4. John "Before Damage" Benton

Format: Commander

Commander: Sergeant John Benton

Bracket: 4

DeckCheck Threat Index: 57

Deck overview

This deck is a high-velocity Selesnya Voltron deck commanded by Sergeant John Benton. The strategy accelerates on Turn 1 with one-mana mana dorks or fast artifacts to cast the commander on Turn 2. Because the commander possesses haste and trample, it immediately attacks and connects, using cheap pump spells like Giant Growth, Invigorate, and Mutagenic Growth to deal heavy damage and draw an equal number of cards. Drawing 6 to 15 cards per turn refills the player's hand with redundant pump spells, fast mana, and a dense suite of one-mana protection spells like Tamiyo's Safekeeping and Tyvar's Stand. On Turn 3, the deck threatens lethal commander damage on a single player, chaining combat eliminations across consecutive turns to close the game by Turn 5. An alternate infinite damage combo featuring Heliod, Sun-Crowned and Walking Ballista provides a backup table kill.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Ancient Tomb
  • 1 Arbor Elf
  • 1 Avacyn's Pilgrim
  • 1 Bala Ged Recovery // Bala Ged Sanctuary
  • 1 Become Immense
  • 1 Berserk
  • 1 Birds of Paradise
  • 1 Blacksmith's Skill
  • 1 Blossoming Defense
  • 1 Boseiju, Who Endures
  • 1 Bountiful Promenade
  • 1 Bounty of the Hunt
  • 1 Branchloft Pathway // Boulderloft Pathway
  • 1 Bridgeworks Battle // Tanglespan Bridgeworks
  • 1 Brushland
  • 1 Choose Your Weapon
  • 1 Chrome Mox
  • 1 City of Brass
  • 1 Collective Resistance
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Crop Rotation
  • 1 Defend the Rider
  • 1 Delighted Halfling
  • 1 Dual-Sun Technique
  • 1 Duelist's Heritage
  • 1 Elvish Mystic
  • 1 Elvish Spirit Guide
  • 1 Embiggen
  • 1 Empyrial Armor
  • 1 Empyrial Plate
  • 1 Enlightened Tutor
  • 1 Exploration
  • 1 Feral Ferocity
  • 1 Flaming Fist
  • 1 Flooded Strand
  • 1 Forbidden Orchard
  • 1 Force of Vigor
  • 6 Forest
  • 1 Fyndhorn Elves
  • 1 Gemstone Caverns
  • 1 Giant Growth
  • 1 Gift of the Viper
  • 1 Graduation Day
  • 1 Groundswell
  • 1 Heliod, Sun-Crowned
  • 1 Horizon Canopy
  • 1 Hushwood Verge
  • 1 Inner Calm, Outer Strength
  • 1 Invigorate
  • 1 Legolas's Quick Reflexes
  • 1 Llanowar Elves
  • 1 Lotus Petal
  • 1 Mana Confluence
  • 1 Might of Old Krosa
  • 1 Might of the Nephilim
  • 1 Misty Rainforest
  • 1 Mutagenic Growth
  • 1 Overprotect
  • 1 Path to Exile
  • 1 Phytoburst
  • 3 Plains
  • 1 Prismatic Vista
  • 1 Ram Through
  • 1 Ranger's Guile
  • 1 Razorverge Thicket
  • 1 Regrowth
  • 1 Reliquary Tower
  • 1 Revive
  • 1 Royal Treatment
  • 1 Rustler Rampage
  • 1 Savannah
  • 1 Scale Up
  • 1 Scent of Ivy
  • 1 Sergeant John Benton
  • 1 Snakeskin Veil
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Spellbook
  • 1 Summer Bloom
  • 1 Swords to Plowshares
  • 1 Tamiyo's Safekeeping
  • 1 Temple Garden
  • 1 Tifa's Limit Break
  • 1 Tyvar's Stand
  • 1 Utopia Sprawl
  • 1 Verdant Catacombs
  • 1 Vines of Vastwood
  • 1 Voice of Victory
  • 1 Walking Ballista
  • 1 Wild Defiance
  • 1 Wild Growth
  • 1 Windswept Heath
  • 1 Wooded Foothills
  • 1 Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth