Day of Black Sun II - Sokka, Tenacious Tactician Commander

The Over/Under - Predicting the Popularity of Multicolor Avatar Commanders

<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sokka, Lateral Strategist" href="#" target="_blank">Sokka, Lateral Strategist</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></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hello and welcome to another <em>Avatar</em> deck tech! I grew up watching <em>The Last Airbender</em>, so I've been following this set's spoilers quite closely. Of course, the Gaang's cards have been of particular interest to me, so I'm super excited to write this deck tech about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sokka, Lateral Strategist" href="#" target="_blank">Sokka, Lateral Strategist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sokka, Lateral Strategist"></div></div></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is actually one of four Sokka cards that's been previewed so far, and the strongest option for the command zone too.</span></p>
<h2>What Does Sokka, Lateral Strategist Do?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This version of Sokka is actually a pretty simple card. For <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-wu" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-wu" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, we get a 2/4 Human Warrior Ally with vigilance. That's far from an impressive statline, but Sokka's bigger toughness will help with his main ability: When he and at least one other creature attack, we get to draw a card. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All together, these abilities give us a solid, if basic, game plan. We want to ensure that we've got at least one attacker on the battlefield by the time Sokka's arrived, so that they can attack together to provide us with card advantage right away.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Funnily enough, I'm reminded of two <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> Equipment commanders when I look at Sokka. He's extremely similar to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Merry, Esquire of Rohan" href="#" target="_blank">Merry, Esquire of Rohan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a two-drop that lets draw cards if he attacks with a buddy. I'm also reminded of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Akiri, Fearless Voyager" href="#" target="_blank">Akiri, Fearless Voyager</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a three-drop that lets us draw cards when we attack with equipped creatures. </span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Merry, Esquire of Rohan"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akiri, Fearless Voyager"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All three of these legends serve similar roles at the helm of a Commander deck. If we meet some simple conditions, we get a little bit of card advantage as a reward. Plus, their commanders' open-endedness lets us fill out the 99 as we see fit.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking of, let's talk about the rest of this deck. There's evasive creatures to trigger our commander's ability, hate-bears to ensure that our opponents don't get too far ahead, and even some cool finishers to close out the game in style. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let's see what this Sokka deck's got in store!</span></p>
<h2>Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sokka, Lateral Strategist" href="#" target="_blank">Sokka, Lateral Strategist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>I've filled the deck with a ton of two-drops - a full 30 of them to be exact. It's extremely important to get an attacker on the board on turn two, so we can cast our commander on turn three and start generating extra card advantage on turn four. This high two-drop count also lets us potentially cast two two-drops on turn four, meaning that we'll almost always have an efficient early-game curve-out.</p>
<p>There's far too many of these creatures for me to talk about all of them, so I'll talk about a few of the best ones from each of the three broad categories that many of these card find themselves in: light stax, card advantage, and protection.</p>
<h3>Light Stax</h3>
<p>This deck's strategy is, inherently, slower. We've got a lot of small creatures, and our opponents could outpace us relatively easily. So, hate-bears like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lavinia, Azorius Renegade" href="#" target="_blank">Lavinia, Azorius Renegade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will hopefully bring everyone down to our level so we've got a fighting chance.</p>
<p>Control pieces like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scheming Fence" href="#" target="_blank">Scheming Fence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dennick, Pious Apprentice" href="#" target="_blank">Dennick, Pious Apprentice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be effective early-game plays too, limiting our opponents from going off too early. There's also creatures that make us tokens when an opponent takes specific game actions (like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wizened Mentor" href="#" target="_blank">Wizened Mentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), and even creatures that can slow our opponents' game plans down by a full turn (like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imposing Sovereign" href="#" target="_blank">Imposing Sovereign</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scheming Fence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wizened Mentor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Azure Beastbinder"></div></div>
<p>I also wanted to shout out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Azure Beastbinder" href="#" target="_blank">Azure Beastbinder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It may not be the flashiest card in our deck, but it's an incredibly effective way to lock down a high-impact threat.</p>
<p>There's maybe half a dozen more hate-bears in the 99 of this deck, but I think it's high time we talk about some more exciting cards.</p>
<h3>Card Advantage</h3>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silent Hallcreeper" href="#" target="_blank">Silent Hallcreeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does a little bit of everything that this deck wants. It's unblockable - which makes it an ideal attacking partner for Sokka - it gives us an extra card, and it can even become a copy of a more effective creature should we have one on the battlefield.</p>
<p>I'm also a big fan of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pollywog Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Pollywog Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who will evolve into a 2/4 if our commander enters the battlefield after it. It will, admittedly, likely not evolve beyond that considering the average size of creatures in this list. But, it's still an effective card advantage engine at nonetheless!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silent Hallcreeper"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pollywog Prodigy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mischievous Mystic"></div></div>
<p>Then, one of our hate-bears from earlier makes a disturbing reappearance. The flip side of Dennick, <span class="edhrecp__link only-back"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dennick, Pious Apprentice" href="#" target="_blank">Dennick, Pious Apprentice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is actually an effective card draw piece too. This creature serves as an effective Clue maker, generating them during combat, and whenever mill and/or aristocrats decks do their thing. I love cards that fill multiple roles in a deck, so I'm thrilled that I get to mention Dennick twice.</p>
<p>As a bonus, with all the cards we'll be drawing, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mischievous Mystic" href="#" target="_blank">Mischievous Mystic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an all-star. We'll certainly be making a 1/1 on each of our turns, and there's a good chance we can make additional Faeries on our opponents' turns too!</p>
<h3>Protection</h3>
<p>We've got a few creatures that can protect our gameplan. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selfless Spirit" href="#" target="_blank">Selfless Spirit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great way to keep our board safe, and it's a cheap, evasive attacker to pair with Sokka. Same goes for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gold-Forged Thopteryx" href="#" target="_blank">Gold-Forged Thopteryx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which lends ward <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> to the 16 legendary permanents in our deck. And, with our go-wide plan, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unsettled Mariner" href="#" target="_blank">Unsettled Mariner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides a lot of protection for just <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>. There's 46 creatures in this deck, and even more ways to make creature tokens, so we'll certainly appreciate the <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> tax on all targeted interaction that comes our way.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Selfless Spirit"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gold-Forged Thopteryx"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unsettled Mariner"></div></div>
<h2>How Does This Sokka Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We'll be putting a lot of small creatures onto the board. But in most EDH games, that won't be enough to win. Luckily, we've got some ways to punch through for victory. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moonshaker Cavalry" href="#" target="_blank">Moonshaker Cavalry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>is <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>'s version of <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>, and easily one of the most effective game-enders we've got access to. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There's also anthems like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flowering of the White Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Flowering of the White Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angel of Invention" href="#" target="_blank">Angel of Invention</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for smaller, persistent buffs. And, as either an early-game advantage piece or late-game finisher, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dollmaker&#039;s Shop // Porcelain Gallery" href="#" target="_blank">Dollmaker&#039;s Shop // Porcelain Gallery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works fantastically.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Moonshaker Cavalry"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angel of Invention"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dollmaker&#039;s Shop // Porcelain Gallery"></div></div></p>
<p>We've even got a few one-sided board wipes to push for the win. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an EDH staple, letting us make tokens, sweep bigger creatures off the board, and even get a sweet emblem if we manage to activate her ultimate ability.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Battle of Bywater" href="#" target="_blank">The Battle of Bywater</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dusk // Dawn" href="#" target="_blank">Dusk // Dawn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are both effective wipes too, clearing (most of) our opponents key pieces while providing us with a bonus for our deck full of small creatures.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Battle of Bywater"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dusk // Dawn"></div></div>
<h2>Sokka, Lateral Strategist Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Building a Go-Wide Deck with Sokka, Lateral Strategist" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Sokka, Lateral Strategist
[/Commander]
[Sorceries]
*1 Dusk // Dawn
*1 The Battle of Bywater
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Dollmaker&#039;s Shop // Porcelain Gallery
*1 Flowering of the White Tree
*1 Legion&#039;s Landing // Adanto, the First Fort
*1 Skrelv&#039;s Hive
[/Enchantments]
[Creatures]
*1 Adeline, Resplendent Cathar
*1 Angel of Invention
*1 Aven Interrupter
*1 Azure Beastbinder
*1 Clarion Conqueror
*1 Dauntless Dismantler
*1 Dennick, Pious Apprentice // Dennick, Pious Apparition
*1 Dorothea, Vengeful Victim // Dorothea&#039;s Retribution
*1 Enduring Curiosity
*1 Faerie Mastermind
*1 Floodpits Drowner
*1 Ghostly Pilferer
*1 Giver of Runes
*1 Gold-Forged Thopteryx
*1 Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar
*1 Hope of Ghirapur
*1 Hydroelectric Specimen // Hydroelectric Laboratory
*1 Imposing Sovereign
*1 Knight of the White Orchid
*1 Lavinia, Azorius Renegade
*1 Ledger Shredder
*1 Loyal Warhound
*1 Malcolm, Alluring Scoundrel
*1 Mischievous Mystic
*1 Mockingbird
*1 Moonshaker Cavalry
*1 Mother of Runes
*1 Pippin, Guard of the Citadel
*1 Pollywog Prodigy
*1 Samurai of the Pale Curtain
*1 Sanctifier en-Vec
*1 Scheming Fence
*1 Selfless Spirit
*1 Serra Ascendant
*1 Shoreline Looter
*1 Silent Hallcreeper
*1 Siren Stormtamer
*1 Skrelv, Defector Mite
*1 Soul Warden
*1 Suture Priest
*1 Tithe Taker
*1 Unsettled Mariner
*1 Welcoming Vampire
*1 Witch Enchanter // Witch-Blessed Meadow
*1 Wizened Mentor
[/Creatures]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion
*1 Kaito, Cunning Infiltrator
[/Planeswalkers]
[Artifacts]
*1 Bident of Thassa
*1 Ebony Fly
*1 Thousand Moons Smithy // Barracks of the Thousand
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Counterspell
*1 Get Lost
*1 Into the Flood Maw
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Swan Song
*1 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Adarkar Wastes
*1 Deserted Beach
*1 Diamond City
*1 Faerie Conclave
*1 Floodfarm Verge
*8 Island
*1 Meticulous Archive
*1 Mystic Gate
*1 Nimbus Maze
*16 Plains
*1 Restless Anchorage
*1 Sea of Clouds
*1 Skycloud Expanse
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>That's all for this week, folks! I think this is a pretty interesting Bracket 2 deck. I like the way that it's got some stax pieces to slow the game down, without putting a hard lock on it. It can be fun to play a game with hate-bears on the field, as it creates a sort of puzzle for the table to deal with.</p>
<p>That's not to say that harder control pieces like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hokori, Dust Drinker" href="#" target="_blank">Hokori, Dust Drinker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are my jam, but that I think stax doesn't need to be as scary as many EDH players think it is.</p>
<p>What do you think? Does stax have a place in casual EDH at all? Let me know your take in the comments below! I'll see you all next week for another deck tech!</p>
<h3>More <em>Avatar</em>:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="KVoHZ0ryVO"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/hei-bai-spirit-of-balance-spirits-and-sacrifices/">Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance - Spirits and Sacrifices</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance - Spirits and Sacrifices&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/hei-bai-spirit-of-balance-spirits-and-sacrifices/embed/#?secret=veSvN7rYVS#?secret=KVoHZ0ryVO" data-secret="KVoHZ0ryVO" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="GlSGU4Yxgc"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/yue-the-moon-spirit/">Yue, The Moon Spirit</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Yue, The Moon Spirit&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/yue-the-moon-spirit/embed/#?secret=otzVpwVXgq#?secret=GlSGU4Yxgc" data-secret="GlSGU4Yxgc" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="0Kutt8VJS2"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/top-10-landfall-cards-for-toph-the-first-metalbender-in-cedh/">Top 10 Landfall Cards for Toph, the First Metalbender in cEDH</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Top 10 Landfall Cards for Toph, the First Metalbender in cEDH&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/top-10-landfall-cards-for-toph-the-first-metalbender-in-cedh/embed/#?secret=OVAdlQG6HW#?secret=0Kutt8VJS2" data-secret="0Kutt8VJS2" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>


Building a Go-Wide Deck With Sokka, Lateral Strategist

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sokka, Bold Boomeranger" href="#" target="_blank">Sokka, Bold Boomeranger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://toniinfante.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Toni Infante</a></em></p>
<p>There really is just something about two-mana Izzet (<span class="mana-container-container"><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-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) commanders. I can't help myself. Luckily, there seems to be no shortage of new ones to build with lately!</p>
<p>This recent round of <em>Avatar</em> spoilers gave me a lot to be excited about, and I think we all know which legend I have to tackle first. In this deck tech, I'm going to be adding <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sokka, Bold Boomeranger" href="#" target="_blank">Sokka, Bold Boomeranger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to my collection.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sokka, Bold Boomeranger"></div></div>
<h2>What Does Sokka, Bold Boomeranger Do?</h2>
<p>Sokka, Bold Boomeranger is a two-mana 1/1 that discards up to two cards when he enters, and then draws that many cards. Whenever you cast an artifact or Lesson spell, Sokka gets a +1/+1 counter. That second line of text is going to be the real key, here.</p>
<p>The way I see it, Sokka is asking me to play him, sculpt my hand a little, then slam cheap artifacts until he's big enough to start eliminating players.</p>
<p>This is going to shape out to be a more traditional Voltron strategy than most of my other commander damage-focused decks. I'll have Equipment spells that further increase Sokka's power, grant him evasion, and make it easier to force through 21 points of commander damage.</p>
<p>The strategy I'm going with for Sokka is so similar to my early build of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Malcolm, the Eyes" href="#" target="_blank">Malcolm, the Eyes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that I could simply switch Malcolm for Sokka without changing anything else and the deck would function identically. The major difference is that Sokka's second ability is essentially a built-in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nettlecyst" href="#" target="_blank">Nettlecyst</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which improves consistency by a mile.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nettlecyst"></div></div>
<h2>Key Cards for Sokka, Bold Boomeranger</h2>
<p>There aren't really enough Lesson cards to really lean in to that half of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sokka, Bold Boomeranger" href="#" target="_blank">Sokka, Bold Boomeranger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just yet. However, Sokka giving all Lesson cards the additional upside of "when you cast this spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Sokka" renders some otherwise medium Lesson cards borderline playable.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Redirect Lightning"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aang&#039;s Journey"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Introduction to Annihilation"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Redirect Lightning" href="#" target="_blank">Redirect Lightning</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an instant staple in any red deck. A <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deflecting Swat" href="#" target="_blank">Deflecting Swat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect that costs one mana all the time and its only drawback is losing a measly five life? Sign me up. I'd include this card even if it didn't trigger Sokka. The only way this card is coming out of the deck is if the Commander rules change to allow me to build a sideboard of Lesson cards.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aang&#039;s Journey" href="#" target="_blank">Aang&#039;s Journey</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Environmental Sciences" href="#" target="_blank">Environmental Sciences</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are mana fixing spells that help smooth out this deck's draws, especially with the dangerously low land counts I tend to go with in these decks.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Introduction to Annihilation" href="#" target="_blank">Introduction to Annihilation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was, until very recently, my favorite Lesson card. Sure, it's five mana; that's a lot. But a removal spell that can remove almost anything while triggering Sokka seems pretty sweet regardless.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Storm the Vault"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Uthros, Titanic Godcore"></div></div>
<p>One of the many joys of playing artifact decks is casting big, splashy spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="God-Pharaoh&#039;s Statue" href="#" target="_blank">God-Pharaoh&#039;s Statue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Unfortunately, those spells tend to be extremely mana intensive.</p>
<p>And, while my beloved <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tolarian Academy" href="#" target="_blank">Tolarian Academy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is banned, it does have some reasonable equivalents these days. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm the Vault" href="#" target="_blank">Storm the Vault</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Uthros, Titanic Godcore" href="#" target="_blank">Uthros, Titanic Godcore</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both do a solid impression of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tolarian Academy" href="#" target="_blank">Tolarian Academy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with a little work. Thankfully, getting three power into play to station Uthros and getting five artifacts into play for Storm the Vault are both very easy requirements with Sokka and the 31 artifacts with a mana value of three or less in the deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thought Monitor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="O&#039;aka, Traveling Merchant"></div></div>
<p>Sokka is really hungry for card draw. Running out of cards to play on turn three or four would be a disaster for this deck. To prevent that, the deck has <em>a lot</em> of card draw.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thoughtcast" href="#" target="_blank">Thoughtcast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thought Monitor" href="#" target="_blank">Thought Monitor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are classic inclusions in any deck with a high density of cheap artifacts. At their best, both of them draw two cards for one mana.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> draws a card each time you cast a historic spell. That includes artifacts and legends. Paired with cost reducers, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Enthusiastic Mechanaut" href="#" target="_blank">Enthusiastic Mechanaut</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <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>, Jhoira can create really explosive turns.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="O&#039;aka, Traveling Merchant" href="#" target="_blank">O&#039;aka, Traveling Merchant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a very niche draw engine that pairs really well with commanders that can put a lot of +1/+1 counters into play. Counters won't be a scarce resource, especially with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ozolith" href="#" target="_blank">The Ozolith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> preserving the counters that would normally be lost when Sokka inevitably gets removed. Trading a counter here or there for even more cards to cast is a no-brainer.</p>
<h2>How Does This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sokka, Bold Boomeranger" href="#" target="_blank">Sokka, Bold Boomeranger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Deck Win the Game?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Luxior, Giada&#039;s Gift"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Commander&#039;s Plate"></div></div>
<p>The key to a Voltron deck like this is the Equipment that's going on its commander. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Luxior, Giada&#039;s Gift" href="#" target="_blank">Luxior, Giada&#039;s Gift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is stunning here. Most people only think about this card in the context of turning a planeswalker into a creature. But, Luxior grants the equipped creature +1/+1 for <em>each counter</em> on it. This will double the amount of power and toughness granted by the +1/+1 counters Sokka puts on himself. This Equipment alone will usually turn Sokka into a lethal threat.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commander&#039;s Plate" href="#" target="_blank">Commander&#039;s Plate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shadowspear" href="#" target="_blank">Shadowspear</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both give Sokka the final piece of the puzzle: evasion. A 21/21 commander isn't worth anything if a 1/1 can block it and render it useless. Trample and protection from white, black, and green should be enough to stop pesky chump blockers from nullifying this deck's combat step.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kazuul&#039;s Fury"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gravitic Punch"></div></div>
<p>Combat isn't the only way to kill a player. I can't think of a cooler way to finish a game than ending a staring contest with the only remaining opponent, who has a million blockers, than ignoring all that and just casting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gravitic Punch" href="#" target="_blank">Gravitic Punch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The best part about Gravitic Punch specifically is that it can be cast twice in the same turn. If that won't eliminate a player, I don't know what will.</p>
<h2>Sokka, Bold Boomeranger Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="That&#039;s Rough, Buddy" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Sokka, Bold Boomeranger
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Kazuul&#039;s Fury
*1 Mana Drain
*1 Metallic Rebuke
*1 Redirect Lightning
*1 Sink into Stupor
*1 Sokka&#039;s Haiku
*1 Untimely Malfunction
*1 Whir of Invention
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Aang&#039;s Journey
*1 Environmental Sciences
*1 Fabricate
*1 Gravitic Punch
*1 Introduction to Annihilation
*1 Lórien Revealed
*1 Start from Scratch
*1 Teachings of the Archaics
*1 Thoughtcast
*1 Windfall
[/Sorceries]
[Creatures]
*1 Drift of Phantasms
*1 Enthusiastic Mechanaut
*1 Etherium Sculptor
*1 Foundry Inspector
*1 Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain
*1 Jin-Gitaxias // The Great Synthesis
*1 Kappa Cannoneer
*1 Mm&#039;menon, Uthros Exile
*1 Mm&#039;menon, the Right Hand
*1 O&#039;aka, Traveling Merchant
*1 Pinnacle Emissary
*1 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
*1 Thought Monitor
*1 Urza, Lord High Artificer
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Adaptive Omnitool
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Basalt Monolith
*1 Commander&#039;s Plate
*1 Conqueror&#039;s Flail
*1 Cori-Steel Cutter
*1 Cryogen Relic
*1 God-Pharaoh&#039;s Statue
*1 Izzet Signet
*1 Lotus Petal
*1 Luxior, Giada&#039;s Gift
*1 Manifold Key
*1 Mishra&#039;s Bauble
*1 Mox Amber
*1 Mox Opal
*1 Mystic Forge
*1 Nettlecyst
*1 Paradise Mantle
*1 Prophetic Prism
*1 Shadowspear
*1 Simulacrum Synthesizer
*1 Soul-Guide Lantern
*1 Springleaf Drum
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Talisman of Creativity
*1 The One Ring
*1 The Ozolith
*1 The Reaver Cleaver
*1 Urza&#039;s Bauble
*1 Uthros Research Craft
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Storm the Vault
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Tezzeret the Seeker
*1 Tezzeret, Artifice Master
*1 Tezzeret, Cruel Captain
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Arena of Glory
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Cephalid Coliseum
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Great Furnace
*4 Island
*1 Izzet Boilerworks
*1 Mistrise Village
*1 Misty Rainforest
*2 Mountain
*1 Mystic Sanctuary
*1 Otawara, Soaring City
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Riverglide Pathway
*1 Riverpyre Verge
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Seat of the Synod
*1 Shivan Reef
*1 Spirebluff Canal
*1 Steam Vents
*1 Stormcarved Coast
*1 Strip Mine
*1 Thundering Falls
*1 Training Center
*1 Urza&#039;s Saga
*1 Uthros, Titanic Godcore
*1 Witch&#039;s Clinic
*1 Wooded Foothills
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>I'm thrilled to sink my teeth into the newly revealed legends from <em>Avatar</em>! Sokka looks absolutely fantastic, as does just about every other potential commander I've read so far.</p>
<p>I'd place this deck in Bracket 3 (Upgraded) very comfortably, and I'd recommend it to any player that enjoys artifacts-matter strategies. At its best, playing this deck just feels like playing with my dream Vintage Cube deck. That's the play experience I strive for in Commander, and so far I'm very pleased with this effort.</p>
<h3>More <em>Avatar</em>:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="kSDTbQoD3c"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/avatar-the-last-airbender-beginner-box-contents-revealed/">Avatar: The Last Airbender - Beginner Box Contents Revealed</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Avatar: The Last Airbender - Beginner Box Contents Revealed&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/avatar-the-last-airbender-beginner-box-contents-revealed/embed/#?secret=Io1Wl6OmHg#?secret=kSDTbQoD3c" data-secret="kSDTbQoD3c" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="5N3LGtcBnH"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/weeklymtg-gives-a-first-look-at-avatar-the-last-airbender/">WeeklyMTG Gives a First Look at Avatar: The Last Airbender</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;WeeklyMTG Gives a First Look at Avatar: The Last Airbender&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/weeklymtg-gives-a-first-look-at-avatar-the-last-airbender/embed/#?secret=t9w3ixcEhG#?secret=5N3LGtcBnH" data-secret="5N3LGtcBnH" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="rxDeKID42y"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-an-ally-deck-with-katara-the-fearless/">Building an Ally Deck with Katara, the Fearless</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Building an Ally Deck with Katara, the Fearless&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-an-ally-deck-with-katara-the-fearless/embed/#?secret=xZzIeL4oNK#?secret=rxDeKID42y" data-secret="rxDeKID42y" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>


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