<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zaxara, the Exemplary" href="#" target="_blank">Zaxara, the Exemplary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.monsterart.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Simon Dominic</a></em></p>
<p>Some Commander themes can pick up a card or two from any set that comes out, while others only get an update every once in a while. The <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/x-spells" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X Spells archetype</a> is more so the latter – most sets get a spell with X in its mana cost, but it’s rare for them to feature it as a theme.</p>
<p>Thankfully, <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/sos" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Secrets of Strixhaven</em></a> has shifted things around and provided a lot of shiny new toys to tinker with – over 20 worth inspecting. With that many on the table, it may be time for anyone with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zaxara, the Exemplary" href="#" target="_blank">Zaxara, the Exemplary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck to take a look at their lists and see if it could use a minor overhaul.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zaxara, the Exemplary"></div></div>
<h2>What Does Zaxara, the Exemplary Do?</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zaxara, the Exemplary" href="#" target="_blank">Zaxara, the Exemplary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a four-mana Nightmare Hydra with deathtouch and two relevant abilities. First, Zaxara can tap to add two mana of any one color. Second, whenever you cast a spell with X in the mana cost, it makes a 0/0 green Hydra token and puts X +1/+1 counters on it.</p>
<p>In a <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/hydras" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hydras</a> deck, Zaxara essentially doubles the output of your creatures, but in an X Spells deck, this allows some of the splashy setup spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mind Spring" href="#" target="_blank">Mind Spring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to have an immediate impact by making a big creature in the meantime.</p>
<p>Just a quick note: Zaxara tapping for two mana does mean it goes infinite with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pemmin&#039;s Aura" href="#" target="_blank">Pemmin&#039;s Aura</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Freed from the Real" href="#" target="_blank">Freed from the Real</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Absolutely worthy inclusions in <a href="https://edhrec.com/guides/edhrec-guide-to-commander-brackets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bracket 3</a> and higher.</p>
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<h2><iframe loading="lazy" src="." width="0" height="0"></iframe><br />
Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zaxara, the Exemplary" href="#" target="_blank">Zaxara, the Exemplary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>Zaxara, the Exemplary has three needs of a list: ramp, X spells, and counter synergies.</p>
<h3>Ramp</h3>
<p>Ramp is the most straightforward, so I’ll break that down first. It cannot be glossed over that Zaxara is a <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-top-40-four-mana-commanders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four-mana commander</a> with the ability to add two mana of any color. The first fact means that this deck has a unique desire for two-mana ramp in the early game (shooting for around six cards) so as to play Zaxara on turn three, and the second means that we have a source of ramp in the command zone.</p>
<p>This is an incredibly mana-hungry deck, though, so it wants big, explosive ramp sources after turn three (all the better if they’re also X spells, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Open the Way" href="#" target="_blank">Open the Way</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Animist&#039;s Awakening" href="#" target="_blank">Animist&#039;s Awakening</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brass Infiniscope"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Topiary Lecturer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zimone, Infinite Analyst"></div></div>
<h3>X Spells</h3>
<p>The perfect place to dump all this mana is a big, beautiful X. The bulk of these cards have been around for a while, and fall into one of three types: value, disruption, or Hydra. Some are two at the same time. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Finale of Eternity" href="#" target="_blank">Finale of Eternity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of the Swine" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of the Swine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? Disruption. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Villainous Wealth" href="#" target="_blank">Villainous Wealth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mind into Matter" href="#" target="_blank">Mind into Matter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? Value. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Benevolent Hydra" href="#" target="_blank">Benevolent Hydra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nyxborn Hydra" href="#" target="_blank">Nyxborn Hydra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? Obviously: Hydras.</p>
<p>In addition to the 22 X spells, the deck wants a few cards that care about them or enhance them in some way. The brand new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Owlin Spiralmancer" href="#" target="_blank">Owlin Spiralmancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lattice Library" href="#" target="_blank">Lattice Library</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are nice redundancies for the commander in providing additional board presence with every X-spell cast.</p>
<p>Prismari produced <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elementalist&#039;s Palette" href="#" target="_blank">Elementalist&#039;s Palette</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the original Commander decks associated with the Strixhaven setting, but it is very much at home in our Witherbloom-Quandrix double major’s deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mathemagics"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kinetic Ooze"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Geometer&#039;s Arthropod"></div></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><sub>Fun fact: Despite being a creature, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kinetic Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">Kinetic Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is actually disruption!</sub></p>
<h3>Counters</h3>
<p>Finally, the deck wants a little sprinkling of counter synergies. Zaxara naturally produces them, the X spell creatures have them in spades – it just works. <em>Magic</em> has been running out counter synergies roughly every other set for years now, and the lion’s (or Hydra's?) share of it has been in green. Every set last year had one or two cards in this category (at least) for Zaxara, for instance, so the real chore is deciding which ones to included.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emil, Vastlands Roamer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Expansion Algorithm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Primo, the Unbounded"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Herald of Secret Streams" href="#" target="_blank">Herald of Secret Streams</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the natural pick for raw evasion, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Corpsejack Menace" href="#" target="_blank">Corpsejack Menace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes the counters go crazy. The funky new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wildgrowth Archaic" href="#" target="_blank">Wildgrowth Archaic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can make it easy for our creatures (even the ones without X’s) to get an additional three counters placed on them – more if you can get enough rainbow lands in the mana base (think <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="City of Brass" href="#" target="_blank">City of Brass</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<p>Great new cards include: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primo, the Unbounded" href="#" target="_blank">Primo, the Unbounded</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who can make up to three big Fractals every turn; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Expansion Algorithm" href="#" target="_blank">Expansion Algorithm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can massively pump the team all at once; and the humble <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emil, Vastlands Roamer" href="#" target="_blank">Emil, Vastlands Roamer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who grants trample to the countered-up creatures.</p>
<h2>How Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zaxara, the Exemplary" href="#" target="_blank">Zaxara, the Exemplary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Win?</h2>
<p>This is a classic ramp deck wearing a funny mustache and glasses. It’s all about getting big mana going as quickly as possible and slamming heaters. With 13 cards providing ramp, plus <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zaxara, the Exemplary" href="#" target="_blank">Zaxara, the Exemplary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> itself, this shouldn’t be a problem.</p>
<p>There’s a fair amount of cheap card draw in the deck, plus some X spells that can be played late or early. Casting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thassa&#039;s Intervention" href="#" target="_blank">Thassa&#039;s Intervention</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for two doesn’t feel great, but if it’s needed, it’s needed. The real strength of the X isn’t in the big number, it’s in the flexibility.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Three Visits"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Night&#039;s Whisper"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pensive Professor"></div></div>
<p>So focus on ramping, drawing, and getting Zaxara online in the first few turns, but keep removal options in mind as well. It might be better to wait until getting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silkguard" href="#" target="_blank">Silkguard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or a counterspell in hand. From there, off to the races.</p>
<p>With 22 X-Spells in the deck, it shouldn’t be hard to cast one every turn. Hydras will fall from the sky and start taking bites. If at any point the board gets wiped, spend the recovery time setting up with the extra-juiced supporting systems like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adrix and Nev, Twincasters" href="#" target="_blank">Adrix and Nev, Twincasters</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Eternity Elevator" href="#" target="_blank">The Eternity Elevator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Inspiring Call"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unbound Flourishing"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mathemagics"></div></div>
<p>The final turns of the deck will strongly resemble the mid-game, to be honest, but the game plan does have a few extra haymakers.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Witherbloom, the Balancer" href="#" target="_blank">Witherbloom, the Balancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lets all of the tokens on the field make the noncreature X spells absurdly high value with low mana. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quandrix, the Proof" href="#" target="_blank">Quandrix, the Proof</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will occasionally non-bo by cascading into an X spell, but all the same: free casts are free casts. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wave Goodbye" href="#" target="_blank">Wave Goodbye</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="In Garruk&#039;s Wake" href="#" target="_blank">In Garruk&#039;s Wake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are two of the deck’s “insta-win” buttons, although an occasional <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exsanguinate" href="#" target="_blank">Exsanguinate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> goes crazy.</p>
<p>The deck has some absurd big mana plays, but taking chomps with those early Hydras can help when you don't draw the supercharged ramp spells.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Witherbloom, the Balancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exsanguinate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wave Goodbye"></div></div>
<h2>Zaxara, the Exemplary Commander Deck List</h2>
<p>Let's check out that beautiful diploma...</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Rebuilding Zaxara" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Zaxara, the Exemplary
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Adrix and Nev, Twincasters
*1 Benevolent Hydra
*1 Corpsejack Menace
*1 Emil, Vastlands Roamer
*1 Fanatic of Rhonas
*1 Geometer&#039;s Arthropod
*1 Goldvein Hydra
*1 Herald of Secret Streams
*1 Hydroid Krasis
*1 Kalonian Hydra
*1 Kinetic Ooze
*1 Nev, the Practical Dean
*1 Nyxborn Hydra
*1 Owlin Spiralmancer
*1 Pensive Professor
*1 Primo, the Unbounded
*1 Quandrix, the Proof
*1 Selvala, Heart of the Wilds
*1 The Goose Mother
*1 Topiary Lecturer
*1 Troyan, Gutsy Explorer
*1 Wildgrowth Archaic
*1 Witherbloom, the Balancer
*1 Zimone, Infinite Analyst
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Bitter Triumph
*1 Embrace the Paradox
*1 Growth Spiral
*1 Icy Blast
*1 Infernal Grasp
*1 Inspiring Call
*1 Proctor&#039;s Gaze
*1 Pull from Tomorrow
*1 Silkguard
*1 Skeletal Scrying
*1 Thassa&#039;s Intervention
*1 Witherbloom Charm
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Animist&#039;s Awakening
*1 Curse of the Swine
*1 Expansion Algorithm
*1 Exsanguinate
*1 Farseek
*1 Finale of Eternity
*1 Gix&#039;s Command
*1 In Garruk&#039;s Wake
*1 Mathemagics
*1 Mind into Matter
*1 Night&#039;s Whisper
*1 Open the Way
*1 Profane Command
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Villainous Wealth
*1 Wave Goodbye
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Garruk&#039;s Uprising
*1 Hollowmurk Siege
*1 Hunter&#039;s Talent
*1 Lattice Library
*1 Unbound Flourishing
[/Enchantments]
[Artifacts]
*1 Brass Infiniscope
*1 Elementalist&#039;s Palette
*1 Sol Ring
*1 The Eternity Elevator
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Breeding Pool
*1 Command Tower
*1 Deathcap Glade
*1 Dreamroot Cascade
*1 Drowned Catacomb
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fabled Passage
*8 Forest
*1 Hinterland Harbor
*4 Island
*1 Llanowar Wastes
*1 Morphic Pool
*1 Opulent Palace
*1 Overgrown Tomb
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Rejuvenating Springs
*1 Shipwreck Marsh
*1 Sodden Verdure
*1 Sunken Hollow
*1 Swamp
*1 Underground River
*1 Undergrowth Stadium
*1 Vernal Fen
*1 Watery Grave
*1 Woodland Cemetery
*1 Yavimaya Coast
*1 Zagoth Triome
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>This version of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zaxara, the Exemplary" href="#" target="_blank">Zaxara, the Exemplary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is intended to focus more on the ramp and big creatures, a more chill version that doesn’t shoot for combos. It can be scaled up with the likes of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pemmin&#039;s Aura" href="#" target="_blank">Pemmin&#039;s Aura</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and various tutors, or scaled down by focusing only on the Strixhaven setting – Zaxara would be a weird student, sure, but not the worst!</p>
<p>It’s fun to see the weird themes get the spotlight every now and again! X Spells are a tough, specific, and tricky theme to get into sets, so when it happens, it’s a fun change.</p>
<p>Let me know if you’re looking to modify your X Spells decks with this set, or what set in recent memory provided the biggest shift to an established deck. Catch ya next time.</p>


x spells commanders

Rebuilding Zaxara, the Exemplary with Secrets of Strixhaven