Art by Anastasia Ovchinnikova
Commander deckBRW
Alesha, Who Smiles at Death
Deploy low-mana hatebears and engine creatures to disrupt opponents and control the board, while attacking with Alesha to repeatedly resurrect high-impact creatures with power 2 or less for relentless incremental value.
Asked for““A $300 Alesha, Who Smiles at Death commander deck — an efficient engine-building deck with a low mana curve, cheap card-advantage engines and cantrips, minimal splash, winning through sheer incremental value and consistent interaction. Alongside efficient hate-bearers and stax creatures."”
Deck anatomy
What this list actually runs on: how cheaply it casts things, and whether it has enough ramp, card draw and interaction to keep up at the table. Each block is one card — hover for its name.
Mana curve · 62 nonland cards
The working parts
Counted from Scryfall’s community card tags, not from the builder’s own labels. A card that does two jobs counts twice, so these add up to more than the deck. The hatched band is a common rule of thumb, not a law — combo decks run leaner, battlecruiser decks heavier.
Colored mana symbols
Commander
1Alesha, Who Smiles at Death
2RLegendary Creature — Human Warrior
Chosen commander for the requested strategy.
Ramp
9
Card Draw
9
Skullclamp
1Artifact — Equipment
converts small 1-toughness creatures and tokens into sheer card advantage
Esper Sentinel
WArtifact Creature — Human Soldier
low-cost creature tax engine reanimatable with Alesha
Mentor of the Meek
2WCreature — Human Soldier
draws cards whenever low-power creatures enter
Welcoming Vampire
2WCreature — Vampire
steady card draw triggered off Alesha reanimations
Tocasia's Welcome
2WEnchantment
draws on each turn low-mana creatures enter the battlefield
Morbid Opportunist
2BCreature — Human Rogue
draws off creature deaths across all players' turns
Faithless Looting
RSorcery
cheap card filtering that fills the graveyard with reanimation targets
Deadly Dispute
1BInstant
sacrifices a creature or artifact for fresh cards and a treasure
Removal
11
Wear // Tear
1R // WInstant // Instant
flexible low-cost removal for artifacts and enchantments
Toxic Deluge
2BSorcery
cheap, highly flexible board wipe that bypasses indestructible
Loran of the Third Path
2WLegendary Creature — Human Artificer
reanimatable naturalize on a creature body with power 2
Skyclave Apparition
1WWCreature — Kor Spirit
reanimatable exile removal for low-to-mid mana permanents
Fiend Hunter
1WWCreature — Human Cleric
recurrable creature exile with Alesha or sacrifice outlets
Ravenous Chupacabra
2BBCreature — Beast Horror
etb creature destruction on a power-2 body
Accursed Marauder
1BCreature — Zombie Warrior
low-cost edict effect on an easily recurred 2-power body
Threats/Wincons
25
Drannith Magistrate
1WCreature — Human Wizard
locks opponents out of casting commanders and graveyard spells
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1WLegendary Creature — Human Soldier
stax bear taxing noncreature spells while hitting for first strike
Archon of Emeria
2WCreature — Archon
slows spell-slinging and punishes nonbasic land mana bases
Eidolon of Rhetoric
2WEnchantment Creature — Spirit
rule of law on a high-toughness power-1 creature body
Aven Mindcensor
2WCreature — Bird Wizard
shuts down opponents' search effects and tutors
Grand Abolisher
WWCreature — Human Cleric
protects Alesha and your turn from opposing interaction
Imperial Recruiter
2RCreature — Human Advisor
tutors almost any creature in the deck straight to hand
Recruiter of the Guard
2WCreature — Human Soldier
searches up hatebears and key utility pieces upon entering
Serra Ascendant
WCreature — Human Monk
massive early beatdown threat that can be reanimated late
Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin
2RLegendary Creature — Goblin
snowballing goblin generator reanimatable tapped and attacking
Goblin Rabblemaster
2RCreature — Goblin Warrior
aggressive token generator that scales lethal damage quickly
Pia and Kiran Nalaar
2RRLegendary Creature — Human Artificer
creates flying thopters and provides direct damage reach
Siege-Gang Commander
3RRCreature — Goblin
four bodies on entry and burn utility recurred via Alesha
Karmic Guide
3WWCreature — Angel Spirit
chain reanimator that pulls any creature from the graveyard
Sun Titan
4WWCreature — Giant
recursive top-end engine that revives your 3-mana permanents
Cruel Celebrant
WBCreature — Vampire
drains opponents whenever your recursive creatures perish
Blood Artist
1BCreature — Vampire
turns every creature death at the table into life drain
Zulaport Cutthroat
1BCreature — Human Rogue Ally
mass drain engine during combat and sacrifice loops
Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim
WBLegendary Creature — Phyrexian Kor Cleric
efficient drain bear on a power-2 body
Marionette Apprentice
1BCreature — Human Artificer
etb token or counter with death drain on artifacts and creatures
Mother of Runes
WCreature — Human Cleric
targeted protection for Alesha and critical hatebears
Giver of Runes
WCreature — Kor Cleric
protects key engine creatures from targeted removal and blockers
Selfless Spirit
1WCreature — Spirit Cleric
sacrifices to save your board from wipes and is easily recurred
Dauntless Bodyguard
WCreature — Human Knight
cheap protection creature that Alesha can continually reset
Deep-Cavern Bat
1BCreature — Bat
reanimatable targeted hand disruption with evasion and lifelink
Utility
8
Viscera Seer
BCreature — Vampire Wizard
zero-mana sacrifice outlet that scrys and sets up Alesha recursion
Carrion Feeder
BCreature — Zombie
free sacrifice outlet that grows while putting creatures in the bin
Goblin Bombardment
1REnchantment
instant-speed sacrifice outlet that pings any target
Buried Alive
2BSorcery
tutors three prime reanimation targets straight into the graveyard
Entomb
BInstant
instant-speed tutor that puts the perfect response creature into the grave
Lightning Greaves
2Artifact — Equipment
grants Alesha haste and shroud to attack safely immediately
Swiftfoot Boots
2Artifact — Equipment
protects Alesha with hexproof and grants immediate haste
Reconnaissance
WEnchantment
allows Alesha to attack and trigger safely without risking combat death
