MTG Deck Guide
Breena, the Demagogue
How this deck wins
Incentivise opponents to attack each other while you grow a board of oversized creatures, then pivot and finish the game with pumped threats and control pieces.
Game plan
Early, deploy Breena and political tax effects. Mid game, let the table fight while you accumulate cards and +1/+1 counters. Late game, break parity with evasive, heavily buffed creatures and close.
Avoid
Becoming the early threat or attacking too soon. If the table isn’t hitting each other, Breena isn’t doing her job.
Etrata, Deadly Fugitive
How this deck wins
Chip in with evasive Assassins to cloak opponents’ libraries, then flip stolen cards for free while strangling the table on resources.
Game plan
Early, deploy cheap Assassins and unblockable enablers. Mid game, connect consistently to build a face-down board and generate card advantage. Late game, turn stolen cards face up for free spells and grind opponents out.
Avoid
Attacking without evasion or spreading damage randomly. If your Assassins aren’t connecting, the engine doesn’t start.
Captain Vargus Wrath
How this deck wins
Go wide with Pirates, repeatedly recast your commander, then swing with a massively pumped crew that scales every time Vargus hits the table.
Game plan
Early, deploy evasive Pirates and Treasure makers. Mid game, attack, trade Vargus, and recast him to stack the anthem trigger. Late game, one attack step turns a board of random Pirates into lethal damage.
Avoid
Protecting Vargus too much or playing safe. He’s meant to be recast. If you’re not leveraging commander tax as a buff, you’re missing the point.
Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait
How this deck wins
Chain land drops to draw through the deck, flood the board with landfall payoffs, and bury opponents under overwhelming value and massive creatures.
Game plan
Early, ramp aggressively and fix colours. Mid game, land Aesi and turn every land into a card. Late game, overwhelm the table with token swarms, giant threats, or extra turns.
Avoid
Missing land drops or keeping hands without ramp. If lands aren’t entering every turn, the deck isn’t functioning.
Piru, the Volatile
How this deck wins
Turn mass damage into mass death. Piru wipes the board, triggers damage reflect effects, drains life, and outright kills players through stacked punishment.
Game plan
Early, set up mana, pillow-fort pieces, and damage reflect creatures. Mid game, deploy Piru and threaten the table with a forced detonation. Late game, loop or reanimate Piru to repeatedly clear boards and convert damage into lethal life swings.
Avoid
Paying Piru’s upkeep without a reason or firing her off without payoffs. If Piru dies and nobody’s life total moves, you misplayed.
Rin and Seri, Inseparable
How this deck wins
Flood the board with Cats and Dogs, stack anthem effects, then overwhelm the table with wide combat or burn players out with Rin and Seri’s activated ability.
Game plan
Early, curve out cheap Cats and Dogs to build token density. Mid game, amplify the board with lords and global buffs. Late game, convert your army into lethal swings or direct damage.
Avoid
Keeping slow hands without creatures or splitting focus. If you’re not adding bodies every turn, you’re falling behind.
Zur the Enchanter
How this deck wins
Attack with Zur to tutor powerful low-cost enchantments, lock opponents out of the game, then close with inevitability through card advantage or a clean alternate win.
Game plan
Early, fix mana and protect Zur. Mid game, attack to assemble prison pieces, card draw engines, and value enchantments straight from the deck. Late game, opponents are constrained while you finish with a win condition they can’t meaningfully interact with.
Avoid
Attacking without protection or grabbing “cute” enchantments. Every Zur trigger should move you closer to winning or make losing impossible.
Orvar, the All-Form
How this deck wins
Target your own permanents to copy them repeatedly, snowballing value until you lock the table or win through overwhelming copied threats and combo turns.
Game plan
Early, set up mana and cheap targeting cantrips. Mid game, resolve Orvar and start copying lands, rocks, and value creatures. Late game, explode with infinite mana, endless copies, or game-ending engines.
Avoid
Casting Orvar without protection or firing targeting spells with nothing worth copying. If each spell isn’t multiplying value, you’re spinning wheels.
Sauron, the Dark Lord
How this deck wins
Punish the table for playing the game. Every opponent spell builds an Orc Army, then combat damage and Ring temptation turn into massive card refills and inevitability.
Game plan
Early, fix mana and deploy amass enablers. Mid game, land Sauron and let opponents fuel your board while you control the pace. Late game, swing with a huge Army, loot aggressively with Ring triggers, and overwhelm with endless resources.
Avoid
Dumping your hand before Sauron is online or overextending into wipes without payoff. If opponents aren’t scared to cast spells, you’re not set up properly.
Mishra, Claimed by Gix
How this deck wins
Go wide and turn every attack into a life-drain event. Token swarms bleed the table fast, and if Mishra melds, the game ends shortly after.
Game plan
Early, make bodies and enable haste. Mid game, attack every turn to drain life while stacking aristocrat and damage triggers. Late game, overwhelm with massive token turns or meld Mishra for a crushing finish.
Avoid
Playing too few attackers or holding back on swings. If you’re not attacking with numbers, Mishra is just a creature, not a win condition.
General Ferrous Rokiric
How this deck wins
Cast multicoloured spells to flood the board with 4/4 Golems, then overwhelm opponents with efficient combat backed by Boros pressure.
Game plan
Early, fix mana and deploy cheap two-colour spells. Mid game, land Ferrous and turn every multicoloured cast into a real threat. Late game, chain spells to build an unstoppable board and finish with one or two decisive attacks.
Avoid
Playing mono-coloured filler or sandbagging spells. If you’re not triggering Ferrous every turn, you’re not applying pressure.