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Ayli the Clever Cleric Commander

Commander / EDH Control Lifegain Tokens WB (Orzhov)

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Creature (24)

Enchantment (7)

Land (36)

Sorcery (10)

Instant (2)

Commander (1)

Commander: Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim

Artifact (15)

Planeswalker (5)

Sideboard

Creature (5)

Planeswalker (1)

Maybeboard

Enchantment (3)

Artifact (2)

Creature (1)

The Clever Cleric Commander

This is my second deck that I have made myself. I also did Xenagos, God of Gruul for a much much different play style. This deck has evolved over the course of extensive testing at playgroups and on this site. It is very consistent, has few weaknesses, and is relatively cheap for being as good as it is. Please leave comments and suggestions.

Background:

I started playing Magic the Gathering during Battle for Zendikar. I was playing standard at the time and I thought Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim was a cool card when it was first spoiled. I didn't think it would be good in standard and wasn't surprised when it didn't turn into a staple. When Eldritch moon released, I played BW Control and I loved the playstyle. Gain life, kill your opponents stuff. When I switch to Commander, I had the idea of playing Ayli in my head and I decided to give it a try.

If you like interrupting opponent's combos, disrupting board states, playing politically, and winning without combat damange; Ayli is the commander for you. This deck is about lifegain, recursion, and getting rid of your opponents stuff. If you like that, but don't want opponents to single you out, Ayli is the commander for you.

Other Options

Karlov of the Ghost Council - The more popular Orzhov commander. The downside of Karlov is that people will immediately target you if you are playing him. Also, Karlov only targets creatures, which means you have to be more creative for other things.

The game plan is pretty simple. Honestly it doesn't matter which cards are in your opening hand as long as you can play some things in the early turns. Ideally, Serra Ascendant with a white source is a good place to start. 3-4 lands is also imperative.

Early Game

Like most decks, the first few turns are just developing the board. Dropping Ayli on turn 2 is good because it gives you access to lifegain a little earlier. Alternatively, anything that gains you life or extra mana before turn 4 is good. The deck is a little slow, so avoid being scary early. Unless you have Serra Ascendant, in which case, play that as soon as possible.

Mid-Game

More of the same here. Stay alive, gain life, build mana, control the board as much as you can. Concentrate on feeling out who the threats are and keep them in check without making them feel too attacked. Be political here, let the group choose your targets. If you help people, they will likely allow you to keep Ayli active.

Late Game

Win! There are many ways to do this, which will be discussed later. It is possible to completely lock down the board state. Alternatively there are a few infinite combos in this deck. Concentrate on gaining as much life as possible and playing the game on your terms.

At it's core, this is a control deck about locking your opponent's boards down. These cards help with that.

Board Wipes

Decree of Pain - It is expensive but can be cycled for a mini board wipe. Great card advantage from a full board.

Dusk / Dawn - I have considered taking this card out. It is really good in theory, a lot of the creatures in this deck are small so it is an unequal board wipe. Plus it allows you to get some key creatures back once it is in your graveyard. Unfortunately, I almost invariably find myself wanting a different card in my hand when I have it.

Hour of Revelation - Cheap board wipe. This is perfect if you get off to a slow start and others have very developed board states.

Merciless Eviction - No BW EDH deck is complete without this card.

Toxic Deluge - Gets around indestructible, is cheap, only costs life which this deck usually has plenty of. Check, check, check.

Wrath of God - I don't think this needs an explanation.

Other Removal

Anguished Unmaking - Hits anything (non-land) and is instant. I have never been disappointed to have this card in hand. This card was basically why I wanted to play Ayli in the first place. She is just this on a stick.

Ashen Rider - Yes it is expensive. But it is also incredible. Kill annoying lands? Check. Has synergy with recursion? Check. Big body to sac with Ayli in a pinch? Check. Sac with Ayli's second ability to exile 2 things? Super check.

Dictate of Erebos - This deck is constantly sacrificing creatures. Being able to force opponents to sac creatures as well is very useful.

Grave Pact - I prefer this to Dictate, simply because it is cheaper. Both of these cards have incredible synergy with Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet

Karlov of the Ghost Council - Another Ayli effect for creatures. Karlov is a really good slot here. If you have the board locked down, he gets huge. If you don't he helps get it locked down.

Ob Nixilis Reignited - He kills something, isn't too threatening until he gets around 7-8 loyalty. Gives good card advantage. I would consider replacing him with something, but the card draw is really, really nice. Especially in a deck somewhat lacking in card draw.

Swords to Plowshares - Rounding out the removal with one of the best instant speed removal cards in the game. This card is too good to pass up. In a worst case scenario, can gain you some life.

Ayli needs life. She only goes online above 50 life, so it is essential to gain life quickly and constantly.

Creatures

Archangel of Thune - the first time this hit the battlefield, my playgroup underestimated it...that will never happen again. This card is bonkers. Especially with tokens.

Blood Artist - Part of a game winning combo. Also good life gain over time.

Divinity of Pride - This isn't Serra Ascendant but it is a good imitation.

Gray Merchant of Asphodel - Relatively bad in the early game, incredible mid-game. Occasionally game ending in the late game.

Kokusho, the Evening Star - Big and intimidating. No one wants to kill it. Is a wonder with Blade of Selves

Serra Ascendant - This card is stupid incredible. It will make your opponents groan, but still often won't make you a target as long as you are political about it. Gets you to 50 life faster than just about anything.

Soul Warden and Soul's Attendant - These are solid life gain. Can prevent someone from going infinite with 1/1 tokens.

card:Viskopa Guildmage - the life gain is expensive, but can be incredibly useful.

Wurmcoil Engine - Gives lots of tokens, great recursion target, and gives lots of life.

Other Sources

Alhammarret's Archive - Good life gain and good card draw. Doesn't create either, but still useful for both.

Debt to the Deathless - Great life gain. This over Exsanguinate because above 7 CMC this actually outpaces Exsanguinate in terms of life gain/loss per mana spent.

Elixir of Immortality - Life gain, plus get stuff in your graveyard back into your library. Can be extremely useful.

Exquisite Blood and Sanguine Bond - Infinite combo, either gain a life or cause an opponent to lose a life. Even on their own, these cards are good.

Phyrexian Processor - Technically not life gain on its own. However, it pays for itself in terms of the life spent if you can create a token and sac it to Ayli's first ability. Then, for 5 mana, you gain whatever that initial investment was. Recommend holding this until you have 9 mana, even if your opponents kill it instantly, you will be even on life. With something like Alhammarret's Archive on the battefield, you will be coming out well ahead of the life. This is one of the best cards in the deck. It will often net you 30 life or more before your opponents can kill it.

Torment of Hailfire - This card is so much fun to use. Strongly recommend leading with Hour of Revelation if your opponents have big board presences. If it doesn't kill them, will often leave them Hellbent and with no battlefield presence.

Ayli needs some snacks so that she can exile baddies. Tokens are perfect because they are cheap and it doesn't matter if they die. This allows your best creatures to stay alive while always having fodder for Ayli's Sac Cannon.

Anointed Procession - White's worse Doubling Season nuff said.

Blade of Selves - Hands down the best support card in the game. Almost every creature benefits by having more copies of itself and some creatures go crazy. Kokusho, the Evening Star and Ashen Rider are especially crazy with this.

Elspeth, Sun's Champion - Most of the planeswalkers in this deck are here to give Ayli tokens and none are better at it than Elspeth.

Gideon, Ally of Zendikar - The only thing you want here is a Knight Ally

Hero of Bladehold - This is a little slow, but it is generally worth it because it is consistent and the tokens come in before damage which allows you to sac the token to banish a blocker.

Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet - I could have put this with life gain, but ultimately Kalitas is best when making tokens. Exiling your opponents creatures is a sweet benefit.

Oketra's Monument - Extra creatures and reduced casting costs is very useful.

Ophiomancer - get a sac target every turn as long as you use it on the end step. This card probably gets the most hate in my play group solely based on how consistent it is.

Sorin, Lord of Innistrad - The Emblem isn't bad, but tokens are great and if you have good targets for the ultimate it can be game winning.

Westvale Abbey   - Ormendahl, Profane Prince   is still powerful, and in a pinch it gives you a token.

Wurmcoil Engine - This card is really strong

Recursion is great in EDH, but it is necessary in this deck. Most of my sac targets are gotten through creating tokens, so recursion is sort of a secondary feature of this deck, but it is still important.

Karmic Guide - Hands down, one of the best recursion enablers.

liliana, death's majesty - Technically reusable, her +1 is relatively bad in this deck. Would consider replacing with a better recursion enabler.

Ravos, Soultender - It isn't too the battlefield, which is disappointing, but Ravos is still quite good.

Reveillark - Another incredible card, plus it combos with Karmic Guide.

Sword of Light and Shadow - The second best sword in the deck. This is great recursion, protection, and lifegain.

All of these cards are great and work well, but sometimes you just need that one particular card that gets the win. Black has the best tutors in the game and this deck takes advantage of that.

Demonic Tutor - Sure it is a sorcery, but this is still one of the best (if not the best) tutors in the game.

razaketh, the foulblooded - Don't listen the anit-Raz hype. Yes he is expensive, but this card breaks the game wide open. I have assembled game winning hands in this deck on the turn he dropped. Some of the most oppressive board states I have achieved with this deck have been a result of Raz and open mana.

Recruiter of the Guard - Solid card for a deck with a lot of important small creatures.

Ayli needs a LOT of mana and this deck is happy to oblige. This is one of the things that I struggled the most with putting together. Fortunately, I seem to have found a good place where I always have enough mana without flooding.

Ashnod's Altar - Also a sac outlet, but this is good quick mana in a pinch. Also a infinite combo piece

Black Market - This card is scary in this deck

Burnished Hart - This is a good mana booster/fixer.

Caged Sun - Either white or black works here. This is a little slow, but works well late game.

Chromatic Lantern, card:Commmander's Sphere, Orzhov Signet, and Sol Ring - Obvious mana rocks

Crypt Ghast - Extort is good, double mana is better.

Oblivion Sower - This card is a weird choice for Ayli, admittedly. But, you get to exile 4 of your opponents cards, which Ayli is always trying to do, plus you gain any lands from there. In addition, you get a big blocker that worse case gains you 8 life for an extra mana. Another card that gets completely insane with Blade of Selves

Solemn Simulacrum - Practically an auto-include. Also a great BoS target.

Sword of Feast and Famine - Best sword in the deck (possibly in all of magic). Yes I will take all of my mana untapped at the end of combat. Making your opponent discard is a bonus. Achievement Get all swords on the battlefield simultaneously. Sac Burnished Hart in the first main, swing, deal combat damage and get Burnished Hart back to your hand + 3 additional untapped mana.

Sword of the Animist - Very underrated sword

Infinite Combos

This deck is not about infinite combos. However, this is the competitive version of the deck, so combos are a necessity. With that being said, there are only 2 combos in the deck, but each has a variety of cards that can make it work.

Combo 1: Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond - a classic black life based combo. Substituting Sanguine Bond for card:Viskopa Guildmage also works.

Combo 2: Ashnod's Altar + Karmic Guide + card:Reveilark + Blood Artist (or Sanguine Bond or card:Viskopa Guildmage) for infinite life drain. Just the first three give you infinite life/colorless mana. Add Torment of Hailfire or card:Debt to Deathless for the win.

Non-infinite interactions

BoS Wins Kokusho, the Evening Star + Blade of Selves vs 3 opponents. When Kokusho enters, the legend rule triggers forcing you to sac the tokens. that triggers each opponent losing 10 life and you gaining 30. Combine with Alhammarret's Archive and/or Sanguine Bond for maximum saltiness.

BoS Mana Solemn Simulacrum + BoS gives lots of mana. Sac the tokens after damange before exile and gain card draw! Substitute Solemn for Oblivion Sower and gain exiles/mana, sac at the end of combat after damage for ridiculous amounts of life.

There are many, many more interesting interactions in this deck. Literally every non-land card can interact with at least 1 other card in the deck. Enjoy playing around with them.

Cards that are in the "Sideboard" are good cards that I found better substitutes for. Cards in the "Maybeboard" are cards that are currently in the deck that make it super good. Substitute the sideboard for the maybeboard for a slightly less competitive version of the deck. This can help with less competitive playgroups or just enjoying a slightly different play style.

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Date added 6 years
Last updated 2 years
Legality

This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)

18 - 4 Mythic Rares

38 - 2 Rares

16 - 0 Uncommons

6 - 0 Commons
Cards 100
Avg. CMC 3.88
Tokens Copy Clone, Emblem Ajani Steadfast, Emblem Elspeth, Sun's Champion, Emblem Gideon, Ally of Zendikar, Emblem Liliana, Defiant Necromancer, Emblem Ob Nixilis Reignited, Emblem Sorin, Lord of Innistrad, Human Cleric 1/1 BW, Knight Ally 2/2 W, Minion X/X B, Snake 1/1 B, Soldier 1/1 W, Vampire 1/1 B w/ Lifelink, Warrior 1/1 W w/ Vigilance, Wurm 3/3 C w/ Deathtouch, Wurm 3/3 C w/ Lifelink, Zombie 2/2 B
Folders Competitive EDH
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