Insect Swarm by LikkleLion

Format: Commander

Commander: Szarel, Genesis Shepherd

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 37

Deck overview

This deck is a high-synergy Jund lands and counters strategy piloted by Szarel, Genesis Shepherd. The game plan accelerates in the early turns using dense green ramp spells to deploy Szarel ahead of curve on Turn 4. Once assembled, the deck leverages repeatable land sacrifice effects from fetchlands, Zuran Orb, and Sylvan Safekeeper to trigger Szarel's counter distribution while replaying those same lands from the graveyard. This fuels explosive growth on secondary threats such as Amarant Coral, Baloth Prime, and Korvold, Fae-Cursed King. Critical onset arrives on Turn 5, setting up a definitive table knockout on Turn 6 via trample damage amplification or a massive Chandra's Ignition. While the deck generates overwhelming mana velocity and resilient recursive value, its reliance on natural draws for nonland threats and vulnerability to instant-speed spot removal define its competitive balance.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Accursed Marauder
  • 1 Amarant Coral
  • 1 Ashnod's Altar
  • 1 Azusa, Lost but Seeking
  • 1 Baloth Prime
  • 1 Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway
  • 1 Blood Crypt
  • 1 Bloodstained Mire
  • 1 Braids, Arisen Nightmare
  • 1 Cavern of Souls
  • 1 Chandra's Ignition
  • 1 Cindervines
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Conduit of Worlds
  • 1 Constant Mists
  • 1 Cragcrown Pathway // Timbercrown Pathway
  • 1 Crystalline Crawler
  • 1 Culling the Weak
  • 1 Darkbore Pathway // Slitherbore Pathway
  • 1 Deflecting Swat
  • 1 Druid Class
  • 1 Entish Restoration
  • 1 Etched Oracle
  • 1 Evendo Brushrazer
  • 1 Evolution Witness
  • 1 Evolving Wilds
  • 1 Exploration
  • 1 Exploration Broodship
  • 1 Fabled Passage
  • 1 Famished Worldsire
  • 1 Farseek
  • 12 Forest
  • 1 Gyre Sage
  • 1 Harrow
  • 1 Haywire Mite
  • 1 Hearthhull, the Worldseed
  • 1 Heroic Intervention
  • 1 Icetill Explorer
  • 1 Kami of Whispered Hopes
  • 1 Korvold, Fae-Cursed King
  • 1 Luxury Suite
  • 1 Mightform Harmonizer
  • 1 Moraug, Fury of Akoum
  • 1 Mortuary Mire
  • 1 Mountain
  • 1 Nahiri's Lithoforming
  • 1 Nature's Lore
  • 1 Orcish Lumberjack
  • 1 Ouroboroid
  • 1 Overgrown Tomb
  • 1 Phyrexian Tower
  • 1 Plaguecrafter
  • 1 Prismatic Vista
  • 1 Rain of Filth
  • 1 Rampant Frogantua
  • 1 Rancor
  • 1 Ride the Shoopuf
  • 1 Rishkar's Expertise
  • 1 Riveteers Overlook
  • 1 Roaring Earth
  • 1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
  • 1 Scapeshift
  • 1 Scouring Swarm
  • 1 Scythecat Cub
  • 1 Seal of Primordium
  • 1 Slippery Bogbonder
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Spire Garden
  • 1 Splendid Reclamation
  • 1 Springheart Nantuko
  • 1 Stomping Ground
  • 1 Swamp
  • 1 Swiftfoot Boots
  • 1 Sylvan Safekeeper
  • 1 Szarel, Genesis Shepherd
  • 1 Terramorphic Expanse
  • 1 Terrasymbiosis
  • 1 The Gitrog Monster
  • 1 The Ozolith
  • 1 Three Visits
  • 1 Tireless Provisioner
  • 1 Toxic Deluge
  • 1 Undergrowth Stadium
  • 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
  • 1 Verdant Catacombs
  • 1 Victimize
  • 1 Wooded Foothills
  • 1 Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth
  • 1 Zuran Orb