Fang, Roku's CompanionFang, Roku's Companion | Art by Douzen

Strong opinions about Universes Beyond run rampant across the internet, but my take sits somewhere in the middle, adjacent to agnostic. I'm not entirely against UB on principle even though the deluge of otherworldly (MTG-wise) characters is certainly overwhelming. Still, I get a bit of a kick when I'm surveying my hand in Commander and see Hobbits hanging with Transformers, Spider folks webbing it up alongside a Cat Moogle, or introducing them all to Ragavan, Nimble PilfererRagavan, Nimble Pilferer.

Approaching with wings outstretched and a welcoming spirit that lingers even after his death, Fang, Roku's CompanionFang, Roku's Companion arrived in Avatar to broker friendship between heroes from disparate universes. The Commander deck he helms is one of inclusiveness. Whether they hail from the wasteland of Fallout or the far reaches of Kamigawa, or the tippy top of the Daily Bugle, all legends are welcome to hang with Fang and receive the modest power boost he so eagerly bestows.

It's hard to remain glum when Fang is cheering you on from across the battlefield fray.

This Fang deck empowers 30+ willing legendary creatures—some of mono-red's most major celebrities—to unleash combat fury from within and fight alongside their Multiverse brethren. With Fang as our commander, the real victories are the friends our creatures make along the way…

What Does Fang, Roku's CompanionFang, Roku's Companion Do?

Fang thrives in combat and won't let a minor hiccup like his own demise keep him from the fray. He's a 4/4 flying Dragon for , and when he attacks, another legendary creature we control, attacking or otherwise, receives a +X/+0 bonus until end of turn, where X is Fang's power when the trigger resolves.

If Fang dies and he isn't yet a Spirit, he returns to the battlefield under our control as a Spirit Dragon to continue the good fight. Notably, this clause awards us a resurrected Fang if he's under our control when he dies, even if we're not the original owner.

Few mono-red commanders care about packing the deck with legends, and, funnily enough, the ones that do are all from Universes Beyond. Lord of the Rings brought us Gimli of the Glittering CavesGimli of the Glittering Caves and Glóin, Dwarf EmissaryGlóin, Dwarf Emissary, who want to flood the board with legends, and Éomer, Marshal of RohanÉomer, Marshal of Rohan, who honors their demises with an additional combat step.

Surtr, Fiery JötunSurtr, Fiery Jötun from Assassin's Creed also cares about casting legends and rewards us with seemingly never-ending removal and burn directly to our opponents' faces.

These commanders channel legendary creatures into benefits for themselves or to impact the board state as a whole. Fang, however, gives off Xenagos, God of RevelsXenagos, God of Revels energy by selflessly hyping up his comrades while joining them in combat. As a companion to more than just Roku, he's the ultimate wingman.

Key Cards for Fang, Roku's CompanionFang, Roku's Companion

This Commander deck all but guarantees there will always be a willing recipient for the power bonus Fang gives out. All of our creatures are legendary, and there are 34 of 'em raring to go.

The selection criteria emphasized affordability and unforgettable abilities, with some room for pet cards. Basically, I wanted cards I would always be psyched to see in my hand:

Recent years have introduced cheap legends that make significant impacts on the board. Those in this Fang deck include:

• Ragavan, Nimble PilfererRagavan, Nimble Pilferer
• Kellan, Planar TrailblazerKellan, Planar Trailblazer
• Inti, Seneschal of the SunInti, Seneschal of the Sun
• Spider-PunkSpider-Punk
• Zhao, the Moon SlayerZhao, the Moon Slayer

Fang demands that these other legendary creatures attack, so I threw in some powerful hasters to aid with these efforts:

• Laelia, the Blade ReforgedLaelia, the Blade Reforged
• Tersa LightshatterTersa Lightshatter
• Gogo, Mysterious MimeGogo, Mysterious Mime
• Headliner ScarlettHeadliner Scarlett
• Urabrask, Heretic PraetorUrabrask, Heretic Praetor

It also made sense to include legends with best-in-class attack and combat damage triggers, particularly if they boast evasive abilities. These include:

• Etali, Primal StormEtali, Primal Storm
• Umaro, Raging YetiUmaro, Raging Yeti
• Ivora, Insatiable HeirIvora, Insatiable Heir
• Dragonhawk, Fate's TempestDragonhawk, Fate's Tempest
• Krenko, Tin Street KingpinKrenko, Tin Street Kingpin
• Anep, Vizier of HazoretAnep, Vizier of Hazoret
• Rose, Cutthroat RaiderRose, Cutthroat Raider

Zuko, Avatar HunterZuko, Avatar Hunter presents an army-in-a-can simply by doing the thing the deck wants to do anyway.

Of course, we have to run the four legends-matter mono-red commanders in the 99:

• Gimli of the Glittering CavesGimli of the Glittering Caves
• Glóin, Dwarf EmissaryGlóin, Dwarf Emissary
• Éomer, Marshal of RohanÉomer, Marshal of Rohan
• Surtr, Fiery JötunSurtr, Fiery Jötun

The Peregrine DynamoThe Peregrine Dynamo is a card with few homes that fits perfectly in this deck. Almost every triggered and activated ability we run is a prime target for duplication.

Ideally, Fang will arrive with haste so we can score an attack trigger right away. The following haste enablers aid in this effort:

• Smellerbee, Rebel FighterSmellerbee, Rebel Fighter is a legend herself with an attached haste anthem that offers some late-game card advantage.
• Rising of the DayRising of the Day and Gimli's Reckless MightGimli's Reckless Might are difficult to remove and include some added utility on top of providing haste.
• Like Rising of the Day, Hero's HeirloomHero's Heirloom, Lavaspur BootsLavaspur Boots, and Gogo, Mysterious MimeGogo, Mysterious Mime gift haste while also buffing power ever so slightly, increasing the size of Fang's attack trigger.
• The copy ability on The Fire CrystalThe Fire Crystal is a huge non-bo with our dedication to running only legendary creatures, but its cost-reducing strength more than makes up for this fact.

Though our deck isn't primarily focused on increasing Fang's power, it felt appropriate to include a few cheap means of doing so that could also apply to our other legendary creatures:

• O-NaginataO-Naginata
• Ace's Baseball BatAce's Baseball Bat
• Blackblade ReforgedBlackblade Reforged
• Hero's BladeHero's Blade
• Heraldic BannerHeraldic Banner
• The IrencragThe Irencrag
• Tenza, Godo's MaulTenza, Godo's Maul
• Heck, even SkullclampSkullclamp can participate!

The fact that we're running so many legends also opens up possibilities for our mana base. Sure, Ancient TombAncient Tomb is a Game Changer, but Untaidake, the Cloud KeeperUntaidake, the Cloud Keeper is most certainly not, and it can power out Fang with a Sol RingSol Ring level of muscle.

Clive's HideawayClive's Hideaway operates as an improved Hideaway land with so many legendary creatures running rampant. And Abstergo EntertainmentAbstergo Entertainment outdoes Scavenger GroundsScavenger Grounds once a few historic cards hit our graveyard.

How Does This Fang, Roku's CompanionFang, Roku's Companion Commander Deck Win?

This Fang deck tempers the flashiness of its legendary creatures with a straightforward, decidedly lower-power game plan: Cast threatening legends, let them do their thing, and turn them sideways.

General Kreat, the BoltbringerGeneral Kreat, the Boltbringer, Purphoros, God of the ForgePurphoros, God of the Forge, and Surtr, Fiery JötunSurtr, Fiery Jötun ping opponents at a regular cadence. Karlach, Fury of AvernusKarlach, Fury of Avernus and Éomer, Marshal of RohanÉomer, Marshal of Rohan double up attack triggers by providing multiple combat steps, while Firebender AscensionFirebender Ascension accomplishes this by doubling the triggers themselves.

Torbran, Thane of Red FellTorbran, Thane of Red Fell increases the damage dealt while Vincent, Vengeful AtonerVincent, Vengeful Atoner, Myojin of Roaring BladesMyojin of Roaring Blades, and Chandra's IgnitionChandra's Ignition dish out some serious group slug.

Though many of the creatures in this deck, including Fang himself, can feel cumbersome to cast, Honor-Worn ShakuHonor-Worn Shaku and Relic of LegendsRelic of Legends are here to ease the burden. These cards can produce oodles of mana with only a legendary creature or two on the battlefield; in this deck, they might power out some fearsome foes long before they would otherwise hit the battlefield.

Once the board is getting full, Excalibur, Sword of EdenExcalibur, Sword of Eden comes down for a significant discount to buff Fang and friends to the high heavens. Best of all, Fang can reanimate himself once per cast, saving mana on commander tax.

Fang, Roku's Companion Commander Deck List

Fang for Your Buck

The inherent lack of overt synergy in this red legendary pile means I strived to keep the deck at a lower power level, ideally Bracket 2, meaning I eschewed Game Changers and most staples. The resulting deck is fairly cheap with a few exceptions, though you could definitely pass on Mithril CoatMithril Coat, Purphoros, God of the ForgePurphoros, God of the Forge, Ragavan, Nimble PilfererRagavan, Nimble Pilferer, and Shinka, the Bloodsoaked KeepShinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep without disrupting the game plan.

I'd love to hear what you think! Any legendary creatures you would have included?