commander · Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir
Cavalry Charge (MOC).
An Esper Knight tribal deck led by Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir, amass an army of Knights, reward first strike with bonus attacks, and close out with an overwhelming cavalry charge.
The Commanders
Cavalry Charge is an Esper Commander deck built around Knight tribal. The deck rewards aggressive combat with first strike and leverages the death of Knights to fuel additional advantage. Sidar Jabari leads a tight tribal strategy where every Knight you play reinforces the others, and the deck's combat tricks turn what looks like an even fight into a decisive victory.
Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir is a legendary Human Knight who provides a tribal ability: whenever a Knight you control deals first strike combat damage, that Knight's controller may tap or untap target permanent. This fires every combat step you have first-strike Knights. Untap your best attacker to swing again, or tap an opponent's best blocker out of the way. He turns first strike from a combat keyword into a repeatable pseudo-tap ability that dominates the combat phase.
Elenda and Azor is the value alternative. This legendary 6/6 Vampire Knight Sphinx has flying and ward two. When it attacks, draw a card. When a Knight you control dies, create a 1/1 white Vampire Knight token with lifelink. It replaces dying Knights with new tokens and draws cards on attacks. Against pods with heavy removal, Elenda and Azor converts your losses into replacements while your card draw keeps the hand full.
Key Cards
Knight Exemplar
Gives all other Knights you control +1/+1 and indestructible. This is the most important protective piece in the deck. With Knight Exemplar in play, opponents need exile effects to permanently answer your Knights. Destroy effects bounce off. Board wipes resolve and your Knight army survives completely. Combined with Sidar Jabari's first-strike tap effect, opponents can't even block profitably since their creatures die while yours live.
Hero of Bladehold
Battle cry and a triggered ability: whenever Hero of Bladehold attacks, create two 1/1 white Soldier tokens that attack this turn. Battle cry gives all other attacking creatures +1/+0. She attacks and immediately creates two tokens that attack with her, plus every other attacker gets a buff. That's a six-power swing from a four-mana creature the turn it enters, all at unexpected speed since she can be cast and attack with haste from Sidar Jabari's potential untap tricks.
Adeline, Resplendent Cathar
Adeline's power is equal to the number of creatures you control. When she attacks, create a 1/1 white Human Soldier token for each opponent you attacked. With three opponents, that's three tokens per attack, and those tokens are Humans that can become Knights through Marshal of Zhalfir or similar tribal lords. Adeline grows passively as you add creatures and generates tokens aggressively when you attack. She's one of the best token generators in the deck.
Knights' Charge
A three-mana enchantment that creates a 2/2 white Knight token with vigilance each turn at your end step, and for seven mana, destroys target nonland permanent and creates a 2/2 white Knight token with vigilance. The passive token generation is the main draw. Every end step adds a 2/2 vigilance Knight to the board. With Sidar Jabari's untap triggers, vigilance Knights attack and defend in the same turn cycle.
Chivalric Alliance
A March of the Machine Commander exclusive enchantment. Whenever two or more Knights you control attack, draw a card and create a 2/2 white Knight token with vigilance. In this deck, attacking with two Knights happens nearly every turn. Each attack draws a card and generates another Knight. Those Knights attack next turn to draw another card and make another Knight. Chivalric Alliance sustains the deck's hand and board simultaneously.
How to Play
Build a Knight board early: Adeline, Resplendent Cathar and Hero of Bladehold generate tokens passively while your tribal lords like Knight Exemplar make the team indestructible. Get Sidar Jabari in play and start exploiting first-strike untap triggers to attack, untap, and attack again or tap down key blockers.
Win through wide combat with Chivalric Alliance drawing cards and generating tokens each attack. Knight Exemplar makes your board indestructible through removal and board wipes. Elenda and Azor gives you a backup plan when Knights die: tokens replace them and cards refill the hand. The deck is resilient and aggressive simultaneously, closing games through combat before opponents establish their own win conditions.
