commander · Alela, Artful Provocateur
Faerie Schemes (B19).
An Esper artifacts-and-enchantments Brawl deck led by Alela, Artful Provocateur, cast artifacts and enchantments to flood the board with 1/1 flying Faerie tokens, and buff them all with Alela's anthem while their lifelink keeps you alive.
The Commanders
Faerie Schemes is an Esper Brawl precon deck from Throne of Eldraine built on artifact and enchantment synergies. Alela creates a 1/1 flying Faerie each time you cast an artifact or enchantment, then buffs all your Faeries and artifacts with a +1/+0 anthem. In a format full of early artifacts and enchantments, she builds an air force off your normal plays without any extra effort.
Alela, Artful Provocateur costs {1}{W}{U}{B} and is a 3/2 Faerie Warlock with flying, deathtouch, and lifelink. Whenever you cast an artifact or enchantment spell, create a 1/1 blue Faerie creature token with flying. Other Faeries and artifacts you control get +1/+0. So each artifact or enchantment spell drops a free 1/1 flyer, and the anthem makes each token a 2/1 flying lifelinker. In a Brawl game, that stacks up an aerial board opponents on the ground can't race.
Key Cards
Stolen by the Fae
Bounce removal that generates tokens. Stolen by the Fae costs {X}{U}{U} and returns target creature with mana value X or less to its owner's hand, then creates X 1/1 flying Faerie tokens. Cast it for X=3 to bounce a medium threat and generate three free Faeries. With Alela's anthem making them all 2/1s, this is 6 power in flying creatures for three mana plus the bounce. The tokens add to Alela's Faerie count and each new Faerie from Stolen by the Fae benefits from Alela's passive +1/+0 buff immediately.
Midnight Clock
Artifact that draws and resets. Midnight Clock gains an hour counter each upkeep, and when it reaches 12 counters, each player discards their hand and draws seven cards, then it shuffles back into the library. Early on it's just another artifact that hands you an Alela token. Later, a full seven-card reset refuels you after you've traded away your hand. It triggers Alela on the initial cast for a free Faerie too. When you're behind on cards, that reset pulls you back level and keeps Alela's token pressure going.
Doom Foretold
Sacrifice pressure that triggers Alela. Doom Foretold is an enchantment that forces each player to sacrifice a nonland nontoken permanent at the beginning of each upkeep. If they can't, they lose 2 life and you draw a card. It eventually sacrifices itself once only tokens are left, which favors you because Alela's Faeries are tokens. On the way in, Doom Foretold triggers Alela for one free Faerie. It keeps grinding down opponents' best nontoken permanents while your token army ignores the whole thing.
Sorcerer's Broom
A steady token generator that plays well with sacrifice effects. Whenever an artifact or enchantment you control leaves the battlefield, create a 1/1 Spirit creature token. The Broom is an artifact itself, so casting it also nets an Alela Faerie. It means the deck doesn't mind when Doom Foretold eats an artifact or an opponent blows one up, because each loss just makes another token. That constant replacement is where the deck's resilience comes from: every artifact you lose leaves a new body behind, and Alela's anthem keeps those bodies relevant.
How to Play
Alela costs four mana, so lean on ramp to land her on turn three. Every artifact or enchantment after that builds the Faerie army. Lead with cheap artifacts in the first two turns (mana rocks, equipment), play Alela on turn three, then cast another artifact or enchantment right away for the first token. This is Brawl, so play toward efficient threats rather than combo setups. Aim to have Alela and two or three token-making artifacts down by turn five, then attack with a flying army of 2/1 lifelinkers. The life you gain off Alela and the Faerie attacks keeps you well ahead in the race.
