It’s been a hot minute, but I’m finally back to my regular routine! In my last “New Perspectives” article (linked here), I talked all about the Simic Devil, Oko, Thief of Crowns. I plan on covering two of the new Zendikar Rising planeswalkers this month for Oathtober, and I’ve decided to start with the Queen of Equipment herself, Nahiri, Heir of the Ancients!
The Oathbreaker
Let’s begin by taking a look at the individual abilities on Nahiri, Heir of the Ancients
This first ability is very reminiscent of the +2 ability on the original Nahiri, the Lithomancer, and I’m glad to see this effect return with her newest iteration. At base value, this is a +1 ability that makes a 1/1 which, while not particularly exciting, is solid nonetheless. This ability immediately becomes even better when paired with equipment like Grafted Wargear, Sword of Sinew and Steel, or the old tried-and-true Batterskull. Being able to consistently add to your board presence turn after turn, even by such a small amount, is a handy effect to have. Also, now seems like a good time to remind y’all that Skullclamp is a card that exists.
Hold on a second, is that card advantage I see? In Boros colors?! Jokes aside, I am a fan of this second ability of Nahiri’s as well. The selection offered by this card is obviously pretty narrow in scope, but it will function as some reasonable card advantage in the right lists. The fact that this ability digs a whopping six cards deep will also help minimize the number of times you’ll whiff off of this ability (which will always be possible, no matter what the specific build looks like). At the cost of 2 loyalty, this ability seems strong (at least by Boros standards), yet fair.
This -3 ability may be the least exciting part of new Nahiri’s text box, but it’s still an ability that could see its fair share of use in Oathbreaker. In a deck built around equipment, it shouldn’t be too difficult to build up enough equipment to essentially turn this ability into a “destroy target planeswalker” effect. This ability can target creatures as well, but I suspect it will more often be useful as a way to temporarily remove an opponent’s Oathbreaker from the board. I’m also a fan of how we’ve been seeing so many walkers with no “ultimates” lately, and Nahiri is no exception.
Similar to her War of the Spark counterpart, this version of Nahiri is clearly geared towards dedicated equipment builds. That archetype alone should make this card a pretty popular Oathbreaker in the long run, seeing as how Nahiri, Storm of Stone currently has 121 decks on edhrec, and I believe that this latest Nahiri is a bit of a step up in terms of power level. That being said, I have no doubt that Nahiri, Heir of the Ancients holds more potential outside of that single archetype.
Build #1: Boros Equipment
Decklist: Nahiri, Heir of Ancient Gifts
Let’s start off by getting the most obvious deck choice out of the way, shall we? I’ve brewed around with Nahiri, Storm of Stone before, but I find this newest iteration of Nahiri much more exciting for a dedicated equipment strategy. Her +1 ability directly gets around any equip cost (as long as it goes on the 1/1 token), which is always a powerful effect to have access to in this sort of strategy. As far as this list’s Signature Spell, I’ve opted to go with good old Steelshaper’s Gift. I’ve tinkered around with other Signature Spells in equipment decks before, but you just can’t really beat the consistency of this one-mana tutor.
- Cheating Costs: Having added redundancy is always nice, so this list is running some ways other than our Oathbreaker to skirt on equip costs. Kazuul’s Toll Collector can equip anything for free, as can Puresteel Paladin once we have enough artifacts on board. Alternatively, we can reduce equip costs with cards like Fervent Champion and Zirda, the Dawnwaker. Maul of the Skyclaves will equip itself for free when it hits the field, and Hammer of Nazahn and Sigarda’s Aid will do the same with all of our other equipment. Even still, the most hilarious way to cheat on equip costs in this deck is definitely with a tricksy Magnetic Theft, which will almost certainly catch our opponents off guard.
- Equip Targets: Even though we can always attach equipment to Nahiri’s tokens, we’re running plenty of other sweet creatures to suit up. Zendikar Rising has brought along Akiri, Fearless Voyager to lend us some extra card advantage, as well as another way to protect our equipped threats. Fireblade Charger is another new creature that I’m excited to try out, and its triggered ability will help discourage our opponents from killing it. Anax, Hardened in the Forge and Champion of the Flame are both great creatures for going tall; however, we can also use Kemba, Kha Regent or Valduk, Keeper of the Flame if we ever need to go wide instead. Gingerbrute is another excellent equip target since it will often be an unblockable, hasty one-drop. Mirran Crusader‘s protection gives it its own form of evasion as well, and having double strike makes it especially effective at closing out games.
- Other Equipment: This list has no shortage of sweet equipment to tutor up with our Signature Spell. We’re running traditional powerhouses like Batterskull and Embercleave, as well as Oathbreaker staples like Umezawa’s Jitte and Sword of Sinew and Steel. If we’re having any trouble getting past opposing chump blockers then we can use Shadowspear to let us trample over (and gain a lot of life while we’re at it). That kind of evasion also pairs very well with Bloodforged Battle-Axe, one of the more unusual pieces of equipment in our arsenal. As far as defensive equipment goes, we’re running good old Swiftfoot Boots to help protect our biggest threat on the table. We can also turn any of our creatures into a perfect chump blocker with Basilisk Collar, if needed.
Build #2: Boros Warriors
Decklist: Nahiri’s Warriors
Although Nahiri’s biggest strength lies in her equipment synergies, she’s also a fairly strong option for a warrior tribal list. You won’t typically have much trouble keeping your board well-stocked thanks to her +1 and -2 abilities, and Zendikar Rising brought along a bit of extra tribal support to help out too. There aren’t too many Signature Spells themed around warriors, so I’ve decided to go with Boros Charm for this build. While this spell isn’t particularly splashy, its versatility can’t be ignored. Not many Signature Spells out there can function as board protection, planeswalker removal/burn, or a combat trick, but Boros Charm is up to the task.
- Board Boosts: To absolutely nobody’s surprise, warriors is the type of tribe that really likes to get in for damage, so we’re running plenty of ways to buff up our troops. Goblin Wardriver and Honored Crop-Captain can both give our entire our board a boost in combat, as can Castle Embereth. We can also give one of our warriors some temporary double strike with Arashin Foremost‘s triggered ability. Radiant Destiny offers a more permanent benefit, and the vigilance it grants is especially powerful in a format like Oathbreaker. This deck also has access to a bit of lifelink thanks to Rush of Battle, which is the perfect board-wide pump spell for this kind of deck. We’re also running the reliable old Flawless Maneuver, because of course we are.
- Tribal Support: Mardu Woe-Reaper is certainly no Scavenging Ooze, but it will still net us a bit of lifegain as we deploy more warriors to our board. Goma Fada Vanguard and Kargan Intimidator are a pair of two-drops that’ll help us circumvent any blockers, and Herald of Dromoka will allow us play offense and defense at the same time. Kargan Warleader, another new include from Zendikar Rising, also naturally fits into this strategy as a more traditional lord effect. To top it all off, we even have a handful of equipment that are particularly effective in this kind of deck. Obsidian Battle-Axe and Relic Axe both offer a little buff and have their own ways of working around equip costs. Stoneforge Masterwork will pack even more of a punch once we get going, and it’s very mana-efficient as far as equipment go.
- Other Warriors: Every aggro list needs it low-drop creatures, and warrior tribal is no exception. Aven Skirmisher and Zurgo Bellstriker aren’t especially exciting one-drops, but they’ll get the job done once we buff them up a little. Seeker of the Way is next on the mana-curve, and as it turns out, conditional lifelink is still pretty strong in Oathbreaker. If that isn’t enough lifegain for you, then we’ve also got Brion Stoutarm around to . . . well, to do the hilarious things that Brion does. Orcish Hellraiser is an efficient threat that offers a bit of value upon death, though it does feel more like a three-drop thanks to that echo cost. Taking down multiple opponents can be a bit tricky in a multiplayer format like Oathbreaker, but Warchief Giant will easily pressure all of our opponents at once. If needed, we can also flood the board out of nowhere with Winota, Joiner of Forces (and yup, Nahiri’s 1/1 tokens will trigger that ability when they attack).
Build #3: Boros Aristocrats
Decklist: Nahiri’s Rally
Anyone that’s been following this blog for a while probably already knows that I’m a huge fan of sacrifice-based strategies, even in non-traditional color pairings. So why not go for aristocrats in Boros? Nahiri’s latter two abilities are admittedly pretty low-impact in this sort of deck, but her +1 is actually pretty helpful. Her 1/1s make for perfectly fine sacrifice fodder, and that ability gets even more nuts when we have any of our payoffs in play. As for our Signature Spell, I’ve decided to try out Rally the Ancestors for this go around. A Boros aristocrats deck would typically have more trouble closing out a game than a black-based aristocrats build since we’ll be missing out on cards like Zulaport Cutthroat and Vindictive Vampire; however, we can make up for this shortcoming by reanimating our whole graveyard and sacrificing it all a second time for a truly explosive finish!
- Sacrifice Fodder: For all their limitations, Boros colors are certainly not lacking in this particular department. Doomed Traveler, Garrison Cat, Grim Initiate, and Hunted Witness are all one-drops that will replace themselves when they die and help maximize our damage output. At the two-drop slot, we have Goblin Instigator, Mogg War Marshal, and Martyr of Dusk filling similar roles. Ministrant of Obligation will create multiple tokens after we sacrifice it, as will Hallowed Spiritkeeper once we get our graveyard nice and full. Tibalt, Rakish Instigator will also provide a little extra sacrifice fodder and prevent our opponents from gaining more life than we’re able to handle.
- Sacrifice Outlets: Black may be the best color at sacrificing creatures, but Boros colors have their fair share of sacrifice enablers as well. Goblin Bombardment is definitely our best sacrifice outlet, though Weaponize the Monsters can do a decent impression when necessary. Our next best options are Bogardan Dragonheart and Martyr’s Cause since they’re free, repeatable, and work at instant-speed. Greater Gargadon will also be similarly effective as long as it’s suspended. We even have a couple of equipment that fit perfectly in this deck! Grafted Wargear functions a free, sorcery-speed sacrifice outlet, and Mask of Immolation is essentially just a much slower Goblin Bombardment. As for one-time sacrifice outlets, Heartfire and Tragic Arrogance are two spells that pack a big punch that’s well worth their respective costs.
- Sacrifice Payoffs: Skullclamp is definitely our most powerful payoff, particularly because of how well it works with Nahiri’s +1 ability. Whenever we’re not busy drawing cards, we can also turn our sacrifice fodder into direct damage. Hissing Iguanar and Spiteful Prankster will both help us ping down our opponents, as will the latter mode of Outpost Siege. If that’s not enough, we can also deal a ton of damage through effects like Impact Tremors and Purphoros, God of the Forge, and all of these damage-dealers will get a huge boost from Torbran, Thane of Red Fell! Other payoffs like Field of Souls, Luminous Broodmoth, and Anax, Hardened in the Forge will ensure that we have enough bodies to sacrifice in order to get the job done.
Shared Cards
Here’s a quick overview of what notable cards each of the lists share with each other.
- Equipment & Warriors: Lightning Bolt, Batterskull, Embercleave, Maul of the Skyclaves, Shadowspear, Sword of Sinew and Steel, Kazuul’s Toll Collector, and Akiri, Fearless Voyager
- Warriors & Aristocrats: Blasphemous Act
- Equipment & Aristocrats: Skullclamp and Anax, Hardened in the Forge
- Equipment, Warriors & Aristocrats: Grafted Wargear and Fireblade Charger
She’s a Stone-Cold Killer
It feels good to be writing about Oathbreaker decks again, and I’m excited to hear y’alls thoughts on these Zendikar Rising brews! Nahiri, Heir of the Ancients is a card that I’ve wanted to write about since I first saw it previewed. I’ve had a lot of fun tinkering around with the new multicolor walkers, and I’ll be sharing my latest Nissa lists with y’all next week in another “New Perspectives” article.
Have you tried building around Nahiri, Heir of the Ancients in Oathbreaker yet? Are there any others way you do/would want to build around her in Oathbreaker? Make sure to share your thoughts and brews with me in the comments 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