The River Heralds- Explorers of Ixalan

Commander / EDH* Counters Explore GU (Simic) Ixalan Merfolk Vorthos

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Creature (37)

• 1x Angler Turtle
• 1x Cenote Scout
• 1x Deeproot Elite
• 1x Deeproot Historian
• 1x Forerunner of the Heralds
• 1x Giltgrove Stalker
• 1x Headwater Sentries
• 1x Herald of Secret Streams
• 1x Jade Bearer
• 1x Jadecraft Artisan
• 1x Jadelight Ranger
• 1x Jadelight Spelunker
• 1x Jungle Barrier
• 1x Jungleborn Pioneer
• 1x Kumena's Speaker
• 1x Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
• 1x Merfolk Branchwalker
• 1x Merfolk Mistbinder
• 1x Merfolk Sovereign
• 1x Mist Dancer
• 1x Nicanzil, Current Conductor
• 1x Ojer Pakpatiq, Deepest Epoch  ^Flip
• 1x Poison Dart Frog
• 1x Sage of Fables
• 1x Seafloor Oracle
• 1x Singer of Swift Rivers
• 1x Spire Winder
• 1x Swift Warden
• 1x Sworn Guardian
• 1x Tempest Caller
• 1x Tide Shaper
• 1x Tishana's Wayfinder
• 1x Tishana, Voice of Thunder
• 1x Vineshaper Mystic
• 1x Waker of the Wilds
• 1x Wildgrowth Walker
• 1x World Shaper

Land (34)

• 1x Captivating Cave
• 1x Evolving Wilds
• 5x Forest
• 6x Forest
• 1x Hidden Cataract
• 1x Hidden Nursery
• 3x Island
• 4x Island
• 5x Island
• 3x Island
• 1x Lonely Sandbar
• 1x Misty Rainforest
• 1x Remote Isle
• 1x Woodland Stream

Enchantment (8)

• 1x Aquatic Incursion
• 1x Deeproot Waters
• 1x Exploration
• 1x Hadana's Climb  ^Flip
• 1x Kumena's Awakening
• 1x Path of Discovery
• 1x Search for Azcanta  ^Flip
• 1x Twists and Turns  ^Flip

Artifact (3)

• 1x Dowsing Dagger  ^Flip
• 1x Explorer's Cache
• 1x Wayfarer's Bauble

Commander (1)

Instant (9)

• 1x Blinding Fog
• 1x Cancel
• 1x Dive Down
• 1x Expel from Orazca
• 1x Filter Out
• 1x Negate
• 1x River Heralds' Boon
• 1x Run Aground
• 1x Verdant Rebirth

Sorcery (8)

• 1x Cosmium Confluence
• 1x Crashing Tide
• 1x Emergent Growth
• 1x Enter the Unknown
• 1x Overflowing Insight
• 1x Prey Upon
• 1x River's Rebuke
• 1x Wave Goodbye

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“River and sea, jungle and sky. Water flows freely between the two halves of the world. We are creatures of the water.”
-Shaper Tuvasa, the Sunlit

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Guardians of the Golden City:

When the sun of Ixalan first shines its full glory on the endless rivers below, it sends its blessing coursing through the waterways. Rays of sun pierce the rainforest canopy and reach all the way down to the jungle floor. The entire wilderness is united by the sun, and the River Heralds stand as stalwart protectors of all its bounty. These nomadic Merfolk of Ixalan have inhabited the densest parts of the jungle for centuries and know all of its secrets. The shining city of Orazca that they once protected may have been lost to the ages, but they were there first. And they will make it theirs once again.

Hakbal of the Surging Soul is a spelunker and explorer who has unearthed countless historical sites and ruins on his expeditions. He was called to action when Ixalan was attacked by otherworldly invaders, and his unique knowledge of history guided him to long-forgotten— and well-hidden— ancient passageways. As Ixalan was besieged, Hakbal became a savior to the River Heralds as he spirited them away to safety, reshaping the trajectory of his tribe as effortlessly as he’d shape the rivers with his tidebending magic. Fearless and intrepid, Hakbal now leads his retinue of Merfolk into uncharted waters and onto new discoveries.

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Deck Strategies:

1. Your tribe of clandestine merfolk rely on each other to adapt to the changing tides of battle.

Many merfolk like Jade Bearer, Deeproot Elite, and Sage of Fables bestow blessings in the form of +1/+1 counters as they or other merfolk emerge that allow you to fluidly develop your boardstate to outmaneuver opponents throughout the game. Some merfolk like Giltgrove Stalker, Merfolk Sovereign, and Tempest Caller focus on evasion and either making your other merfolk unblockable or being unblockable themselves. In addition to making them highly effective at circumventing opposing defenses, these cards can also help you trigger the effects of Dowsing Dagger   or Seafloor Oracle. The overarching strategy of the deck is straightforward and consistent: empower your merfolk with +1/+1 counters and then strike once they've become an insurmountable force.

2. Awaken the explorative urge in your creatures.

The most reliable and repetitive way to gather +1/+1 counters onto your merfolk is through the “Explore” mechanic. Hakbal gives each of your Merfolk an opportunity to Explore each turn, so it usually pays to prioritize churning out Merfolks instead of casting other spells. Many merfolk will also Explore automatically when they hit the field, such as Cenote Scout or Jadelight Spelunker. Nicanzil, Current Conductor and Wildgrowth Walker can both become potent threats if left to linger while your other creatures Explore.

3. Be in tune with the land.

With so many lands passing through your hand with the Explore mechanic and multiple cards in the deck like Hakbal and Exploration allowing you to play an extra land each turn (Cosmium Confluence can even play the three Caves in the deck at once), you’ll never be short of resources. To compliment this, there are also ways to balance out the threat of getting flooded with mana: Remote Isle and Lonely Sandbar can be cycled away, and other unneeded lands can be cast away with Search for Azcanta   or Deeproot Historian—the act of which can trigger a late-game upheaval with World Shaper. The deck also makes heavy use of cards which transform into lands after certain conditions have been met, such as Hadana's Climb  . Unique among these transforming cards is Ojer Pakpatiq, Deepest Epoch  , who transforms back into his original form after enough turns have passed.

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Part of an EHD Explorers of Ixalan revamp:

1) The Sun Empire- Heirs of the Golden City ({R}{G}{W} Dinosaurs)

2) The River Heralds- Guardians of the Golden City ({G}{U} Merfolk)

3) The Brazen Coalition- Plunderers of the Golden City ({U}{B}{R} Pirates)

4) The Legion of Dusk- Conquerors of the Golden City ({W}{B} Vampires)

Date added	4 years
Last updated	1 week
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	5 - 0 Mythic Rares 22 - 0 Rares 21 - 0 Uncommons 24 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.02
Tokens	City's Blessing, Copy Clone, Merfolk 1/1 U w/ Hexproof, Plant 0/2 G
Folders	Explorers of Ixalan EDH, Explorers of Ixalan, Ixalan, EDH Decks (non-original), Explorers of Ixalan Updated, Decks