Lifegain Bodyguards (EDH / Commander)

The idea was to build a deck around Douglas Schuler's classic Bob-Ross-meets-Chippendales'-All-Male-Review Veteran Bodyguard, one of the game's cheesiest illustrations. Here's the result: a super fun, durable, and flexible deck which exploits life-sensitive cards printed prior to the popularity of Commander. You'll be impressed by how many times you can recover from a severe beating with this deck.

You want to keep your life total above 29. Get Rune-Tail out on as soon as possible. Avoid making yourself a threat in the early game. Redirect damage from you to your creatures. Use every available opportunity to gain life. Elixir of Immortality is an unassuming card, but its "shuffle Elixir of Immortality and your graveyard into their owner's library" ability has saved my ass many times against mill and board-wipe strategies.

"Dude, where's Pariah's Shield?" It's too slow. Cast for 5, equip for 3...I always found that there were other things I needed to cast at that time, so Pariah's Shield just sat in my hand until later in the game when I had surplus mana. Also, I deliberately avoid tutor effects in my decks (aside from fetch lands) because I strongly feel they are antithetical to the spirit of Commander and it's far more rewarding when fate coughs up that much-needed card exactly when I need it.