Best strategy for a deck built around Archangel Avacyn?

Commander Deck Help forum

Posted on March 10, 2016, 9:04 p.m. by readerrw07

I want to design a deck around the new Archangel Avacyn, but I'm not sure what the best way to approach it is. She's rather unique in that she's actually a Boros commander that doesnt basically say "turn this creature sideways until you win". I have a few auto-includes:

Eldrazi Displacer and Emrakul's Hatcher Both work great with her, Displacer being able to blink her and the Hatcher, and the Hatcher being an easy source of tokens that cna be sac'd to flip Avacyn

Splinter Twin besides being a finisher card along with a few creatures, I can put it on hatcher to more easily keep making "flip Avacyn" tokens

Assemble the Legion Makes 1/1 dudes that can again flip Avacyn and generally an awesome card

Skullclamp make a token, pay 1, draw 2 cards, bolt the board next upkeep

Chandra, Flamecaller a new favorite of mine, gives me draw power, and 4/1 dudes I can easily get rid of

I want to go for a midrange or, if possible, a control strategy rather than just "hit them in the face with Avacyn". What other cards synergize with Avacyn well?

TheHelvault says... #2

I say if you have lots of red/white sac outlets, and obviously ways to copy Avacyn, you could deal 21 damage to each opponent with 7 blinks. I think your goal should be to do that as fast as you can.

Raise the Alarm makes fast tokens, so does Increasing Devotion and White Sun's Zenith.

Kozilek's Return, Street Spasm, and Pyroclasm will also be good.

March 10, 2016 9:19 p.m.

GearNoir says... #3

Now that the multiple flip rule will be changed, I'm not so sure Avacyn would be a good commander except for coolness factor and an expensive way to play a Boros-like deck.

But if you want to go for an angel theme think about: Archangel of Tithes, Aurelia, the Warleader, Balefire Liege, Caged Sun, Defy Death, Emeria Shepherd, Gisela, Blade of Goldnight, Herald of War, Iroas, God of Victory, Karmic Guide, Sword of the Animist, True Conviction, etc.

March 10, 2016 9:33 p.m.

readerrw07 says... #4

Commander damage only includes combat damage, so just using her Bolt effect wont win games

March 10, 2016 9:33 p.m.

readerrw07 says... #5

Angel theme is bad with Avacyn, since she needs non-angels in order to flip. And when was the multiple flip rule changed? Or does it only apply to Bloodline Keeper  Flip?

March 10, 2016 9:35 p.m.

GearNoir says... #6

I suggested angel theme since OP is already considering some token cards for flips.

The rule is supposed to change with SOI as I understand it.

Matt Tabak Article - http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/shadows-over-innistrad-mechanics

Sorry my hyperlink isn't working for some reason. See the "Flippy Floppy" portion.

March 10, 2016 9:42 p.m.

readerrw07 says... #7

Thats a shame about the rule change, though I do aim to try and find more ways to flicker Avacyn to get her back to Archangel side

Token cards are fine since theyre easy things to sac to flip Avacyn (spawns sac themseles as cost, others are Skullclamp targets. I still aim to keep Angels to a minimum

March 10, 2016 10:09 p.m.

MagicalHacker says... #8

If I were to build her, I'd first play non-Aura permanents that giv her wither, infect, lifelink, and deathtouch. Her flip side likes those words. Ways to double damage could also be nice, like Furnace of Rath. Then, I'd play cards that flicker her, such as Conjurer's Closet. You want to able to get her back to her front side. Lastly, to get her to flip in the first place, you want creatures that sacrifice themselves or come into play as 0/0's, like Hangarback Walker.

March 10, 2016 11:01 p.m.

1empyrean says... #9

March 11, 2016 5:52 a.m.

Mortem says... #10

Who doesn't love combos? If you're already playing Twin, why not add Midnight Guard?

March 11, 2016 8:28 a.m.

readerrw07 says... #11

So... I made a thing. What do you guys think of the first draft? I rather like what I have so far



March 11, 2016 9:26 p.m.

1empyrean says... #12

Looks good. I sort of feel like Splinter Twin isn't really being used to its fullest potential, but I'll leave any changes up to you.

Glad to see so many of the cards I mentioned made it into the list.

March 12, 2016 5:33 a.m.

readerrw07 says... #13

I think I'll generally list out my reasons for cards here, and then paste it into the description later

First off, the Blinkers, used to either reset Avacyn to her Archangel side or just reuse ETB effects

Eldrazi Displacer the Deadeye of decks that cant run deadeye... and dont wanna pay 6 mana for a blinker

Conjurer's Closet CAn reset Avacyn every turn,. or get us an ETB every end step

Fiend Hunter can work well as a blinker, especially if I have something like Sun Titan to let me recur it

Stormfront Riders lets us recast Avacyn, AND can make tokens.

Flickerform flat out awesome with Avacyn. Thing dies, flip avacyn, flicker her, she enters, and protects your guys from her own bolt effect

Gift of Immortality Not a blink spell per se, but it will let us recur Avacyn after she flips by sac-ing her Purifier side, Gift revives her as Archangel side

Token Production to give us easily killable things to trigger Avacyn

Tooth and Claw Sac outlet AND makes a token. Whats not to love?

Mobilization Simple soldier token production

Assemble the Legion More tokens for every turn its out? Yes please

Emrakul's Hatcher can be blinked to make tokens that sac itself

Captain of the Watch Expensive for my taste at 6 CMC, but ndoubtedly useful by letting us blink her to make 1/1 sac fodder

Kher Keep Makes a 0/1 dude for a single mana

Kjeldoran Outpost Not many chances to really use this card, so its nice to get to use it here

Spawning Pit will let us sac creatures and make a creature for every two we feed it

Elspeth, Sun's Champion my preferred Elspeth, making three 1/1 tokens as her +1, and having a good chance to boardwipe most things that Avacyn cant kill

Miscellaneous support cards for Avacyn

Gisela, Blade of Goldnight obvious. Able to have Avacyn bolt everyone else for 6 and me for only 1

Furnace of Rath another Gisela minus the damage reduction

Mark of Asylum Keeps my creatures safe from my own commander

Squee, Goblin Nabob a recurrable creature that can be sac's over and over

Chandra's Ignition with the ways I have to change the ways Avacyn does damage, having her deal 4-6 damage to everything for 5 mana is useful

Strionic Resonator will let me use Avacyn's abilities twice

Now for equipments, the fun part :)

Grafted Exoskeleton Whats more fun than bolting everyone at once? How about three poison counters for everyone?

Basilisk Collar Yeah I'll just bolt everyone and everything, then gain three life for every creature and player Avacyn hits, then deathtouch kills everything that the Bolt effect didnt

Blight Sickle Not as effective as deathtouch or infect, but -1/-1 counters can still wear down large creatures fast

Loxodon Warhammer As stated before, Lifelink is useful

Neko-Te Cant kill them all with Avacyn? Alright I'll just tap them all down until someone uses either artifact hate or a "destroy target permanent" spell on this one equipment

Nim Deathmantle is a recursion card for Avacyn

Sword of Kaldra Yeah we'll just exile every creature

Scythe of the Wretched Lets just take everyone's creatures for ourselves, shall we?

March 13, 2016 12:23 a.m.

Penthoplayer says... #14

So, I asked a judge. If Archangel Avacyn is your commander, she does not give access to red. You still have to play mono white. Avacyn, the Purifier does not make her color identity include red, since there are no red mana symbols on the card.

March 13, 2016 9:55 a.m.

1empyrean says... #15

Penthoplayer this is copied directly from the comprehensive rules.

903.4c The back face of a double-faced card (see rule 711) is included when determining a cards color identity. This is an exception to rule 711.4a.Example: Civilized Scholar is the front face of a double-faced card with mana cost 2U. Homicidal Brute is the back face of that double-faced card and has a red color indicator. The cards color identity is blue and red.

March 13, 2016 11:29 a.m.

GearNoir says... #16

Yes, unfortunately that judge was incorrect.

March 13, 2016 12:15 p.m.

readerrw07 says... #17

Remember, always check comprehensive rules for yourself rather than ask judges. A lot of judges really dont know the rules for every format. I know plenty who only know the basic rules of EDH-specific stuff because they judge FNM

March 13, 2016 2:25 p.m.

This discussion has been closed