Arcades: Build-a-Wall

Commander / EDH Defender GWU (Bant) Wall

BigKnockOut

Creature (32)

• 1x Angelic Wall
• 1x Axebane Guardian
• 1x Basilica Guards
• 1x Carven Caryatid
• 1x Chulane, Teller of Tales
• 1x Crashing Drawbridge
• 1x Doorkeeper
• 1x Drift of Phantasms
• 1x Hover Barrier
• 1x Jeskai Barricade
• 1x Jungle Barrier
• 1x Orator of Ojutai
• 1x Overgrown Battlement
• 1x Riptide Turtle
• 1x Shield Sphere
• 1x Siege Behemoth
• 1x Soulsworn Jury
• 1x Stalwart Shield-Bearers
• 1x Sunscape Familiar
• 1x Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive
• 1x Tree of Redemption
• 1x Vine Trellis
• 1x Wall of Blossoms
• 1x Wall of Denial
• 1x Wall of Frost
• 1x Wall of Ice
• 1x Wall of Junk
• 1x Wall of Mulch
• 1x Wall of Omens
• 1x Wall of Roots
• 1x Wall of Runes
• 1x Wall of Shards

Land (35)

• 1x Arctic Treeline
• 1x Bant Panorama
• 1x Branchloft Pathway  ^Flip
• 1x Canopy Vista
• 1x Command Beacon
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Evolving Wilds
• 6x Forest
• 1x Ghost Quarter
• 1x Glacial Floodplain
• 1x Irrigated Farmland
• 4x Island
• 6x Plains
• 1x Rejuvenating Springs
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Seaside Citadel
• 1x Temple of Mystery
• 1x Terramorphic Expanse
• 1x Thriving Heath
• 1x Vineglimmer Snarl
• 1x Windswept Heath
• 1x Yavimaya Coast

Enchantment (7)

• 1x Assault Formation
• 1x Aura Shards
• 1x Blind Obedience
• 1x Guardian Project
• 1x High Alert
• 1x Wild Pair
• 1x Zendikar Resurgent

Instant (4)

• 1x Akroma's Will
• 1x Evacuation
• 1x Teferi's Protection
• 1x Tower Defense

Commander (1)

Sorcery (10)

• 1x Approach of the Second Sun
• 1x Austere Command
• 1x Coastal Breach
• 1x Dusk / Dawn
• 1x Farseek
• 1x Fell the Mighty
• 1x Praetor's Counsel
• 1x Rampant Growth
• 1x Three Visits
• 1x Wave of Reckoning

Artifact (9)

• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Lightning Greaves
• 1x Meekstone
• 1x Panharmonicon
• 1x Selesnya Signet
• 1x Simic Signet
• 1x Slagwurm Armor
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Thought Vessel

Planeswalker (2)

• 1x Tamiyo, Field Researcher
• 1x Teyo, the Shieldmage

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Sideboard

Land (3)

• 1x Plains
• 1x Selesnya Sanctuary
• 1x Simic Growth Chamber

Sorcery (1)

• 1x Cultivate

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Maybeboard

Creature (12)

• 1x Abzan Beastmaster
• 1x Beastcaller Savant
• 1x Conclave Guildmage
• 1x Gatecreeper Vine
• 1x Geist of the Archives
• 1x Gleaming Barrier
• 1x Jaddi Offshoot
• 1x Mnemonic Wall
• 1x Resolute Watchdog
• 1x Steel Wall
• 1x Wall of Faith
• 1x Wall of Tanglecord

Enchantment (3)

• 1x Angelic Chorus
• 1x Sight of the Scalelords
• 1x Song of Freyalise

Instant (1)

• 1x Bant Charm

Planeswalker (2)

• 1x Huatli, the Sun's Heart
• 1x Teferi, Time Raveler

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An aggressive Arcades multiplayer EDH deck focused on playing creatures, drawing creatures to play, giving those walls some sort of evasion, and swinging wide for large amounts of damage.

Main Goal

Use the ability of Arcades, the Strategist to make cheap creatures with Defender, such as Shield Sphere and Wall of Junk huge threats for relatively little mana, and continuously churn them out to overflow the board and swing heavy and wide.

Make Them Move

In order for the deck to function, your walls need to be able to attack. Nothing feels worse than having a field of walls but with nothing for them to do except block. Protect Arcades, the Strategist using Lightning Greaves , Teferi's Protection , and Eerie Interlude so that your walls can continue attacking, or use cards such as Assault Formation and High Alert in case your opponent(s) are able to focus down your commander with annoying amounts of removal.

Beat Them Down

Pretty much everyone agrees that 7/7's for three mana is pretty good value, but sometimes all that power isn't enough. Stalwart Shield-Bearers provides buffs to your walls across the board, and makes them noticeably scarier, and if True Conviction doesn't absolutely crush any creature your opponents throw at your walls, it'll gain you a ton of life. Slagwurm Armor is a slept on artifact that provides a huge buff to a single wall, often doubling the capabilities of whatever wall equips it. Tower Defense is quite an impactful combat trick that can swing blocks wildly in your favor. Against cluttered board states, Siege Behemoth is a great way to make sure that your huge walls deal sufficient damage, and Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive can sneak your walls through cluttered board states.

Control the Board

If you're facing some tough customers that either overpower or overcrowd your walls, sweep the board with Wave of Reckoning , Dusk / Dawn or Fell the Mighty . Chain off with Wild Pair or Guardian Project to keep the creatures flowing, and be sure to find Panharmonicon to double up on draws. Use Blind Obedience and Meekstone to deal with other aggressive strategies, and, if you're forced to stall, mill with Doorkeeper or extort with Basilica Guards and Blind Obedience if games get grindy. In addition, Approach of the Second Sun is a great way to win with your increased draws, especially if your opponents can't attack into your line of huge blocker walls.

How to Play

Your first priority with this deck is getting your commander out on Turn 4 or earlier by making sure your opening hand has all the necessary colors of mana. Then, quickly begin flooding the board with walls and swinging big and wide. Be on the offensive constantly, but don't be afraid to hold back with your oppressive blockers. Focus down any slower strategies and decks known to pack mass removal spells and counterspells, as many of the aggressive, low-to-the-ground strategies will get outclassed quickly by your walls. The combination of Wild Pair and Guardian Project is a solid way to go nearly infinite using a defender-dependent mana-producer like Axebane Guardian or Overgrown Battlement , since drawing four cards for every creature you play is almost a guaranteed way to net a creature every draw. Use your low mana curve and fast pace to overwhelm your opponents and drown them in value, and draw for your win-conditions: Approach of the Second Sun , Siege Behemoth , or Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive .

Potential Upgrades

Sylvan Caryatid is a great ramp improvement. Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa is basically another win condition alongside Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive . Heroic Intervention and Ghostway would both be board saves and protection for our creatures. Intruder Alarm is a great way to go nearly infinite with Axebane Guardian + Wild Pair + Guardian Project and would also make a solid addition. Cyclonic Rift is a commander staple as usual and will function as a win condition if our board gets big.

Thanks to Commander's Quarters for the deck idea, definitely check them out!

Any advice for recommended cards and edits would be greatly appreciated, and feel free to upvote or leave feedback if you want. Thanks for reading!

Date added	5 years
Last updated	3 years
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	5 - 0 Mythic Rares 26 - 0 Rares 29 - 2 Uncommons 23 - 1 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.14
Tokens	Emblem Tamiyo, Field Researcher, Wall 0/3 W
Folders	EDH - Live Decks
Based on	Building Walls: "Budget" Arcades EDH Aggro BigKnockOut EDH