Zetalpa, Primal Dawn has become somewhat of a running joke in the Magic: The Gathering community. It gets reprinted quite often, and while it boasts strong stats and multiple keywords, it’s been overshadowed by more formidable mono-white commanders. However, thanks to its addition to the Foundations Starter Collection, it stands out as an excellent pick for those just starting to build their first Commander deck.
As a powerful creature, Zetalpa can be both a fun deck to construct and a real challenge for your opponents to deal with. By focusing on enchantments and equipment, you’ll be putting serious pressure on the table before long.
Zetalpa, Primal Dawn Commander Decklist
Zetalpa is classified as a mono-white commander, which means your deck can only feature cards that are either white or colorless.
Creatures
- Akroma, Vision of Ixidor
- Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist
- Burnished Hart
- Crashing Drawbridge
- Esper Sentinel
- Jhoira’s Familiar
- Keeper of the Accord
- Kinjalli’s Caller
- Leonin Abunas
- Mother of Runes
- Odric, Lunarch Marshal
- Puresteel Paladin
- Silent Arbiter
- Solemn Simulacrum
- Sram, Senior Edificer
- Stoneforge Mystic
- Stonehewer Giant
- Sun Titan
Artifacts
- Arcane Signet
- Archaeomancer’s Map
- Argentum Armor
- Basilisk Collar
- Blackblade Reforged
- Caged Sun
- Colossus Hammer
- Commander’s Plate
- Excalibur, Sword of Eden
- Inquisitor’s Flail
- Lightning Greaves
- Loxodon Warhammer
- Mask of Avacyn
- Mirror Shield
- Nettlecyst
- Sol Ring
- Swiftfoot Boots
- Sword of Feast and Famine
- Sword of the Animist
- Thran Dynamo
- Thran Power Suit
- Worldslayer
Enchantments
- All That Glitters
- Armored Ascension
- Ethereal Armor
- Gauntlets of Light
- Land Tax
- Sigarda’s Aid
- Smothering Tithe
- Solid Footing
Instants
- Dawn’s Truce
- Disenchant
- Generous Gift
- Path to Exile
- Rebuff the Wicked
- Reprieve
- Stroke of Midnight
- Swords to Plowshares
- Teferi’s Protection
Sorceries
- Austere Command
- Brilliant Restoration
- Open the Armory
- Split Up
Lands
- Ancient Den
- Buried Ruin
- Castle Ardenvale
- Command Beacon
- Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
- Emeria, the Sky Ruin
- Hall of the Bandit Lord
- Myriad Landscape
- Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
- Plains (x20)
- Reliquary Tower
- Rogue’s Passage
- Serra’s Sanctum
- Temple of the False God
- War Room
- Witch’s Clinic
The Commander: Zetalpa, Primal Dawn
Zetalpa is among the most frequently seen white legendary creatures in Magic: The Gathering, with numerous reprints since its first appearance in Rivals of Ixalan. While often regarded as a lesser card compared to better options, Zetalpa can be a formidable force when built effectively.
Its combination of abilities—flying, double strike, vigilance, indestructible, and trample—makes it a daunting opponent, especially considering its 4/8 stats. To maximize Zetalpa’s effectiveness, a voltron strategy is highly recommended.
Voltron decks focus on equipping and enchanting a single creature to create a significant threat, as opposed to deploying many smaller creatures. Although typically seen in red and white builds, Zetalpa provides a unique opportunity for a mono-white variation.
Key Cards
As a Voltron-focused deck, Zetalpa should utilize a range of equipment and aura enchantments. Having powerful cards that scale nicely with the number of these attachments can yield a substantial advantage.
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All That Glitters, Ethereal Armor, and Thran Power Suit: These enchantments bolster Zetalpa with +1/+1 for each attached aura or equipment, allowing for significant stat increases.
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Solid Footing and Gauntlets of Light: These cards enable Zetalpa to deal damage equivalent to its toughness instead of its power, meaning it can hit for eight based on its base toughness. With the right buffs, it can become a lethal threat.
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Sram, Senior Edificer: While Sram is often a commander for Voltron decks, he provides valuable card draw in this setup, helping maintain your resources.
- Sun Titan and Brilliant Restoration: These two cards offer exceptional recursion, allowing you to retrieve crucial auras and equipment from your graveyard.
How To Play Zetalpa, Primal Dawn
The strategy centers around quickly getting Zetalpa onto the battlefield to maximize the threat of 21 commander damage. While Zetalpa’s high mana cost of eight may pose a challenge, folowing cards like Keeper of the Accord for mana ramp can help accelerate your game plan.
To maintain your position while Zetalpa is building strength, consider additional creatures and token generators that can serve as distractions for your opponents. Protect Zetalpa’s hexproof by equipping gear like Mirror Shield or Swiftfoot Boots to prevent it from being targeted directly.
For a more defensive approach, cards like Teferi’s Protection can offer crucial respite against aggressive decks until Zetalpa is ready to swing.
Once Zetalpa is active, the focus should shift to stacking as many auras and equipment as possible, aiming for 11 power or toughness to ensure lethal damage is dealt. Remember to utilize card advantage tools like Sram and Puresteel Paladin, ensuring that Zetalpa’s presence on the battlefield remains a constant threat.
This deck also includes Worldslayer, which can eliminate all nonland permanents when Zetalpa connects, leading to an overwhelming advantage if your opponents fail to recover in time. Prior communication with your playgroup is wise before opting for this strategy, considering its controversial nature.
