Atraxa

Commander / EDH Combo Counters Four Color GWUB Theme/Gimmick

Aureth

Lands (38)

• 1x Arcane Sanctum
• 1x Azorius Chancery
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Dreadship Reef
• 1x Exotic Orchard
• 2x Forest
• 1x Gavony Township
• 1x Golgari Rot Farm
• 3x Island
• 1x Llanowar Wastes
• 1x Mortuary Mire
• 1x Murmuring Bosk
• 1x Opal Palace
• 1x Opulent Palace
• 3x Plains
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Riftstone Portal
• 1x Rupture Spire
• 1x Saltcrusted Steppe
• 1x Sandsteppe Citadel
• 1x Seaside Citadel
• 1x Selesnya Sanctuary
• 1x Simic Growth Chamber
• 3x Swamp
• 1x Temple of Enlightenment
• 1x Temple of Malady
• 1x Temple of Mystery
• 1x Transguild Promenade
• 1x Vault of the Archangel
• 1x Vivid Creek
• 1x Vivid Meadow

Red Sources (8)

• 1x Astral Cornucopia
• 1x Chromatic Lantern
• 1x Crystalline Crawler
• 1x Exotic Orchard
• 1x Rupture Spire
• 1x Transguild Promenade
• 1x Vivid Creek
• 1x Vivid Meadow

Recursion (5)

• 1x Bow of Nylea
• 1x Creeping Renaissance
• 1x Eternal Witness
• 1x Mortuary Mire
• 1x Phyrexian Reclamation

Power Ups (4)

• 1x Corpsejack Menace
• 1x Doubling Season
• 1x Inexorable Tide
• 1x Winding Constrictor

Distributors (17)

• 1x Archangel of Thune
• 1x Avenger of Zendikar
• 1x Bloodspore Thrinax
• 1x Bow of Nylea
• 1x Cathars' Crusade
• 1x Citadel Siege
• 1x Collective Effort
• 1x Elite Scaleguard
• 1x Forgotten Ancient
• 1x Gavony Township
• 1x Ghave, Guru of Spores
• 1x Loyal Guardian
• 1x Master Biomancer
• 1x Opal Palace
• 1x Ordeal of Nylea
• 1x Orzhov Advokist
• 1x Plaxcaster Frogling

Lords (13)

• 1x Abzan Battle Priest
• 1x Abzan Falconer
• 1x Ainok Bond-Kin
• 1x Champion of Lambholt
• 1x Elite Scaleguard
• 1x Kalonian Hydra
• 1x Mer-Ek Nightblade
• 1x Odric, Lunarch Marshal
• 1x Plaxcaster Frogling
• 1x Thrummingbird
• 1x Tuskguard Captain
• 1x Viral Drake
• 1x Vorel of the Hull Clade

Removal (9)

• 1x Bane of the Living
• 1x Black Sun's Zenith
• 1x Collective Effort
• 1x Ezuri's Predation
• 1x Merciless Eviction
• 1x Scavenging Ooze
• 1x Shinewend
• 1x Sylvan Reclamation
• 1x Utter End

Draw (4)

• 1x Bred for the Hunt
• 1x Fathom Mage
• 1x Inspiring Call
• 1x Tezzeret's Gambit

Tutors (2)

• 1x Bring to Light
• 1x Uncage the Menagerie

Commander (1)

Good Stuff (17)

• 1x Altered Ego
• 1x As Foretold
• 1x Avenger of Zendikar
• 1x Bow of Nylea
• 1x Dreadship Reef
• 1x Inexorable Tide
• 1x Odric, Lunarch Marshal
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Riftstone Portal
• 1x Saltcrusted Steppe
• 1x Spitting Image
• 1x Thought Vessel
• 1x Thrummingbird
• 1x Vault of the Archangel
• 1x Viral Drake
• 1x Vorel of the Hull Clade
• 1x Winding Constrictor

Ramp (9)

• 1x Astral Cornucopia
• 1x Chromatic Lantern
• 1x Crystalline Crawler
• 1x Fertilid
• 1x Harrow
• 1x Ordeal of Nylea
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Sword of the Animist
• 1x Thought Vessel

Pay Offs (6)

• 1x Champion of Lambholt
• 1x Ghave, Guru of Spores
• 1x Mycoloth
• 1x Sage of Hours
• 1x Simic Manipulator
• 1x Viral Drake

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My take on Atraxa, my first ever deck that I built was Jenara +1/+1 counters and it used many of the very same cards. Then they printed Atraxa, she's my baby.

Removal

Boardwipe

• Bane of the Living
• Black Sun's Zenith
Because the goal of this deck is to make our creatures as massive as possible these are the perfect pieces of removal. Very rarely do I not end up with enough mana to deal with the board and often I can wipe everything except my own creatures. Black Sun's Zenith has the added benefit that even if it doesn't outright kill everything I need it to Atraxa, Praetors' Voice, Viral Drake, Thrummingbird, or Inexorable Tide can make certain that even Hexproof/Shroud, Indestructible threats DIE.
• Merciless Eviction
Goodbye SuperFriends, Enchantress, artifact decks, and only very rarely absolute certain death.
• Ezuri's Predation
This is a boardwipe that counters those wide strategies that can sometimes be difficult for the go tall plan. It's one sided and can leave us with a slightly larger board presence, especially when combined with Doubling Season because the extra beasts won't fight. When combined with Master Biomancer and/or Bloodspore Thrinax our Beasts can be much larger when they fight since the static abilities are replacement effects, allowing them to function during the spell instead of afterward like triggered or activated abilities. Not only can our beasts be larger when fighing with Master Biomancer and/or Bloodspore Thrinax, when combined with Mer-Ek Nightblade they will even act like a true boardwipe as they will have Deathtouch when they fight. For the same reason Abzan Battle Priest can lead to a huge amount of life-gain. This also allows you to quickly take over the game with Cathars' Crusade.

Graveyards

• Scavenging Ooze
Some graveyards be scury. Dey gots ta go.

Artifacts

• Merciless Eviction
• Sylvan Reclamation
• Utter End
This is Commander, we got good stuff, if it's not my stuff I probably want it gone.

Enchantments

a.k.a. Solemnity MUST DIE

• Merciless Eviction
• Sylvan Reclamation
• Collective Effort
• Utter End
• Shinewend
Shinewend is really the perfect general purpose enchantment removal for our deck, it can kill many enchantments all the while beating in in the air.

General

• Utter End
I have made it a semi-rigid rule to always have at least 1 piece of removal that is as flexible as possible given my color identity and preferably for that to be an exile effect. The one card that will most likely kill whatever the big bad is.

Ramp

Colorless

• Sol Ring
Most decks run Sol Ring because it's both budget friendly and very effective while maintaining a low cmc. For all of these reasons and because the deck wants to get to 5 mana a.s.a.p. I am still running it. However it only solves half of the deck's needs. Coalition Relic and Pyramid of the Pantheon (or as I like to call it Gild Your Own Builded Lotus) are serious considerations as replacements because the deck is so color hungry.
• Thought Vessel
I am running this because it does provide extra mana and allows the deck to get to 2 mana, get screwed, and have the chance to come back without having to discard. Also the deck can suddenly draw a stupid amount of cards and maintain drawing several to many cards per turn.

Colored

• Chromatic Lantern
Super solid color fixer. Format staple.
• Astral Cornucopia
My god. This card is insane. Unless somebody removes it, it will begin producing 6+ mana. All you do is just play the deck normally and you'll keep proliferating the charge counters, or if you've played Doubling Season and/or Winding Constrictor this can get you the mana to do anything. Will never leave the deck.
• Crystalline Crawler
Again, absolutely nonsensical. Sometimes this is a mana dork that becomes a late game beater for net 0 mana. If you've put out anything from the Power Ups section or a powerful Distributor it makes sooo much mana. It even stores up for when you need it most and doesn't need haste to get mana out of it. *see Red Sources

Land

• Sword of the Animist
Solid ramp card for any deck that wants to swing in.
• Harrow
This card has a large downside in that you have to sac a land giving your opponents the opportunity to counter your ramp spell, effectively turning their counter-spell into a land desctruction spell usually at a time when you do in fact need that land and more. The reason I am still running it is because of Riftstone Portal. Go grab a Swamp and an Island because they're now untapped trilands! I love this combo and the deck needs color fixing, match made in heaven. The upside of this is being able to pull out 2 untapped lands of whatever colors making it net -1 mana.
• Ordeal of Nylea
Perfect synergy. It can put a counter on a creature and in this deck can pay off the same turn.
• Fertilid
Another beautiful synergy with the power to ramp repeatedly and leave behind a body to beat with.

Draw

Repeatable

• Bred for the Hunt
so, Coastal Piracy is pretty good.
• Fathom Mage
Usually draws 1 to 4 cards per turn, maybe more. Important to note that each +1/+1 counter is a trigger so putting 2 +1/+1 counters on her at once with say Citadel Siege would trigger her twice. It is also a may ability so you don't have to kill yourself from her triggers.

Instance

• Inspiring Call
If you absolutely need to draw some cards it can definitely draw a few. It also protects against most boardwipes for reasons and even if it doesn't it gives you what you need to come back. Can also be used as a combat trick. Very good card.
• Tezzeret's Gambit
Draws some cards, proliferates some things, great stuff.

Recursion

Repeatable

• Phyrexian Reclamation
With Atraxa, Praetors' Voice always available and the aditional life gain the deck can sustain, the life loss is not a problem at all. This allows for pretty much anything we need to kill the opponents to never really go away. Excellent.
• Bow of Nylea
While this doesn't look super important, it can prevent people from stealing things from our graveyard, put things back into the deck before we shuffle, and is part of some super nonsense should we need it or just want some fun.

Instance

• Mortuary Mire
A utility land that produces colored mana, effectively 0 opportunity cost with huge potential that is also super budget. This effect can also be repeated by playing bounce lands (Azorius Chancery, Golgari Rot Farm, Selesnya Sanctuary, and Simic Growth Chamber).
• Eternal Witness
Fantastic format staple that can have +1/+1 counters put on it. It also synergizes with Phyrexian Reclamation and Ghave, Guru of Spores to loop our entire graveyard back. As a creature it also works with every other piece of recursion in the deck.
• Creeping Renaissance
A valuable piece of mass recursion that can immediately refuel you after a board wipe. It's also interesting to note that it can get back lands which is useful with Spitting Image.

Distributors

These are the cards that help put +1/+1 counters on our creatures and bring them into Phyrexia's fold so that our dear Atraxa can lead them to victory.

General

• Archangel of Thune
A solid engine that has double synergy with Atraxa, keeps an air presence and our life total high. When combined with Abzan Battle Priest it will dump counters on the field. Can also be triggered by Bow of Nylea.
• Bow of Nylea
This can get a counter on any of our creatures, bringing them into synergy, and making them larger.
• Cathars' Crusade
An allstar in any white deck. In this it places a counter on our entire field repeatably. Follow up with Avenger of Zendikar for an instantaneous threat or for a slower threat Mycoloth. Combine with Ghave, Guru of Spores for another solid token engine.
• Citadel Siege
The only real mode on this is Khans in this deck. This is a very convenient manner of getting counters and over a long game will contribute significantly to your board every turn for "free".
• Forgotten Ancient
This can really get out of hand and keep distributing large amounts of counters to the entire team if played early.
• Gavony Township
Another utility land that has high impact on the game, and unlike most distributors, does so at instant speed.
• Ghave, Guru of Spores
Can put a counter on any creature for at instant speed. He also provides a sacrifice outlet to prevent getting our creatures exiled and can make chump blockers.
• Orzhov Advokist
This little guy functions very similar to Citadel Siege with the added bonus of potentially delaying/incentivising opponents from attacking us, allowing for the deck to get out of hand.

Limited

• Avenger of Zendikar
Unfortunately he only puts counters on his plants, but still creates a bunch of bodies and puts counters on them which is good enough, Avengyboo <3.
• Bloodspore Thrinax
A very new addition to the deck will need some more play time to assess its value. see Removal>Boardwipe>Ezuri's Predation and Updates>Decisions were made
• Master Biomancer
This, as well as Bloodspore Thrinax, allows for every creature after it to have counters as they enter, never leaving them susceptible to small creature removal and if played early ensures that every creature becomes able to benefit from the Lords section. This particular card also makes your creatures mutants which, while not often relevant, can be quite impactful.
• Plaxcaster Frogling
This guy requires quite a bit more work and usually functions on a smaller level, but is comparable to Master Biomancer. If he is built up enough he can even work for Removal>Boardwipe>Ezuri's Predation
• Collective Effort
A nice way of sneaking in another distributor while keeping enough removal for Solemnity
• card:Elite Scalegaurd
An awkward little fellow as far as Distributors go, but a fantastic member of the Lords section, only hampered by the fact that his ability is bolster 2 (Choose a creature with the least toughness among creature you control and put two +1/+1 counters on it.) and not worded like Verdurous Gearhulk.
• Opal Palace
Another powerful utility land that can produce every color the deck absolutely needs. It also puts a counter on Atraxa as she first comes out, which enables her to always be a growing threat and defense.
• Ordeal of Nylea
See Ramp>Land>Ordeal of Nylea

Lords

+1/+1 Counter Lords

• Abzan Battle Priest
Very solid in that he puts a counter on himself and gives potentially the whole board lifelink. Some decks struggle to deal with high life totals and this guy can get us there fast. See Distributors>General>Archangel of Thune
• Abzan Falconer
Very solid in that he puts a counter on himself and gives potentially the whole board flying. This adds to the deck's air presence for blockers and evasion, a nice well rounded lord.
• Ainok Bond-Kin
Very solid in that he puts a counter on himself and gives potentially the whole board first strike. First strike is very hard for some decks to deal with, it makes your creatures amazing on defence and with the size that our creatures can be, nearly unkillable when attacking. This also works extremely well with Atraxa, Bow of Nylea, and Mer-Ek Nightblade as first strike + deathtouch is stupidly difficult to answer.
• Elite Scaleguard
He can preemptively remove our opponents' blockers and ensure that all the work put into making them threats translates to pain. see Distributors>Limited>Elite Scaleguard
• Kalonian Hydra
This guy is stupid. He will kill people on his own if left unchecked and he also makes the rest of your board gigantic before they hit, for free.
• Mer-Ek Nightblade
Very solid in that he puts a counter on himself and gives potentially the whole board deathtouch. See the dread in your opponents' eyes as they realize just how terrible combat got for them, especially when combined with Ainok Bond-Kin and/or Tuskguard Captain.
• Plaxcaster Frogling
This guy generally doesn't do much in this category, however he can end up being powerful, not only protecting your own creatures, but also giving your opponents' creatures shroud. see Distributors>Limited>Plaxcaster Frogling
• Thrummingbird
A tiny little thing that can often lead to getting out of control, and can grow very fast. Proliferate is very valuable as it not only gets +1/+1 counters, but it also works with Black Sun's Zenith, Dreadship Reef, Saltcrusted Steppe, Astral Cornucopia, Viral Drake, card:As Fortold, Vivid Creek, and Vivid Meadow.
• Viral Drake

(loyal Guardian)(to be finished)(to be polished)
Thinking about replacing As Foretold with something a little more consistent, it draws too much hate for it to stick around and get to be useful. I also want the rest of the Dreadship Reef cycle for the deck (Wizards pls finish cycles?!).(Built)

Date added	7 years
Last updated	2 years
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	9 - 0 Mythic Rares 38 - 0 Rares 28 - 0 Uncommons 14 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.60
Tokens	Copy Clone, Morph 2/2 C, Phyrexian Beast 4/4 G, Plant 0/1 G, Saproling 1/1 G
Folders	Counters