<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/justynadura">Justyna Dura</a></em></p>
<p>For such a prevalent archetype in fiction, Rebels don't feature often in <em>Magic.</em></p>
<p>Across decades of releases, there are specific bursts of rebellion cropping up across sets. <em>Mercadian Masques,</em> <em>All Will Be One,</em> <em>Final Fantasy,</em> and <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em> all incorporate good swaths of Rebels. But across the majority of sets, Rebels feature rarely if at all.</p>
<p>Which makes sense, doesn't it? Rebels are clandestine by nature, operating in cells to avoid notice, so it's quite thematic for them to avoid the spotlight and only arrive in force and en masse when the time is right.</p>
<p>Though that certainly isn't the only way to play them.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ace, Fearless Rebel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Barret, Avalanche Leader"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jet, Rebel Leader"></div></div>
<h2>What Is Playing "Out Of Type?"</h2>
<p>In a sense, playing Out Of Type is rebelling against the established meta.</p>
<p>There are many different ways to construct a deck, and the ways to pilot them are nearly endless. While, yes, there are well-trodden paths and certain staple cards will see more play than others, they aren't requirements.</p>
<p>At higher brackets? Most definitely.</p>
<p>But if you're playing for fun with other players who want to have a good time, sticking to lower brackets where experimentation is welcome? That's exactly where you can "suboptimal" strategies.</p>
<p>And that's exactly where you can play Out of Type.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Trenching Steed"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aven Riftwatcher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Duke, Rebel Sentry"></div></div>
<h2>What Rebels Do Well</h2>
<p>The strengths of each group of Rebels relies entirely on the circumstances they're rebelling against. As a result, each set that features Rebels not only ascribes them a primary mechanic, they also swap around which color the Rebels are. As a result, Rebels as a creature type are extremely disorganized, only loosely tied together by their shared cause of pushing back against the establishment.</p>
<p>Which is a narrative win, if nothing else.</p>
<h3>Tutoring</h3>
<p>When they were introduced in <em>Mercadian Masques,</em> Rebels acted as a white-aligned creature type specializing in recruiting cheaper Rebels once played. This meant that Rebels relied heavily on maintaining tempo, which white facilitated via its many forms of protection. Once you had a mid-sized Rebel down, you could rapidly tutor and deploy many more creatures to the field.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Defiant Vanguard"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Amrou Scout"></div></div>
<p>Interestingly, this same mechanic featured in the black-aligned Mercenaries creature type.</p>
<p>Seen as "evil" Rebels, Mercenaries functionally acted identical just on a different part of the color pie, though Mercenaries are considered outlaws while Rebels aren't, giving them a slightly more rounded-out support pool due to <em>Outlaws of Thunder Junction.</em></p>
<p>Over time, Mercenaries have become much less tied to their origins as "evil rebels" and are now flavorfully neutral. They've even expanded into other colors!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cateran Enforcer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cateran Slaver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cateran Kidnappers"></div></div>
<h3>Equipment</h3>
<p>Pushing back against the Phyrexians in <em>All Will Be One,</em> modern Rebels fight simply to survive. Without the luxury of tutoring, they rely on desperation and Equipment to deal with the Phyrexian invasion, particularly to the cry of "For Mirrodin!"</p>
<p>Rebels feature primarily in this set as 2/2 red creature tokens, spawned by the for Mirrodin! keyword upon playing certain Equipment. This automatically attaches the Equipment to the Rebel, who can then take on even more Equipment to be as powerful as you'd like them to be.</p>
<p>Something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Barbed Batterfist" href="#" target="_blank">Barbed Batterfist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a very straightforward numerical value change, while a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bladehold War-Whip" href="#" target="_blank">Bladehold War-Whip</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> actually allows for interesting synergies and strategies. Artifact affinity or a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragonspark Reactor" href="#" target="_blank">Dragonspark Reactor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> aside, the value of Equipment automatically coming into play with a 2/2 shouldn't be overlooked. Then the nontoken Rebels printed in the set all had some benefit to either the token spam or Equipment they deploy alongside!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rhuk, Hexgold Nabber"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Leonin Lightbringer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oxidda Finisher"></div></div>
<h3>More Artifacts</h3>
<p>Somewhat coincidentally, the <em>Final Fantasy</em> set also included red-aligned, Equipment-oriented Rebels. What are the odds?</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rinoa Heartilly" href="#" target="_blank">Rinoa Heartilly</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as the exception.</p>
<p>At least with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Barret, Avalanche Leader" href="#" target="_blank">Barret, Avalanche Leader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you can even get a generalized, slightly worse version of for Mirrodin! It doesn't automatically attach the Equipment, but his second ability compensates for that in an alternative way. It's actually more flexible than for Mirrodin! as it allows you to swap your Equipment around your Rebels instead of just giving each new one an empty vessel, though the themes of "a collection of small creatures supported by artifacts" continues with this set.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Barret Wallace"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Banon, the Returners&#039; Leader"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Avalanche of Sector 7"></div></div>
<h3>+1/+1 Counters</h3>
<p>Of the most recent Rebels at the time of writing, there are two groups within <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender.</em> You have Jet's Freedom Fighters as well as Jeong Jeong's deserters. They keep up the trend of being primarily red-aligned, though the Freedom Fighters lean closer to Boros <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-rw" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> with how many white creatures they have.</p>
<p>The Freedom Fighters mostly revolve around +1/+1 counters and creature spam, strengthened in numbers.</p>
<p>Something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Freedom Fighter Recruit" href="#" target="_blank">Freedom Fighter Recruit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> strengthens off of your board state, which when combined with token spam is never a bad thing. This also builds off of a combination of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wartime Protestors" href="#" target="_blank">Wartime Protestors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treetop Freedom Fighters" href="#" target="_blank">Treetop Freedom Fighters</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to get a group of mid-range creatures. Then you can add <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pipsqueak, Rebel Strongarm" href="#" target="_blank">Pipsqueak, Rebel Strongarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for yet another mid-range creature if you'd like.</p>
<p>They synergize off one another in a very safe way, just creating weak creatures and giving minor buffs. It actually feels quite green-aligned, just a bit slower. It does have some more interesting synergies with some of the named Freedom Fighters, allowing for a more robust game plan, but most of them follow the same strategy.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Longshot, Rebel Bowman"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jet, Freedom Fighter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Smellerbee, Rebel Fighter"></div></div>
<p>Jeong Jeong's deserters don't have as much meat to them as the Freedom Fighters, which makes sense given how few there are, but none of them particularly have a unifying theme, going for flavorful representations of the characters depicted over cohesive mechanics.</p>
<p>They continue the theme of +1/+1 counters, at least.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jeong Jeong, the Deserter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jeong Jeong&#039;s Deserters"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deserter&#039;s Disciple"></div></div>
<h3>Combat Buffs</h3>
<p>Then there are the various Rebels that focus on short-term benefits, mostly during combat. A rallying cry to take an underdog force up against an impossible foe is perfectly on-theme, and they tend to revolve around stat buffs.</p>
<p>These are important, notable inclusions for a Rebel insurrection, though none of them will win the game on their own. They're meant to facilitate an already-existing strategy and give it that push over the finish line, rather than something to be built around.</p>
<p>They're effective, but only insofar as the Rebels they're supporting, which is a thematic win for sure.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Neyali, Suns&#039; Vanguard"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jor Kadeen, First Goldwarden"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dunerider Outlaw"></div></div>
<h2>But What If You Played Like A Rebel?</h2>
<p>Rebels on a narrative, mechanical, and even meta level rely on subterfuge! Why else would there be inconsistent cells of them scattered throughout the sets, always joined together by their adherence to the martial ideals of white and red? With a reliance on numbers, Equipment, and strengthening the weak? Surely this archetype was designed this way on purpose.</p>
<h3>Subterfuge</h3>
<p>There's actually quite a few ways for Rebels to simply mess with the plans of other players.</p>
<p>More than one blue card lets a Rebel copy an opposing creature, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flesh Duplicate" href="#" target="_blank">Flesh Duplicate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Infiltration is a necessity for any clandestine operation! Then you have the ability to tap other creatures as a means of shutting down the plans of others.</p>
<p>When running Rebels like actual rebels, you shouldn't try to take on the largest foe. It's a matter of taking the path of least resistance, striking when the iron is hot, and exploiting chinks in armor. Don't act like you have the resources of the institutions you're rebelling against!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blade of Shared Souls"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rathi Trapper"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bound in Silence"></div></div>
<h3>Sabotage</h3>
<p>There's actually a surprising amount of removal in the Rebel archetype. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ballista Squad" href="#" target="_blank">Ballista Squad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is but a single example, where various Rebels can destroy creatures. These usually have some restriction surrounding the target, but it's still removal.</p>
<p>Not to mention that Rebels love white and red, which have plenty of exiling and damage. Fewer Rebels find their home in black, which has more removal than your opponents have creatures, though there are some. And then there's always the evil counterparts to Rebels to consider.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Big Game Hunter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lightbringer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lawbringer"></div></div>
<h3>Hired Help</h3>
<p>Mercenaries have no mechanical overlap with Rebels, despite being a dark mirror of one another. Rebels aren't considered outlaws, and there's very little mechanical support for counting both a Rebel and a Mercenary, but what Rebel group hasn't had some hired help from time-to-time?</p>
<p>So while not technically Rebels, Mercenaries can make a fine addition to make your Rebel deck feel more disjointed, which sounds like a negative, and mechanically it certainly can be. But flavorfully, it adds to the narrative of the archetype you're building.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Overzealous Muscle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rathi Assassin"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kellogg, Dangerous Mind"></div></div>
<p>If you're trying to stick to specific theming, <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em> also brings some Mercenaries to the table! They each make for fairly potent single-creature inclusions, given they aren't even loosely organized.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beifong&#039;s Bounty Hunters"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="June, Bounty Hunter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rough Rhino Cavalry"></div></div>
<p><em>Final Fantasy</em> does the same, given the nature of its characters' work, and with a card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Midgar Mercenary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it even has an Equipment synergy to line-up with your Rebels!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Squall, SeeD Mercenary"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloud, Planet&#039;s Champion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER"></div></div>
<h2>Rebels Are Scarce But Consistent</h2>
<p>Across all of the set releases, Rebels have the general tenants of being white or red, having an affinity for artifacts and particularly Equipment, and rarely having high base stats but gaining +1/+1 counters. They flourish when able to make many small creatures and buff a few heavy hitters, with a surprising amount of trickery to unfold.</p>
<p>None of those are bad things, but their rarity makes them hard to build an entire deck around. Their lack of synergy with Mercenaries might just be the most surprising thing about the archetype, given their history in the game as well as their similarities.</p>
<p>Not to mention, any significant artifact removal will <em>ruin</em> a Rebel deck. Even relying on +1/+1 counters, rare is the Rebel that doesn't stay strapped. There are other options to solve problems, of course, but Rebels simply don't have the numbers to effectively tackle those solutions, which, again, tells quite the compelling underdog narrative, but that makes them difficult to justify making a deck around, at least by themselves.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Children of Korlis"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skyshroud Poacher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ace, Fearless Rebel"></div></div>


How To Play Rebels Differently In Commander

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Barret, Avalanche Leader" href="#" target="_blank">Barret, Avalanche Leader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/janaschirmer">Jana Shirmer</a> and <a href="https://www.iamag.co/the-art-of-mathias-verhasselt/">Matthias Verhasselt</a></h6>
<p>Hi there, and welcome to part three of building around interesting new commanders from <em>Final Fantasy</em>! Just like last time, we're here to...</p>
<ul>
<li>Highlight interesting gameplan(s) for a <em>Final Fantasy</em> commander</li>
<li>Build a budget-friendly (~$40) "Core" power level deck following these plans</li>
<li>Work through important card categories and discuss notable inclusions</li>
<li>Include a decklist and a deck checklist</li>
<li>Go through mid-budget upgrades (&lt;=$20 per card) as options to invest more into this strategy.</li>
</ul>
<p>For this week, let's take a look chosen <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Barret, Avalanche Leader" href="#" target="_blank">Barret, Avalanche Leader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. He's quite a character, described as an <a href="https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Barret_Wallace">eco-terrorist with a grudge, equipped with a gun-arm for long range attacks</a> (I guess that's why he has reach!).</p>
<p>Barret offers a classic "Equipment matters" strategy usually reserved for Boros commanders, but in Gruul colors instead.</p>
<h2>What does Barret, Avalanche Leader Do?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Barret, Avalanche Leader"></div></div>
<p>Beyond the reach made possible by his modified arm-that's-now-a-gun, Barret has two main abilities.</p>
<p>First, whenever an Equipment we control enters, it comes with a 2/2 red Rebel friend. Second, we get a free equip to a Rebel each turn when moving to combat.</p>
<h2>The Gameplan(s)</h2>
<p>With these abilities in mind, let's think about what kind of Equipment to build around. Barret's first ability incentivizes us to prioritize low-mana value Equipment, while his second ability works best when making high equip costs free instead.</p>
<p><a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=id%3C%3Drg+legal%3Acommander+usd%3C2+t%3Aequipment+cmc%3C3+%28fo%3A%22equip+%7B4%7D%22+or+fo%3A%22equip+%7B5%7D%22+or+fo%3A%22equip+%7B6%7D%22+or+fo%3A%22equip+%7B7%7D%22+or+fo%3A%22equip+%7B8%7D%22+or+fo%3A%22equip+%7B9%7D%22+or+fo%3A%22equip+%7B10%7D%22%29&amp;unique=cards&amp;as=grid&amp;order=cmc&amp;dir=asc">Here's</a> what I searched to find budget-friendly Equipment around 2 mana value and 4 equip cost. As you may have already guessed, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Colossus Hammer" href="#" target="_blank">Colossus Hammer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the poster child for this kind of Equipment.</p>
<p>We'll combine this low-cost, high-equip core with other Equipment-matters cards, artifact/token-centric mana production, and thematic disruption and card advantage.</p>
<p>Put it all together and we'll overrun opponents with a Rebel army wielding all sorts of exciting weaponry!</p>
<h2>The Equipment</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Greataxe"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ogre&#039;s Cleaver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wrecking Ball Arm"></div></div>
<p>As mentioned above, low-mana value, high-equip cost Equipment are exactly what this deck is all about, whether it's cheap/free ways to create more Rebels like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Accorder&#039;s Shield" href="#" target="_blank">Accorder&#039;s Shield</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodforged Battle-Axe" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodforged Battle-Axe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, disruptive Equipment like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chainsaw" href="#" target="_blank">Chainsaw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rock" href="#" target="_blank">Rock</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> tokens, ramp from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Diamond Pick-Axe" href="#" target="_blank">Diamond Pick-Axe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goldvein Pick" href="#" target="_blank">Goldvein Pick</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or having a keyword bonanza with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Loxodon Warhammer" href="#" target="_blank">Loxodon Warhammer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Vengeance" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Vengeance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>A deck focused on Equipment often struggles with two issues:</p>
<ol>
<li>What happens if we have all Equipment and nothing to attach it to?</li>
<li>When the game state changes, how can we both spend mana moving Equipment around and still be able to cast new cards?</li>
</ol>
<p>Fortunately, Barret solves both of these problems for us at once!</p>
<div>
<h2>Equipment Matter</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Firion, Wild Rose Warrior"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oxidda Finisher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rebel Salvo"></div></div>
<p>Having a high Equipment density opens us up to these possibilities:</p>
<ul>
<li>Doubling up on our commander's token-making ability with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chishiro, the Shattered Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Chishiro, the Shattered Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li>Reattaching Equipment for free or cheap with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blacksmith&#039;s Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Blacksmith&#039;s Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhuk, Hexgold Nabber" href="#" target="_blank">Rhuk, Hexgold Nabber</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goldwardens&#039; Gambit" href="#" target="_blank">Goldwardens&#039; Gambit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (note the built-in Rebel synergies!)</li>
<li>Dealing tons of direct damage to our opponents with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Judgment Bolt" href="#" target="_blank">Judgment Bolt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or another version of our commander's character – <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Barret Wallace" href="#" target="_blank">Barret Wallace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</li>
</ul>
<p>Quick aside... you know when you are teaching a new player <em>Magic </em>and they inevitably tap their Equipment when they attack and you kind of let it slide because it doesn't really matter... but you let them know it <em>technically </em>could matter at some point?</p>
<p>Well, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meria, Scholar of Antiquity" href="#" target="_blank">Meria, Scholar of Antiquity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghirapur Aether Grid" href="#" target="_blank">Ghirapur Aether Grid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bottle-Cap Blast" href="#" target="_blank">Bottle-Cap Blast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> showcase this intricacy very well, allowing us to get extra value out of our Equipment beyond powering up our creatures.</p>
</div>
<div>
<h2>Equipment Token Shenanigans</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bludgeon Brawl"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Golem-Skin Gauntlets|MRD|181"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stangg, Echo Warrior"></div></div>
<p>This is where things get a little wild. Importantly, Barret (and Chishiro!) care about Equipment <em>entering</em>, not being cast. This mean that cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dan Lewis" href="#" target="_blank">Dan Lewis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gemcutter Buccaneer" href="#" target="_blank">Gemcutter Buccaneer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bludgeon Brawl" href="#" target="_blank">Bludgeon Brawl</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> combine with our commander to supplement each <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure|TFIN|23" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (and often other noncreature artifacts) we create with a 2/2 Rebel.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bludgeon Brawl" href="#" target="_blank">Bludgeon Brawl</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in particular is also amazing at turning artifact tokens into a bunch of "Equipment" with Equip <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-0" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, leading to fun interactions with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Champion of the Flame" href="#" target="_blank">Champion of the Flame</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valduk, Keeper of the Flame" href="#" target="_blank">Valduk, Keeper of the Flame</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Golem-Skin Gauntlets" href="#" target="_blank">Golem-Skin Gauntlets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Throw <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prosperous Bandit" href="#" target="_blank">Prosperous Bandit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stangg, Echo Warrior" href="#" target="_blank">Stangg, Echo Warrior</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into the mix, and things start to get really out of hand!</p>
<h2>Mass Disruption</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Keen-Eyed Curator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Storm the Citadel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Decimate"></div></div>
<p>This color combo isn't exactly <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 class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> control when it comes to the ability for mass removal and disruption (quite the opposite, in fact!).</p>
<p>With that being said, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fiery Confluence" href="#" target="_blank">Fiery Confluence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burn Down the House" href="#" target="_blank">Burn Down the House</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are flexible removal, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Keen-Eyed Curator" href="#" target="_blank">Keen-Eyed Curator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> represents graveyard disruption that is great at wearing Equipment, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Decimate" href="#" target="_blank">Decimate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an old-school classic, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm the Citadel" href="#" target="_blank">Storm the Citadel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ties in great with our "go-wide" subtheme.</p>
</div>
<div>
<h2>Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Barret, Avalanche Leader" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Barret, Avalanche Leader
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Accorder&#039;s Shield
*1 Adaptive Omnitool
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Blackblade Reforged
*1 Bloodforged Battle-Axe
*1 Chainsaw
*1 Colossus Hammer
*1 Diamond Pick-Axe
*1 Dragonwing Glider
*1 Goldvein Pick
*1 Golem-Skin Gauntlets
*1 Greataxe
*1 Hexgold Halberd
*1 Idol of Oblivion
*1 Loxodon Warhammer
*1 Masterwork of Ingenuity
*1 Stoneforge Masterwork
*1 Ogre&#039;s Cleaver
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Sword of Vengeance
*1 Talisman of Impulse
*1 The Irencrag
*1 Wrecking Ball Arm
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Ace, Fearless Rebel
*1 Barret Wallace
*1 Chameleon Colossus
*1 Champion of the Flame
*1 Chishiro, the Shattered Blade
*1 Dan Lewis
*1 Firion, Wild Rose Warrior
*1 Gemcutter Buccaneer
*1 Glóin, Dwarf Emissary
*1 Jaheira, Friend of the Forest
*1 Keen-Eyed Curator
*1 Meria, Scholar of Antiquity
*1 Mister Gutsy
*1 Owlbear Shepherd
*1 Oxidda Finisher
*1 Professor Hojo
*1 Prosperous Bandit
*1 Quicksmith Genius
*1 Reckless Fireweaver
*1 Red XIII, Proud Warrior
*1 Rhuk, Hexgold Nabber
*1 Rose Room Treasurer
*1 Stangg, Echo Warrior
*1 Taurean Mauler
*1 Toggo, Goblin Weaponsmith
*1 Valduk, Keeper of the Flame
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Blacksmith&#039;s Talent
*1 Bludgeon Brawl
*1 Ghirapur Aether Grid
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Daretti, Scrap Savant
[/Planeswalkers]
[Instants]
*1 Bottle-Cap Blast
*1 Judgment Bolt
*1 Rebel Salvo
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Burn Down the House
*1 Decimate
*1 Fiery Confluence
*1 Goldwardens&#039; Gambit
*1 Shamanic Revelation
*1 Storm the Citadel
*1 Stump Stomp // Burnwillow Clearing
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Command Tower
*1 Exotic Orchard
*7 Forest
*1 Karplusan Forest
*1 Kessig Wolf Run
*1 Lindblum, Industrial Regency // Mage Siege
*1 Mines of Moria
*1 Mosswort Bridge
*13 Mountain
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Raging Ravine
*1 Rootbound Crag
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Slagwoods Bridge
*1 Spinerock Knoll
*1 Treasure Vault
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Deck Checklist</h2>
<ul>
<li>49 mana sources (36 lands, 6 Treasure-based ramp, 4 mana rocks, 2 misc., 1 MDFC)</li>
<li>36 cards that are, create, or care about Equipment</li>
<li>11 card draw/selection/recursion</li>
<li>8 targeted disruption</li>
<li>7 mass disruption</li>
</ul>
<h2>Mid-Budget Upgrades</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Reaver Cleaver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Belt of Giant Strength"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silkguard"></div></div>
<p>There are a <em>lot </em>of on-theme Equipment and related cards that can improve this deck, while still staying below a $20 price tag for each.</p>
<p>If you're interesting in improving your ramp that synergizes with Barret, try:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama of the West Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama of the West Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Paradise Mantle" href="#" target="_blank">Paradise Mantle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dowsing Dagger" href="#" target="_blank">Dowsing Dagger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of the Animist" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of the Animist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Reaver Cleaver" href="#" target="_blank">The Reaver Cleaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (another card to supplement the "Equipment token" strategy mentioned above!)</li>
</ul>
<p>If you want to focus on Equipment that improves your card advantage/token creation, try:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blade of Selves" href="#" target="_blank">Blade of Selves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cori-Steel Cutter" href="#" target="_blank">Cori-Steel Cutter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p>If you are interested in raw power, try:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Belt of Giant Strength" href="#" target="_blank">Belt of Giant Strength</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Excalibur, Sword of Eden" href="#" target="_blank">Excalibur, Sword of Eden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (note: Barret's attach ability means you can put this on any Rebel!)</li>
</ul>
<p>To improve your disruption and protection suite, try:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vandalblast" href="#" target="_blank">Vandalblast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Untimely Malfunction" href="#" target="_blank">Untimely Malfunction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silkguard" href="#" target="_blank">Silkguard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conqueror&#039;s Flail" href="#" target="_blank">Conqueror&#039;s Flail</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenge the Stats</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Konda&#039;s Banner"></div></div>
<p>I don't see this card on Barret's page yet (disclaimer: there are only about 140 decks logged so far, so a very small sample size).</p>
<p>With that being said, this is my early "Challenge the Stats" pick, pumping all Rebel tokens by +2/+2 when attached to Barret.</p>
</div>
<div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>So there you have it, a low-budget Core deck inspired by one of the many new commanders from <em>Final Fantasy</em>.</p>
<p>Can you see any other cards that fit well into this strategy? Sound off in the comments below! Thanks for reading, and see you next time when <em>Edge of Eternities </em>previews begin.</p>
</div>


rebels

How To Play Rebels Differently In Commander

Building a Barret, Avalanche Leader Commander Deck

Too-Specific Top 10 - Word.

Shape Anew - Zur's Rebels