Hello all and happiest of days to you all! Today I wanted to head back to my Extreme Theme Flavor-Commander brews I did a couple of years ago. This started with a real-life deck set in Dominaria called "The Arboretum" which needed to meet the flavor of the plane. Everything needed to sound and feel like the theme proper, from lands to the leader and more. For example, in real life Arboretums we'll often have Mazes and Labyrinths to walk, so we had those here too. I also did "The Aviary" the Aquarium and the Menagerie all real life places that could be visited. For example, I had things there like Warthog and Wall of Blossoms from other planes Rath but was flavor neutral. And then no Sol Ring or other stuff. Make sense?

So, who is my Ruling Commander? I have a few options! I could do Kenrith and then make it their plane and the good thing is that would be a Five Color Brew for you and then Linden! That's nice, and without question I could all five of the Castle Lands there too. Then I can do Darien in Dominaria, or King Darien XLVII. Aragorn in Middle Earth and Harald too. Or Varina as a Queen, Tasha, by adding Black I can have Royal Assassin. Queen Marchesa gives us the Monarchy too in Mardu in Fiora. Her in Fiora, Kenrith in Eldraine or King Darien in Dominaria. Kenrith. That's a more limited pool of cards just in his Plane of Existence or cards that work thematically like Command Tower that works in a Castle.

We also will have cards for court like and Admin of the Area, Court Life and Politics, Monarchy Stuff, and then the Defenses of the Castle like Walls, Ramparts, the spell Castle, and Knights and Soldiers and more.

The Castle enchantment is good here since it'll increase defense by two of all untapped dorks, so that's people trying to grab our Monarch back on higher defense stuff already.

Enter the Castle!

And now lands and such that meet my theme. All five Castles are here, and that Black one I rarely run is here too. It often arrives untapped, taps for Black and then with three and then draw and lose our hand in life. Also, since they exist in Castles, I tossed in War Room, although that's a five-life hit. Then the Tower above can tap for colorless and then with one to pull off hexproof off opposing stuff which seems great to skate.

The colorless Rare Tower of the Magistrate can tap with one to make our dork pro artifact to help out, and then has a great name and art too. Then that four-drop Monarch giving thing Court of Bounty is here to draw, and then in our upkeep we drop a land ramped! If we've got the Monarchy we can drop a dork.

Next up are two Green sorceries that can get basics or Gates too. I like the idea of Gates here but they all either in Ravnica like Dimir Guildgate or Baldur's Gate stuff too. Open the Gates perfectly works from name to art, and then Circuitous Route will dump two basics with great art too but the name is just okay. We can run Arcane Signet here since a Signet Ring works for rulers, but not Cultivate or Rampant Growth, these need to feel right in a castle.

Ditto this pair, every castle has an escape route in case of Siege, enter the fetchland or make a small dork unblockable one first. Then Rogue's know about that and have a backdoor entrance for getting it contraband or such with the major win-con there.

Castles need Torches and Lanterns on the Walls, enter Chromatic Lantern that lets our lands tap for all colors. Then I tossed in some Mana Walls like the two-drop 0/3 Defender hexproof Sylvan Caryatid that taps for one mana of any color and then the two-drop 0/4 Overgrown Battlement that taps for a Green for each of our defenders. I pulled Regal Behemoth out late, but you could toss in Vine Trellis here too.

Synergies and Win-Cons

And now good synergies and win-cons that meet my theme. Castles have Portcullises, so I put it in, and this sends any dork that arrives after two or more on the battlefield into the exile zone, but they arrive first, so you can double get ETB abilities for Mulldrifter and such, after it leaves. It's very cheap. Then that two-drop 0/4 defender artifact Wall can be tapped with no mana to give the team haste this turn, not bad and note it's a drawbridge! I tossed in all of the Courts too, like Court of Embereth.

I was looking up Gargoyles to add to the deck like Granite and such and saw the 3/4 flyer Wakestone Gargoyle that can spend two mana to make our defenders attack this turn, and then tossed in Tower Gargoyle too. Then Reveille Squad has a great name and art is next, and when it's untapped and people swing our way we can untap our creatures - great with Castle stuff too and then to swing out too each turn.

The best Limited common in Weatherlight was either the common Aura that increases its dorks size by our hand count or the Heavy Ballista, that's here. Then the XW tapping one above taps and Blazes down attackers to kill them or blockers too so swing into them. Then that six-drop Rowan with four loyalty is here to +2 and make folks swing or -2 and Bolt all of their tapped dorks, either works here, although they may attack you with your high toughness stuff to steal the Monarchy just to spite us, although usually they'll head elsewhere. I also tossed in her Sparkmage version too.

And now two artillery pieces from his Eldraine sets, each costing three mana and on a defender artifact dork common body and each tapping for a mana to each foe. Unruly Catapult has a nice sized 0/4 and then untaps as we cast instants or sorceries - few here. Then Brimstone Trebuchet has a smaller 1/3 body and then untaps for when a Knight arrives. I have very few, but we could add Circle of Loyalty here. I could toss in Syr Alin or Carah here.

And now a literal win-con is here next with that three-drop enchantment! When it enters, we can gain 5 life and draw too! Then we can win in our upkeep with at least five colors and six types of permanents and that's graveyard too plus a higher life total. Then that four-cost sorcery will make every one else get goaded to swing at each other - great for Rowan above. I also tossed in Bribery since I'm sure that happens behind the scenes in all Castles, right? And we get their best dork onto our battlefield free from their library.

Next are these two lovely early Soldier and Defenders since I tossed in Catapult Squad to use them. Perimeter Captain will turn our defender blockers into two life for us - great with Rowan out. And then that two-drop common 0/3 Stalwart Shield-Bearers will pump other defenders toughness by two as well. It must be here, right? Right!

The very first card I thought of when building a castle was a Bodyguard to suck up that damage and protect us too when we sleep and such. The obvious place was Veteran Bodyguard and since it only costs a few bucks even on reserve I grabbed him. He'll take all combat damage that would be dealt to us if untapped. With Castle and the next card that could be tons of damage each turn. Then I felt the six-drop 2/5 one above that gives us the Monarchy and takes damage weather or not untapped but as long as we are the Monarch here. Note that's not combat damage there but any.

There was another Castle made called Builder's Blessing that also just four-drop with a name and art that work here too. Then I tossed in the three-drop Palace Guard that can block any number of dorks that get through, and with Castle and the other one that might keep them alive, and if not, we can easily keep the Monarchy for Courts and such.

I have two spots left, do I toss in High Alert and Tower Defense? That Alert does let me attack with defenders and do damage equal to toughness too. And it's certainly flavored here too. Tower Defense instantly raised my defense by +0/+5 and reach too for a nice defense. But that High Alert that can also untap our dorks for four mana each time sorta moves us to a Flavor Build by making this a better deck although the card does work too flavorfully. I do it and add both.

Answers

And now are answers. That four-drop Red Court in our upkeep Shocks something unless we are the ruler and then it's a nasty seven damage. Then that four-drop 2/2 arrives with us becoming the Monarch and then exiles an opposing dork for a while until they become it. That can at times be a tempting high offer, but it's worth it though, to my mind.

Forbid is a counter with a name that works for a Court. Then Royal Assassin costs three and I mentioned it above. It works with Rowan or the Goading too, or to keep the Monarchy since folks that swing will lose since at least one should be tapped. I could toss in King's Assassin too. Then that three-cost counter for dorks and planeswalkers is named Bar the Gate and is a flavor hit to stop someone's swinging at you since Castles have Gates. But that venturing into a dungeon is weird. But you cannot deny the concept. For pinpoint removal, Generous Gift is something a ruler would do in a Castle, Stroke of Midnight works with the Midnight Clock here and then Swords to Plowshares is actually something that suits the concept and story here totally.

And now let's finish with this duo of mass removal. The six-cost one makes everyone choose

either to have each foe get Edicted or discarded for each one chosen. I also have the four-cost uncounterable sweeper and again, both of those are in strong places for words and such.

Card Draw

And now non-Monarch related card draw! The three-drop Izzet planeswalker duo with a nasty high 5 loyalty is first. You can +1 them to draw and discard. Or +1 to pump a dork's power by +2 and trample and first strike too. Then that six-drop Kenrith lad has 4 loyalty for a +2 to make two dorks 0/3 size and lose all abilities for a round of turns - great on Commanders. Then he can -2 to draw two and reduce our planeswalker and spell count for a round.

That Black enchantment Court of Locthwain in our upkeep exiles the top card of a foe's library and we can cast it with any color of mana as long as it's exiled. With the Monarchy it's free. Then that nasty four-drop rock Tower of Fortunes taps with eight to draw us four. Then that three-drop Temple Bell taps for no mana for everyone to draw a card, not just you, sorry. Not bad though.

Next up are these Defenders that draw. The three-drop 2/5 Spirit does so on arrival. Then the first-turn dropping 0/3 Plant Wall can tap and sac a defender for a card - not bad, right? I congree!

And now let's turn to my deck!

Extreme Theme: The Castle in Eldraine | Commander | Abe Sargent

• Commander (1)
• 1 Kenrith, the Returned King

• Creatures (24)
• 1 Ballista Squad
• 1 Brimstone Trebuchet
• 1 Carven Caryatid
• 1 Catapult Squad
• 1 Corrupt Court Official
• 1 Crashing Drawbridge
• 1 Heavy Ballista
• 1 Fortified Ramparts
• 1 Linden, the Steadfast Queen
• 1 Overgrown Battlement
• 1 Palace Guard
• 1 Palace Jailer
• 1 Portcullis Vine
• 1 Perimeter Captain
• 1 Protector of the Crown
• 1 Reveille Squad
• 1 Royal Assassin
• 1 Stalwart Shield-Bearers
• 1 Sylvan Caryatid
• 1 Tower Gargoyle
• 1 Unruly Catapult
• 1 Veteran Bodyguard
• 1 Village Bell-Ringer
• 1 Wakestone Gargoyle

• Planeswalkers (4)
• 1 The Royal Scions
• 1 Rowan, Fearless Sparkmage
• 1 Rowan Kenrith
• 1 Will Kenrith

• Spells (12)
• 1 Bar the Gate
• 1 Bribery
• 1 Capital Punishment
• 1 Circuitous Route
• 1 Disrupt Decorum
• 1 Forbid
• 1 Generous Gift
• 1 Open the Gates
• 1 Stroke of Midnight
• 1 Supreme Victory
• 1 Swords to Plowshares
• 1 Tower Defense

• Enchantments (15)
• 1 Builder's Blessing
• 1 Castle
• 1 Court of Ambition
• 1 Court of Ardenvale
• 1 Court of Bounty
• 1 Court of Cunning
• 1 Court of Embereth
• 1 Court of Garenbrig
• 1 Court of Grace
• 1 Court of Ire
• 1 Court of Locthwain
• 1 Court of Vantress
• 1 Fall from Favor
• 1 Happily Ever After
• 1 High Alert

• Artifacts (7)
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Chromatic Lantern
• 1 Heraldic Banner
• 1 Midnight Clock
• 1 Portcullis
• 1 Temple Bell
• 1 Tower of Fortunes

• Lands (37)
• 1 Castle Ardenvale
• 1 Castle Embereth
• 1 Castle Garenbrig
• 1 Castle Locthwain
• 1 Castle Vantress
• 1 Concealed Courtyard
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Detection Tower
• 1 Escape Tunnel
• 1 Fabled Passage
• 1 Forbidding Watchtower
• 1 Gargoyle Castle
• 1 Hallowed Fountain
• 1 Isolated Watchtower
• 1 Opal Palace
• 1 Opulent Palace
• 1 Reliquary Tower
• 1 Rogue's Passage
• 1 Skybridge Towers
• 1 Tournament Grounds
• 1 Tower of the Magistrate
• 1 War Room
• 3 Forest
• 3 Island
• 3 Mountain
• 3 Plains
• 3 Swamp

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I really like Raffine's Tower but does it work in Eldraine? Probably not due to the plane it's on. Obviously one card that would work is Moat but too pricey. Would Elfhame Palace work? Gilt-Leaf Palace too. Dovin's Veto would work if not with his name first. No Walking Ballista either even though the name works there. If Stone Catapult were cheap it'd be here too. There are tons of great directions we could head too. Do you like this deck and concept tons? What would be your choices? Let me know!