Goal of the deck:
Commander damage wins through damage doubling effects and some +1/+1 counter fun to surprise enemies. This deck is actually quite competitive and nearly always plays Reyhan, Last of the Abzan on turn three and then just finds ways for him to get through. The deck is very fast and does not like doing nothing for a turn so you want to mulligan to where you have a mana rock at least in your hand.
Key Cards:
Xenagos, God of Revels: This guy gives haste and +X/+X where X is target creatures power. Super Effective with double strike from Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder on Reyhan, Last of the Abzan with 6 counters for a kill with commander damage
Iroas, God of Victory: Grants creatures menace and they do not take damage from the defender so spells and creatures opponents control are not threats
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight: Doubles all damage to opponents while halving damage to you and creatures you control. Pair this with Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder + Xenagos, God of Revels, you gain 24 life and hit for 24 commander damage with a freshly played Reyhan, Last of the Abzan
Avacyn, Angel of Hope / Sigarda, Host of Herons: When you pop Defense of the Heart this is what you put down. It makes it much harder to get rid of your problem creatures with anything short of exile effects
Damage Doublers:
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight: Arguably the best one in the deck, she also halves damage coming at you and permanents you control
Xenagos, God of Revels: Doesn't quite double damage as much as double a creatures power and toughness
Wound Reflection: opponents take damage dealt to then again
Saskia the Unyielding: Makes an opponent take X damage, where X is combat damage your creatures deal (doubles the damage if you hit the chosen opponent but can also hit pillowforts)
Card Draw:
Rishkar's Expertise: When paired with any of the creatures that grow on opponents turn, this can draw you quite a few cards then lets you play a majority of the deck for free
Greed: Pay one swamp and 2 life any number of times to draw a card
Phyrexian Arena: Lose 1 life and draw a card at the beginning of your upkeep before your draw step
Sylvan Library: Allows you to look at the top three cards and pick one for free during draw step, then can pay an additional 4 life for each card you choose to keep after the first
Sensei's Divining Top: Allows you to pay one mana and look at the top three cards of your library and put them back in any order, you can then tap it to draw a card and put it in your hand
Abzan Charm: Instant cast draw two cards and loose 2 life
Read the Bones: Scry 2 and then draw two cards and loose 2 life
Tutors:
Eladamri's Call: Fetch up a creature at instant speed and put it in your hand, great way to get a counter creator, Gisela, Blade of Goldnight or Abzan Falconer for flying
Enlightend Tutor: Fetch up an Artifact (Sword of Feast and Famine) or enchantment (Cathars' Crusade or Defense of the Heart) and puts it on top of your library
Vampiric Tutor: Search for any card and put it on top of your library
Worldly Tutor: Fetch up a creature at instant speed and put it in your hand, great way to get a counter creator, Gisela, Blade of Goldnight or Abzan Falconer for flying
Demonic Tutor: Search for any card and put it in your hand
Diabolic Tutor: Search for any card and put it in your hand
Academy Rector: Can sac with High Market to go get Defense of the Heart on the end step before your turn or any of the enchantment gods such as Xenagos, God of Revels
Sac Outlets:
Both these cards can be used in conjunction with any of the counter creating creatings for a surprise kill with Reyhan, Last of the Abzan
High Market: Land that can sac creatures on tap and gains 1 life for you which can trigger Archangel of Thune
Ashnod's Altar: Sac a creature for 2 colorless mana
Counters Fun:
Cathars' Crusade: Every creature entering the battlefield gives a +1/+1 counter to all creatures on the battlefield
Verdant Confluence: Can place 6 +1/+1 counters in sets of 2 on target creature or creature
Dromoka's Command: Can place 2 +1/+1 counters on up to two creatures you contol
Abzan Charm: Can put 2 +1/+1 counters on one or two target creatures
Winding Constrictor: Everytime a counter is placed on a creature you control, add one more
Tuskgard Captain: All your creatures with a +1/+1 counter gain trample
Taurean Mauler: Everytime an opponent casts a spell, place a +1/+1 counter on it (paired with Winding Constrictor means 2 for EACH spell)
Sunscorch Regent: Everytime an opponent casts a spell, place a +1/+1 counter on it (paired with Winding Constrictor means 2 for EACH spell) then you gain one life
Managorger Hydra: Everytime ANY player casts a spell, place a +1/+1 counter on it (paired with Winding Constrictor means 2 for EACH spell)
Forgotten Ancient: Everytime ANY player casts a spell, place a +1/+1 counter on it (paired with Winding Constrictor means 2 for EACH spell) then at the beginning of your upkeep you can choose to move any number of +1/+1 counters from him to other creatures
Mikaeus, the Lunarch: Can tap him to place a +1/+1 counter on him (or 2 with Winding Constrictor) and can also tap him to remove a +1/+1 counter from him and place a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control
Kalonian Hydra: Enters the battlefield with 4 counters and everytime he attacks, he doubles the number of counters on himself. Paired with any sac outlet and Reyhan, Last of the Abzan on the field you can surprise opponents with sudden spikes of power on creatures
Archangel of Thune: Anytime you gain life (easy to do with Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder giving lifelink on ETB and attack step) you put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control; pairs really well with Sunscorch Regent to place 2 counters on him and 1 on each other creature
Abzan Falconer: All creatures with +1/+1 counters have flying
Removal:
Austere Command: Can destroy 2: all artifacts; all enchantments; all creatures with CVC of 3 or less; all creatures with CVC 4 or more
Decimate: Destroy an artifact, creature, enchantment, and land
Utter End: Exile nonland permanent
Terminate: Destroy target creature without it being able to regenerate
Naya Charm: Deal 3 damage to target creature
Dromoka's Command: Target player sacrifices an enchantment / Creature you control fights creature an opponent controls
Crackling Doom: Deals 2 damage to each opponent (doubles with Gisela, Blade of Goldnight) and then each opponent sacrifices the creature with the highest power he or she controls
Abzan Charm: Exile creature with power 3 or greater
Mana Ramp:
Not counting the fethces cause there is one of each and every dual land that works in the deck. There is also each filter land that can be in this deck such as Twilight Mire
Chromatic Lantern: Makes all lands (including fetch lands and utility lands) tap for any color
Commander's Sphere: Tap for any color you commander produces
Fellwar Stone: Add any color your opponent makes to your mana pool
Golgari Signet / Gruul Signet / Orzhov Signet / Rakdos Signet: Mana filtering, can pay one colorless to get two colored mana out of it
Combat Tricks:
Tainted Strike: Very easy to one shot someone with a 4 power creature and a damage doubler on board
Ashnod's Altar / High Market + Reyhan, Last of the Abzan + any creature that adds a +1/+1 counter on each spell cast can pump a creature very easily and isn't always noticed as you can move counters over to the commander to hit for damage
Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder: Gives Lifelink AND double strike when he enters the battlefield and when he attacks
Abzan Charm: Distribute 2 +1/+1 counters among up to two creatures / exile target creature with power 3 or greater
Naya Charm: Can tap down all creatures target opponent controls / Deal 3 damage to target creature
Boros Charm: Deals 4 damage to target player (can be doubled by Gisela, Blade of Goldnight to suddenly kill someone) / Permanents you control gain indestructible / target creature gains double strike
Dromoka's Command: Prevent all damage target instant or sorcery damage would deal this turn / Target player sacrifices an enchantment / Creature you control fights creature an opponent controls
Savage Beating: Can give all creatures double strike, or untap all creatures and there is an additional combay phase after this one; Can entwine for both
Rogue's Passage: Land that can make you lethal damage commander unblockable this turn
World at War: Additional combat phase and then can cast it for free the next tun
Sword of Feast and Famine: When equipped creature does damage to a player (Rogue's Passage) untap all lands you control and they discard a card
Aurelia, the Warleader: Additional combat step when when does damage to an opponent (Rogue's Passage) Can get two additional steps with Savage Beating
Combat Celebrant: Another way to get an extra combat step
Win Cons:
Staple cards on field: Xenagos, God of Revels + Gisela, Blade of Goldnight + Reyhan, Last of the Abzan and then play Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder to swing in for a minimum of 24 commander damage that is also lifelink. Have Iroas, God of Victory out and not even worry about blockers.
Almost any of the creatures can take the place of Reyhan to swing for massive amounts of damage
Saskia the Unyielding on battlefield; play Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder to give her double strike and pump her one then cast Tainted Strike to kill two players in one swing
