Thanks to the obscene power of the Partner mechanic and the lethality of early combo Commanders, the barrier to entry for cEDH is quite high. Yet, every now and again, an unexpected Commander will break through and put up an elite result. Ashaya, Soul of the Wild just accomplished this task, winning a small cEDH tournament and putting this mono-green combo shell on the map.
Infinite Mana Combos with Ashaya
The main goal behind this archetype is to put Ashaya into play as early as possible, turning all of your creatures into lands. Mana dorks like Arbor Elf and Elvish Mystic can get things started fast, while Dosan, the Falling Leaf and Veil of Summer help sneak Ashaya past countermagic.
Once in play, Ashaya threatens to take over games by using infinite mana with cards like Argothian Elder or Ley Weaver. Thanks to your Commander, both of these creatures can now untap themselves as well as another land, setting up infinite activations. Notably, Magus of the Candelabra performs a similar function alongside lands like Gaea’s Cradle that tap for multiple mana.
Alternatively, with Ashaya in play, you can also use Quirion Ranger’s ability to repeatedly bounce itself and untap another creature. With the help of Lotus Cobra or Badgermole Cub, you’ll have no problem netting mana during the exchange. Notably, Scryb Ranger offers similar utility with creatures like Priest of Titania that tap for three mana or more.
Once you have unlimited mana at your disposal, you just need to find a win condition. Walking Ballista is your primary go-to, which you can tutor for with Shared Summons or Survival of the Fittest. You can also find Ballista by activating Beastrider Vanguard infinite times, or drawing your deck with Beast Whisperer when executing the Ranger combos.
A One Trick Pony
What ultimately makes Ashaya, Soul of the Wild a scary deck is its consistency. This archetype features tons of tutors to grab your combo pieces, including unconventional options like Skyshroud Poacher and Threats Detected. Having access to so many search effects also enables you to run hate cards like Soulless Jailer, slowing down the ever-popular Underworld Breach combo decks.
Unfortunately, though, having a one-dimensional gameplan leaves you vulnerable to opposing interaction. With a lack of removal, having Drannith Magistrate shut your Commander down, for example, is essentially game over. Things only get worse when you face down Cursed Totem, which completely shuts down your combo engine and mana production.
With these issues in mind, it’s understandable why Ashaya hasn’t been as prominent in the cEDH space. Nonetheless, the deck is capable of elite draws, and it’s nice to see players get rewarded for thinking outside the box.
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