Westfold Rider" href="#" target="_blank">Westfold Rider</a></li>
</ul>
Others bravely give up their lives to protect another’s; these include:
<ul>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Benevolent Bodyguard" href="#" target="_blank">Benevolent Bodyguard</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kami of False Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Kami of False Hope</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zack Fair" href="#" target="_blank">Zack Fair</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selfless Savior" href="#" target="_blank">Selfless Savior</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selfless Spirit" href="#" target="_blank">Selfless Spirit</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selfless Samurai" href="#" target="_blank">Selfless Samurai</a></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bounty Agent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zack Fair"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vigilant Martyr"></div></div>
If you thought mono-white was light on <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a> effects, think again. Presenting: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vigilant Martyr" href="#" target="_blank">Vigilant Martyr</a>, here to both regenerate a creature or — surprisingly crucially — counter an effort to remove one of your win-cons. Notably, this effect applies to any enchantment on the board, not just your own, for when an opponent goes after another’s <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Banishing Light" href="#" target="_blank">Banishing Light</a> or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imprisoned in the Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Imprisoned in the Moon</a> variant keeping a troublesome Commander at bay.
Naturally, we’d want to bring these value creatures back to the battlefield anyway, but it doesn’t hurt that Cyan beefs up each time we do it.
These all offer one-time bursts of reanimation:
<ul>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reveillark" href="#" target="_blank">Reveillark</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rally the Ancestors" href="#" target="_blank">Rally the Ancestors</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Return to the Ranks" href="#" target="_blank">Return to the Ranks</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sevinne&#039;s Reclamation" href="#" target="_blank">Sevinne&#039;s Reclamation</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Helping Hand" href="#" target="_blank">Helping Hand</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Raise the Past" href="#" target="_blank">Raise the Past</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hourglass of the Lost" href="#" target="_blank">Hourglass of the Lost</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Patch Up" href="#" target="_blank">Patch Up</a></li>
</ul>
And <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Court of Ardenvale" href="#" target="_blank">Court of Ardenvale</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sun Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Sun Titan</a> can exhume something every turn. I’m also a huge fan of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Battle of Hoover Dam" href="#" target="_blank">Battle of Hoover Dam</a> in this deck; pick NCR if the graveyard’s full and Legion if it’s not.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Battle of Hoover Dam"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Merchant of Truth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Priest of the Crossing"></div></div>
Even in the absence of Cyan, the deck benefits greatly from these small nuisance creatures entering and (swiftly) exiting the battlefield.
Card draw staples like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tocasia&#039;s Welcome" href="#" target="_blank">Tocasia&#039;s Welcome</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Welcoming Vampire" href="#" target="_blank">Welcoming Vampire</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Enduring Innocence" href="#" target="_blank">Enduring Innocence</a> accumulate value quickly, even with the once-per-turn restriction in place.
Death-wise, it feels like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Merchant of Truth" href="#" target="_blank">Merchant of Truth</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Priest of the Crossing" href="#" target="_blank">Priest of the Crossing</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anafenza, Unyielding Lineage" href="#" target="_blank">Anafenza, Unyielding Lineage</a> were printed with this exact sort of deck in mind.
My ramp selection includes the usual suspects in addition to <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sand Scout" href="#" target="_blank">Sand Scout</a>, which is effectively a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Loyal Warhound" href="#" target="_blank">Loyal Warhound</a> with a bit of upside if the deck contains a handful of Desert cards.
I chose to run <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conduit Pylons" href="#" target="_blank">Conduit Pylons</a> as a fetchable Surveil land, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lazotep Quarry" href="#" target="_blank">Lazotep Quarry</a> for a sac outlet and recursion source, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shefet Dunes" href="#" target="_blank">Shefet Dunes</a> for a (very) mini-anthem effect, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cactus Preserve" href="#" target="_blank">Cactus Preserve</a> which can become a 7/7 creature in a pinch.
<h2>How Does This Cyan, Vengeful Samurai Deck Win?</h2>
Your first order of business is to draw the game out and grow your graveyard. Ideally, your starting hand will include at least one source of card draw to keep the weenies flowing. Don't be shy about cracking your self-sacrificing creatures or throwing others in as blockers. The less mana you pay for your initial casting of Cyan, the better. Then, with Cyan out, you can start recurring creatures to grow and protect the general until it’s time to die, then live again.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sword of Forge and Frontier"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Starlight Spectacular"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cathars&#039; Crusade"></div></div>
This deck offers the flexibility to either go tall or wide, depending on the situation. Cyan himself boasts double strike and an ability that grows his power and toughness along with our game plan — although, without some form of evasion, a mere 1/1 token can keep him at bay.
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Forge and Frontier" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Forge and Frontier</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Light and Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Light and Shadow</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zephyr Boots" href="#" target="_blank">Zephyr Boots</a> can help while holding the added benefit of triggering off both of Cyan’s strikes.
Failing that, it’s not difficult to overwhelm opponents with a board full of weenies. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cathars&#039; Crusade" href="#" target="_blank">Cathars&#039; Crusade</a> pumps your team to gargantuan heights that may require a bit of mathematics to keep straight.
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Starlight Spectacular" href="#" target="_blank">Starlight Spectacular</a> is quite fun and becomes more powerful when you can dump another weenie or two onto the battlefield pre-combat. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirror Entity" href="#" target="_blank">Mirror Entity</a> serves the same purpose and can be activated for zero mana to wipe your board in one fell swoop for an emergency Cyan casting.
<h2>Cyan, Vengeful Samurai Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Life After Death After Life After Death" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Cyan, Vengeful Samurai
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Anafenza, Unyielding Lineage
*1 Archivist of Oghma
*1 Benevolent Bodyguard
*1 Bounty Agent
*1 Cathar Commando
*1 Children of Korlis
*1 Eagles of the North
*1 Enduring Innocence
*1 Hallowed Spiritkeeper
*1 Kami of False Hope
*1 Knight of the White Orchid
*1 Lion Sash
*1 Loyal Warhound
*1 Merchant of Truth
*1 Mirror Entity
*1 Myr Scrapling
*1 Nettle Guard
*1 Priest of the Crossing
*1 Remorseful Cleric
*1 Reveillark
*1 Sand Scout
*1 Selfless Samurai
*1 Selfless Savior
*1 Selfless Spirit
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Sun Titan
*1 Vigilant Martyr
*1 Welcoming Vampire
*1 Werefox Bodyguard
*1 Westfold Rider
*1 Witch Enchanter // Witch-Blessed Meadow
*1 Zack Fair
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Ashnod&#039;s Altar
*1 Blade of the Bloodchief
*1 Culling Dais
*1 Hero&#039;s Heirloom
*1 Hourglass of the Lost
*1 Lavaspur Boots
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Oketra&#039;s Monument
*1 Pearl Medallion
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Sword of Forge and Frontier
*1 Sword of Light and Shadow
*1 Tarrian&#039;s Soulcleaver
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Zephyr Boots
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Battle of Hoover Dam
*1 Cathars&#039; Crusade
*1 Court of Ardenvale
*1 Starlight Spectacular
*1 Tocasia&#039;s Welcome
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Helping Hand
*1 Patch Up
*1 Raise the Past
*1 Return to the Ranks
*1 Sevinne&#039;s Reclamation
*1 Tragic Arrogance
*1 Vanquish the Horde
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Rally the Ancestors
*1 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Blighted Steppe
*1 Cactus Preserve
*1 Castle Ardenvale
*1 Conduit Pylons
*1 Demolition Field
*1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
*1 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
*1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
*1 High Market
*1 Horizon of Progress
*1 Lazotep Quarry
*1 Minas Tirith
*1 Myriad Landscape
*19 Plains
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Shefet Dunes
*1 War Room
[/Lands]"></div>

<h2>Only the Dead Have Seen the End of War</h2>
This deck is quite resilient and sails under-the-radar until you've extracted maximum value from every fragile weenie. To temper its power level further, I've opted not to include <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karmic Guide" href="#" target="_blank">Karmic Guide</a> since it forms an infinite combo with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reveillark" href="#" target="_blank">Reveillark</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirror Entity" href="#" target="_blank">Mirror Entity</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod&#039;s Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod&#039;s Altar</a>; Cyan deserves his vengeance, and I want to afford him an honest one. I'd put this solidly at Bracket 3 even though it's only a $120 deck.
For those who decide to sleeve this one up, I'd be curious which lines of play you've favored. Also, are you a graveyard aficionado like me? Where does this commander slot into the pantheon of great graveyarders?

graveyard commander

Building a Counters-Matter Spider-Man Noir Deck

Cyan, Vengeful Samurai - Mono-White Graveyard Commander