<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Katara, Waterbending Master" href="#" target="_blank">Katara, Waterbending Master</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.shop.yueko.com/en-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yueko</a></span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Welcome to a deck tech for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Master of Waves" href="#" target="_blank">Master of Waves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! Wait a minute, that's not quite right. Let's try that one more time... </span>Welcome to a deck tech for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Katara, Waterbending Master" href="#" target="_blank">Katara, Waterbending Master</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p>Katara, despite almost sharing a name with a beloved Merfolk, is actually a fantastic new commander that was printed as part of the <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender Eternal</em> release. I think she's the most powerful of the <a href="https://tagger.scryfall.com/tags/card/cycle-tle-bending-master" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"bending master" cycle</a> from that product, so I'm super excited to write an article about her.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Katara, Waterbending Master"></div></div></p>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Katara, Waterbending Master" href="#" target="_blank">Katara, Waterbending Master</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">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-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, Katara is a 1/3 Human Warrior Ally. Whenever we cast a spell during an opponent's turn, she gives us an experience counter. Then, whenever she attacks, we may draw a card for each experience counter we have before discarding one card. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Considering how easily <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>-based decks can cast spells at instant speed, we'll rack up a ton of experience counters to draw more cards than we know what to do with.</span></p>
<p>To make the most of our commander, we'll cast a ton of spells on our opponents' turns. That means counterspells and removal, of course, but we've also got some more interesting includes to ensure we're not too mean to our tablemates over the course of the game.</p>
<p>If you're a true <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> mage, or just like playing the game on other people's turns, this deck is for you. Let's get brewing!</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Katara</h2>
<p>Lucky for us, Wizards of the Coast have provided increasingly high quality flash threats for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>-based decks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faerie Vandal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sicarian Infiltrator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faerie Mastermind"></div></div>
<p>Creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Vandal" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Vandal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can hit the board early, both triggering Katara and growing larger as the game goes on. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sicarian Infiltrator" href="#" target="_blank">Sicarian Infiltrator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Mastermind" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Mastermind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can act as sweet card advantage engines, and both creatures let us dump mana into them as the game goes on for a bigger effect.</p>
<p>We've got one more card from <em>Avatar</em> here too: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Unagi of Kyoshi Island" href="#" target="_blank">The Unagi of Kyoshi Island</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This is a better version of Faerie Mastermind, albeit at a much higher mana cost.</p>
<p>We've got some more unique effects too, like a Fish Horror that steals ETB abilities. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aboleth Spawn" href="#" target="_blank">Aboleth Spawn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the strangest creatures printed in <em>Commander Legends: Baldur's Gate</em>, but it's one of the most powerful too. This is the second week in a row that I've included this creature in one of my deck lists, so I hope that my feelings towards this creature are clear.</p>
<p>We've also got a trio of clones that we can cast at instant speed. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Malleable Impostor" href="#" target="_blank">Malleable Impostor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mocking Doppelganger" href="#" target="_blank">Mocking Doppelganger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stunt Double" href="#" target="_blank">Stunt Double</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are all riffs on the classic <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clone" href="#" target="_blank">Clone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that let us get experience counters with Katara's ability.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aboleth Spawn"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Malleable Impostor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mocking Doppelganger"></div></div>
<p>And, given our deck's color identity, we've got access to some of the best control pieces in all of <em>Magic</em>. One of my favorites is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Misleading Signpost" href="#" target="_blank">Misleading Signpost</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While I'm typically not the biggest fan of three-mana rocks, this card does enough to warrant inclusion in most any monocolored deck.</p>
<p>Redirecting an attacker, à la <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Portal Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Portal Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, can save our life in a close game. Especially in a deck like this, I'll happily trade Portal Mage's 2/2 stat line for access to an extra mana every turn. Recently released cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Floodpits Drowner" href="#" target="_blank">Floodpits Drowner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> pair well with older staples like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brazen Borrower" href="#" target="_blank">Brazen Borrower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to give us answers to most any threat our opponents bring to the table.</p>
<p>I've also included <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reenact the Crime" href="#" target="_blank">Reenact the Crime</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for a bit of graveyard hate. I like to include at least one such piece in each of my decks, given just how frequently Commander decks make at least mild use of the graveyard. It's admittedly somewhat of a "silver bullet," meaning it'll be incredibly effective against specific deck archetypes while having minimal use against others, but it makes me feel more comfortable including it in my 99. This instant is a sort of <em>Magic</em> security blanket, if you will.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Misleading Signpost"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Floodpits Drowner"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reenact the Crime"></div></div>
<p>The majority of this deck's power is wrapped up in our commander. She provides us with the card advantage we'll need to win, and will therefore be a prime target for opposing interaction. Plus, in order to actually draw cards with her, we need to attack with a vanilla 1/3. So, let's talk about the ways this deck has to protect her.</p>
<p>First up is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lost in the Maze" href="#" target="_blank">Lost in the Maze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which pulls double duty as a light removal spell and protection for Katara. This enchantment is pretty cool, but finds itself in only 0.5% of eligble decks on EDHREC. That's likely because of its initial printing in <em>Murders at Karlov Manor</em>, a deeply unpopular release.</p>
<p>Speaking of mazes, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maze of Ith" href="#" target="_blank">Maze of Ith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help protect our commander too. By untapping Katara and removing her from combat after we've gotten her attack trigger, we can ensure an opponent doesn't just kill her with a blocker. Then we've got one of my favorite cards, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fae Flight" href="#" target="_blank">Fae Flight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Also printed in MKM, this Aura provides protection from opposing interaction and provides evasion to our commander. While this enchantment is far from the strongest way to make a creature hard to block, I think it's a great include in low-color decks looking to protect their commander in and out of combat.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lost in the Maze"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Maze of Ith"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fae Flight"></div></div>
<p>I want to touch on a few cards that accelerate our experience counter production. Sure, it's nice to get a counter whenever we cast a spell on an opponent's turn, but we can do better than that.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dreamtide Whale" href="#" target="_blank">Dreamtide Whale</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aetheric Amplifier" href="#" target="_blank">Aetheric Amplifier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for example, can repeatedly boost the number of experience we have. Although Dreamtide Whale does have vanishing, we're unlikely to ever actually need to sacrifice it due to how prevalent double spelling is in Commander. I've also chosen to include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serum Snare" href="#" target="_blank">Serum Snare</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karn&#039;s Bastion" href="#" target="_blank">Karn&#039;s Bastion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, cards that provide us with things that every commander deck needs (removal and mana, respectively) while also proliferating our counters.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dreamtide Whale"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aetheric Amplifier"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Serum Snare"></div></div>
<h2>How Does This Deck Win?</h2>
<p>After casting a bunch of spells and drawing a ton of cards, how can we actually win the game? Well, we've got a whole bunch of ways to turn card advantage into other forms of advantage. In the mid-to-late game, when we're drawing five or more cards with each Katara trigger, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ominous Seas" href="#" target="_blank">Ominous Seas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Psychosis Crawler" href="#" target="_blank">Psychosis Crawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> become real, game-ending threats. Ominous Seas' 8/8 tokens, and Psychosis Crawler's life loss can make quick work of our opponents.</p>
<p>And, even in earlier stages of the game, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alandra, Sky Dreamer" href="#" target="_blank">Alandra, Sky Dreamer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can make us a few evasive 2/2s to swing in for damage with. Plus, when we're drawing extra cards later, she can turn those tokens into lethal attackers.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ominous Seas"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Psychosis Crawler"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alandra, Sky Dreamer"></div></div>
<p>Failing that, I've also included a cheeky alternate win condition in our 99. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Twenty-Toed Toad" href="#" target="_blank">Twenty-Toed Toad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s 20-card-in-hand requirement for victory may seem lofty, but we're a mono-<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> deck that's focused explicitly on drawing cards! We'll be able to get a hold of those cards quite easily, meaning we simply need to attack with the Frog Wizard to win.</p>
<p>By controlling the board at instant speed, and drawing a ton of cards with our commander, this deck can close out games easily.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Twenty-Toed Toad"></div></div>
<h2>Katara, Waterbending Master Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Katara - Radical!" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Katara, Waterbending Master
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Aboleth Spawn
*1 Alandra, Sky Dreamer
*1 Brazen Borrower // Petty Theft
*1 Dreamtide Whale
*1 Eddymurk Crab
*1 Enduring Curiosity
*1 Faerie Mastermind
*1 Faerie Vandal
*1 Final-Word Phantom
*1 Floodpits Drowner
*1 High Fae Trickster
*1 Hydroelectric Specimen // Hydroelectric Laboratory
*1 Malcolm, Alluring Scoundrel
*1 Malleable Impostor
*1 Mocking Doppelganger
*1 Naiad of Hidden Coves
*1 Psychosis Crawler
*1 Sicarian Infiltrator
*1 Snapcaster Mage
*1 Stinging Lionfish
*1 Stunt Double
*1 The Unagi of Kyoshi Island
*1 Tishana&#039;s Tidebinder
*1 Twenty-Toed Toad
*1 Valley Floodcaller
*1 Wan Shi Tong, Librarian
*1 Wavebreak Hippocamp
*1 Wonder
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Aetheric Amplifier
*1 Astrologian&#039;s Planisphere
*1 Misleading Signpost
*1 Mithril Coat
*1 Sapphire Medallion
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Fae Flight
*1 Lost in the Maze
*1 Ominous Seas
*1 Teferi&#039;s Ageless Insight
*1 Wizard Class
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Aetherize
*1 An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse
*1 Archmage&#039;s Charm
*1 Brainstorm
*1 Change of Plans
*1 Consider
*1 Consult the Star Charts
*1 Counterspell
*1 Cyclonic Rift
*1 Fierce Guardianship
*1 Frantic Search
*1 Impulse
*1 Into the Flood Maw
*1 Keep Watch
*1 Leap
*1 Opt
*1 Otherworldly Gaze
*1 Peek
*1 Rapid Hybridization
*1 Reenact the Crime
*1 Repeal
*1 Resculpt
*1 Rewind
*1 Secret Identity
*1 Serum Snare
*1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
*1 Swan Song
*1 Three Steps Ahead
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Cephalid Coliseum
*1 Demolition Field
*23 Island
*1 Karn&#039;s Bastion
*1 Maze of Ith
*1 Otawara, Soaring City
*1 Plaza of Heroes
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Rivendell
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 War Room
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Before you go, I wanted to talk a bit more in-depth about a special <em>Avatar</em> card in this deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wan Shi Tong, Librarian" href="#" target="_blank">Wan Shi Tong, Librarian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a near perfect fit for this list. The owl is a crazy strong card advantage engine that can be flashed in on an opponent's turn, and it's my pick for the strongest card in the whole <em>Avatar</em> set.</p>
<p>I think it <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/avatar-the-last-airbender-a-cedh-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may even see cEDH play</a>, filling a similar role as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archivist of Oghma" href="#" target="_blank">Archivist of Oghma</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Its <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-x" 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 class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> casting cost means it can even be a way to spend extra mana, if we've got any on hand.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wan Shi Tong, Librarian"></div></div>
<p>Overall, this set seems to have landed well with the <em>Magic</em> player base. From cool cards like Wan Shi Tong to silly references like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="It&#039;ll Quench Ya!" href="#" target="_blank">It&#039;ll Quench Ya!</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the set has a little something for everyone.</p>
<p><em>Avatar</em> is one of my favorite Universes Beyond products to date. I'm far from the biggest fan of UB, but have enjoyed this product more than I did some other releases this year. It feels closer to an in-universe <em>Magic</em> set than many other external IPs have, which I think plays a big role in its success.</p>
<p>But what do <em>you</em> think? What's the most powerful card from this set? Do you even like the set in the first place? Please do let me know your thoughts in the comments below. And I'll see you all again next week for another article!</p>


mono blue commanders

Drawing Tons of Cards With Katara, Waterbending Master in Commander