Oloro, Disciple of Bolas

Commander / EDH* WUB (Esper)

Falandrion

Land (38)

• 1x Academy Ruins
• 1x Adarkar Wastes
• 1x Ancient Tomb
• 1x Arcane Lighthouse
• 1x Arid Mesa
• 1x Bloodstained Mire
• 1x Bojuka Bog
• 1x Boseiju, Who Shelters All
• 1x City of Brass
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Drowned Catacomb
• 1x Exotic Orchard
• 1x Fetid Heath
• 1x Flooded Strand
• 1x Glacial Chasm
• 1x Glacial Fortress
• 1x Godless Shrine
• 1x Hall of Heliod's Generosity
• 1x Hallowed Fountain
• 2x Island
• 1x Isolated Chapel
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 1x Maze of Ith
• 1x Morphic Pool
• 1x Mystic Gate
• 2x Plains
• 1x Polluted Delta
• 1x Reflecting Pool
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Sea of Clouds
• 1x Silent Clearing
• 2x Swamp
• 1x Tolaria West
• 1x Watery Grave
• 1x Windswept Heath

Instant (18)

• 1x Anguished Unmaking
• 1x Arcane Denial
• 1x Beacon of Immortality
• 1x Counterspell
• 1x Cyclonic Rift
• 1x Delay
• 1x Despark
• 1x Dig Through Time
• 1x Dovin's Veto
• 1x Enlightened Tutor
• 1x Heliod's Intervention
• 1x Lim-Dul's Vault
• 1x Mystical Tutor
• 1x Pact of Negation
• 1x Path to Exile
• 1x Swan Song
• 1x Swords to Plowshares
• 1x Teferi's Protection

Sorcery (10)

• 1x Approach of the Second Sun
• 1x Austere Command
• 1x Bribery
• 1x Damnation
• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Merciless Eviction
• 1x Scheming Symmetry
• 1x Supreme Verdict
• 1x Toxic Deluge
• 1x Wrath of God

Creature (9)

• 1x Baleful Strix
• 1x Clever Impersonator
• 1x Consecrated Sphinx
• 1x Erebos, God of the Dead
• 1x Kambal, Consul of Allocation
• 1x Serra Ascendant
• 1x Sun Titan
• 1x Vilis, Broker of Blood
• 1x Weathered Wayfarer

Commander (1)

Artifact (11)

• 1x Aetherflux Reservoir
• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Bolas's Citadel
• 1x Fellwar Stone
• 1x Sensei's Divining Top
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Talisman of Dominance
• 1x Talisman of Hierarchy
• 1x Talisman of Progress
• 1x Thought Vessel
• 1x Well of Lost Dreams

Enchantment (10)

• 1x Ashes of the Abhorrent
• 1x Authority of the Consuls
• 1x Bitterblossom
• 1x Leyline of Anticipation
• 1x Luminarch Ascension
• 1x Mystic Remora
• 1x Necropotence
• 1x No Mercy
• 1x Rhystic Study
• 1x Smothering Tithe

Planeswalker (3)

• 1x Ashiok, Dream Render
• 1x Elspeth, Sun's Champion
• 1x Liliana Vess

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Maybeboard

Instant (2)

• 1x Commit / Memory
• 1x Sphinx's Revelation

Creature (2)

• 1x Cartographer's Hawk
• 1x Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre

Planeswalker (1)

• 1x Narset, Parter of Veils

Enchantment (2)

• 1x Ghostly Prison
• 1x Propaganda

Sorcery (1)

• 1x Command the Dreadhorde

Artifact (2)

• 1x Crawlspace
• 1x Vedalken Orrery

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Feedback and replacement-suggestions are very welcome and corresponding explanations much appreciated.

In particular, I am looking for additional ways to bolster the early- to mid-game defenses.
Currently, it pretty much comes down to Bitterblossom and cheap blockers like Serra Ascendant or Baleful Strix, board wipes or No Mercy.

Deck Philosophy

This is an attempt at a Control Deck that does not spoil the game for everybody else. While naturally trying to prevent your opponents from executing their own game plan perfectly, the deck is designed to feel interactive rather than oppressive. It is relatively light on counterspells and limited to very mild stax elements.

At the same time, I have omitted the usual win conditions (such as Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond, Test of Endurance or self-mill) which can sometimes - especially when they seem to come out of nowhere - feel like a sudden unsatisfying ending to an otherwise engaging match.

In combination, the (comparatively) relaxed control aspects and the lack of immediate win conditions also serve to make you appear less threatening and induce your opponents to shift their attention to more immediate threats. Ideally, this allows you to lean back on your giant stone throne and gently 'moderate' the game while secretly preparing the approach of your true master, the Dragon-God.

Game plan

In the early turns, the deck wants to ramp and establish some sort of a draw engine to set up for the reactive control-strategy laid out in the Deck Philosophy.
Due to the lack of an overwhelming board state or infinite combos, the deck aims to stay under the radar in the mid-game and intervene only when necessary. Glacial Chasm can provide an emergency fall-back, in case this plan fails - though it is preferable to save this for the late-game. At the same time, you want to set up a draw engine sufficiently powerful to support your primary win condition, i.e. Bolas's Citadel, Necropotence, Vilis, Broker of Blood or Dig Through Time.
The deck's eventual goal is to establish a position where card advantage and countermagic allow to utilize one of its win conditions.

Win Conditions

Pursuant to the Deck's Philosophy, win conditions should give your opponents a (perceived) option to react.

The primary win condition for the deck is Approach of the Second Sun, ideally cast with Boseiju, Who Shelters All. While there are plenty of ways to facilitate casting it a second time [e.g. Dig Through Time or raw card draw), you still have to work for it and your opponents still have a chance to react after the initial 'warning'.

In addition, while also serving other purposes in the deck, cards like Aetherflux Reservoir, Elspeth, Sun's Champion or Liliana Vess can be adapted as secondary win conditions, all of which require sufficient counterspell-protection.

Finally, some of the cards which are included due to the value they generate on their own can be assembled to game-ending combos:

• Aetherflux Reservoir + Bolas's Citadel + Sensei's Divining Top
• Aetherflux Reservoir + Bolas's Citadel + Necropotence

Manabase and ramp

Obvious omissions (ABUR duals, remaining fetchlands, Sunken Ruins) are due to the fact that I do not own a copy of these. These would otherwise replace Glacial Fortress, Isolated Chapel, Drowned Catacomb and either Adarkar Wastes or Silent Clearing.

Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, Cabal Coffers and Crypt Ghast only work in conjunction and provide mana which the deck honestly can do without.

With regard to mana rocks, I prefer Talismans over Signets, as the latter can sometimes manascrew you with cards that require multiple instances of the same mana and Oloro can offset the occasional lifeloss caused by the Talismans. As the deck is a bit short on ramp, I would ideally include one or two Signets in addition to the Talismans but I fail to find room for them.

Solemn Simulacrum lacks behind its potential in this deck as there are no ways to flicker, sacrifice or recur it. However, the deck needs at least a few early game blockers and the mana cost of Knight of the White Orchid is too restrictive early on while Burnished Hart is less efficient.

Turn 1 plays

• Sol Ring
• Sensei's Divining Top
• Serra Ascendant
• Mystic Remora
• Weathered Wayfarer
• Authority of the Consuls

Turn 2 plays

• Thought Vessel
• Arcane Signet
• Talisman of Dominance
• Talisman of Hierarchy
• Talisman of Progress
• Ashes of the Abhorrent
• Luminarch Ascension
• Baleful Strix
• Lim-Dul's Vault

Turn 3 plays

• Rhystic Study
• Necropotence

Turn 4 plays

• No Mercy
• Aetherflux Reservoir
• Well of Lost Dreams
• Smothering Tithe
• Clever Impersonator
• Erebos, God of the Dead

Cards under review Show

• Baleful Strix, Bitterblossom: Intended to give early- to mid-game protection. Alternatives: Propaganda, Ghostly Prison, Aurification, Sphere of Safety


• Vilis, Broker of Blood: Draw engine and potential win condition, yet very vulnerable to removal. Alternatives: Pull from Tomorrow, Mystic Confluence


• Kambal, Consul of Allocation: early-game protection and lifegain. Alternatives: mill-protection such as Commit / Memory or Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre

Notable Exclusions Show

• Knight of the White Orchid: As much as I would like it for the ramp and early-game blocker, the mana requirement is too restrictive to be a reliable turn 2 play.


• Vedalken Orrery: Might be added in the future, currently trying out Leyline of Anticipation.


• Blind Obedience, Dawn of Hope: Not impactful enough.


• Imprisoned in the Moon, Vindicate: Spot removal should be instant speed.


• Generous Gift: Solid removal, but not good enough considering the plethora of great spot removal in Esper.


• Dralnu, Lich Lord + Riptide Laboratory: Would love to include this lategame value engine, but it's too clunky.


• Rest in Peace, Grafdigger's Cage: One time effects (Ashiok, Dream Render, Bojuka Bog or potentially Kaya's Guile) are more flexible, easier to tutor for and harder to anticipate.


• Minamo, School at Water's Edge: No relevant targets for it.


• Phyrexian Arena: Too slow to pay off.


• Land Tax, Oath of Lieges: The mana requirements are too rigid to support sufficient basic lands.

Final notes:
- Currently considering to add Fractured Identity + Phage the Untouchable as a more wanky/fun wincon.

Date added	4 years
Last updated	3 years
Key combos	Fractured Identity + Phage the Untouchable Aetherflux Reservoir + Bolas's Citadel + Sensei's Divining Top Aetherflux Reservoir + Bolas's Citadel + Necropotence
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	14 - 0 Mythic Rares 59 - 0 Rares 14 - 0 Uncommons 7 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.10
Tokens	Angel 4/4 W, Bird 2/2 U, Emblem Elspeth, Sun's Champion, Faerie Rogue 1/1 B, Soldier 1/1 W, Treasure