Shared Commander deck
Arcades, the Strategist - Defenders that attack and draw cards
Arcades, the Strategist · GUW · 100 cards · 36 lands
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Bracket 3 - UpgradedCommander 1Creatures 40Instants 10Sorceries 9Artifacts 2Enchantments 2Lands 36
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Strategy
Arcades turns a wall into a threat: creatures with defender attack using their toughness and draw a card when they enter. The deck plays a dense curve of cheap, high-toughness defenders that block early, replace themselves, and then attack for far more than their power suggests.
Early: Cheap walls. Overgrown Battlement and Axebane Guardian ramp off toughness, while Wall of Tanglecord and Fortified Rampart hold the board together.
Mid: Cast Arcades and every subsequent defender draws a card. The board that was purely defensive becomes an attacking force, with Wall of Denial and Hover Barrier contributing real damage.
Late: Rampart Architect and Reunion of the House rebuild after removal. Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive makes the small-power, high-toughness creatures unblockable.
Win conditions: A board of defenders attacking with toughness ends games surprisingly fast, and Tetsuko turns a stalled board into lethal damage.
- Axebane Guardian - Ramps off the defender board
- Wall of Denial - Hard-to-remove wall that hits for four
- Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive - Makes the whole board unblockable
- Rampart Architect - Rebuilds the defender shell after a wipe
~$239.43
estimated to build this deck
Commander (1)
Arcades, the Strategist
Legendary Creature — Elder Dragon
Flying, vigilance
Whenever a creature you control with defender enters, draw a card.
Each creature you control with defender assigns combat damage equal to its toughness rather than its power and can attack as though it didn't have defender.
Creatures (40)
Perimeter Captain
Creature — Human Soldier
$0.56
Defender
Whenever a creature you control with defender blocks, you may gain 2 life.
Portcullis Vine
Creature — Plant Wall
$0.17
Defender (This creature can't attack.)
{2}, {T}, Sacrifice a creature with defender: Draw a card.
Wall of Runes
Creature — Wall
$0.23
Defender (This creature can't attack.)
When this creature enters, scry 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom.)
Crashing Drawbridge
Artifact Creature — Wall
$0.78
Defender
{T}: Creatures you control gain haste until end of turn.
Crystal Barricade
Artifact Creature — Wall
$2.17
Defender (This creature can't attack.)
You have hexproof. (You can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.)
Prevent all noncombat damage that would be dealt to other creatures you control.
Flumph
Creature — Jellyfish
$2.3
Defender, flying
Whenever this creature is dealt damage, you and target opponent each draw a card.
Jeskai Barricade
Creature — Wall
$0.35
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)
Defender
When this creature enters, you may return another target creature you control to its owner's hand.
Orator of Ojutai
Creature — Bird Monk
$0.16
As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may reveal a Dragon card from your hand.
Defender, flying
When this creature enters, if you revealed a Dragon card or controlled a Dragon as you cast this spell, draw a card.
Overgrown Battlement
Creature — Wall
$0.27
Defender
{T}: Add {G} for each creature you control with defender.
Stalwart Shield-Bearers
Creature — Human Soldier
$1.66
Defender
Other creatures you control with defender get +0/+2.
Sunscape Familiar
Creature — Wall
$1.27
Defender (This creature can't attack.)
Green spells and blue spells you cast cost {1} less to cast.
Sylvan Caryatid
Creature — Plant
$0.97
Defender, hexproof
{T}: Add one mana of any color.
Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive
Legendary Creature — Human Rogue
$0.15
Creatures you control with power or toughness 1 or less can't be blocked.
Vine Trellis
Creature — Plant Wall
$0.23
Defender (This creature can't attack.)
{T}: Add {G}.
Wall of Blossoms
Creature — Plant Wall
$0.2
Defender
When this creature enters, draw a card.
Wall of Junk
Artifact Creature — Wall
$0.33
Defender (This creature can't attack.)
When this creature blocks, return it to its owner's hand at end of combat. (Return it only if it's on the battlefield.)
Wall of Mulch
Creature — Wall
$0.12
Defender (This creature can't attack.)
{G}, Sacrifice a Wall: Draw a card.
Wall of Omens
Creature — Wall
$0.25
Defender
When this creature enters, draw a card.
Wall of Roots
Creature — Plant Wall
$0.19
Defender
Put a -0/-1 counter on this creature: Add {G}. Activate only once each turn.
Wall of Tanglecord
Artifact Creature — Wall
$0.35
Defender
{G}: This creature gains reach until end of turn. (It can block creatures with flying.)
Wall of Tears
Creature — Wall
$0.32
Defender (This creature can't attack.)
Whenever this creature blocks a creature, return that creature to its owner's hand at end of combat.
Axebane Guardian
Creature — Human Druid
$0.15
Defender
{T}: Add X mana in any combination of colors, where X is the number of creatures you control with defender.
Mentor of the Meek
Creature — Human Soldier
$0.17
Whenever another creature you control with power 2 or less enters, you may pay {1}. If you do, draw a card.
Plagon, Lord of the Beach
Legendary Creature — Starfish Wizard
$0.97
When Plagon enters, draw a card for each creature you control with toughness greater than its power.
{W/U}: Target creature you control assigns combat damage equal to its toughness rather than its power this turn.
Rigo, Streetwise Mentor
Legendary Creature — Cat Citizen
$0.24
Rigo enters with a shield counter on it. (If it would be dealt damage or destroyed, remove a shield counter from it instead.)
Whenever you attack a player or planeswalker with one or more creatures with power 1 or less, draw a card.
Sokrates, Athenian Teacher
Legendary Creature — Human Advisor
$0.98
Defender
Sokrates has hexproof as long as it's untapped.
Sokratic Dialogue — {T}: Until end of turn, target creature gains "If this creature would deal combat damage to a player, prevent that damage. This creature's controller and that player each draw half that many cards, rounded down."
Wall of Denial
Creature — Wall
$0.29
Defender, flying
Shroud (This creature can't be the target of spells or abilities.)
Wall of Frost
Creature — Wall
$0.21
Defender
Whenever this creature blocks a creature, that creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
Wall of Nets
Creature — Wall
$5.88
Defender (This creature can't attack.)
At end of combat, exile all creatures blocked by this creature.
When this creature leaves the battlefield, return all cards exiled with it to the battlefield under their owners' control.
Weathered Sentinels
Artifact Creature — Wall
$1.03
Defender, reach, vigilance, trample
This creature can attack players who attacked you during their last turn as though it didn't have defender.
Whenever this creature attacks, it gets +3/+3 and gains indestructible until end of turn.
Rampart Architect
Creature — Elephant Advisor
$0.32
Whenever this creature enters or attacks, create a 1/3 white Wall creature token with defender.
Whenever a creature you control with defender dies, you may search your library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
Shield-Wall Sentinel
Artifact Creature — Golem
$0.36
Defender
When this creature enters, you may search your library for a creature card with defender, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.
Tree of Redemption
Creature — Plant
$0.61
Defender
{T}: Exchange your life total with this creature's toughness.
Wall of Stolen Identity
Creature — Shapeshifter Wall
$4.05
You may have this creature enter as a copy of any creature on the battlefield, except it's a Wall in addition to its other types and has defender. When you do, tap the copied creature and it doesn't untap during its controller's untap step for as long as you control this creature.
Fecund Greenshell
Creature — Elemental Turtle
$0.74
Reach
As long as you control ten or more lands, creatures you control get +2/+2.
Whenever this creature or another creature you control with toughness greater than its power enters, look at the top card of your library. If it's a land card, you may put it onto the battlefield tapped. Otherwise, put it into your hand.
The Walls of Ba Sing Se
Legendary Artifact Creature — Wall
$24.81
Defender
Other permanents you control have indestructible.
The Pride of Hull Clade
Legendary Creature — Crocodile Elk Turtle
$1.81
This spell costs {X} less to cast, where X is the total toughness of creatures you control.
Defender
{2}{U}{U}: Until end of turn, target creature you control gets +1/+0, gains "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, draw cards equal to its toughness," and can attack as though it didn't have defender.
Instants (10)
Path to Exile
Instant
$0.56
Exile target creature. Its controller may search their library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
Swords to Plowshares
Instant
$0.69
Exile target creature. Its controller gains life equal to its power.
Cyclonic Rift
Instant
$29.74
Return target nonland permanent you don't control to its owner's hand.
Overload {6}{U} (You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change "target" in its text to "each.")
Dovin's Veto
Instant
$2.45
This spell can't be countered.
Counter target noncreature spell.
Growth Spiral
Instant
$0.28
Draw a card. You may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield.
Beast Within
Instant
$0.42
Destroy target permanent. Its controller creates a 3/3 green Beast creature token.
Generous Gift
Instant
$0.93
Destroy target permanent. Its controller creates a 3/3 green Elephant creature token.
Teferi's Protection
Instant
$36.84
Until your next turn, your life total can't change and you gain protection from everything. All permanents you control phase out. (While they're phased out, they're treated as though they don't exist. They phase in before you untap during your untap step.)
Exile Teferi's Protection.
Sorceries (9)
Farseek
Sorcery
$0.43
Search your library for a Plains, Island, Swamp, or Mountain card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
Nature's Lore
Sorcery
$1.07
Search your library for a Forest card, put that card onto the battlefield, then shuffle.
Rampant Growth
Sorcery
$0.39
Search your library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
Three Visits
Sorcery
$5.66
Search your library for a Forest card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle.
Cultivate
Sorcery
$0.37
Search your library for up to two basic land cards, reveal those cards, put one onto the battlefield tapped and the other into your hand, then shuffle.
Kodama's Reach
Sorcery — Arcane
$1.5
Search your library for up to two basic land cards, reveal those cards, put one onto the battlefield tapped and the other into your hand, then shuffle.
Slaughter the Strong
Sorcery
$0.16
Each player chooses any number of creatures they control with total power 4 or less, then sacrifices all other creatures they control.
Reunion of the House
Sorcery
$0.32
Return any number of target creature cards with total power 10 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield. Exile Reunion of the House.
Last March of the Ents
Sorcery
$22.38
This spell can't be countered.
Draw cards equal to the greatest toughness among creatures you control, then put any number of creature cards from your hand onto the battlefield.
Artifacts (2)
Captain America's Shield
Legendary Artifact — Equipment
$1.59
Indestructible
Equipped creature gets +0/+8 and has vigilance.
Whenever equipped creature attacks, tap target creature defending player controls.
Equip {2}
Rammas Echor, Ancient Shield
Legendary Artifact
$8.64
Whenever you cast your second spell each turn, draw a card, then create a 0/3 white Wall creature token with defender.
At the beginning of combat on your turn, creatures you control with defender gain exalted until end of turn. (Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each instance of exalted among permanents you control.)
Enchantments (2)
Aura Shards
Enchantment
$19.14
Whenever a creature you control enters, you may destroy target artifact or enchantment.
High Alert
Enchantment
$0.36
Each creature you control assigns combat damage equal to its toughness rather than its power.
Creatures you control can attack as though they didn't have defender.
{2}{W}{U}: Untap target creature.
Lands (36)
Access Tunnel
Land
$0.38
{T}: Add {C}.
{3}, {T}: Target creature with power 3 or less can't be blocked this turn.
Alchemist's Refuge
Land
$0.4
{T}: Add {C}.
{G}{U}, {T}: You may cast spells this turn as though they had flash.
Breeding Pool
Land — Forest Island
$9.52
({T}: Add {G} or {U}.)
As this land enters, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, it enters tapped.
Canopy Vista
Land — Forest Plains
$0.2
({T}: Add {G} or {W}.)
This land enters tapped unless you control two or more basic lands.
Command Tower
Land
$0.18
{T}: Add one mana of any color in your commander's color identity.
Exotic Orchard
Land
$0.23
{T}: Add one mana of any color that a land an opponent controls could produce.
Glacial Fortress
Land
$0.27
This land enters tapped unless you control a Plains or an Island.
{T}: Add {W} or {U}.
Hallowed Fountain
Land — Plains Island
$7.09
({T}: Add {W} or {U}.)
As this land enters, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, it enters tapped.
Hinterland Harbor
Land
$0.3
This land enters tapped unless you control a Forest or an Island.
{T}: Add {G} or {U}.
Prairie Stream
Land — Plains Island
$0.2
({T}: Add {W} or {U}.)
This land enters tapped unless you control two or more basic lands.
Rejuvenating Springs
Land
$4.6
This land enters tapped unless you have two or more opponents.
{T}: Add {G} or {U}.
Rogue's Passage
Land
$0.26
{T}: Add {C}.
{4}, {T}: Target creature can't be blocked this turn.
Spara's Headquarters
Land — Forest Plains Island
$12.56
({T}: Add {G}, {W}, or {U}.)
This land enters tapped.
Cycling {3} ({3}, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
Sunpetal Grove
Land
$0.25
This land enters tapped unless you control a Forest or a Plains.
{T}: Add {G} or {W}.
Temple Garden
Land — Forest Plains
$6.54
({T}: Add {G} or {W}.)
As this land enters, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, it enters tapped.
Temple of the False God
Land
$0.17
{T}: Add {C}{C}. Activate only if you control five or more lands.
Basic lands: 6 Forest 4 Island 8 Plains
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