Going Wide With Aang and Katara in Commander

The Top 10 Most Played Bant Cards in Commander

<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>


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