(Ohabi CaleriaOhabi Caleria| Art by Nestor Ossandon Leal)

Into the Borderlands

Welcome to Borderland Explorer, the new EDHREC series that takes a closer look at commanders right on the border of popularity – not too obscure, but nowhere near the “Top Commanders” front page either.

For this series, I’m choosing the 1,200-deck mark as a grounding point. (But it’s not too strict – there’s a few hundred decks’ worth of wiggle room on either side).

In this series we will:

• Identify a commander that falls into the 1,200-deck range for each allied two-color pair
• Highlight unique and interesting game plan(s) for this commander
• Outline the advantages and challenges of these strategies
• Build a budget-friendly deck following these plans
• Walk through important card categories and use EDHREC synergy numbers as a starting point to talk about notable inclusions and exclusions
• Go over upgrades for readers interested in investing more money into this strategy

The goal is to find commanders with some established traction but lots of room for exploration and innovation, so let’s get into the brewing spirit!

Moving on from red-green goad Enchantress last week, we are rounding out the series with the final allied color pair, green-white.

Filtering by number of decks, Ohabi CaleriaOhabi Caleria fits the bill as a budget-friendly commander that hosts around 1,300 decks and offers a clear direction to build around.

The Game Plan(s)

The stock game plan for this commander is to simply fill your deck with Archers that tap to deal direct damage to creatures (usually that are attacking, blocking, and/or flying).

Ohabi’s abilities means you can repeat this damage many times per turn cycle and also convert Archer pings into card draw.

Advantages and Challenges

When looking at some of the high synergy cards with Ohabi Caleria, I was reminded of this EDHRECast video on “Red Herring Synergies”, where Joey explains how cards like Power ConduitPower Conduit and Conjurer’s ClosetConjurer’s Closet show up in many Winter, Cynical OpportunistWinter, Cynical Opportunist decklists with the goal of removing the finality counters the deck’s commander puts on reanimated permanents.

However, as Joey notes, so much has to go right to get to the point where these cards can have their intended effect. Without a series of specific things happening in a certain order during the game, these counter-removing cards don’t help facilitate the main goals of the deck.

Looking at some of the top cards of the average Ohabi deck, I see a similar thing going on. The general plan has a lot of steps:

1. Have your commander on the battlefield
2. Have a number of Archers that “ping” or have deathtouch on the battlefield 
3. Give your Archers that “ping” deathtouch and your Archers with deathtouch the ability to “ping”
4. Use this combination of forces to mow down any opposing creature every turn and use your commander to draw a bunch of cards in the process.

When the deck finds all of these cards together, its pilot gets to create a great engine of destruction and card advantage. But this stock plan also comes with these pretty serious issues:

1. You need to draw the right combination of “ping” and deathtouch
2. Many of your “ping” effects only work when creatures are attacking and blocking and/or have flying
3. Your commander’s draw ability costs two mana every time you want to draw a card. 
4. Most Archer creatures do not hold up to the power level of Commander. Your commander has to be really good to justify playing cards like D’Avenant HealerD’Avenant Healer (81% of decks) and Crossbow InfantryCrossbow Infantry (75% of decks).

A New Direction

With all this being said, I’m taking a different direction with the deck. I want to find a critical mass of Archers that feel like they fit well in the format while also including a healthy dose of kindred synergies, tapping strategies, pingers, and efficient “fight”/“bite” cards.

Elves

Between the commander, Thornweald ArcherThornweald Archer, Wildborn PreserverWildborn Preserver, Jagged-Scar ArchersJagged-Scar Archers, Legolas GreenleafLegolas Greenleaf Legolas, Master ArcherLegolas, Master Archer of Legolas, and Silhana StarfletcherSilhana Starfletcher, many of the Archers I’ve included in the deck are also Elves.

Assembling a critical mass of Archers that are also Elves means unlocking interesting abilities from cards like Birchlore RangersBirchlore Rangers, Heritage DruidHeritage Druid, and Voice of the WoodsVoice of the Woods, which become repeatable with Ohabi’s untaps on your opponents’ turns.

A high Elf density also opens up space for cards like Priest of TitaniaPriest of Titania (helping alleviate pressure from Ohabi’s mana-intensive draw ability) and Wirewood SymbioteWirewood Symbiote (protecting Ohabi, enabling more untap synergies).

There’s even a budget-friendly infinite combo when you combine these creatures with Mirror EntityMirror Entity.

Changelings

Speaking of Mirror Entity, Shapeshifters with changeling (all technically Elf Archer creatures) help keep both creature type counts high, with cards like Masked VandalMasked Vandal, Formless GenesisFormless Genesis, Chameleon ColossusChameleon Colossus, and Valiant ChangelingValiant Changeling serving as more Commander-friendly upgrades to the underpowered pinger Archers in the average list. The new Soulstone SanctuarySoulstone Sanctuary becomes an Archer that taps for mana, working great with Ohabi.

These creatures with changeling also open up more “creature types matter” synergies – beyond being Archers and Elves, they are MountsMounts, RabbitsRabbits, andand WolvesWolves. They also pair excellently with Multiclass BaldricMulticlass Baldric, enhancing your creatures for better pings, fights, and bites.

Direct Damage

Ohabi gives you an added bonus of drawing cards when your Archers deal damage directly to opposing creatures, whether through combat, fight/bite spells, or special abilities.

With that in mind, a lot of this deck’s removal will come in the form of spells like Coordinated ClobberingCoordinated Clobbering, Hard-Hitting QuestionHard-Hitting Question and Dromoka’s CommandDromoka’s Command.

While we aren’t including many of the more situational pinger Archers, cards like Matsu-Tribe SniperMatsu-Tribe Sniper and Jagged-Scar ArchersJagged-Scar Archers can keep flying threats at bay, while Scattershot ArcherScattershot Archer and Brigid, Hero of KinsbaileBrigid, Hero of Kinsbaile protect against tokens (and can draw you tons of cards with Ohabi).

Inclusions

(28% of low-budget decks)

Leaning more into Ohabi's first ability (and Elves) means cards like Nullmage Shepherd is a perfect fit. Another disruptive tap synergy is Glare of SubdualGlare of Subdual, in nearly half of all decks.

(27% of low-budget decks)

Lots of Archers have built-in reach, and this creature's draw ability works well with Ohabi – you'll draw a card whether they block or not!

(not on page)

With enough ways to make your Archers tap to cast spells during other players' turns, you can live the dream of having a Seedborn MuseSeedborn Muse in the command zone.

Alongside Saryth, the Viper's FangSaryth, the Viper's Fang or even something as simple as a Birchlore RangersBirchlore Rangers, you can protect important threats from removal at will.

Exclusions

I mentioned a few Archer exclusions in the “Advantages and Challenges” and there are many other that fall into the category, like D’Avenant ArcherD’Avenant Archer, Femeref ArchersFemeref Archers, Elite ArchersElite Archers, Reverent HunterReverent Hunter, Arbalest EliteArbalest Elite, Skyway SniperSkyway Sniper, Trophy HunterTrophy Hunter, Palazzo ArchersPalazzo Archers, and more that are in over half of low-budget decks.

As mentioned above, I’m choosing to use more powerful Shapeshifters with changeling instead to keep the Archer count high rather than including these underpowered options. 

Stalking LeoninStalking Leonin, Titania’s ChosenTitania’s Chosen, and Catti-Brie of Mithral HallCatti-Brie of Mithral Hall are closer to the right power level, but I’m excluding them as well.

Could we potentially brew a different version of the deck more focused on Catti-Brie that uses more equipment and repeatable proliferate effects alongside Smell FearSmell Fear and Signature SlamSignature Slam? Of course!

Decklist

Deck Checklist

• 50 Mana Sources (36 lands, 8 mana creatures, 3 noncreature ramp, 3 mdfcs)
• 8 Draw (+ Ohabi)
• 15 Removal (7 bite/fight, 6 spot removal, 2 recursive removal)
• 1 Board Wipe
• 2 Finishers

Mid-Budget Upgrades

Greatbow DoyenGreatbow Doyen is the ultimate Archer lord, is an Elf, and works great with cards like Brigid (or even a huge Chameleon ColossusChameleon Colossus). With a slightly higher price allowance, it’s an auto-include.

Basilisk CollarBasilisk Collar, Lothlórien BladeLothlórien Blade, Thornbite StaffThornbite Staff, and Viridian LongbowViridian Longbow are all equipment that accentuate the “pingers” subtheme. 

Well RestedWell Rested is a fitting enhancement for any Archer that can tap itself at will, taking full advantage of Ohabi’s first ability.

Chord of CallingChord of Calling, Enduring VitalityEnduring Vitality, and Dazzling Theater//Prop RoomDazzling Theater//Prop Room help you lean even more into the “using creatures as mana” strategy that works great with your commander.

Cards like Beast WhispererBeast Whisperer and Guardian ProjectGuardian Project offer the deck some much-needed card draw.

Yes, Ohabi has some card advantage built in, but paying two mana for one card after a bunch of stuff goes right is not always dependable. Beast Whisperer has the added bonus of being an Elf.

If you're looking for more mass removal, Austere CommandAustere Command and Fracturing GustFracturing Gust are clean answers to artifacts and enchantments – permanents that don’t feature very prominently in this deck’s strategy.

And They Shall Know No FearAnd They Shall Know No Fear, Flawless ManeuverFlawless Maneuver, Clever ConcealmentClever Concealment, and/or Heroic InterventionHeroic Intervention are all upgraded versions of board protection, crucial in this creature-heavy deck.

And They Shall Know No Fear furthers the “creature types matter” theme, while Clever Concealment is a great protection spell when you’ll often have lots of untapped creatures at the ready.

Conclusion

So there it is! A low-budget Ohabi CaleriaOhabi Caleria brew with all sorts of kindred, tapping, and direct damage synergies.

Ezra Sassaman

Based in Maine, Ezra started playing Magic around when Ravnica: City of Guilds came out and hasn't looked back since! Besides Commander, he enjoys any format where you can look across the whole history of the game, so Cube drafting has a special place in his heart!