<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zoraline, Cosmos Caller" href="#" target="_blank">Zoraline, Cosmos Caller</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.justingerard.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Justin Gerard</a></span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Finishing up the Halloween theme from the last few weeks is a less creepy creature type and more a creatures-of-the-night vibe. If you’re out late at night, you may have heard them chirping as they hunt in the cover of the night. This week, we’re going batty with a creature type that got major support from </span><a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/blb" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bloomburrow</span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">:</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Bats.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bats are omnivorous animals. Some favor vegetation, like fruit bats, while others favor the blood of domesticated pack animals such as cows and horses, like vampire bats. Bats depictions in </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Magic</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> tend to favor vampires, draining the life out of opponents and playing around with life gain and loss. As a result, they favor the Orzhov colors - there are even a few members in the Orzhov Syndicate.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bats tend to be small fliers, taking small nips out of opponents rather than huge chunks. As a result, they tend to go wide, with a similar philosophy and style to an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edric, Spymaster of Trest" href="#" target="_blank">Edric, Spymaster of Trest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flying Men" href="#" target="_blank">Flying Men</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck or a budget <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck. While those commanders have an advantage in card velocity or raw power, Bats have resiliency and reach from the addition of black.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The commander for today's deck, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zoraline, Cosmos Caller" href="#" target="_blank">Zoraline, Cosmos Caller</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is a strong example of the meshing of the two concepts. Zoraline is a cheap flier that rewards attacking and can reanimate permanents every turn. But how do we get these pieces to fit together? And are there enough playable Bats to make a cohesive strategy?</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zoraline, Cosmos Caller"></div></div>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zoraline, Cosmos Caller" href="#" target="_blank">Zoraline, Cosmos Caller</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Zoraline is an excellent offensive threat and deck centerpiece. 3/3 with flying and vigilance for three mana is a solid rate. Seven hits to take a player down with commander damage is a bit much, but we’re not trying to win that way - we just want to live in the red zone as much as possible.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why do we want to live in the red zone? Because Zoraline’s second line of text gains us a life for each attacking Bat. It is worth noting that Zoraline doesn’t have to venture into the red zone herself for the ability to activate, and that her ability activates even if she’s the only attacker. But she gives us another incentive to attack, as if we needed one.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When Zoraline enters or attacks, she reanimates any nonland permanent with mana value three or less for the low, low cost of a black mana, a white mana, and two life. This is the ability that’s going to define the build: We want to load the deck up on cheap permanents that are able to sacrifice themselves for value or that are likely to die.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The last ability is also going to determine which Bats we run. There are certainly some cool options that are a bit pricey, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skeletal Vampire" href="#" target="_blank">Skeletal Vampire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but they don’t come down early enough, hit hard enough, or synergize with our commander. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thankfully, there are plenty of small bodies, some of whom provide additional bodies or life drain effects.</span></p>
<h2>Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zoraline, Cosmos Caller" href="#" target="_blank">Zoraline, Cosmos Caller</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stirge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blight Keeper"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our commander wants Bats that get into the red zone early and can sacrifice themselves late, to be reanimated with her ability. One of the clearer examples of this is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stirge" href="#" target="_blank">Stirge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a 1/1 flier for one mana that can sacrifice itself for two mana and a life to draw a card. Cheap flier early, draw spell late, reanimate to draw another card - perfect Bat. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blight Keeper" href="#" target="_blank">Blight Keeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another Bat that our commander makes better: same stats and evasion, but it can sacrifice itself to drain four life from an opponent for a whopping eight mana. While this may seem overcosted, a deck of 1-2 mana permanents means we’ll often have extra mana lying around. And the drain combined with our evasive beats can take an opponent by surprise.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flowering of the White Tree"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Meathook Massacre"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While cheap fliers are excellent at combat, sometimes they need a bit of help. <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> adds a good amount of power to our board, and even gives our combat-loving commander a special boost. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Meathook Massacre" href="#" target="_blank">The Meathook Massacre</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an absolute beating, giving us a board wipe that our commander can help us come back from. We can even reanimate the Massacre, giving us the ability to play an Aristocrats-style strategy and making blocking even less appealing.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Executioner&#039;s Capsule"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Boom Box"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking of repeatable removal, we can use cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Executioner&#039;s Capsule" href="#" target="_blank">Executioner&#039;s Capsule</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as sneakily as a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glissa, the Traitor" href="#" target="_blank">Glissa, the Traitor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck, popping an opponent’s creature and then bringing it back with Zoraline to pop another one. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boom Box" href="#" target="_blank">Boom Box</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another intriguing option, as it hits an artifact, a creature, and a land for six mana. It’s a two-drop to cast, however, so we can reanimate it with Zoraline to build-a-<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Decimate" href="#" target="_blank">Decimate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Folk Hero"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anvil of Bogardan"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While being able to reanimate our permanents is a form of repeatable card advantage, we need more to offset the glut of cheap fliers. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Folk Hero" href="#" target="_blank">Folk Hero</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lets us draw a card for each Bat we cast, which helps us capitalize off of that glut and dig for what we need. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anvil of Bogardan" href="#" target="_blank">Anvil of Bogardan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an interesting political option, giving cards to the table while filling graves. The hope is that we're able to use our grave better, or that we can use cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nihil Spellbomb" href="#" target="_blank">Nihil Spellbomb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to offset any advantage we might accidentally cede.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Windbrisk Heights"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vault of the Archangel"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our nonbasics are primarily centered around swarming the board. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Windbrisk Heights" href="#" target="_blank">Windbrisk Heights</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Path of Ancestry" href="#" target="_blank">Path of Ancestry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> help us to dig through the deck and provide some extra card advantage. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vault of the Archangel" href="#" target="_blank">Vault of the Archangel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a massive beating for combat-oriented decks, making blocking unsavory with deathtouch and winning races with lifelink.</span></p>
<h2>How Does This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zoraline, Cosmos Caller" href="#" target="_blank">Zoraline, Cosmos Caller</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We’re looking to beat down with small fliers early and often, with the backup plan of reanimating cheap black and white permanents that sacrifice themselves to accrue incremental card advantage.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zoraline, Cosmos Caller" href="#" target="_blank">Zoraline, Cosmos Caller</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck List</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Zoraline, Cosmos Caller Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="&nbsp;
[Commander]
*1 Zoraline, Cosmos Caller
[/Commander]
&nbsp;
[Creatures]
*1 Basilica Screecher
*1 Blight Keeper
*1 Blind Hunter
*1 Bloodhunter Bat
*1 Courier Bat
*1 Crashing Drawbridge
*1 Darkstar Augur
*1 Deep-Cavern Bat
*1 Duskhunter Bat
*1 Essence Channeler
*1 Eyetwitch
*1 Ghastly Gloomhunter
*1 Glidedive Duo
*1 Grimclaw Bats
*1 Gurmag Swiftwing
*1 Lifecreed Duo
*1 Momo, Friendly Flier
*1 Moonrise Cleric
*1 Moonstone Eulogist
*1 Moonstone Harbinger
*1 Ruin-Lurker Bat
*1 Selfless Spirit
*1 Star Charter
*1 Starlit Soothsayer
*1 Starscape Cleric
*1 Starseer Mentor
*1 Stirge
*1 Vampire Bats
*1 Wax-Wane Witness
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Enchantments]
*1 Brave the Sands
*1 Chivalric Alliance
*1 Dauthi Embrace
*1 Dawn of a New Age
*1 Deadly Designs
*1 Feast of the Victorious Dead
*1 Flowering of the White Tree
*1 Folk Hero
*1 Lunar Convocation
*1 Paladin Class
*1 Rent Is Due
*1 Seal of Cleansing
*1 Serra&#039;s Blessing
*1 Tenuous Truce
*1 The Meathook Massacre
[/Enchantments]
&nbsp;
[Artifacts]
*1 Anvil of Bogardan
*1 Boom Box
*1 Citizen&#039;s Crowbar
*1 Deconstruction Hammer
*1 Desecrated Tomb
*1 Dispeller&#039;s Capsule
*1 Executioner&#039;s Capsule
*1 Glaring Spotlight
*1 Manriki-Gusari
*1 Mask of Memory
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Nihil Spellbomb
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Thaumaton Torpedo
*1 Universal Solvent
[/Artifacts]
&nbsp;
[Lands]
*1 Cavern of Souls
*1 Hidden Courtyard
*1 Hidden Necropolis
*1 Lupinflower Village
*1 Minas Tirith
*1 Mudflat Village
*1 Path of Ancestry
*15 Plains
*15 Swamp
*1 Three Tree City
*1 Vault of the Archangel
*1 Windbrisk Heights
[/Lands]
&nbsp;"></span></div></span></p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bats can be kind of spooky, but while they may survive off of blood, they certainly don’t suck! <em>Bloomburrow</em> Bats are actually kind of cute and cuddly!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how would you build Bats? And how do you feel about the shadowy nighttime creatures?</span></p>
<h3>Read More:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="IMtrLebqVA"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/where-do-typal-decks-fit-in-the-new-bracket-system/">Where Do Typal Decks Fit in the New Bracket System?</a></p></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="qIZDKUVnvp"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-horror-typal-with-captain-nghathrod/">Building Horror Typal with Captain N'ghathrod</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Building Horror Typal with Captain N&#039;ghathrod&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-horror-typal-with-captain-nghathrod/embed/#?secret=A2G8PxTxKx#?secret=qIZDKUVnvp" data-secret="qIZDKUVnvp" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="D1RusEldXx"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-skeleton-kindred-with-uchbenbak-the-great-mistake/">Building Skeleton Kindred with Uchbenbak, the Great Mistake</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Building Skeleton Kindred with Uchbenbak, the Great Mistake&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-skeleton-kindred-with-uchbenbak-the-great-mistake/embed/#?secret=PI5KQfiLTQ#?secret=D1RusEldXx" data-secret="D1RusEldXx" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>


zoraline

Building Bat Typal with Zoraline, Cosmos Caller