Day of Black Sun II - Sokka, Tenacious Tactician Commander

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="General Tazri" href="#" target="_blank">General Tazri</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.rahnart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Rahn</a></em></p>
<p>She’s the first to do it, folks. Let’s talk about the first ever mono-white legend with a five-color identity: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="General Tazri" href="#" target="_blank">General Tazri</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>She was created with Commander loosely in mind, as Allies had been a popular creature type in original <em>Zendikar</em> block. Unfortunately, <em>Battle for Zendikar</em> block didn’t provide the oomph the creature type needed for Tazri to establish a long-term spot. She did briefly enjoy her time as a cEDH-viable <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Food Chain" href="#" target="_blank">Food Chain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> commander, but has been otherwise largely irrelevant for the last decade.</p>
<p>Thanks to a major infusion of Allies from the upcoming <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tla" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em></a> set, it’s worth looking back on Tazri and asking the question: Is she worth a rebuild?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="General Tazri"></div></div>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="General Tazri" href="#" target="_blank">General Tazri</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="General Tazri" href="#" target="_blank">General Tazri</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a five-mana 3/4 who has an enters ability and an activated ability. Her enters ability tutors for an Ally, and her five-color activated ability pumps the team for +X/+X, where X is the number of colors among Ally creatures you control (so the maximum is +5/+5).</p>
<p>A tutor in the command zone is something that risks a deck becoming repetitive, but this is a build veering away from combos. The <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em> set has multiple new Ally commander options in it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aang and Katara"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mai and Zuko"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sokka and Suki"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sokka, Tenacious Tactician"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Katara, the Fearless"></div></div>
<p>Any of these could justify a whole deck unto themselves. I particularly enjoy how <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aang and Katara" href="#" target="_blank">Aang and Katara</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mai and Zuko" href="#" target="_blank">Mai and Zuko</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> reward you for waterbending or firebending, respectively, a fun way to interweave the set mechanic into the <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/allies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ally theme</a>.</p>
<p>However, the Ally creature type is found across all five colors. No one could be blamed for wanting to just run one deck; that’s where Tazri comes in. Plus, she can search up any of these to let you play them out!</p>
<p>Now, let’s talk Tazri.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="General Tazri" href="#" target="_blank">General Tazri</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>There are three key features of this Tazri deck: great Allies, enters triggers matters, and a solid typal glue.</p>
<p>First: Allies. They’re the main theme here. With 82 Allies that care about Allies in some way, shape, or form (29 of which come from the world of Aang and friends), there’s plenty to choose from. You could make two whole decks with no overlap and still not use all of them!</p>
<p>We’re not interested in that exercise (in this article), so instead we’ll need to consider what the creatures need to be able to do most of all.</p>
<p>Item one: card advantage. Allies are light on this one, but there are some good picks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sea Gate Loremaster"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="South Pole Voyager"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Boiling Rock Rioter"></div></div>
<p>Item two: board state. Tazri’s activated ability goes from good to great when there’s a wide swath of creatures on your side of the battlefield. The aforementioned <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aang and Katara" href="#" target="_blank">Aang and Katara</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sokka, Tenacious Tactician" href="#" target="_blank">Sokka, Tenacious Tactician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> contribute massively to this effort, but there are still others that help go wide.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treetop Freedom Fighters"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Suki, Kyoshi Warrior"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Turntimber Ranger"></div></div>
<p>Item three: breaking through. Even now, most of the creatures in the type run pretty small. The pump effect can help, but redundancy is key.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tajuru Warcaller"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Resolute Blademaster"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Katara, Water Tribe&#039;s Hope"></div></div>
<p>So, the army is rallied. Let’s look at a really common feature ripe for abuse: enters abilities, made better with a <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/blink" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blink package</a>. A lot of Allies have an enters trigger that then triggers whenever another Ally enters. There are trigger doublers like the original <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Panharmonicon" href="#" target="_blank">Panharmonicon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and the brand new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Katara, the Fearless" href="#" target="_blank">Katara, the Fearless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Mass blink effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghostway" href="#" target="_blank">Ghostway</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can set off a huge chain reaction out of nowhere, and being instants means they can double as board wipe protection. Repeatable blink engines like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Airbender Ascension" href="#" target="_blank">Airbender Ascension</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or the explosive <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nahiri&#039;s Resolve" href="#" target="_blank">Nahiri&#039;s Resolve</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will crank out turn after turn of value. Any of these are gravy, but get two of these going and the army is going over the top.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Katara, the Fearless"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eerie Interlude"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nahiri&#039;s Resolve"></div></div>
<p>Now a little extra dose of creature type reward cards. Sure, every Ally is innately a typal reward, but the creature type as a whole is lacking in draw effects and ways to go off.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kindred Discovery" href="#" target="_blank">Kindred Discovery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Distant Melody" href="#" target="_blank">Distant Melody</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Realmwalker" href="#" target="_blank">Realmwalker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> won’t totally fix it, but they’re a really good start. The newly-minted <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Invasion Tactics" href="#" target="_blank">Invasion Tactics</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will also be important (and unique to this deck). Likewise, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Herald&#039;s Horn" href="#" target="_blank">Herald&#039;s Horn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and friends will still need a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Farseek" href="#" target="_blank">Farseek</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> package, but it can put it work.</p>
<p>Finally, two more members of the <em>Commander 2017</em> cycle of spells: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kindred Charge" href="#" target="_blank">Kindred Charge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kindred Summons" href="#" target="_blank">Kindred Summons</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both achieve similar aims as the blink spells in firing off a ton of enters triggers while also doubling our board presence. You might note that Kindred Charge has some difficulty with this iteration of the list: a high number of legendary creatures that will immediately die to the legend rule. However, they still hit the field and set off all the various “whenever an Ally enters” triggers.</p>
<h2>How Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="General Tazri" href="#" target="_blank">General Tazri</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Win?</h2>
<p>This is very much a go-wide aggro deck, supported by a unique version of card advantage with the various, repeatable enters abilities. Let’s break it down into rough game phases.</p>
<p>In the first phase, the deck is trying to develop. Play out at least one ramp spell and a couple of creatures. Ideally drop the commander on turn four and go tutoring. It’ll be important to consider board state and what’s in hand for this first run.</p>
<p>With a lot of noncreature spells in hand, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sokka, Tenacious Tactician" href="#" target="_blank">Sokka, Tenacious Tactician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a good run. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Great Divide Guide" href="#" target="_blank">Great Divide Guide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can provide a huge mana boost if the hand is ramp-light, whereas <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Murasa Pyromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Murasa Pyromancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a good solution for troublesome creatures.</p>
<p>From there, it’ll be about developing the board state. The deck should have drawn into one of the enters matters cards by then, even just a mass flicker spell, to hopefully drum up some serious value and start putting pressure on opponents’ life totals. Those mass flicker spells are pulling double duty as board wipe protection, so don’t deploy them willy-nilly.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Black Market Connections"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Airbender Ascension"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aang, Airbending Master"></div></div>
<p>In this phase of the game, the Tazri targets can be more specific. If you’ve gotten <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Market Connections" href="#" target="_blank">Black Market Connections</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> down, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ondu Cleric" href="#" target="_blank">Ondu Cleric</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will be massively useful for offsetting the life loss. If <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Airbender Ascension" href="#" target="_blank">Airbender Ascension</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nahiri&#039;s Resolve" href="#" target="_blank">Nahiri&#039;s Resolve</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are going strong, then <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aang, Airbending Master" href="#" target="_blank">Aang, Airbending Master</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will be able to get up and running quickly.</p>
<p>With a solid board state, enter the endgame. One of the Kindred spells can usually put the deck in a winning position. It not, flicker <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="General Tazri" href="#" target="_blank">General Tazri</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or re-cast her to go find <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tajuru Warcaller" href="#" target="_blank">Tajuru Warcaller</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and/or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aang and Katara" href="#" target="_blank">Aang and Katara</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The latter is an army in a can and the former is a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with extra steps. If one of those has been used and board wiped, pick up an Ally that will get a missing color to maximize Tazri’s pump effect and start crashing in.</p>
<h2>General Tazri Commander Deck List</h2>
<p>And here’s our rebuild!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Tazri Redux" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 General Tazri
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*1 Aang and Katara
*1 Aang, Airbending Master
*1 Agadeem Occultist
*1 Akoum Battlesinger
*1 Appa, Steadfast Guardian
*1 Bala Ged Thief
*1 Boiling Rock Rioter
*1 Earth King&#039;s Lieutenant
*1 Hagra Diabolist
*1 Harabaz Druid
*1 Hero of Goma Fada
*1 Invasion Reinforcements
*1 Jwari Shapeshifter
*1 Kabira Evangel
*1 Katara, Water Tribe&#039;s Hope
*1 Katara, the Fearless
*1 Mai and Zuko
*1 Master Piandao
*1 Murasa Pyromancer
*1 Ondu Cleric
*1 Resolute Blademaster
*1 Sokka, Tenacious Tactician
*1 Suki, Courageous Rescuer
*1 Suki, Kyoshi Warrior
*1 Tajuru Warcaller
*1 Treetop Freedom Fighters
*1 Tuktuk Scrapper
*1 Turntimber Ranger
*1 White Lotus Reinforcements
[/Creature]
[Sorcery]
*1 Kindred Charge
*1 Tale of Momo
*1 United Front
[/Sorcery]
[Draw]
*1 Black Market Connections
*1 Distant Melody
*1 Founding of Omashu
*1 Hakoda, Selfless Commander
*1 Invasion Tactics
*1 Kindred Discovery
*1 Realmwalker
*1 Sea Gate Loremaster
*1 South Pole Voyager
*1 True Ancestry
[/Draw]
[Instant]
*1 Cosmic Intervention
*1 Eerie Interlude
*1 Ghostway
*1 Kindred Summons
[/Instant]
[Enchantment]
*1 Airbender Ascension
*1 Nahiri&#039;s Resolve
[/Enchantment]
[Ramp]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Cultivate
*1 Cycle of Renewal
*1 Farseek
*1 Great Divide Guide
*1 Herald&#039;s Horn
*1 Origin of Metalbending
*1 Patchwork Banner
*1 Shared Roots
*1 Skyshroud Claim
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Sword of the Animist
*1 Urza&#039;s Incubator
[/Ramp]
[Artifact]
*1 Captain&#039;s Claws
*1 Panharmonicon
[/Artifact]
[Lands]
*1 Ally Encampment
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Command Tower
*1 Flooded Strand
*2 Forest
*1 Glacial Fortress
*1 Hinterland Harbor
*1 Indatha Triome
*2 Island
*1 Isolated Chapel
*1 Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop
*1 Jetmir&#039;s Garden
*1 Ketria Triome
*1 Krosan Verge
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Misty Rainforest
*1 Path of Ancestry
*2 Plains
*1 Raffine&#039;s Tower
*1 Raugrin Triome
*1 Rootbound Crag
*1 Savai Triome
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Spara&#039;s Headquarters
*1 Sulfur Falls
*1 Sunpetal Grove
*1 Swamp
*1 Temple Garden
*1 Unclaimed Territory
*1 Verdant Catacombs
*1 Windswept Heath
*1 Wooded Foothills
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Once again, shout out to the average deck feature on EDHREC. It’s incredibly helpful as a tool in finding starting points or general trends. One analytical usage is to compare one specific version of the deck against the average. I generated this average decklist early on in spoiler season and used it to find out how much the new set may potentially influence upcoming Tazri decks and the like. With a quick use of the compare feature, I found that there was a 47% match between the decks, but I like digging into specific facets of the data to get the whole story. Lands take up a lot of space and averages can get weird.</p>
<p>The real “meat” of this deck is in its creature-base, and there’s a pretty big divide. I chose 20 creatures not featured in the average, 18 of which came from this set. Time will tell how many of those picks will end up becoming mainstays of a Tazri list!</p>
<p>Let me know in the comments how many of you are dusting off a Tazri deck, and how many of you only found out about her recently.</p>


Rebuilding General Tazri With Allies From Avatar

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Katara, the Fearless" href="#" target="_blank">Katara, the Fearless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/yueko" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yueko</a></em></p>
<p>Among the deluge of <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/marvels-spider-man-the-newest-san-diego-comic-con-reveals" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Spider-Man </em>cards spoiled at the San Diego Comic Con</a> was an early preview for the <em>Avatar: the Last Airbender</em> set coming out this fall, in the form of a promo card, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Katara, the Fearless" href="#" target="_blank">Katara, the Fearless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (though it's unconfirmed, it's expected that Katara will be in the upcoming <em>Avatar </em>set, though probably with different art, to retain the exclusiveness of the promo).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Katara, the Fearless"></div></div>
<p>Yes, you read that right: there was a card spoiled right before the prerelease of the set before the set the card is from. Cue the Xzibit “Yo Dawg” meme. Jokes aside, the card is powerful, flavorful, and represents the best support an underwhelming creature type has received in quite some time.</p>
<p>Allies are one of the few creature types to be exciting and fun in 60-card formats, but flounder and fail in Commander. In 60-card formats, Allies succeeded because players could focus on the few forward-moving pieces and had a decent curve, both of which were assisted by the four-of rule.</p>
<p>In a highlander format, however, Ally decks often had to play bad cards just because they were Allies and had to run filler cards to get to 100. As a result, Allies were largely watered-down midrange decks with mediocre commanders and terrible mana.</p>
<p>All of that will change when the <em>Avatar</em> set releases.</p>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Katara, the Fearless" href="#" target="_blank">Katara, the Fearless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<p>Put simply, Katara gives her Allies hope. Even if there aren’t any new Allies in the <em>Avatar</em> set (which seems unlikely; we've already seen <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yue, the Moon Spirit" href="#" target="_blank">Yue, the Moon Spirit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), or the Allies don’t function synergistically (like the unfortunate cohort mechanic), Katara rallies the troops with inspirational speeches, sometimes literally with the rally mechanic.</p>
<p>Katara is like a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roaming Throne" href="#" target="_blank">Roaming Throne</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for just Allies, and, given other similar effects being printed recently, she gives the creature type a critical mass of similar effects. Since she can be in the command zone, she can finally give Allies a commander that celebrates what Allies do: enter the field of battle side by side.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Roaming Throne"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="General Tazri"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Munda, Ambush Leader"></div></div>
<p>Prior to Katara, Allies were in a rough spot in terms of determining a commander. They either had to go five-color with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="General Tazri" href="#" target="_blank">General Tazri</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or Boros with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Munda, Ambush Leader" href="#" target="_blank">Munda, Ambush Leader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Two colors for Munda would be too few to make a full deck without using a large amount of changelings; there just aren’t enough Allies to fill the deck out.</p>
<p>Even if there were enough, Munda’s ability is underwhelming: it stacks the top of the library like a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Recruiter" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Recruiter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> but with less control. Like Munda, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="General Tazri" href="#" target="_blank">General Tazri</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a 3/4. Unlike Munda, Tazri costs an extra mana but gives us the ability to use all five colors.</p>
<p>The increase in options, along with the ability to tutor for an Ally on entering, made Tazri the best available option for Allies. But the inconsistency of a five-color manabase alongside a five-mana commander means that we’re on the slow end of midrange, which is really bad when we need numbers to be effective.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yarok, the Desecrated"></div></div>
<p>Seventeen Ally decks were even desperate enough to turn to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yarok, the Desecrated" href="#" target="_blank">Yarok, the Desecrated</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at the helm, which shows how hard-up Ally decks were for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Panharmonicon" href="#" target="_blank">Panharmonicon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects.</p>
<p>Getting a commander in-type with just enough colors to support a deck and a relevant ability is a huge boon. That Katara is a three-mana 3/3 is perfect for a creature type looking to be aggressive. Cutting red and black affects the deck minimally, as the primary colors of Allies were Bant (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>)to begin with.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Katara, the Fearless" href="#" target="_blank">Katara, the Fearless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hada Freeblade"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Halimar Excavator"></div></div>
<p>Katara is a powerful commander because most Allies have abilities that trigger when an Ally enters the battlefield. Katara doubles these abilities, although some are more powerful than others. Many put counters on themselves when an Ally enters, like the low-to-the-ground <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hada Freeblade" href="#" target="_blank">Hada Freeblade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>The real power, however, comes in the form of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Halimar Excavator" href="#" target="_blank">Halimar Excavator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, an unassuming common that is the key to winning through board stalls. When it or another Ally enters, the Excavator mills X, where X is the number of Allies we control. While mill can be a divisive strategy, it is a reasonable pivot here, putting large chunks of libraries into the grave at once.</p>
<p>Back in the day, it was the card that made the archetype tick, acting like a combo deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Starfield Vocalist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Virtue of Knowledge"></div></div>
<p>Katara being a significant step up in power for Allies is a double-edged sword: while she adds a significant amount of power to the deck, she’s also clearly the best Ally in the deck. Without Katara, the Allies are lost, flailing around like Sokka on cactus juice.</p>
<p>As a result, we want a few more copies of Katara’s effect, which also happens to stack. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Panharmonicon" href="#" target="_blank">Panharmonicon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the originator of the ETB effect doubling and still the hardest to remove, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Starfield Vocalist" href="#" target="_blank">Starfield Vocalist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines" href="#" target="_blank">Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Virtue of Knowledge" href="#" target="_blank">Virtue of Knowledge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> have all contributed to the preponderance of similar effects, making it so that a deck like this has enough functional reprints to work without the commander. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roaming Throne" href="#" target="_blank">Roaming Throne</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, like Katara, doubles any triggered abilities, not just enters effects.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kindred Discovery"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Distant Melody"></div></div>
<p>Since Allies care about entering the battlefield, they can develop a board and still need more of a push to win.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kindred Discovery" href="#" target="_blank">Kindred Discovery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerful card draw engine in any blue typal deck, drawing cards on ETB and attacking. It's worth noting that generic ETB doublers like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Starfield Vocalist" href="#" target="_blank">Starfield Vocalist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Panharmonicon" href="#" target="_blank">Panharmonicon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will double the discovery triggers, but creature type-dependent doublers, like Katara and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roaming Throne" href="#" target="_blank">Roaming Throne</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, will not.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Distant Melody" href="#" target="_blank">Distant Melody</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a Pauper all-star and draws a ton of cards, giving the deck a massive mid- to late-game push. It draws cards for each Ally we control, which can fill our hand, dig to a win-con, or just provide a bit of a lift when we need it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oblivion Ring"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grasp of Fate"></div></div>
<p>Since we need to build up counters and do so gradually, we do need to make sure we don’t get outclassed by larger creatures - especially those with evasion. We also need to be able to counter-answer answers like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oubliette" href="#" target="_blank">Oubliette</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is one of the more permanent ways of answering problem commanders. In order to remove it, we need ways to get rid of nonland permanents, so it makes sense to lean into the many <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oblivion Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Oblivion Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects.</p>
<p>Why <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oblivion Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Oblivion Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects and not <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Path to Exile" href="#" target="_blank">Path to Exile</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or other more cost-effective or flexibly-timed effects? Well, for the same reason <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kindred Discovery" href="#" target="_blank">Kindred Discovery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is so potent here: the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Panharmonicon" href="#" target="_blank">Panharmonicon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects double our ETBs, making our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oblivion Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Oblivion Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grasp of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Grasp of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s, and our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grasp of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Grasp of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s into incredibly powerful mass removal.</p>
<p>Just watch out for enchantment removal!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Path of Ancestry"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ally Encampment"></div></div>
<p>Our nonbasic lands are mostly based on mana fixing, making sure that we have a mana of each of our colors on turn three to get Katara out early and often. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Path of Ancestry" href="#" target="_blank">Path of Ancestry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ally Encampment" href="#" target="_blank">Ally Encampment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are otherwise mediocre lands that provide a bit of hidden advantage.</p>
<p>The repeated scrying from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Path of Ancestry" href="#" target="_blank">Path of Ancestry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and subtle reanimation from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ally Encampment" href="#" target="_blank">Ally Encampment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> give us benefits from our mana beyond just casting spells.</p>
<h2>How Does This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Katara, the Fearless" href="#" target="_blank">Katara, the Fearless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<p>The goal of the deck is to cast Allies early and often, using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Panharmonicon" href="#" target="_blank">Panharmonicon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects to double the ETBs, either growing the weaker Allies or spreading keyword abilities to all Allies.</p>
<p>The keyword abilities or alternate win-cons, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Halimar Excavator" href="#" target="_blank">Halimar Excavator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, help to break board stalls and enable strong combo-like starts.</p>
<h2>Katara, the Fearless Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Katara, the Fearless EDHREC Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Katara, the Fearless
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Beastcaller Savant
*1 Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines
*1 Graypelt Hunter
*1 Grovetender Druids
*1 Hada Freeblade
*1 Halimar Excavator
*1 Harabaz Druid
*1 Hero of Goma Fada
*1 Joraga Bard
*1 Jwari Shapeshifter
*1 Kabira Evangel
*1 Kazandu Blademaster
*1 Kor Bladewhirl
*1 Kor Entanglers
*1 Lantern Scout
*1 Makindi Patrol
*1 Makindi Shieldmate
*1 Munda&#039;s Vanguard
*1 Ondu Cleric
*1 Oran-Rief Survivalist
*1 Roaming Throne
*1 Sea Gate Loremaster
*1 Seascape Aerialist
*1 Starfield Vocalist
*1 Tajuru Archer
*1 Tajuru Beastmaster
*1 Tajuru Warcaller
*1 Talus Paladin
*1 Titan of Littjara
*1 Turntimber Ranger
*1 Umara Raptor
*1 Veteran Warleader
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Captain&#039;s Claws
*1 Panharmonicon
*1 Vanquisher&#039;s Banner
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Join the Ranks
*1 Kindred Summons
*1 Lae&#039;zel&#039;s Acrobatics
*1 Rally the Ancestors
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Banish to Another Universe
*1 Banishing Light
*1 Buried in the Garden
*1 Conclave Tribunal
*1 Detention Sphere
*1 Elven Chorus
*1 Grasp of Fate
*1 Guardian Project
*1 In the Trenches
*1 Kindred Discovery
*1 Legion Loyalty
*1 Leyline Binding
*1 Oblivion Ring
*1 Reflections of Littjara
*1 Stormplain Detainment
*1 Virtue of Knowledge // Vantress Visions
*1 Zendikar Resurgent
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Another Round
*1 Distant Melody
*1 Selvala&#039;s Stampede
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Ally Encampment
*1 Breeding Pool
*1 Cavern of Souls
*1 Command Tower
*10 Forest
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*10 Island
*1 Path of Ancestry
*10 Plains
*1 Secluded Courtyard
*1 Spara&#039;s Headquarters
*1 Temple Garden
*1 Unclaimed Territory
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Allies are small creatures with lots of ETB effects, relying on numbers and teamwork to gradually accrue advantage. Katara gives them a three-color commander with a relevant ability, breathing new life into a fun and exciting creature type!</p>


ally typal

Day of Black Sun II - Sokka, Tenacious Tactician Commander

Rebuilding General Tazri With Allies From Avatar

Building an Ally Deck with Katara, the Fearless