fetch by user4144698

Format: Commander

Commander: Pako, Arcane Retriever and Haldan, Avid Arcanist

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 19

Deck overview

The deck uses Pako, Arcane Retriever as a hasty combat engine and Haldan, Avid Arcanist as access to the noncreature cards exiled by Pako, Arcane Retriever. Ramp enables the pair around turn 5 in ordinary games. Each attack grows Pako, Arcane Retriever and creates a pool of exiled lands and spells, while equipment, auras, extra combats, and protection convert that pool into pressure. The list also has a reasonable spread of removal and counterspells. Its main limitations are access and closure: both commanders must be assembled, creature cards exiled by Pako, Arcane Retriever cannot be cast through Haldan, Avid Arcanist, and the combat package does not reliably eliminate three opponents. The deck is therefore a strong casual-to-mid-power value-combat strategy, not a competitive combo or lock deck.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 An Offer You Can't Refuse
  • 1 Aqueous Form
  • 1 Arcane Denial
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Bear Umbra
  • 1 Beast Within
  • 1 Blasphemous Act
  • 1 Brainstorm
  • 1 Canopy Cover
  • 1 Chandra's Ignition
  • 1 Chaos Warp
  • 1 Cinder Glade
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Counterspell
  • 1 Cultivate
  • 1 Doc Aurlock, Grizzled Genius
  • 1 Dramatic Reversal
  • 1 Etali, Primal Storm
  • 1 Evolving Wilds
  • 1 Exotic Orchard
  • 1 Expel from Orazca
  • 1 Explore
  • 1 Farseek
  • 11 Forest
  • 1 Gaea's Gift
  • 1 Great Train Heist
  • 1 Growth Spiral
  • 1 Haldan, Avid Arcanist
  • 13 Island
  • 1 Karlach, Fury of Avernus
  • 1 Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar
  • 1 Kenrith's Transformation
  • 1 Key to the City
  • 1 Kodama's Reach
  • 1 Lightning Greaves
  • 1 March of Swirling Mist
  • 1 Mask of Memory
  • 1 Moraug, Fury of Akoum
  • 7 Mountain
  • 1 Nature's Lore
  • 1 Negate
  • 1 Overpowering Attack
  • 1 Overprotect
  • 1 Pako, Arcane Retriever
  • 1 Passionate Archaeologist
  • 1 Ponder
  • 1 Prowler's Helm
  • 1 Psychotic Fury
  • 1 Rancor
  • 1 Rapid Hybridization
  • 1 Ravenform
  • 1 Repulsive Mutation
  • 1 Resculpt
  • 1 Rogue's Passage
  • 1 Seize the Day
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Spell Rupture
  • 1 Stormcarved Coast
  • 1 Stubborn Denial
  • 1 Swiftfoot Boots
  • 1 Sword Coast Sailor
  • 1 Tamiyo's Safekeeping
  • 1 Temur Battle Rage
  • 1 Thespian's Stage
  • 1 Three Visits
  • 1 Time Warp
  • 1 Two-Handed Axe // Sweeping Cleave
  • 1 Underworld Breach
  • 1 Wild Growth
  • 1 Wilderness Reclamation
  • 1 Winged Boots
  • 1 Wulfgar of Icewind Dale