[Primer] Teneb: How to Train your Dragon

Commander / EDH BGW (Abzan, Junk) Combo Goodstuff Midrange Primer

Sabeh

Control (18)

• 1x Acidic Slime
• 1x Archfiend of Depravity
• 1x Aura of Silence
• 1x Aura Shards
• 1x Avatar of Woe
• 1x Beast Within
• 1x Day of Judgment
• 1x Fleshbag Marauder
• 1x Ghostly Prison
• 1x Krosan Grip
• 1x Mortify
• 1x Putrefy
• 1x Reclamation Sage
• 1x Return to Dust
• 1x Terastodon
• 1x Thalia, Heretic Cathar
• 1x Tragic Arrogance
• 1x Utter End

Land (37)

• 1x Blooming Marsh
• 1x Blossoming Sands
• 1x Command Tower
• 5x Forest
• 1x Godless Shrine
• 1x Golgari Rot Farm
• 1x Jungle Hollow
• 1x Orzhov Basilica
• 1x Orzhov Guildgate
• 1x Overgrown Tomb
• 5x Plains
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Rogue's Passage
• 1x Sandsteppe Citadel
• 1x Scoured Barrens
• 1x Selesnya Guildgate
• 1x Selesnya Sanctuary
• 5x Swamp
• 1x Temple Garden
• 1x Temple of Malady
• 1x Temple of Plenty
• 1x Temple of Silence
• 1x Temple of the False God
• 1x Terramorphic Expanse
• 1x Windswept Heath

Ramp (12)

• 1x Burgeoning
• 1x Crypt Ghast
• 1x Elvish Mystic
• 1x Explosive Vegetation
• 1x Golgari Signet
• 1x Kodama's Reach
• 1x Orzhov Signet
• 1x Sakura-Tribe Elder
• 1x Selesnya Signet
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Solemn Simulacrum
• 1x Yavimaya Elder

Utility (25)

• 1x Abzan Charm
• 1x Adarkar Valkyrie
• 1x Archon of Justice
• 1x Bloodgift Demon
• 1x Cathars' Crusade
• 1x Dauntless Escort
• 1x Deathrite Shaman
• 1x Disciple of Bolas
• 1x Eternal Witness
• 1x Greenwarden of Murasa
• 1x Harmonize
• 1x Juniper Order Ranger
• 1x Loxodon Hierarch
• 1x Loxodon Warhammer
• 1x Magus of the Will
• 1x Mother of Runes
• 1x Palace Siege
• 1x Phyrexian Arena
• 1x Qasali Pridemage
• 1x Regrowth
• 1x Sepulchral Primordial
• 1x Swiftfoot Boots
• 1x Sylvan Library
• 1x Unburial Rites
• 1x Vampiric Tutor

WinCon (7)

• 1x Ashnod's Altar
• 1x Debt to the Deathless
• 1x Fiend Hunter
• 1x Karmic Guide
• 1x Reveillark
• 1x Sun Titan
• 1x Viscera Seer

Commander (1)

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Maybeboard

Other (5)

• 1x Dragonlord Dromoka
• 1x Entomb
• 1x Mirari's Wake
• 1x Rune-Scarred Demon
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

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Introduction

This is a casual, semi-powered midrange deck for playing multiplayer games with friends. The deck intends to be flexible, withstanding disruption while dealing out disruptive threats of its own.

The deck can be categorized as a midrange deck, controlling the board along with its reanimation sub-theme and remaining active until a win condition is presented. The deck can win several ways including multiple combos and ways to win in the combat step. The deck is resilient and efficient, able to sustain itself throughout the mid, early and late game.

Please note that this list is a representation of my actual paper deck. I understand that there are some very powerful cards missing from my deck but budget restraints limit what I can actually use.

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Primer

Show Primer Show

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Overview

Archetype: Midragne Show

Midrange is possibly the most played archetype in casual EDH. Also known as a "Goodstuff" deck, a midrange deck is often packed with the best cards its colors can support. Midrange decks include some of the best removal, acceleration, and threats. These decks tend to start games off slower, controlling the threats and grinding out the game by making one-to-one trades with opponents. Midrange decks tend to be resilient and can rely on large beaters or occasionally combos to finish out the game. The "Goodstuff" decks will often include a few synergies in the deck but most of the cards will not rely on other cards to be valuable.

Why ? Show

I chose because of its efficiency in grinding out the game and bringing it to an end. These colors provide the deck with sustainability and resiliency. We have access to protection, removal, ramp, utility creatures, large beaters, and combo-based cards. The combination works efficiently and cohesively.

Why Teneb, the Harvester? Show

Teneb is certainly one of the more overlooked commanders in the colors. This of course works to the decks advantage. In choosing Teneb, the Harvester I looked for an underused commander who was still powerful when supported correctly. Teneb's utility is invaluable and his large body can quickly become a game-ending threat. Some of the other generals include:

Karador, Ghost Chieftan: I get asked alot why I don't just play Karador. The answer is that with all the graveyard related commanders out there, graveyard hate is very prevelent right now. Karador, Ghost Chieftan relies greatly on the graveyard, and graveyard hate hoses his decks. With Teneb, the Harvester we still use the graveyard, but we don't fully rely on it. Teneb's ability is also useful in the fact that he allows us to reanimate a creature in any graveyard, while Karador has only his own graveyard availible. Teneb is also a much better finisher than Karador with his large, evasive body.

Ghave, Guru of Spores, Anafenza, the Foremost, and Daghatar the Adamant : The decks these three commanders are built with generally focus on the +1/+1 counter theme. This can be a fun theme but it does not have as much potential as a Teneb, the Harvester deck to focus more on the control/midrange side of the Abzan colors. These three commanders are certainly much better in a creature-based aggro deck.

Doran, the Siege Tower: Doran is definitely a great commander, but similarly to the aforementioned +1/+1 counter based commanders, he is much better suited in an aggro deck. Doran can be a blast to play with, like digging into Treefolk tribal, but he does not meet my needs of a commander with utility that can support a more controlling deck.

Deck Strengths Show

This deck has proven to be very flexible and resilient, traits that make for a strong deck. As a game progresses, the deck will retain a steady tempo and will be able to respond to multiple forms of threats while also playing threats of its own. The cards in the deck are efficient in what they do and many of the cards have added utility that increases the flexibility of the deck. The deck excels at bouncing back from losses ingame and other disadvantages. The deck plays out fairly passively at the start of a multiplayer game as to not reveal itself as a threat, but can certainly respond quickly and effectively in the case that defense or retaliation is needed. The deck can also quickly close out the game with amassed advantages and a huge threat in its commander.

Deck Weaknesses Show

The deck is designed to be able to respond to most decks and be flexible enough to deal with them accordingly. However, the deck does have several weaknesses in this regard. Very fast aggro decks (like a certain Rafiq deck in my meta) can prove difficult to interact with as they tend to form very threatening board states before any form of tempo can be established. The deck is also fairly weak to hard-control and Stax decks, especially those who have access to graveyard hosing cards. Without access to blue mana, the deck also tends to fold to instant-speed removal spells that target our main threats. The deck however, does have multiple ways to deal with these adversities and not every match against quick aggro or heavy Stax is an autimatic loss.

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Card Choices

Lands Show

Forest, Swamp, Plains: The deck plays fifteen basic lands, five in each of the three colors. Much of the deck's ramp relies on tutoring for basic lands and either putting them into your hand or on the battlefield and I have had long games where all fifteen basic lands ended up on the battlefield. Any more basic lands will likely hamper the deck's consistency in achieving its mana color fixing and I would like to trim the number of basics as I acquire more expensive lands.

Blooming Marsh: This is the only land from this cycle that I own. I find that is useful in your starting hand and coming down in the late game tapped is rarely a hindrance.

Blossoming Sands, Jungle Hollow , Scoured Barrens: This is the lifegaining tapland cycle, which was recently reprinted in Eternal Masters. Not much else to say except that if you don't need fast mana, they can be used with the bounce lands (Selesnya Sanctuary, etc.) for an additional life.

Command Tower: EDH staple. Provides mana in all your colors.

Godless Shrine, Overgrown Tomb, Temple Garden: These are known as the shocklands. Since the basic land types are listed on the card, they can be tutored with Windswept Heath. 2 life is not much to pay if you need the mana and otherwise having them entered tapped is not a big deal.

Golgari Rot Farm, Orzhov Basilica, Selesnya Sanctuary: These are the bounce lands. They are fairly slow so only play them if you don't plan on using the mana. They have nice synergy with the lifegain and scry lands (Temple of Silence, etc.) as you can use those effects an additional time. Another thing you can do is tap the land you are going to bounce and leave the mana floating in your pool before playing the bounce land.

Orzhov Guildgate, Selesnya Guildgate: Simple guildgate taplands. These will be replaced when I find the budget. (Golgari Guildgate has already been replace with Blooming Marsh.)

Reliquary Tower: Has been of use a couple of times, as the deck can often play all the right card draw engines and flood your hand. Colorless mana sources can be questionable to keep in your starting hand and you risk not being able to cast color-intensive spells.

Rogue's Passage: Another colorless mana source, with the same risks as mentioned above. The Passage is useful for getting in combat damage with Teneb to activate his ability.

Sandsteppe Citadel: Simple tapland that can be activated for all the deck's colors.

Temple of Malady, Temple of Plenty, Temple of Silence: These are the scry lands. The are very useful in the early game as they help you fix your next few turns. Make sure you don't use any shuffle effects when a card you scryed and wanted is on top. The scry lands also have the mentioned synergy with bounce lands.

Temple of the False God: Another colorless mana source. The ramp this card provides is important, which is downplayed by the fact that it is a dead card in your opening hand and early game.

Terramorphic Expanse: Gets you the basic color fixing you need, at the cost of being tapped. It is usually smart to crack it at the end of the last opponent's end step, as then if any of your opponents try to destroy it, it can be cracked in response (Seems like a dumb move for your opponent but it has happened before.)

Windswept Heath: This cycle of land is known as a fetchland, as it "fetches" the color fixing you need. It can be used to search for any land with the types Plains and Forest (like the shocklands) or simply a basic land. Save it until the last end step with the same reasoning as provided for Terramorphic Expanse.

Creatures Show

Acidic Slime: A utility creature. Useful for blocking because of deathtouch. Can be reanimated with Reveillark. Can also destroy lands so if your opponent is playing a color intensive deck you might consider destroying the lands in colors they have the least of.

Adarkar Valkyrie: Very useful in the lategame. Can be used to save your own creatures or to steal an opponent's if you use a kill spell on one of their creatures. Since she has vigilance, you can attack and then tap her to save/steal a creature killed during the combat step.

Archfiend of Depravity: Useful creature that shuts down opposing creature-based strategies. Gets around hexproof and indestructible because it forces an opponent to sacrifice. Also attacking for 5 in the air each turn can close out games for you.

Archon of Justice: Another biggish flying creature. This guy is useful for funk-blocking (making a block where both creatures would die but then sacrificing your creature to get value from the sacrifice outlet, like Viscera Seer.)

Avatar of Woe: Can be a little difficult to cast early on, but can greatly control the boardstate once you cast her. Also attacking for 6 with fear as a form of evasion is useful. Just remember she can't attack and activate her ability in the same turn. I rarely get to cast her for her reduced cost but it happens on occasion.

Bloodgift Demon: A source of card advantage and another evasive attacker. Losing 1 life a turn in commander is generally not a big deal, and if killing yourself becomes a risk, you can sacrifice him with any sac outlet.

Crypt Ghast: A form of ramp for black. Can also be used for repeated pinging with the extort ability. Currently there are only 7 swamp types in the deck (shocklands count), but I am hoping to up that number.

Dauntless Escort: A way to protect your creatures from board wipes. This guy is also pretty broken when comboed with Sun Titan.

Deathrite Shaman: A utility creature that is an excellent turn one play. The exiling from his ability is useful against graveyard reliant decks. Make sure to not exile anything you may want to use with Teneb later.

Disciple of Bolas: Another form have card advantage, and the additional lifegain is helpful. The best targets are probably Archon of Justice, Reviellark, and Greenwarden of Murasa. Sacrificing a Terastodon with Reliquary Tower in play would also be pretty sweet.

Elvish Mystic: Simple turn one ramp. Can be sac fodder later on.

Eternal Witness: Adds to the resiliency of the deck, allowing you to get back something that was previously killed. Can also be used to get back spells.

Fiend Hunter: Combos with Sun Titan and a sac outlet for infinite enter the battlefield triggers. It is also a good way to stall opposing threats.

Fleshbag Marauder: An amazing utility creature and one of my favorite creatures to recur with Teneb. I usually target him as the creature I have to sacrifice so he can be brought back from the graveyard later. Reveillark target.

Greenwarden of Murasa: Similarly to Eternal Witness, adds to the deck's resiliency with the added benefit have returing something else upon death. Just remember that if you exile him for his second ability you can't bring him back later.

Juniper Order Ranger : Provides utility in the form of increasing your creatures' stats. Can also be played before Teneb to start a three turn clock. (If Teneb gets 7 power, he just needs three attacks to kill with 21 commander damage as opposed to the four turns it would take with 6 power.)

Karmic Guide: Allows creatures to be returned from the battlfield. Part of an infinite combo with Reveillark, a creature of power 2 or less, and a sac outlet. Paying the echo cost is not usually necessary unless you need blockers.

Loxodon Hierarch : Like Dauntless Escort, provides a way for your creatures to survive board wipes. Also pads your life total a little bit.

Magus of the Will: A cheap (monetarily) Yawgmoth's Will on a creature, it allows us to play threats from our graveyard or could be as simple as getting to play Harmonize again.

Mother of Runes: A turn one play, she protects Teneb and your other creatures from targeted removal or she allows them to get through blockers.

Qasali Pridemage: A rattlesnake card (sits on the battlefield waiting for the wrong opponent to step on you) that deters opponents and also gives Teneb 7 power for that three turn clock.

Reclamation Sage: Removal on a creature. Reveillark target.

Reveillark: An evasive attacker that is more commonly used for its ability to bring back creatures from the graveyard. The evoke cost is helpful, but not always necessary. Combos with Karmic Guide.

Sakura-Tribe Elder : Early game ramp that helps you fix your colors. Can also be recurred to get more lands.

Sepulchral Primordial: A big creature with evasion (Intimidate means it can't be blocked except by artifact creatures or creatures that share a color with it.) Can also use some of your opponents' creatures, increasing in value with the number of opponents.

Solemn Simulacrum: Another form of ramp that also has the added benefit of generating card advantage when it dies, making it an ideal chump blocker.

Sun Titan: A large creature with a nice ability, allowing you to reuse important cards, including enchantments like Aura of Silence.

Terastodon: A large creature and a way to get rid of pesky planeswalkers. It's a shame he doesn't have trample. Can be used similarly to Acidic Slime in order to get rid of an opponent's lands in a specific color.

Thalia, Heretic Cathar: A way to slow down fast, creature-based decks. She is also a good blocker in the early game because of First Strike.

Viscera Seer: Probably the most efficient sac outlet in the deck. Can be played on turn one and enables you to sacrifice creatures in response to targeted removal, which is especially helpful against exile effects, as you can sacrifice the creature, putting in the graveyard so you can use it again.

Yavimaya Elder: Early game color fixing and a source of card advantage. A prime target for recursion effects in the early game.

Artifacts Show

Ashnod's Altar: Enables combos as a free sacrifice outlet. It can also be used to ramp by sacrificing little creatures like Elvish Mystic. The sacrifice ability is used in the same way to "save" creatures as Viscera Seer.

Golgari Signet, Gruul Signet , Selesnya Signet : Early game mana rocks that help you ramp. Commonly played on turn two.

Loxodon Warhammer: Usually equipped to big, evasive creatures and most commonly to Teneb, as the trample allows you to get in combat damage for his ability. The lifelink can really bring you back from a large life deficit.

Sol Ring: A commander staple. An amazing turn one play that will probably draw out artifact hate.

Swiftfoot Boots: A nice equipment that is usually save for Teneb, allowing him to attack the turn he enters and giving him protection from targeted removal.

Date added	7 years
Last updated	7 years
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	4 - 0 Mythic Rares 35 - 0 Rares 30 - 0 Uncommons 16 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.57
Tokens	Beast 3/3 G, Elephant 3-3 G
Folders	My Commander Decks, Commander