Inalla, Archmage Ritualist
A Grixis wizard tribal deck from Commander 2017, led by Inalla, Archmage Ritualist, copy your best wizards the moment they enter and exploit Inalla's eminence ability for repeated value.
# set · C17 · 4 decks
The tribal year. Four decks, four creature types: Wizards, Dragons, Cats and Vampires.
- Colors
Mechanics
Eminence
Eminence abilities work from the command zone, before you ever cast your commander. It is the standout design of the set, and Edgar Markov making a Vampire every time you cast one is the clearest example of why.
Tribal payoffs
Each deck is built on a single creature type and pays you for playing more of it. That makes them the easiest precons in the format to upgrade, since any card of that type is a candidate.
Converge and Lieutenant
Both show up as supporting mechanics. Lieutenant abilities switch on while you control your commander, which fits a set where the commander is the centerpiece of the deck.
The set
Commander 2017 was the first batch built entirely around creature types, and it is still one of the most popular releases Wizards has done. Eminence is why. An ability that works from the command zone means your deck starts doing its thing on turn one instead of turn five, and it made all four commanders feel active immediately.
Edgar Markov is the famous one. He is banned from being anyone's second commander in some formats, sits at the top of vampire deck lists, and made this box the most expensive of the four for years afterwards. The Ur-Dragon did something similar for five color Dragons.
If you want a first Commander deck that will still be recognisable after fifty upgrades, this is the batch to start from.
Where to start
Vampiric Bloodlust is the best deck in the batch and the best value. Feline Ferocity is the weakest on paper and the easiest to make good, because cheap Cats keep getting printed.
The decks 4
The Ur-Dragon
A five-color dragon tribal deck from Commander 2017, led by The Ur-Dragon, ramp into enormous dragons, free permanent drops on every attack, and a one-mana discount on every dragon spell from the command zone.
Arahbo, Roar of the World
A Selesnya cat tribal deck from Commander 2017, led by Arahbo, Roar of the World, pump individual cats with massive power boosts from the command zone, then layer equipment for a fast voltron kill or wide cat army.
Edgar Markov
A Mardu vampire tribal deck from Commander 2017, led by Edgar Markov, flood the board with vampire tokens from the command zone on every vampire spell cast, then swing wide for massive lifelink damage.
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