Welcome all, first I want to preface this by explicitly stating that this is in no way a 100% competitive decklist, it purposefully contains no creatures with less than five power, and yes this is my tuned deck but it is tuned to my casual playgroup and meta, like most decks it is subject to change with every new set (although that might take some time), and will most likely never be anything too competitive or cutthroat. Now let's get started shall we?
The removal:
Now, if we look at this deck we can see that the removel spells are scarce and, for lack of a better word, clunky. Those would be especially good if you still follow the tuck rule, yet I do not; Chaos Warp, Oblation, and Unexpectedly Absent are very obviously subpar when I could be running Path to Exile, Swords to Plowshares and the always fantastic Beast Within, but my choice is due to the fact that most of my removal comes in form of creatures, and those few spells can target my own creatures in case someone casts the dreaded Merciless Eviction they've been holding for when my Avacyn, Angel of Hope hits my field.
As stated earlier most of my removal is in the form of cards like Admonition Angel and Dragonlord Atarka and so far those have worked quite well and cause quite a surprise when dropped at instant speed with a great body to boot, it makes it very hard for people to justify attacking into an untapped mayael and six open mana when they could attack basically anyone else.
Boardwipes:
As with most effect in the deck I try to make sure boardwipes are on creatures, like
Novablast Wurm
or Crater Hellion, because instant speed and uncounterable is always great, otherwise the boardwipe spells need to be versatile, which is why I run Austere Command or the seven mana instant speed Rout, instead of the classic Wrath of God, also Terminus's miracle cost makes it effective and sometimes instant speed, all while putting my creatures back in the deck for later use.
(If you want to turn the game into archenemy I recommand using Eldritch Evolution to tutor Avacyn, Angel of Hope by sacrifice Bearer of the Heavens, but that's only if you want to get kicked out of a casual playgroup.)
Ramp:
Due to this deck's theme I do not run Oracle of Mul Daya, the extraordinary Bloom Tender or the like, but if you can I recommend you do.
My ramp mainly consists of cards that get multiple lands out of my deck, may it be Kodama's Reach or Skyshroud Claim, enchantments to empty the lands in my hand in Burgeoning and Exploration, and mana doublers like Mirari's Wake or Regal Behemoth. Now this deck has a lot of ramp but keep in my that it is completely okay to keep a hand with just lands and ramp because the commander digs in your library for you, if you keep a hand full of ramp it is feasible for you to have eleven mana on turn four of a four player game... It also feels wonderful.
There is also some artifact ramp, because of course you run Sol Ring but also because those help with mana fixing, you know, in case you don't have green mana in your opening hand.
Top manipulation:
In this deck top manipulation is obviously a very integral part of the game plan, this deck is meant to be played with toolbox strategy, but it's better to be able to choose, or at the very least know, what is in your toolbox. Cards like Sylvan Library and Penance are great because they let you control the top and have an added bonus, penance can protect you and the lybrary can put non-creature cards you want into your hand.
Worldly Tutor gets a creature on top and Enlightened Tutor can get a useful enchantment or artifact, and nothing stops those from also being creatures, so they're really good.
Creatures:
Now if you hadn't noticed we have gotten to the point where this whole description starts to look like an incoherent mess, that's most likely because I'm making this up as a go, but nevermind that. Creatures in this deck follow fundamental rules:
-No on cast triggers, they'll most likely not happen because, ideally, you never cast anything.
-No beatsticks, card like Akroma, Angel of Wrath are really good... in Kalia decks, we're usually playing the long game and an akroma isn't that useful
-Every card need to have a purpose, this could be merged with the last category but I want to make this extremely clear, some cards may have effects but they don't have a clear purpose: Sun Titan is ramp at worst and gets back top manipulation if it ever gets destroyed,
Elderscale Wurm
lets you survives for at least one more turn (usually), Craterhoof Behemoth drops in the lategame and wins. You get the point, it either has a specific purpose or it's removal on a creature, like most of the deck.
(Wurmcoil Engine may seem like it doesn't have a purpose but it is usually a surprise blocker that can be Enlightened Tutored and leaves behind a body, it has a niche purpose)
Landbase:
This deck runs a pretty standard landbase, the fetches,
Naya Panorama
and Krosan Verge get lands out of the deck, get brought back by Sun Titan and shuffle if the top is all non-creature spells. Also I like the signet lands (Mossfire Valley and
Sungrass Prairie
), they turn colorless mana into colors, if you don't run them I feel you're missing out.
The hideaway lands are usually good Mosswort Bridge is the easiest one to trigger but usually takes a couple of turns and will make opponents want to take out your creatures, whereas
Spinerock Knoll
can be activated out of nowhere and opponents don't usually expect seven to the face.
Windbrisk Heights
while also good just is too unreliable to include in This deck, you might never get three attackers at once in this deck but the other hideaway lands have closes that go along with your gameplan.
I run
Contested Cliffs
because there are enough beasts in this deck to make it pseudo removal, not all mayael decks should, this one entirely depends on your deck and how often you feel it has a use.
Run Homeward Path in any deck with powerful creatures. Period.
Protection:
This deck runs many creatures that serve as protection, Avacyn, Angel of Hope gets yet another name drop, Spearbreaker Behemoth has about the same effect,Aegis Angel is strictly worse but still puts in work, and the inimitable Archetype of Endurance which is fantastic against control, just like
Spellbreaker
. Blazing Archon just destroys aggro's gameplan, I mean just look through the creatures they're all good and they all do something a lot of them will be protection.
Lightning Greaves and Swiftfoot Boots are also in the deck because, well they're good, but also haste, plus if someone successfully wipes and you're the first one to cast your commander it will be targeted, so yay for those two. They just put in the work is really why they're there, but you already knew that.
Cheating stuff in:
We all know you want to play mayael to cheat stuff in, if you don't put stupid regulations on yourself play Elvish Piper on top of Quicksilver Amulet, also Garruk, Caller of Beasts is great. Lurking Predators is devastating and will usually get you at least one free creature if you stacked you deck first, also
Deceiver of Form
works, I guess, I mean with two or three other creatures and a Worldspine Wurm on top it wins, so kinda?
If you want to play the deck more aggressively cards like
Impromptu Raid
and Sneak Attack can be added but if you do include them, creatures
Paleoloth
need to be in the deck because your big creatures are more threatening when they're anywhere but in your graveyard.
Conclusion:
If you read through all my incoherent rambling you're probably tempted by mayael, if so good on you, get ready to play a weird Naya control-ish deck that has too many answers for its own good and will cause terrified wonder whenever you take a couple minutes to resolve mayael's ability (choices are hard). Just remember one thing, this deck wins by beating face, but I recommend playing the long game, sitting behind you barricade, and only swinging to kill, because once you're tapped, you will be targeted. Well that about covers it, good luck and I hope this helped you discover the wonders of the blind mad elf lady.
