This deck traces its origins back to when I started playing EDH in 2017, and my first attempts at a Boros deck with an Angel as the commander. Voltron style became one of my favourite styles to play and it was inevitable to end up with Archangel Avacyn as the commander, as she is my favourite character in Magic.

Over the years the deck has changed significantly and by now it has no budget limit. The aim of the deck is to win through commander combat damage as fast as possible. To that effect, the deck focuses heavily on casting Avacyn as soon as possible, and finding equipment to protect her and do more damage.

The deck has its own dedicated website to showcase alters, among other things: www.churchofavacyn.com

Where allowed by the deck builder, the physical cards used in the deck are represented. Altered cards:

• Thrill of Possibility by MIB Alters
• Mask of Memory by Micha’s Alters
• Hyena Umbra by Sk0oma Alters
• Skullclamp by Micha's Alters
• Basilisk Collar by Micha's Alters
• Rogue's Passage by MIB Alters
• Plateau by MIB Alters
• Command Tower by MIB Alters
• Cathartic Reunion by RockyAlters
• Tormenting Voice by RockyAlters
• Basic Lands by Alberto Sanchez Ballesteros
• Blasphemous Act by Bentistic MTG Alters
• Archangel Avacyn // Avacyn, the Purifier by MIB Alters
• Archangel Avacyn // Avacyn, the Purifier by Ellie Shakirova MTG Alterations

Power Level

The deck is optimised, with a power level at 7 or 8. I believe the deck is close to its power level ceiling because of the chosen archetype and colours. I have no intentions to push it to the cEDH level, if that would even be possible, as I enjoy the deck at the current level.

Strengths

This deck is strongly focused on doing commander damage. The average mana value is low (2.45) with a consistent mana base to make the deck relatively fast and resilient. It is rare for the deck to stall by itself, mostly this only happens because of misplay or becoming the main target of removal. Most of the time the deck has an answer to obstacles that would stop it from doing commander damage.

Weaknesses

Like any aggro deck, this deck can struggle against control decks if it can't set up fast enough. Damage prevention or the ability to consistently remove Avacyn from play will stall or stop the deck entirely. Much of the time, the only creature on the board will be Avacyn and as such the deck can also be susceptible to being overrun by decks that go wide. Most of the creatures in the deck are for utility rather than defence.

Furthermore, Boros colours tend to struggle with ramp and card draw. This deck tries to mitigate those weaknesses as much as possible, and in most games I do not feel that I struggle because of the colours.

Game Plan

The deck aims to play aggressively and to put opponents on the defence by attacking with Avacyn as early as possible. With a fast opening hand this can be as early as turn one. Average start is attacking by turn four or five, and anything after that is slow for this deck.

Depending on the opening hand, the first turns are usually spent tutoring to set up Avacyn with protection or provide additional power. I like to ensure the commander is protected first before tutoring for offensive Equipment. In mid and late game, unless significantly disrupted, Avacyn should be equipped with multiple Equipment cards to defeat each opponent in one or two hits.

Card Selection

I have no budget limit on this deck, my main focus is as much synergy as possible so the deck is consistent and has a decent chance of winning or at least being relevant in all games, regardless of power level. I believe the current version is at a point where all cards are relevant and very few (or perhaps none) need to be replaced.

Creatures

As mentioned earlier, the majority of creatures are for utility. They are also low mana value so they can be cast early in the game to provide some kind of advantage. They also preferably have 2 or less power and toughness so they can be tutored by the Recruiters. The exceptions are the two high mana value Angels that can help close the game.

Important creatures to the deck are those that can be sacrificed at instant speed. In addition to whatever effect the sacrifice has, it can trigger Avacyn's transformation when required.

Artifacts

The artifacts are either mana rocks or Equipment. The mana rocks are all mana value 2 or less, with the aim to be cast in the first two turns. The Equipment can be separated into utility, protection and offence.

The utility Equipment provides card or mana advantage. Protection is provided via hexproof, protection from colours or indestructibility. Offensive Equipment increases power, and provides double strike or infect.

Enchantments

Of the four enchantments in the deck, one provides mana advantage and three support the Voltron strategy. Fighter Class and Sigarda's Aid both synergize well with equipment. The only Aura in the deck is, in my opinion, good value for mana because it provides +1/+1, first strike and totem armour for only one white mana.

Planeswalkers

The two planeswalkers in the deck were chosen to provide card advantage and utility. Daretti provides recursion for artifacts, and Nahiri has target removal. They are not expected to be able to use their last ability, but provide good enough value for one or two activations.

Instants & Sorceries

Card advantage is provided by red spells to draw cards, one recursion spell and four tutor spells. One of those is specific for Equipment, but the other two are more flexible. The two spells that flicker a creature are mostly intended to protect Avacyn from removal but can also provide additional ETB triggers on utility creatures. Teferi's Protection is a universally good defensive spell.

Removal spells were mostly chosen either for their low mana value or flexibility, such as Vandalblast. The mass removal spells are intentionally ‘destroy’ or ‘damage’ effects because Avacyn can be protected against those.

Lands

The deck does rely on non-basic lands to consistently provide the right colours, and also for utility. Artifact, enchantment, legendary and snow lands were chosen so that they can be tutored or recurred from the graveyard. Other lands provide card advantage, support Avacyn in combat or otherwise help the Voltron strategy.

To ensure the right colours are available consistently, the deck includes four fetch lands and several lands that can be tapped for at least one of the two required colours. The deck purposefully has only one land that enters the battlefield tapped.