Celebrating Bloodbraid Elf With A New Jund Commander List

In honor of Bloodbraid Elf getting unbanned in Modern, I thought it might
be a nice idea to put together one of the
Do Over Project
decks which could fit in the card. It was a house in Jund when it was in
Standard, so there’s no reason to head in a different direction. Jund it
is.

Adun Oakenshield was one of my first five or ten commanders. It’ll always
have a special place in my heart because it’s just a cool little card that
isn’t broken by any stretch of the imagination. My current build of Adun’s
Toolbox (listed below for your comparison and convenience) is the kind of
deck that needs some teasing out to be good. It intentionally has things
which will let it adapt to game states and situations. I obviously want to
go a different direction with the Do Over. I once killed someone with Adun
commander damage despite his one power, so an Adun Voltron seems like it’s
what we should do. Who doesn’t want to win with some style points with a
one-power commander?

We’ll still want to take advantage of our commander’s ability to regrow a
creature from the graveyard, which means we either have to give it
vigilance to attack, or find ways to get him untapped post-combat. The
latter seems like the right away to go since it provides a little more
flexibility and untapping stuff can lead to bigger plays.

Here’s the list:

Adun Oakenshield Do-Over

Sheldon Menery

Test deck on 02-15-2018

Commander

Creatures (37)

Lands (37)

I’ve broken the list down into “packages,” collections of cards which have
specific functions within the scope of the deck. The lines aren’t strictly
drawn, so there is a little crossover between some of them, but you’ll see
for the most part how it works.

The Untaps Package

The untaps package gets our permanents to a state in which we can use them
again-most importantly Adun Oakenshield, so that we can use his ability to
regrow a creature from the graveyard. It’s never going to hurt in other
ways. I considered a whole inspired sub-theme as well, but didn’t want to
dilute what we’re doing.

Seedborn Muse: The Mack Mama of the untappers, Seedborn Muse effectively
nets you extra turns. The deck doesn’t have instants or much that you can
do with those turns, but it has enough activated abilities (specifically
Adun’s) to make it worthwhile.

Umbral Mantle: There was once an infinite combo with Umbral Mantle and
Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary, but these days it’s just a little value town.
Adun becomes bigger and ready to regrow, which you can do before the turn
passes.

Paradox Engine: Speaking of the value express, Paradox Engine gets us the
team untapped for defense, but perhaps a little extra mana in the form of
the few mana rocks we’ve put into the deck. Built around, this card might
be busted. Otherwise, it’s strong, but not broken.

The Extra Combats Package

The Extra Combats Package also untaps things, although the main idea is to
retap them and head back into the red zone.

Combat Celebrant: I didn’t mind having exert cards because other cards,
such as Seedborn Must and Paradox Engine, would do the untapping.

Hellkite Charger: If you have the mana, you might as well go for it. The
idea is that commander damage kill, and you’re not going to get it by
sitting at home. Contrary to my normal style, there’s an infinite combo in
the deck, putting Hellkite Charger together with either Bear Umbra or Sword
of Feast and Famine. They’re pretty unlikely to happen, but be warned.

Scourge of the Throne: Same as Hellkite Charger, just can’t go infinite.

Aggravated Assault: Theoretically, you could do the same here. That’s why I
keep telling people to play their fogs.

Relentless Assault: Here’s one you won’t see coming.

World at War: And one you will. Rebound remains one of my favorite
keywords, and I don’t think we see enough of the cards played.

You’ll probably notice Savage Beating is missing; that’s because it’s in
the original deck.

The Voltron Package

The Voltron Package contains the equipment and auras which buff up Adun to
his full glorious power. Two or three hit should be all it takes once he’s
suited up.

Archetype of Aggression: No matter how large a creature is, the smallest
creature can block it, which is where trample comes in. There are a few
ways to do it in the deck; this is the coolest because it takes trample
away from everyone else too.

Argentum Armor: The biggest and most expensive, it also clears the path of
permanents which will annoy us, let small deathtouch blockers or beasts
larger than our own. That +6/+6 isn’t going to hurt, either.

Godo, Bandit Warlord: Godo will fetch for us the part of the package we
need and then, in a pinch do some attacking himself.

Hammer of Nazahn: Once the Hammer comes in, we can avoid paying some of
those equip costs when they first show up, which can be sweet with Argentum
Armor; the rest are actually not that onerous. The Hammer buffs up the
power of Adun, but also makes it way more difficult to get rid of.

Nighthowler: When it’s an aura, it can make the commander into a one-shot
killer. When it’s not, it can be dangerous on its own.

Nylea, God of the Hunt: There’s the trample again. The little buff won’t
hurt, either.

Sword of Fire and Ice: The original awesome equipment (along with its
sister, next), SoFI is also part of the card draw package. Downside is that
it being equipped means we can’t target Adun (or whatever is carrying the
Sword) with Xenagos, but we’ll play around that.

Sword of Light and Shadow: Gain some life, get back a creature all good for
me. And Xenagos away.

Sword of Feast and Famine: No one cares about the discard; it’s the
land-untapping that will help, especially since Paradox Engine doesn’t get
lands. Protection from black is great because the color tends to have the
best targeted removal for creatures.

Xenagos, God of Revels: Doubling up is always strong, and a creature having
haste is even stronger. Imagine worrying about dealing with a buffed up
Adun when Lord of Extinction hits the battlefield, ready to rumble.
Xenagos, God of Revels is one of my favorite cards ever.

The Ramp Package

The ramp package is your basic stuff, so I don’t need to go into details on
all of the cards. Normally, I prefer it to be just getting lands onto the
battlefield, but in the deck with Paradox Engine mana rocks are fine.
Having creatures which sacrifice for their benefits being part of the
solution puts them into the graveyard to be regrown later. I’ll mention
Rhonas’s Monument as what I call effective ramp; it doesn’t
actually put extra resources on the battlefield, but it does effectively
the same thing, as it makes the appropriate spells cheaper-plus then
there’s that trample buff again. Shefet Monitor is nice in that it draws a
card for you while you’re ramping; sure, you pay for it, but getting them
both in one source is nice-and it’s a card Adun will be happy to regrow.

The Sacrifice Package

To get creatures into the graveyard so that we might regrow and get their
benefits again, we need a sacrifice package. This one grew during the build
to hit a number of angles.

Attrition: The classic, which will help keep some irritating creatures off
the battlefield.

Birthing Pod: Doing double duty, I’ll probably need to bring a little note
with me to make sure I know what I’m getting before I pick up the deck
(that way saving time; I’m always irritated when someone Pods without
knowing what they’re getting, even if that someone is me).

Culling Dais. Simple and cheap. Any time a creature is about to go to the
graveyard, like in an unfavorable combat situation, sacrifice it for later
benefit. Too bad you can’t do multiples at once.

Devouring Swarm: A long-time favorite, it can kill people who aren’t quite
paying attention.

Disciple of Bolas: One of the Disciple Brothers, this one requires a little
more setup since it’s an enters-the-battlefield trigger, but I’m happy
knowing that I’ll always have juicy targets.

Disciple of Griselbrand: You want to kill my Lord of Extinction? I can’t
get angry. But I can definitely gain some life.

Fallen Angel: The bigger version of Devouring Swarm, and an old favorite
from my first Lord of Tresserhorn deck, Fallen Angel led to. . .

Fallen Ideal . . .and now I can make any creature into a Fallen Angel. I
wouldn’t play it without the clause that puts the enchantment back into may
hand. Fallen Ideal on Adun-and we could be one-shotting.

Grim Backwoods: You could consider this is more of a card draw card than
sacrifice, since it does both.

Lyzolda, the Blood Witch: Lots of the deck’s creatures are green, but they
can get sacrificed to other things. Getting small advantages is how we
build a big one.

Phyrexian Tower: Keep on keeping on, Phyrexian Tower. Thanks for that
occasional boost.

Vampiric Rites: It seems so simple, but this is a criminally underplayed
card.

The Regrowth Package

The Regrowth Package is both about regrowing things and stuff I want to
regrow.

Bone Shredder: One bit of creature removal, and because it has the echo
that we’ll never pay, it’ll be in the graveyard to do it again.

Charnelhoard Wurm: Stopped playing this monster a while back, and I simply
want to re-engage. It’ll get back anything, and it’s an alternate path to
victory if Adun isn’t somehow getting there.

Combustible Gearhulk: Draw cards or deal damage to your face and put stuff
I want into the graveyard. Either option is fine for me.

Greenwarden of Murasa: You can also see some of these regrowth cards are
offensive weapons in their own right. I doubt I exile Greenwarden the first
time; I’ll see if I can get additional uses out of it first.

Journey to Eternity/Atzal, Cave of Eternity: A nice way to save a creature
anyway, transformed into Atzal, Cave of Eternity, we now have a way to get
our creatures right back onto the battlefield-and sometimes in multiples if
we have Seedborn Muse running.

Noxious Gearhulk: Another regrowth target so that it can do its big thing
again. My favorite Gearhulk.

Puppeteer Clique: Regrowing stuff also means getting it out of others’
graveyards. My favorite part of Puppeteer Clique is exiling the creature at
end of turn. Sometimes it’s tough to not be greedy by letting it die (one
of our sacrifice outlets?) so that we can regrow it again.

Sepulchral Primordial: Please let other people be playing Clones.

The Card Draw Package

The card draw package is pretty easy to grasp. It’s stuff that lets you
draw cards. Zendikar Resurgent does double duty in that it lets you have
extra mana for casting the bigger stuff.

The Adun Oakenshield Do Over is a deck that you can get lots of mileage out
of while playing. Its strategy is far from linear. There’s a basic plan
that you’ll want to try to execute: suiting up Adun for big commander
damages. If that’s not working for some reason, you have other, trickier
paths to explore. Have fun walking them.

This week’s Deck Without Comment is Adun’s Toolbox so that you can double
check that I didn’t duplicate any cards.

Adun Oakenshield

Sheldon Menery

0th Place at Test deck on 12-04-2013

Commander

Creatures (36)

Planeswalkers (2)

Lands (36)

Check out our comprehensive Deck List Database for lists of all my decks:

SIGNATURE DECKS

Purple Hippos and Maro Sorcerers

;

Kresh Into the Red Zone

;

Halloween with Karador

;

Dreaming of Intet

;

You Did This to Yourself

.

THE CHROMATIC PROJECT

Mono-Color

Heliod, God of Enchantments

;

Thassa, God of Merfolk

;

Erebos and the Halls Of The Dead

;

Forge of Purphoros

;

Nylea of the Woodland Realm

;

Karn

Evil No. 9.

Guilds

Lavinia Blinks

;

Obzedat, Ghost Killer

;

Aurelia Goes to War

;

Trostani and Her Angels

;

Lazav, Shapeshifting Mastermind

;

Zegana and a Dice Bag

;

Rakdos Reimagined

;

Glissa, Glissa

;

Ruric Thar and His Beastly Fight Club

;

Gisa and Geralf Together Forever

.

Shards and Wedges

Adun’s Toolbox

;

Angry, Angry Dinos

;

Animar’s Swarm

;

Borrowing Stuff at Cutlass Point

;

Ikra and Kydele

;

Karrthus, Who Rains Fire From The Sky

;

Demons of Kaalia

;

Merieke’s Esper Dragons

;

Nath of the Value Leaf

;

Rith’s Tokens

;

The Mill-Meoplasm

;

The Altar of Thraximundar

;

The Threat of Yasova

;

Zombies of Tresserhorn

.

Four Color

Yidris: Money for Nothing, Cards for Free

;

Saskia Unyielding

;

Breya Reshaped

.

Five-Color

Children of a Greater God

Partners

Tana and Kydele

;

Kynaios and Tiro

;

Ikra and Kydele

.

THE DO-OVER PROJECT

Animar Do-Over

;

Glissa Do-Over

;

Karador Do-Over

;

Karador Version 3

;

Karrthus Do-Over

;

Kresh Do-Over

;

Steam-Powered Merieke

Do-Over;

Lord of Tresserhorn Do-Over

;

Mimeoplasm Do-Over

;

Phelddagrif Do-Over

;

Rith Do-Over

;

Ruhan Do-Over

.

If you’d like to follow the adventures of my Monday Night RPG group (in a
campaign that’s been alive since 1987) which is just beginning the saga The Lost Cities of Nevinor, ask for an invitation to the Facebook
group “Sheldon Menery’s
Monday Night Gamers.”