Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain is an Esper (white/blue/black) commander in Magic: The Gathering. There are many ways to build the deck, caring about modified creatures (creatures that have a counter on them, are equipped, or are enchanted by an Aura). Since there are so many support cards for modified creatures and the enablers, the deck is very consistent.

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The deck is unique in that rather than stacking Auras and Equipment onto one creature, it wants you to spread them out across multiple creatures. The deck can get out of hand very quickly, leading to explosive turns that will instantly make you the biggest threat in the game.

Sample Decklist

Commander: Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain

Invasion of Theros

Archon of Sun's Grace

Armored Skyhunter

Breena, the Bemagogue

Brotherhood Outcast

Codsworth, Handy Helper

Danitha Capashen, Paragon

Eidolon of Countless Battles

Envoy of the Ancestors

Forensic Gadgeteer

Halvar, God of Battle // Sword of the Realms

Kappa Cannoneer

Kor Spiritdancer

Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice

Lion Sash

Pearl-Ear, Imperial Advisor

Puresteel Paladin

Shimmer Dragon

Sram, Senior Edificer

Starnheim Courser

Umbra Mystic

Zur the Enchanter

Gift of Estates

Open the Armory

Steelshaper's Gift

Supreme Verdict

Toxic Deluge

Arcane Denial

Counterspell

Despark

Dovin's Veto

Generous Gift

Negate

Path to Exile

Swords to Plowshares

Arcane Signet

Assassin Gauntlet

Batterskull

Colossus Hammer

Commander's Sphere

Cranial Plating

Fellwar Stone

Gold Pan

Lightning Greaves

Nettlecyst

Pip-Boy 3000

Sol Rin

Swiftfoot Boots

Talisman of Dominance

Talisman of Hierarchy

Talisman of Progress

Thran Power Suit

All That Glitters

Angelic Destiny

Angelic Gift

Combat Research

Eldrazi Conscription

Ethereal Armor

Forge Anew

Hyena Umbra

Mantle of the Ancients

Sage's Reverie

Songbirds' Blessing

Staggering Insight

Unquestioned Authority

Academy Ruins

Adarkar Wastes

Archway of Innovation

Caves of Koilos

Command Tower

Deserted Beach

Drowned Catacomb

Exotic Orchard

Glacial Fortress

Hall of Heliod's Generosity

x4 Island

Isolated Chapel

Path of Ancestry

x7 Plains

Prairie Stream

Reliquary Tower

Rogue's Passage

Shattered Sanctum

Shipwreck Marsh

Sunken Hollow

x4 Swamp

Underground River

The deck consists of one battle, 21 creatures, five sorceries, eight instants, 17 artifacts, 13 enchantments, and 34 lands. This build of Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain is focused on using enchantments and Equipment, but you can also opt to build it focusing more on counters if that's more your speed.

Key Cards

Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain

The commander, Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain is what makes the deck function to the best of its ability. Its ward effect makes it awkward to remove, and it has great keywords to make Arna a solid attacker and blocker in combat.

It doubles anything attached to a modified creature when it deals combat damage, so enter-the-battlefield triggers can be re-used. In many cases, this involves drawing a card to keep your hand fresh with more Auras and Equipment.

Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain doesn't need to attack itself to use the ability. So long as a modified creature dealt combat damage, you'll be able to trigger Arna's ability. This lets you hold Arna back in combat where it would die and only swing in with modified creatures you know will have no trouble connecting.

Sram, Senior Edificer

A natural downside to decks relying on Aura and Equipment is they can run out of steam if the creature they get put onto gets removed and leaves you with nothing left in your hand. Sram, Senior Edificer is a way to counteract that downside, making it so the Aura or Equipment you cast replaces itself in the hand.

Since Sram triggers on the casting of the spell, even if that spell is countered, you still get to draw your card. Sram is great for making sure you will always have action to do on your turn, and is a solid choice to stack your protective Auras and Equipment onto so you won't lose the effect.

Codsworth, Handy Helper

Codsworth, Handy Helper does a whole lot for just three mana. It's a mana dork for two white mana, which, while only usable on Auras and Equipment, make up a quarter of your deck. It also lets you move Aura and Equipment for free by tapping it, helping you to get around big equip costs.

As if all this wasn't good enough, it also gives your commander ward. This is layered on top of Arna's own ward, meaning if anyone wants to target it with Codsworth on the field, they'll have to discard a card and pay two mana for it to not be countered.

Nettlecyst

Nettlecyst is one of the best Equipment permanents you can copy with Arna Kennerüd's ability. Every time it enters the battlefield, you get a Germ token on top of a copy of Nettlecyst. Since it grows the stats equal to the total number of artifacts and enchantments you control, once one hits the battlefield, it'll keep multiplying.

If not checked early, if Arna Kennerüd is on the battlefield, Nettlecyst copies will snowball out of control. Even if you don't want to use the Germ token, you can move Nettlecyst to a more evasive attacker to continue to make copies of it.

Nettlecyst is good on its own, so long as you have multiple artifacts and enchantments on the battlefield already. For three mana, you can have a very threatening creature late in the game when you already have an established battlefield.

Zur The Enchanter

Tutoring is an amazing effect, and Zur the Enchanter lets you bring out any enchantment with three or less mana value and put it on the battlefield directly. For Auras, once they enter you get to choose where you want to enchant it to.

This triggers off of Zur attacking, so you can bring out the best Auras from your deck to enchant Zur before it can ever be blocked. If Arna Kennerüd is on the battlefield, you can bring out whatever Aura you want to start copying and begin growing Zur to massive stats.

Halvar, God Of Battle

Halvar, God of Battle, while double-sided, you only want to be casting on the front side. The backside Sword of the Realms is just an Equipment that gives +2/+0 and vigilance and returns the equipped creature to the hand when it dies. However, Halvar, God of Battle turns all your modified creatures into double strikers.

Double strike is important since it deals combat damage twice. This means you get two Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain triggers in combat instead of just one, giving you two token copies of the permanent attached to the creature.

Since you are giving so many stat boosts, the double strike comes up quite a bit when it comes to dealing lethal amounts of damage. With the right selection of modified creatures, it's possible to win the game in one combat step with Halvar on the battlefield.

How To Play The Deck

The deck is all about deciding what Auras will go best on what creatures while constantly creating token copies of them with Arna Kennerüd's ability. The Equipment copies don't matter as much, as you can move those how to please, however, Auras will be stuck to that creature (baring moving it with a cards like Codsworth, Handy Helper).

You don't want to focus too heavily on one creature, and want to be spreading your Auras and Equipment out evenly. The stronger creatures like Archon of Sun's Grave, Zur the Enchanter, and Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain itself are the ones you want to ensure are protected so you don't lose them to removal or combat.

The best option for Auras when choosing what creature to put them on are ones that you know can get in for damage. This guarantees an Arna Kennerüd trigger, and is especially important for those that draw cards when they enter the battlefield to give you more action in your hand.

The deck wins through combat, dwindling down your opponents' life totals with powerful attackers and holding up defense with blockers. With how many solid Auras and Equipment there are to copy, you'll often always have a battlefield of creatures ready to block whatever your opponent has for you.

The downside to the deck is that the Auras can be hard to return to the battlefield if they ever wind up in the graveyard. The Equipment selection is harder to remove since if the creature dies, they simply go back to being on the battlefield. You do have access to counterspells to hold off board wipes, as there aren't many other ways to protect your battlefield from those.

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