Brokers AscendancyBrokers Ascendancy | Art by Dallas Williams

Greetings and salutations, my dear brewers, and welcome to a new iteration of Branching Out, where I try to find uncanny or underplayed commanders for you to play with!

Today, we're heading to a place of do-gooders, of paragons, of nice panoramas and of abysmal bureaucracy. Today, we're going to Bant.

is often seen as either a rather tame combination, or the worst of what control has to offer, second only to the infamous pure .

To illustrate this, what better way than having a look at the most played commanders in these colors:

• Ms. BumbleflowerMs. Bumbleflower: 27,252 decks, with the most played themes being +1/+1 Counters (2.3K decks), Group Hug (2.1K), and Wheels (2.1K).
• Arcades, the StrategistArcades, the Strategist: 21,102 decks, with the most played themes being Toughness Matters (5.7K decks), Defenders (2K), and Walls (1.6K).
• Helga, Skittish SeerHelga, Skittish Seer: 15 483 decks, with the most played themes being +1/+1 Counters (1.5K decks), Ramp (315), and Big Mana (224)
• Galadriel, Light of ValinorGaladriel, Light of Valinor: 14,229 decks, with the most played themes being Elves (2.2K decks), +1/+1 Counters (1.2K), and Tokens (702).
• Choco, Seeker of ParadiseChoco, Seeker of Paradise: 14,155 decks, with the most played themes being Lands Matter (668), Birds (473), and Flying (391).

Aside from +1/+1 Counters, the major themes for each commander in the top 5 are rather sparse, and tightly tied to their respective leader.

I also deem interesting finding some commanders dedicated to a very specific strategy (Arcades) alongside some quite generic abilities (Galadriel, Helga). The latter indeed seem to fit the "good-stuffy" qualification rather well, and lend themselves to a wide variety of brews.

Let's take a look at the top themes:

• +1/+1 Counters: 11,391 decks.
• Toughness Matters: 5.934 decks.
• Tokens: 4,594 decks.
• Clues: 3,980 decks.
• Enchantress: 3,621 decks.

While I wasn't expecting the bottom two to yield such high results, a quick look at the top commanders clears things up: Morska, Undersea SleuthMorska, Undersea Sleuth led a commander precon focused on Clues, while Tuvasa the SunlitTuvasa the Sunlit, Estrid, the MaskedEstrid, the Masked, and Kestia, the CultivatorKestia, the Cultivator also headlined an enchantments-based precon. Still, I believe there hasn't been this much discrepancy between top commanders and top themes since this series began.

With all of this in mind, let's try and devise some fun ideas, far from the most played archetypes.

Aang and KataraAang and Katara - Convoking Allies

With 829 decks, this commander has seen little love compared to other all stars from the Avatar: The Last Airbender set, yet I believe there are some really fun things to try here.

On paper, this seems like a great way to generate a bunch of Ally tokens and generate some major value. The tricky part lies in the tapped artifacts and tokens requirement.

Artifacts shouldn't be an issue: just base your ramp on mana rocks, and you'll have plenty of tapped trinkets.

Creatures on the other hand need some incentive. Enter convoke and waterbending. These can easily tap your troops, providing additional benefit to boot. Card draw, removal, boost, the world is your oyster.

While mana-producing outlets, such as Great Divide GuideGreat Divide Guide or Cryptolith RiteCryptolith Rite, work as well, I wouldn't take those as an excuse to rush your commander out. In fact, I wouldn't actually play it before having a decent enough board, able to yield at least five to six tokens.

I would also pack a decent number of blink spells, as they will allow you to reset your commander and generate more and more value.

As for payoffs, Avatar as well as original Zendikar have provided a plethora of ways to cash-in on that influx of creatures:

• Kabira EvangelKabira Evangel will make your creatures unblockable.
• Kor EntanglersKor Entanglers will tap down any resistance.
• Lantern ScoutLantern Scout and even more so Ondu ClericOndu Cleric will net you a massive amount of life,
• Tajuru WarcallerTajuru Warcaller will put Craterhoof BehemothCraterhoof Behemoth to shame...

While there are a bunch of finishers that merely care about having a strong board presence – Cathars' CrusadeCathars' Crusade, Tanazir QuandrixTanazir Quandrix, or Overwhelming StampedeOverwhelming Stampede, to name but a few –I would try to lean more into the Allies possibilities, if only for flavour reasons.

To make this work, you'll need:

• Cheap artifacts and creatures: Mana dorks and rocks are fine, but you could also try some underplayed and fun tap effects. Things like Beguiler of WillsBeguiler of Wills, Clever ConjurerClever Conjurer, Bloodline ShamanBloodline Shaman, Bonded FetchBonded Fetch... basically anything that gives value.
• Ways to tap creatures: Not all of your creatures will be able to tap by themselves. To maximize the output and prevent unwanted combat, I'd play at least five to eight spells with convoke or waterbending.
• Payoffs: I've talked about them in length above, but without those your board, while large, will remain unthreatening.
• Blinks: While your commander is the primary target, large-scale spells will allow you to save your board from a wipe, while retriggering all the ETB effects once more. On one hand, I'd pack EphemerateEphemerate, CloudshiftCloudshift, Teleportation CircleTeleportation Circleand the like. On the other, GhostwayGhostway, Semester's EndSemester's End & co. will be your best friends.

You will like this deck if: 

• You love the Avatar franchise.
• You want to play Allies but are bored of the usual commanders.
• You enjoy go-wide strategies.
• You like cascading trigger effects over and over.

You won't like this deck if: 

• You're allergic to Universes Beyond.
• You're bored of tokens, no matter their type.
• You want your commander to be at the centre of the strategy.
• You liked Jet more than you did Aang (you monster).

Katilda and LierKatilda and Lier, Bureaucrats

With 2,087 decks to their name and ranking #941, this pair isn't the most glamorous nor the most beloved by Commander players, yet I believe there is a rather untapped niche that begs to be developed. A niche with a puny teeny tiny 307 decks. A deck focused on Persistent PetitionersPersistent Petitioners.

Hear me out. I agree, there are a plethora of commanders that will be better suited to exploit those relentless Advisors. Bruvac the GrandiloquentBruvac the Grandiloquent for one. The recent Lo and Li, Royal AdvisorsLo and Li, Royal Advisors, for another. But Katilda and LierKatilda and Lier, with their color combination, offer some fantastic options.

Since the Petitioners will command roughly a third to a fourth of your deck, you'll be able to give a second life to a bunch of spells. This means that each and every cantrip you play has now the potential to become a two-for-one. This also means that spells with convoke (hello again) become basically free, or close to. Harmonized CrescendoHarmonized Crescendo looks especially juicy here.

The other major advantage is the addition of white and green to the mix. Wood SageWood Sage will allow you to fill your hands with Petitioners, DrumbellowerDrumbellower will quadruple your mill potential, Sunscape FamiliarSunscape Familiar will act as another Cloud KeyCloud Key, Kellan, the KidKellan, the Kid works fantastically well in conjunction to any spell cast with flashback...

Long story short, there's a bunch of fun spells you can use to take advantage of white and green and further your strategy. Add flash-enablers, such as Vedalken OrreryVedalken Orrery or Leyline of AnticipationLeyline of Anticipation, to the mix, and you could end up with a real Swiss Army knife, building slowly but surely a deck-churning machine.

And the beauty of it? You don't have to target your opponents. Mill yourself out to make a huge graveyard, which you'll then use as a massive toolbox. It's a win-win scenario!

To make this work, you'll need:

• A bunch of Persistent PetitionersPersistent Petitioners: Don't be skimpy, these are the meat and bones of the deck. At the very least 25.
• Some relevant instants and/or Sorceries: The scope is rather large. You could take the cantripy route, blink your Petitioners over and over again, make some massive value, even take the stompy road if you felt so inclined. Just bear in mind the trigger on the commander is on cast, not on ETB.
• Payoffs: While milling your opponents out is definitely a possible route, you could also be sneaky and play this as a go-wide strategy. After all, you're likely to amass a decent number of petitioners. Why not turn them into spawns of Chuck Norris? And don't forget fun outlets, like Nantuko ShrineNantuko Shrine, Aven ShrineAven Shrine, Echoing CourageEchoing Courage, or Mirror BoxMirror Box.
• Empty deck wincons: Focus on your own deck to thin it out, and win with a classic Laboratory ManiacLaboratory Maniac or a fair Thassa's OracleThassa's Oracle.

You will like this deck if: 

• You wanted to find a decent yet underplayed mill commander for a while.
• You like to surprise your opponents.
• You want to empty your library quicker than you can blink.
• You like playing with your graveyard.

You won't like this deck if: 

• You believe milling oneself is cheating.
• You think commander shouldn't have exceptions to the one-of rule.
• You don't like alternate wincons.
• You want combat to be relevant.

Kros, Defense ContractorKros, Defense Contractor, Disease Tracker

Let's finish this small list with something I'm ready to bet some of you will find disgusting. Overall, there are, at the time of writing, 4,094 decks for this commander. Yet only 34 bear the Infect tag.

Now, let's think about it for a second. Your commander alone will goad creatures around the table, as well as tap down the biggest threat. That's great.

But what if you added some more counters to the mix? Swing with an infect creature, and now the owner has a choice: get a poison counter, or weaken the blocker, and make it goaded.

That's a tricky choice, especially if you're running some proliferating outlets.

This is what I like to call a Zugzwang machine. In chess, Zugzwang is a situation where no matter your move, the outcome will be bad. That's what this deck is about. Hard decisions, never in your favour.

It's a fun little deck, at the crossroads of three strategies: Proliferate, Goad, and Tap benefits. This is also a deck that will reward you for playing stuff that would be considered draft chaff elsewhere.

Clunky? Yes. Magical Christmaslandy? Possibly? A fun challenge to build? You bet.

To make this work, you'll need:

• Infectious critters: No need to go for the big guns. Just enough to get the poison machine started.
• Proliferating outlets: The actual machine gun, the one that will end the game.
• Tap/Target benefits:
  • Hylda of the Icy CrownHylda of the Icy Crown,
  • Verity CircleVerity Circle,
  • WillbreakerWillbreaker,
  • Sharae of Numbing DepthsSharae of Numbing Depths... Anything that reaps benefits from your core strategy.
• Counters... but not for you: There's a bunch of spells that provide all sorts of fun counters, and that can target any creature on the field, not only yours. So go ahead, be generous, spread the love!

You'll like this deck if: 

• You want to play a commander in a way it was not made for in the first place.
• You like crossing multiple strategies in a single deck.
• You enjoy giving gifts, nice and nasty alike.
• You like juggling with several types of counters, you Excel brainiac.

You won't like this deck if:

• You believe Infect is a despicable strategy.
• You like to focus on one thing at a time.
• You don't care for counters.
• You like to rely on commanders with proven efficiency.

Conclusion

It's been a fun little journey, this one. I did not expect to toy with infect or Petitioners when I started writing, but I'm rather pleasantly surprised at how things turned out.

How about you? Any uncanny Bant commanders you'd like to see given more love? Any odd strategies you'd like to share?

Let me know in the comments below.

Also, it would mean a lot if you went and voted on the future of Trims.

Thank you in advance, and I'll see you in two weeks!