<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Priest of Titania|USG|270" href="#" target="_blank">Priest of Titania</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.rleveille.com/">Rebecca Guay</a></em></p>
<p>Rebecca Guay has a special place in the history of <em>Magic</em>. She was an early addition to the ever-growing <em>Magic</em> artist roster, joining in 1996 for five cards in <em>Alliances</em>. Before that, she illustrated comics for both Marvel and DC (and she did work for <em>Magic</em> comics in the '90s as well). Guay did 161 pieces for <em>Magic</em> cards between 1996 and 2016, which puts her up there with some other heavy hitters in the early <em>Magic</em> artist pantheon like Ron Spears, Carl Critchlow, and Marks both Tedin and Poole.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wood Elves|POR|195"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bitterblossom|MOR|58"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Enchantress&#039;s Presence|ONS|261"></div></div>
<p>While that prolificness does help build popularity, it really was how her work stood out among other <em>Magic</em> cards that garnered her the most attention and affection from longtime players. Her expertly crafted watercolor works put forth a softer palette and zoomed in on gentler moments than the standard fare at the time. Her art deepened the lore of <em>Magic</em>, the emotional worlds of its characters and settings; while combat has to be a big part of the game, it's not the only reality the characters know. This put a stake in the ground as the game continued to expand in popularity: this will not be exclusively a boys' club, and gratuitously violent and "edgy" art won't be omnipresent in the game.</p>
<p>When I spoke with her at MagicCon Atlanta in 2025 (while I got many of her cards signed, as I am a big fan myself — obviously, hence why this article exists), she emphasized that one of the biggest impacts of her work early on was less so endearing the game to non-male audiences, but more about inviting men to appreciate a style that differed from what they would normally expect (which is to say, and this is me editorializing here, what a male-dominated society says men <em>should</em> like in their art: conquest, violence, and glory).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Moment&#039;s Peace|ODY|251"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloak of Feathers|POR|44"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seer&#039;s Vision|INV|270"></div></div>
<p>Since stepping away from regularly producing <em>Magic</em> art, Guay has seen continued success, with galleries and shows displaying her work to eager fans and art collectors. <a href="https://www.rleveille.com/">Her style has evolved significantly over time, too</a>: a focus on sensuality, female desire, and a color palette that now mixes bright pops with rich, dark elements can be found in her recent pieces, which are now primarily oil paintings.</p>
<p>In the last few years, she's popped back into the <em>Magic</em> world, contributing a few more pieces via Secret Lairs and special printings like the serialized Bitterbloom Bearer in <em>Lorwyn Eclipsed</em>. These pieces all bear her newer style, emblematic of the way that both she and the game have evolved over the years.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mother of Runes|SLD|297"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bitterbloom Bearer|ECL|352"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Serra the Benevolent|SLD|1252"></div></div>
<h2>Hey, isn't this a deck tech?</h2>
<p>Yes! With that brief retrospective out of the way, let's get to the reason we're here: to build a deck entirely out of cards illustrated by Rebecca Guay. I actually attempted this a few years back, but it failed for a few reasons, each one compounded on by the issue before it:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>There was not a strong commander graced by her art</strong>. Until [REDACTED, you'll see soon], there were only five legendary creatures to choose from, and only one of them had more than a single color to work with: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Asmira, Holy Avenger" href="#" target="_blank">Asmira, Holy Avenger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Given that Asmira's text box reads like it wants to lead a black aristocrats deck, there wasn't much to do. Forget synergy, it was near impossible to have Asmira impact the game whatsoever.</li>
<li><strong>The deck was blocked out of one of her most prominent colors: blue.</strong> Asmira being in Selesnya (green/white) being the best option, I missed out on a large swath of cards. There wasn't even a legendary creature in blue at all.</li>
<li><strong>There weren't many cards to pick from</strong>. This is, of course, to be expected when we're limited to one artist's cards, but losing blue removed more than 30 cards from the card pool and made it so I had to run a number of vanilla creatures to make a full deck list.</li>
<li><strong>The cards available were pretty weak on their own.</strong> <em>Magic,</em> back in the artist's <del>heyday</del> Guayday, was a wildly different animal than it is now, and the power level of all but the outliers was much, much lower. I had to lean into interactions that were middling and rare to happen in practice given the lack of consistency: when one of the strongest things you can do is play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haru-Onna" href="#" target="_blank">Haru-Onna</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and hope to draw one of three other Spirits or the one Arcane spell you have access to, just to draw an extra card for four mana...that's not ideal.</li>
</ol>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Haru-Onna|SOK|132"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Petalmane Baku|BOK|139"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Joyous Respite|CHK|216"></div></div>
<p>Now, though? Things have changed. And of all sets to make that change happen, turns out it's <em>The Hobbit</em> that has us here today. Enter: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Galadriel, Light of Valinor|HOC|32" href="#" target="_blank">Galadriel, Light of Valinor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from <em>The Hobbit's</em> box-toppers, complete with jaw-dropping art from Guay (and which I'm henceforth going to be referring to as Guayladriel unless my editor crushes both my dreams and sense of whimsy). <em>Ed. note - Guayladriel all day, every day.</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Galadriel, Light of Valinor|HOC|32"></div></div>
<p>Galadriel has been an A-Tier commander since its release in the <em>Lord of the Rings</em> scene boxes in 2023. It's no surprise it's knocking at the top 100 commanders with more than 15,000 decks logged on EDHREC, as it supports a variety of strategies, from Elf Typal and Counters to Tokens and Blink/Bounce decks. A high power floor — it's one of those commanders that effectively says "just play the game and you'll be rewarded" — means it can slot into many different frameworks. Perfect for the very specific use case I have: only including cards that bear Guay's art.</p>
<p>I'll still have some of the issues listed above in my first attempt, but each one is less damning thanks to Guayladriel: adding blue and a commander that doesn't need much beyond a steady stream of creatures to create a threatening game plan is an enormous step in the right direction.</p>
<h2>How the deck will work</h2>
<p>There are three main axes Guayladriel will work on: Elves, Enchantments, and Lands. The first is pretty straightforward, though the other two are a little less so.</p>
<p>Rebecca Guay has drawn a good number of Elves throughout the years — thirteen, to be exact. While that's not as high a number as most typal decks would use of their main focus, it's enough that I am happily sleeving up <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Priest of Titania|USG|270" href="#" target="_blank">Priest of Titania</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodline Shaman|ONS|249" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodline Shaman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> without it being too embarrassing. Some of the Elves are pretty good on their own, too: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elvish Piper|9ED|239" href="#" target="_blank">Elvish Piper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wood Elves|EXO|130" href="#" target="_blank">Wood Elves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Greenseeker|TSP|198" href="#" target="_blank">Greenseeker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are all solid in their own right, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Taunting Elf|ONS|290" href="#" target="_blank">Taunting Elf</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is actually looking viable when Guayladriel is dumping counters on the board.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Priest of Titania|USG|270"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elvish Piper|9ED|239"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Taunting Elf|ONS|290"></div></div>
<p>This is the primary strategy for the deck, and as said, it's straightforward. Play creatures that draw cards with Guayladriel, and then when you have a solid board, start choosing the +1/+1 counters option. These Elves help us pull lands out of our deck and find more creatures. There are good creatures to be found outside of the Elves package — <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aven Mindcensor|FUT|18" href="#" target="_blank">Aven Mindcensor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wonder|JUD|54" href="#" target="_blank">Wonder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> come to mind — though I am running a few less than stellar creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Diplomatic Escort|MMQ|74" href="#" target="_blank">Diplomatic Escort</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lynx|P02|132" href="#" target="_blank">Lynx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to ensure the deck has a dense creature count, especially low on the mana curve. Remember, we're working with a very limited subset of cards here!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Defense of the Heart|ULG|100"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Enchanted Evening|SHM|140"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Carpet of Flowers|USG|240"></div></div>
<p>The second pillar of the deck strategy is Enchantments. And though the original <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Enchantress&#039;s Presence|ONS|261" href="#" target="_blank">Enchantress&#039;s Presence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a Guay card, I'm not including it. The deck will only have eleven enchantments, and though there are some strong ones in there like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Carpet of Flowers|USG|240" href="#" target="_blank">Carpet of Flowers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Defense of the Heart|ULG|100" href="#" target="_blank">Defense of the Heart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, playing them isn't core to the strategy. Rather, the deck wants to be blowing enchantments up, and preferably not its own.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Enchanted Evening|SHM|140" href="#" target="_blank">Enchanted Evening</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does a lot of work in a deck with several ways to mass blow up enchantments. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Calming Verse|PCY|110" href="#" target="_blank">Calming Verse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> becomes a one-sided <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Worldslayer" href="#" target="_blank">Worldslayer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect that should win the game handily. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cleansing Nova|SLD|1251" href="#" target="_blank">Cleansing Nova</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will do the same, though you'd need to be sure to prep for that turn — perhaps by kicking the <em>also</em> new Guayladriel-art card <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Galadriel&#039;s Dismissal|HOC|16" href="#" target="_blank">Galadriel&#039;s Dismissal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> before firing off the Nova?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Calming Verse|PCY|110"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cleansing Nova|SLD|1251"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Galadriel&#039;s Dismissal|HOC|16"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aura Fracture|PCY|2" href="#" target="_blank">Aura Fracture</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> then becomes a dangerous instrument, as with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Enchanted Evening|SHM|140" href="#" target="_blank">Enchanted Evening</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> out it becomes a repeatable, instant-speed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vindicate" href="#" target="_blank">Vindicate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for the low cost of one land. With <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wood Elves|EXO|130" href="#" target="_blank">Wood Elves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and the like keeping the lands flowing, this cost is very palatable. (And thanks to the cycle of basics Guay did for <em>Commander 2016</em>, those lands too will be stunning!)</p>
<p>Aura Fracture also leads us to the last aspect of the Guayladriel deck, the Lands portion. It's a small package, and we don't care so much about playing lands as we do them going away...that's right, we're talking <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Titania, Protector of Argoth|MB2|249" href="#" target="_blank">Titania, Protector of Argoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! Rebecca Guay long ago gave us a stunning portrait of Titania on an old Vanguard card, and it was used on a proper Titania printing in Mystery Booster 2.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Titania, Protector of Argoth|MB2|249"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aura Fracture|PCY|2"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dispersing Orb|ONS|80"></div></div>
<p>With Aura Fracture and Titania out, you can start mowing down the opposition while building an army to close out the game. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dispersing Orb|ONS|80" href="#" target="_blank">Dispersing Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a backup way to get lands from the 'field to the 'yard, and can disrupt opposing combos or aggression or just let the controller rebuy something neat.</p>
<h2>The Guayladriel Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="EDHREC: Guayladriel" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Galadriel, Light of Valinor
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*1 Asmira, Holy Avenger
*1 Auramancer
*1 Aven Mindcensor
*1 Bloodline Shaman
*1 Commander Eesha
*1 Deathcoil Wurm
*1 Diplomatic Escort
*1 Elvish Lyrist
*1 Elvish Piper
*1 Greenseeker
*1 Heartwood Dryad
*1 Kithkin Healer
*1 Lynx
*1 Mother of Runes
*1 Norwood Archers
*1 Norwood Riders
*1 Norwood Warrior
*1 Oboro Breezecaller
*1 Pride of the Clouds
*1 Priest of Titania
*1 Quirion Trailblazer
*1 Scryb Ranger
*1 Serra Angel
*1 Silkwing Scout
*1 Sky Spirit
*1 Taunting Elf
*1 Thornwind Faeries
*1 Titania, Protector of Argoth
*1 Vigilant Martyr
*1 Wall of Tears
*1 Wonder
*1 Wood Elves
*1 Yavimaya Dryad
*1 Youthful Knight
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*1 Abundance
*1 Angelic Renewal
*1 Aura Fracture
*1 Carpet of Flowers
*1 Defense of the Heart
*1 Dispersing Orb
*1 Enchanted Evening
*1 Fecundity
*1 Holistic Wisdom
*1 Mana Maze
*1 Root Maze
*1 Serra&#039;s Blessing
[/Enchantment]
[Sorcery]
*1 Calming Verse
*1 Cleansing Nova
*1 Elven Cache
*1 Gaea&#039;s Blessing
*1 Mulch
[/Sorcery]
[Instant]
*1 Boomerang
*1 Galadriel&#039;s Dismissal
*1 Memory Lapse
*1 Moment&#039;s Peace
*1 Muddle the Mixture
*1 Oona&#039;s Grace
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Respite
*1 Resuscitate
*1 Reverent Mantra
*1 Seedtime
[/Instant]
[Planeswalker]
*1 Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion
*1 Serra the Benevolent
[/Planeswalker]
[Lands]
*12 Forest
*10 Island
*12 Plains
*1 Saprazzan Cove
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>And that's that! I'm so glad there's finally an all-Rebecca Guay deck out there that won't be a bad time to play, because getting to look at all her gorgeous art all game means you get to win, even when you lose.</p>
<p>Sound off in the comments below: who are your favorite <em>Magic</em> artists, both from now and yesterday, and what artists could we reasonably build a similar deck with?</p>
<p>I've been Brandon Amico, here to remind you that true artists measure twice, cut once, then call a professional woodworker because that table just does not look right.</p>
<p>Till next time.</p>


A Commander Deck of Only Rebecca Guay Art

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commander Eesha" href="#" target="_blank">Commander Eesha</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.rebeccaguay.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rebecca Guay</a></em></p>
<p>Welcome to <em>Technically Playable</em>, where our mission statement is "Every commander is <em>Technically</em> playable" (the best kind of playable). The way this works is every article will have a commander generated using EDHREC's random button, I'll talk through the card and then write about how we can build around it.</p>
<p>This week's random commander is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commander Eesha" href="#" target="_blank">Commander Eesha</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Commander Eesha"></div></div>
<p>Eesha is one of those cards that feels like it was made for <em>Technically Playable</em>. An inefficient mana cost to effect ratio alongside a very niche ability that can be built around. Our absolute bread and butter.</p>
<p>Rebecca Guay is also one of my all-time favorite artists, so I'm always happy to turn any "bad" card she has done art for into a powerhouse.</p>
<h2>Protecting the Bird</h2>
<p>Protection from creatures is an amazing ability that allows us to not only avoid any creature-based targeted abilities and get through any blockers with no worries, but it also means Eesha ignores any damage that would be dealt to it from creatures.</p>
<p>Enter: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pariah" href="#" target="_blank">Pariah</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. One of my favorite personal decks is my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wayta, Trainer Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Wayta, Trainer Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck that plays around <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brash Taunter" href="#" target="_blank">Brash Taunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pariah" href="#" target="_blank">Pariah</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We can take a lot of inspiration from that deck here and build a deck that keeps us alive, pretty much forever.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pariah"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Wanderer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vexilus Praetor"></div></div>
<p>With Eesha, this gets dialed up to 11 with every card that redirects creature damage to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commander Eesha" href="#" target="_blank">Commander Eesha</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> being an effective <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fog" href="#" target="_blank">Fog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The permanents that do this obviously give us the most value. I've already mentioned <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pariah" href="#" target="_blank">Pariah</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but the downside with that is that if Eesha is removed, you lose the Aura forever.</p>
<p>Enter: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pariah&#039;s Shield" href="#" target="_blank">Pariah&#039;s Shield</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. For a higher upfront cost, we instead get a repeatable Pariah that we can put onto any creature we play.</p>
<p>But we can't just rely on Pariah-style effects forever; <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> <em>is</em> legal in the format. We need to make sure that Eesha sticks around to take all of the damage.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blasphemous Act" href="#" target="_blank">Blasphemous Act</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the most popular board wipes in the format (in fact, it's the 10th most played card, overall). <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Wanderer" href="#" target="_blank">The Wanderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does double duty in this deck by providing noncombat damage protection and also being able to remove any troublesome threats we might otherwise not be able to deal with.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vexilus Praetor" href="#" target="_blank">Vexilus Praetor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another one that works really well to protect Eesha, acting as a great partner to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bastion Protector" href="#" target="_blank">Bastion Protector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to ensure our commander lives.</p>
<h2>Blocking the Boards</h2>
<p>Redirecting damage isn't the only way we can protect ourselves, though; there's always good old-fashioned blocking. Well, kind of "good old-fashioned." Realistically, what we're going to do is abuse effects that let us block additional creatures to make the most of our protection from creatures.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Entangler" href="#" target="_blank">Entangler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brave the Sands" href="#" target="_blank">Brave the Sands</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are always my go-to cards for this. Entangler lets you block as many as you want, while Brave the Sands lets you play aggressively at the same time, allowing you to protect yourself while still being able to play with a defensive mindset.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Entangler"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hundred-Handed One"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shaman en-Kor"></div></div>
<p>We can also run some creatures that have similar effects. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hundred-Handed One" href="#" target="_blank">Hundred-Handed One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (a little bit of bias from me since it was one of the first rares I ever opened) as well as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guardian of the Gateless" href="#" target="_blank">Guardian of the Gateless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wall of Glare" href="#" target="_blank">Wall of Glare</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are all great options of creatures that don't need Entangler to block an entire board.</p>
<p>The unfortunate thing is that neither of these has any kind of protection, so they will need something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Plate" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Plate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avacyn, Angel of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Avacyn, Angel of Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to effectively block lots of creatures.</p>
<p>We can also use the en-Kor cards, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nomads en-Kor" href="#" target="_blank">Nomads en-Kor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or my personal favorite <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shaman en-Kor" href="#" target="_blank">Shaman en-Kor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. All of these en-Kor creatures have the same zero mana ability that allows us to redirect damage from them to another creature. This means we can block any size of creature with our extremely cheap blockers and redirect all of that damage to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commander Eesha" href="#" target="_blank">Commander Eesha</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>We can also run <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cho-Manno, Revolutionary" href="#" target="_blank">Cho-Manno, Revolutionary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dawn Elemental" href="#" target="_blank">Dawn Elemental</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as other backup Eeshas that we can also redirect damage from noncreature sources to.</p>
<p>I really like Shaman en-Kor because it allows you to not only redirect damage from itself to another creature, but from other creatures to it. This means we can save Eesha from noncreature damage like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blasphemous Act" href="#" target="_blank">Blasphemous Act</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for the low, low cost of two mana.</p>
<h2>Winning the Game With Commander Eesha</h2>
<p>As always, I like to make sure that there is some way that these commanders can actually win games. I'm all for playing durdley decks that do nothing most of the time (I have an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angus Mackenzie" href="#" target="_blank">Angus Mackenzie</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck...), but it's important that those decks aren't just slowing everyone else down, and are actually working towards some kind of goal.</p>
<p>As I mentioned above, this deck will rely a lot on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commander Eesha" href="#" target="_blank">Commander Eesha</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s inability to be blocked as our main pathway to victory. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inquisitor&#039;s Flail" href="#" target="_blank">Inquisitor&#039;s Flail</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> work particularly well with Eesha, allowing us to deal more damage while having a downside that we simply ignore since we cannot be blocked (and if Eesha blocks, we ignore the damage anyway). But Eesha is pretty small, only a 2/4, so we need some extra heft behind these attacks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Inquisitor&#039;s Flail"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Strata Scythe"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Colossus Hammer"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blackblade Reforged" href="#" target="_blank">Blackblade Reforged</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is normally my go-to since you benefit from just playing the game. But since we are a single-colored deck, we can leverage <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Strata Scythe" href="#" target="_blank">Strata Scythe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> by exiling a Plains to make sure we get a huge amount of additional power and toughness as the game goes longer.</p>
<p>And of course, we can go with the simple beat sticks to buff Eesha. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ogre&#039;s Cleaver" href="#" target="_blank">Ogre&#039;s Cleaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a very simple but elegant way to get Eesha to that key power of seven that allows us to kill our opponents in three attacks while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Colossus Hammer" href="#" target="_blank">Colossus Hammer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes Eesha a two-shot kill and thanks to our protection from creatures losing flying is basically irrelevant.</p>
<p>We can play a couple of underutilized cards in this deck to really good effect. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sublime Archangel" href="#" target="_blank">Sublime Archangel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> turns all of our little utility creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nomads en-Kor" href="#" target="_blank">Nomads en-Kor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guardian of the Gateless" href="#" target="_blank">Guardian of the Gateless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into buffs for Eesha and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rammas Echor, Ancient Shield" href="#" target="_blank">Rammas Echor, Ancient Shield</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, while not quite as powerful as Sublime Archangel, has the benefit of allowing us to create a board of Walls to help us survive if Eesha is removed. Rammas Echor also lets us run cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wall of Glare" href="#" target="_blank">Wall of Glare</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wall of Omens" href="#" target="_blank">Wall of Omens</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> without the downside of them not actually helping us to win the game.</p>
<p>The way I'd choose to win is an easy one, just like my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wayta, Trainer Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Wayta, Trainer Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck: turn my opponents' power against them. While Eesha doesn't have access to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brash Taunter" href="#" target="_blank">Brash Taunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and sadly also doesn't have access to hybrid mana cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boros Reckoner" href="#" target="_blank">Boros Reckoner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spitemare" href="#" target="_blank">Spitemare</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <em>Phyrexia: All Will be One</em> has given us something almost as good in the form of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Vindicator" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Vindicator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sublime Archangel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rammas Echor, Ancient Shield"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Vindicator"></div></div>
<p>Using cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pariah&#039;s Shield" href="#" target="_blank">Pariah&#039;s Shield</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gideon&#039;s Sacrifice" href="#" target="_blank">Gideon&#039;s Sacrifice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="General&#039;s Regalia" href="#" target="_blank">General&#039;s Regalia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> we can easily turn our opponents' boards against them in a real <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deflecting Palm" href="#" target="_blank">Deflecting Palm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> vs <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emrakul, the Aeons Torn" href="#" target="_blank">Emrakul, the Aeons Torn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> style moment, allowing us to turn the tables on decks that have access to more powerful creatures than us.</p>
<p>Of course, you can also just run something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Approach of the Second Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Approach of the Second Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Millennium Calendar" href="#" target="_blank">The Millennium Calendar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but I'll save talking more about those until I get a real pillow fort commander.</p>
<p>As with all <em>Technically Playable</em> articles, this was a very quick look at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commander Eesha" href="#" target="_blank">Commander Eesha</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a commander, and a few of the cards that can really make a deck with Eesha as the commander tick. Let me know in the comments below if you play Commander Eesha, if you want to build a Commander Eesha deck, or even if you just enjoyed this article!</p>


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