Maralen, Fae AscendantMaralen, Fae Ascendant | Art by Steve Prescott

Lorwyn Eclipsed brought some incredibly popular legends to the Commander format, and at the top of that list is Maralen, Fae AscendantMaralen, Fae Ascendant. Combining Elves and Faeries together has proven to get a lot of people's imaginations going, including mine.

So, join me Tyler 'Savesya' Bucks, as I cover a full budget deck built around Maralen that you can pick up for about $40 (using TCGPlayer pricing.)

What Does Maralen, Fae Ascendant Do?

Maralen, Fae AscendantMaralen, Fae Ascendant exiles the top two cards of an opponent's library whenever an Elf or Faerie you control enters the battlefield, which you could then possibly cast for free. While there's plenty of deck lists out there that're focused entirely on Elves or Faeries, I thought "Why not both?" So, I searched for the creatures that fit that bill but had the broadest effects.

So, the game plan for this deck is to fill the board with powerful Elves and Faeries in order to accrue value as the game goes on.

If you've never played a theft deck like this before, here's my biggest piece of advice: pick a player to steal from early and stay with them. You'll have a better chance to assemble synergies from someone else's deck in order to turn their win-con into your win-con.

Mana Ramp

• Llanowar ElvesLlanowar Elves: Kicking things off with a classic ramp piece that gets even stronger in this list. There are several other one-drop mana dorks in the deck, which help with powering out Maralen in the early game and can still assist with stealing cards just by entering the field in the late game.
• Beastcaller SavantBeastcaller Savant: This deck is already very creature heavy, making the mana restriction on this card not too big of a draw back. Plus, since this Elf has haste, it can hit the board, trigger your commander, and immediately help you with casting another member of your team that'll exile more cards from your opponents.
• Urborg ElfUrborg Elf: It's finally time for this resident of Urborg to shine! Before Maralen, we didn't have the greatest options for Sultai Elf decks, but now this old common from Apocalypse can take center stage.

• Skyshroud RangerSkyshroud Ranger: Here's a card I think could see some more play in a broad number of decks. If you ever find yourself stuck with too many lands in your hand, then a simple tap of this creature will let you put one of them onto play untapped.
• Coiling OracleCoiling Oracle: Mixed right in the middle of all those creature types is "Elf," making this Simic staple a slam dunk in this list. Ramping a land or drawing a card when this enters play is just gravy on top of Maralen's theft effect.
• Gala GreetersGala Greeters: Since the main game plan of this deck is to flood the board with creatures, this two-drop will be ready to give you access to all of those great abilities over and over again.

Card Advantage

• Rashmi, Eternities CrafterRashmi, Eternities Crafter: Since this deck loves to cast your opponents' spells for free, why not do the same thing from the top of your own library? Sure, you could whiff with this creature, but at least you still get to put that card into your hand if you do.
• Nymris, Oona's TricksterNymris, Oona's Trickster: Notably, if you cast Elves or Faeries on other peoples' turns, you could still steal some instant-speed spells from them. So, having a way to draw cards like this from your own deck as the game progresses will help keep you engaged with the rest of the table turn after turn.
• Edric, Spymaster of TrestEdric, Spymaster of Trest: Here's an Elf that gives your evasive creatures the ability to draw you more cards, while also hopefully pointing some attackers towards your opponents, instead of you.

• Faerie FormationFaerie Formation: Now I already know what some of you are thinking, four mana for a token and a card is a steep price. However, when you combine that with seeing the top two cards of another player's deck, that rate doesn't sound so bad!
• Will of the TemurWill of the Temur Here's a card draw spell that brings a whole lot of versatility to the deck. If your commander is out, you could draw a good number of cards, while making a clone version of one of your powerful Elves or Faeries. Or you could copy someone else's value piece, which brings you another way to steal your opponents' effects.
• Mishra's BaubleMishra's Bauble: This little artifact plays an interesting role in this deck. Having the choice to cash this in for a card, and the ability to look at the top of someone's library, means that you'll be more informed as to who you should target with Maralen next.

Flooding the Board

• Stolen by the FaeStolen by the Fae: Removing a troublesome creature off of the board is great, but the real star of the show here is that token creation. Bouncing someone's commander, while also stealing a whole bunch of their cards is a way to really rub salt in their wounds...
• Sylvan OfferingSylvan Offering: Now I know that this card makes you give out some tokens to your opponents, but you're probably going to get more out of those Elves hitting your board than anyone else at the table.
• Shadow PuppeteersShadow Puppeteers: This creature entering your battlefield with two more tokens will count for three Faeries hitting your board, which is a lot of options for your commander's theft ability. Also, this adds a strong way to close out a game, since it can turn all your flyers into 4/4 Dragons.

Interaction

• Winter EladrinWinter Eladrin: Now here's a true anomaly in the deck, a creature that's both an Elf and a Faerie. Having this enter, steal a few cards, and bounce a problematic creature makes it a great interaction piece for your strategy.
• Chomping ChangelingChomping Changeling: Sure, this creature is both of your main creature types as well, but that's only because it has changeling. Even so, this entering play and sniping an artifact or enchantment, while being whatever type you need at that time, is perfect.
• Spellscorn CovenSpellscorn Coven: Casting this for either of its modes is something your opponents don't want to see. Whether you're bouncing a spell off the stack or making people discard cards, this is a nasty inclusion here.

Since Maralen, Fae AscendantMaralen, Fae Ascendant lets you cast a spell from the top two cards of someone's library, there are a couple ways in this 99 to ensure that the top of your foes' decks are extra stacked. Commit // MemoryCommit // Memory and Memory LapseMemory Lapse both have ways to stop people in their tracks, while placing a powerful card in a spot where you're all the more ready to utilize it to your own game plan.

Maralen, Fae Ascendant Budget Commander Deck List

In Closing

So, there you have it, a full budget deck built around Maralen, Fae AscendantMaralen, Fae Ascendant that you can build for about $40. I hope this article helped inspire you to run this legend in your command zone, because it'll make for a truly exciting play experience.

If you want to see more budget content from me, then you can check out my YouTube channel The Pillow Fort, where I continue my mission of making Magic more accessible for everyone.