Building a Hei Bai, Forest Guardian Commander Deck... Without Shrines?

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance" href="#" target="_blank">Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/tsmith3d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tyler Smith</a></em></p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tla" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em></a> is just around the corner, and the <em>Magic: The Gathering </em>community seems pretty excited about it. One reader gave me a suggestion to check out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance" href="#" target="_blank">Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a very cool Panda that cares about sacrifice and +1/+1 counters - something that sounds right up my alley.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, that's all I can say about the card, because I don't know anything about <em>Avatar</em> lore. So because I can't judge this set by flavor, I think I had better build a deck with this card, and judge the set after that.</p>
<h2>Somehow Not the First Bear Spirit</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance" href="#" target="_blank">Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, immediately stood out to me as potentially very strong for Pauper, because it's a sacrifice outlet with a decent payoff, combined with a +1/+1 counters theme. Those are well established archetypes, especially in Orzhov colors, so we've got a lot to work with.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance"></div></div>
<p>On top of that, I've already played several decks where the goal is to move counters from one creature to another like Hei Bai does, and I've got a lot of faith in this strategy. I think we can make it work for sure.</p>
<h2>Excellent Students</h2>
<p>First, we need to define exactly what our game plan is. Hei Bai wants to do two things: sacrifice creatures, and move its own counters to other creatures. This is reminiscent of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Star Pupil" href="#" target="_blank">Star Pupil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a creature that also moves all of its counters when it dies.</p>
<p>Now, the great thing about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Star Pupil" href="#" target="_blank">Star Pupil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is that there's quite a few functional copies of it, from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Enduring Bondwarden" href="#" target="_blank">Enduring Bondwarden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Parish-Blade Trainee" href="#" target="_blank">Parish-Blade Trainee</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to the new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dockworker Drone" href="#" target="_blank">Dockworker Drone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If you've got a board full of these fellas, you can easily develop a web of counters that progressively grows. It's resilient against removal, and it's easy to sustain with a little bit of recursion.</p>
<p>The deck I built around this strategy with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcbound Shikari" href="#" target="_blank">Arcbound Shikari</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is still one of my favorite Pauper decks. Even though we're not focusing on artifact creatures here, I think we can still do something similar.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Star Pupil"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Parish-Blade Trainee"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Enduring Bondwarden"></div></div>
<p>So where does Hei Bai fit into this? Well, the panda is a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Star Pupil" href="#" target="_blank">Star Pupil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> itself, but its primary function is being an effective sacrifice outlet. Though we could rely on external factors, it's best if we have control over when our Pupils die, so that we can move those counters at the right times.</p>
<p>We'll use Hei Bai to rearrange our board every combat, and then we'll revive whatever creature we sacrificed and end every turn a bit stronger than the last.</p>
<p>That's our basic engine, and I know from experience that it works. That said, every engine needs a bit of oil.</p>
<h2>Oiling Up</h2>
<p>The first lubricant is blink spells. While many of our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Star Pupil" href="#" target="_blank">Star Pupil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s have to die to transfer their counters, our commander only has to leave the battlefield. Thanks to that wording, we can just flicker our commander to quickly shift a ton of counters around, and retrigger the ETB that sacrifices a creatures.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloudshift" href="#" target="_blank">Cloudshift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flicker of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Flicker of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ephemerate" href="#" target="_blank">Ephemerate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will all give us great value for just a couple of mana. Using these cards, we really open a lot of opportunities to play around with our counters, making surprise moves that can really catch our opponents off guard.</p>
<p>The cool thing about this deck is that even if only Hei Bai has ten counters, our opponents have to treat our board like every creature is that big. We're basically a frilled lizard, puffing up to scare our enemies.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Frilled Sandwalla"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloudshift"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flicker of Fate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ephemerate"></div></div>
<p>Although we can't use blink spells on the rest of our creatures, we can use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Not Dead After All" href="#" target="_blank">Not Dead After All</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to bring them back after a sacrifice. These cards have always been my secret means of blinking creatures in Pauper, and they're very effective. Plus, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undying Malice" href="#" target="_blank">Undying Malice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undying Evil" href="#" target="_blank">Undying Evil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feign Death" href="#" target="_blank">Feign Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all bring the creature back with an extra +1/+1 counter, adding to our board power.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Not Dead After All"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Undying Malice"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Feign Death"></div></div>
<h2>Back From the Dead</h2>
<p>All of that combined with revival spells will make a smooth machine. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unearth" href="#" target="_blank">Unearth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Recommission" href="#" target="_blank">Recommission</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jolted Awake" href="#" target="_blank">Jolted Awake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Return Triumphant" href="#" target="_blank">Return Triumphant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are the best of the bunch, returning our small little students straight to the battlefield. Then <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sam&#039;s Desperate Rescue" href="#" target="_blank">Sam&#039;s Desperate Rescue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Corpse Churn" href="#" target="_blank">Corpse Churn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Disentomb" href="#" target="_blank">Disentomb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Echoing Return" href="#" target="_blank">Echoing Return</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are also great, and sometimes even cheaper in the end.</p>
<p>There's more than enough of those spells to keep our board alive for a whole game, and make it a nightmare for our opponents. No matter what, we'll just keep bouncing back.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unearth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jolted Awake"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sam&#039;s Desperate Rescue"></div></div>
<h2>The Payoffs</h2>
<p>Finally, what are we really gonna do with all these +1/+1 counters? At any point, we're gonna have one or two creatures with an absolute load of counters on them, so we've gotta do something with all that.</p>
<p>I thought we could throw them all on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shinewend" href="#" target="_blank">Shinewend</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Festercreep" href="#" target="_blank">Festercreep</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, little utility creatures that can do some special things with the counters, maybe wiping out a ton of tokens or removing problematic enchantments. That's cute, but not really game ending.</p>
<p>For the most part, we're just gonna try and keep things simple. We'll toss a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gift of Orzhova" href="#" target="_blank">Gift of Orzhova</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angelic Gift" href="#" target="_blank">Angelic Gift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in there, plus a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rogue&#039;s Passage" href="#" target="_blank">Rogue&#039;s Passage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the mana base. If we've got a lot of power, we should simply hit hard with it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shinewend"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gift of Orzhova"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rogue&#039;s Passage"></div></div>
<p>Other than that, there's not much to this deck. We've got a minor Treasure theme going on with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadly Dispute" href="#" target="_blank">Deadly Dispute</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, creating artifacts we can sacrifice to our commander. Then we've got some on-theme removal in the form of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Settle Beyond Reality" href="#" target="_blank">Settle Beyond Reality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Light of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Light of Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as well as some actually good removal, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feed the Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">Feed the Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tragic Slip" href="#" target="_blank">Tragic Slip</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>A bit of card draw is necessary as well, but instead of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sign in Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Sign in Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> like usual, we'll play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Altar&#039;s Reap" href="#" target="_blank">Altar&#039;s Reap</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reckoner&#039;s Bargain" href="#" target="_blank">Reckoner&#039;s Bargain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to ensure we can sacrifice creatures whenever we want to.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deadly Dispute"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Settle Beyond Reality"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reckoner&#039;s Bargain"></div></div>
<h2>Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance Pauper Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Pauper Commander - Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Goldvein Pick
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Orzhov Signet
*1 Prying Blade
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Arcbound Hybrid
*1 Arcbound Mouser
*1 Arcbound Prototype
*1 Arcbound Stinger
*1 Arcbound Worker
*1 Blightbelly Rat
*1 Cathar Commando
*1 Dockworker Drone
*1 Enduring Bondwarden
*1 Festercreep
*1 Gixian Infiltrator
*1 Iron Apprentice
*1 Martyr for the Cause
*1 Parish-Blade Trainee
*1 Pegasus Guardian // Rescue the Foal
*1 Shinewend
*1 Spiteful Squad
*1 Star Pupil
*1 Wakedancer
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Acrobatic Maneuver
*1 Altar&#039;s Reap
*1 Another Chance
*1 Cloudshift
*1 Corpse Churn
*1 Corrupted Conviction
*1 Costly Plunder
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Ephemerate
*1 Fake Your Own Death
*1 Feign Death
*1 Flicker of Fate
*1 Generous Gift
*1 Light of Hope
*1 Not Dead After All
*1 Otherworldly Journey
*1 Reckoner&#039;s Bargain
*1 Scrollshift
*1 Slip On the Ring
*1 Take Up the Shield
*1 Thraben Charm
*1 Tragic Slip
*1 Unbounded Potential
*1 Undying Evil
*1 Undying Malice
*1 Unexpected Fangs
*1 Whisper of the Dross
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Disentomb
*1 Echoing Return
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 Jolted Awake
*1 Now for Wrath, Now for Ruin!
*1 Recommission
*1 Return Triumphant
*1 Sam&#039;s Desperate Rescue
*1 Settle Beyond Reality
*1 Unearth
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Angelic Gift
*1 Asha&#039;s Favor
*1 Eternal Thirst
*1 Gift of Orzhova
*1 Lunarch Mantle
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Command Tower
*14 Plains
*1 Scoured Barrens
*13 Swamp
*1 Thriving Heath
*1 Thriving Moor
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>And that's what a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance" href="#" target="_blank">Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Pauper deck oughta look like. We've made something that's more effective than I expected it to be: It's resilient to removal, the mana curve is low, and it packs a punch - everything you want a Pauper deck to do.</p>
<p>Maybe I'm liking the <em>Avatar</em> set a bit more now, but I'm still holding out hope that someday Wizards will cover an IP I actually care about.</p>
<h3>More <em>Avatar</em>:</h3>
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hei bai

Building a Hei Bai, Forest Guardian Commander Deck... Without Shrines?

Pauper Commander - Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance