X Factor by Merz

Format: Commander

Commander: Helga, Skittish Seer

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 46

Deck overview

This deck is a Bant synergy engine commanded by Helga, Skittish Seer. It leverages low-cost mana dorks to deploy Helga on Turn 3, then quickly accelerates by casting creature spells with mana value 4 or greater (or variable X spells). Each qualifying creature cast triggers Helga to draw a card, gain life, and grow in power. This power feeds Helga's tap ability to produce large bursts of mana, chaining further creature spells in a pseudo-storm fashion. The deck compounds this advantage through counter multipliers like Branching Evolution and Innkeeper's Talent, secondary mana powerhouses like Selvala, Heart of the Wilds and Kami of Whispered Hopes, and continuous card flow from Elven Chorus and Garruk's Uprising. The game concludes either through an overwhelming combat overrun powered by Tyvar, the Pummeler, an infinite token loop with Intruder Alarm and Xerex Strobe-Knight, or direct damage bursts from Walking Ballista.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Agatha's Soul Cauldron
  • 1 An Offer You Can't Refuse
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Barkchannel Pathway // Tidechannel Pathway
  • 1 Bear Umbra
  • 1 Branching Evolution
  • 1 Bridgeworks Battle // Tanglespan Bridgeworks
  • 1 Brushland
  • 1 Canopy Vista
  • 1 Castle Garenbrig
  • 1 Chocobo Knights
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Counterspell
  • 1 Damning Verdict
  • 1 Devoted Druid
  • 1 Double Major
  • 1 Dreamroot Cascade
  • 1 Eladamri, Korvecdal
  • 1 Elven Chorus
  • 1 Exotic Orchard
  • 1 Fabled Passage
  • 1 Fanatic of Rhonas
  • 1 Fathom Mage
  • 1 Finale of Revelation
  • 1 Flawless Maneuver
  • 2 Forest
  • 1 Forge of Heroes
  • 1 Formidable Speaker
  • 1 Fortified Village
  • 1 Frenzied Baloth
  • 1 Garruk's Uprising
  • 1 Gatta and Luzzu
  • 1 Glacial Fortress
  • 1 Growth Curve
  • 1 Growth Spiral
  • 1 Gyre Sage
  • 1 Hall of Oracles
  • 1 Hardened Scales
  • 1 Helga, Skittish Seer
  • 1 Herd Heirloom
  • 1 Hidden Nursery
  • 1 Hydroid Krasis
  • 1 Incubation Druid
  • 1 Innkeeper's Talent
  • 1 Into the Flood Maw
  • 1 Intruder Alarm
  • 2 Island
  • 1 Kami of Whispered Hopes
  • 1 Lae'zel, Vlaakith's Champion
  • 1 Level Up
  • 1 Llanowar Elves
  • 1 Lumbering Falls
  • 1 Marvin, Murderous Mimic
  • 1 Mind into Matter
  • 1 Multiversal Passage
  • 1 Nature's Rhythm
  • 1 Negate
  • 1 Nesting Grounds
  • 1 Overflowing Basin
  • 1 Path to Exile
  • 2 Plains
  • 1 Port Town
  • 1 Prairie Stream
  • 1 Primal Might
  • 1 Proft's Eidetic Memory
  • 1 Restless Vinestalk
  • 1 Seaside Citadel
  • 1 Selvala, Heart of the Wilds
  • 1 Simic Ascendancy
  • 1 Skycloud Expanse
  • 1 Snakeskin Veil
  • 1 Sodden Verdure
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Solve the Equation
  • 1 Sphere Grid
  • 1 Strength of Will
  • 1 Sungrass Prairie
  • 1 Sunpetal Grove
  • 1 Temple of Enlightenment
  • 1 Temple of Mystery
  • 1 Temple of Plenty
  • 1 Terrasymbiosis
  • 1 The Earth Crystal
  • 1 The Goose Mother
  • 1 Tidus, Yuna's Guardian
  • 1 Together Forever
  • 1 Triskelion
  • 1 Twenty-Toed Toad
  • 1 Tyvar, the Pummeler
  • 1 Vineglimmer Snarl
  • 1 Vrestin, Menoptra Leader
  • 1 Walking Ballista
  • 1 Wan Shi Tong, Librarian
  • 1 Xerex Strobe-Knight
  • 1 Yuna, Grand Summoner
  • 1 Zimone, Infinite Analyst
  • 1 Zimone, Paradox Sculptor