Breena, the Demagogue
Hey everyone! Though it's been a while, I'm back today with another top-15 commander list. This time we're building Commander 2021's Breena, the Demagogue. This eloquent warlock serves as a solid political piece, card-draw engine, and beater, able to both keep you stocked for the long game and threaten commander damage.
My own take on this commander in particular started as an aggro deck helmed by Baldur's Gate's Lae'zel; after some playtesting, I eventually found that Breena can lead the same strategy with much greater reliability. In particular, I've had many games where opponents who haven't played with her before underestimate just how big she can become when they take her deal. Today we're going to look at 15 of my favorite cards to run with her, though the numbered list is entirely arbitrary: each of these is as good as another in the appropriate circumstances.
#1: Fetid Gargantua 4B, 4/4 Horror. "2B: Adapt 2 (If it had no +1 counters, give it two +1 counters.)" and "Whenever one or more +1 counters are put on it, you may draw 2 cards and lose 2 life." Modern Horizons 3 brought a number of high-power commons and uncommons to Magic, and Fetid Gargantua is an underrated but equally-powerful one. Though often overshadowed by it's green kin Evolutionary Witness, the Gargantua offers another strong benefit using the same method. Every time it gets one or more counters, you have the option of drawing two cards. (The life loss is irrelevant.) With Breena alone on board, if you can trigger her ability this sleeper common can immediately draw you three additional cards during combat (one for Breena's ability and two for itself.) Once you put other cards on board that distribute counters, it can draw you far more cards, and if an opponent chooses to trigger Breena to draw for themselves you have the option of drawing two additional cards by putting counters on the Gargantua.
#2: Elite Scaleguard 4W, 2/3 Human Soldier. "When it enters the battlefield, put two +1 counters on a creature you control with the least toughness." and "Whenever a creature you control with a +1 counter attacks, tap target creature defending player controls." This uncommon from Tarkir block lives again in Breena. While it's effect on an empty board is minimal, it offers you the ability to tap down creatures before they can be declared as blockers. Though a simple effect, it can be a devastating way to force damage through.
#3: Felidar Retreat 3W, Enchantment. "Whenever a land enters under your control, choose one: Create a 2/2 creature token, or put a +1 counter on each of your creatures and give them vigilance this turn. Felidar Retreat performed well for a while after its release in Zendikar Rising, but has largely been forgotten in favor of newer, more versatile cards (notably, cards that don't require either a tokens deck or a counters deck to function.) In Breena, however, the second option for its landfall ability provides immense utility: For every land drop, you can buff your entire board (potentially even triggering the ability on Fetid Gargantua, seen earlier on this list.) As an added bonus, vigilance will allow you to swing with impunity, keeping blockers available while getting your Breena triggers.
#4: Together Forever WW, Enchantment. "When it enters, put a +1 counter on each of up to two target creatures." and "1: When target creature with a counter on it dies this turn, return it to its owner's hand." Battlebond was perhaps one of my favorite sets of all time, and this enchantment showcases some of the set's greatest strengths. While Together Forever's first ability really only enables other effects, the latter is immensely valuable. For only a single mana per creature, you can protect it from standard removal, returning it to your hand to recast later. Though I haven't yet had the occasion pop up, you can also use it politically on your opponents' creatures, allowing them to more easily rebuild their boards.
#5: Promise of Loyalty 4W, Sorcery. "Each player puts a vow counter on one of their creatures and sacrifices the rest. Those creatures can't attack you for as long as they have vow counters." Promise of Loyalty (from Strixhaven Commander, like Breena) is perhaps one of my favorite board wipes. Rather than simply destroying the whole board, you let each player choose a creature to keep: unlike other similar effects however, Promise keeps those creatures pointed away from you. This not only allows the political angle of everyone keeping their best creature, you also get to choose a creature to keep. Most often this will be Breena, but many occasions may arise where another creature is overall more relevant to your game plan.
#6: Hagra Constrictor 2B, 0/0 Snake. "It enters with 2 +1 counters." and "Each creature you control with a +1 counter has menace." While you'll likely have many such creatures that benefit your creatures with counters, Hagra Constrictor has two main advantages that set it apart from the rest: It is one of two black cards that interact with your creatures in this way (the other is Mer-Ek Nightblade for deathtouch), and it is the only one that grants menace. On its own it makes blocking choices much more difficult, since Breena will often be huge (and naturally flies), but paired with Elite Scaleguard you can easily use it to make blocking completely impossible.
#7: Sparring Regimen 2W, Enchantment. "When it enters, you may discard a card to draw a card." and "Whenever you attack, put a +1 counter on target attacking creature and untap it." Sparring Regimen is often a silent bomb with Breena. Usually, other players won't even register it as a threat (making it much more likely to both resolve and dodge removal.) Once you start swinging however many change their tune, as the single-target pseudo-vigilance can keep Breena or whatever choice attacker you have also functioning as a reliable blocker. As a small added benefit, rummage-on-entry can help you dig through bad draws into the meat of your deck.
#8: Necropolis Regent 3BBB, 6/5 Vampire. Flying and "Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, put that many +1 counters on it." This is an amazing top-end card for Breena to win games with. As a finisher, a triple-black mana cost is barely enough to blink at in this two-color deck, and it essentially doubles the size of your creatures every time they get through for damage. Breena will usually hit for between 5 and 8 damage before Regent comes into play every turn in most late games; this can easily threaten death to any player foolish enough to ignore it.
#9: Noble Heritage (Honorable Mention: Orzhov Advokist) 1W, Enchantment. "Commander creatures you own have 'When this creature enters or at your upkeep, each player may put two +1 counters on a creature they control. You gain protection from each opponent who does until your next turn.'" (Honorable Mention): 2W, 1/4 Human Advisor. "At your upkeep, each player may put two +1 counters on a creature they control. Players who do can't attack you or your planeswalkers until your next turn." While both of these cards function extremely similarly, Noble Heritage gives you a slightly more powerful effect at a slightly lower mana cost, at the price of requiring Breena to be in play to function. Either protects you from players who take the deal for a turn, and you can do the effect at no penalty regardless of whether they do.
#10: Lethal Scheme (Honorable Mention: Closing Statement) 2BB, Instant. "Convoke (You can tap creatures to pay for this spell, counting each creature as either 1 generic mana or 1 mana of that creature's color.)" and "Destroy target creature. Each creature that convoked this connives. (For each of those creatures, draw then discard. Put a +1 counter on that creature if you discarded a nonland card." (Honorable Mention): 3WB, Instant. "It costs 2 less to cast during your end step." and "Destroy target creature or planeswalker, then put a +1 counter on up to one target creature you don't control." These cards both give you a strong benefit, even at their high cost: instant-speed removal that can also put counters on your creatures. Lethal Scheme is the better of the two, being able to convoke it and potentially throwing more counters around, but Closing Statement can easily be only 3 mana and hit planeswalkers as well.
#11: Citadel Siege 2WW, Enchantment. "As it enters, choose Khans or Dragons. As Khans, when you go to combat put two +1 counters on a creature you control. As Dragons, when an opponent goes to combat tap one of their creatures." I've always liked Fate Reforged's Siege cycle of enchantments, which in turn had a later pseudo-addition in the original Modern Horizons. Most important of them to this deck is Citadel Siege. Either mode can function well in the right situation, though for Breena I usually choose Khans. As with your other counter-distributing functions, Citadel Siege is just a reliable part of a hard-hitting engine, one made all the better for its presence.
#12: Mikaeus, the Lunarch XW, 0/0 Human Cleric. "It enters with X +1 counters", "Tap: Put a +1 counter on it", and "Tap, Remove a +1 counter from it: Put a +1 counter on each of your other creatures." Mikaeus gets more flexibility in Breena than most decks, many of which gladly run him regardless. Breena, however, can make his final ability only upside, as the deck has plenty of ways to replace those counters. With even a two-mana investment you can play Mikaeus as a 1/1, attack with anything to give him two counters, then shrink him down to buff your board. Each turn you can repeat this, quickly growing everything else to threatening proportions.
#13: Guardian Scalelord 4W, 3/4 Dragon. "Backup 1 (When it enters, put a +1 counter on a creature. If that creature isn't itself, that creature gets its non-backup abilities until end of turn", "Flying", and "Whenever this creature attacks, return target nonland permanent card that costs less than or equal to its power from your graveyard to play." While Guardian Scalelord's flying is redundant on Breena, it does offer consistent recursion for some of your best permanents. Though affected by summoning sickness like most other creatures, the Scalelord's backup ability can grant this recursion to another creature for a turn, giving you additional use even if the dragon never survives long enough to attack.
#14: Cauldron of Souls 5, Artifact. "Tap: Any number of target creatures gain persist until end of turn (When they die, if they had no -1 counters, they come back with a -1 counter.)" Cauldron of Souls has seen extensive commander use for years in any number of decks. With Breena, however, you have easy means to put +1 counters on your creatures, dispelling the -1 counters from Cauldron. At worst this will make Breena much harder to remove, since she can usually guarantee counters on herself (or another choice creature), but late game this can keep most of your board alive even through wraths every round.
#15: Carmen, Cruel Skymarcher 3WB, 2/2 Vampire Soldier. "Flying", "Whenever anybody sacrifices a permanent, you gain 1 life and put a +1 counter on her", and "Whenever she attacks, put up to one target permanent that costs less than or equal to her power from your graveyard into play." One of the alternate commanders for the somewhat-recent Ixalan Commander decks, Carmen is usually seen in heavy aristocrats and treasure-synergy decks. While we won't be using this aspect of her in Breena, she still flies. As an added bonus, Breena can easily buff her such that she can grab bigger things from your bin every turn.
While the newest of my pet decks, Breena has quickly earned her place. She's powerful, aggressive, and most of all fun, offering both individual strength and political power to colors which can often struggle to branch out from generic aristocrats strategies. Though she falls apart quickly when the game comes down to 1v1, you'll have a blast up until then, and with enough momentum you may yet claim victory. Win or lose, I hope to see you all on the battlefield.
