It’s been a few months since the last time I posted a “Mana Clash” article, and oddly enough, my last edition to this series was another entry all about tribal strategies in Oathbreaker (linked here). I did not expect to be writing about this archetype again so soon, but Kaldheim ended up being much more centered around creature types than I initially expected. Several different creature types received exciting new support pieces, and we even saw changelings make a return! Given all of the new toys from Kaldheim to play with, I’m very excited to once again delve into the world of tribal decks.
Similar to my “Part 2” article on tribal decks, I’ll be skipping the “archetype discussion” that I’d normally do at the beginning of these articles since I would just be repeating my own words from my first article on tribal lists (linked here). There are a lot of different creature types in MTG, and even though they do not all have equal amounts of tribal support, there’s still a very large variety of ways to build these types of decks. I’ve already written about lists built around cats, dragons, zombies, elves, pirates, and vampires—and that’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to creature types! This “Mana Clash” article will specifically be taking a look at two tribes I haven’t written about before, as well as one creature type that I’ll be revisiting.
Build #1: Golgari Elves—Tyvar Edition!
Decklist: Tyvar’s Heroic Elves
I’ve already written about green/black elf tribal once before after Commander Legends released, but I did not expect to see the archetype receive so much support just one set later. On top of being given plenty of new toys to include in the 58, this archetype was even given its own specialized Oathbreaker—Tyvar Kell! This new planeswalker does pretty much everything an elfball deck would want an Oathbreaker to do; he makes elves, he ramps you, he untaps your elves, and he can even turn your elves into card draw! This latest list runs many of the new elf tribal cards from Kaldheim, though I have opted to stick with the same Signature Spell I used in the list I built around Nissa of Shadowed Boughs. Heroic Intervention is the perfect card for a deck looking to swarm the board this much, and Tyvar’s triggered ability and +1 ability both make it even easier to immediately hold up this spell after he hits the board.
- Elf-Based Ramp: Just like pretty much any other kind of elf tribal list out there, we’re running more than our fair share of mana acceleration. We have access to plenty of one-drop mana dorks in the form of Arbor Elf, Deathrite Shaman, Elvish Mystic, Fyndhorn Elves and Llanowar Elves. After getting a one-drop mana dork on the field, we can use that extra mana to accelerate into further ramp cards like Llanowar Visionary, Elvish Harbinger or Marwyn, the Nurturer. Most of these cards are generically effective forms of ramp, but other tribal payoffs like Elvish Archdruid, Priest of Titania and Heritage Druid are even more effective in this specific style of deck. Perhaps most importantly, all of these different tap abilities pair very well with Tyvar’s +1 ability!
- Win Conditions: As fun as all this mana ramp is, it won’t be very helpful without any other cards or effects to sink mana into. Craterhoof Behemoth is a very classic (and effective) top-end piece for elf decks, but our options certainly don’t end there. Having access to black mana means we can always blow out the rest of the table with a massive casting of Exsanguinate or Torment of Hailfire. Alternatively, we can funnel our mana into cards with game-ending activated abilities, such as Allosaurus Rider or Ezuri, Renegade Leader. We can also drain out our opponents more directly through payoffs like Shaman of the Pack and the newer Skemfar Shadowsage. The drain ability on Lathril, Blade of the Elves can be similarly effective, though it is admittedly a bit clunkier.
- Other Fun Stuff: Thornmantle Striker is another new card from Kaldheim that’s perfect for this kind of deck, particularly since it can act as spot removal for an opposing Oathbreaker. Realmwalker isn’t designed for elf tribal in specific, but its static ability certainly supplies as much card advantage here as it would in any other tribal deck. Lifegain is another effect I love to have easy access to in my Oathbreaker decks, so some lesser-known elves like Essence Warden and Wellwisher fit right in here. Wellwisher in specific works very well with Tyvar’s +1 ability, or any similar untap enablers like Wirewood Lodge. Tyvar’s +1 also works pretty well with Joraga Warcaller due to +1/+1 counters synergies, as well as Heedless One thanks to the combination of deathtouch and trample. As far as spells go, Elven Ambush is another wonderful new addition to the archetype that can help us end games out of nowhere. The Elderspell is much more generically powerful spell in Oathbreaker, though I do especially enjoy running it here as a way to potentially reach Tyvar’s ultimate with relative ease.
Build #2: Izzet Giants
Decklist: Furious Giants
Giant tribal also received plenty of support in Kaldheim and, to my surprise, that support winded up being in Izzet colors. I also covered another Izzet-colored deck in my last tribal article, that one being built around pirates. Similar to that list, I’ve opted to put The Royal Scions at the head of this army; however, there are some notable differences between giant and pirate tribal strategies. Perhaps most importantly, giants require a bit more help in the way of mana ramp, whereas pirates tend to be a bit more low-to-the-ground. One goal these two creature types do have in common, however, is that they love to get in the red zone for a lot of damage. The second +1 ability on The Royal Scions is very helpful in this regard, and this deck doubles down on its offensive potential by having Fire Giant’s Fury as its Signature Spell.
- Mana Acceleration/Card Filtering: Before we can get our giants on the ground, we’re gonna have to set the stage with a bit of mana support. Traditional mana-rocks like Arcane Signet, Izzet Signet and Talisman of Creativity are perfect for this job since they can lead smoothly into a number of our four-drops. Invasion of the Giants and Jeska’s Will can both give us a one-time boost, whereas Fires of Invention can save us a lot of spare mana over the course of an entire game. Having a little bit of early card-filtering can also go a long way in smoothing out our draws. Staples like Ponder and Preordain are excellent go-to cards here, as is the new giant-themed Glimpse the Cosmos. On top of that, we can use our Oathbreaker or Faithless Looting for a bit of added filtering that pairs particularly well with cards like Anger and Echo of Eons.
- Giants Matter: Giants certainly aren’t the most supported creature type out there, but Kaldheim brought plenty of new toys for them to play with. Battle of Frost and Fire mostly functions as a one-sided board wipe for us, as does the heftier Cyclone Summoner. Thundercloud Shaman offers an effect similar to the saga, though its effectiveness is determined by our number of giants in play. Aegar, the Freezing Flame pairs very well with many of our giant-based damage-dealing effects, and Calamity Bearer will let us double-up on all that deadly power. Surtland Flinger‘s ability will similarly increase whenever we choose to toss a giant, though it will hurt to have to sacrifice any of our creatures. As far as more traditional tribal support, Sunrise Sovereign gives a simple +2/+2 and trample buff to all of our other giants, and we can use Giant Harbinger to tutor up whatever giant we may need. Even still, my favorite piece of giant tribal support is most definitely the flexible and flavorful Giant’s Grasp—an excellent and hilarious way to yoink an opposing Oathbreaker!
- Other Giants: Most of our giants come with pretty high mana-costs, though there are a few exceptions. Bonecrusher Giant, Crystalline Giant and Taurean Mauler are all excellent early-drops with abilities that are all variously handy in their own way. After that, our mana curve gets a bit chonkier. Tectonic Giant is a generically strong card that happens to excel in this sort of deck, and Orvar, the All-Form is a “giant” that pairs particularly well with our Signature Spell. The slightly-random Two-Headed Giant is our last official four-drop, though Quakebringer can also act as a four-drop if we foretell it. Thryx, the Sudden Storm gives us a slight discount on our costly cards, but he’s even more impactful as a simple-yet-effective flashy flyer. Given the multiplayer nature of Oathbreaker, this deck is also the perfect place for Warchief Giant to run rampant. Last—but certainly not least—is Inferno Titan, whose damage-dealing potential probably needs no introduction.
Build #3: Esper Angels
Decklist: Aminatou’s Angelic Army
Although angel tribal support in Kaldheim was limited to Orzhov-colors, I’ve opted to lightly splash blue and go Esper for this list—and no, I’m not just doing it so I can run Ethereal Valkyrie (one of my personal favorite cards from Kaldheim). I specifically wanted to try out Aminatou, the Fateshifter with this archetype, primarily for her -1 ability. This deck is definitely far from a dedicated blink strategy, but there are still several ways for us to capitalize on such an effect. Aside from Aminatou, the list is almost entirely Orzhov-colored with a bit of a lifegain subtheme. For a Signature Spell, I settled on Akroma’s Will for a few reasons; 1), Akroma is an angel, so this is a major flavor win, and 2) this spell is an excellent way to help our host of angels close out the game.
- Angels Matter: Similar to giants, angels aren’t the most supported tribe out there; however, Kaldheim still brought plenty of new tools for this archetype! Youthful Valkyrie and Starnheim Aspirant are perfect early-drops for this kind of deck, the former for its beef and the latter for its cost-reduction. Bishop of Wings is a similarly-effective two-drop that will be sure to net us plenty of extra life over the course of the game. There are many ways for this deck to put extra life to good use, though one of the best ways is with Righteous Valkyrie‘s anthem-esque effect. Lyra Dawnbringer is here to join in on the lifegain party, in case we needed any more help. Even still, my personal favorite additions to this strategy are Firja’s Retribution and Rampage of the Valkyries since they pair so excellently with Aminatou’s -1 ability.
- Lifegain Support: As it turns out, angels love to gain extra life, so our deck is built to support that sub-strategy! Authority of the Consuls and Blind Obedience are two excellent enchantments that can hit the field early and slow our opponents down. Angel of Vitality, on top of being on-theme, will give all of these different sources of lifegain a little boost. Other angels like Resplendent Angel and Valkyrie Harbinger can turn all this lifegain into even more angels for our ever-growing host. Heliod, Sun-Crowned is a smaller payoff for our lifegain, though he also doubles as an additional enabler. All of this extra life will also ensure that the triggered ability on Liesa, Shroud of Dusk hurts our opponents more than ourselves.
- The Other Angels: Eradicator Valkyrie is another new angel straight out of Kaldheim, and its array of keywords are perfectly-suited for Oathbreaker in general. Our remaining new angel creatures include Ethereal Valkyrie and Glorious Protector, the former for card advantage and the latter for board-protection. Angel of Sanctions is an older angel that can come in handy for dealing with an opposing Oathbreaker, and it even comes with a bit of graveyard value attached. Seraph of the Scales is more of a generically-solid creature, though its keyword abilities can certainly come in clutch when necessary. If our board is in need of a boost, then Serra the Benevolent can lend a board-wide buff (when she’s not making angel tokens, that is). Conversely, Sublime Archangel can use a widespread board to enable a single, massive, targeted buff effect with the help of exalted. We can also add even more angels to our board by sacrificing Great Hall of Starnheim or foretelling Starnheim Unleashed—and it wouldn’t be an Aminatou angel tribal deck without good old Entreat the Angels!
An Endless MTG Menagerie
I truly did not expect to be writing another article on tribal strategies this soon, but then Kaldheim came along with all of these fun new toys! Tyvar is the only new planeswalker that got the spotlight here, but I hope to brew a bit more with the others in due time. Truth be told, I think the “foretell” mechanic has been the most exciting thing out of Kaldheim for me so far. Please feel free to share with me whatever parts of Kaldheim have been the most fun for you and your playgroup!
Unfortunately, this article will likely be the last article on the blog for a little while. Without going into too much detail, I’ve been suffering neck/shoulder pains these last few weeks, and they’ve only been getting worse despite my best efforts. This pain is also the reason this article had to come out a day later than expected. I hope to start physical therapy soon, but it will still take a while before I’ll feel up to writing regularly again. My goal is to be back to the blog by the time Strixhaven previews roll around, but you’ll still find me active on Reddit and Twitter until then.
Have you played any tribal decks in Oathbreaker? What planeswalker do you/would you play and build a tribal deck around? Make sure to share your thoughts and brews with me on Reddit or on Twitter!
About the author: My name is Alex Enders. I am a college student that’s been playing MTG for almost eight years, though I only recently began experimenting with writing content. My personal formats of choice are Oathbreaker, EDH, and draft. My other interests include music, education, and most things nerdy. You can find me on Twitter (@AAAEnders) or email me at aenders2112@gmail.com