The Best Elf Combos in Commander

Borderland Explorer – Ohabi Caleria

Elven Council - Precon Primer

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Galadriel, Elven Queen" href="#" target="_blank">Galadriel, Elven Queen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/tithendar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Axel Sauerwald</a>)</span></h6>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hello friends! And welcome back to EDHREC for another Scrap Trawlers Precon Upgrade Guide. Today we’re looking at the Elven Council deck to see if we can solve its identity crisis for just a few pieces of gold.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As you saw in my <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/elven-council-precon-primer/">Precon Primer</a>, this deck plays smoothly out of the box, but doesn’t exactly know what it wants to be. So with this upgrade guide we’re going to cut some of the cards that served the story but hurt the strategy, while adding cards to beef up the Elf aggro. And in true Scrap Trawlers fashion, we’re gonna do it for cheap.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But don’t worry! If you’ve plundered the Lonely Mountain and are looking to spend a few extra coins to upgrade this precon, I’ve got you covered too.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Head of the Council</span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Galadriel, Elven Queen"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leading the deck is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Galadriel, Elven Queen" href="#" target="_blank">Galadriel, Elven Queen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who kicks off a vote when we enter combat, but only if an Elf has entered our battlefield this turn. Based on the votes, we either get a Ring temptation and a +1/+1 counter on our Ring-bearer, or we just draw a card.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As you saw in my primer, I’m not thrilled with this version of Galadriel. But I’m going to leave her in charge for now, and rely on her ability to pump our Ring-bearer to add more oomph to our supporting Elves.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s the original decklist:</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Elven Council Precon" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Galadriel, Elven-Queen
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Beast Within
*1 Galadhrim Ambush
*1 Growth Spiral
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Inscription of Abundance
*1 Learn from the Past
*1 Mystic Confluence
*1 Opt
*1 Sail into the West
*1 Swan Song
*1 Trap the Trespassers
*1 Windswift Slice
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Asceticism
*1 Lignify
*1 Song of Earendil
[/Enchantments]
[Creatures]
*1 Arbor Elf
*1 Arwen, Weaver of Hope
*1 Celeborn the Wise
*1 Colossal Whale
*1 Cirdan the Shipwright
*1 Elrond of the White Council
*1 Elvish Archdruid
*1 Elvish Mystic
*1 Elvish Piper
*1 Elvish Visionary
*1 Elvish Warmaster
*1 Erestor of the Council
*1 Farhaven Elf
*1 Gandalf, Westward Voyager
*1 Haldir, Lorien Lieutenant
*1 Hornet Queen
*1 Legolas Greenleaf
*1 Mirkwood Elk
*1 Mirkwood Trapper
*1 Paradise Druid
*1 Radagast, Wizard of Wilds
*1 Realm Seekers
*1 Reclamation Sage
*1 Wood Elves
*1 Wose Pathfinder
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Lothlorien Blade
*1 Mirror of Galadriel
*1 Model of Unity
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Whispersilk Cloak
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Cultivate
*1 Devastation Tide
*1 Elven Farsight
*1 Genesis Wave
*1 Lorien Revealed
*1 Overwhelming Stampede
*1 Plea for Power
*1 Preordain
*1 Raise the Palisade
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Seeds of Renewal
*1 Sylvan Offering
*1 Travel Through Caradhras
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Command Tower
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Field of Ruin
*1 Flooded Grove
*15 Forest
*1 Hinterland Harbor
*11 Island
*1 Lonely Sandbar
*1 Rejuvenating Springs
*1 Thornwood Falls
*1 Tranquil Thicket
*1 Vineglimmer Snarl
*1 Woodland Stream
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This deck has </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">five</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> alternate commanders who can lead the deck. But as you’ll see shortly, not all of them are continuing on this journey.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">More Elves to Die Side by Side With</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the biggest things the deck was lacking was consistent ways to drop Elves every turn. We’re correcting that oversight with two cards that can do just that: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imperious Perfect" href="#" target="_blank">Imperious Perfect</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wolverine Riders" href="#" target="_blank">Wolverine Riders</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Wolverine Riders gives us the tokens for free, on </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">each </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">upkeep, and Perfect just needs a green mana.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Imperious Perfect"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wolverine Riders"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elven Ambush"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But we can make more tokens than that, right? Let’s add in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elven Ambush" href="#" target="_blank">Elven Ambush</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elvish Promenade" href="#" target="_blank">Elvish Promenade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to get massive amounts of Elves for our army of tree-dwellers.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Want even <em>more</em> Elves? How about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marwyn, the Nurturer" href="#" target="_blank">Marwyn, the Nurturer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? She gets bigger whenever we make an Elf, and she gives us a ton of mana. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Whisperer" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Whisperer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> draws us a card whenever we cast a creature spell, and is one of the most egregious oversights in the precon list. We’ve also got the fancy, and underrated, box topper from Streets of New Capenna, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gala Greeters" href="#" target="_blank">Gala Greeters</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Make a treasure each turn just for bringing more Elves to the party? Why not? Or maybe just boost our life total if we’re getting low.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Marwyn, the Nurturer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beast Whisperer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gala Greeters"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since we’re going to have all these Elves at this soirée, why not draw a bunch of cards because of it? Enter <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>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Of course we want some more voting happening here too, so we’re adding <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Split Decision" href="#" target="_blank">Split Decision</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. And to make sure the vote goes our way, we’ll give a slot to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Illusion of Choice" href="#" target="_blank">Illusion of Choice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<p>And last, we can't forget those beautiful modal spells. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Return of the Wildspeaker" href="#" target="_blank">Return of the Wildspeaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can either draw us a bunch of cards, or help us close out the game. Either way, I'm happy.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Distant Melody"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Split Decision"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Return of the Wildspeaker"></div></div>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">I Shall Diminish, and Go Into the West</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You know the drill. Cards go in, cards gotta come out. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">First to abandon the journey are our two Wizards, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gandalf, Westward Voyager" href="#" target="_blank">Gandalf, Westward Voyager</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Radagast, Wizard of Wilds" href="#" target="_blank">Radagast, Wizard of Wilds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These merry fellows have no business being in this Elven Council, since they’re not, you know, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Elves.</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> But more importantly, as you’ll see, we’re cutting several of the high MV cards in the deck, so they no longer had a role to play in this tale.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gandalf, Westward Voyager"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Radagast, Wizard of Wilds"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Colossal Whale"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We’re cutting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Colossal Whale" href="#" target="_blank">Colossal Whale</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Because…seriously. Why is this here? Okay, it’s got a high MV, so it triggers the Wizards. And it fills a removal spot, sure. But….there are no Whales in the forest. I’m 90% sure of that.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hornet Queen" href="#" target="_blank">Hornet Queen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is going too. While the Queen can more logically find a home in the forest than a Whale, we have no need of bees (although we may regret not having a flyer or two in the deck on occasion).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I’m cutting two other new cards, because, frankly, they suck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sail into the West" href="#" target="_blank">Sail into the West</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Travel Through Caradhras" href="#" target="_blank">Travel Through Caradhras</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> may be here for more voting, but in both cases we can’t consistently get enough benefit from either of them.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sail into the West"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Travel Through Caradhras"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seeds of Renewal"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seeds of Renewal" href="#" target="_blank">Seeds of Renewal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> isn’t really necessary in the deck. We’ve already got a couple of other recursion cards with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Learn from the Past" href="#" target="_blank">Learn from the Past</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirkwood Elk" href="#" target="_blank">Mirkwood Elk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I don’t think the deck is looking to dig through the grave that much.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And last we’re cutting some mana sources. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commander’s Sphere" href="#" target="_blank">Commander’s Sphere</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is going because we already have enough ramp, and we’re also cutting one Forest and one Island. I think we’re safe going down to 36 lands due to all the extra ramp we have, and a very low average mana value of 3.10 after the upgrade.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Splendorous Elves</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Okay, we’ve seen the cheap upgrades. Now it’s time for you hoarders of jewels and gold to show off your excess. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We’ll start with the expensive Elves. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eladamri, Lord of Leaves" href="#" target="_blank">Eladamri, Lord of Leaves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes sure your army can swing in unopposed by fellow green players. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Circle of Dreams Druid" href="#" target="_blank">Circle of Dreams Druid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does a decent impression of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gaea’s Cradle" href="#" target="_blank">Gaea’s Cradle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. And <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Allosaurus Shepherd" href="#" target="_blank">Allosaurus Shepherd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> protects your green spells and turns your Elves into Dinos. Who wouldn’t want that?</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eladamri, Lord of Leaves"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Allosaurus Shepherd"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Craterhoof Behemoth"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Realmwalker" href="#" target="_blank">Realmwalker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an honorary Elf that lets you cast Elves from the top of your library. And <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> just ends games when you have a large army of any kind of creature.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coat of Arms" href="#" target="_blank">Coat of Arms</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will have your Elf hordes pumping some serious iron to get those gains, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Freyalise, Llanowar’s Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Freyalise, Llanowar’s Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is like a Swiss army knife in the deck.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><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> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Great Henge" href="#" target="_blank">The Great Henge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can both draw you a ton of cards, while <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> can snatch a bunch of Elves from the top of your library.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coat of Arms"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Freyalise, Llanowar’s Fury"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Great Henge"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And of course we can’t forget the voting! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selvala’s Stampede" href="#" target="_blank">Selvala’s Stampede</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gets you all kinds of fun stuff into play from either your hand or your library. And let’s not forget the grandest voting spell of all, the friendship killer, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Expropriate" href="#" target="_blank">Expropriate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Time of the Elves is Over</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s the final upgraded decklist:</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Elven Council Precon Upgrade" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Galadriel, Elven-Queen
[/Commander]
[Sorceries]
*1 Cultivate
*1 Devastation Tide
*1 Distant Melody
*1 Elven Farsight
*1 Elvish Promenade
*1 Genesis Wave
*1 Lorien Revealed
*1 Overwhelming Stampede
*1 Plea for Power
*1 Preordain
*1 Raise the Palisade
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Sylvan Offering
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Asceticism
*1 Lignify
*1 Song of Earendil
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Beast Within
*1 Elven Ambush
*1 Galadhrim Ambush
*1 Growth Spiral
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Illusion of Choice
*1 Inscription of Abundance
*1 Learn from the Past
*1 Mystic Confluence
*1 Opt
*1 Return of the Wildspeaker
*1 Split Decision
*1 Swan Song
*1 Trap the Trespassers
*1 Windswift Slice
[/Instants]
[Creatures]
*1 Arbor Elf
*1 Arwen, Weaver of Hope
*1 Beast Whisperer
*1 Celeborn the Wise
*1 Cirdan the Shipwright
*1 Elrond of the White Council
*1 Elvish Archdruid
*1 Elvish Mystic
*1 Elvish Piper
*1 Elvish Visionary
*1 Elvish Warmaster
*1 Erestor of the Council
*1 Farhaven Elf
*1 Gala Greeters
*1 Haldir, Lorien Lieutenant
*1 Imperious Perfect
*1 Legolas Greenleaf
*1 Marwyn, the Nurturer
*1 Mirkwood Elk
*1 Mirkwood Trapper
*1 Paradise Druid
*1 Realm Seekers
*1 Reclamation Sage
*1 Wolverine Riders
*1 Wood Elves
*1 Wose Pathfinder
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Lothlorien Blade
*1 Mirror of Galadriel
*1 Model of Unity
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Whispersilk Cloak
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Command Tower
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Field of Ruin
*1 Flooded Grove
*14 Forest
*1 Hinterland Harbor
*10 Island
*1 Lonely Sandbar
*1 Rejuvenating Springs
*1 Thornwood Falls
*1 Tranquil Thicket
*1 Vineglimmer Snarl
*1 Woodland Stream
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We added way more Elves to punch through with our aggro strategy. There’s not a whole lot we could do to increase the voting power of the deck, but honestly that wasn’t a huge concern for me.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We lowered the average mana value from 3.31 to 3.10, which was enough to allow us to cut some lands and add more fun cards to the deck.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All in all, I’m still not a huge fan of Galadriel, but we definitely made some great improvements to the way the deck plays, while also staying true to the deck’s Elven roots.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We’ve got three other decks to talk about for this set, so make sure you stay tuned for those articles as well! </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">From your friends in the Scrap Trawlers, take care. And remember to budget…before you buy it.</span></p>


elf

The Best Elf Combos in Commander

Borderland Explorer – Ohabi Caleria

Elven Council - Precon Primer

Elven Council - Precon Upgrade Guide

Commander Legends Set Review - Uncommon Guild Legends