The Commander format of Magic: The Gathering was born as the fan-made Elder Dragon Highlander format, or EDH. At first, EDH decks needed to have a legendary Dragon creature as their commander, and even now, with such diversity in commanders, some Dragons are still the best choice. That includes Dragonlord Ojutai.
Dragonlord Ojutai belongs to a five-card cycle of Elder Dragon creatures from the Khans of Tarkir block, with Ojutai being the white-blue entry in that cycle. Ojutai is a hefty 5/4 beater in the air that has hexproof unless it's tapped. Dealing damage with Ojutai means casting a free Anticipate, which is sure to rack up some card advantage in a hurry. But what should the rest of Ojutai's deck look like?
The creatures in Ojutai's commander deck may emulate their leader's strategy somewhat, such as how Taigam, Ojutai Master can make instants and sorceries more effective with the rebound ability (which returned from the original Zendikar block). Similarly, Jubilant Skybonder can support Ojutai by granting it even more protection, whether Ojutai is tapped or untapped. Mother of Runes can protect Ojutai with protection from any color on demand, at no cost of mana. Warden of Evos Isle is a blue 2/2 flier that can make all flying creatures cost {1} less to cast, making Ojutai a bit easier to re-cast if it ever dies and goes to the command zone. Snapcaster Mage, meanwhile, can re-cast a spell at instant speed and take everyone by total surprise.
Plenty of these creatures can support Ojutai and play around with instants and sorceries, but there's more. Stoneforge Mystic can tutor up a powerful Equipment card, ideally attaching it either to Ojutai or a similar flying threat to get some damage in. Sun Titan is a 6/6 beater on the ground that can bring back permanents with a converted mana cost/mana value of three or lower to keep the deck running. Isperia, Supreme Judge is a fast clock as a 6/4 flier that can also draw some cards while attacking. Creatures such as Stonehewer Giant, Consecrated Sphinx and Archeomancer can also help.
The instants and sorceries in Ojutai's deck cover many of the basic strategies of blue and white mana, from counterspells to card draw effects, boardwipes and even alternate win-cons. Fact or Fiction, Preordain, Ponder, Treasure Cruise and Impulse can all restock the hand, and counterspells ranging from Render Silent to Disdainful Stroke, Negate, Swan Song, Disallow, Cryptic Command and Force of Negation are all worth considering.
As for boardwipes, Ojutai's deck should have at least a few for emergencies, since this deck doesn't dominate the board like some other decks do. The likes of Austere Command, Wrath of God, Cyclonic Rift and Supreme Verdict are all solid choices for resetting an unfavorable board state.
That's not all. Ojutai is a mighty dragon, but it might find itself unable to land the finishing blow. Tricky cards such as Approach of the Second Sun can help wrap things up nicely -- if the Ojutai deck can survive long enough to cast it again. Using all these card-draw effects should help the Ojutai player dig up their copy of Approach of the Second Sun faster, at least. Meanwhile, Time Warp and Temporal Manipulation allow the Ojutai player to take another turn to buy themselves some time or land the finishing blow before an opponent can marshal a proper defense against Dragonlord Ojutai.
A variety of Equipment cards can make a real difference in this deck, especially when attached to Dragonlord Ojutai itself. Fireshrieker is an excellent start, granting the equipped creature double strike, so Ojutai can cast two free copies of Anticipate instead of one. Swords such as the mighty Sword of Feast and Famine are also a good call, and Batterskull may remind players of Modern Esper control decks, where this noxious Phyrexian Equipment card shines. Auras such as Steel of the Godhead might also help, at the risk of a two-for-one.
Some enchantments can help stabilize the board and keep Ojutai's deck in the running, with Ghostly Prison and Propaganda being classic anti-aggro cards for these colors. Blind Obedience makes all enemy creatures and artifacts enter the battlefield tapped to shut down any hasty shenanigans, and Duelist's Heritage will grant an attacking creature double strike (ideally, Dragonlord Ojutai itself). Oblivion Ring, Darksteel Mutation and Detention Sphere are solid enchantment-based removal, though opponents might be able to destroy them eventually.
A few Planeswalkers might join the party too, with Teferi Time Raveler and/or Teferi, Hero of Dominaria being excellent options. Narset, Parter of Veils can prevent opponents from drawing more than one card per turn, and Ugin, the Spirit Dragon will wipe out colored permanents with ease while also casting a repeatable Lightning Bolt with its +2 loyalty ability.
As for lands, Dragonlord Ojutai's deck will use any number of on-color dual lands to fix its mana, such as Temple of Enlightenment and Irrigated Farmland, and man-lands such as Celestial Collonade can act as backup beaters that are immune to most boardwipes. Reliquary Tower is a must, allowing the Ojutai player to hang onto their extra cards without discarding them due to hand size limits, and Rogue's Passage is another strong option for pushing damage.
0 Comments