Mila, Crafty Companion // Lukka, Wayward Bonder
I like the aspect of Mila (and in general) discouraging people from attacking you, while at the same time has the most "taunt" out of all colors. If each opponent attacks you once, you get three extra loyalty counters on each of your PW, and opponents might not even succeed in hurting your PW. I'm not a fan of Lukka and he seems to have a deck style of his own differs from MIla, though I'm hoping to find a way to use his abilities in a Mila-centric deck.
How would people approach Mila? PW + defense is the obvious choice, though what would one's sub-theme be? Proliferate, for one, goes with Saga and many artifacts. There's also blink that'd go well with PWs and other fashionable white creatures. As a fan of red theft cards, Stolen Strategy and its ilk also fancies me alongside PW strategy.
Mila, what's your take?
I think there's only really PW Defense mode with Mila. I suspect she'll just get targeted removal before people swing in on your walkers, which is nice from her boilerplate second ability. You're probably spot on with Sagas.
You could probably also do well with stuff like Felidar Retreat, Ajani Goldmane, Mikaeus, the Lunarch where you seed a counter on each of your creatures in some go-wide strategy. That way if they leverage any targeted removal, it arguably makes the situation worse. If they wipe (and that wipe doesn't include planeswalkers), then you've got some walkers on an empty board. My own personal findings are that walkers seem to be best when you have a wide board to defend them (honourable mention to Archetype of Aggression who makes chump blocking better/easier).
The Lukka side is okay; generic draw, or a Shallow Grave which plays well with red's looting effects. I doubt you'll get to Warstorm Surge with him (especially with Mila not being in play when you have Lukka). Still, if you don't have any Mila synergy on the table but you already have a defensible board, it might be worth it to play your general as Lukka to get some draw/shallow graves in.
I do like the front half on it. I can definitely say you'll get some 'milage' out of it 8-D
You could probably also do well with stuff like Felidar Retreat, Ajani Goldmane, Mikaeus, the Lunarch where you seed a counter on each of your creatures in some go-wide strategy. That way if they leverage any targeted removal, it arguably makes the situation worse. If they wipe (and that wipe doesn't include planeswalkers), then you've got some walkers on an empty board. My own personal findings are that walkers seem to be best when you have a wide board to defend them (honourable mention to Archetype of Aggression who makes chump blocking better/easier).
The Lukka side is okay; generic draw, or a Shallow Grave which plays well with red's looting effects. I doubt you'll get to Warstorm Surge with him (especially with Mila not being in play when you have Lukka). Still, if you don't have any Mila synergy on the table but you already have a defensible board, it might be worth it to play your general as Lukka to get some draw/shallow graves in.
I do like the front half on it. I can definitely say you'll get some 'milage' out of it 8-D
I think Mila is really at her best going to be defending walkers. If you play walkers, people will be forced to attack them or try to remove her, either way it's a good thing for you mostly.
I would play tons of spot removal defense for Mila vs. forcing attacks. Things like Ephemerate and Brave the Elements type stuff. There're a ton of good ones in various Feather lists, but things are going to play super dividends in Mila since people will want to remove her before attacking.
Ideally try to play things that beat all brands of targeted removal, so protection or hexproof, but the free convoke indestructible spell is good.
I'd prob look to play a lot of Blasphemous Act and Chain Reaction type sweepers since you can use your defense spells to protect Mila through them in a pinch (although you should look to sweep the board then deploy walkers while shields are down then deploy mila, mostly?).
I'd probably play a handful of creatures I am happy to sacrifice to the greater good like Wall of Omens and Knight of the White Orchid?
Dunno though. that's just my first instinct.
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The lukka side I think is just too expensive and narrow to build around--feels like mostly a worse Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded that can play a handful of white cards
(which, to be fair, recurring stuff like Reveillark every turn and then sac'ing it can get out of hand pretty fast).
Purph just has so much upside compared to Lukka as that dropping huge fatties role -- doesn't die to graveyard hate, instant speed, multiple activations, doesn't need a turn to set up or a discard outlet, etc etc
I would play tons of spot removal defense for Mila vs. forcing attacks. Things like Ephemerate and Brave the Elements type stuff. There're a ton of good ones in various Feather lists, but things are going to play super dividends in Mila since people will want to remove her before attacking.
Ideally try to play things that beat all brands of targeted removal, so protection or hexproof, but the free convoke indestructible spell is good.
I'd prob look to play a lot of Blasphemous Act and Chain Reaction type sweepers since you can use your defense spells to protect Mila through them in a pinch (although you should look to sweep the board then deploy walkers while shields are down then deploy mila, mostly?).
I'd probably play a handful of creatures I am happy to sacrifice to the greater good like Wall of Omens and Knight of the White Orchid?
Dunno though. that's just my first instinct.
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The lukka side I think is just too expensive and narrow to build around--feels like mostly a worse Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded that can play a handful of white cards
(which, to be fair, recurring stuff like Reveillark every turn and then sac'ing it can get out of hand pretty fast).Purph just has so much upside compared to Lukka as that dropping huge fatties role -- doesn't die to graveyard hate, instant speed, multiple activations, doesn't need a turn to set up or a discard outlet, etc etc
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darrenhabib
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If you built a deck that concentrated around Lukka more then it's a reanimation deck. The problem being that you have to sac at end of turn.
This is where I'd use flicker effects to retain them permanently; Cloudshift, Ephemerate, Justiciar's Portal, Liberate, Long Road Home, Otherworldly Journey, Flicker of Fate, Eerie Interlude, Ghostway, Semester's End.
Feather, the Redeemed and Mavinda, Students' Advocate really support this idea.
Getting Lukka emblem is very feasible if you support the idea. Then these flicker effects are just removal as well.
Fervent Mastery becomes the Buried Alive for the deck, while Gamble is the Entomb for the reanimation strategy.
Sundial of the Infinite also helps to retain your reanimation targets.
You can use a copy card like Twinflame to copy Mila, to let the original go back to the commander zone. Now you can cast Lukka and use Sundial to keep the copy of Mila to have both in play at the same time.
This is where I'd use flicker effects to retain them permanently; Cloudshift, Ephemerate, Justiciar's Portal, Liberate, Long Road Home, Otherworldly Journey, Flicker of Fate, Eerie Interlude, Ghostway, Semester's End.
Feather, the Redeemed and Mavinda, Students' Advocate really support this idea.
Getting Lukka emblem is very feasible if you support the idea. Then these flicker effects are just removal as well.
Fervent Mastery becomes the Buried Alive for the deck, while Gamble is the Entomb for the reanimation strategy.
Sundial of the Infinite also helps to retain your reanimation targets.
You can use a copy card like Twinflame to copy Mila, to let the original go back to the commander zone. Now you can cast Lukka and use Sundial to keep the copy of Mila to have both in play at the same time.
Zacama
Seems like it wants to be a goad, fog, superfriends thing but goad as a ability is limited to only certain cards and realistically hard to accomplish in commander. Even a more wide open format like modern or standard is going to have a tough time getting the first ability to work consistently. Second one is a bit more doable for other formats, but in commander you dont apply alot of single target removal unless you can repeat it.
Thx for all the suggestions!
The Wanderer comes to mind in terms of damage prevention, and Gideon(s) are the tank galore. My Nahiri, the Lithomancer deck used to run small, efficient white creatures with Voltron aggro and defense that consistently ult her, perhaps this is a direction I can again approach: A Lorehold style super friend.pokken wrote: ↑3 years agoI think Mila is really at her best going to be defending walkers. If you play walkers, people will be forced to attack them or try to remove her, either way it's a good thing for you mostly.
I would play tons of spot removal defense for Mila vs. forcing attacks. Things like Ephemerate and Brave the Elements type stuff. There're a ton of good ones in various Feather lists, but things are going to play super dividends in Mila since people will want to remove her before attacking.
Ideally try to play things that beat all brands of targeted removal, so protection or hexproof, but the free convoke indestructible spell is good.
I'd prob look to play a lot of Blasphemous Act and Chain Reaction type sweepers since you can use your defense spells to protect Mila through them in a pinch (although you should look to sweep the board then deploy walkers while shields are down then deploy mila, mostly?).
I'd probably play a handful of creatures I am happy to sacrifice to the greater good like Wall of Omens and Knight of the White Orchid?
Dunno though. that's just my first instinct.
