Lathril, Blade of the ElvesLathril, Blade of the Elves | Art by Magali Villeneuve

Yesterday we saw the release of "Their Magic is Limitless", a beautiful Secret Lair drop centered around the incredible women who make up Magic's multiverse. One of the most stunning art pieces in this lineup belongs to none other than Lathril, Blade of the ElvesLathril, Blade of the Elves, who is commanding today's budget list.

My goal with this Bracket 2 deck was to make an effective 99 that was close to the price of the Secret Lair, that way you can pick up that drop and this list without breaking the bank. So, with all that in mind, join me, Tyler 'Savesya' Bucks, as I cover a fun Elf typal deck that you can buy right now for about $40!

What Does Lathril Bring to the Table?

From humble beginnings of being the leader of a budget-friendly precon, Lathril, Blade of the ElvesLathril, Blade of the Elves quickly rose to the 13th-most popular commander here on EDHREC. That meteoric rise is understandable, because this legend gave a great home to the countless black and green Elves from Magic's history. By combining token generation with some game-ending life drain, Lathril proves to be a powerful value engine all on its own.

This deck's gameplan is to set up your board with ramp and other value engines in the early turns, deploy your commander, and then start pushing damage forward as you build up your Elf army. Luckily, this creature type has a lot of powerful effects stapled to its text boxes, which makes this a very versatile deck. Before we meet all these Elves, let's take a quick pit stop and look at five cards that support Lathril when she moves to combat.

Helping Lathril Get Through

Since Lathril needs to hit your opponents to create those Elves, adding some evasion to the deck is important. Cultist of the AbsoluteCultist of the Absolute and Demonic EmbraceDemonic Embrace both buff your commander while giving her flying, and Zephyr BootsZephyr Boots offers up some card selection when she deals combat damage.

Another tricky form of evasion comes to us with RopeRope and Vorrac BattlehornsVorrac Battlehorns. When you give a creature that has menace the ability to only be blocked by one creature, they combine to make your commander impossible to block.

Card Advantage

• Champions of the PerfectChampions of the Perfect: While I'd love to include a Beast WhispererBeast Whisperer in this list, it has unfortunately spiked in price as of late. However, this group of Elves fills that missing gap nicely. It's especially good if you behold one of your tokens, since that wouldn't put you down a real card as you cast it.
• Miara, Thorn of the GladeMiara, Thorn of the Glade: When this deck starts rolling, you're likely going to have a wide Elf army at your disposal, which is where this legend shines. Now, when you attack with your board and lose a few team members in the process, you can simply pay one mana to draw a replacement card.
• RealmwalkerRealmwalker: I'm a huge fan of effects that allow you to look at the top of your library, since it gives you access to a lot of information, while also basically expanding your hand size. Both of those benefits combined with this also counting as an Elf makes it a slam dunk for this deck.

• Pact of the SerpentPact of the Serpent: If you're looking for a full hand refresh in this deck, here's your solution. Three mana can draw you a new grip, but be careful, because you're going to also lose that much life. It shouldn't be too big of a problem, since you'll have a wide enough board to protect yourself if you go all-in with this spell.
• Gathering StoneGathering Stone: This uncommon offers a lot of value to typal strategies, since it's a way to reduce mana costs while also sculpting the top of your library, or straight up drawing creatures on your upkeep. Check your bulk for this one!
• UnburyUnbury: Here's a truly powerful cheap spell that could get you back two pivotal creatures from your graveyard at instant speed. Firing this off on the end step before your turn can catch your opponents by surprise as you set yourself up to recast those creatures when you untap.

Mana Ramp

Elves are known for generating a lot of mana, and this deck keeps that reputation alive and well. Elvish ArchdruidElvish Archdruid buffs your board, while also tapping to make a green for each Elf you control. Then there's Priest of TitaniaPriest of Titania and Wirewood ChannelerWirewood Channeler which create mana equal to the number of Elves on the entire battlefield, not just your own.

• Elvish GuidanceElvish Guidance: This enchantment continues the trend of making mana based off of how many Elves are in play, and can synergize well with Arbor ElfArbor Elf, since it could lead to some untapping shenanigans where you make an insane amount of mana in a single turn.
• Wood ElvesWood Elves: This is an all-time classic creature and works so well with the two newer lands that are found in this 99. Both Festering ThicketFestering Thicket and Vernal FenVernal Fen are Swamps as well as Forests, which means that these Elves hitting play could help you fix your mana while ramping you.
• Llanowar ElvesLlanowar Elves: Of course, any Elf deck needs this all-star and their cousin Elvish MysticElvish Mystic, since they make for the perfect turn-one play in this list.

Targeted and Mass Removal

• Reclamation SageReclamation Sage: Having removal attached to an Elf body is incredibly powerful in this deck, since it not only allows you to interact with your opponents' boards, but it also forwards your gameplan of adding creatures to the board.
• Windswift SliceWindswift Slice: Here's an interesting removal piece for this strategy. This punch spell is great for sniping a weaker creature, while possibly making a few more Elf tokens in the exchange, which is a great combination of effects on one instant.
• Eyeblight's EndingEyeblight's Ending: Sure, this is a little overcosted for creature removal, however there's a key detail about this card that lands it on this list. It has the Elf type, which means that a card like Morcant's LoyalistMorcant's Loyalist can get it back to your hand to utilize it all over again.

• Gloom RipperGloom Ripper: Here's a creature that pulls double duty in the deck, since it can remove a threat off the board, while also pumping up Lathril in order to make even more Elf tokens when she connects.
• Elvish DreadlordElvish Dreadlord: While this Elf is a threat on its own, it offers up an interesting board wipe through that encore ability. Spending seven mana might seem steep, but once those token copies die, you could be giving the rest of the table -9/-9.
• Crippling FearCrippling Fear: This one-sided sweeper can help you out in a few ways. Yes, it can clear a lot of creatures off the board, but it can also weaken larger creatures, making your opponents hesitant to block when you move to a big attack step with your army.

A Few More Highlights

• Wirewood PrideWirewood Pride: Now here's a niche card that finds new life when paired with this commander. One mana to pump up Lathril out of nowhere not only drives forward a lot of damage, but it can also lead to basically doubling your Elf army, thus pushing you into the late game on a high note.
• Skemfar ShadowsageSkemfar Shadowsage: If this deck does its thing, you're going to become a target at the table, which is where this creature comes in. That lifegain mode is important, since it could save you the game after people have thrown aggression your way, but it can also just close things out if you drain the table with a big enough board.
• Trystan's CommandTrystan's Command: This rare offers so much to the deck. Copying a threat, recurring important permanents, destroying problematic targets, and pumping up your board are all useful here, and can help you pull victory from the jaws of defeat.

The Full Deck List

My Final Thoughts

So, there you have it, my list for Lathril, Blade of the ElvesLathril, Blade of the Elves that you can pick up for about $40. If you did get this awesome Secret Lair, and you want to include the Dark RitualDark Ritual, CultivateCultivate, Sol RingSol Ring, Finale of DevastationFinale of Devastation and Coat of ArmsCoat of Arms included in that drop, be my guest! This 99 was built to help give you a great base for this awesome commander, so feel free to make it your own.

If you're looking for more budget content from me, you can find it right here on EDHREC as well as on my YouTube channel The Pillow Fort, where I do everything I can to make Magic more accessible for everyone.