Aurelia, the Warleader: Overview
Aurelia, the Warleader is a notable legendary creature featured in the Magic: The Gathering Foundations set. Although not new to the game, having debuted in the 2013 Gatecrash set, the card’s power is well recognized, making her a top choice among Boros (red/white) commanders.
For newcomers to the Commander format, Aurelia presents an excellent first deck option. Her straightforward abilities combined with impactful effects allow for easy understanding and mastery. Many build strategies can be employed, but one of the most effective focuses on combat and leveraging extra turns.
Deck Composition
The deck comprises 27 creatures, eight sorceries, six instants, 14 artifacts, 10 enchantments, and 34 lands. Most creatures either facilitate additional combat phases or have potent effects triggered by attacking, allowing for repeated use.
Key Cards
Aurelia, the Warleader
Aurelia serves as the deck’s commanding presence and is essential for securing extra combat phases right from the moment she enters the battlefield, thanks to her haste. Her stats give her resilience, although players should avoid attacking into opponents with potential blockers to maintain her presence on the field. Given her high mana cost, it’s crucial to establish and protect Aurelia effectively.
Goldspan Dragon
This creature alleviates the typical mana ramping challenges faced by Boros decks. Each time Goldspan Dragon attacks, you generate a Treasure token that provides two mana. This capability enhances your resource generation significantly, especially as the game progresses and allows you to take advantage of frequent attacks.
Rabble Rousing
Due to Boros’ slower ramp-up, players can find themselves vulnerable before they can deploy their bigger spells. Rabble Rousing comes to the rescue by creating 1/1 creature tokens whenever you attack, helping maintain board presence throughout the game. However, be cautious about exiling key cards with its hideaway ability, as removing Rabble Rousing means losing access to those cards.
Iroas, God of Victory
Iroas ensures your attacking creatures remain safe by preventing them from receiving damage while on the attack. With his indestructible nature, he provides lasting support to your combat strategy, allowing your creatures to hit harder during each extra turn.
Strategy for Playing the Deck
The main strategy behind an Aurelia, the Warleader deck revolves around flooding the battlefield with creatures and continually executing extra combat phases to pressure opponents. The goal is to overwhelm adversaries before they can mount an effective defense.
While Aurelia facilitates additional combats, various cards such as Scourge of the Throne and Aggravated Assault provide even more opportunities to strike. Spells like World at War and Waves of Aggression not only grant multiple combat steps but can also be played again for added effect.
To close out games swiftly, incorporating permanents that boost damage output is advantageous. Cards like City on Fire and Gratuitous Violence can turn games in your favor by allowing for quick victories, particularly before opponents find their answers.
The principal objective remains winning through combat. With sufficient creatures and the ability to take multiple combat steps, you can quickly diminish opponents’ life totals. Cards like Blade Historian and True Conviction can further enhance your combat effectiveness, ensuring your creatures deal as much damage as possible.
Final Thoughts
While Aurelia decks can excel in late-game stages due to their ability to manage combat effectively, they might struggle initially due to slower mana ramping. A well-structured, combat-oriented strategy can lead to victories, but anticipate a few challenges in the early game as you work toward establishing board dominance.
