Art by Chris Rallis
Commander deckBG
Reyhan, Last of the Abzan
The deck focuses on generating and moving +1/+1 counters to trigger Simic Ascendancy and outscale opponents through combat and sacrifice synergies.
Asked for“Build a Commander deck that includes Simic Ascendancy. Make black and green the main colors. Create lots of +1/+1 counters.”
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 · 59 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
1Reyhan, Last of the Abzan
1BGLegendary Creature — Human Warrior
Chosen commander for the requested strategy.
Ramp
15
Crystalline Crawler
4Artifact Creature — Construct
Converts +1/+1 counters into mana of any color.
Incubation Druid
1GCreature — Elf Druid
Produces three mana once it has a counter.
Rishkar, Peema Renegade
2GLegendary Creature — Elf Druid
Turns all creatures with counters into mana dorks.
Kami of Whispered Hopes
2GCreature — Spirit
provides mana scaling with counters and increases all counter placement
Nature's Lore
1GSorcery
classic green ramp to ensure timely deployment of high-cmc hydras
Three Visits
1GSorcery
efficient tool to pull forests from the deck onto the battlefield
Card Draw
7
Armorcraft Judge
3GCreature — Elf Artificer
Draws cards for each creature with a counter.
Beast Whisperer
2GGCreature — Elf Druid
Draws cards for every creature spell cast.
Tribute to the World Tree
GGGEnchantment
Adds counters or draws cards based on creature size.
Greater Good
2GGEnchantment
allows you to convert a creature with many counters into massive card draw
Lifeblood Hydra
XGGGCreature — Hydra
scales with counters and provides cards and life upon death
Removal
10
Retribution of the Ancients
BEnchantment
Uses counters as fuel to kill creatures.
Gaze of Granite
XBBGSorcery
flexible board wipe that can handle low-cmc tokens or nonland permanents
Toxic Deluge
2BSorcery
premier black board wipe to deal with indestructible or high toughness threats
Nissa, Ascended Animist
3GGGPGPLegendary Planeswalker — Nissa
can destroy enchantments/artifacts or act as an Overrun finisher
Threats/Wincons
13
Forgotten Ancient
3GCreature — Elemental
Massive counter generation that can be distributed.
Hydra's Growth
2GEnchantment — Aura
Exponentially increases counters on a single threat.
Kalonian Hydra
3GGCreature — Hydra
Doubles counters on all creatures when it attacks.
Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider
4GGLegendary Creature — Phyrexian Praetor
Massively boosts your counters while crippling opponents.
Walking Ballista
XXArtifact Creature — Construct
Flexible win condition or removal piece.
Hangarback Walker
XXArtifact Creature — Construct
Resilient creature that leaves tokens upon death.
Champion of Lambholt
1GGCreature — Human Warrior
Grows and makes your army unblockable.
Managorger Hydra
2GCreature — Hydra
Grows quickly with every spell cast by any player.
Polukranos, Unchained
2BGLegendary Creature — Zombie Hydra
Reusable threat that utilizes counters.
Bristly Bill, Spine Sower
1GLegendary Creature — Plant Druid
consistent counter placement and a powerful doubling effect per landfall
Railway Brawler
3GGCreature — Rhino Warrior
doubles the counters of any creature entering the battlefield
Yahenni, Undying Partisan
2BLegendary Creature — Aetherborn Vampire
sacrifice outlet to trigger Reyhan at will while growing board presence
Utility
14
Winding Constrictor
BGCreature — Snake
Synergizes with BG focus to add extra counters.
Corpsejack Menace
2BGCreature — Fungus
Doubles all +1/+1 counters placed on creatures.
Branching Evolution
2GEnchantment
Doubles the number of counters put on creatures.
Pir, Imaginative Rascal
2GLegendary Creature — Human
Adds an extra counter to any effect.
Bloodspore Thrinax
2GGCreature — Lizard
Buffs entire team based on its own counters.
Ozolith, the Shattered Spire
1GLegendary Artifact
Additional counter boost and cycling potential.
Benevolent Hydra
XGGCreature — Hydra
acts as another multiplier for +1/+1 counters being placed
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
3BBBLegendary Creature — Zombie Cleric
provides Undying which allows creatures to return with counters and trigger Reyhan again
Viscera Seer
BCreature — Vampire Wizard
cheap sacrifice outlet to facilitate moving counters in response to removal
Heroic Intervention
1GInstant
vital protection for a board state heavily invested in counters
Eternal Witness
1GGCreature — Human Shaman
essential recursion for bringing back key counter-synergy pieces
