Commander Deck Tech: Yisan, Wanderer Bard - Ka0s Hulk

Yisan, the Wanderer Bard is not at all what we're used to seeing in Commander. Unlike most competitive lists, his deck doesn't make you rely on spells to develop your game plan - and, as a result, your opponents will struggle to disrupt you.

Its ability lets you get creatures straight from your deck and put them in play, so you'll nearly immediately have access to the best answers in his colors for any situation. Furthermore, his verse mechanic works at instant speed, and, as such, it is a powerful tool when you need to control how fast the game is moving.

With Yisan, you'll always have the right cards at the right time, either to stop threats or create ways to win. This list, created by Ka0s, takes this to the extreme, and there's another unusual card in it: Protean Hulk. It might seem unusual (which it is, in fact), but it is extremely useful if you need to win after activating verse 4, or create more ways to interact with your opponent.

If you enjoy flexible, unpredictable strategies, this deck is perfect!

Yisan, the Wanderer Bard costs , has 2 power, and 3 toughness. Its activated ability lets you use to put a verse counter on it. Next, you can get a creature from your deck that costs the same amount of mana as the number of verse counters on him and put it directly in play. This makes Yisan an incredibly versatile commander that adapts itself to the game as it goes on.

His greatest strength is the fact that he doesn't force you to cast spells to put your pieces in play. This essentially makes him immune to counterspells and other common interactions for decks that focus on sorceries and instants, or even creatures. You can build him as an aggro strategy that wants to win as fast as possible, or as a Stax, control strategy that wants to disrupt your opponents all while you progress your own game plan.

Why Play Yisan, the Wanderer Bard?

As we mentioned, Yisan, the Wanderer Bard is one of the most efficient toolbox decks in the entire format. It operates on a different wavelength than most competitive decks, as it doesn't rely on casting spells to impact the game state.

Furthermore, Yisan works at instant speed. You'll spend most of your Commander matches on your opponents' turns, and, as a result, Yisan's ability is great because it lets you interact with them in these moments. Another great thing about working with this speed is that you'll be able to attack when your opponents least expect it, and catch them off-guard.

Of course, Yisan isn't perfect. As this is a mono-green list, you'll only be able to use certain interactions, and may struggle against effects that stop you from tutoring cards or disable activated abilities, and fast decks that win before you can stabilize. Cards like Grafdigger's Cage and Opposition Agent can make your life a lot harder, for instance. However, if you enjoy commanders that reward clever decision-making and a flexible mindset, Yisan is an excellent choice.

Let's see our decklist:

This list might be mono-green, but it plays an impressive array of answers for the most unusual situations. The fact you'll tutor creatures constantly means you'll always have the right tool to deal with enemy threats or simply win the game. With the right creatures, you'll be able to disrupt enemy strategies, control the game, and keep a solid pace until you can win.

Artifacts and Enchantments

Haywire Mite, Cankerbloom, and Manglehorn. These three cards all remove problematic artifacts or enchantments on the battlefield, so they let you either advance your game plan or stop your opponents'.

Haywire Mite exiles a target permanent, so your opponent won't be able to put it in play again in another way (keep in mind it only applies to noncreature permanents). Cankerbloom also offers you proliferate, so you'll be able to add even more counters to your commander with it. Manglehorn stands out not only because it destroys artifacts when it enters, but also because it forces your opponents to put their artifacts in play tapped. In this sense, it delays them considerably.

Creatures

Ulvenwald Tracker and Kogla, the Titan Ape remove other creatures directly.

Ulvenwald Tracker lets you pick one of your creatures to fight another, which can be particularly useful considering you'll often control the biggest creatures on the entire board. Kogla, the Titan Ape, besides fighting a creature when it enters, has synergy with other creatures in your deck (Humans), as it returns them to your hand.

Cards on Your Opponents' Hands

There's only one card that fits this description: Thought-Knot Seer. This creature exiles a card in an opponent's hand when it enters, so it removes one of their threats before they can play it. Furthermore, when it leaves the board, that opponent will draw a card, which can be irrelevant depending on the game state - it is also a way to mill your opponents.

If you're behind, this interaction can open a window for you to stabilize or create a path to victory.

Basically, to win with this deck, you need to follow these 3 steps:

Step 1: don't die.

Use your Stax pieces if you have to, and look for interaction. Longer games are better for you.

Step 2: set up your combos.

Get pieces like Quirion Ranger, Scryb Ranger, and creatures that create mana.

Step 3: put Ashaya, Soul of the Wild in play.

With Ashaya in play, you can start creating infinite mana and activating Yisan repeatedly to get your finishers.

Though Yisan is known for his instant-speed interactions, he can also win games at sorcery speed, particularly with Dosan the Falling Leaf, which prevents your opponents from playing spells on their turns.

Here are a few ways to win at this speed:

Finale of Devastation with Infinite X

If you have infinite mana, you can cast Finale of Devastation with a very high X, get Craterhoof Behemoth, and give haste to all your creatures to set up a devastating attack. Though this is the most straightforward way to win, it is also the least popular.

Geier Reach Sanitarium Loop

Use Geier Reach Sanitarium to force your opponents to draw and discard cards repeatedly. With Green Sun's Zenith, you can shuffle this card back into your deck and not lose by deckout.

Craterhoof Behemoth

With Destiny Spinner and Ashaya in play, you can give haste to all your creatures, including Craterhoof Behemoth, and set up a lethal attack.

Thought-Knot Seer Loop

Cast Thought-Knot Seer repeatedly to remove cards from your opponents' hands and force them to draw their entire deck.

Let's discuss first the main Yisan combo, which revolves around this list's greatest strength, Protean Hulk.

The Standard Combo

1. If you have up to 4 verse: get Argothian Elder.

2. If you have up to 5 verse: get Ashaya, Soul of the Wild.

3. Activate Argothian Elder: with this very same card, untap Argothian Elder and a land repeatedly to create infinite mana.

4. Untap Yisan: use Argothian Elder to untap Yisan and activate his ability again.

5. If you have up to 6 verse: get Woodland Bellower.

6. Woodland Bellower: get Duskwatch Recruiter, which will let you pivot into Yeva, Nature's Herald if you need to.

7. If you have up to 7 verse: get Protean Hulk.

8. Sacrifice Protean Hulk: use Starved Rusalka or Sylvan Safekeeper to sacrifice Protean Hulk and get Slippery Bogbonder and Destiny Spinner.

9. Move your counters: use Slippery Bogbonder to move Yisan's counters to another creature.

We know this list can be expensive, but making it accessible is easier than it looks. The most significant change was replacing Gaea's Cradle with a Forest, which will make it a lot cheaper but won't compromise the essence of the strategy. Though Cradle is one of the best lands in the game, not playing it won't impact how the entire list works.

It might seem unusual, but, if you remove Cradle (and Mox), all the other cards are quite accessible. If you're interested in this strategy but don't want to go bankrupt, this version is perfect. You'll still be able to enjoy Yisan's full potential without spending a fortune! Oh, and if it is still expensive for you, here's an even cheaper version:

Yisan, the Wanderer Bard rewards players who plan their moves ahead and can adapt to any game state. His ability, which lets you get creatures straight from your deck but doesn't force you to cast them, makes him solid and resilient in Commander.

Ka0s managed to create a solid list with some unusual elements, like Protean Hulk, which lets us interact and win in new ways. Furthermore, the entire list combines strategy, interaction, and flexibility, and is an excellent choice if you enjoy dynamic matches full of possibilities.

If you enjoy incredibly complex decks with multiple strategies, Yisan might be perfect for you.

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Thank you for reading, and see you next time!