Human Coven (EDH / Commander)

This deck is designed to be a "Friendly Deck," a deck which can be lent to or used against players that are new to the format or just don't have their own deck yet. This deck is meant to be fairly straight forward and easy to explain the deck's goal to anyone. Friendly Decks take a weaker theme, a deck that has a lower ceiling when it comes to power level and make sure its a fun package. A Friendly Deck is that nothing is meant to be too overwhelming, not the draw or the ramp, not the strength of the creatures, not the amount of removal... its basically meant to be a powered up precon in power level whether or not the deck is derived from a precon or not.

For this deck I took the Coven Counters deck... Keeping Leinore the commander ensures there is draw in the command zone and doesn't provide a commander that is as threatening as a creature like Kyler. Keeping the deck nearly entirely human tribal means that there are plenty of limiters on the potential power level. The same can be said for Coven as a mechanic putting a pretty low ceiling on the power level of the deck. Not to mention, both themes of the deck are very simple to explain... the deck is all about collecting and maintaining a board of at least 3 creatures with different powers.

I made a very intention decision to not add token making cards to the deck... I believe the only one is Sigarda, Heron's Grace and she is only there because she was in the precon and because I wanted all 3 Sigarda forms. Part of the reason I want to remove my tokens from the deck is because, due to the number of +1/+1 counters this deck makes, there will already be lots of physical upkeep with the deck. In order to keep that physical upkeep lower for the deck, especially with the given goal of having this be a deck to lend to new players, I wanted to limit the number of permanents in this already permanent-heavy deck.

The sideboard is where cards I think might be good in the deck that I haven't added to the list are. The cuts from the original precon are in the maybeboard.

Cards I've added to the deck:

• Augur of Autumn
• Barrier Breach
• Cathar Commando
• Champion of the Parish
• Colossal Majesty
• Forgotten Ancient
• Gavony Township
• Generous Gift
• Glorious Sunrise
• Harmonize
• Heroic Intervention
• Karn's Bastion
• Katilda, Dawnhart Prime
• Luminarch Aspirant
• Momentous Fall
• Nature's Lore
• Overwhelming Stampede
• Rampant Growth
• Selesnya Signet
• Shalai, Voice of Plenty
• Sigarda's Summons
• Sigarda, Champion of Light
• Sigarda, Host of Herons
• Thalia's Lieutenant
• Timeless Witness

The last few cards I was thinking about but cut & why:

• Contortionist Troupe: the troupe is similar to Luminarch Aspirant but requires you already have Coven up so it is way less effective... it being a "hydra" is interesting though.
• Intrepid Adversary: was looking a little too expensive
• Kurbis, Harvest Celebrant: I like the idea of there being natural forces the humans worship in the deck, but Forgotten Ancient seems way more useful
• Life's Legacy: sorcery speed, I'd rather pay double for Momentous Fall
• Resplendent Marshal: This would be the first card I look at putting back in
• Selfless Squire: a fun defensive card, that can give me a potentially huge body... probably the 2nd card I'd swap back in

One thing I really like about this deck is how well multiple legends COULD slot in to be the commander. I think the best option for teaching a new player how to play would be to use Leinore, but Katilda would be the 2nd most likely option I would recommend. Trying out both would let a new player see which core mechanic, card draw or ramp, they find more important to have in the command zone. Sigarda would also excel at the head of this deck and still fits the Human//Coven design. Although Shalai isn't from Innistrad she would also be an appropriate commander for the deck...