You work here now! Chihiro Pillowfort Yennet

Commander / EDH Casual Control Pillow Fort Theme/Gimmick WUB (Esper)

MurderForBrunch

Land (37)

• 1x Bojuka Bog
• 1x Castle Vantress
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Dromar's Cavern
• 1x Drowned Catacomb
• 1x Exotic Orchard
• 1x Fetid Pools
• 1x Forbidden Orchard
• 1x Ghost Quarter
• 1x Glacial Fortress
• 1x Hall of Heliod's Generosity
• 1x Hallowed Fountain
• 1x Irrigated Farmland
• 6x Island
• 3x Plains
• 1x Prairie Stream
• 1x Rogue's Passage
• 1x Sea of Clouds
• 1x Spire of Industry
• 1x Sunken Hollow
• 3x Swamp
• 1x Temple of Silence
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x Vivid Creek
• 1x Vivid Marsh
• 1x Vivid Meadow
• 1x Watery Grave
• 1x Zhalfirin Void

Artifact (7)

• 1x Coalition Relic
• 1x Dimir Signet
• 1x Fellwar Stone
• 1x Lightning Greaves
• 1x Planar Bridge
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Worn Powerstone

Enchantment (21)

• 1x Aura of Silence
• 1x Aurification
• 1x Control Magic
• 1x Detention Sphere
• 1x Estrid's Invocation
• 1x Ghostly Prison
• 1x Greater Auramancy
• 1x Leyline of Sanctity
• 1x Luminarch Ascension
• 1x Mind's Dilation
• 1x Profane Procession  ^Flip
• 1x Propaganda
• 1x Rhystic Study
• 1x Search for Azcanta  ^Flip
• 1x Smothering Tithe
• 1x Solitary Confinement
• 1x Soothsaying
• 1x Sphere of Safety
• 1x Spirit Away
• 1x Treachery
• 1x Volition Reins

Instant (13)

• 1x Anguished Unmaking
• 1x Brainstorm
• 1x Counterspell
• 1x Desertion
• 1x Enlightened Tutor
• 1x Esper Charm
• 1x Mystic Confluence
• 1x Mystical Tutor
• 1x Path to Exile
• 1x Perplex
• 1x Spell Swindle
• 1x Swan Song
• 1x Thirst for Meaning

Commander (1)

Creature (14)

• 1x Agent of Treachery
• 1x Baleful Strix
• 1x Chromium, the Mutable
• 1x Hanna, Ship's Navigator
• 1x Jace, Vryn's Prodigy  ^Flip
• 1x Keiga, the Tide Star
• 1x Lavinia, Azorius Renegade
• 1x Orzhov Advokist
• 1x Sepulchral Primordial
• 1x Solemn Simulacrum
• 1x Soul Seizer  ^Flip
• 1x Spellseeker
• 1x Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts
• 1x Yennett, Cryptic Sovereign

Sorcery (7)

• 1x Austere Command
• 1x Curse of the Swine
• 1x Dance of the Manse
• 1x Echo of Eons
• 1x Grim Tutor
• 1x Merciless Eviction
• 1x Winds of Abandon

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Maybeboard

Creature (3)

• 1x Geth, Lord of the Vault
• 1x Sower of Temptation
• 1x Thada Adel, Acquisitor

Artifact (1)

• 1x Norn's Annex

Enchantment (2)

• 1x Land Tax
• 1x No Mercy

Sorcery (1)

• 1x Saheeli's Artistry

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Hi all! This is a themed deck built around the film Spirited Away, which I think is a brilliant animation film, and some of the characters that appear on such film. However this is a very unconventional themed deck, rather than picking art that fits a character, I chose abilities and other features of the cards that match the characters, but most importantly fit together in a "real deck". This is a control deck with a lot of action on each of your main phases, with more or less expensive spells, and some defensive counters to not to loose to fast combo or big ramp decks. In few words, this is a pillowfort/theft deck, where you protect yourself with Propaganda effects and then cast or steal the other player's stuff to finish the game, which fits quite well with Yubaba's power.

Flavour of the Deck

An important thing to say about what cards represents who or what, is that art is important in some cases, but in many others I chose to match the abilities or features of the cards to the characters rather than art itself. Some cards in Magic happen to have abilities or be spells that match perfectly some things that appears on the film. A pretty straight forward example of this would be the card Curse of the Swine which is essentially the curse that transforms people into pigs! I guess another good example is the Commander, which in this case Yennett, Cryptic Sovereign and represents Yubaba in her avian form! It used to be Sen Triplets, but even though the abilities were flavorful, the creature itself didn't match any character whatsoever! Also Yubaba and Yennett sound kindda alike, so there's that.

List of Characters in the Deck

• Chihiro: Spellseeker. Chihiro, as you would imagine, is one of the more challenging characters of the film to fit into a creature. Spellseeker seems to fit in that Chihiro spends the hole movie seeking for a way to un-curse their parents. Also, she seeks to help Haku when he's hurt in Dragon form, and the faceless when he becomes a monster. She also goes to find Zeniba to give her Seal back.
• Haku: Jace, Vryn's Prodigy  . He is a blue looter (so he's supper blue), that becomes later a Planeswaker (someone who can travel worlds, in the fiction). Also an apprentice of a powerful Wizard/Witch, and manipulated by his mentor.
• Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi (Haku in dragon form): Chromium, the Mutable. For some time I had Dragonlord Ojutai as Haku in it's dragon form, but Chromium is literally a shinny dragon (just like Haku's scales shine, sort or) that transforms into an unblockable hexproof human! This card has to be Haku!
• Yubaba: Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts. This card really fits as Yubaba! The White and Black colours really fit, White because order and law, agreements and contracts of the Bathhouse, and Black because of the greed and ambition for power and control that Yubaba has. Also, the art kindda looks like younger Yubaba sit at her armchair. For the longest time Yubaba was being represented by Phoebe, Head of S.N.E.A.K. just because Phoebe is literally the best flavor inclusion. It literally steals the text of other creatures! However, it's a silver-bordered card, and some people aren't keen on that.
• Yubaba's Eagle: Baleful Strix
• Yubaba in her Sphinx form: Yennett, Cryptic Sovereign. The blue colour identity is added due to her power to shift forms. And a Flying Menacing Vigilant flying legendary creature really fits her!
• Zeniba: card: Hannah, Ship's Navigator. Hannah kindda fits, in that she interacts with enchantment that have disappeared (aka. they're in the graveyard) like the enchantment in hear seal. She also gives Chihiro an enchanted hair band, telling her that it will protect her.
• Zeniba's lamp: Solemn Simulacrum. Not only it has an arm, but also another one, and a head, and two legs! In the MTG universe this lamp is more personified! Important, the version I run is the M12 one with the light in its chest!
• Polluted River Spirit: Sepulchral Primordial. Pretty straight forward, it's a big dirty blob that brings a bunch of stuff to the field.
• Paper birds: Luminarch Ascension. These are the paper birds that chase Haku when he is in his Dragon form. I believe they are called Shikigami.
• Chichiyaku, the Bathhouse manager: Agent of Treachery. He steals something on the other side, thus he's controlling the other "minions". And then he draws cards, he's generating benefits for the Bathhouse.
• Lin: Lavinia, Azorius Renegade. This creature really matches Lin. Despite the hair she looks a bit alike Lin, and the colour combination also matches Lin. White is the colour which stands for lawfulness and order and at first she's upset at Chihiro for being arround, just because she's wanted. But Lavinia is also Blue, and it also fits, because she's kindda sneaky! She helps Chihiro get to the top level and acts against her duty as a bathhouse for doing that, sort of.

I considered Kamagi as Sifter of Skulls for a while. In this case the art itself wouldn't match at all, I know. But the Sifter is a guy with multiple limbs, that spits little tokens that produce resources, which would be the sootballs that carry coal! I finally cut it because it's a loose include in the deck. Also Chihiro was Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit for a while, but Spellseeker was a much better card that also seemed to fit.

Other Flavor of the Deck

There are also other cards which are thematic, but not proper characters. Planar Bridge is the tunnel that connects both worlds. The wind that comes from it is Winds of Abandon, like a breeze that makes you give in. Rogue's Passage is the backdoor to the boiler room. Profane Procession   would be the procession of spirits from the Boat to the Bathhouse. The new art on Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth kindda looks like Zeniba's house, in the midle of the swamp. The unmaking of the pig curse by Yubaba at the end of the film is probably an Anguished Unmaking. Also Spirit Away is almost the title of the film, so...

For the Pillowfort aspect, the Magical World is protected by some sort of Ghostly Prison. And a bathhouse of that kind doesn't hold itself without a good Propaganda. One of the Yubaba's power is the Aurification of uncooperative workers or intruders. At the same time a Sphere of Safety surrounds the Magical World! The confinement of Chihiro in the bathhouse is a certainly Solitary Confinement. And Yubaba Render Silent Chihiro with the Aura of Silence spell.

A cool thing I thought in this deck, is that there's only 3 proper tutors, in Enlightened Tutor, Mystical Tutor and Grim Tutor. The explanation for these three cards is as follows: Chihiro has three mentor/tutor figures in the film in Kamagi, Haku and in a certain way Yubaba. Kamagi is the Enlightened Tutor, the lightful character that helps her in time of need. Haku is a Mystical Tutor that teaches her about the magical world she's in and the nature of the curse on her parents. Finally, Yubaba is a Grim Tutor, in that she's mean and ruthless, but she gives Chihiro a job, and in some unwanted way Chihiro becomes stronger and more determined under her ruling.

As you can see there's a lot of imagination regarding the cards and not so much solely flavor includes!

Main Strategy

Pillowfort Strategy

The main strategy of this deck is to protect yourself first and foremost, and then find someway to enable your game plan. The main way that this deck has to "control" your opponent threats and protect yourself is through Propaganda itself and other similar effects like Ghostly Prison and Sphere of Safety. Basically, don't let your opponents attack you!

If your Propagandas got blown, or for some reason they are paying 7 mana to attack you with one creature, and you are being attacked, another pretty cool protective (and flavorful) enchantment in Aurification. This cards mean that their creatures get one shot, and then they turn into gold. Any of these cards so far can be recurred with Hanna, Ship's Navigator or Hall of Heliod's Generosity, which besides being a great card has a beautiful art. And the ultimate Pillowfort card in Solitary Confinement!

Finally, the last way to protect you is through Removal and Counterspells. Specially the latter I tend to use them in a protective way, that is, if someone tries to make something to me. There are some spot removal spells like Anguished Unmaking, Profane Procession   and Swords to Plowshares. There is some Wrath effect like Winds of Abandon, Merciless Eviction or Austere Command. And a bunch of counterspells in Swan Song or Spell Swindle.

Control Magic and other Steal Spells

Once you've protected yourself properly it's time to enable your Game Plan, which is a shorter way to say "enable the Game Plan of your opponents on your side". The main way you get there is with Control Magic and similar effects. Although, I don't run all of them due to the fact that if they blow the enchantment, they get their thing back. I only run the very best, like the aforementioned Control Magic, which is the cheapest one, and some other which are really good in Treachery, Volition Reins and Spirit Away.

Other spells that steal stuff irreversibly are Agent of Treachery or Profane Procession  . And some of the best steal spells are the Instant and Sorcery ones, because nobody is expecting those! And differently that the Enchantments they steal irreversibly. Those cards are things like Desertion and Blatant Thievery. Oh! An extra spicy one is Mind's Dilation which allows you cast your opponent's stuff right from the top of their deck.

Finally, I don't run Expropriate! I don't think that card is fun at all, it's more of an "I Win" button. But if you like the card, by all means, run it! It's bonkers good!

Other aspects of the deck

Mana fixing

Unfortunately, card: Sen Tripelts ability does not read as Gonti, Lord of Luxury in that you can't use whatever mana. For that reason, there are some cards that try to help in that matter, like Coalition Relic and Chromatic Lantern. There's also mana rock like Darksteel Ingot, Fellwar Stone and Gilded Lotus to help cast some of the spells you steal. A later inclusion, and a pretty cool one is Smothering Tithe.

The mana base in this deck is kindda weak, because I don't want to invest a bunch upfront for fetches and duals. I've not been playing magic for long, and I don't have a very big collection of cards. Also I don't play Modern, and I do not own fetches of any sort. That's when multicolor lands like Exotic Orchard really shine. And some really bad lands that might be even good, like Undiscovered Paradise, which turns its downside into an upside if you're playing against Back to Basics or Winter Orb. Finally, I also have three Vivid lands in here like Vivid Marsh

Miscelanious

I have the feeling that this deck is going to draw a lot of hate, because nobody likes to loose their stuff and get someone else to play it. For that reason, stuff like Propaganda, Ghostly Prison and Sphere of Safety are really good. Also Aurification or Dissipation Field Specially the Sphere, taking into account all the other enchantemnts in this deck, which sum up a great taxation effect on attacks. The card Perplex is really good to find the first two enchantments. Perplex also finds Chromatic Lantern or Coalition Relic in case you need mana fixing or Anguished Unmaking in case you want to get rid of something problematic. The 3 CMC slot is full of good stuff.

Previous Considerations

Creature Spells

• Diluvian Primordial was a consideration for a long time, but I couldn't find a flavor reason to include it in the deck. Plus my deck is not all that powerful in the Instants and Sorceries aspect, so it would rely too heavily in my opponents.

• Soul Seizer   was a consideration for some time as the black thing that controls Haku. It's a super flavorful inclusion, but it's super slow, and really underwhelming of a card. I swapped it for a flavorful enchantment.

• Phoebe, Head of S.N.E.A.K. used to represent Yubaba for the longest time. But I realized that Yubaba would fit a lot more with Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts which used to represent Zeniba, and Zeniba would be better represented by Hanna, Ship's Navigator. Also, it takes out a Silver-bordered card, which some people aren't keen on. Also to be fair, I feel she would be brutal as a commander, but it turns out it's a bit underwhelming within the 99.

• Kamaji: Hundred-Handed One. Mono-white creature that has a ton of arms. Pretty straight forward. However I don't think it fits that well in the deck strategy. The thing is I'd rather have another Propaganda type enchantment, or Aurification which synergises better with Sphere of Safety!

• Bathhouse Foreman: Orzhov Advokist. This is the guy that gives the bath's tokens. In this case the art does matter a bit, in that the card depicts someone in a counter. Also, there's a small no-face in the art. Besides, he gives you something good, thus you're happy and don't mess with me for some time, which fits the character. Also, Yubaba is represented by Teysa, so the Orzhov advokist fits flavorfully.

• Demon/God-like Clients of the Bathhouse: Gonti, Lord of Luxury. Just a really good card for this deck that has some sort of God-like looks.

• No-Face: Magus of the Will. He really, really looks like the No-Face!

Non-creature Spells

• Winds of Rath was for some time in the deck, but at that time I had many other Control Magic style enchantments. Right now I don't think that card is that good, I instead have Austere Command which is super versatile! Kill everything or kill everything else!

• As Foretold because I had quite a lot of expensive stuff, and playing cards for free is appealing. That being said, the time necessary to play stuff for free is a ton, and without proliferation or extra turns to get multiple counters in less table rotations, I don't think it's worth.

• Celestial Dawn was for some time in the deck, but it really shuts off many of the utility lands in the deck. Also, there's a lot of fixing in the multicolour lands, Coalition Relic, Darksteel Ingot and Chromatic Lantern among other stuff.

• "Evil" Haku: Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver. This card represents Haku when he is under control/vigilance of Yubaba, and thus behaves in an authoritarian way to other people. Also, a pretty cool include in the deck!

As final thoughts, this deck does not have a name yet, other than a brief description of itself, if someone has suggestions feel free to comment. This is basically my first control/steal deck in Commander, so if anyone has played something similar (or not) and has suggestions or directions to take are very welcome (either deck construction suggestions or flavor suggestions). Just any kind of feedback is highly appreciated! :D

Date added	6 years
Last updated	3 months
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	8 - 0 Mythic Rares 52 - 0 Rares 21 - 0 Uncommons 7 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.57
Tokens	Angel 4/4 W, Bird 2/2 U, Boar 2/2 G, Emblem Jace, Vryn's Prodigy, Spirit 1/1 C, Spirit 1/1 WB, Treasure
Folders	Commander, Oui, favorites