Amalia by Jiveturkey

Format: Commander

Commander: Amalia Benavides Aguirre

Bracket: 3

Deck overview

This is an Orzhov lifegain-tribal deck helmed by Amalia Benavides Aguirre, built around stacking life gain triggers to fuel her explore ability and eventually trigger her one-sided board wipe when her power reaches exactly 20. The primary win condition is to grow Amalia to lethal commander damage via repeated explore triggers, then wipe the board and attack for 21+ damage. The deck leans heavily on a dense web of lifegain enablers-ETB triggers, lifelink creatures, and drain effects-that also provide incidental value through Heliod, Sun-Crowned, Archangel of Thune, and Bloodthirsty Conqueror. Secondary paths include drain-'em-out via Zulaport Cutthroat, Sanguinary Priest, and Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, or general beatdown with lifelink threats. The strategy is linear and incremental, lacking fast mana or combo finishes, and relies on the commander's specific timing to reset the board.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Acrobatic Maneuver
  • 1 Ajani's Pridemate
  • 1 Amalia Benavides Aguirre
  • 1 Anointed Chorister
  • 1 Archangel of Thune
  • 1 Basri's Acolyte
  • 1 Battle-Rage Blessing
  • 1 Blacksmith's Skill
  • 1 Bloodthirsty Conqueror
  • 1 Braids, Arisen Nightmare
  • 1 Case of the Uneaten Feast
  • 1 Condemn
  • 1 Cost of Brilliance
  • 1 Cryptolith Fragment // Aurora of Emrakul
  • 1 Dark Ritual
  • 1 Daybreak Chaplain
  • 1 Deadly Dispute
  • 1 Deep-Cavern Bat
  • 1 Denethor, Ruling Steward
  • 1 Dependable Quinjet
  • 1 Duty Beyond Death
  • 1 Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim
  • 1 Elite Interceptor // Rejoinder
  • 1 Esper Sentinel
  • 1 Essence Channeler
  • 1 Eyeblight's Ending
  • 1 Foolish Fate
  • 1 Generous Gift
  • 1 Go for the Throat
  • 1 H.E.R.B.I.E. Scout Unit
  • 1 Heliod, Sun-Crowned
  • 1 Hinterland Sanctifier
  • 1 Hunted Witness
  • 1 Kaya, Orzhov Usurper
  • 1 Killian's Confidence
  • 1 Kingpin's Enforcers
  • 1 Luminarch Aspirant
  • 1 Lunarch Veteran // Luminous Phantom
  • 1 Make Your Move
  • 1 Masterful Flourish
  • 1 Moonglove Extractor
  • 1 Murder
  • 1 Orcish Bowmasters
  • 1 Orzhov Keyrune
  • 1 Paladin of the Bloodstained
  • 1 Phyrexian Arena
  • 19 Plains
  • 1 Rapier Wit
  • 1 Sanguinary Priest
  • 1 Serra Ascendant
  • 1 Shattered Acolyte
  • 1 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
  • 1 Smitten Swordmaster // Curry Favor
  • 1 Soul's Attendant
  • 1 Soulmender
  • 1 Stirring Hopesinger
  • 1 Suture Priest
  • 19 Swamp
  • 1 Take Up the Shield
  • 1 Thirsting Shade
  • 1 Vampire Nighthawk
  • 1 Vampire of the Dire Moon
  • 1 Wander Off
  • 1 Zulaport Cutthroat