<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>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance - Spirits and Sacrifices&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/hei-bai-spirit-of-balance-spirits-and-sacrifices/embed/#?secret=veSvN7rYVS#?secret=KVoHZ0ryVO" data-secret="KVoHZ0ryVO" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<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>


Building a Go-Wide Deck With Sokka, Lateral Strategist

<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bumi, Eclectic Earthbender" href="#" target="_blank">Bumi, Eclectic Earthbender</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.lenarichards.com/store" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Olena Richards</a></span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We've seen a ton of new cards from <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tla" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em></a> over the past few weeks, as tons of iconic characters from one of my favorite childhood shows come to life on <em>Magic</em> cardstock. I'm excited to do a deck tech focused on one of the coolest cards from this set so far: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bumi, Eclectic Earthbender" href="#" target="_blank">Bumi, Eclectic Earthbender</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="Bumi, Eclectic Earthbender"></div></div></p>
<p>Bumi showcases one of the new mechanics from this set: earthbending. When he enters the battlefield we earthbend 1, meaning that we turn one of our lands into a 0/0 creature with a +1/+1 counter on it. That land also gains the ability to protect itself, coming back to the battlefield after dying once.</p>
<p>That's a pretty strong ability, and I'm really excited to see what other earthbending-related cards will pop up as more cards get revealed for the set! For now, though, there's just a few <em>Avatar</em> cards that are good enough to make the cut for this casual EDH list.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Earthbending Lesson"></div></div>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bumi, Eclectic Earthbender" href="#" target="_blank">Bumi, Eclectic Earthbender</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-3" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, Bumi is a 4/4 Human Noble Ally. When he enters the battlefield, we earthbend 1. And when he attacks, we get to put two +1/+1 counters on each land creature we control. That's a really cool combination of abilities, and one that lets us lean hard into some of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>'s strongest traits.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There's a few commanders whose EDHREC pages I've drawn inspiration from today. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kamahl, Heart of Krosa" href="#" target="_blank">Kamahl, Heart of Krosa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also animates our lands, and provides a team-wide buff every combat. I'm also reminded of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obuun, Mul Daya Ancestor" href="#" target="_blank">Obuun, Mul Daya Ancestor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who animates lands and hands out +1/+1 counters just like Bumi!<br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kamahl, Heart of Krosa"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Obuun, Mul Daya Ancestor"></div></div></p>
<p>But, this deck tech isn't about those cards, so let's get back to Bumi. As I mentioned, we'll be leaning into two of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>'s biggest strengths: lands and +1/+1 counters. Our commander blends those two strategies together well, so we'll be sure to win with a wide board of land creatures suited up with tons of counters.</p>
<p>Let's see how we can build out this lean, mean, mono-green machine!</p>
<h2>Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bumi, Eclectic Earthbender" href="#" target="_blank">Bumi, Eclectic Earthbender</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>In order to really take advantage of our commander's +1/+1 counter production, we've got to ensure that we've got a full board of land creatures. While Bumi does make one 0/0 land creature (with a +1/+1 counter on it) when he enters the battlefield, it's gonna take a lot more than that to win a Commander game.</p>
<p>One of my favorite land animation pieces is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emergent Sequence" href="#" target="_blank">Emergent Sequence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampant Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Rampant Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> variant that turns the basic we fetch into a creature. I'm quite surprised that this card isn't more popular in green decks that care about +1/+1 counters, so I'm especially excited to give it a shoutout here.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emergent Sequence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Earthbending Student"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wrenn and Realmbreaker"></div></div>
<p>I've also got to talk about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Earthbending Student" href="#" target="_blank">Earthbending Student</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a new creature that animates a land and grants a relevant keyword to all of our animated friends. Vigilance is particularly sweet on our animated lands, as it means we can attack with them and still tap them for mana afterwards. To that end, I've included another way to give our land creatures vigilance: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Embodiment of Insight" href="#" target="_blank">Embodiment of Insight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Lastly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrenn and Realmbreaker" href="#" target="_blank">Wrenn and Realmbreaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a nice way to recur our best permanents in the late game, while turning our lands into 3/3s along the way.</p>
<p>There's lots of other ways to turn our lands into creatures, from the super powerful <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nissa, Who Shakes the World" href="#" target="_blank">Nissa, Who Shakes the World</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to the game-ending <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liege of the Tangle" href="#" target="_blank">Liege of the Tangle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to the extra-land-drop granting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Druid Class" href="#" target="_blank">Druid Class</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We've got no shortage of ways to animate our mana base!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nissa, Who Shakes the World"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Liege of the Tangle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Druid Class"></div></div>
<p>Once we've converted our Forests into combat-ready creatures, we need some ways to turn those creatures into game-ending threats. Alongside the steady stream of +1/+1 counters handed out by Bumi, a +2/+2 anthem from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sylvan Advocate" href="#" target="_blank">Sylvan Advocate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or a +1/+1 anthem from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blossoming Tortoise" href="#" target="_blank">Blossoming Tortoise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can prove extremely potent. Sylvan Advocate provides a really nice anthem for just two mana, and it's even an Ally.</p>
<p>I'm no finance expert, but I'd bet on this card rising in price as more earthbending and Ally kindred synergies crop up in this set.</p>
<p>Finally, if we can manage to maintain the monarchy through a full turn cycle, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Court of Garenbrig" href="#" target="_blank">Court of Garenbrig</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can turn our animated lands into victory quite quickly. We should have a board of relatively imposing blockers at all times, so that likely won't be too tall of a task.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sylvan Advocate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blossoming Tortoise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Court of Garenbrig"></div></div>
<p>One of the biggest drawbacks of land creatures is that they're more susceptible to removal. It's easy for an opponent to simply get rid of one of our creatures, which would also cut off our mana supply and make their removal super effective. So, aside from the recursion built into earthbending, we've got a few more ways to bring lands back from the graveyard.</p>
<p>The recently printed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Icetill Explorer" href="#" target="_blank">Icetill Explorer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the best <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of Worlds" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of Worlds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects in all of <em>Magic</em>, giving us an extra land drop and letting us dump more lands into the bin as the game goes on.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Icetill Explorer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exploration Broodship"></div></div>
<p>Combined with <em>Edge of Eternities</em>' <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exploration Broodship" href="#" target="_blank">Exploration Broodship</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, this deck is full of brand-new cards that let us get our lands back. Exploration Broodship even lets us sacrifice a land that we've earthbent, which will allow that land to come back to the battlefield and re-trigger our <em>landfall</em> effects.</p>
<p>That's a relatively niche interaction, but it's still cool to see the interactions between the different card packages we've got in our 99.</p>
<h2>How Does This Bumi Deck Win?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We'll usually win by attacking our opponents with progressively bigger land creatures, beating them down in longer games with our animated mana base. Our commander, combined with some +1/+1 counter synergies like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Duskshell Crawler" href="#" target="_blank">Duskshell Crawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, will ensure that our main game plan is effective.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Duskshell Crawler"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We'll be putting a lot of lands onto the battlefield. So, creatures with <em>landfall</em> abilities will be particularly good backup win conditions if we find ourselves unable to punch through with a few big lands. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scute Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">Scute Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampaging Baloths" href="#" target="_blank">Rampaging Baloths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avenger of Zendikar" href="#" target="_blank">Avenger of Zendikar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will all give us a sufficiently wide board to ensure we're in a strong position at every combat step. I've even included a few fetch lands, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shire Terrace" href="#" target="_blank">Shire Terrace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prismatic Vista" href="#" target="_blank">Prismatic Vista</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to beef up our Landfall strategy.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scute Swarm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rampaging Baloths"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Avenger of Zendikar"></div></div>
<p>And, should we choose to go tall instead of wide, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bristly Bill, Spine Sower" href="#" target="_blank">Bristly Bill, Spine Sower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will prove to be a great value play in the early game <em>and </em>a nice game-ender with his activated ability. Same goes for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scythecat Cub" href="#" target="_blank">Scythecat Cub</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a two-drop that can provide a game-ending amount of counters.</p>
<p>We can even pump our excess mana into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Waker of the Wilds" href="#" target="_blank">Waker of the Wilds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kamahl, Fist of Krosa" href="#" target="_blank">Kamahl, Fist of Krosa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to punch through clogged board states!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bristly Bill, Spine Sower"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scythecat Cub"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Waker of the Wilds"></div></div>
<h2>Bumi, Eclectic Earthbender Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Building a Lands Deck with Bumi, Eclectic Earthbender" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Bumi, Eclectic Earthbender
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Ashaya, Soul of the Wild
*1 Avenger of Zendikar
*1 Blossoming Tortoise
*1 Bristly Bill, Spine Sower
*1 Destiny Spinner
*1 Disciple of Freyalise // Garden of Freyalise
*1 Druid of Purification
*1 Duskshell Crawler
*1 Earthbending Student
*1 Embodiment of Insight
*1 Icetill Explorer
*1 Insidious Fungus
*1 Kamahl, Fist of Krosa
*1 Kamahl, Heart of Krosa
*1 Liege of the Tangle
*1 Llanowar Loamspeaker
*1 Loot, Exuberant Explorer
*1 Lotus Cobra
*1 Mossborn Hydra
*1 Nissa, Vastwood Seer // Nissa, Sage Animist
*1 Ojer Kaslem, Deepest Growth // Temple of Cultivation
*1 Rampaging Baloths
*1 Sazh&#039;s Chocobo
*1 Scute Swarm
*1 Scythecat Cub
*1 Sylvan Advocate
*1 Tireless Provisioner
*1 Titania, Nature&#039;s Force
*1 Titania, Voice of Gaea
*1 Toph, the Blind Bandit
*1 Tyrant Guard
*1 Ulvenwald Tracker
*1 Waker of the Wilds
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Bridgeworks Battle // Tanglespan Bridgeworks
*1 Broken Bond
*1 Emergent Sequence
*1 Ezuri&#039;s Predation
*1 Rude Awakening
*1 Sylvan Awakening
*1 Turntimber Symbiosis // Turntimber, Serpentine Wood
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Case of the Locked Hothouse
*1 Court of Garenbrig
*1 Druid Class
*1 Exploration
*1 Hardened Scales
*1 Meltstrider&#039;s Resolve
*1 Roaring Earth
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Nissa, Vital Force
*1 Nissa, Who Shakes the World
*1 Wrenn and Realmbreaker
[/Planeswalkers]
[Instants]
*1 Beast Within
*1 Collective Resistance
*1 Inspiring Call
*1 Kamahl&#039;s Will
*1 Nature&#039;s Claim
*1 Tail Swipe
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Exploration Broodship
*1 Herd Heirloom
*1 Oblivion Stone
*1 Ozolith, the Shattered Spire
*1 Staff of Titania
*1 The Earth Crystal
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*1 Argoth, Sanctum of Nature
*1 Blighted Woodland
*1 Demolition Field
*1 Fabled Passage
*27 Forest
*1 Lair of the Hydra
*1 Mutavault
*1 Prismatic Vista
*1 Shire Terrace
*1 Soulstone Sanctuary
*1 Zanarkand, Ancient Metropolis // Lasting Fayth
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is a pretty classic mono-green list. All the staples are here, from extra land drops to <em>landfall</em> triggers to the big creatures that live in the hearts of all Timmy players. </span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exploration"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mossborn Hydra"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ojer Kaslem, Deepest Growth"></div></div>
<p>This deck sits pretty firmly in Bracket 2, which is where I think a five-mana commander like Bumi works best. This strategy is strong, but not necessarily strong enough to compete with what deckbuilders bring to the table for higher power games.</p>
<p>That's all for this week! Before you go, though, I'd love to know what your favorite mono-colored legend is from <em>Avatar</em> so far. There's a whole bunch of them, so I'm excited to hear all of your thoughts!</p>
<p>For now, though, 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="PJUH8o7MuT"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/incinerating-tyranny-with-a-fire-lord-zuko-commander-deck/">Incinerating Tyranny With a Fire Lord Zuko Commander Deck</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Incinerating Tyranny With a Fire Lord Zuko Commander Deck&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/incinerating-tyranny-with-a-fire-lord-zuko-commander-deck/embed/#?secret=XVBtgst5r0#?secret=PJUH8o7MuT" data-secret="PJUH8o7MuT" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="WoevqTKxYP"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/appa-steadfast-guardian-commander-deck-tech/">Appa, Steadfast Guardian Commander Deck Tech</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Appa, Steadfast Guardian Commander Deck Tech&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/appa-steadfast-guardian-commander-deck-tech/embed/#?secret=UQiC1Kmzxe#?secret=WoevqTKxYP" data-secret="WoevqTKxYP" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="wrSjVhTTaw"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/sokka-bold-boomeranger-commander-deck-tech/">Sokka, Bold Boomeranger Commander Deck Tech</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Sokka, Bold Boomeranger Commander Deck Tech&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/sokka-bold-boomeranger-commander-deck-tech/embed/#?secret=ZiKcaNY8br#?secret=wrSjVhTTaw" data-secret="wrSjVhTTaw" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>


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Building a Go-Wide Deck With Sokka, Lateral Strategist

Building a Lands Deck with Bumi, Eclectic Earthbender