Battle Tax by user1050602

Format: Commander

Commander: Faramir, Prince of Ithilien

Bracket: 2

DeckCheck Threat Index: 30

Deck overview

This deck executes a defensive Azorius pillowfort strategy that weaponizes opponent choices through Faramir, Prince of Ithilien. By deploying attack-taxing enchantments such as Ghostly Prison, Propaganda, and Collective Restraint, the deck makes attacking you economically prohibitive. This dynamic forces opponents into an unfavorable dilemma: either abstain from attacking you to hand you extra card draw, or pay steep mana taxes to attack and trigger Faramir's generation of three 1/1 Human Soldier tokens. As defensive barriers hold, the deck steadily accumulates a dense swarm of Human tokens through Faramir, Faramir, Steward of Gondor, and Increasing Devotion. Once a critical mass gathers, anthem effects like Banner of Kinship, Crown of Gondor, and Marshal's Anthem or evasion from Sun Quan, Lord of Wu turn the token army into a lethal threat. Supported by efficient white spot removal and blue counterspells, the deck controls the pace of combat before overwhelming the table in sequential combat rounds.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Aang's Defense
  • 1 An Offer You Can't Refuse
  • 1 Archivist of Gondor
  • 1 Banner of Kinship
  • 1 Bard, King of Dale
  • 1 Bastion Protector
  • 1 Bident of Thassa
  • 1 Boromir, Gondor's Hope
  • 1 Brainstorm
  • 1 Champions of Minas Tirith
  • 1 Collective Restraint
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Counterspell
  • 1 Crown of Gondor
  • 1 Cut a Deal
  • 1 Dearly Departed
  • 1 Distant Melody
  • 1 Everybody Lives!
  • 1 Faramir, Field Commander
  • 1 Faramir, Prince of Ithilien
  • 1 Faramir, Steward of Gondor
  • 1 Fealty to the Realm
  • 1 Frantic Search
  • 1 Frontline Medic
  • 1 Generous Gift
  • 1 Ghostly Prison
  • 1 Gilraen, Dúnedain Protector
  • 1 God-Pharaoh's Statue
  • 1 Grey Host Reinforcements
  • 1 Heirloom Blade
  • 1 Idyllic Tutor
  • 1 Increasing Devotion
  • 20 Island
  • 1 Konda's Banner
  • 1 Lossarnach Captain
  • 1 Lost to Legend
  • 1 Marshal's Anthem
  • 1 Negate
  • 1 Opt
  • 1 Palace Jailer
  • 1 Patchwork Banner
  • 1 Path to Exile
  • 18 Plains
  • 1 Planar Bridge
  • 1 Ponder
  • 1 Pongify
  • 1 Prince Imrahil the Fair
  • 1 Propaganda
  • 1 Secret Rendezvous
  • 1 Selfless Squire
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Sun Quan, Lord of Wu
  • 1 Sunset Revelry
  • 1 Supreme Verdict
  • 1 Swan Song
  • 1 Swords to Plowshares
  • 1 Throne of the God-Pharaoh
  • 1 Throne of the High City
  • 1 Vanquisher's Banner
  • 1 Verge Rangers
  • 1 Village Bell-Ringer
  • 1 Windborn Muse
  • 1 Windbrisk Heights
  • 1 Windfall