Y'shtola, Night's BlessedY'shtola, Night's Blessed | Art by Magali Villeneuve

There's been a lot of very powerful commanders to hit the format this year, but there's one new legend that stands head and shoulders above the rest. Y'shtola, Night's BlessedY'shtola, Night's Blessed is from the Final Fantasy Commander precons, and has risen all the way to the 10th most built commander here on EDHREC. That's very impressive for a card that wasn't even in a main set!

There're so many interesting directions this deck can go in, but all of them lead to draining the table and filling up your hand. So join me Tyler 'Savesya' Bucks, as I introduce you to a full budget deck list that you can pick up for under $40.

The Commander

Y'shtola, Night's BlessedY'shtola, Night's Blessed is a four-mana creature that asks you to do two things: cast noncreature spells with mana value (MV) three or greater, and lower everyone's life totals on each turn.

Since that's a little open ended, I tried to focus this deck on cards that hit on both of those specifications in their own ways. Whether it's by lowering your own life total to ensure you draw more cards, goading your opponents' creatures to assist with driving damage through, or just casting three-MV and up spells for cheaper than you might think.

There's a whole lot of variety this commander brings to the table, so let's take a look at what makes this deck tick.

Key Cards for Y'shtola, Night's BlessedY'shtola, Night's Blessed

Card Advantage

• CuriosityCuriosity: If you're planning on building this deck, then grabbing a copy of Curiosity is a must. Enchanting your commander with this ensures that whenever you cast a noncreature spell with MV three or more, you'll draw a card for each opponent Y'shtola deals damage to.
• Lunar ConvocationLunar Convocation: Here's a card that slipped under the radar for me, but I think it's great for life gain decks. When it comes to being paired with this commander, it puts in so much work: lowering people's life totals, making you tokens, and giving you a way to pay life for cards.
• TransposeTranspose: This instant is like two spells in one, since you can recast it on your upkeep for free, with it still being considered a three-MV spell on the stack. And drain the table with both your commander and the black Wizard token you made on the first cast.

• Dark TutelageDark Tutelage: Not only does this trigger your commander's drain ability on cast, if you lose four or more life from the card you reveal on your upkeep, you'll draw another card on your end step as well.
• Parker LuckParker Luck: Even though both this enchantment and your commander trigger at the beginning of your end step, you'll get to stack the triggers to have Parker Luck resolve first, which might ensure you can lower someone's life total by four. Plus, you can always target two of your opponents to do this, in order to keep other people's life totals going down.
• Keen DuelistKeen Duelist: Even though this card won't trigger Y'shtola's damage effect, it still sets you up to possibly lower your own life total during your turn to draw another card on your end step.

Goad

• Parasitic ImpetusParasitic Impetus: Kicking off our goad package for today is another slam dunk in this deck. Not only does it push one of your opponents' creatures into combat but it also drains more life to assist with triggering your commander.
• Psychic ImpetusPsychic Impetus: Since Y'shtola can draw you cards on each end step, having something like this enchantment that scries you on another player's turn can assist you with drawing the exact cards you need at that time.
• Redemption ArcRedemption Arc: Here's a goad spell that might have flown under your radar, but it's very strong in this list. Turning someone's creature into an indestructible threat, that you always have the answer for, will be sure to pressure the rest of the table while you profit.

• Nettling NuisanceNettling Nuisance: This Faerie is such a funny inclusion in this deck, since you'll be dealing out 4/2's to your opponents. If just one of those Pirates gets through for damage, that's enough life loss to trigger Y'shtola at the end of turn.
• Martial ImpetusMartial Impetus: Goading one creature is great. However, this Aura also pumps up the rest of the creatures attacking your opponents, which'll help ensure that your foes are taking as much damage as possible.
• Eye of NidhoggEye of Nidhogg: Adding flying to a goaded creature is very beneficial for this list, since that evasion makes it a lot easier to get through during combat. Plus, this enchantment will go back to your hand if it happens to go to your graveyard, setting you up to cast it all over again.

Interaction

• Lethal SchemeLethal Scheme: Here's a great piece of targeted removal in this deck, since it'll trigger your commander's drain effect, even if you convoke it out for zero mana. Sniping someone's threat while pumping your board and drawing cards is a strong way to stay interactive in this list.
• Aang's IcebergAang's Iceberg: While we've seen a lot of cards like this one in the past, having the opportunity to cast this on your opponent's turn with flash is what makes it great here.
• Reverse the PolarityReverse the Polarity: Including counter protection in a deck like this is important, but this Doctor Who card adds another cool layer to the deck. You can always make a deal with an opponent to give their whole board unblockable in order to lower a mutual enemy's life total.

• Killing WaveKilling Wave: While this might not be the most typical form of a board wipe, this spell has some very interesting synergies with your commander. Making your opponents pay life to keep their creatures puts you in a spot where drawing a card at the end of turn is almost a sure thing.
• Vanquish the HordeVanquish the Horde: Yes, this card will remove Y'shtola off the board, but it'll still trigger her drain ability one last time, even if only end up paying two mana for it.

Ramp

• Lyse HextLyse Hext: Lowering the cost of your spells in this deck is huge, since even though you're paying less than three mana for a spell, it'll still trigger your commander's drain effect.
• Stormscape FamiliarStormscape Familiar: Bringing this Bird out as early as turn two ensures that you'll be casting your commander on turn three, and then possibly chain two three-mana spells together the turn after that.
• Alisaie LeveilleurAlisaie Leveilleur: Even though this creature only lowers the second spell you cast each turn, it'll assist with chaining spells together as the game goes on.

• Bender's WaterskinBender's Waterskin: Here's a new card that works wonders in this deck. Since you'll be looking to cast some noncreature spells on your opponents' turns, having a mana source that untaps on each upkeep will be a huge help with your game plan.
• Gilded LotusGilded Lotus: This mana rock might have fallen off in popularity, but it puts in a lot of work for this deck. Casting it will trigger your commander and set you up to cast a three MV noncreature spell to ping the table again.
• Coveted JewelCoveted Jewel: Not only does this card do everything I mentioned in the last entry, but it also incentivizes your opponents to send their creatures into combat, which helps with lowering people's life totals down by at least four each turn.

Y'shtola, Night's Blessed Commander Deck List

In Closing

There you have it, one of the most popular commanders from this year, built on a budget. I hope that this helped inspire you to build around this great legend, and try out a whole new way to play a Spellslinger deck.

If you're interested in even more budget deck techs around the best commanders from this year, you can find them over on my YouTube channel The Pillow Fort, or right here on EDHREC.