MTG Ixalan Commander Decklist: Explorers of the Deep

Delve deep into Ixalan’s core and explore along with the plane’s Merfolk with this new MTG Commander deck: Explorers of the Deep.

Where The Lost Caverns of Ixalan’s main set primarily covers the expedition to the core of the world, The Lost Caverns’ Commander decks put the focus on the plane’s main factions and their typal synergy. The Merfolk higlhighted in Explorers of the Deep head into the Lost Caverns in search of a new home, following the devastation caused by the Phyrexian multiversal invasion.

We’ll walk you through the Explorers of the Deep Commander deck and help you decide if this is the Ixalan faction for you.

MTG Lost Caverns of Ixalan: Explorers of the Deep strategy

Explorers of the Deep’s creatures may seem a little underpowered at first, but they work in concert to boost themselves to huge levels of power. With blanket +1/+1s for Merfolk from cards like Merfolk Sovereign and Sage of Fables, you’ll soon assemble a force to be reckoned with.

The deck’s land ramp options are backed up by staples like Cultivate and powerful, cheap boosts like Explore, setting your mana production ahead by leaps and bounds.

One of the deck’s absolute best includes is Branching Evolution, a pricey reprint that handily doubles the rate of your counter production. Incremental boosts to your Merfolk suddenly become huge leaps in power, with other players at the table struggle to match up to your assembled forces.

MTG Lost Caverns of Ixalan: Explorers of the Deep Commander

Explorers of the Deep’s Commander is Hakbal of the Surging Soul. An exceptional value Commander, Hakbal can set you so far ahead in terms of land ramp that your opponents will be left at the shallow end of the mana pool.

Hakbal pays off your Merfolk typal strategy but granting every Merfolk Explore at the beginning of combat. With enough Merfolk on the field you can churn through your deck, add additional+1/+1 counters, play additional land or draw. Hakbal allows you to both out-resource and overpower your opponents with ease, building up to a winning play in a scant few turns.

The deck’s alt Commander is Xolatoyec, the Smiling Flood. Xolatoyec introduces support for a rarely used Counter in MTG, Flood Counters. Through applying Flood Counters on ETB or attack, Xolatoyec can also convert opponents’ lands into islands, allowing you free direct damage if you splash in any islandwalk cards.Xolatoyec’s main function is untapping any of your cards with counters on at the end of turn, effectively providing most of your merfolk with vigilance and untapping any lands bestowed with Flood Counters, freeing up mana for counterspells and reaction-based play.

MTG Lost Caverns of Ixalan Explorers of the Deep Decklist 

Here’s the full decklist for the Explorers of the Deep Commander deck from Creatures to Lands: 

Creature: 29 Cards

1 Benthic Biomancer1 Coralhelm Commander1 Emperor Mihail II1 Herald of Secret Streams1 Kopala, Warden of Waves1 Master of the Pearl Trident1 Merfolk Sovereign1 Seafloor Oracle1 Surgespanner1 Svyelun of Sea and Sky1 Thassa, God of the Sea1 Thieving Skydiver1 Deeproot Elite1 Realmwalker1 Cold-Eyed Selkie1 Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca1 Prime Speaker Zegana1 Tishana, Voice of Thunder1 Vorel of the Hull Clade1 Zegana, Utopian Speaker1 Metallic Mimic1 Merrow Reejerey1 Sage of Fables1 Stonybrook Banneret1 Evolution Sage1 Kiora’s Follower1 Merfolk Mistbinder1 Merfolk Skydiver1 Tatyova, Benthic Druid

Sorcery: 4 Cards

1 Curse of the Swine1 Ravenform1 Explore1 Kodama’s Reach

Instant: 7 Cards

1 Ruinous Intrusion1 Quandrix Command1 Aetherize1 Rapid Hybridization1 Beast Within1 Inspiring Call1 Growth Spiral

Artifact: 5 cards

1 Arcane Signet1 Commander’s Sphere1 Simic Signet1 Sol Ring1 Swiftfoot Boots

Enchantment: 6 Cards

1 Kindred Discovery1 Reflections of Littjara1 Branching Evolution1 Hardened Scales1 Simic Ascendancy1 Deeproot Waters

Land: 36 Cards

1 Alchemist’s Refuge1 Hinterland Harbor1 Karn’s Bastion1 Mosswort Bridge1 Temple of Mystery1 Vineglimmer Snarl1 Command Tower1 Llanowar Reborn1 Myriad Landscape1 Path of Ancestry1 Reliquary Tower1 Rogue’s Passage1 Secluded Courtyard1 Simic Growth Chamber1 Temple of the False God1 Unclaimed Territory7 Forest13 Island

New: 13 cards

1 Hakbal of the Surging Soul1 Xolatoyac, the Smiling Flood1 Mist Dancer1 Ripples of Potential1 Wave Goodbye1 Bygone Marvels1 Deeproot Historian1 Topography Tracker1 Tributary Instructor1 Singer of Swift Rivers1 Commit /// Memory1 Merfolk Cave-Diver1 Nicanzil, Current Conductor

Simic colors deploying +1/+1 counters are among MTG’s most reliably well-performing archetypes. Merfolk saw an excellent showing in MTG’s first trip to Ixalan, and that lucky streak is set to continue in The Lost Caverns.