Kellan, the Kid Commander Deck Tech | Fae Cursed Prince
Among the rolling tumbleweeds, in Magic: The Gathering's newest set, Outlaws of Thunder Junction, a Fae returns to the fray. Kellan is back once more, and in a way that we have not seen him in previous sets: TRI-COLORED! Boasting a strong ability typically seen among red mages, we have a lot to unpack and unravel with Kellan, the Kid.
Who Is Kellan?
This fae-cursed prince (so to say) is the spawn of none other than Oko. Y'all remember him, right? The one who ran around turning everyone into Elks or something? Yeah, that's Kellan's dad. For the past three sets, we've followed Kellan across different planes in search of Oko, and it seems as if he's finally found him here in Thunder Junction, but what confrontations and revelations lie ahead for this family reunion remain to be seen. No spoilers, go read the story, it's really good, actually.
Isn't that a red thing?
When building this deck, we're seeking to do something that, from an outside perspective, seems like it would solely be held for red mages: casting spells from anywhere but our hand. While this might seem like a tough order, being in Bant unlocks a lot of tech Magic players may have forgotten about and some new tech thanks to Outlaws of Thunder Junction. We won't be using impulse in this deck; instead, we'll be utilizing the top of our library, our graveyard, and maybe even going on a few Adventures, just like our commander Kellan has in the past.
By embracing the spirit of exploration and leveraging the synergies available within our color identity, we aim to weave a tapestry of spells and strategies that mirror Kellan's own journey across the planes. With each card played, we inch closer to uncovering the truth behind Oko's whereabouts and Kellan's ultimate fate in this tumultuous adventure.
Unveiling the Mysteries: Mastering Top-Deck Manipulation
To fully harness the potential of our commander's unique ability, we must explore unconventional avenues for casting our spells. A fresh addition from Outlaws of Thunder Junction grants us the power to manipulate the top of our deck: Fblthp makes a triumphant return, emerging as a pivotal piece in our deck's intricate strategy. Alongside this intrepid Homunculus, we employ a cadre of top-deck manipulators, including Cemetery Illuminator, Magus of the Future, and One with the Multiverse. With these powerful tools at our disposal, there will be no obstacle in the sands of Thunder Junction capable of impeding our relentless pursuit of knowledge and discovery.
It's Not Just a Red Thing: Exile
While exiling cards to cast later may seem like a red thing, there are a few ways for us to accomplish a similar effect in Bant. Wondrous Crucible not only gives our permanents ward but also lets us mill two cards on our end step and exile a random card later to cast for free. Chimil, the Inner Sun makes our spells uncounterable and lets us discover five on the end step.
A new card from Outlaws of Thunder Junction, The Key to the Vault, is a powerful Equipment that allows us to look at cards from the top of our library equal to the damage we dealt and exile it to cast for free. These aren't the only exile effects we have in the deck; we can also utilize Rod of Absorption, Monk Class, and possibly my favorite card in this deck, Mind's Desire.
More Than Top-Deck: Manipulating Hand and Grave
There's more synergy for this deck in Bant than you'd think, though. Outside of manipulating the top of our deck, we can utilize our grave and cast the cards in our hand in another way.
Flashback
Flashback offers us another method of triggering Kellan, and in Bant? There is no shortage of spells to pick from. Memory Deluge grows in power when we flash it back, allowing us to see even more cards than when we originally cast it from our hand. Faithful Mending, Winterthorn Blessing, Sevinne's Reclamation, Dryad's Revival, and Croaking Counterpart all play into the deck's synergy, providing powerful effects for our gameplan.
Fortell and Suspend
Just because we cast a spell from our hand now doesn't mean we can't get it to trigger our commander later. Foretell is a powerful ability that helps us achieve that, with cards such as Behold the Multiverse and Cosmic Intervention, exiles them for now to cast and trigger Kellan later. In a similar vein, suspend allows us to remove cards from our hands to cast later. Inspiring Refrain, Lotus Bloom, and Sol Talisman typically wouldn't seem so strong, but paired with Kellan's ability, they become impactful spells for our strategy.
Hidden Synergies Lead to Victory: Landfall
We've discussed a lot about the first half of Kellan's ability, but there's even more to this card. When we don't cast a permanent spell with his first ability, we can put a land into play for free, so, logically, we should be running some Landfall synergy, right? Lotus Cobra, Tatyova, Benthic Druid, Scute Swarm, and Felidar Retreat all offer immense value for the other half of Kellan's ability.
These abilities are our hidden win condition. Felidar Retreat and Scute Swarm grow our board wide enough to trigger Halo Fountain's final ability, winning us the game, or using the extra mana and card draw from Lotus Cobra and Tatyova, Benthic Druid to sneak in a victory via Approach of the Second Sun. With each Landfall, we inch closer to overwhelming our opponents and securing our triumph on the battlefield.
Conclusion
As we traversed Thunder Junction and beyond, unlocking the hidden synergies within our deck, we marveled at the versatility of our commander, Kellan, the Kid. From mastering top-deck manipulation to leveraging the power of hand and grave, each aspect of our strategy contributed to thrilling victories and unforgettable moments on the battlefield. With Kellan as our guide, we remain steadfast in our exploration of new possibilities across the planes, eager to unravel the mysteries that await in the ever-expanding world of Magic: The Gathering.
