Deck 1 - Alesha Warriors

This deck is part of the Two-Headed Giant Commander decks, these are designed to be played 2v2 or 3v3 in the Commander format, but can also be played 1v1. 

Certain decks have certain themes, and will pair better with other decks, which decks work best have been listed below. These decks are on a higher skill level than most of the other decks in the club, with a lot of interacting mechanics. This can be overwhelming to learn and master but it is a whole lot of fun when you do.

In the untamed wilderness beyond the kingdom’s borders, the Wild Outlanders thrive. These warriors, elves, and goblins live in harmony with the forest, their lives deeply connected to the natural world. Their leader Kresh, the exiled brother of King Kenrith, has forged a life of freedom and strength among these outlanders. As the kingdom faces the threat of the Villains, the Wild Outlanders must decide whether to join the fight for glory or remain hidden in their remote villages, untouched by the turmoil of the outside world.The theme of the Wild Outlanders box is a . The main theme for the Wild Outlander decks are +1/+1 counters, Warriors, Elves and Goblins. 

Alesha Who Smiles at Death was a khan in the past of Tarkir. She ruled over the Mardu Horde with an iron fist and a steel blade. Seeing her charge into battle is enough to make warriors who were out of the fight rise and enter the fray once more. Alesha is a transgender woman, assigned male at birth and identifying as a woman. Alesha's clan believed that a name was something earned by battle and glory. If you amassed enough tales of personal glory, then you earned the right to name yourself. She chose the name of her grandmother at age 16 and became Khan 3 years later. After she had become Khan and had announced the names of many bloodied soldiers of her clan, she earned her second name from one of her soldiers. For her deed of slaying a dragon with a single stroke, while wearing the joy of battle on her face, she was named Alesha, Who Smiles at Death. In the new timeline created by Sarkhan Vol, Alesha abolished the Mardu, following Kolaghan's invitation for the clan's warriors to keep up with the dragon in her travels.

Alesha, Who Smiles at Death leads a Mardu (Red-White-Black) deck that focuses on aggressive combat strategies, utilizing the synergy between warriors, recursion, and powerful attack triggers. Alesha's ability to return small creatures to the battlefield tapped and attacking makes her a resilient commander who can maintain pressure on opponents even after board wipes. The deck leverages tribal synergies, powerful anthem effects, and efficient removal to keep the pressure on, eventually overwhelming opponents with a relentless assault of warriors.

Key Cards:

• Alesha, Who Smiles at Death: As the commander, Alesha's ability to recur creatures with power 2 or less from the graveyard is central to the deck's strategy. This allows you to bring back key warriors like Blood-Chin Rager and Brutal Hordechief to continue applying pressure.

• Brutal Hordechief: This card turns every attack into a life-draining event, allowing you to push damage while gaining life. Its secondary ability can also manipulate combat in your favor, forcing opponents to block in ways that are advantageous to you.

• Blood-Chin Rager and Chief of the Edge: These warrior creatures provide essential buffs to your attacking forces, making them harder to block and more lethal in combat.

• Mardu Ascendancy: This enchantment floods the board with tokens every time you attack with a non-token creature, making it easier to swarm the battlefield with warriors.

• Shared Animosity: This enchantment exponentially increases the power of your attacking creatures by granting them additional power based on the number of attacking creatures that share a type. This can easily lead to lethal combat phases.

• Ankle Shanker: This warrior creature can single-handedly make your attacks unmanageable for opponents by granting all attacking creatures deathtouch and first strike, ensuring that your creatures survive combat while opponents' creatures fall.

• Secure the Wastes: This instant creates a massive army of warriors at instant speed, allowing you to overwhelm opponents in a single turn or respond effectively to a board wipe.

Strategy:

Early Game: In the early game, focus on setting up your mana base and establishing your aggressive presence. Play mana rocks like Arcane Signet and Sol Ring to accelerate your game plan, and use early warrior creatures like Blood-Chin Rager and Mardu Woe-Reaper to start pressuring your opponents. Utilize Faithless Looting and Thrill of Possibility to filter through your deck and fill your graveyard with creatures that Alesha can later recur.

Mid Game: By the mid-game, you should be setting up your key synergies. Alesha, Who Smiles at Death should be attacking and recurring creatures, creating a value engine that is hard for opponents to stop. Play anthem effects like Rally the Ranks and Mardu Ascendancy to boost your attacking forces, and look to apply pressure with cards like Brutal Hordechief and Ankle Shanker to make combat unfavorable for your opponents. Removal spells like Anguished Unmaking and Mortify should be used to clear away problematic blockers or threats that could slow your advance.

Late Game: In the late game, your goal is to close out the game with overwhelming combat damage. Shared Animosity and Raiders' Spoils can turn even a modest board into a lethal threat. Zurgo Helmsmasher and Alesha, Who Smiles at Death herself should be leading the charge, with Secure the Wastes providing a massive influx of warriors if needed. Use Buried Alive to set up key creatures in your graveyard for Alesha to recur, ensuring you always have threats ready to re-enter the battlefield. At this stage, every attack should be potentially game-ending for your opponents.

Mulligan Guide:

Opening Hand Considerations: Look for a balanced hand with early mana acceleration, some early creatures or removal, and a way to start filtering cards into your graveyard. A hand with Arcane Signet, Sol Ring, or a land-fetching spell like Fabled Passage is usually strong, as it helps you accelerate into Alesha quickly. Having at least one or two early warriors to cast, such as Blood-Chin Rager or Mardu Woe-Reaper, is ideal. If you can also start with Faithless Looting or Thrill of Possibility, you’ll be able to quickly dig through your deck and set up your graveyard.

Hands to Avoid: Avoid hands that are too slow or lack early plays, as this deck relies on maintaining pressure from the early turns. Hands with too many high-cost spells or an overabundance of lands can be problematic, as you want to ensure a steady stream of creatures and interaction from turn one. If your opening hand doesn’t allow for a turn two or three play, consider taking a mulligan to find a more aggressive start.

With this strategy guide, you should be well-prepared to pilot your "Alesha, Who Smiles at Death" deck to victory. By maintaining a relentless assault with your warriors and utilizing Alesha's powerful recursion ability, you can keep the pressure on your opponents and close out games with overwhelming force.