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Selvala, Explorer Returned

Commander / EDH Control GW (Selesnya)

Fleda


This is my green/white control deck with Selvala, Explorer Returned at the helm. It uses fogs and wrath effects to control the game until Ulamog can clean up. If this intrigues you, please read my silly ideas and crummy justifications for my card choices.

This build of Selvala, Explorer Returned is a control deck, looking to use Fog and Wrath of God effects to keep yourself alive and enemies hamstrung, buying time for you to find your own late game threats. Selvala is being used here not for making mana (though that can be useful in a pinch), but rather for the lifegain and card draw, both of which can be helpful when planning to go long.

The lands in this deck do a bunch of things, as one might expect from a control deck. There are a few different packages that are all looking to help augment what the spells in the deck are trying to do.

Kor Haven, Mystifying Maze, Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree, Springjack Pasture, Labyrinth of Skophos, and Castle Ardenvale are all helping with the "keeping you alive" goal of any control deck, either by generating blockers or just preventing damage from happening. While not reactive, Field of the Dead also churns out blockers that are not too shabby at attacking either.

This deck is running three deserts, Scavenger Grounds and the two cycling deserts in its colors. Graveyards are a popular place to play in Commander, so being able to answer it and problems that arise from it are pretty important. Being instant speed and difficult to counter doesn't hurt either.

Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire is a bit of an odd land. A lot like the MDFC lands, this is either a spell or a land. While it can be tempting to hold on to this so it can kill a creature later, this deck can be mana hungry and missing a land drop so you can maybe kill a creature in a possible future can keep you from developing. So this is a and first that might be able to do something later on. Ondu Skyruins   and Bala Ged Sactuary are listed in the deck as their land sides for this very reason. While they have some late game utility, they are lands first and foremost, and should be treated as such.

We are in green, so I would be remiss to exclude ramp spells from the deck. Hour of Promise and Tempt with Discovery get any of our effect lands, and Hour can even help make some blockers if the stars have aligned, while Yasharn, Implacable Earth is a blocker thatbur can get lands and mess with our opponents.

Selvala, while not included as a mana dork, can do a decent job of bridging from five-ish mana to higher costs, which can be helpful if we need to cast a more expensive mass removal spell. Her card draw ability is also secretly a way to get lands, if inconsistent.

Fogs are an often overlooked tool for control, and this deck makes good use of them. We've got a wide variety of them, such as classics Fog and Holy Day, Riot Control to stop burn, and Guardian Archon to stop all that and more. Blessed Respite is a fog effect that brings an additional control aspect to the table in the form of gravehate. Of course if you just need to dip out for a round, Teferi's Protection is as expensive as it is for a reason. Mandate of Peace, in a similar vein, can lock your opponent out for a round.

White Sun's Zenith pulls double duty as a threat that can also protect you fairly well. Flumph's card draw ability has the potential to deter attacks, as people hate giving card draw to their opponents. Archon of Coronation can blank one attack, with the potential to stop more by fetching the monarch again and again.

Mass removal plays a big role in this deck, as it can do a lot to keep you alive as well as keep your opponents on the defensive; many players just refuse to play into a board if "it's just gonna get wrath'd away..." (never underestimate this soft power).

While they all mostly do the same thing, there is a theme to the spells I've included: more than one thing. Each card kinda needs to be able to do more than one thing in order to be in the deck. There are a lot of mass removal options out there, and some are just better than others.

Exiling or putting things back into libraries is pretty powerful, as graveyards are usually more an extension of the hand. Farewell, Descend upon the Sinful, and Angel of the Dire Hour and help keep dead things dead (their two things are "removing creatures" and "keeping them removed"). In addition, Farewell can just get rid of anything and everything.

Obviously hitting multiple types of things is pretty powerful, and Hour of Revelation can generally fix whatever problem you're facing.

There are a bunch of mass removal cards that just kinda fall into the "does some stuff" category. Rout can be an instant, and Fated Retribution is. Retribution of the Meek costs three and lets Selvala stay on the board. Myojin of Cleansing Fire is an indestructible blocker first, then an instant speed board wipe, and then it's still a creature. Elspeth, Sun's Champion is a planeswalker that can board wipe and then block. Realm-Cloaked Giant wraths and then can be a not inconsequential 7/7.

Lastly, Comeuppance is sweet because it is a fog, mass removal spell, and damage spell all in one.

Targeted removal is possibly just as important as mass removal, and being in white we are spoiled for choice.

For dealing with creatures, Angelic Ascension. Path to Exile, and Swords to Plowshares exile problems at instant speed.

If you've got some non-creatures to deal with, Generous Gift, Sylvan Reclamation, Grasp of Fate, and Song of the Dryads can all hit something.

The Ulamog twins can also deal with anything, but we'll talk about them next.

The most obvious way to win the game is to just go kill our opponents, and once we have worn them down by stopping everything they've done, we can more easily accomplish this task.

The deck as a plethora of ways to get into the red zone. The numerous of Eldrazi (everyone's favorite cards...) all attack pretty well and typically have some more stuff attached to them. Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre and Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger both remove things when they come down, are indestructible, and continue to deny resources as they attack. Blightsteel Colossus is indestructible, has infect, and can be game warping if your opponents are unprepared (it's not an Eldrazi but induces just as many eye rolls). Colossification makes commander damage a real possibility by giving Selvala the bulk she needs to get aggressive. And lastly, Emrakul, the Promised End can cripple one player while killing another, and also gives you a bonus 13/13.

If combat is not your thing, then try Approach of the Second Sun. While card draw is at a bit of a premium in this deck, Selvala combined with just waiting a few turns can allow you to win just with Approach, and the fogs and wraths allow the deck to survive players seeing the writing on the wall. Angel of Destiny, while still using combat in a way, takes advantage of the deck's ability to keep damage off your head and gain life on top of it in order to win the game by just playing the control game.

In addition to all the mentioned threats, there are a bunch of cards that are in the deck for other reasons that also have five or more power or make a bunch of creatures. While not included solely for their murder acumen, they are still quite respectable win conditions in their own right.

While we lack blue's access to counterspells, we do have some in the deck, as well as some other atypical control options.

Warping Wail, Dawn Charm, and Kozilek, the Great Distortion make up our countermagic package. I have put several players on tilt by interrupting them mid "look at how awesome I am" combo because they were sure there was no countermagic at the table, only to have them turn beet red at the sight of Warping Wail. Silence can also do this, but is more generally used as a way to stop the annoying turn that is being telegraphed from the combo player.

This deck has a little bit of tapout control going on, and in order to facilitate this I have included Wilderness Reclamation. This card lets the deck play its expensive threats or expensive mass removal spells and still have mana up for spot removal or fogs.

Drannith Magistrate is a spooky card that can terrify your opponents, particularly those decks that are very dependent on their commander. Depending on the removal levels of the decks on plays against, Drannith Magistrate can be backbreaking. I completely understand if this level of villainy is less kosher to some, and I would not blame someone for running a different card in its place.

Serra's Emissary can put a stop to any shenanigans that are occurring, as well as helping get the deck's attacking going. Picking protection from creatures means you take no more combat damage and all the spooky creatures in the deck are now unblockable, as well as just dodging any other abilities that might be tossed towards this deck. The other options also add various ways to disrupt our opponents. And lastly, this silly creature is also a 7/7 so it can just get in there.

Damping Sphere, Void Winnower, Aven Mindcensor, Rest in Peace, and Archon of Valor's Reach can all disrupt your opponents in unusual ways. While many players are ready for a counterspell, not being able to search or being denied card draw is something many are unprepared to deal with. These cards can be quite tilt-inducing, and a tilted opponent is an un-intimidating opponent. If their reaction to being control in this way is to just swing at you (which it often is), mass removal and/or fogs just adds to the frustration.

Never be afraid to play the politics game. Convincing your opponents that you are useful to them can often be key to staying in the game longer. A deck like this can be worn down though repeated attacks, so never be too proud to point out what another deck can do, and make sure you remind your opponents that you have the resources to deal with the threat that will emerge later. This deck loves the hyper late game, and you should use any resource at your disposal to get there.

If I am missing a card that should 100% be in this deck, it is because I either didn't think of it, my local game stores were sold out, or maybe you're wrong and it's actually garbage. Please let me know if there are cards I should be running in the comments below.

If Eldrazi and infect are not your cup of tea, there are tons of big dumb angels and wurms you could be running instead. I went with the more singularly powerful creatures as a way to keep cards invested on winning to a minimum, but they are by no means bad creatures and you should totally run whatever you like if this style of green/white tickles your fancy.

5/22/2020

Kabira Crossroads > Temple Garden

Pir's Whim > Generous Gift

Return to Dust > Gideon's Sacrifice

Alms Collector > The Wanderer

6/28/2020

Crib Swap > Angelic Ascension

7/13/2020

Fate Forgotten > Labyrinth of Skophos

Respite > Mandate of Peace

Ring of Three Wishes > Colossification

7/17/2020

Temple of the False God > Plains

Venser's Journal > Beast Within

10/2/2020

Frontier Guide > Yasharn, Implacable Earth

Hallowed Burial > Angel of Destiny

10/20/2020

Gideon's Sacrifice > Obscuring Haze

11/15/2020

Austere Command > Retribution of the Meek

11/18/2020

Imperial Mask > Once and Future

12/3/2020

Burnished Hart > Archon of Coronation

Alhammarret's Archive > Phyrexian Triniform

3/18/21

Martial Coup > Doomskar

4/1/2021

Arcane Lighthouse > Bountiful Promenade

4/23/2021

The Wanderer > Secret Rendezvous

5/13/2021

Aetherflux Reservoir > Approach of the Second Sun

Seasons Past > Castle Ardenvale

7/19/2021

Safe Passage > Blessed Respite

8/21/2021

Doomskar > Flumph

9/5/2021

Final Judgment > Realm-Cloaked Giant

Avacyn, Guardian Angel > Wilderness Reclamation

9/12/2021

Urza's Factory > Ondu Skyruins  

Forest > Bala Ged Sanctuary  

9/14/2021

Engulfing Slagwurm > Drannith Magistrate

9/25/2021

Ghost Quarter > War Room

10/16/2021

Slaughter the Strong > Vanquish the Horde

Graypelt Refuge > Overgrown Farmland

11/7/2021 Reliquary Tower > Field of the Dead

Beacon of Immortality > Guardian Archon

11/28/2021

Seht's Tiger > Cartographer's Survey

World Breaker > Serra's Emissary

1/1/2022

Strip Mine > Lair of the Hydra

3/3/2022

Plains > Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire

Terminus > Farewell

Phyrexian Triniform > March of Otherworldly Light

If you think this deck is God's gift to dumpster fires, please let me know in the comments below. I might disagree with you, but at least you'll get to tell someone on the internet they are wrong.

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Date added 6 years
Last updated 2 years
Legality

This deck is Commander / EDH legal.

Rarity (main - side)

12 - 0 Mythic Rares

46 - 0 Rares

16 - 0 Uncommons

10 - 0 Commons

Cards 100
Avg. CMC 4.57
Tokens Angel 4/4 W, Beast 3/3 G, Cat 2/2 W, City's Blessing, Eldrazi Scion 1/1 C, Elephant 3-3 G, Emblem Elspeth, Sun's Champion, Goat 0/1 W, Human 1/1 W, Saproling 1/1 G, Soldier 1/1 W, Spider 1/2 G, Monarch Emblem, Zombie 2/2 B
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