Making Demonic Deals With Madame Null, Power Broker

A New Commander Brew with Dina, Essence Brewer

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bre of Clan Stoutarm" href="#" target="_blank">Bre of Clan Stoutarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://jesperejsing.com/">Jesper Ejsing</a></em></p>
<p>In the quiet fields of Lorwyn, a peaceful Giant tends to her sheep. Daughter to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brion Stoutarm" href="#" target="_blank">Brion Stoutarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bre of Clan Stoutarm" href="#" target="_blank">Bre of Clan Stoutarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> inherited her father's knack for throwing creatures. She can give any creature flying and lifelink, but she does not throw them with so much force that we would need to sacrifice the creature, unlike Brion.</p>
<p>So, maybe it's more of a gentle toss?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bre of Clan Stoutarm"></div></div>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bre of Clan Stoutarm" href="#" target="_blank">Bre of Clan Stoutarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<p>Bre is a four-mana 4/4 with an excellent end step ability. If we gained life, we exile cards from our library until we hit a nonland card, and if that card's mana value is less than or equal to the amount life we gained that turn, we can then cast it for free. Or, if the spell's mana value is higher or if we don't want to cast the spell (being an ill-timed board wipe or something), we can put it into our hand.</p>
<p>Effectively, we "<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Caparocti Sunborn" href="#" target="_blank">discover</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>" at our end step each turn.</p>
<p>Getting free spells each turn is powerful in Boros (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>), especially with all the ways we can gain life in this deck. However, there are some downsides to note about Bre's ability, albeit minor ones.</p>
<p>The lands we exile before hitting a nonland card are gone for good. <em>Poof. </em>That sounds bad, but it really isn't. We'll likely exile 1-3 lands at each end step, in most cases. And we wouldn't see those lands anyway if this ability were instead cascade or discover<em>. </em></p>
<p>The second downside is that she's pretty slow if we were relying on her lifelink ability to be the only way we gain life. However, this isn't really a downside if we have enough early lifegain to start.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bre of Clan Stoutarm" href="#" target="_blank">Bre of Clan Stoutarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<h3>Early Lifegain</h3>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serra Ascendant" href="#" target="_blank">Serra Ascendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the best turn-one play we can have in this deck. She's expensive, monetarily, but man, does it feel good to start the game with a 6/6 flier. With Bre out, we can really cast any card in our deck for free.</p>
<p>Serra Ascendant's not the only one-mana creature in this deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Healer&#039;s Hawk" href="#" target="_blank">Healer&#039;s Hawk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ruin-Lurker Bat" href="#" target="_blank">Ruin-Lurker Bat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are both 1/1 fliers with lifelink, and while nowhere near as strong, they will be extremely helpful in triggering our lifegain payoffs.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ocelot Pride" href="#" target="_blank">Ocelot Pride</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another all-star one-mana white creature that creates a 1/1 Cat at our end step.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Serra Ascendant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kinscaer Sentry"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aerial Responder"></div></div>
<p>At the two-mana slot, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kinscaer Sentry" href="#" target="_blank">Kinscaer Sentry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a new all-timer from <em>Lorwyn Eclipsed</em>. A 2/2 with first strike and lifelink is solid and will be amazing for triggering Bre in the early game. And getting to put a creature onto the battlefield for free is insane. This, with all the small creatures we can have in play early, will excel us so far into the lead that our opponents won't be able to keep up.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aerial Responder" href="#" target="_blank">Aerial Responder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> may not be like the pushed all-star lifelink creatures mentioned before, but the stats on him are great; he can be played before Bre comes out, has flying so he can attack with ease, and he has vigilance and lifelink, making him an amazing blocker that gains us life on our opponents' turns.</p>
<h3>Best Beaters To Give Lifelink To</h3>
<p>We have our early game planned out, but let's not take for granted that Bre can give <em>any</em> creature flying and lifelink.</p>
<p>I like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tectonic Giant" href="#" target="_blank">Tectonic Giant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> a lot for this deck. Both modes are great. Exiling cards can provide a neat synergy with a few exile-matters cards we have in the deck, but dealing three damage to each opponent becomes a lot scarier when we give it lifelink.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aurelia, the Law Above" href="#" target="_blank">Aurelia, the Law Above</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also deals damage to each opponent in addition to being a repeatable card draw engine.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tectonic Giant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aurelia, the Law Above"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Giggling Skitterspike"></div></div>
<p>We only have a few creatures that deal damage to each opponent, but among them, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Giggling Skitterspike" href="#" target="_blank">Giggling Skitterspike</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is simply the best. We have multiple ways to put counters onto our creatures through cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cleric Class" href="#" target="_blank">Cleric Class</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, so this will drain our opponents' life totals for a ton of damage each turn. This having indestructible will have our opponents scrambling to find a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h3>Counters</h3>
<p>Speaking of counters, many cards in this deck give out +1/+1 counters when we gain life.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archangel of Thune" href="#" target="_blank">Archangel of Thune</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will put counters on each creature we control for each instance of lifegain we get. This Angel makes those little 1/1 fliers I mentioned earlier a bigger threat since Archangel of Thune will trigger each time we gain life. On top of being a lifelink flier, this Angel will be a huge threat the longer it sticks around.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nykthos Paragon" href="#" target="_blank">Nykthos Paragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does something similar but will only trigger once each turn. That's why we'll want ways to gain life on other players' turns like with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Riot Control" href="#" target="_blank">Riot Control</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heliod, Sun-Crowned" href="#" target="_blank">Heliod, Sun-Crowned</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can give out counters to our creatures and is a better lifelink granter than Bre since we don't have to tap him, and he can give lifelink to multiple creatures.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archangel of Thune"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heliod, Sun-Crowned"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reluctant Role Model"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reluctant Role Model" href="#" target="_blank">Reluctant Role Model</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one that I forgot about from <em>Duskmourn</em>, but is surprisingly great for this deck. It only shows up in three of the currently 600 Bre decks so far, but already, this might be an underrated gem for Bre. Flying and lifelink counters are very relevant for this deck, especially if we give those counters to another creature when it dies. And the Role Model is great for saving our counters and putting them onto another creature we control.</p>
<p>It's a lot of value for a two-mana creature.</p>
<h3>Simply Amazing Value</h3>
<p>Out of the 34 creatures in the deck, only six of them don't have white. Increasing the power of our creatures aids us in gaining more life, and since most of our deck is white, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heraldic Banner" href="#" target="_blank">Heraldic Banner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would be a great way to add that extra bit of damage. It's one of those cards that I keep in the back of my mind when thinking about utility mana rocks, especially if a commander makes creature tokens of the same color.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heraldic Banner"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Balefire Liege"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exemplar of Light"></div></div>
<p>I don't think there are many creatures that should be considered auto-includes, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balefire Liege" href="#" target="_blank">Balefire Liege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides too much value to ignore. It turns Bre into a 6/6 and with each white spell we cast, we gain three life. And while we don't have many red cards, the incidental three damage is sweet.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exemplar of Light" href="#" target="_blank">Exemplar of Light</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another one of our creatures that gets counters when we gain life, but when we do, we also draw a card. Combined with lifegain effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Soul Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we could be drawing up to four cards in a turn cycle.</p>
<h3>Double the Spells</h3>
<p>Why stop at just casting one spell for free? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wild-Magic Sorcerer" href="#" target="_blank">Wild-Magic Sorcerer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> cascades off the first spell we cast from exile, providing us additional value on top of the free spells we're getting.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wild-Magic Sorcerer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Strionic Resonator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chimil, the Inner Sun"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Strionic Resonator" href="#" target="_blank">Strionic Resonator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is great for copying Bre's end step trigger so we can get extra free spells, but it also can copy other powerful triggered abilities such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Giggling Skitterspike" href="#" target="_blank">Giggling Skitterspike</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aerith Gainsborough" href="#" target="_blank">Aerith Gainsborough</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>And <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chimil, the Inner Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Chimil, the Inner Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great piece of protection against counterspells as well as backup for this deck if we don't have Bre out. Among the cards we could hope to hit off Bre's trigger, this is certainly up there as one of the best.</p>
<h2>How Does This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bre of Clan Stoutarm" href="#" target="_blank">Bre of Clan Stoutarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Deck Win?</h2>
<p>With the number of ways this deck can grow our board with +1/+1 counters, any creature we have could be a lethal threat to our opponents. But we'll need ways to clear the board to ensure our victory. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bond of Discipline" href="#" target="_blank">Bond of Discipline</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> taps down all our opponents' creatures and grants ours lifelink, allowing us to swing out and pad our life total against any crack-back.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bond of Discipline"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Wind Crystal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akroma&#039;s Will"></div></div>
<p>We have a few ways we can give our creatures lifelink and evasion, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Wind Crystal" href="#" target="_blank">The Wind Crystal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the best. It provides a ton of value for just four mana: It makes our white spells cheaper, allows us to gain twice as much life, and is a finisher in a deck full of beaters.</p>
<p>And what better way to swing out than by giving all of our creatures a myriad of keywords with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Akroma&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Akroma&#039;s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It's a versatile instant that can either protect our board or grant them double-strike, or both if Bre is out. Both modes give our creatures evasion, so with Bre on the board, we'll easily be able to close out the game.</p>
<h2>Bre of Clan Stoutarm Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Bre of Clan Stoutarm Throws You To Victory" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Bre of Clan Stoutarm
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Aerial Responder
*1 Aerith Gainsborough
*1 Archangel of Thune
*1 Aurelia, the Law Above
*1 Balefire Liege
*1 Celestine, the Living Saint
*1 Craig Boone, Novac Guard
*1 Curious Farm Animals
*1 Diamond Mare
*1 Exemplar of Light
*1 Giggling Skitterspike
*1 Haliya, Guided by Light
*1 Healer&#039;s Hawk
*1 Heliod, Sun-Crowned
*1 Joshua, Phoenix&#039;s Dominant // Phoenix, Warden of Fire
*1 Kinscaer Sentry
*1 Laelia, the Blade Reforged
*1 Lightning, Army of One
*1 Nykthos Paragon
*1 Ocelot Pride
*1 Odric, Lunarch Marshal
*1 Professional Face-Breaker
*1 Reluctant Role Model
*1 Rhox Faithmender
*1 Ruin-Lurker Bat
*1 Serra Ascendant
*1 Soul Warden
*1 Soul&#039;s Attendant
*1 Spider-Man, Peter Parker
*1 Sun Titan
*1 Sunscorch Regent
*1 Tectonic Giant
*1 The Gaffer
*1 Wild-Magic Sorcerer
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Akroma&#039;s Will
*1 Bolt Bend
*1 Boros Charm
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Heartwarming Redemption
*1 Heliod&#039;s Intervention
*1 Invoke the Divine
*1 Legion Leadership // Legion Stronghold
*1 Riot Control
*1 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Boros Signet
*1 Chimil, the Inner Sun
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Heraldic Banner
*1 Lavaspur Boots
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Strionic Resonator
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Talisman of Conviction
*1 The Wind Crystal
*1 Well of Lost Dreams
*1 Worn Powerstone
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Austere Command
*1 Bond of Discipline
*1 Deafening Clarion
*1 Sundering Eruption // Volcanic Fissure
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Cleric Class
*1 Showdown of the Skalds
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Adventurer&#039;s Inn
*1 Battlefield Forge
*1 Blighted Steppe
*1 Boros Garrison
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Command Tower
*1 Demolition Field
*1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
*1 Elegant Parlor
*1 Furycalm Snarl
*1 Kabira Crossroads
*3 Mountain
*13 Plains
*1 Radiant Summit
*1 Restless Bivouac
*1 Sacred Foundry
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Slayers&#039; Stronghold
*1 Spectator Seating
*1 Sundown Pass
*1 Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
*1 Temple of Triumph
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Bracing for Impact</h2>
<p><em>Lorwyn Eclipsed</em> has been a lovely return to a world full of whimsy and dark fantasy. I've already opened much of this set, and I've been poring over the art of every card I've seen. It's as magical as <em>Magic</em> can get. Let me know what you've enjoyed most about this set in the comments below!</p>
<h3>Read More:</h3>
<p>https://edhrec.com/articles/bre-of-clan-stoutarm-boros-lifegain-on-a-budget</p>
<p>https://edhrec.com/articles/the-best-nonlegendary-creatures-of-lorwyn-eclipsed</p>
<p>https://edhrec.com/articles/is-sanar-innovative-first-year-the-new-prosper-for-commander</p>


lifegain commander

Making Demonic Deals With Madame Null, Power Broker

A New Commander Brew with Dina, Essence Brewer

Beat Down With Lifegain in Commander With Bre of Clan Stoutarm

Haliya, Guided by Light Commander Deck Tech