Bard by Astoraren

Format: Commander

Commander: Bard, King of Dale

Bracket: 2

Deck overview

This Azorius deck is built around Bard, King of Dale's two doubling abilities: every non-first draw-step draw becomes two cards, and every token creation is doubled. The deck leans heavily on the "recruit" mechanic (draw a card, discard a card, make a 1/1 Soldier if you discarded a nonland) - Bard turns each recruit into a two-card draw plus two tokens, generating explosive card advantage and a wide board simultaneously. The primary win condition is combat: a swarm of Soldier/Hero/Dwarf tokens pumped by anthem effects like Bard's Company, An Unexpected Party, Dwarven Provisioner, and Heidegger, Shinra Executive. Secondary value comes from repeatable draw engines like Uncover the Moon-Letters and Fateful Discovery, plus light recursion via Restoration Seminar and The Mountain-king's Return. This is a mid-power, value-driven token deck with no infinite combos and a slow but steady clock.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Aerith Rescue Mission
  • 1 An Unexpected Party // At the Door
  • 1 Atlantean Cavalry
  • 1 Bard's Company
  • 1 Bard, King of Dale
  • 1 Bilbo Baggins, Burglar // Take a Glance
  • 1 Bilbo's Gambit
  • 1 Blitzball
  • 1 Bofur, Reliable Guardian // Concerted Care
  • 1 Celebrate the Mountain-king
  • 1 Confusticate and Bebother
  • 1 Dwarven Provisioner
  • 1 Dwarven Shortsword
  • 1 Dáin, Lord of the Iron Hills
  • 1 Eagle of the Great Shelf
  • 1 Eagle's Rescue
  • 1 Elrond, Moon-Reader
  • 1 Elven Passage
  • 1 Elven Raft-Steerer
  • 1 Esgaroth Garrison
  • 1 Fateful Discovery
  • 1 G'raha Tia
  • 1 Gandalf, Wandering Wizard
  • 1 Group Project
  • 1 Heidegger, Shinra Executive
  • 1 Hobbit Hole
  • 1 Iron Hills Blacksmith
  • 15 Island
  • 1 Joined Researchers // Secret Rendezvous
  • 1 Key to the Side-Door
  • 1 Kid Loki
  • 1 Lake-town
  • 1 Lake-town Lookout
  • 1 Lake-town Mariners // Gone Fishing
  • 1 Lake-town Toymaker
  • 1 Lakeshore Apothecary
  • 1 Long Lake Nuisance
  • 1 Long-Bodied Grey Dog
  • 1 Magic Pot
  • 1 Magnificent End
  • 1 Master's Councillors
  • 1 Mirkwood Meditator
  • 1 Moment of Glory
  • 1 Most Decrepit Old Bird // Speak Secrets
  • 1 Old Fat Spider Can't See Me
  • 1 Old Thrush
  • 1 Ori, Keeper of Songs
  • 1 Patient Instructor
  • 15 Plains
  • 1 Plunder the Trollshaws
  • 1 Quick Study
  • 1 Ravenhill Flock
  • 1 Restoration Seminar
  • 1 Riddles in the Dark
  • 1 Ring of the Lucii
  • 1 Roads Go Ever, Ever On
  • 1 Silvergill Peddler
  • 1 Snow Villiers
  • 1 Spellbook Seeker // Careful Study
  • 1 Springleaf Drum
  • 1 Stone by Sunlight
  • 1 Summit Sentinel
  • 1 The Black Arrow
  • 1 The Crystal's Chosen
  • 1 The Lord of the Eagles
  • 1 The Mountain-king's Return
  • 1 Thorin's Last Stand
  • 1 Thranduil's Decree
  • 1 Thrór's Map
  • 1 Trickster's Stratagem
  • 1 Uncover the Moon-Letters
  • 1 Wizard Class