<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hama, the Bloodbender" href="#" target="_blank">Hama, the Bloodbender</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/vuogle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Le Vuong</a></em></p>
<p>I've built two decks from <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tla" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em></a> already, but I still think there's more to unpack here. Scrolling through the uncommon creatures, I see multiple strong commanders, but one in particular has caught my eye.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hama, the Bloodbender" href="#" target="_blank">Hama, the Bloodbender</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a creature all about stealing spells, and for me specifically, that's really appealing. The thing is, I love Pauper, but I don't actually have a Pauper pod. Most people just prefer to play Commander with all the cards, so I'm kind of on my own when it comes to playing commons, and that means I typically run my PDH decks against three other decks with much stronger cards in them. So if I can take those cards for myself, I can raise the power of my deck to match the table.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hama, the Bloodbender"></div></div>
<p>Regardless of the circumstances, Hama is always gonna be a powerful commander. Casting spells by tapping artifacts or creatures? Hama is basically turning all your artifacts into mana rocks, which we can hopefully use to cast some crazy spells. I see a lot of potential in this commander, and I think this Pauper Commander deck is gonna come together with ease.</p>
<h2>Blink and You'll Miss Me</h2>
<p>But... all of its abilities are just on an ETB, which means we have to recast Hama over and over again if we want that effect. Man, if only there were a super easy way to retrigger enter the battlefield abilities without replaying our commander.</p>
<p>Ok, obviously there is: blink spells. Blue has six or seven really great ones, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghostly Flicker" href="#" target="_blank">Ghostly Flicker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Displace" href="#" target="_blank">Displace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi&#039;s Time Twist" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi&#039;s Time Twist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but that's not quite enough.</p>
<p>To supplement this strategy, we'll have to lean into my favorite Pauper hack: treating <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Not Dead After All" href="#" target="_blank">Not Dead After All</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> like a blink spell. This is a strategy straight out of Modern, from when players would evoke <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grief" href="#" target="_blank">Grief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undying Malice" href="#" target="_blank">Undying Malice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on it, getting a free creature and two triggers off its ETB. We can do the same here with Hama and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Not Dead After All" href="#" target="_blank">Not Dead After All</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undying Malice" href="#" target="_blank">Undying Malice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undying Evil" href="#" target="_blank">Undying Evil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Supernatural Stamina" href="#" target="_blank">Supernatural Stamina</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>The only difference is that we have to find a creative way to sacrifice our commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghostly Flicker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Not Dead After All"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Undying Evil"></div></div>
<p>Normally I'd rely on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Carrion Feeder" href="#" target="_blank">Carrion Feeder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for this part, because it's easy to cast, and it allows us to sacrifice our commander at literally any time, but I think there's a better alternative here. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadly Dispute" href="#" target="_blank">Deadly Dispute</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is already a great card, but in this deck it makes a mana rock in addition to drawing two cards! Top notch value, and we've got a good amount of functional copies.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fanatical Offering" href="#" target="_blank">Fanatical Offering</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also makes a functional mana rock, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Corrupted Conviction" href="#" target="_blank">Corrupted Conviction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Village Rites" href="#" target="_blank">Village Rites</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are just one mana for two cards. Pair these with our revival spells, and it's two or three mana to blink our commander, steal from our opponents, and draw several cards. Absolutely spectacular card advantage, and it's pretty consistent.</p>
<p>Plus, these cards are all instants, so we can do this right before our turn, leaving our resources up along with a response to removal.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deadly Dispute"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fanatical Offering"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Corrupted Conviction"></div></div>
<h2>Reuse and Recycle</h2>
<p>That's pretty much everything we need to repeatedly use our commander, just a lightweight blink package. That leaves us plenty of space for the artifacts we need to cast big spells. Our goal is simply to have a huge mass of random artifacts on the board that can pay for anything, and it's honestly super easy to do that, because Wizards prints artifact cards like they're landfill waste.</p>
<p>But then they also print cards that treat artifacts like gold? I mean, Hama literally lets us use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scrap|tbrc|12" href="#" target="_blank">Scrap</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> like an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcane Signet" href="#" target="_blank">Arcane Signet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Well, we'll take advantage of it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scrap|tbrc|12"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcane Signet"></div></div>
<p>Now, we probably shouldn't fill our deck with cards that are useless without our commander, but we'll definitely skirt that line. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prized Statue" href="#" target="_blank">Prized Statue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nimblewright Schematic" href="#" target="_blank">Nimblewright Schematic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Fountain" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Fountain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are great, bringing in two bodies for just one card in hand. We'll continue that theme with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goldvein Pick" href="#" target="_blank">Goldvein Pick</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prying Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Prying Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, Equipment that can continuously churn out artifacts if we've got a decent attacker. That's not guaranteed, but creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ornithopter of Paradise" href="#" target="_blank">Ornithopter of Paradise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can do the job.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nimblewright Schematic"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Fountain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goldvein Pick"></div></div>
<p>To make sure that these cards aren't actually junk without our commander, we'll play a few spells that can take advantage of them in other ways. I already mentioned <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadly Dispute" href="#" target="_blank">Deadly Dispute</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reckoner&#039;s Bargain" href="#" target="_blank">Reckoner&#039;s Bargain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can sacrifice them for card draw, but there's also <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cranial Plating" href="#" target="_blank">Cranial Plating</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which will make a creature terrifying, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moonsnare Prototype" href="#" target="_blank">Moonsnare Prototype</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which simply produces mana.</p>
<p>The best card, however, is definitely <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thoughtcast" href="#" target="_blank">Thoughtcast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which will draw two cards for just a single blue pip. Then we'll support all those artifacts with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etherium Sculptor" href="#" target="_blank">Etherium Sculptor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Foundry Inspector" href="#" target="_blank">Foundry Inspector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, often reducing their costs to zero.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reckoner&#039;s Bargain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cranial Plating"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thoughtcast"></div></div>
<p>See what I mean about Wizards treating cards mean to be junk like gold? The artifact strategy is overpowered no matter where you go, and I'm quite enjoying it.</p>
<h2>Looking in Dimir</h2>
<p>Finally, we've got to top this deck off with removal and responses. That's gonna be no trouble at all, because we're in the colors of murder and manipulation.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcane Denial" href="#" target="_blank">Arcane Denial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Negate" href="#" target="_blank">Negate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are all classics when it comes to being a massive jerk, and we can back them up with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Go for the Throat" href="#" target="_blank">Go for the Throat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feed the Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">Feed the Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oubliette" href="#" target="_blank">Oubliette</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>But in the interest of not being a terrible person, we can dilute our removal with some on-theme cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Contract Killing" href="#" target="_blank">Contract Killing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. See? We're just killing their creatures for the Treasures. Therefore blue-black is a totally fair color combo.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcane Denial"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Go for the Throat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Contract Killing"></div></div>
<h2>Hama, the Bloodbender Pauper Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Pauper Commander - Hama, the Bloodbender" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Hama, the Bloodbender
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Abnormal Endurance
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Bake into a Pie
*1 Blur
*1 Corrupted Conviction
*1 Counterspell
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Demonic Gifts
*1 Displace
*1 Essence Flux
*1 Eviscerator&#039;s Insight
*1 Fake Your Own Death
*1 Fanatical Offering
*1 Feign Death
*1 Frantic Search
*1 Ghostly Flicker
*1 Go for the Throat
*1 Negate
*1 Not Dead After All
*1 Planar Incision
*1 Reckoner&#039;s Bargain
*1 Return to Action
*1 Run Away Together
*1 Siren&#039;s Ruse
*1 Snap
*1 Spell Pierce
*1 Supernatural Stamina
*1 Teferi&#039;s Time Twist
*1 Undying Evil
*1 Undying Malice
*1 Village Rites
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Blood Fountain
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Cranial Plating
*1 Everflowing Chalice
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Gilded Pinions
*1 Goldvein Pick
*1 Ichor Wellspring
*1 Mephitic Draught
*1 Moonsnare Prototype
*1 Network Terminal
*1 Nimblewright Schematic
*1 Prized Statue
*1 Prying Blade
*1 Springleaf Drum
*1 Thieves&#039; Tools
*1 Witching Well
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Etherium Sculptor
*1 Foundry Inspector
*1 Gleaming Barrier
*1 Greedy Freebooter
*1 Murmuring Mystic
*1 Ornithopter of Paradise
*1 Silver Myr
*1 Viscera Seer
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Contract Killing
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 Hard Evidence
*1 Pirate&#039;s Prize
*1 Pointed Discussion
*1 Thoughtcast
*1 Treasure Cruise
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Fungal Fortitude
*1 Oubliette
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Command Tower
*1 Darksteel Citadel
*15 Island
*1 Mystic Sanctuary
*1 Seat of the Synod
*14 Swamp
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>This deck's strength depends on what your opponents are playing. I feel very confident that this library can implement its strategy very well, because all it needs is Hama on the battlefield, a blink spell in hand, and artifacts on the board. But if your opponents' decks are full of cards that care about Elves, you're a bit screwed.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, that's the fate of any theft deck, and all you can really do is hope. But hey, there will absolutely be games where you snatch an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omniscience" href="#" target="_blank">Omniscience</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and that's the kind of thing I live for when playing <em>Magic</em>.</p>


hama

Pauper Commander - Hama, the Bloodbender

Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Set Review - Gold