Zaxara, the ExemplaryZaxara, the Exemplary | Art by Simon Dominic

Some Commander themes can pick up a card or two from any set that comes out, while others only get an update every once in a while. The X Spells archetype is more so the latter – most sets get a spell with X in its mana cost, but it’s rare for them to feature it as a theme.

Thankfully, Secrets of Strixhaven has shifted things around and provided a lot of shiny new toys to tinker with – over 20 worth inspecting. With that many on the table, it may be time for anyone with a Zaxara, the ExemplaryZaxara, the Exemplary deck to take a look at their lists and see if it could use a minor overhaul.

What Does Zaxara, the Exemplary Do?

Zaxara, the ExemplaryZaxara, the Exemplary is a four-mana Nightmare Hydra with deathtouch and two relevant abilities. First, Zaxara can tap to add two mana of any one color. Second, whenever you cast a spell with X in the mana cost, it makes a 0/0 green Hydra token and puts X +1/+1 counters on it.

In a Hydras deck, Zaxara essentially doubles the output of your creatures, but in an X Spells deck, this allows some of the splashy setup spells like Mind SpringMind Spring to have an immediate impact by making a big creature in the meantime.

Just a quick note: Zaxara tapping for two mana does mean it goes infinite with Pemmin's AuraPemmin's Aura and Freed from the RealFreed from the Real. Absolutely worthy inclusions in Bracket 3 and higher.

Cards for Zaxara, the ExemplaryZaxara, the Exemplary

Zaxara, the Exemplary has three needs of a list: ramp, X spells, and counter synergies.

Ramp

Ramp is the most straightforward, so I’ll break that down first. It cannot be glossed over that Zaxara is a four-mana commander with the ability to add two mana of any color. The first fact means that this deck has a unique desire for two-mana ramp in the early game (shooting for around six cards) so as to play Zaxara on turn three, and the second means that we have a source of ramp in the command zone.

This is an incredibly mana-hungry deck, though, so it wants big, explosive ramp sources after turn three (all the better if they’re also X spells, like Open the WayOpen the Way or Animist's AwakeningAnimist's Awakening).

X Spells

The perfect place to dump all this mana is a big, beautiful X. The bulk of these cards have been around for a while, and fall into one of three types: value, disruption, or Hydra. Some are two at the same time. Finale of EternityFinale of Eternity and Curse of the SwineCurse of the Swine? Disruption. Villainous WealthVillainous Wealth and Mind into MatterMind into Matter? Value. Benevolent HydraBenevolent Hydra and Nyxborn HydraNyxborn Hydra? Obviously: Hydras.

In addition to the 22 X spells, the deck wants a few cards that care about them or enhance them in some way. The brand new Owlin SpiralmancerOwlin Spiralmancer and Lattice LibraryLattice Library are nice redundancies for the commander in providing additional board presence with every X-spell cast.

Prismari produced Elementalist's PaletteElementalist's Palette in the original Commander decks associated with the Strixhaven setting, but it is very much at home in our Witherbloom-Quandrix double major’s deck.

_{Fun fact: Despite being a creature, Kinetic OozeKinetic Ooze is actually disruption!}

Counters

Finally, the deck wants a little sprinkling of counter synergies. Zaxara naturally produces them, the X spell creatures have them in spades – it just works. Magic has been running out counter synergies roughly every other set for years now, and the lion’s (or Hydra's?) share of it has been in green. Every set last year had one or two cards in this category (at least) for Zaxara, for instance, so the real chore is deciding which ones to included.

Herald of Secret StreamsHerald of Secret Streams is the natural pick for raw evasion, and Corpsejack MenaceCorpsejack Menace makes the counters go crazy. The funky new Wildgrowth ArchaicWildgrowth Archaic can make it easy for our creatures (even the ones without X’s) to get an additional three counters placed on them – more if you can get enough rainbow lands in the mana base (think City of BrassCity of Brass).

Great new cards include: Primo, the UnboundedPrimo, the Unbounded, who can make up to three big Fractals every turn; Expansion AlgorithmExpansion Algorithm, which can massively pump the team all at once; and the humble Emil, Vastlands RoamerEmil, Vastlands Roamer, who grants trample to the countered-up creatures.

How Does Zaxara, the ExemplaryZaxara, the Exemplary Win?

This is a classic ramp deck wearing a funny mustache and glasses. It’s all about getting big mana going as quickly as possible and slamming heaters. With 13 cards providing ramp, plus Zaxara, the ExemplaryZaxara, the Exemplary itself, this shouldn’t be a problem.

There’s a fair amount of cheap card draw in the deck, plus some X spells that can be played late or early. Casting Thassa's InterventionThassa's Intervention for two doesn’t feel great, but if it’s needed, it’s needed. The real strength of the X isn’t in the big number, it’s in the flexibility.

So focus on ramping, drawing, and getting Zaxara online in the first few turns, but keep removal options in mind as well. It might be better to wait until getting SilkguardSilkguard or a counterspell in hand. From there, off to the races.

With 22 X-Spells in the deck, it shouldn’t be hard to cast one every turn. Hydras will fall from the sky and start taking bites. If at any point the board gets wiped, spend the recovery time setting up with the extra-juiced supporting systems like Adrix and Nev, TwincastersAdrix and Nev, Twincasters or The Eternity ElevatorThe Eternity Elevator.

The final turns of the deck will strongly resemble the mid-game, to be honest, but the game plan does have a few extra haymakers.

Witherbloom, the BalancerWitherbloom, the Balancer lets all of the tokens on the field make the noncreature X spells absurdly high value with low mana. Quandrix, the ProofQuandrix, the Proof will occasionally non-bo by cascading into an X spell, but all the same: free casts are free casts. Wave GoodbyeWave Goodbye and In Garruk's WakeIn Garruk's Wake are two of the deck’s “insta-win” buttons, although an occasional ExsanguinateExsanguinate goes crazy.

The deck has some absurd big mana plays, but taking chomps with those early Hydras can help when you don't draw the supercharged ramp spells.

Zaxara, the Exemplary Commander Deck List

Let's check out that beautiful diploma...

Conclusion

This version of Zaxara, the ExemplaryZaxara, the Exemplary is intended to focus more on the ramp and big creatures, a more chill version that doesn’t shoot for combos. It can be scaled up with the likes of Pemmin's AuraPemmin's Aura and various tutors, or scaled down by focusing only on the Strixhaven setting – Zaxara would be a weird student, sure, but not the worst!

It’s fun to see the weird themes get the spotlight every now and again! X Spells are a tough, specific, and tricky theme to get into sets, so when it happens, it’s a fun change.

Let me know if you’re looking to modify your X Spells decks with this set, or what set in recent memory provided the biggest shift to an established deck. Catch ya next time.