commander · Galea, Kindler of Hope
Aura of Courage (AFR).
A Bant Voltron deck led by Galea, Kindler of Hope, play Auras and Equipment from the top of your library for free, suit up one massive creature, and swing for commander damage lethal while keeping your hand full.
The Commanders
Aura of Courage is an Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Commander deck about stacking one creature with as many Auras and Equipment as it can hold and swinging for lethal commander damage. Galea, Kindler of Hope is what sets this Voltron build apart, since she lets you play Auras and Equipment straight off the top of your library and turns every draw into a possible new attachment without spending cards from hand. The deck never runs short on ways to pump its champion.
Galea, Kindler of Hope is the Voltron engine. She has vigilance, and whenever she attacks you may look at the top card of your library. If it's an Aura or Equipment, you play it for free and attach it to her right then. Every attack can gear her up further without touching your hand. She grows each swing, and each swing might dig up the next piece to make her deadlier.
Storvald, Frost Giant Jarl is the giant tribal alternative when you want power and toughness manipulation over Voltron. Storvald changes power and toughness of creatures, letting you shrink opponents' blockers while growing your attackers. Against defensive pods where Galea's commander damage is too slow, Storvald provides a different type of combat dominance.
Key Cards
Sram, Senior Edificer
Sram draws a card whenever you cast an Aura, Equipment, or Vehicle spell. In a deck full of Auras and Equipment, Sram draws a card on nearly every spell you cast. He keeps your hand full through the mid-game when you're chaining equipment onto Galea, and since Galea already plays cards from the top of library for free, Sram converts your hand draws into fresh cards that replace whatever you're casting. He's the most important card draw engine for the strategy.
Puresteel Paladin
Puresteel Paladin draws a card whenever an Equipment enters under your control. With three or more Equipment out, it also drops the equip cost of all your Equipment to zero, so every piece on the board moves around for free. Zero equip cost turns a multi-equip turn from an expensive mana sink into a free action. Attach your whole hand of Equipment to Galea in one turn for no mana, then swing for lethal commander damage. This is the card that enables storm-level equipment turns.
Colossus Hammer
Colossus Hammer gives the equipped creature +10/+10 and takes away its flying. The equip cost is eight mana normally, but with Puresteel Paladin's metalcraft making equip free, you slap it on Galea for zero and she becomes a 12/13+ trampler. One hit of commander damage. It's the most explosive equipment in the deck and the reason to rush Puresteel Paladin's metalcraft condition.
Cold-Eyed Selkie
Cold-Eyed Selkie has islandwalk and draws cards equal to the damage it deals to a player. In a deck that piles equipment onto creatures, hanging Colossus Hammer on the Selkie draws ten cards on one hit. Suited up, it's one of the most explosive draw engines in the format. Against opponents without Islands it's unblockable by default, and even against Island decks its normal evasion with two or three pieces of equipment still draws four to six cards a hit.
Rafiq of the Many
Rafiq of the Many gives any of your creatures that attacks alone exalted, and one exalted trigger also hands the attacker double strike. Galea attacks alone, picks up Rafiq's double strike, deals commander damage twice with all her equipment bonuses, and grows even more off her attack triggers. Galea with Colossus Hammer, Rafiq's double strike, and a couple of other pieces kills any player in one attack from 40 life. Rafiq is why the deck closes games in single swings.
How to Play
Deploy Sram and Puresteel Paladin early for card draw. The first three turns are ramp and cheap Equipment to switch on metalcraft. Get Galea out by turn four or five and start attacking every turn, since each swing might equip another card off your library for free. The mid-game is layering equipment onto Galea, stacking exalted triggers with Rafiq, and setting up the Colossus Hammer free-equip turn with Puresteel Paladin active. Close in one alpha strike: Galea with double strike from Rafiq and Colossus Hammer as a 12+/12+ trampler, hitting for 36 commander damage in one swing.