Chong and Lily, NomadsChong and Lily, Nomads | Art by Phima

Sagas are one of the coolest card types in Magic, but also, for a long time, the bane of my existence.

They’re really cool because they show how each plane or IP tells stories. They depict important events and figures and they are integral pieces of worldbuilding.

Dedicated Saga decks, however, run the risk of requiring a lot of time and energy to maintain board state and resolve their draw-step triggers. All this for a card type that provides incremental advantage rather than actually winning the game.

This week, we’re looking at a creature type that accentuates Sagas and gives them something to do besides providing that incremental advantage. If Sagas are how planes tell stories, this type is the storytellers.

Have you guessed it? It’s Bards!

Bards and Warlocks were the last of the primary Dungeons & Dragons classes to work their way into Magic canon. In Secrets of Strixhaven, Bards were solidified as artists in the Prismari College, with some expressing themselves through visual mediums, and others, auditory.

In many of the sets where Sagas are featured, the corresponding storytelling is reflected in their Bards. More recently, Bards got a major boost in The Hobbit.

Bard History

Bards haven’t been around for a long time, but there are members that gained the type through errata, like Yisan, the Wanderer BardYisan, the Wanderer Bard. Some play music, like Totentanz, Swarm PiperTotentanz, Swarm Piper, and some paint, like Kalain, Reclusive PainterKalain, Reclusive Painter.

No matter what the medium, a Bard's power is exerted through their performances. Some of these performances move their audiences emotionally…and some move them physically. Hard. Like, through a wall. More recently, Bards show off their powers by synergizing with enchantments, especially Sagas, which are seminal moments in history depicted in the art style of the plane or IP.

Sagas have chapters rather than modes, and the current chapter is what determines their abilities. The chapters advance each draw step, usually increasing in intensity as the lore counters add up. The problem with Sagas is that their power is determined by the number of Sagas and the current lore counter count, so the advantages are minimal and lining them up for a big turn is difficult.

So how do we get these pieces to work together? And what do Chong and Lily bring to the table?

What Does Chong and Lily, NomadsChong and Lily, Nomads Do?

Ironically, Bard, King of DaleBard, King of Dale is not a Bard, and Chong and Lily, Nomads aren’t Nomads. It has nothing to do with what they do, but it seems like they're weird coincidences. Bard, King of DaleBard, King of Dale is even listed on the Bard Typal EDHREC page as a Bard commander!

But what do Chong and Lily actually do?

Chong and Lily navigated Team Avatar through the Cave of the Two Lovers, and they do the same for the meanderings of our list of Bards and Sagas.

Chong and Lily are one of the few commanders to care about Bards, triggering when one or more Bards we control attack. They give our creatures power for each lore counter on our Sagas, which is an incredible burst, or they put a lore counter on each of our Sagas, helping to set up the big final chapters.

By either making our Bards bigger for each Saga we control or advancing our Sagas, Chong and Lily manage to make both aspects of Bards better. The only problem is, we’re stuck in mono-red.

Ah, well. Not every song is a hit.

Key Cards for Chong and Lily, NomadsChong and Lily, Nomads

Since Bards are a relatively unexplored type, we are going to lean as far into Bards and Sagas as possible. We will still try to do the jobs of a regular deck, however. But be warned, this is a low-power Bracket 1-2 deck.

Functionally, Raccoon RallierRaccoon Rallier is one of our quintessential Bards, coming down early and giving our later creatures haste. This helps a lot when our commander wants us to be attacking. Merry BardsMerry Bards, on the other hand, gives a creature another attack trigger. It also is part of the Wilds of Eldraine Bard strategy of having Bards be actors that are enchanted by the Roles they portray.

As a deck with an incremental value strategy, we need as much draw as we can get, primarily in the Bard and Saga subtypes. Balin uses the new storied mechanic, checking to see if we have three artifacts, Sagas, or legends, to grant a city’s blessing-like status. If we have that status, we can blast our opponents when it or any Dwarf, of which we have several, enters and wheel us.

For our Sagas, I’m classifying them primarily based on their first abilities, as that’s what we get immediately. For Summon: BrynhildrSummon: Brynhildr, we exile the top card of our library and can cast it any turn we put a lore counter on the card. This interesting impulse draw variant lets us see farther and have more options.

With a four-mana commander, our deck can be mana-hungry. We also have several Prismari Bards that care about instants and sorceries. Blazing FiresingerBlazing Firesinger lets us add both an instant and a Bard, specifically Seething SongSeething Song, one of the best rituals of all time.

Glóin, Dwarf EmissaryGlóin, Dwarf Emissary gives us Treasures when we cast historic spells, the same kinds of spells storied status cares about, and most of what we’re casting. Free Treasure for what we’re already doing? Sign me up!

The Balladeer removes an opposing creature as a blocker and makes it attack elsewhere, solidifying it as Bards’ version of a removal spell. Burn, Burn, Tree and FernBurn, Burn, Tree and Fern removes a creature with its first mode and an artifact with its second, both of which should always find homes.

Karn's BastionKarn's Bastion and Nesting GroundsNesting Grounds both interact with Sagas and their lore counters. The Bastion proliferates them, while Nesting GroundsNesting Grounds essentially moves a counter from one to another. These let us get multiple chapter triggers in the same turn for unexpected value.

But how do we close the game out?

How Does This Chong and Lily, NomadsChong and Lily, Nomads Commander Deck Win?

Saga decks often struggle to win games and Bards are a relatively new type with a somewhat shallow pool of options, but they help each other out. The Flutist follows in the Balladeer’s footsteps by enthralling opposing creatures. This creature steals them, however, and it takes one from each opponent while copying itself with its myriad ability.

Bahamut is the big bang shot of the deck. A nine-power flyer for nine mana, it’s the ultimate curve-topper. As a creature with lore counters, it even gets pumped by our commander!

So, in summary: we’re a combat-oriented deck with some big, swingy creatures that make combat one-sided for us.

The Deck List

Conclusion

Bards are a relatively new creature type, but they have a range of builds. This one featured Sagas, but some feature Role tokens, and still others bring the party with Group Hug.

How would you build Bards? And who would you use to command them?