Thanks for posting this deck! Using this deck was a great basis for building my own Balan deck.

not thinking on running commander's plate?

@sinister1234

It's in my Maybeboard.

Very interesting decision - one I hadn't even considered. What was the logic behind it? Fun/Flavor? To be able to have an equipment in the command zone? How will this change the build now that it plays well with Auras and things like All That Glitters?

@CrimsonWings3689

Halvar runs super lean. He only requires one Equipment for his double strike vs Balan requiring two. He's a two-turn clock with just a Sword or any other Equipment that offers evasion and pumps his power to 6.

Halvar isn't selfish like Balan is. He's shares his Equipment and his double strike:

• I can attack with Halvar, move an Equipment from him to an untapped creature during the next player's combat for a double striking blocker, then move it back to Halvar on my next turn's combat.
• Since Halvar hits like a truck with just one solid Equipment, I can also equip other creatures and pressure multiple opponents simultaneously.
• When recasting Halvar, I'm not obligated to immediately equip him if I already have (now double striking) back-up threats taking care of things.

The Sword of the Realms side is very interesting. It can spice up mediocre opening hands, and an ever-changing 'immortal' threat devalues my opponents' creature removal. Sword of the Realms cuts me off of Halvar until it's destroyed, but turning a back-up threat into a pseudo-Partner is an acceptable trade-off.

Halvar changes nothing about Auras. Sword of Light and Shadow still makes them sad.

@NensouHiebara - fair enough, I can see the appeal now when you put it like that. I just worry that in response to the targetting of the ability, the opponent will have removal and negate it before the equip. Also, Sword of Light and Shadow also makes whatever's equipped with it immune from Halvar's ability, including himself, so it's not all upside like with Balan's ability.

I think Balan is poised to make bigger comebacks than Halvar can in making up for the biggest weakness of equipments in the reequip costs. Something like a boardwipe for creatures can amount to quite a large amount of time reequipping vs replaying Balan and paying an additional 2 to get it all back and have it be an immediate threat again.

Maybe my experience has just been much different, but I find it rare that I suit up other creatures to do the dirty work and finish opponents off vs Balan, and the mana saved with her activation has often left enough to move protection pieces around as needed during first or second main phase to the other creatures that need protecting.

Interested to see how you fare with him!

I am very sad to see you going away from big beautiful Balan. Good luck with your new voltron though

Protection effects the following, it means the thing with protection cannot: -be damaged by sources with the specified quality. (All such damage is prevented.) -be enchanted, equipped, or fortified by permanents with the specified quality. -be blocked by creatures with the specified quality. -be targeted by spells with the specified quality, or by abilities from sources of that quality.

Halvar's first ability doesn't target, and thus sword of light and shadow doesn't negate the double strike. Although Maul of the sky claves still doesn't like it.

Also I disagree with switching Sigarda's Aid for Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist. Sigarda's aid is infinitely better except for the fact that it isn't a creature. Sigarda's aid is 2 less mana, equips anything at any time (not just on your combat) (why hammer of nazhan is also great), and it surprises opponents with unexpected responses to their plays.

With that being said, I suppose if you are switching to Halvar, then I suppose having more support to get equipment attached for free is a good idea. I just don't think it should be Sigarda's Aid that is switched. If that is the case, then there are many other cards that let you attach equipment for free. Perhaps you should consider them as well.

You may disagree with this, but perhaps Nahiri's slot should go to Ardenn. I've recently cut her from my Balan deck and here's my reasoning. She's 5 mana. By the time she is out, you already have all/most equipment out of your hand (except for the 2 equipment in the deck that are greater than 5 mana) so her minus is meaningless. Second, her plus is ok, but Ardenn is better, cheaper, can't be killed, and accomplishes the same goal using the creatures you already have in the deck. Lastly, I've never ulted Nahiri. It seems like a lot of work (7 turns) to get something that can be accomplished by the other things in your deck.

So, just sayin, Nahiri isn't all she's cracked up to be, and Sigarda's aid is amazing.

My bad, instead of saying can't be killed I should say Ardenn can't be attacked directly.

Also, sure her minus recurs things, but you have plenty of effects just like that. I have less recurral in my deck than you, and I still never run into issues.

@CavemanlyMan

Halvar's attach ability target a creature. Anyone holding Sword of Light and Shadow can't get a free equip from him.

Depending on what other Equipment support cards are in Kaldheim, Sigarda's Aid will probably find its way back in. Halvar will need the additional help in dodging equip costs.

What are your thoughts on Keeper of the Accord

Oh and why no Land Tax

@Monomanamaniac

Keeper of the Accord is a catch-up mechanic. It stops working once you've caught up and can never put you ahead. When it is working, it's pretty low impact:

• Only a single colour is capable of proper land ramp. Because of this, the vast majority of ramp in this format is in mana rocks. Unless you're against an entire table of fanatic Green mages, the most Keeper going to do is correct missed land drops. Getting more than one Plains in a turn cycle will be a rarity.

• 1/1 Soldiers look real silly against whatever threats are breathing down your neck. A single chump blocker against an opponent's board of superior numbers is meaningless.

I cut Land Tax as I was tired of waiting for an upkeep trigger for a land I wanted that turn. It also became a dead draw fairly quickly. I replaced it with Tithe for a while, but even that still had late-game issues. I now use Noble Templar as a supplement to Eternal Dragon. Drawing it late still gives me a body to hold Equipment and Sword of Light and Shadow can get additional Plains out of it.

is there a reason you don't run Wayfarer's Bauble? did you cut it for some reason?

@beets

I had Wayfarer's Bauble in the deck briefly before Smothering Tithe took the spot.

Greetings! I am a long time Aurelia player so we share much of the same card pool. I love the work you've put into this deck and Ive got a couple questions and suggestions for you.

Theres 2 value equipment that I think you might want to consider, those are Mask of Memory and Dowsing Dagger  ^Flip. Mask of memory is the single best source of Boros card draw, and likely the same for mono white. Dowsing Dagger is like a second copy of sword of the animist, that is faster but trickier to get flipped over, but the 3 mana colored is so huge. I dont leave home without these now in my equipment decks.

Landwise Bonders' Enclave, Mikokoro, Center of the Sea and Geier Reach Sanitarium are also really helpful in mono white, especially when you have a feast and famine in play.

Have you considered running any hate bears? I've been playing with some in and out of my decklists. Hushbringer Archon of Emeria and Drannith Magistrate have shown to be consistently powerful against a large field of decks, and the flying is also good for carrying the value based swords. Also if you want to get really nasty you can use Winter Orb and Hokori, Dust Drinker. They are skill intensive cards, but you can make them one sided with Feast and Famine plus artifact ramp, and it shuts down opponents decks especially big mana decks and other value decks.

Finally, I saw you addressed them already but I am really big fan of Land Tax, Tithe, Gift of Estates. Turning 1 card into multiple lands is super powerful and prevents getting stuck and occassionally you even get ahead as the turns pass by and players start missing land drops. You can use geier reach sanitarium and mask of memory to loot away additional lands things you dont need. I've found that they only help me win games.

Anyway, everything else looks pretty tight. Nice job. Heres my Aurelia list...its still influx after commander legends. Aurelia Weapons of War

@DespairFaction

Mask of Memory doesn't have anything going for it beyond drawing cards, a role already fulfilled by Sword of Fire and Ice . I also dislike discarding my own cards. Dowsing Dagger  ^Flip is currently in my Maybeboard and I'm looking for a spot.

I have War Room in the manabase. It bests the other options by having its card draw tied to the least demanding cost while not giving opponents free value.

I'm not a fan of Hatebears in Commander. You need to draw them at the correct time (most likely early game) or their hate isn't as effective, and you'd need sheer numbers for that consistency. This will flood a deck with cards that don't promote you main gameplan, or even step on your own toes as is the case with Hushbringer and Archon of Emeria . Drannith Magistrate is a unique case as it shut down such a key aspect of this format, but its 3 toughness diminishes its appeal.

Winter Orb and Hokori, Dust Drinker are no-go's for me. Preventing players from actually playing the game is among the most obnoxious things one can do, and I refuse to take part in it.

I'm sticking with my plainscyclers . Having a body to equip is a lot better than a dead spell in the late game. I can't see myself ever getting rid of them.

I understand the others, but I really do recommend you check out mask of memory. It is the single best source of white card draw in the format. Fire and Ice is good, but its several turns slower to get it in and equipped. Mask also looks at 4 cards with double strike which is important while digging for specific pieces. As far as discarding you get rid of the things you need since you dont need every card equally. Also Sun Titan, Sevinnes, and Nahiri bring stuff back if you change your mind. Beside all of that. People spend removal on Fire and Ice, this gives you a less threatening copy that is much less likely to get removed.

NensouHiebara I love Drannith Magistrate, he's obnoxious in all the right ways, he forces an opponent to burn removal on him or face never casting their commander. If you get swords on him he becomes much harder to kill and can actually bring a lot to the table while you set up for Balan to enter. All in all he's a very decent creature. I did want to ask what you thought of the new Voltron commander Wyleth, Soul of Steel and your thoughts on a boros Voltron equipment deck?

DespairFaction i definitely agree with the mask of memory call, but i can see both sides, it doesn't get you any closer to dealing 21 damage to each opponent. If it gave a stat boost, or if it gave protection or evasion, that would be another story.

Monomanamaniac prioritizing damage above all else is why people have said Voltron decks suck for years :) The fastest you can reasonably expect to aggro a table, on average is about turn 7, with the first player death around turn 5 or 6, and that assumes they dont interact at all. Which means you have to ramp and draw cards just like any other deck would and be able to sustain yourself through the game.

Monomanamaniac prioritizing damage above all else is why people have said Voltron decks suck for years :) The fastest you can reasonably expect to aggro a table, on average is about turn 7, with the first player death around turn 5 or 6, and that assumes they dont interact at all. Which means you have to ramp and draw cards just like any other deck would and be able to sustain yourself through the game.

DespairFaction lol, i did say that i agreed with you, the mask is definitely in my Balan deck lol. I also think Commander's Plate is sorely missed here. I was just noting that the mask doesn't give boosts, protection, or evasion, which seem to be the 3 key requirements in this deck