Army of Life by jsciberras

Format: Commander

Commander: Darien, King of Kjeldor

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 26

Deck overview

This mono-white deck turns self-inflicted damage into an army of soldiers under the command of Darien, King of Kjeldor. By pairing Darien with 'Soul Sister' lifegain creatures like Soul Warden and pain-producing lands like City of Brass and Ancient Tomb, every point of damage taken creates a 1/1 Soldier token and immediately restores your life total. Once this engine is running, mass enchantment anthems like Cathars' Crusade and Divine Visitation turn incoming damage into an overwhelming, rapidly growing combat force. The deck also features high-ceiling alternate win conditions, including Aetherflux Reservoir, Felidar Sovereign, and an infinite lifegain loop using Famished Paladin and Resplendent Mentor. While it requires setup time to deploy its six-mana commander and relies heavily on creature synergy, its defensive lifegain buffer and explosive board scaling make it difficult to overcome in drawn-out combat.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Adventurer's Inn
  • 1 Aetherflux Reservoir
  • 1 Ajani's Pridemate
  • 1 Alhammarret's Archive
  • 1 Ancient Tomb
  • 1 Anointed Procession
  • 1 Anointer Priest
  • 1 Archangel of Thune
  • 1 Archivist of Oghma
  • 1 Blasting Station
  • 1 Captain of the Watch
  • 1 Captain's Call
  • 1 Cathar Commando
  • 1 Cathars' Crusade
  • 1 Champion of the Parish
  • 1 Citanul Flute
  • 1 City of Brass
  • 1 Court Street Denizen
  • 1 Crusader of Odric
  • 1 Cut a Deal
  • 1 Darien, King of Kjeldor
  • 1 Darksteel Plate
  • 1 Dawn Charm
  • 1 Deserted Temple
  • 1 Devout Chaplain
  • 1 Divine Visitation
  • 1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
  • 1 Enlightened Tutor
  • 1 Esper Sentinel
  • 1 Evangel of Heliod
  • 1 Famished Paladin
  • 1 Felidar Sovereign
  • 1 Field Marshal
  • 1 Glimpse the Sun God
  • 1 Grand Coliseum
  • 1 Healer of the Pride
  • 1 Heliod's Pilgrim
  • 1 Holy Day
  • 1 Idyllic Tutor
  • 1 Intangible Virtue
  • 1 Ironwright's Cleansing
  • 1 Land Tax
  • 1 Lapse of Certainty
  • 1 Light of Promise
  • 1 Mana Tithe
  • 1 Midnight Guard
  • 1 Monastery Mentor
  • 1 Nykthos Paragon
  • 1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
  • 1 Nyx-Fleece Ram
  • 1 Oblivion Ring
  • 1 Odric, Master Tactician
  • 1 Oketra's Monument
  • 1 Pearl Medallion
  • 29 Plains
  • 1 Plea for Guidance
  • 1 Pristine Talisman
  • 1 Raise the Alarm
  • 1 Resplendent Mentor
  • 1 Rhox Faithmender
  • 1 Seraph Sanctuary
  • 1 Skyknight Squire
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Soul Warden
  • 1 Soul's Attendant
  • 1 Spirit Link
  • 1 Sunscorched Desert
  • 1 Swords to Plowshares
  • 1 Thalia's Lieutenant
  • 1 Viridian Longbow
  • 1 Welcoming Vampire
  • 1 Well of Lost Dreams