The Best Reprints in Avatar: The Last Airbender

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Katara, Bending Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Katara, Bending Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Illustrated by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CMephisto%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Mephisto</a></em></p>
<p>If there's one thing <em>Magic: the Gathering</em> players like more than drawing a card, it's drawing multiple cards, and doing so for (effectively) free. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Katara, Bending Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Katara, Bending Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, arriving in the upcoming <em>Avatar: Last Airbender</em> set, will runneth over your card draw cup, turn after turn, until your hand is full, your board is flooded, and your thirst for enemy blood is finally quenched.</p>
<p>I entered into this deckbuilding excursion with next to no knowledge about <em>Avatar</em> but with the belief that convoke is one of the strongest abilities in Commander. Today, I emerge a disciple of Katara's water-bending ways and finally understand why they named a film <em>Avatar: The Way of Water</em>.</p>
<p>…maybe that's the wrong <em>Avatar</em>…</p>
<h2>What Does Katara, Bending Prodigy Do?</h2>
<p>Katara boasts the set's new waterbend ability that blends the payment-reduction of convoke and improvise into a rejuvenating concoction. Each creature and artifact you tap while paying a waterbend cost reduces the payment by one colorless mana. So, while Katara asks for a steep six-mana payment, it's rare that you'll actually pay full price; heck, you can tap Katara herself the turn she enters for an immediate discount on her card draw. She further incentivizes this line of play by adding a +1/+1 counter to herself if she remains tapped at the end of your turn, resulting in a draw engine that can also inflict serious water damage to opponents.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Azami, Lady of Scrolls"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Minn, Wily Illusionist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Watcher in the Water"></div></div>
<p>Katara's go-wide card draw style resembles a fair number of mono-blue commanders, many of which make an appearance in the below deck's 99. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Azami, Lady of Scrolls" href="#" target="_blank">Azami, Lady of Scrolls</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> asks for very little to begin drawing cards, but she requires stricter deckbuilding that prioritizes Wizards over all else. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Minn, Wily Illusionist" href="#" target="_blank">Minn, Wily Illusionist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> seems to also adhere to a particular kindred spirit, <a href="https://archidekt.com/decks/12239423/minn_and_the_virtues_of_selling_out">but as I've found</a>, a Minn deck running few Illusion creatures can still dish out some very real damage if you bring your own card draw sources. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Watcher in the Water" href="#" target="_blank">The Watcher in the Water</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> similarly trades tokens for card draw but will likely spend much of the game tapped, contributing to combat only from afar.</p>
<p>While these commanders prescribe their optimal play patterns, that's just not how Katara flows. Her decks can lean into creatures, artifacts, or both; her +1/+1 counter ability can read as either flavor text or a way to end games. Ultimately, I went with something in the middle of these axes that plays out like a whirlpool: starting slow, then expediting an advantage as the game ventures into the blimey deep.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Katara, Bending Prodigy</h2>
<p>This take on Katara utilizes two types of token-producers to sail away with the W. To start, her waterbending ability doesn't care which sorts of artifacts or creatures you tap, so I began by filling the deck with cards that provide the highest number of upfront tokens for the lowest mana cost possible:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hard Evidence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Storm Fleet Negotiator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Master of Waves"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spyglass Siren" href="#" target="_blank">Spyglass Siren</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hard Evidence" href="#" target="_blank">Hard Evidence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> trade a single blue pip for two tappable permanents. Did it feel good to unironically slot Hard Evidence into this mix? You bet your waterbending behind.</li>
<li>I wasn't wild about many of the two-mana options but went with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bumbleflower&#039;s Sharepot" href="#" target="_blank">Bumbleflower&#039;s Sharepot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> because it can double as a straight-up removal spell, something rare for mono-blue.</li>
<li>At three mana, I wanted the cards to either offer utility or produce multiple tokens at once. Not many cards fit the bill, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aether Channeler" href="#" target="_blank">Aether Channeler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm Fleet Negotiator" href="#" target="_blank">Storm Fleet Negotiator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> made the cut.</li>
<li>I capped this section at four mana because by this point in the game, I'd hope to have one of my draw-based token-generator online to do the heavy lifting. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Canoptek Scarab Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">Canoptek Scarab Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ethereal Investigator" href="#" target="_blank">Ethereal Investigator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Master of Waves" href="#" target="_blank">Master of Waves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can provide enough bodies to instantly draw you a card off Katara with little additional support.</li>
</ul>
<p>The deck's other token-generators trigger when cards are drawn, enabling you to escalate your card draw exponentially:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alandra, Sky Dreamer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Homunculus Horde"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ominous Seas"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emrakul&#039;s Messenger" href="#" target="_blank">Emrakul&#039;s Messenger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <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>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thopter Fabricator" href="#" target="_blank">Thopter Fabricator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Detective of the Month" href="#" target="_blank">Detective of the Month</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, Minn, Wily Illusionist, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alandra, Sky Dreamer" href="#" target="_blank">Alandra, Sky Dreamer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Homunculus Horde" href="#" target="_blank">Homunculus Horde</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> create high-value tokens when you draw your second card for the turn.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Watcher in the Water" href="#" target="_blank">The Watcher in the Water</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ominous Seas" href="#" target="_blank">Ominous Seas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chasm Skulker" href="#" target="_blank">Chasm Skulker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> produce tokens via card draw, as well, but each carries its own restrictions.</li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="James, Wandering Dad"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Omen Hawker"></div></div>
<p>This deck's selection of ramp spells doesn't include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> but does contain a few Sol Ring-esque effects to use in activating Katara's ability. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omen Hawker" href="#" target="_blank">Omen Hawker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Training Grounds" href="#" target="_blank">Training Grounds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="James, Wandering Dad" href="#" target="_blank">James, Wandering Dad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> reduce Katara's card draw cost by two; plus, James can overwhelm your board with Clues at instant speed. There were other options available, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Enigma Jewel" href="#" target="_blank">The Enigma Jewel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thran Turbine" href="#" target="_blank">Thran Turbine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but in playtesting, these often sat on the battlefield providing little value. In addition to the usual selection of mana rocks, I also wanted to run <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dauntless Scrapbot" href="#" target="_blank">Dauntless Scrapbot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a way to snag a bonus token.</p>
<p>Katara provides plenty of card draw, but I wanted some additional sources to trigger my token-generators in the absence of Katara... and to, you know, draw more sweet, sweet cards:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Toothy, Imaginary Friend"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Starwinder"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Season of Weaving"></div></div>
<ul>
<li>A few sources aligned themselves closely with Katara's strategy, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toothy, Imaginary Friend" href="#" target="_blank">Toothy, Imaginary Friend</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Defiler of Dreams" href="#" target="_blank">Defiler of Dreams</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghostly Pilferer" href="#" target="_blank">Ghostly Pilferer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mechan Navigator" href="#" target="_blank">Mechan Navigator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fit the bill.</li>
<li>Others were too strong to ignore, including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nezahal, Primal Tide" href="#" target="_blank">Nezahal, Primal Tide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi&#039;s Ageless Insight" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi&#039;s Ageless Insight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and the new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Starwinder" href="#" target="_blank">Starwinder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mystic Confluence" href="#" target="_blank">Mystic Confluence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Three Steps Ahead" href="#" target="_blank">Three Steps Ahead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Season of Weaving" href="#" target="_blank">Season of Weaving</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fold modal card draw into a reliable source of removal.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mulldrifter" href="#" target="_blank">Mulldrifter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nulldrifter" href="#" target="_blank">Nulldrifter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are somewhat modal, as well, offering card draw and evasive bodies.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unstoppable Plan" href="#" target="_blank">Unstoppable Plan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lets you double your Katara triggers almost immediately.</li>
</ul>
<h2>How Does This Katara, Bending Prodigy Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<p>Once Katara is online, this deck wants to overwhelm its opponents with card advantage and an ever-growing token army to either get in some damage or continue the windfall of card draw:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Proft&#039;s Eidetic Memory"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reverse the Polarity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Psychosis Crawler"></div></div>
<ul>
<li>Many of these tokens have flying, and cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eldrazi Monument" href="#" target="_blank">Eldrazi Monument</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alandra, Sky Dreamer" href="#" target="_blank">Alandra, Sky Dreamer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lyla, Holographic Assistant" href="#" target="_blank">Lyla, Holographic Assistant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Proft&#039;s Eidetic Memory" href="#" target="_blank">Proft&#039;s Eidetic Memory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> expedite their growth.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wonder" href="#" target="_blank">Wonder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reverse the Polarity" href="#" target="_blank">Reverse the Polarity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sun Quan, Lord of Wu" href="#" target="_blank">Sun Quan, Lord of Wu</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> push even more damage through with evasive anthem effects. I'm falling in love with Reverse the Polarity and can't wait to see how it fares in this deck.</li>
<li>If all else fails, there's always <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Psychosis Crawler" href="#" target="_blank">Psychosis Crawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a card I mostly dislike but one with no analogous effect outside of black.</li>
</ul>
<p>All that said, this isn't the kind of deck that will win in a single alpha strike. Instead, it floods your hand, and the board, with resources, wearing your opponents down until they have no choice but to give into the riptide.</p>
<h2>Katara, Bending Prodigy Commander Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Katara: The Way of Water" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Katara, Bending Prodigy
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Aether Channeler
*1 Alandra, Sky Dreamer
*1 Canoptek Scarab Swarm
*1 Chasm Skulker
*1 Dauntless Scrapbot
*1 Defiler of Dreams
*1 Detective of the Month
*1 Drowned Rusalka
*1 Emrakul&#039;s Messenger
*1 Ethereal Investigator
*1 Ghostly Pilferer
*1 Glasspool Mimic // Glasspool Shore
*1 Homunculus Horde
*1 Hydroelectric Specimen // Hydroelectric Laboratory
*1 James, Wandering Dad // Follow Him
*1 Lyla, Holographic Assistant
*1 Master of Waves
*1 Mechan Navigator
*1 Minn, Wily Illusionist
*1 Mischievous Mystic
*1 Mulldrifter
*1 Nezahal, Primal Tide
*1 Nulldrifter
*1 Omen Hawker
*1 Psychosis Crawler
*1 Junk Winder
*1 Spyglass Siren
*1 Starwinder
*1 Storm Fleet Negotiator
*1 Sun Quan, Lord of Wu
*1 The Watcher in the Water
*1 Toothy, Imaginary Friend
*1 Wonder
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Bumbleflower&#039;s Sharepot
*1 Eldrazi Monument
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Heraldic Banner
*1 Kefnet&#039;s Monument
*1 Midnight Clock
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Sapphire Medallion
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Thopter Fabricator
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Teferi, Temporal Pilgrim
[/Planeswalkers]
[Instants]
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Cyber Conversion
*1 Mystic Confluence
*1 Pongify
*1 Rapid Hybridization
*1 Reality Shift
*1 Reverse the Polarity
*1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
*1 Three Steps Ahead
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Hard Evidence
*1 Lórien Revealed
*1 Season of Weaving
*1 Spectral Deluge
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Ominous Seas
*1 Proft&#039;s Eidetic Memory
*1 Teferi&#039;s Ageless Insight
*1 Training Grounds
*1 Unstoppable Plan
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Command Beacon
*1 Demolition Field
*1 Fountainport
*1 Hall of Tagsin
*1 High Market
*1 Horizon of Progress
*22 Island
*1 Lonely Sandbar
*1 Mystic Sanctuary
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Urza&#039;s Cave
*1 War Room
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p>
<h2>The Way of Water</h2>
<p>This decklist is likely going to ebb and flow as previews for <em>Avatar</em> continue later this year. I'm sure there are plenty of waterbending cards on the horizon, including many support cards for this strategy. For the time being, this mid-power take on Katara can hang in Bracket 3 pods and can easily be powered up or down by adding/subtracting a few staples.</p>
<p>Let me know what you think! Does this deck do the character of Katara justice? What do you think of the new waterbend ability? Let's keep the convo going in the comments.</p>


tla

The Best Reprints in Avatar: The Last Airbender

A Flood of Free Card Draw From Katara, Bending Prodigy