الوسم: Deck Guide

  • Complete Breakdown of the Doom Prevails Commander Deck in MTG: Solving Strategies

    Complete Breakdown of the Doom Prevails Commander Deck in MTG: Solving Strategies

    A new wave of Magic: The Gathering Commander preconstructed decks is coming soon, and this guide focuses on the Doom Prevails set. We’ll share what is known so far and what hints might help fill in the gaps.

    This Marvel Super Heroes deck features Connive, a mechanic first introduced in Streets of New Capenna. When combined with life drain effects and potential graveyard interactions, this deck could become one of the strongest in the upcoming release.

    We don’t have the full list of cards yet, but thanks to an early leak, we know the main Commander is Doctor Doom, King of Latveria. Expect the entire Marvel Super Heroes lineup to be revealed in early to mid-June, alongside other set previews.

    The deck’s key card, Doctor Doom, leans heavily on the Connive mechanic. Connive allows you to draw a card, discard a card, and then put a +1/+1 counter on the creature that activated the ability if the discarded card is not a land. If you discard land cards, each opponent at the table loses two life as long as Doctor Doom is on the battlefield. This makes discarding land harmful to your opponents and rewards you no matter what kind of card you discard.

    Additionally, at the start of combat, a Villain creature you control gains menace until the end of the turn and connives. An alternative Commander expected in the deck is Loki, God of Lies. His ability lets you control a target creature until the end of the turn, untap it if needed, and grant it haste.

    The release date is set for Friday, June 26, 2026.

    The deck box image shows Doctor Doom’s prominent role. His ability to connive depends on discarding nonland cards, which boosts creatures with the mechanic. When discarding land, he causes opponents to lose life, making each discard impactful. Before combat, Doom grants menace to a Villain creature and causes it to connive, adding strategic options.

    Loki, the alternative Commander, can take control of a creature until the end of the turn, untap it, and give it haste. This offers flexible combat tactics and control.

    Based on the packaging, connive will be a major feature in this deck. Since only about 35 cards had the keyword as of the Secrets of Strixhaven release, it suggests there will be notable reprints or new Marvel-themed connive cards in this set.

    Connive typically involves discarding nonland cards to buff creatures, but the deck is likely to include graveyard interactions to balance this effect. Psychic Pickpocket from Streets of New Capenna serves as an example of a card that connives and can retrieve spells from your graveyard.

    The box also mentions “Drain Life,” a straightforward life-drain mechanic. Interestingly, combining connive with life drain is unusual, as the mechanics are not typically linked, which makes how these elements work together in this precon particularly intriguing.

  • Completing the Mishra, Artificer Prodigy Deck: A Commander Guide

    Completing the Mishra, Artificer Prodigy Deck: A Commander Guide

    Building a Commander Deck with Mishra, Artificer Prodigy

    Creating a Commander deck around Mishra, Artificer Prodigy in Magic: The Gathering isn’t the usual approach. Initially, you might think that his ability, which involves generating extra copies of artifacts, doesn’t fit the singleton nature of Commander. However, that’s where Mishra’s uniqueness comes into play; he presents an intriguing challenge to construct around.

    Over the years, the ability to turn your creatures into artifacts has significantly increased, alongside more cards that enable casting multiple copies of themselves. This evolution allows you to effectively leverage Mishra’s powerful effect in Commander.

    Deck List

    Commander: Mishra, Artificer Prodigy

    Card Card Card Card Card Card
    Tezzeret the Seeker Bruvac the Grandiloquent Pattern Matcher x30 Persistent Petitioners Ruin Crab Silent Arbiter
    Steel Overseer The Mindskinner Urza, Lord High Artificer Beseech the Mirror Beseech the Queen Blasphemous Act
    Diabolic Tutor Echoing Return Fabricate Ringsight Tasha’s Hideous Laughter Toxic Deluge
    Whir of Invention Arcane Signet Crawlspace Encroaching Mycosynth Mycosynth Lattice Riverchurn Monument
    Sol Ring Talisman of Creativity Talisman of Dominance Tamiyo’s Journal Transmutation Font Wishclaw Talisman
    Biotransference Black Market Connections Court of Cunning Forced Fruition Mechanized Production Propaganda
    Academy Ruins Buried Ruin Command Tower Drowned Catacomb Exotic Orchard Haunted Ridge
    x8 Island x3 Mountain Mystic Sanctuary Shipwreck Marsh Shivan Reef Smoldering Marsh
    Spire of Industry Stormcarved Coast Sulfur Falls Sulfurous Springs Sunken Hollow x7 Swamp
    Underground River
    • The deck features 1 planeswalker, 37 creatures, 9 sorceries, 1 instant, 11 artifacts, 6 enchantments, and 34 lands. Utilizing the Persistent Petitioners as a pivotal card enables a potent mill strategy.

    This deck primarily features the Persistent Petitioners, but if you prefer a more creature-centric approach, consider substituting them with Relentless Rats.

    Key Cards

    Mishra, Artificer Prodigy

    As the commander of this deck, Mishra doesn’t shine on its own. You’ll need additional permanents that turn your creatures (and/or other permanents) into artifacts. Once that’s in place, you can harness Mishra’s abilities effectively.

    Keep in mind that the terminology surrounding Mishra can be a bit outdated. His effect activates whenever you cast an artifact spell, meaning he can still trigger even if the original Persistent Petitioners spell is countered.

    This deck particularly benefits from pairing Mishra with Persistent Petitioners. As long as you can cast one copy, you can retrieve all others from your deck. Because Mishra primarily relies on this combo, it’s best to hold off on casting him until you can also put out a copy of Persistent Petitioners.

    Persistent Petitioners

    Persistent Petitioners serve as the key card in this configuration, arguably even more important than the commander. They facilitate easy milling of your opponents either by tapping themselves or tapping a group of Advisors. With Mishra, you can deploy 30 copies of this card, leading to numerous milling triggers.

    With all 30 Persistent Petitioners in play, you could mill an opponent for up to 84 cards since each opponent starts with seven. By the time your combo is active, you could quickly deplete another player’s library.

    Biotransference

    As a leading card that converts your creatures into artifacts, Biotransference works wonders. It transforms all creatures into artifacts, whether they’re being cast, on the battlefield, or still in the library. This makes it easier to bring all your copies of Persistent Petitioners into play.

    Additionally, for every artifact spell you cast, you create a 2/2 token. So if your milling strategy falters, you can pivot to a strategy utilizing these artifact tokens, providing both offensive and defensive options.

    Steel Overseer

    While your main focus is on milling with Persistent Petitioners, Steel Overseer serves as a valuable backup. It can bolster your artifact creatures for combat, helping to make them effective threats. Steel Overseer’s primary function is to enhance your Persistent Petitioners, turning them into durable blockers.

    The Mindskinner

    The Mindskinner is an efficient way to finish off the last few cards needed to eliminate an opponent’s library. Since it can’t be blocked, you can count on it milling at least ten cards before an opponent reacts. If they lack blockers, you can use all your creatures to increase your milling capacity.

    How to Play the Deck

    The Mishra, Artificer Prodigy Commander deck revolves around the strategy of converting your creatures into artifacts and swiftly deploying multiple copies of Persistent Petitioners to mill opponents effectively.

    Card interactions that allow you to make creatures artifacts are the backbone of this strategy, so always look for cards like Biotransference, Mycosynth Lattice, or Encroaching Mycosynth in your tutor searches.

    Given that this is a mill deck, your defenses are likely to be less robust. However, the Grixis colors (blue, black, red) grant you access to some powerful stax pieces like Silent Arbiter, Propaganda, and Crawlspace to hinder your opponents’ attacks while you set up.

    Your main win condition centers around milling. Once you establish the Mishra and Persistent Petitioners synergy, you can quickly eliminate one opponent and potentially another shortly after. If faced with a board wipe, you can utilize Echoing Return to retrieve all Persistent Petitioners back to your hand and recast them.

    Alternatively, you can achieve victory through Mechanized Production, which grants a win condition if you have eight or more artifacts sharing the same name under your control, easily done with the Persistent Petitioners.

    The primary drawback of this deck is its dependence on the Mishra-Persistent Petitioners combo. While it is a powerful strategy, building the entire deck around it makes you vulnerable in combat and susceptible to board wipes. Nevertheless, once you have your combo assembled, you can effectively control the game and eliminate your opponents rapidly.

  • Myojin of Night’s Reach Deck Guide: Top Cards & Strategies

    Myojin of Night’s Reach Deck Guide: Top Cards & Strategies

    The Myojin of Night’s Reach is one of the most enigmatic and impactful creatures in the lore of Magic: The Gathering. Unlike many creatures, she had the rare ability to traverse planes even before planeswalkers were a thing, subtly influencing events in both Kamigawa and Dominaria.

    Originally conceptualized before the Commander format was established, Myojin of Night’s Reach has a unique ability that complicates her inclusion in decks. To effectively use her, careful planning is essential, but with the right deck strategy, she can become a powerful presence in your games.

    Sample Decklist

    Black is an excellent color choice for building a mono-colored deck. It offers a diverse array of tools at manageable costs, granting numerous methods for card draw and opportunities to ramp up your mana efficiently.

    The Myojin thrives when she is played directly from your hand, so the following decklist is designed with various options to help you draw her from the command zone to ensure maximum impact.

    Commander
    Myojin of Night’s Reach
    Creatures (18)
    Blightbelly Rat
    Burglar Rat
    Burnished Hart
    Crypt Ghast
    Dauthi Voidwalker
    Elderfang Disciple
    Fell Specter
    Gray Merchant of Asphodel
    Hypnotic Specter
    Magus of the Coffers
    Miasmic Mummy
    Necrogoyf
    Rotting Rats
    Sangromancer
    Syr Konrad, the Grim
    Tergrid, God of Fright // Tergrid’s Lantern
    Tinybones, Trinket Thief
    Yawgmoth, Thran Physician
    Sorceries (11)
    Blood Money
    Bubbling Muck
    Damnation
    Dark Deal
    Diabolic Tutor
    Drown in Ichor
    Raise Dead
    Sign in Blood
    Syphon Mind
    Torment of Hailfire
    Vat Emergence
    Instants (7)
    Dark Ritual
    Defile
    Go for the Throat
    Infernal Grasp
    Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire
    Whisper of the Dross
    Artifacts (17)
    Arcane Signet
    Campfire
    Charcoal Diamond
    Contagion Clasp
    Contagion Engine
    Expedition Map
    Extraplanar Lens
    Geth’s Grimoire
    Jet Medallion
    Lightning Greaves
    Netherborn Altar
    Sol Ring
    Swiftfoot Boots
    That Which Was Taken
    The Rack
    Thran Dynamo
    Wheel of Torture
    Enchantments (9)
    Demonic Vigor
    Leyline of the Void
    Liliana’s Caress
    Megrim
    Phyrexian Arena
    Quest for the Nihil Stone
    Raiders’ Wake
    Shrieking Affliction
    Waste Not
    Planeswalkers (2)
    Davriel, Rogue Shadowmage
    Liliana of the Dark Realms
    Lands (35)
    Bojuka Bog
    Cabal Coffers
    Cabal Stronghold
    Command Beacon
    Geier Reach Sanitarium
    Karn’s Bastion
    Myriad Landscape
    Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
    Snow-Covered Swamp x24
    Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
    Urza’s Cave
    Witch’s Cottage

    The Commander

    Myojin of Night’s Reach is a 5/2 legendary Spirit creature introduced in Champions of Kamigawa. She requires eight mana to cast—five generic and three black.

    To balance her steep mana cost, Myojin enters the battlefield with a divinity counter, but only if cast from your hand. This design ensures that players cannot exploit graveyard strategies to bring her into play, introducing an interesting challenge when using her as a commander.

    As long as she has a divinity counter, Myojin is indestructible. Additionally, removing the counter allows you to force all opponents to discard their hands.

    While it can be limiting to always play Myojin from your hand, there are ways to transition her from the command zone to your hand in the deck.

    How to Play the Deck

    Although there are stronger attackers within mono-black, Myojin of Night’s Reach excels at making opponents discard their hands when played from your hand.

    To facilitate this, the deck includes mechanisms for transferring her from the command zone, options for adding divinity counters while she’s in play, and proliferate effects to make the discard ability repetitive.

    While empty hands don’t necessarily guarantee a victory, focusing on punishing opponents for discarding or holding no cards can pivot the game in your favor. Building redundancy into your strategies with various discard effects will also mitigate the risk of your opponents countering or eliminating your commander.

    Ramp Strategies

    Mono-black excels at land-based ramp with cards like Cabal Coffers and Cabal Stronghold, generating mana based on the number of Swamps controlled. By including Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, all your lands become Swamps, maximizing your mana production capacity.

    Draw Mechanics

    In order to keep your hand full and maintain strategic options, the deck offers various card-drawing mechanics. Cards such as Tinybones, Trinket Thief offer card draw for each discard action that your opponents take, creating opportunities for significant life drain.

    Discard Effects

    It’s crucial that your strategy includes more methods for forcing opponents to discard than solely relying on Myojin. Several creatures and spells can provide additional discard elements, ensuring your plans remain flexible and effective, even if Myojin is countered or removed.

    This strategic diversity will allow you to exploit your opponents’ weaknesses and leverage your resources to fortify your position in the game. By carefully balancing card draw, ramp, and discard mechanics, you can create a competitive and enjoyable gameplay experience.

  • Zegana Commander Deck: Your Ultimate Prime Speaker Guide

    Zegana Commander Deck: Your Ultimate Prime Speaker Guide

    Magic: The Gathering offers numerous strategies for victory, and one effective method is to simply outpace your opponents. By drawing more cards, deploying additional lands, generating extra mana, and casting more spells, you can build a significant lead that your competitors may struggle to match.

    In the color scheme of Magic, blue and green—known as Simic—embody this strategy of boundless growth. No other commander embodies this philosophy better than Prime Speaker Zegana. With her, you can outmatch your foes through larger creatures, increased card draw, and clever counter manipulation.

    The Commander: Prime Speaker Zegana

    Prime Speaker Zegana presents a straightforward but powerful approach. Upon casting Zegana, she gains a number of +1/+1 counters equal to the highest power among the creatures you control. Following this, you draw a number of cards equal to that value plus one. For instance, if you have a lone 2/2 creature on the battlefield, casting her for six mana allows you to place three +1/+1 counters on Zegana and draw three cards.

    With larger tokens on the field, Zegana’s abilities strengthen. If you manage to play a creature like Chasm Skulker or Lorescale Coatl by the third turn, they can grow to 4/4 or 5/5 by the time you cast Zegana on turn six. This setup means Zegana could potentially be a 5/5 drawing five cards or a 6/6 drawing six.

    The capacity to draw multiple cards at once significantly enhances your hand. A deck tailored around Prime Speaker Zegana should focus on flooding the early game with creatures and spells, intent on effectively refreshing your hand once Zegana is played.

    Ramp spells are vital in Zegana decks, speeding up her entry onto the battlefield and solidifying your mana base for future plays. Zegana offers two key advantages: card draw and +1/+1 counters. More cards translate to more strategic choices, while counters boost combat strength. With proper support, those counters can create additional benefits, including extra mana or even immediate game victories.

    Building Your Prime Speaker Zegana Commander Deck

    A well-constructed Prime Speaker Zegana deck includes several essential components.

    Firstly, include creatures that increase in strength as you draw more cards. These creatures provide both power to aid in drawing and become more formidable once Zegana hits the field.

    Secondly, implement mana ramp. Six mana is not the cheapest cost, so getting Zegana onto the battlefield as early as possible can be game-changing. Having more mana also means you’re ready to cast the myriad spells you’ll draw.

    Next, include cards that effectively utilize the +1/+1 counters Zegana generates, along with reliable Simic staples to ensure deck success.

    Growing Threats

    Creatures that grow as you draw cards synergize exceptionally well with Prime Speaker Zegana. If you deploy Lorescale Coatl early, it can become a significant threat once Zegana is cast. Other strong options include Chasm Skulker, Forgotten Ancient, Pollywog Prodigy, and Fathom Mage, which all become more powerful as the game progresses. You also have cards like Master Biomancer, Kalonian Hydra, and Vorel of the Hull Clade that continue to grow and pressure opponents.

    Additionally, you can consider non-creature growth methods. Cards like Wizard Class, Hardened Scales, and Branching Evolution can rapidly increase the number of +1/+1 counters on your creatures.

    Counter Manipulation

    While the +1/+1 counters Zegana grants are a great start, many cards allow you to go further. For instance, Plaxcaster Frogling bestows shroud upon your creatures with counters, while Evolution Witness retrieves valuable cards from your graveyard. Herald of Secret Streams makes countered creatures unblockable, enhancing your attack options.

    There are also spells that can make the most of your counters. Inspiring Call can easily provide you a handful of cards, while Wave Goodbye gives you removal for creatures without counters.

    Ramp

    To cast higher-cost commanders effectively, you’ll want to include a healthy dose of mana ramp in your deck. Utilitarian mana sources such as Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, and various green spells like Farseek and Cultivate will facilitate this. Additionally, creatures like Incubation Druid and Rishkar, Peema Renegade can further enhance your mana production.

    It’s essential to consider that drawing a massive number of cards can exceed the hand size limit. Cards like Thought Vessel and Reliquary Tower will aid in sidestepping this limit, allowing you to benefit fully from Zegana’s abilities.

    Simic Staples

    Leveraging blue and green means you should utilize staple cards unique to Simic. Oko, Thief of Crowns, is significant in Commander games and can really swing the balance in your favor if included.

    Rapid Hybridization and Beast Within give you valuable removal options, while Voidslime and Counterspell can deny your opponents their critical spells.

    In this context, Body of Research can generate a massive creature providing you an instant win if combined with Herald of Secret Streams or Rogue’s Passage.

    Prime Speaker Zegana Commander Deck List

    With all these elements in mind, here’s a suggested deck list to maximize your success with Prime Speaker Zegana:

    Commander (1)
    Prime Speaker Zegana
    Creatures (34)
    Wildwood Scourge
    Birds of Paradise
    Llanowar Elves
    Gyre Sage
    Coiling Oracle
    Incubation Druid
    Pollywog Prodigy
    Scavenging Ooze
    Lorescale Coatl
    Chasm Skulker
    Vorel of the Hull Clade
    Managorger Hydra
    Rishkar, Peema Renegade
    Plaxcaster Frogling
    Fathom Mage
    Evolution Sage
    Evolution Witness
    Kami of Whispered Hopes
    Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle
    Forgotten Ancient
    Herald of Secret Streams
    Kianne, Corrupted Memory
    Master Biomancer
    Twenty-Toed Toad
    Zegana, Utopian Speaker
    Zimone, Paradox Sculptor
    Psychosis Crawler
    Deadeye Navigator
    Tatyova, Benthic Druid
    Body of Knowledge
    Murkfiend Liege
    Kalonian Hydra
    Hydroid Krasis
    Tishana, Voice of Thunder
    Planeswalkers (2)
    Oko, Thief of Crowns
    Jiang Yanggu, Wildcrafter
    Sorcery (5)
    Farseek
    Curse of the Swine
    Cultivate
    Wave Goodbye
    Body of Research
    Instants (7)
    Rapid Hybridization
    Cyclonic Rift
    Counterspell
    Beast Within
    Voidslime
    Inspiring Call
    Mutational Advantage
    Enchantments (7)
    Wizard Class
    Hardened Scales
    Simic Ascendancy
    Proft’s Eidetic Memory
    Innkeeper’s Talent
    Branching Evolution
    Rhystic Study
    Artifacts (8)
    Sol Ring
    Arcane Signet
    Thought Vessel
    Simic Signet
    Ozolith, the Shattered Spire
    Swiftfoot Boots
    Powerfist
    Lands (36)
    Reliquary Tower
    Alchemist’s Refuge
    Command Tower
    Rogue’s Passage
    Temple of the False God
    Boseiju, who Endures
    Karn’s Bastion
    Otawara, Soaring City
    Riptide Laboratory
    Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
    Hinterland Harbor
    Breeding Pool
    Yavimaya Coast
    Simic Growth Chamber
    Rejuvenating Springs
    Temple of Mystery
    Flooded Grove
    Dreamroot Cascade
    Misty Rainforest
    Vineglimmer Snarl
    Barkchannel Pathway / Tidechannel Pathway
    Hedge Maze
    Botanical Sanctum
    Forest (7)
    Island (6)

    Budget Substitutions

    For those who may find parts of this deck list too pricey, here are budget-friendly alternatives to consider:

    Expensive Card Budget Substitution
    Birds of Paradise Utopia Sprawl, Elvish Mystic, Sakura-Tribe Elder, Ilysian Caryatid, Honored Hierarch
    Pollywog Prodigy Zameck Guildmage
    Deadeye Navigator Progenitor Mimic
    Kalonian Hydra Overbeing of Myth, Kruphix, God of Horizons
    Oko, Thief of Crowns Kiora, the Crashing Wave, Kiora, Master of the Depths, Garruk, Primal Hunter
    Cyclonic Rift Repulsive Mutation, Simic Charm, Pongify, Quadrix Command
    Wave Goodbye Whelming Wave, Oversimplify
    Innkeeper’s Talent Primal Empathy, Decanter of Endless Water
    Rhystic Study Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner, Garruk’s Uprising, Hadana’s Climb, Bred for the Hunt, Nerd Rage
    Ozolith, the Shattered Spire Empyrial Plate
    The Ozolith Stocking the Pantry, Utopia Sprawl
    Powerfist Inexorable Tide
    Boseiju, who Endures Llanowar Reborn, Mosswort Bridge
    Otawara, Soaring City Lonely Sandbar, Mystic Sanctuary
    Breeding Pool Tangled Islet, Thornwood Falls, Overflowing Basin, Simic Guildgate, Rimewood Falls, Restless Vinestalk
    Misty Rainforest Tangled Islet, Thornwood Falls, Overflowing Basin, Simic Guildgate, Rimewood Falls, Restless Vinestalk
    Hedge Maze Tangled Islet, Thornwood Falls, Overflowing Basin, Simic Guildgate, Rimewood Falls, Restless Vinestalk

    Tips For Playing Prime Speaker Zegana

    • Focus on establishing Zegana as effectively as possible in your early game. Aim for creatures that will reach a good size (four or five power) by the time you’re ready to cast her.
    • If you don’t have sufficient power readily available, don’t feel pressured to cast Zegana right away. She is worth much more with a solid board presence rather than forcing her out early for little benefit.
    • Look for opportunities to significantly grow a creature that can bring down opponents lacking life gain. Herald of Secret Streams and Rogue’s Passage are great cards for sealing the deal.
    • Upon drawing cards like Twenty-Toed Frog or Simic Ascendancy, consider a defensive play, focusing on achieving an alternative win condition by amassing +1/+1 counters. This strategy can develop quicker than you might expect.
  • Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim Deck Guide: Top Cards & Strategies

    Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim Deck Guide: Top Cards & Strategies

    Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim is a noteworthy commander featured in the Magic: The Gathering Foundations set. Though this card is not new—having first appeared in the 2016 release, Oath of the Gatewatch—it has been reprinted in The List, making it accessible to a fresh wave of players.

    Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim represents a distinctive Orzhov (white/black) commander that allows for a blend of sacrifice and lifegain strategies. Orzhov is particularly well-suited for these approaches, facilitating the creation of a powerful Commander deck under Ayli’s leadership.

    Deck Overview

    The deck incorporates 32 creatures, 4 sorceries, 4 instants, 7 artifacts, 17 enchantments, and 34 lands. Most creatures either provide lifegain or benefit from it, while the enchantments serve as sacrifice outlets and offer control of the battlefield.

    Key Cards

    Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim

    As the key commander, Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim acts as your main source of value. You can consistently sacrifice creatures to trigger lifegain, so long as you have one mana available. In addition to providing lifegain, Ayli can serve as a removal tool if you have at least ten more life than your starting total, which is relatively easy to achieve with this deck.

    What’s advantageous about Ayli is that you don’t need her on the battlefield for the deck to function effectively. The lifegain and sacrifice strategies can operate independently, but having Ayli makes it much easier to maintain control once you accumulate enough life to exile nonland permanents.

    Dictate of Erebos / Grave Pact

    Both Dictate of Erebos and Grave Pact have similar effects, with Grave Pact being a bit less expensive to cast. They enable you to turn every creature sacrificed into a forced sacrifice for your opponents. It doesn’t matter whether the creature you sacrifice is strong or weak; both enchantments will activate upon its death.

    Importantly, they only trigger when a creature you control dies. This means that even if you’re not sacrificing a creature, your opponents will be cautious about attacking, as losing a chump blocker will compel them to sacrifice some of their own creatures.

    Jacked Rabbit

    Jacked Rabbit is incredibly useful in this deck. Its Ravenous ability allows it to enter with plenty of +1/+1 counters, which not only makes it more formidable but also generates 1/1 Rabbit tokens when it enters. These tokens can activate lifegain effects, significantly boosting your life total.

    In dire situations, Jacked Rabbit can be sacrificed to Ayli for lifegain equal to its toughness. If it has a lot of counters, this could translate to a substantial lifegain, helping you recover from low life points or meet the threshold needed for Ayli’s removal effect.

    Elenda’s Hierophant

    Elenda’s Hierophant is a creature you want to get onto the battlefield quickly once your lifegain engine is running. It gradually increases its stats and, with flying, can become a formidable attacker if your opponents lack sufficient blockers.

    Elenda synergizes well with Ayli since the life gained from sacrificing her can be considerable due to her likely high toughness. Additionally, the process creates several 1/1 Vampire tokens that can further trigger lifegain effects and act as future sacrifice fodder.

    Game Strategy

    An Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim deck is all about generating life while controlling the board. Important lifegain cards include Soul Warden, Soul’s Attendant, and Suture Priest. You’ll also want creatures that cause opponents to lose life when yours die, such as Blood Artist and Zulaport Cutthroat.

    Enchantments that create creature tokens are particularly vital, as they trigger lifegain abilities upon entry and provide sacrifice fodder for Ayli. Notable mentions include Bitterblossom and Black Market Connections, which also help with ramp and card draw.

    Many creatures can gain +1/+1 counters when you gain life, making them potent threats while also serving as excellent sacrifice options for additional lifegain. Cards like Ajani’s Pridemate and Voice of the Blessed are notable, but Archangel of Thune stands out, as it can distribute +1/+1 counters to all your creatures.

    The main goal of this deck is to outlast your opponents, achieving an insurmountable life total that protects you from elimination. You can also win through cards like Test of Endurance or Felidar Sovereign, which grant victory based on life thresholds. The combo of Exquisite Blood with any damage-dealing lifegain card can result in infinite damage.

    A drawback of the deck is that it often lacks major threats. While you can generate many tokens, they are usually not intimidating. Thus, opponents may not feel pressured to avoid attacking unless cards like Dictate of Erebos are in play.

    Utilize stalling cards like Authority of the Consuls and Blind Obedience to slow down your opponents and buy time to reach your win conditions.