Art by Slawomir Maniak
Saved commander deck
Bello, Bard of the Brambles
Build up innocent-looking non-creature artifacts and enchantments early, then deploy Bello to turn your entire board into indestructible 4/4 beats that draw cards and hit with devastating damage multipliers.
Prompt: I prefer decks that look harmless early, quietly building resources and synergies before suddenly becoming extremely powerful through one or two key cards or interactions. I like having only a few creatures, with each one being important. Avoid token-focused strategies and decks that rely on flooding the board with creatures. I enjoy hidden power, explosive turns, stacking abilities, keywords, triggers, counters, damage multipliers, copying effects, and synergistic engines built around a few key permanents. For creatures and commanders, I prefer cute characters like Bello, or muscular men, furries, beasts, and other muscular creatures. Avoid Blue as a primary part of the deck. Only include Blue if it plays a secondary/supporting role rather than defining the main strategy. The ideal deck feels underestimated at first, then suddenly becomes a major threat or wins through an explosive turn.
Commander
1 cards
Bello, Bard of the Brambles
{1}{R}{G}Legendary Creature — Raccoon Bard
Chosen commander for the requested strategy.
Ramp
10 cards
Gilded Lotus
{5}Artifact
mana ramp that transforms into an indestructible attacker
Card Draw
10 cards
Garruk's Uprising
{2}{G}Enchantment
draws cards whenever your 4/4 animated permanents enter or attack
Elemental Bond
{2}{G}Enchantment
triggers draw on power 3+ noncreatures becoming creatures
Tribute to the World Tree
{G}{G}{G}Enchantment
draws cards or buffs your animated permanents
Greater Good
{2}{G}{G}Enchantment
sacrifices high-power temporary attackers for massive card draw
Rishkar's Expertise
{4}{G}{G}Sorcery
draws cards based on highest power and casts a free spell
Return of the Wildspeaker
{4}{G}Instant
draws massive cards or acts as a surprise lethal overrun
Mind's Eye
{5}Artifact
4-mana artifact that turns into an attacker and draws off opponents
The Great Henge
{7}{G}{G}Legendary Artifact
massive mana engine, life gain, and card draw on turn-animated permanents
Guardian Project
{3}{G}Enchantment
draws a card when unique noncreatures become creatures
Removal
10 cards
Blasphemous Act
{8}{R}Sorcery
cheap board wipe that leaves your indestructible animated permanents alive
Chandra's Ignition
{3}{R}{R}Sorcery
turns an animated 4/4 or giant buffed threat into a board clear and face damage
Spine of Ish Sah
{7}Artifact
7-mana artifact that turns into an attacking 4/4 and destroys any target permanent
Duplicant
{6}Artifact Creature — Shapeshifter
exiles a threat and steals its stats
Meteor Golem
{7}Artifact Creature — Golem
7-mana nonland permanent destruction with a 4/4 body
Portal to Phyrexia
{9}Artifact
massive sacrificial board wipe that reanimates creatures and attacks with Bello
Woodfall Primus
{5}{G}{G}{G}Creature — Treefolk Shaman
destroys noncreature permanents with persist resilience
Threats/Wincons
24 cards
Unnatural Growth
{1}{G}{G}{G}{G}Enchantment
doubles power of all creatures each combat for massive explosive turns
Fiery Emancipation
{3}{R}{R}{R}Enchantment
triples all damage dealt by your sources
City on Fire
{5}{R}{R}{R}Enchantment
triples damage and transforms into an attacking threat
Berserkers' Onslaught
{3}{R}{R}Enchantment
gives all your attacking creatures double strike
Akroma's Memorial
{7}Legendary Artifact
grants flying, first strike, vigilance, trample, haste, and protections
Eldrazi Monument
{5}Artifact
buffs stats and grants flying to all animated threats
Chimil, the Inner Sun
{6}Legendary Artifact
discovers every turn and turns into an attacking 4/4
The Immortal Sun
{6}Legendary Artifact
draws extra cards, pumps creatures, reduces costs, and attacks
Darksteel Forge
{9}Artifact
makes all artifacts permanently indestructible while beating down
Gratuitous Violence
{2}{R}{R}{R}Enchantment
doubles creature damage to double your combat threat
Sunbird's Invocation
{5}{R}Enchantment
explosive cascade-like spell advantage on high-mana permanents
Vicious Shadows
{6}{R}Enchantment
punishes opponents heavily whenever creatures die
Warstorm Surge
{5}{R}Enchantment
deals direct damage whenever animated 4/4s enter on your turn
Where Ancients Tread
{4}{R}Enchantment
deals 5 damage whenever power 5+ enters or turns into a creature
Terror of the Peaks
{3}{R}{R}Creature — Dragon
repeating damage engine as permanents enter and animate
Roaming Throne
{4}Artifact Creature — Golem
doubles all triggers from Bello and key elemental types
God-Pharaoh's Statue
{6}Legendary Artifact
taxes opponents' spells while swinging as an indestructible 4/4
Court of Garenbrig
{1}{G}{G}Enchantment
stacks counters on key permanents and doubles stats at court monarch level
Sandstone Oracle
{7}Artifact Creature — Sphinx
refills hand based on opponent with highest hand size
Aggravated Assault
{2}{R}Enchantment
enables infinite combat steps with sufficient mana
Xenagos, God of Revels
{3}{R}{G}Legendary Enchantment Creature — God
doubles power and gives haste to an animated threat every turn
Klauth, Unrivaled Ancient
{5}{R}{G}Legendary Creature — Dragon
produces insane mana equal to total attacking power
Utility
8 cards
Tibalt's Trickery
{1}{R}Instant
surprise red counterspell for crucial board protection
Rhythm of the Wild
{1}{R}{G}Enchantment
makes creature spells uncounterable and gives riot buff
Shadowspear
{1}Legendary Artifact — Equipment
gives trample and lifelink while stripping hexproof/indestructible
