commander · Killian, Decisive Mentor
Silverquill Influence (SOC).
An Orzhov auras and politics deck led by Killian, Decisive Mentor — enchant opponents' creatures with auras to goad and tap them, draw cards whenever goaded creatures attack, and leverage 22 Aura effects into a political control engine.
The Commanders
Silverquill Influence is an Orzhov Commander deck that fuses aura-based politics with combat manipulation. Killian taps and goads opponents' creatures whenever an enchantment enters under your control, then draws a card when enchanted creatures attack anyone. Enchant opponents' creatures aggressively, redirect their threats away from you, and generate massive card advantage while the table fights among itself.
Killian, Decisive Mentor costs {1}{W}{B} and is a 2/3 Human Warlock. Whenever an enchantment you control enters, tap up to one target creature and goad it. Whenever one or more creatures enchanted by an Aura you control attack, draw a card. The dual payoff is what makes Killian unique: every Aura entering taps a threat and forces it to attack elsewhere, generating both protection and card draw simultaneously. Play 22 Auras and Killian taps threats and draws cards on each one.
Key Cards
Ghoulish Impetus
Permanent goad as an Aura. Ghoulish Impetus enchants a creature and gives it goad — it must attack each turn if able and can't attack you. The enchanted creature will attack opponents permanently until Impetus is removed. Stack multiple Impetus auras across the table and you've permanently redirected the most dangerous threats away from you. Each Impetus also triggers Killian's tap effect when it enters, tapping the creature the turn you play it. The three Impetus auras in the deck (Ghoulish, Coercive, and Martial) form the backbone of the political control plan.
Scriv, the Obligator
Aura token generation at scale. Scriv is a new Silverquill card that creates Obligation aura tokens — enchantments that goad the enchanted creature. Whenever you cast an enchantment, Scriv creates one of these goad-Aura tokens attached to any creature. More Aura tokens mean more Killian draw triggers and more goaded opponents. Scriv effectively multiplies your enchantment spell count — one enchantment cast generates both the spell and a bonus token Aura, making every enchantment you play worth two Killian triggers.
Nils, Discipline Enforcer
A pillow fort piece that punishes attacks toward you. Nils enchants a creature you control and gives each opponent's enchanted creature a -1/-0 for each counter on it. He also places a counter on any creature that deals combat damage to any player. Creatures that attack repeatedly get progressively weaker. Combined with Killian's goad effects redirecting those weakening creatures toward other opponents, Nils creates a feedback loop where opponents' best threats become progressively less effective while still being forced to attack.
Firemane Commando
Card draw that rewards opponents for attacking elsewhere. Whenever an opponent attacks one of your opponents, you draw a card. Combined with Killian's draw trigger when enchanted creatures attack, Firemane Commando generates one or two cards every time a goaded creature hits a different opponent. In a game where all three opponents have goaded creatures being forced to attack each other, you draw three cards per turn cycle from Firemane alone. It converts your political control into relentless card advantage.
Killian, Ink Duelist
A key early-game Aura support creature. Killian, Ink Duelist makes Auras cost {2} less to cast and gives lifelink and menace to enchanted creatures. The cost reduction makes the Impetus auras and political tools effectively free in the early-to-mid game. Enchanting your own creatures with Killian, Ink Duelist on the board turns them into lifelink menace threats that opponents struggle to block, while enchanting opponents' creatures remains the primary political game. The namesake connection to the commander is intentional — the deck is designed around both Killians in tandem.
How to Play
Open with mana rocks and Killian, Ink Duelist to reduce Aura costs. Deploy Killian, Decisive Mentor on turn three and start applying Impetus auras to your opponents' most dangerous creatures. Prioritize getting each opponent's primary threat goaded so they can't attack you. Draw cards from Killian every time those goaded creatures attack opponents. The mid game is pure political control — opponents' armies attack each other while you draw three or four cards per turn. Win by reaching a critical mass of cards that lets you play multiple Auras per turn, tapping and goading multiple threats simultaneously, then finishing with flying creatures while opponents' forces are exhausted from fighting each other.