MTG Ixalan Commander Decklist: Ahoy Mateys

Swing into battle with MTG The Lost Caverns of Ixalan’s new pirate Commander deck, and you’ll soon have all the gold and glory you could wish for.

Pirates have long been a creature type in need of a little more love in MTG. While many players would be happy to build a deck with a simple, engaging pirate theme, the creature type has lacked cohesion and internal synergy.

The previous top pirate Commander – Admiral Beckett Brass – has seen something of a glow-up on MTG’s The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, returning in a new card with a power boost to boot. Take a look and see how pirates have improved in MTG with this brand-new deck.

MTG Lost Caverns of Ixalan: Ahoy Mateys strategy

Ahoy Mateys deploys something of a grab-bag of effects revolving loosely around boosting your Pirate creatures and amassing resources.

Card draw and treasure tokens are both plentiful here, in part thanks to Black Market Connections, a highly sought-after reprint. Through this, you’ll reliably have access to your best options, as well as the resources needed to cast them. The indomitable in particular is a hugely powerful draw-enabler, providing an incentive to attack wherever possible

The Grim Captain’s Locker can lead to an unexpected comeback in the late-game, unearthing as many creatures as you can afford to pay for. Recursion may not have previously been a pirate strong suit, but it’s a reliable part of the Ahoy Mateys toolkit.

MTG The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Ahoy Mateys Commander

Admiral Brass, Unsinkable leads her Brazen Coalition deep below Ixalan’s surface and provides a reliable core to the Ahoy Mateys deck. Admiral Brass provides a strong foundation of recursion for the deck, ensuring that your pirates get another shot at swinging after hitting the grave. Re-using your best ETB and on-attack triggers should be the aim here, but the extra damage every turn is an excellent boost all the same.

The Ahoy Mateys deck’s alt Commander is Don Andres, the Renegade. Befitting the deck’s focus on Piracy, Don Andres provides boosts to any creatures you control but don’t own. Stealing and controlling your opponents’ creatures to boost your own ranks is hugely benefitted by Don Andres granting them menace and deathtouch, practically guaranteeing their attacks will land for as long as you control them.

Additionally, Don Andres generates treasure tokens when casting stolen noncreature spells, setting you ahead in terms of resources with a strongly thematic ability. While his effects may not be as reliable as Admiral Brass’, their payoff is arguably more exciting, and well worth building a deck around fully.

Creature: 30 Cards

1 Amphin Mutineer1 Corsair Captain1 Timestream Navigator1 Warkite Marauder1 Dire Fleet Ravager1 Fathom Fleet Captain1 Angrath’s Marauders1 Captain Lannery Storm1 Captivating Crew1 Coercive Recruiter1 Dire Fleet Daredevil1 Kari Zev, Skyship Raider1 Port Razer1 Admiral Beckett Brass1 Hostage Taker1 Zara, Renegade Recruiter1 Azure Fleet Admiral1 Daring Saboteur1 Departed Deckhand1 Ghost of Ramirez DePietro1 Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator1 Merchant Raiders1 Siren Stormtamer1 Spectral Sailor1 Pitiless Plunderer1 Breeches, Brazen Plunderer

Artifact: 11 Cards

1 Bident of Thassa1 Icon of Ancestry1 Vanquisher’s Banner1 Arcane Signet1 Commander’s Sphere1 Dimir Signet1 Herald’s Horn1 Izzet Signet1 Rakdos Signet1 Sol Ring1 Wayfarer’s Bauble

Instant: 5 Cards

1 Evacuation1 Lethal Scheme1 Chaos Warp1 Prismari Command1 Rakdos Charm

Sorcery: 6 Cards

1 Blood Money1 Blasphemous Act1 Distant Melody1 Windfall1 Feed the Swarm1 Faithless Looting

Enchantment: 3 Cards

1 Bident of Thassa1 Black Market Connections1 Shared Animosity

Land: 37 Cards

1 Choked Estuary1 Desolate Lighthouse1 Exotic Orchard1 Foreboding Ruins1 Frostboil Snarl1 Geier Reach Sanitarium1 Nephalia Drownyard1 Smoldering Marsh1 Sulfur Falls1 Sunken Hollow1 Command Tower1 Crumbling Necropolis1 Evolving Wilds1 Path of Ancestry1 Port of Karfell1 Rogue’s Passage1 Secluded Courtyard1 Terramorphic Expanse1 Thriving Bluff1 Thriving Isle1 Thriving Moor1 Unclaimed Territory6 Island4 Swamp5 Mountain

New: 13 Cards

1 Admiral Brass, Unsinkable1 Don Andres, the Renegade1 The Indomitable1 Storm Fleet Negotiator1 Francisco, Fowl Marauder1 The Grim Captain’s Locker1 Skeleton Crew1 Broadside Bombardiers1 Gemcutter Buccaneer1 Arm-Mounted Anchor1 King Narfi’s Betrayal1 Enterprising Scallywag1 Ramirez DePietro, Pillager

While it may not be on the overpowered end of The Lost Caverns of Ixalan’s Commander decks, Ahoy Mateys is still a solid pick for anyone looking to add some exciting new options to an under-loved archetype.