Art by Xu Xiaoming
Commander deckU
Sun Quan, Lord of Wu
Leverage Sun Quan's ability to give all creatures Horsemanship, rendering them effectively unblockable. Use high-power blue beaters and untap effects to close out games via combat damage.
Asked for“Make me a deck based around Horsemanship that I'd easily a powerlevel 8 on the WOTC power scale. I want it fast and consistent using underrated but very strong cards to subvert the meta. Don't use any ramp that's very common for EDH. Use Ramp,removal,tutors, and more that aren't commonly used but are still good alternatives”
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 · 58 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
1Sun Quan, Lord of Wu
4UULegendary Creature — Human Soldier
Chosen commander for the requested strategy.
Ramp
8
Dreamscape Artist
1UCreature — Human Spellshaper
Consistent land acceleration in blue that acts as a Harrow on a creature.
Mitotic Manipulation
1UUSorcery
Unique mono-blue ramp that pulls a card with the same name as a permanent you control from the library.
Retraced Image
USorcery
Speed up the clock by putting a basic Island from your hand directly onto the battlefield for one mana.
Walking Atlas
2Artifact Creature — Construct
Allows for additional land drops effectively bypassing land-per-turn restrictions.
Patron of the Moon
5UULegendary Creature — Spirit
High-end ramp that provides massive land acceleration once the engine is set up.
Apprentice Wizard
1UUCreature — Human Wizard
Early game mana filter that provides a burst of two colorless mana.
Cloud of Faeries
1UCreature — Faerie
Untaps lands to effectively cost zero mana and accelerate mid-turn plays.
High Tide
UInstant
Explosive mana production for a big finishing turn with Sun Quan.
Card Draw
9
Flow of Ideas
5USorcery
Massive draw spell based on the number of Islands you control.
Keep Watch
2UInstant
Incredible draw power during the combat phase that punishes opponent swings.
Coastal Piracy
2UUEnchantment
Turns every unblockable horsemanship creature into a draw engine.
Reconnaissance Mission
2UUEnchantment
Redundant effect for Coastal Piracy to ensure card flow.
Bident of Thassa
2UULegendary Enchantment Artifact
Combines card draw on hit with the ability to force bad blocks from opponents.
Verity Circle
2UEnchantment
Draws cards whenever an opponent taps a creature for mana or abilities.
Riddlesmith
1UCreature — Human Artificer
Helps cycle through the deck while deploying utility artifacts.
Windfall
2USorcery
Refills hand and disrupts opponents who are hoarding combo pieces.
Teferi's Ageless Insight
2UULegendary Enchantment
Doubles the efficiency of all other draw engines in the deck.
Removal
9
Curse of the Swine
XUUSorcery
Mass exile removal that handles indestructible threats.
Resculpt
1UInstant
Exiles creatures or artifacts, providing versatility at a low cost.
Aetherize
3UInstant
Lower cost version of Spouts to protect against alpha strikes.
Scourge of Fleets
5UUCreature — Kraken
Mass bounce that synergizes perfectly with the high Island count.
Imprisoned in the Moon
2UEnchantment — Aura
Deals with problematic planeswalkers or commanders without sending them to the command zone.
Threats/Wincons
18
Archetype of Imagination
4UUEnchantment Creature — Human Wizard
Ensures your creatures are unblockable even if Sun Quan is removed.
Thada Adel, Acquisitor
1UULegendary Creature — Merfolk Rogue
Steals opponents' Sol Rings and artifacts with unblockable attacks.
Cephalid Constable
1UUCreature — Octopus Wizard
Bounces multiple lands or permanents when it connects via Horsemanship.
Quietus Spike
3Artifact — Equipment
Halves opponent health instantly when unblockable.
Scytheclaw
5Artifact — Equipment
Living weapon version of Spike to pressure high-health targets.
Master of Waves
3UCreature — Merfolk Wizard
Generates a board of tokens that all gain horsemanship for a lethal swing.
Chasm Skulker
2UCreature — Squid Horror
Grows with your draw spells and creates a wave of tokens upon death.
Tidal Force
5UUUCreature — Elemental
Taps down blockers or utility creatures every upkeep.
Wurmcoil Engine
6Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Wurm
Resilient threat that provides lifelink to stabilize effectively.
Steel Hellkite
6Artifact Creature — Dragon
Board wipe on a stick when it connects with an opponent.
Inkwell Leviathan
7UUArtifact Creature — Leviathan
Shroud and Trample make it an unstoppable horsemanship finisher.
Frost Titan
4UUCreature — Giant
Locks down permanents and is difficult for opponents to target.
Tromokratis
5UULegendary Creature — Kraken
Nearly impossible to block or kill; becomes a true terror with Sun Quan.
Nezahal, Primal Tide
5UULegendary Creature — Elder Dinosaur
Infinite value engine and a massive unblockable body.
Diluvian Primordial
5UUCreature — Avatar
Steals impactful spells from opponents graveyards on entry.
Strata Scythe
3Artifact — Equipment
Scales power based on the high number of Islands in play.
Loxodon Warhammer
3Artifact — Equipment
Provides trample and lifegain to an unblockable commander.
Fireshrieker
3Artifact — Equipment
Double strike on an unblockable Sun Quan ends games via commander damage.
Utility
14
Flood of Recollection
UUSorcery
Retrieves lost pieces or high-impact draw spells from the graveyard.
Whir of Invention
XUUUInstant
Instant speed tutor for utility artifacts or equipment.
Solve the Equation
2USorcery
Tutors for any instant or sorcery, including High Tide or board wipes.
Long-Term Plans
2UInstant
Blue's version of a universal tutor that sets up the next few turns.
Dizzy Spell
UInstant
Transmutes for 1-mana value spells like High Tide or protection.
Muddle the Mixture
UUInstant
Counterspell that doubles as a tutor for 2-mana pieces.
Fabricate
2USorcery
Standard tutor for finding artifact-based ramp or protection.
Swiftfoot Boots
2Artifact — Equipment
Protects Sun Quan to ensure the Horsemanship anthem stays active.
Whispersilk Cloak
3Artifact — Equipment
Redundant unblockable and shroud for high-value targets.
Neurok Stealthsuit
2Artifact — Equipment
Instant-speed attachment to protect creatures from targeted removal.
Lightning Greaves
2Artifact — Equipment
Basic protection and haste for high-mana beaters.
Propaganda
2UEnchantment
Deterrent for opponents to attack you while you build your unblockable board.
Dissipation Field
2UUEnchantment
Discourages being attacked by bouncing any permanent that deals damage to you.
Standardize
UUInstant
Secret tech to turn your board into one type for specific buffs or effects.
