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Atraxa +1/+1 counters

Commander / EDH Counters GWUB

d_greene

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Lands (31)

Multi-Function (4)

Lands - Utility (3)

Tutor (2)

Ramp (18)

Removal (8)

Counters Multi. (6)

Counter Saving (2)

Grave Hate (1)

Commander (1)

Commander: foil Atraxa, Praetors' Voice

Card Draw (10)

Counter Additi. (6)

Protection (6)

Evasion (2)

I’ve wanted to play Atraxa ever since it came out in 2016, and just settling on a archetype took over a week of deep pondering. This is what I picked, an efficient +1/+1 counters deck, intended to be played live in paper for the purpose of having fun, not to win tournaments.

Worth noting, when constructing the deck cards like Counterspell or Despark were not automatically included because of the cost. Mana costs like or are not easy to have in a four color deck even with all the color fixing this deck has, or difficult to use in conjunction with one other spell of the same color in a turn. This didn't affect every decision I made, but it was always present in the back of my mind during deck construction. Costs with and are essentially the same in this deck.

20201121:

Just testing +1 Generous Patron and -1 Fact or Fiction. Went back and forth on if I should cut Rhystic or FoF, but the general consensus is Rhystic is fine locally. And -1 Bloodspore Thrinax because I've never been happy to draw it, and +1 Etched Oracle because I want to try more card draw options. This ain't great but at minimum it's a 4/4 body that draws me 3, and might draw me more.

The true average CMC is 2.33

  • Brainstorm - It's decent in this deck with 10 fetch lands, but ultimately a cantrip in a non-cEDH deck that has the possibility to lock me more than help me.

  • Cyclonic Rift - This is a good card, but it's not the kind of card I like to play. Honestly Rhystic Study might be the next out because it's in this category.

  • Deathrite Shaman - Last minute cut. I've been thinking about it. It's in the same category as Brainstorm, good with fetches, but I can't rely on them to play this card. And I can't rely on my opponents playing fetches either to make this card function.

  • Despark - This has been in and out of the deck a few times. Currently out.

  • Duneblast - Last minute cut, I want to try Black Sun's Zenith instead.

  • Negate - Cut this for either Glen Elendra Archmage or Fierce Guardianship.

  • Nissa, Voice of Zendikar - I've been eyeing this card for a while, it can do a lot, but honestly it'll use the +1/+1 once and then flounder.

  • Pir, Imaginative Rascal - This was kind of a kneejerk cut. Good idea? Bad idea? This is the only one I don't feel confident about.

  • Sylvan Library - After some thought I decided this is overrated. Not bad, but not good enough for this deck.

  • Treasure Cruise - Decided to cut this after some thought, it's a very good card, might even be good enough for this deck, but I'm worried about getting this early and not being able to cast it.

  • Black Sun's Zenith - Last minute upgrade. I want to try this over Duneblast.

  • Dromoka's Command - This was a fun suggestion, every mode is relevant, I like it. Enchantment Removal which honestly there often isn't enough. Creature removal the only way green knows how, FIGHT! Random gotcha effect for blow out red spells. And finally, a +1/+1 counter, which is actually decent in my deck. I'd guess it'll be a 2 mana +1/+1 counter and fight removal spell 90% of the time, but I look forward to savoring the gotcha.

  • Felidar Retreat - I love everything this does in my deck, I can control when it triggers, I can make bodies when I need the help, I can get several triggers off of fetch lands, and the vigilance is actually decent. The only thing I hate is the mana cost.

  • Fierce Guardianship - I missed this one. Very good protection.

  • Glen Elendra Archmage - After talking it over with friends the pros and even neutral aspects of this card outweigh the cons.

  • Heliod, Sun-Crowned - Irrespective of Walking Ballista, everything about this is good for my deck. Going more and more casual with this deck gave me the confidence to add this infinite combo.

  • Incubation Druid - Last minute addition. Just filling the shoes of Deathrite Shaman as a mana dork.

  • Llanowar Reborn - Initially I was going to ignore this, until a friend mentioned I can just proliferate this with my commander! Totally worth the ETB Tapped effect. This also bumped me up to 34 lands, which is something I wanted to do earlier.

  • Mystic Remora - I needed more draw after cutting Brainstorm, Treasure Cruise, and Sylvan Library. This is the less annoying, and more likely to draw than Rhystic Study. The only reason Rhystic Study isn't cut yet is because of how I've removed card draw.

  • Walking Ballista - I've gone back and forth on adding this or not, and finally decided to add it. It combos with Heliod, Sun-Crowned, but that's not the goal, just something I can do if the cards align.

  • Keep Watch - Another draw spell under consideration. Three mana instant that draws at least 2 cards is not bad, especially when it'll probably draw between 4 and 10 cards. Keep in mind that I don't have to wait for someone else to attack to use this, and can play it on my own sideways swing. However I'll likely only do that if everyone else is staunchly defending.

  • Spike Feeder - Is this worth adding to the deck? There's an infinite combo in the deck at the moment with Walking Ballista and Heliod, Sun-Crowned which also goes infinite with Spike Feeder. However, the two Walking and Heliod are good in the deck on their own, and my focus isn't infinite combos (I just happen to have one in here). Spike Feeder does give +1/+1 counters to creatures which is a very helpful ability in a pinch to start proliferating.

  • Steelbane Hydra - Overlooked this one initially. Seems great with modular deployment and removal. It's not a snap include, and most people I've talked to say not to run it, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to.

  • Tezzeret's Gambit - A little different, we're instead asking "do we cut this?" Essentially a three mana sorcery draw spell that proliferates. Is that one keyword tacked on worth playing what would otherwise be a bad draw spell? I've shied away from all proliferate other than the commander because proliferating +1/+1 counters is generally bad unless you know you can get the proliferation in your opening hand (or command zone).

20200812: This is a list of cards cut from the deck in the initial build. Cards evaluated and failed afterwards graduate to this list. Show

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Casual

93% Competitive