How to Build MTG’s Best Modified Commander

Modern Horizons 3 has made a significant impact on Magic: The Gathering, bringing in numerous powerful cards for the Modern Format and introducing new Commanders that have the potential to greatly enhance decks.

Despite the numerous Commanders introduced in Modern Horizons 3, including 4 pre-constructed options, Nadu, Winged Wisdom stood out as the card with the most significant and noticeable impact on the game.

Despite the looming threat of Nadu being added to the Modern ban list, the once-dominant bird has now been humbled in MTG’s tournament scene. However, it has managed to avoid joining the exclusive group of cards banned in the Commander format.

Despite its era of dominance coming to an end, we believed it was important to examine some of Modern Horizons 3’s other Commanders who have been overshadowed by Nadu’s reign as the top choice.

Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain

MTG Modern Horizons 3 Esper Commander — WotC

Despite being an Esper Commander from Modern Horizons 3, Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain was often overlooked by many players at the time.

Despite the potential to become a formidable force, Arna has not received the same level of fan recognition as other popular MH3 Commanders like Nadu, The Necrobloom, and Ulalek, Fused Atrocity. This is likely due to the numerous build options available for Arna, making it difficult for fans to focus on one particular build and create a strong following.

We will guide you through the process of creating a formidable Arna Kennerüd deck, providing options for emphasizing Equipment, Enchantments, or +1/+1 counters. While this guide does not provide specific specifications for a 100-card deck, it does offer various recommendations for you to consider alongside Arna.

Making the most of your Commander’s abilities

Arna Kennerüd, the Skycaptain, is a 4/4 Esper flier with a mana value of 5. This Commander boasts impressive stats and the Flying ability, making her a powerful choice as the centerpiece of a Voltron-style deck. In addition, she possesses a remarkable passive ability, making her an active threat on the battlefield.

Despite her higher-than-average mana value, this Commander’s Lifelink ability can help you bounce back quickly from an early loss of life or tempo, making her worth the wait to bring onto the field.

It is important to note that Arna’s token-generating ability does not rely on her attacking to activate. Thus, it is advantageous to amass a strong board before playing her, including tokens, Equipment, and/or Auras. This will allow Arna to immediately provide value once she enters the battlefield.

Whenever feasible, it is advisable to steer clear of Legendary Equipment, including staples such as Sword of the Animist, as they are not able to take advantage of Arna’s token creation.

Mythical Creatures

You should divide your Creature options into two groups, one for enhancing your Modified plan by decreasing costs, providing tutoring, and other methods, and the other for elusive attackers that can be powered up to target your opponents’ life points directly.

A small number of Creatures possess the ability to serve as both support and evasive attackers, such as the Armored Skyhunter which can fly and draw equipment. These should be given priority for inclusion in your intended build.

Additionally, there are Equipment cards that enter the field and generate a token Creature using their Living Weapon, Bestow, and For Mirrodin! Abilities. These can be utilized to continuously expand the board state each turn.

It is important to carefully consider Bestow in this situation, as the first version of a Bestowed Creature will become an Aura. However, any token copies produced by Arna will only function as Token Creatures and cannot be cast for their Bestow cost.

Support

Codsworth, Handy Helper
Puresteel Paladin
Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist
Stoneforge Mystic
Halvar, God of Battle
Pearl-Ear, Imperial Advisor
Envoy of the Ancestors
Loyal Inventor
Stonehewer Giant

List of Attackers

Alela, Artful Provocateur
Balan, Wandering Knight
Kappa Cannoneer

Support/attacker hybrids

Armored Skyhunter
Basim Ibn Ashaq
Baleful Strix
Ledger Shredder
Raffine, Scheming Seer
Starnheim Courser
Danitha Capashen, Paragon
Danitha, Benalia’s Hope
To the Enchanter

Equippable Creatures

Batterskull
Cloudsteel Kirin
Razorfield Ripper
Nettlecyst
Glyph Elemental
Eidolon of Countless Battles

Power Boosts

Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain excels at enhancing your Creatures, transforming them into formidable, heavily-armored, and difficult-to-stop menaces by generating extra copies of Equipment, Auras, and +1/+1 counters.

One can achieve a streamlined Arna deck by concentrating on any one of these three aspects, or opt for a more diverse but less predictable deck by finding a balance between them.

By using any of the listed power boosts on your Creatures, your deck will gain the ability to deal lethal damage in a surprisingly short amount of time.

Equipment

Inquisitor’s Flail
Golem-Skin Gauntlets
Sword of Truth and Justice
Bloodforged Battle-Axe
Sword of War and Peace
Colossus Hammer
Sword of Light and Shadow
Cranial Plating
Silver Armor
Empyrial Plate
Thran Power Suit
Kemba’s Banner

What are Auras?

Ethereal Armor
All That Glitters
Nerd Rage
Sage’s Reverie
Eldrazi Conscription
Idolized
Mantle of the Ancients
Auramancer’s Guise
Righteous Authority

Equipment Cost Reduction

Opting for the Equipment strategy with Arna requires reducing the cost of equipping in order to surpass your opponents. Although the aforementioned support Creatures can aid in this, it is crucial to have these non-Creature cards to swiftly equip your attackers with gear:

Sigarda’s Aid
Forge Anew
Hammer of Nazahn
Battlefield Improvisation

Removal

Playing with an Esper deck allows Arna Kennerüd to have a wide range of options for dealing with specific threats and clearing the board. In addition to the usual assortment of instant and sorcery spells, equipment with removal abilities is especially effective for Arna as they can be used repeatedly.

The standout cards in this deck are Phantom Blade and Assimilation Aegis, which offer consistent removal to eliminate your opponents’ most formidable creatures every turn. These cards can be conveniently found through the deck’s various Equipment tutors.

Phantom Blade
Assimilation Aegis
Chains of Custody
Anguished Unmaking
Void Rend
Counterspell
Dovin’s Veto
Winds of Rath
Toxic Deluge

Protection

Once this deck gains momentum, it becomes challenging to halt, and your opponents will attempt to hinder your progress and eliminate your strongest cards whenever they can.

Although Arna has the ability to create a large number of token Creatures, you may find yourself limited to only a few options during the early stages of the game. Therefore, it is crucial to prioritize protecting yourself in order to avoid being vulnerable to spot removal.

Shielded by Faith
Unquestioned Authority
Lavaspur Boosts
Teferi’s Protection
Flawless Maneuver
Flare of Fortitude
Unbreakable Formation
Contractual Safeguard
Conquerer’s Flail

Mana Production

In this deck, Mana rocks continue to be just as effective as ever. However, for those looking for even more explosive gameplay, there are also a variety of Equipment options that not only boost power but also serve as ramp options.

The Sword of Forge and Frontier is highly effective in accelerating your land drops, providing ample mana for effortlessly casting and equipping your most powerful tools. Dowsing Dagger is also a must-have, as Arna’s natural flying ability renders the blockers it creates for your opponents insignificant.

Dowsing Dagger
Goldvein Pick
Gold Pan
Prying Blade
Sword of Forge and Frontier
Sword of Hearth and Home
Sword of Wealth and Power
Sword of Feast and Famine
Pip-Boy 3000

Card Draw

Despite the availability of single-use card draw Instants and Sorceries, they can be disregarded due to the presence of Auras and Equipment cards that generate tokens through Arna, allowing for a steady increase in card draw each turn.

By doing this, you can effectively narrow down your choices and concentrate on potential card draw options that not only provide a bonus in combat, but also offer specific benefits such as increased power or evasion.

For instance, while Curiosity is a cost-effective and aggressive card draw choice, it cannot match the capabilities of Combat Research. Not only does Combat Research provide similar functionality, but it also offers protection and a strength boost for Arna and other Legendary Creatures in the deck.

Sram, Senior Edificer
Sword of Fire and Ice
Combat Research
Mask of Riddles
Cartouche of Knowledge
Mask of Memory
Glimmer Lens
Feather of Flight
Staggering Insight

Double Up on Power

These token doublers are some of the most costly cards to assemble for Arna, due to their remarkable strength.

Despite the undeniable boost these cards provide to the deck, which allows for increased value whenever Arna generates tokens, it is completely acceptable to exclude them from a budget version of the deck as this Commander has the ability to swiftly progress towards a victory regardless.

Anointed Procession
Roaming Throne
Mondrak, Glory Dominus
Ocelot Pride

So, we have gone through all the possible ways to construct an Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain deck. This Commander not only boasts tremendous strength, but also provides an enjoyable gaming experience. Additionally, Modern Horizons 3 introduces numerous other amazing commanders, both new and reprinted, as well as a variety of pre-constructed decks to choose from.