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Zaxara, the Exemplary: Hydra Infestation

Commander / EDH BUG (Sultai) Combo Infinite Combo

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Please note that I've decided to retire this deck - I'm going to keep the deck here for posterity but won't be updating this list.

Quickly slapped together a deck around the freshly spoiled Zaxara, the Exemplary. The main name of the game is to take advantage of Zaxara's token engine ability via mana cost hydras + spells (current number of mana cost cards in this brew = 28). Toss in a heap of Sultai cruelty into the mix and we've got ourselves a formidable kitchen table threat.

On top of the hefty hydra tribal flavour, there's a few other tricks in here to steer you to victory. You'll want as much mana as possible to funnel into all of those spells and there's a couple of cards that generate infinite mana when paired with Zaxara's mana tap ability (likewise with Bloom Tender and/or Selvala, Heart of the Wilds if the conditions are met): Freed from the Real & Pemmin's Aura. If you're able to pull that combo off, here's a few of the non-hydra beat-down ways to win:

  • Infinite direct damage via Exsanguinate, Profane Command, Torment of Hailfire or Walking Ballista
  • Mill an opponent out with Blue Sun's Zenith, Braingeyser, Damnable Pact, Stroke of Genius or Villainous Wealth

  • On top of those instant kill combos, if you've got infinite mana to play with you'll have the means to throw down an mana cost hydra with infinite power/toughness. Ideally you'll have Akroma's Memorial on the table for the haste/trample/evasion kill, but we've also got Icy Blast, Open Into Wonder & Rogue's Passage just in case you need to clear the path for those giant hasty hydras.

    As a final alternative win condition we've got Simic Ascendancy which will stack up to 20 counters in no time. Doubling Season might have a little role to play in all of this too.

    And there you have it. BUG is evil at the best of times, but I like the mix of big janky tribal tokens fun that Zaxara also lends itself to. Always welcome feedback and suggestions so if you have some ideas, go ahead and chime in.

    Hydra Infestation

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    I'm dismantling this deck, dammit. Why would I do that you ask? Mainly because I got bored of the primary win condition (infinite mana combo(s) + X spell FTW). I always envisioned this brew as a first and foremost hydra tribal deck - I play scary hydras, I make scary hydras by casting X spells and I wreck faces via said scary hydras. And I did that. Once. Legitimately all the other times I played and won with this deck was by casting the same Pemmin's Aura / Freed from the Real + Zaxara + X spell that nukes the table combo. Let me tell you, no one liked losing to that combo and I didn't really enjoy winning with that combo and it was almost too easy to do. I still think this deck is pretty neat, it's just not for me anymore and that's fine. Zaxara, get outta here.

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    Revision 17 See all

    (1 year ago)

    +1 Counterspell main
    -1 Disallow main
    +1 Negate main
    -1 Voidslime main
    Top Ranked
    Date added 4 years
    Last updated 1 year
    Legality

    This deck is Commander / EDH legal.

    Rarity (main - side)

    11 - 0 Mythic Rares

    54 - 0 Rares

    18 - 0 Uncommons

    8 - 0 Commons

    Cards 100
    Avg. CMC 2.55
    Tokens Beast 3/3 G, Boar 2/2 G, Hydra 0/0 G
    Folders Zaxara, Order Decks, To Try, EDH, MTG Tabletop, Ideas, Sultai EDH, Decks, Favorites, i may take ideas from
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