IntroductionIn today's article, we'll explore a Monogreen Bear list that plays some of the best Bear cards, from classic vanilla cards to the best Bear cards we can find in the game nowadays. Beorn the Fierce will go straight to your command zone and give you the chance to work with a pretty cool commander.Without further ado, let's see how you can build and play this deck.Beorn, The CommanderBeorn the Fierce is a 6/6 Bear, Shapeshifter, and Warrior that has Trample and costs 5 mana. Its first ability gives all the Bears you control +2/+2, and, at the beginning of combat on your turn, you may put a Trample counter on a creature and make it a Bear as well as its other types. Afterwards, if you control 3 Bears or more, you'll draw 2 cards.The path forward is quite clear. Beorn itself already counts as a Bear, so you just need 2 other Bears. You can put them in play yourself or transform a support creature right before you have to check how many you have. This list heavily centers around Bears, so drawing 2 cards every turn is actually your main engine.The +2/+2 buff is really great on the smaller Bears. Consider a Grizzly Bears, a classic card. Creatures that are 2/2s and cost 2 mana usually don't survive long in Commander, but, with Beorn, they're 4/4s that put pressure on the opponents, hold off attacks, and keep Beorn's card draw ability active.Turning other creatures into Bears allows you to use Azusa, Lost but Seeking, Oracle of Mul Daya, Elvish Piper, and Forgotten Ancient but still focus on Bear synergies. They'll play their particular roles, and then you'll give them Trample and Beorn's buff and might even be able to put them into combat.The DeckThe list we'll see today is a Monogreen strategy centered around creatures, with a lot of ramp and a well-balanced curve with small Bears and bigger threats. The main game plan involves getting a lot of mana early on, putting 2 creatures in play, and casting a Beorn already set to draw 2 cards in the first combat step available.From then on, each new Bear will grow your board, activate Ayula, Queen Among Bears, and give you cards through Guardian Project or Garruk's Uprising. This commander will give you resources constantly until your attacks become impossible to ignore.RampSol Ring, Arcane Signet, and Llanowar Elves will allow you to put Beorn in play before turn 5, while Nature's Lore and Rampant Growth give you more lands and don't force you to rely on artifacts. Werebear also gives you mana early on, and, because it is already a Bear, it is still relevant after you put Beorn in play.Cultivate, Kodama's Reach, and Skyshroud Claim give you lands, and get your biggest creatures ready. Azusa, Lost but Seeking and Oracle of Mul Daya get a lot from the extra cards you'll draw with Beorn. They'll turn excess Forests in your hand into more mana.The Smaller BearsThis is the most flavorful part of this deck. Grizzly Bears, Balduvian Bears, Bear Cub, Forest Bear, Runeclaw Bear, and Golden Bear are simple. We picked them mostly because they're Bears and come into play early. They're also pretty flavorful and remind me of old MTG. After all, they're several 2/2 bodies that cost 2 mana and are called Bears for a reason.Before Beorn is in play, they'll get your board ready to activate its card draw ability on turn 1. After Beorn is in play, they'll all get +2/+2 and become bigger. You will then be able to put a lot of pressure for very little investment.The other cheap Bears were included to mostly fill the deck with this creature type. Ashcoat Bear stands out because it has Flash, so it can come into play before your turn and enable Beorn's card-draw ability.Bear SupportAyula, Queen Among Bears is one of the main enablers in this deck. It puts counters on a creature or makes one of your Bears fight an enemy creature whenever a Bear enters play. Like so, each small creature can make your board stronger or work as an interaction.Mother Bear helps you rebuild if you end up taking a global removal, whereas Professor of Zoomancy puts another body on the board. Druid's Familiar improves creatures through Soulbound.Ruxa, Patient Professor rewards you for playing creatures without abilities, which includes most of the old Bears. Besides buffing them, it allows them to deal damage as if they weren't blocked. So, even a simple Grizzly Bears can stay relevant until the end if Ruxa is in play.Bigger BearsGoreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma makes your bigger creatures cheaper and improves your attacks. Owlbear enters play with Trample and draws a card, whereas Owlbear Cub can put new creatures in play when it deals damage. Lumra, Bellow of the Woods grows according to the lands you control and also brings back lands from the graveyard. It goes really well with other ramp cards.Evercoat Ursine creates a different type of advantage. It stores away a card through Hideaway and lets you cast it after you deal combat damage. As Beorn and other support cards give you Trample, doing this won't be a problem.Support CreaturesForgotten Ancient gives you counters, whereas Elvish Piper puts big creatures directly into play. Surrak and Goreclaw gives you Haste and improves your attacks, and Cultivator Colossus turns lands into power and more cards. After they play their roles, you can turn all of them into Bears with Beorn.Your commander's ability, the one that turns these creatures into Bears, is pretty important. Because of it, you don't have to give up useful effects just to play more Bears in this list. Even the creatures we added because of their abilities will do something in combat, as this way they'll get Beorn the Fierce's buff and keep its card draw ability active at the beginning of combat.Card Draw and InteractionGuardian Project draws cards as your creatures enter play, so it works as a second engine when Beorn can't stay in play for some reason. Garruk's Uprising is really great with Beorn's buff because many of your small Bears will have 4 power, activate Garruk's card draw ability, and get Trample.Sphere Grid puts counters on creatures that deal combat damage and, like so, rewards you for setting up attacks. Vivien's Grizzly allows you to use your leftover mana to find creatures. Finally, enabling Mosswort Bridge is pretty easy.Beast Within and Reclamation Sage deal with problematic permanents, while Contest of Claws takes advantage of how big your creatures are to control the board. Bushwhack finds lands for you early on, but it also works as interaction later on.Whispersilk Cloak protects Beorn and allows it to deal damage without being blocked. As this commander already buffs other Bears and draws cards, keeping it in play is often more important than buffing it.How to Play ItA good opening hand with this list includes 3 lands, some ramp, and at least 2 cheap Bears. The goal is to get to Beorn's turn with your board ready to draw 2 cards. Avoid casting it if you won't get anything back and your opponents can interact with it in some way.In the mid-game, Beorn will keep your hand full, while Ayula, Queen Among Bears, Guardian Project, and Garruk's Uprising will get value from each creature that enters play. This is when you'll start turning support pieces into Bears and give them Trample to get some type of evasion.This deck wins through combat. Ruxa, Patient Professor allows Bears without abilities to go through enemy defenses, Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma, and Surrak and Goreclaw improve wide attacks, and Whispersilk Cloak can allow you to deal damage directly with Beorn or another bigger creature.Final WordsIt's good to finally leave Marvel Super Heroes behind. Though I don't really like Tolkien's universe either, his characters fit classic MTG a bit better and make more sense. I'm happy to leave Marvel's New York!What do you think? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.Thank you for reading, and see you next time!
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