This is a fun and powerful version of Breena, the Demagogue. This is Breena AGGRO with ‘small’ creatures.
Breena will draw you two extra cards each turn, and she will grow your little utility creatures into absolut MONSTERS.
MAIN FOCUS OF THE DECK:
Fast attacks with ever growing creatures. I've chosen to prioritize creatures with protection abilities, or creatures that disrupts my opponents in some way. I have tried to stay away from creatures that my opponents absolutely have to kill.
I have almost zero interest in playing politics and group hug. If my opponents want to draw some ekstra cards, then that's fine. I’ll take the extra 2 x +1/+1 counters per card.
The main goal of the deck is to quickly get out 1 or 2 small creatures. Then play Breena on turn 3, and immediately draw 2 cards by attacking the two opponents with the most life. The once small creatures quickly grows very very BIG. IMPORTANT: Your opponents can't have the same life total when you attack (with Breena out). Otherwise Breena won't trigger.
The deck is meant to be played in a 4 person pod (at least). It only grows stronger in a 5 person pod. If the pod is only 3 persons the power level drops. For each opponent you can draw a card minus one.
- 2 opponents = 1 card per attack.
- 3 opponents = 2 card per attack.
- 4 opponents = 3 cards per attack.
- Breena is useless in a 1v1 game.
I always try to get an edge by altering the normal deckbuilding template. Normally you would need about 10 ramp cards and 10 card draw. This deck has zero. No ramp and no card draw. The extremely low curve and Breena’s ability to draw two cards each turn (in a four player game), more than compensates for the absence of ramp and normal card draw. Instead this deck is packed with spot removal and protection for your creatures.
You need to start attacking early on. The focus of the deck is therefore small utility creatures with CMC 1 or 2. My playgroup has a lot of drain effects. I therefore have a little lifegain subtheme. Just to keep my life total high. If your playgroup doesn't have that issue, you can swap out the Soul Sister's with some unblockable creatures.
The low CMC creatures needs to have a nice ability. I have focused on creatures that can protect my boardstate. Protect Breena. Cards like Mother of Runes and Benevolent Bodyguard are perfect. Onboard protection often means that your opponents dont even try to kill your creatures. They dont want to waste a spell, when you can just make their spell "fizzle". Therefore they wait and do/kill something else.
STARTING HAND AND MULLIGANS:
You need to mulligan aggressively. The deck is low on lands, and you cant miss landdrops in your early turns. You have no way of coming back, and no way to draw extra cards without Breena. You need at least 3 lands. AND both colors. And you need a 1 or 2 CMC creature.
The perfect starting hand:
Turn 1:
Play land. Cast a 1 CMC creature offering some sort of protection (Benevolent Bodyguard).
Turn 2:
Play land. Cast a 2 CMC creature (Selfless Spirit). Attack a random opponent with your 1 CMC creature (Benevolent Bodyguard). There is always an opening on turn 2.
Turn 3:
Play land. Play Breena. Attack the two opponents with the most life with the 1 and 2 CMC creatures. Before damage is dealt: Draw two cards. Put 2 x 2 x +1/+1 counters (4 in total) on your attacking creatures (or Breena). Making your small creatures medium seize already. Hopefully they will survive. If one of them should die, it doesn’t matter. The card draw is more important.
Turn 4-6:
Keep your creatures alive or reanimate them if they die with cards like Brought Back.
THIS IS NOT POLITICS: Buuuuuuut..... Remind your opponents that they can draw cards by attacking their/your opponents. They get the cards and you build your army larger. In the early turns they are usually not able to take full advantage of the extra card draw. Your army will grow BIG and LETHAL before they can take full advantage of the extra cards. Kill them before they can.
DANGERS:
- You commit a lot of resources to the board. Board wipes are dangerous. Especially Toxic Deluge and an overloaded Cyclonic Rift. Keep your hand size up. Don't overextend.
- Keeping a bad starting hand. Mulligan aggressively. A starting hand of 6 or even 5 good cards, are better than 7 medium good cards.
- When you have eliminated 1 or 2 players and are down to 1v1, you need to have a strong board presence in order to close out the game. Breena's ability to draw cards and grow creatures huge, is turned off in 1v1.
POWER LEVEL:
Not playing cEDH. The power level of the deck is about an 8 in casual EDH. It's very strong but it has no tutors. I absolutely hate Sol Ring (and any fast mana). It warps games in an unfun manner. Sol Ring is 'banned' in my decks.
My playgroup usually don't combo off. We have a rule that two card combo'es are banned. This rule makes creature based decks a little stronger. Breena takes nice advantage of that.
WIN RATE:
High. Very high actually. Breena build my way with low CMC utility creatures, is a very fast and aggressive Commander. While yours opponents are slowly building their land base, ramping and playing mana rocks, you are attacking. Growing your army og drawing a lot of cards. Playing even more utility creatures.
My win rate with this deck is close to 1 out off 3 games. And I've been relevant in every single game. My playgroup has caught on to Breenas lethal potential, so I find myself being the 'arch-enemy' early on in most games. I find that highly amusing and challenging. And Breena is able to handle the pressure in most games. And even if Breena is not able to handle the pressure and I'm killed first, I have been relevant and had a fun game of interacting with my opponents.
