Commander Challenge – Basilisk Collar

Most keywords are good, and we all know it, but sometimes deathtouch is the best one. Knowing you can trade whatever you’re using with whatever comes at you is great.

Better yet, you can combine it with first strike and trample to make sure you’re always getting a good amount of damage through. So, that’s why we’re talking about Basilisk Collar today.

What is Basilisk Collar?

Basilisk Collar Basilisk Collar Equipped creature has deathtouch and lifelink. (Any amount of damage it deals to a creature is enough to destroy it. Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.)
Equip {2} ({2}: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.) is a one-mana equipment that costs two mana to equip, and grants the equipped creature both deathtouch and lifelink. Those are good abilities for sure, but honestly, it’s a little underwhelming unless you’re using it on the right creatures.

But what are the right creatures? Well, they’re the ones you can use to inflict damage onto other creatures, because then it turns them all into headshotting turrets. The ability to kill anything that’s troubling you isn’t something you can underestimate, and as long as you’re clever you’ll be able to decimate any defense that dares to stand against you.

For the record, we’re talking about creatures like Walking Ballista Walking Ballista This creature enters with X +1/+1 counters on it.
{4}: Put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
Remove a +1/+1 counter from this creature: It deals 1 damage to any target. and Triskelion Triskelion This creature enters with three +1/+1 counters on it.
Remove a +1/+1 counter from this creature: It deals 1 damage to any target. , both of which can be used to pick off whatever you need removing. With those two already mentioned, let’s talk about the specific commanders we think are the most fun with Basilisk Collar in the list.

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Kelsien’s Collar

First up is Kelsien, the Plague Kelsien, the Plague Vigilance, haste
Kelsien gets +1/+1 for each experience counter you have.
{T}: Kelsien deals 1 damage to target creature you don't control. When that creature dies this turn, you get an experience counter. , a three-mana red, white, and black 2/2 with vigilance and haste. It gets +1/+1 for each experience counter you have. You can then gain experience counters by tapping them to deal one damage to a creature you don’t control. If that creature dies that turn, then you get an experience counter.

Even without anything else in the deck, this and the collar are going to turn your commander into a sniper. We do really like Thousand-Year Elixir Thousand-Year Elixir You may activate abilities of creatures you control as though those creatures had haste.
{1}, {T}: Untap target creature. in this deck though, as it allows you to untap Kelsien which is a huge boon when you’re looking to do as much damage as possible to the opposing side.

Because the main focus here is utilising the commander more than the deck itself, it means that both Rune of Mortality Rune of Mortality Enchant permanent
When this Aura enters, draw a card.
As long as enchanted permanent is a creature, it has deathtouch.
As long as enchanted permanent is an Equipment, it has "Equipped creature has deathtouch." and Gift of Doom Gift of Doom Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has deathtouch and indestructible.
Morph—Sacrifice another creature. (You may cast this card face down as a 2/2 creature for {3}. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)
As this Aura is turned face up, you may attach it to a creature. are excellent choices, because they help make sure you have more ways of giving Kelsien deathtouch. That being said, we also really like Goblin Sharpshooter Goblin Sharpshooter This creature doesn't untap during your untap step.
Whenever a creature dies, untap this creature.
{T}: This creature deals 1 damage to any target. too, as they can also kill things off if they have deathtouch, but they also untap naturally when doing so. They also work in our next deck too.

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Tibor, Lumia, and the Baslisk

Tibor and Lumia Tibor and Lumia Whenever you cast a blue spell, target creature gains flying until end of turn.
Whenever you cast a red spell, Tibor and Lumia deals 1 damage to each creature without flying. are a four-mana blue and red 3/3 with a bunch of text on it. “Whenever you cast a blue spell, target creature gains flying until end of turn. Whenever you cast a red spell, Tibor and Lumia deals 1 damage to each creature without flying.” Naturally, we’re really looking at the whole red spell thing here, because that’s what’ll get the most out of the deck.

So, all you need to do is fill your deck with red spells. We also really like Harmonic Prodigy Harmonic Prodigy Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
If a triggered ability of a Shaman or another Wizard you control triggers, that ability triggers an additional time. as they double the triggers you’ll be getting, and that’s a huge boost to how many creatures you can kill off. Veyran, Voice of Duality Veyran, Voice of Duality Magecraft — Whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell, Veyran gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
If you casting or copying an instant or sorcery spell causes a triggered ability of a permanent you control to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time. also does this, so that’s a big deal.

Niv-Mizzet Parun Niv-Mizzet Parun This spell can't be countered.
Flying
Whenever you draw a card, Niv-Mizzet deals 1 damage to any target.
Whenever a player casts an instant or sorcery spell, you draw a card. can be used as a stand-in when needed because they can also ping things for one damage. Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind Flying
Whenever you draw a card, Niv-Mizzet deals 1 damage to any target.
{T}: Draw a card. pings things when you draw cards too, so they’re another great addition. Gorgon’s Head Gorgon’s Head Equipped creature has deathtouch.
Equip {2} is another good choice for adding deathtouch to creatures too. All of those should allow you to obliterate your foes and friends alike.

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