Commander is a format of Magic: The Gathering that doesn’t always get enough love. The structure of Commander is friendly and mostly casual. To play the format you will need to construct a 100 card deck based around a commander - a legendary creature or planeswalker with the text at the bottom that says it can be played as your commander. Only one copy of a card can be used in the deck, so, unfortunately, that means no playsets allowed. Part of the fun of Commander is the endless possibilities of gameplay.
One powerful and fun deck is Atraxa. She is a legendary creature with power and toughness 4/4 attributed with deathtouch, lifelink, and flying. There are many ways to build this deck. Let’s take a look at some tips to get started with this Angel Horror commander.
10 Building Superfriends
A common way to build Atraxa is to beef the deck up with planeswalkers. When you add them into the mix and base the deck around walkers, it is known as “Superfriends.” The addition of planeswalkers makes the combo possibilities endless.
A few great superfriends lists can be found on the EDHREC website. The link will allow you to fine-tune the type of deck you want to build.
9 Build Budget Friendly
Atraxa doesn’t always have to break the bank. There is a pretty affordable pre-constructed deck that has the basics to get started with. The pre-con costs anywhere from $80-$150. Prices online are usually higher. Try checking your local game store to see if they have a better deal on it.
Pre-cons get a bad rep sometimes, but there are playable ones out there. The Atraxa deck falls into that category. For the price of it, the deck works surprisingly well straight out of the box. Of course, upgrades can (and at some point should) be made if you enjoy playing the deck.
8 Building High End
If you are looking to splurge and go all out for this building this commander deck, another great list can be found here on EDHREC. The site updates regularly and includes cards from newer sets, as well. One of the newer additions to the decklist is Oko, Thief of Crowns.
If you want something somewhere in the middle of the budget and the expensive version try purchasing the pre-con and buying essential upgrade cards here and there, slowly.
7 Create Unstoppable Combos
Half of the fun in playing Atraxa as a commander is her versatility and straight power. Some amazing combos you can add for her would involve The Chain Veil, Tamiyo, and don’t forget to throw a Doubling Season in, as well.
Even if you don’t want to make a for sure plan, as long as your mana base is in good shape, you should be okay to just play around with throwing in awesome cards. After play-testing you will find combos you never thought of before!
6 Goldfish
Goldfishing is a term used by the Magic: The Gathering community that describes play-testing. Draw a test hand from your deck and play the game as if an opponent is playing, but doing nothing to stop you.
This is especially useful for beginners and people who are new to the deck. The more you test, the more familiar the deck and it’s combos will become to you. You will learn what you like and dislike about it and be able to adjust accordingly.
5 Chain Veil
This card is a must-buy for the deck, especially if you are building superfriends. The legendary artifact reads - At the beginning of your end step if you didn’t activate a loyalty ability of a planeswalker this turn, you lose 2 life.
4, T: For each planeswalker you control, you may activate one of its loyalty abilities once this turn as though none of its loyalty abilities have been activated this turn.
The Chain Veil makes playing planeswalker decks even more ridiculous than it already is. Basically, you get to use your planeswalker’s abilities an extra time each turn.
4 Don’t forget to proliferate.
Sometimes, with a deck like Atraxa, there is a lot of maintenance to be done on your turn. It is very easy to overlook. Take your time learning the cards. Definitely be sure to read up on your planeswalker abilities.
Another smart addition to this deck would be to put some cards in that involve giving your opponent negative counters. Then you can proliferate on your opponents while using infect cards. Don’t forget to proliferate them!
3 Don’t Be Afraid To Block
Sometimes playing with Atraxa it can be easy to forget about blocking. She is a 4/4 with flying, deathtouch, and lifelink, so attacking is very tempting. If you attack you gain life and if you smack your opponent around enough you can win by commander damage alone.
However, sometimes blocking is the smarter alternative. Think about it. A big green stompy creature with 6/6 power and toughness swings at you. You block with Atraxa, killing both creatures and you get to recast her from the command zone.
2 Don’t Put A Specific Win-Con In The Deck
If you are someone who just likes to go with the flow and play things out, not putting in a specific win-con could make it fun for you. The awesome thing about Atraxa is that when you are using so many planeswalkers you can oopsy-doodle into a win just by letting them do their own thing.
1 Always Get Atraxa Out First
If you take nothing else away from these tips, remember this very important part. ALWAYS cast Atraxa as soon as you possibly can. There will be exceptions to this rule, but for the most part, this is a good general rule of thumb.
If you cast Atraxa first, she becomes the blocker for the planeswalkers or creatures you will cast next.
NEXT: Magic: The Gathering - The 10 Coolest New Legendary Creatures From Throne Of Eldraine
