Pako & Halden
This is a casual, strong Pako & Halden Deck. Aiming for a power level of 7-8. This deck focuses on ramping Pako out quickly, then using extra combats to win the game. Temporal Mastery is only in the deck as a homage to cEDH Pako which uses extra turns rather than extra combats.
While this deck runs a very specific plan (ramp, play Pako, protect Pako, get attacks through, and take extra combats), it’s still very fun to play as you get to play your opponents exciting cards (with all the mana you’ve ramped). Additionally, attacking with a big dog is fun on its own.
Opening Hand
You want to be able to ramp to Pako latest by turn 3 so you'll want at least one 1-drop ramp spell and another ramp spell. (e.g. Birds of Paradise + Nature's Lore). You can easily get a turn 2 Pako in many ways (e.g. Mana Vault or Birds of Paradise + Exploration or Sol Ring + Talisman of Impulse, etc.). It is possible, but rare, to get a turn 1 Pako (e.g. Forest + Lotus Petal + Tinder Wall + Mana Vault).
Note: Summer Bloom is to help take advantage of the fact you'll have a ton of lands with fetch counters on them. It's usually not good in your opening hand. If you do have a hand of many lands + Summer Bloom it can be good and get you a turn 3 or even turn 2 Pako, but otherwise don't keep it intending to use it for early ramp.
Important Cards
Ramp
Mana Vault: This will get you a turn 2 Pako with a Mountain and a Forest.
Sol Ring: This gets you a turn 2 Pako with any talisman by playing both on turn 1 or with Lotus Petal, Simian Spirit Guide, Tinder Wall, or Jeska's Will on turn 2.
Exploration: If you have enough lands, this can get you a turn 2 Pako with one other ramp card. (e.g Turn 1: Forest + Exploration + Forest + Elvish Mystic. Turn 2: Mountain + land into Pako).
Lotus Cobra in general is very strong with fetch lands and spells that put lands onto the battlefield (e.g. Scalding Tarn, Nature's Lore, and Explore).
Extra Combats
This deck runs many forms of extra combats and graveyard recursion to continue doing extra combats. Additionally, Sword of Feast and Famine + an extra combat is similar to an extra turn and usually wins games if you can get multiple of these off.
Aggravated Assault + Sword of Feast and Famine
can go as long as you can keep hitting face.
Jeska’s Will
Jeska's Will + the large amount of graveyard recursion in this deck leads to some very powerful turns.
Getting Damage Through
It's important to be able to get damage through with Pako in order to kill opponents (You don't want to lose to an opponent because they can block with three 1/1s). Winged Boots, Aqueous Form, Rogue's Passage and Whispersilk Cloak help get damage through directly to someone's face. Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar also helps get damage on opponents by hitting other opponents. Pako typically plans to hit the same person a few times to kill them with commander damage, then you can 1 or 2 shot the other opponents with extra combats with an extremely beefy Pako. Kediss only really helps if the opponent is low enough to die by going to 0 life. Cyclonic Rift can also be played before your turn to clear the board to get free Pako swings.
Protecting Pako
Pako is extremely strong if left unchecked, so your opponents will want to remove him. Because of this, we'll want to protect him. For this we have Winged Boots, Whispersilk Cloak, Fierce Guardianship, Force of Will, Force of Negation, Deflecting Swat, Heroic Intervention, Swan Song and An Offer You Can't Refuse. If Pako is getting targeted a lot, don't be afraid to let him go to the graveyard and use graveyard recursion to get him back if his mana cost is getting really high from repeatedly playing him.
Decisions Behind Certain Picks
Winged Boots: Pako already has haste, so he doesn't fully benefit from the classic cards like Swiftfoot Boots and Lightning Greaves so I opted to use Winged Boots and Whispersilk Cloak (especially since we'll have so much mana anyway). Winged Boots is like a cheap Whispersilk Cloak providing similar effects. If the defender doesn't have fliers or enough mana to pay the ward, then it is essentially the same card for cheaper.
Doc Aurlock, Grizzled Genius: Obviously because we'll be playing cards from exile. Even so, this card is not imperative to the deck and can easily be cut. I just like it.
Summer Bloom: As mentioned before, it's used to play some of the many lands you'll have in exile. It's not that good and can be cut, though it does feel nice when it works.
Azusa, Lost but Seeking: Same thing as Summer Bloom, but every turn. Again, can be cut.
Temporal Mastery: Also mentioned before, this is a homage to cEDH Pako. If you don't like or play with people who don't like extra turns, then use another extra combat card here or just replace it with something else.
Problems to Deal With
Neutering Pako
Neutering Pako with effects that make him deal no combat damage (e.g. Maze of Ith or Glacial Chasm) or unable to attack/remove abilities/set power and toughness (e.g. Darksteel Mutation) are major problems. Make sure to get Pako shroud or counter these cards. If you're playing against competitive decks that have many ways to deal with a creature like this, make sure to tune the deck with more answers.
For dealing with lands, we run Boseiju, Who Endures and Wasteland.
For spells, the preferred method is to counter them or give Pako shroud/ward.
Unable to Play Pako
Cards that make you unable to play Pako like Drannith Magistrate are also a major problem. These need to be countered or dealt with.
Against More Casual Decks
If you're in a casual playgroup that allows many or infinite free mulligans, do not mulligan for the best hand. Mulligan until you get a turn 3 Pako (which happens with MANY opening hands of this deck). You may even want to take out some of the more powerful ramp spells (Mana Vault, Jeska's Will, Tinder Wall, etc.). If your playgroup is very casual you may want to replace cards like Deflecting Swat and the 0 mana counters as well.
Against More Competitive Decks
If you're playing against more competitive decks, you're probably close or in the cEDH tier. In this case, you'll want to add even faster cEDH mana (e.g. Mox spells), replace the extra combats with extra turns, Underworld Breach, cEDH lands like Gemstone Caverns and Gaea's Cradle, and other cEDH staples.
