<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baylen, the Haymaker" href="#" target="_blank">Baylen, the Haymaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>|Art by <a href="https://www.ryanpancoast.com/">Ryan Pancoast</a>)</h6>
<p>Friendly greetings and welcome to <em>Bracketeering</em>, the series about sideboarding for Commander Brackets. I'm John Sherwood, here to make hay while the sun shines.</p>
<p>This month, I'm Bracketeering an average deck from one of the top 100 commanders on EDHREC: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baylen, the Haymaker" href="#" target="_blank">Baylen, the Haymaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Baylen, the Haymaker"></div></div>
<h2>The Contender</h2>
<p>Baylen is the most popular commander from <em>Bloomburrow</em> by a margin of about 1,400 decks over <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ms. Bumbleflower" href="#" target="_blank">Ms. Bumbleflower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This beast mode bunny is punching above its weight class, with power ahead of curve and a text box that reads like a fight movie training montage.</p>
<p>From the first line, it keeps getting better, with mana acceleration, card draw, and a knock-down blow. The token-tapping costs of Baylen's abilities are easily payable in Naya colors. <a href="http://www.archidekt.com">Archidekt</a> estimates the bracket for Baylen's average deck is an Upgraded (3) because of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smothering Tithe" href="#" target="_blank">Smothering Tithe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Taking a strict view of the brackets, one game changer is the difference between Core (2) and Upgraded (3). Undoubtedly, Baylen's ability to use Treasures without sacrificing them is game-changing. Looking at the rest of Baylen's average deck, I think Upgraded (3) is a fair bracket estimate.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Baylen Average 4/4/25" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Baylen, the Haymaker
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Academy Manufactor
*1 Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon
*1 Arasta of the Endless Web
*1 Birds of Paradise
*1 Burrowguard Mentor
*1 Cadira, Caller of the Small
*1 Charismatic Conqueror
*1 Drumbellower
*1 Enduring Vitality
*1 Farmer Cotton
*1 Finneas, Ace Archer
*1 Gilded Goose
*1 Hare Apparent
*1 Jacked Rabbit
*1 Jaheira, Friend of the Forest
*1 Jetmir, Nexus of Revels
*1 Mondrak, Glory Dominus
*1 Ocelot Pride
*1 Ojer Taq, Deepest Foundation // Temple of Civilization
*1 Peregrin Took
*1 Queen Allenal of Ruadach
*1 Rhys the Redeemed
*1 Rosie Cotton of South Lane
*1 Scute Swarm
*1 Seedborn Muse
*1 Tendershoot Dryad
*1 Tireless Provisioner
*1 Warren Warleader
*1 Wildfire Awakener
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Anointed Procession
*1 Caretaker&#039;s Talent
*1 Dazzling Theater // Prop Room
*1 Doubling Season
*1 Felidar Retreat
*1 Impact Tremors
*1 Parallel Lives
*1 Smothering Tithe
*1 Warleader&#039;s Call
[/Enchantments]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Halo Fountain
*1 Idol of Oblivion
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Bountiful Promenade
*1 Canopy Vista
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Command Tower
*1 Exotic Orchard
*8 Forest
*1 Jetmir&#039;s Garden
*1 Jungle Shrine
*1 Mountain
*10 Plains
*1 Sacred Foundry
*1 Stomping Ground
*1 Temple Garden
*1 Windswept Heath
*1 Wooded Foothills
[/Lands]
[Instants]
*1 Artifact Mutation
*1 Aura Mutation
*1 Beast Within
*1 Dawn&#039;s Truce
*1 Grand Crescendo
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 March of the Multitudes
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Second Harvest
*1 Secure the Wastes
*1 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion
[/Planeswalkers]
[Sorceries]
*1 Cultivate
*1 Farseek
*1 For the Common Good
*1 Hop to It
*1 Hour of Reckoning
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Season of the Burrow
*1 Three Visits
[/Sorceries]"></span></div>
<p>It's important to note some issues in the deck, stemming from the fact that EDHREC average decks are aggregated from data, not built by a single player. Unfortunately, Baylen's average mana base is malnourished, with a scant thirty-three lands.</p>
<p>Please, if you're one of the Baylen players skewing that average: play more lands. There's also a single copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hare Apparent" href="#" target="_blank">Hare Apparent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in Baylen's average deck. I'm challenging that inclusion as a product of dedicated Hare Apparent decks in the data pool.</p>
<h2>Sparring Partners</h2>
<p>First, we're going to sideboard for more speed and power. This rascally rabbit is going to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. Our existing list includes 28 cards that make tokens. I prefer a deck's main theme to be around 30 cards, which means this sideboard needs a few more token-producers.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Call the Coppercoats" href="#" target="_blank">Call the Coppercoats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Song of Totentanz" href="#" target="_blank">Song of Totentanz</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Springheart Nantuko" href="#" target="_blank">Springheart Nantuko</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arachnogenesis" href="#" target="_blank">Arachnogenesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p>Baylen wants to tap all those tokens for value. Untapping effects will be a force multiplier in this deck. It already has repeatable untapping from cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seedborn Muse" href="#" target="_blank">Seedborn Muse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but I think we can improve this with more instant untapping.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="To Arms!" href="#" target="_blank">To Arms!</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vitalize" href="#" target="_blank">Vitalize</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Benefactor&#039;s Draught" href="#" target="_blank">Benefactor&#039;s Draught</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Great Train Heist" href="#" target="_blank">Great Train Heist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Savage Beating" href="#" target="_blank">Savage Beating</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p>As a combat deck that wants to tap things for reasons other than attacking, a little vigilance will go a long way. There's a lot of creatures in this deck that would love to get in for damage and tap to pump Baylen. Beylen itself is itching to swing, and every attack is better if you can leave up blockers. To that end, I'm sideboarding <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brave the Sands" href="#" target="_blank">Brave the Sands</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brave the Sands"></div></div>
<h2>Hitting the Heavy Bag</h2>
<p>Siding in some more Game Changers and tutors will give this deck a strong boost toward Optimized (4). <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Enlightened Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Enlightened Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an extra copy of many of this deck's force multipliers, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doubling Season" href="#" target="_blank">Doubling Season</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Worldly Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Worldly Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can find the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seedborn Muse" href="#" target="_blank">Seedborn Muse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drumbellower" href="#" target="_blank">Drumbellower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and increase opportunities for Baylen's activated abilities.</p>
<h2>The Training Diet</h2>
<p>Technically, this deck becomes Core (2) by taking out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smothering Tithe" href="#" target="_blank">Smothering Tithe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but we want to honor the spirit of the bracket system, not just the letter of it. A Core (2) version of Baylen should be less bare knuckle and more padded sparring.</p>
<p>Replacement effects that increase token creation are great for Upgraded (3) and Optimized (4) games. However, Core (2) is precon level, so we should side out some of those pushed cards, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anointed Procession" href="#" target="_blank">Anointed Procession</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The question, then, is what to sideboard in?</p>
<p>While Baylen itself has strong synergy with Food tokens, Foods are the least threatening of the many token options. Food tokens are also thematic for a commander with an agricultural pun its name.</p>
<p>There're only six Food cards in Baylen's average deck, leaving lots of Food options we can side-in for a tasty subtheme. My vegan friends might not approve, but I couldn't resist the irony of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stew the Coneys" href="#" target="_blank">Stew the Coneys</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit" href="#" target="_blank">Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stew the Coneys"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit"></div></div>
<p>With about a dozen more Food-producers in the lineup, we're ready to play this deck for fun at Core (2) or rumble in an Optimized (4) pod. Check out this sideboard:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Bracketeering Baylen Sideboard" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Instants]
*1 Arachnogenesis
*1 Benefactor&#039;s Draught
*1 Call the Coppercoats
*1 Enlightened Tutor
*1 Great Train Heist
*1 Pawpatch Formation
*1 Savage Beating
*1 Stew the Coneys
*1 To Arms!
*1 Vitalize
*1 Worldly Tutor
[/Instants]
[Creatures]
*1 Apothecary White
*1 Sam, Loyal Attendant
*1 Springheart Nantuko
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Giant Opportunity
*1 Late to Dinner
*1 Revive the Shire
*1 Song of Totentanz
*1 Spider Food
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Brave the Sands
*1 Killer Service
*1 Night of the Sweets&#039; Revenge
*1 Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit
*1 Welcome to Sweettooth
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 The Shire
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Betting on a Second Round Knock-Out</h2>
<p>I hope you enjoyed the Commander Brackets Beta as much as I did. For me, the first round of Commander Brackets injected some interesting deck brewing considerations. My bracket-centric interactions with other members of the community were mostly positive, and it really helped my game selections on Spelltable.</p>
<p>I'm personally excited for the Bracket action to heat up in Round Two, and curious to see how potential changes will affect this series. I'm planning to Bracketeer one of my personal decks next month, so stay tuned. In the mean time, tell us about your bracket experiences in the comments, especially if you're experimenting with sideboards for Commander.</p>


tapping

Bracketeering - Baylen, the Haymaker

Brew For Your Buck - Baylen on a Budget