֍ Allies in wonderland ֍
"Join General Tazri, fight for the unified front"
> Theme
Ally tribal deck.
> Introduction
Welcome to my primer. I will train you to master the powerful army of the Zendikar Coalition. Here you will learn how to play this deck against any deck, and what changes can be made to adapt it to the power level and budget of your playgroup.
> Why you should play this deck?
- It is a really fun and intuitive deck.
- It offers a lot of personalization and different styles of play within the same deck.
- It is easy and cheap to assemble but can be upgraded with little to no effort.
- Is an excellent deck to play in casual tables and can be paired against competitive decks without problems.
- You don’t want to play elementals or slivers but want to use all the colors in the deck.
> The tribe and their synergy
- Allies are a very well-rounded tribe which makes them very versatile. This allows the deck to be tailored to fit the user's preferences.
- Allies have a lot of synergy with one another. Each of them cares about the rest of the creatures that shared the ally type.
- They have a lot of specific cards that can work together with virtually any tribal support.
- Most of them have ETB (Enter the Battlefield Triggers) that can work very well with blink effects with a very low budget
> The budget and the colors
- You can build a 5 color ally deck in a very thin budget, and then upgrade it with little to no effort.
- Having access to all 5 colors in a tribal deck, allows you to use any staple in the format.
- You don’t need an expensive mana base to play this deck. Allies tend to have only one mana of devotion to their colors allowing you to play this deck with just basic lands if you can’t afford a better mana base.
- This is the final version I use, but in this explanation, I cover all the budget options
- Here is a $60 version of this deck that is similar in the playability https://deckstats.net/decks/49854/2120401--60-general-tazri-ally-tribal
> Commander
General Tazri, is not a "General" for nothing, the card was meant to be here. It does everything it needs to do, it is a repeatable tutor and can buff our army by itself. Giving us access to all colors, but only demanding one devotion to white let us play different decks. If you don’t want to play 5 colors, you can go for Naya, Selesnya, or Boros combinations.
- Tutoring: The ability to tutor the right answer when she enters the battlefield makes this deck fill like a toolbox where you always have the right tool, but need to be picky about which one does the job better.
- Re-casting: Don’t be afraid of letting her die, she always came back and with reinforcements.
- Buffing: In the late game his ability will pump your allies a lot and it does not require her to be tapped so you can abuse it with infinite mana combos.
- Dealing damage: Forget it, it is not good at that. Tazri has a bigger higher cost compared with its power and toughness because of her tutoring ability. It is really difficult to win using commander damage with General Tazri, but dreaming is free... (...and "Resolute blade master" can help you dream.)
> Main Strategy
The strategy is simple, maintain the board state surpassing your opponents with value engines, and overwhelm them with creature-based damage during the match. Our playstyle relies heavily on ETB effects and tutoring our creatures to be playing the right card at the right moment.
> Playing wrong feels so right
Normal decks
In the majority of the creature-oriented decks, we play a land, then attack saving mana for instant responses, and at last, we can use the rest of the mana to cast spells in the second main phase or hold it to respond in another’s player's turn. These steps do not apply to us.
Our deck
In this deck, we will play our creature spells right after playing our lands. Doing this we will be triggering all the effects of our allies before the combat starts. This can be tricky because we show our strategy and keep low on mana during the combat phase.
> Being prepared
Like any tribal deck, we want to fill the board with as many creatures of our tribe as we can as quickly as possible. But be aware of our weaknesses, BOARD WIPES, and ETB negators. After we manage to have at least 3 creatures on the battlefield, it is time to start saving 2 mana for responses army against any board wipes, Boros charm, Heroic intervention, and Golgari charm that can save our board state. Eerie Interlude can be used to protect our army at first or escalate into a massive game-ender if we keep our board full. (Interlude + Hagra diabolist for example). When playing against Stax try to destroy the ETB negators using disruptive spells like Golgari charm, Anguished Unmaking, or Decimate. Bring to Light can be used to find any response.
> Never out of gas
We are as fast as an aggro deck but we can keep card advantage against them since General Tazri refills our hand every time it enters the battlefoeñd and we have access to good draw spells. Sea Gate Loremaster, Realmwalker, Herald's Horn & Guardian Project keep our hands full and the cards flowing during the match.
> That escalated quickly
This deck tends to go mid-range; our cards are "Apparently inoffensive" when they are alone. But in one turn we can take over the board with value micro-combos. Cards like Unified Front can be explosive if we have some setup like Guardian Project, Door of Destinies, Shared Animosity, Kazuul Warlord, Hagra Diabolist or Bala Ged Thief. You will notice a lot of the synergies in this deck.
> Ramping and fixing
- Starting hand: The recommended hand to start playing is the one with at least 2 lands of different colors and a at least one ramp card we can play in before turn 3. We are playing a 5 color deck but our devotion to each color is so small that If we start with at least one pentacolored land, we won’t have any fixing problem the rest of the game. The other cards in the deck are not so important in the early game. If you can ramp and has white mana, you can play General Tazri as tutor and find what you need before anyone has the chance to respond.
- Importance of color: You prefer green mana to play ramp spells early and you thrive for at least 1 white mana before turn 5 to cast General Tazri. Red tend to be the third color you want to fix, black and blue are just a splash.
- Ramping: We have 11 ramp cars in total. Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, farseek are our starting ramp. Harabaz Druid and Beastcaller Savant provide a better board state and help ramp as well. Herald's Horn and Urza's Incubator let us reduce the cost of all our creatures making them as cheap as 1 to 3 mana.
- Disclaimer: This version of the deck has no 0 mana rocks because I want to keep it casual
> Playing against other decks
This deck tends to go mid-range, so we can adapt our playstyle to focus in different strategies depending on the match. Be aware that we won’t have to focus in one style, we can adapt during the course of the match.
> ¡¡¡Be aware of this cards!!!
Cards that stops us for having ETB effects are really problematic for us
ETB Negators
- Torpor orb, Hushbringer, Tocatli honor guard, Strict proctor, Hushwing Gryff, are really anoing.
We used a lot of ETB effects. The only creatures we run wihout ETBe are Taurean Mauler, Harabaz Druid, Realmwalker, Sea Gate Loremaster, and Drana, Liberator of Malakir and of course General Tazri second abiliy. The best way to deal with this problem is with removal which we have plenty.
> Go aggro vs combo decks
When facing slows decks like dragons, Doran, combo or pillow fort we can hit hard before they end up their setup.
It is easy for us to go aggro,
> Go Voltron vs pillow fort
This is not our best match but when we play against propaganda or pillow fort decks we can use these creatures to hit.
> Go mid-range vs aggro decks
When playing against aggro decks your best choice to find some life gaining creatures, and then select how to surpass them with value cards. Go for card advantage if they tend to empty their hands or go for ramp if you can play more spells than them.
> Go control vs combo/Voltron
We are not a control deck but we have a lot of responsive spells. When dealing with combo or Voltron decks, the idea is to negate, their primal resources and protect us from them
> Turn progression example.
This is a turn progresion example. It will never refelct the reality but may give you an idea of what to expect and play each turn.
Turn 1 & 2 (1-3 Mana)
The first 2 turns just play any card you can. It is a good idea to ramp with
Turn 3 (3-5 Mana)
The best idea is to play tribal cost reduction. Or fill the board with allies. The ramp cards here are to fixing more than ramping.
Turn 4 (5-7 Mana)
This turn depends of the boards state. If you have a lot of creatures, start saving a protection. If you dont have them, play some monument if a player will wipe the board, pr clean the board yourself amd start over.
Turn 5 (6-9 Mana)
With at least 3 or four allies, start keeping 1-3 mana open to protect allies from board wipes. Boros charm and Eerie Interlude are your best options.
- This is a good time to use a Decimate to get rid of some nasty non creature-permanents
- Golgari charm is better to keep in hand to protect allies, but destroy enchantments or clean some tokens if needed
- Do not be afraid of block with General Tazri just for the pleasure of killing her. Recasting it you will be able to search for the answer you need in the moment you need it.
- If your mana is fixed, you probably want to tutor Sea Gate Loremaster or Realmwalker for card draw, play them.
Turn 6+ (7-10 Mamas)
You have plenty of mana to cast 2 allies per turn, at least 3-4 creatures and some buff and protections and you will manage to draw more than one card at a turn. Now you are ready you can finish the game one opponent at a time.
> Single card discusion
> Lands
5 Colors lands
All this lands gives you the five colors you need to play. With just one of them in you can play more than the 80% of the deck without having mana issues. With two, you fixed all your mana.
Bond lands
The 10 of them are efficient and simple. I just play the ones that I have because them are not cheap and I like variety.
Basics
I play 2 basics of each type to ramp with Myriad Landscape and to prevent blood moon and magus of the moon effects.
Fetch
Utility
Shocks
> Ramp
The recommended hand to start playing is the one with at least 2 lands of different colors and a at least one ramp card we can play in before turn 3. You prefer green mana to play ramp spells early and you thrive for at least 1 white mana before turn 5. The other cards in the deck are not so important in the early game. If you can ramp and has white mana, you can play General Tazri as tutor what you need before anyone has the chance to respond.
My pick
- Sol Ring & Arcane Signet. - Who want rocks when you have green? We do, this are staples of the format, use them.
- Farseek - Find the shock lands first.
- Kodama's Reach & Cultivate - Usually, we have green, we search a 2 lands, one to battlefield (plains) one to hand (mountain).
- Growing Rites of Itlimoc // Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun - This is amazing if played well. In the early game, you can replace it with a creature. In the late game, with 4 creatures, its gives us a ton of green mana.
- Herald's Horn & Urza's Incubator
Our allies have an average of CMC of 3 and a devotion of 1 single mana. These 2 artifacts let you play creatures very easy. Both of them combine very well with "Munda, Ambush Leader & Realmwalker team tactic"
- Smothering Tithe - A staple, no one wants to pay the mana, we will have a lot of treasures.
Other solid options
> Creatures
This is a creatures-centered deck so our main strategy is to fill the board with creatures as fast as we can and protect them during the course of the match. In this section I divided the creatures by colors, in this deck each of them has a specific function.
Quantity
This is the most difficult to balance. I tend to run between 31 to 33 creatures, all of them tutoreable allies. This is a low value for a "Creature heavy deck" but since Tazri is always refilling our hands with creatures, I preferred to keep that numbers. Bellow 30 you won't have enough allies in the board in time.
A five colors army
I choose 3 principal colors for the deck and splash the others 2 of them.
- White: The vast majority of the allies is white. This should be your first choice.
- Red: The more aggressive allies are red. This is your pick if you plan to go agro.
- Green: The allies in green tend to focus on getting bigger or ramp. This is a solid option to go as second or third color.
- Blue: You have some "must have here" for draw, fly and clone effects but they are overall weak compared to other colors.
- Black: A lackluster choice to go, just pick the ones that you really like.
A note for changeling
- Any creature with the "Changeling" ability is technically an ally so we can tutor it and has it interact with others. Do not underestimate the changelings. Taurean Mauler and Realmwalker are two of the best cards in the deck.
White, the color of Peace
- Kor Bladewhirl - For first strike (Or his cousin Highland Berserker)
- Ondu Cleric, Lantern Scout, Talus Paladin - "The lifelink trio". When playing against agro decks, Ondu cleric lets you absorb damage without attacking and the others two gives your attacking creatures lifelink to trade damage without problem
- Kazandu Blademaster - "The Voltron Ally", is you play him early, it will be huge in late. If you play in late, is just ok.
- Makindi Patrol - Vigilance is a huge buff in this deck. Combine it with "Resolute Blademaster" and/or "Lantern Scout/Talus Paladin" to maximize it effect.
- Hero of Goma Fada - For protection. It can save you from board wipes, generally your own. Is a good plan to play Hero of Goma Fada (or any ally if he is already in play), trigger resolves making your army indestructible and then you can clean the table (and attack). Blasphemous Act will cost just 1 mana most of the time, soy is a good idea to tutor the hero with General Tazri in turn 5 and clean the table in turn 6 or 7.
- Unified front: Although no technically a creature, this card generate 1 to 4 four Ally token. We will cast it using 4 colors in every game. Even better if we have "Kazuul Warlord" or "Door of destinies" in play
Red, the color of blood
- Highland Berserker - For first strike (Or his cousin Kor Bladewhirl)
- Firemantle Mage - For menace. This is an excellent finisher when a player has less creatures than us.
(*) Flavor note: Do you need to have menace? Set all your army in fire, it can't never go wrong"
- Taurean Mauler - (Taurean go BRRRR!"). This creature is huge in EDH. Gaining 1 to 3 "+1/+1 counters" per turn make it very big for only 3 manas.
- Chasm Guide - For Haste. This creature makes your life easy if you have it in hand, but is not a good creature to tutor unleash you play to go all in.
- **Tuktuk Scrapper - For artifact hate. This card is the first you want to tutor when playing against artifact-heavy decks like " Breya, Etherium Shaper" or similar decks. It destroys artifacts with violence and punish their controller with a lot of damage if we can keep the board full.
- Ondu Champion - For trample. This is a finisher when the army is big enough
- Kazuul Warlord - For a HUGE Permanent buff to all the army. Or creatures are very little, giving them a +1/+1 is like to duplicate their power. This can be abused with cards like unified front.
- Murasa Pyromancer - It is like a lightning bolt each time an ally enters the battlefield. (Big brother Tajuru Archer)
Green is the color of growth
Blue is the color of knowledge
- Jwari Shapeshifter - A clone for 2 manes, and tutoreable.
(Best creatures to clone: Tuktuk Scrapper, Kazuul Warlord, Murasa Pyromancer, Harabaz Druid, Turntimber Ranger, Sea Gate Loremaster, Bala Ged Thief, Hagra Diabolist)
1 Sea Gate Loremaster - A lot of cards in hand.
1 Seascape Aerialist - For flying (Is a finisher, not a defense)
1 Drana, Liberator of Malakir - Note: She have first strike, so his ability triggers after his damage and before the damage of the non-first strike creatures is done.
1 Bala Ged Thief
1 Hagra Diabolist
Multicolored
- Unified Front
- Resolute Blademaster - For double strike. Is good in the mid and late game. This is a finisher when you have a big army.
- Munda, Ambush Leader - "The recruiter", haste is good but the golden part is the ability to re-organize your top cards. Be aware that if you always put allies on top, you won’t have any chance of drawing lands nor protections which are the a really important part of the deck progression and strategy.
1 Moritte of the Frost
> Protection and recursion
All of our protection spells has more than one utility. The first one is obviously to protect or army. The other is the plus.
> Removal
The removal is simple
> Board wipes
> Card and tutors
> Synergy artifacts and enchantments
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