MTG Ixalan Commander Decklist: Ahoy Mateys

Swing into battle with MTG The Lost Caverns of Ixalan’s new pirate Commander deck, and you’ll soon have all the gold and glory you could wish for.

Pirates have long been a creature type in need of a little more love in MTG. While many players would be happy to build a deck with a simple, engaging pirate theme, the creature type has lacked cohesion and internal synergy.

The previous top pirate Commander – Admiral Beckett Brass – has seen something of a glow-up on MTG’s The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, returning in a new card with a power boost to boot. Take a look and see how pirates have improved in MTG with this brand-new deck.

MTG Lost Caverns of Ixalan: Ahoy Mateys strategy

Ahoy Mateys deploys something of a grab-bag of effects revolving loosely around boosting your Pirate creatures and amassing resources.

Card draw and treasure tokens are both plentiful here, in part thanks to Black Market Connections, a highly sought-after reprint. Through this, you’ll reliably have access to your best options, as well as the resources needed to cast them. The indomitable in particular is a hugely powerful draw-enabler, providing an incentive to attack wherever possible

The Grim Captain’s Locker can lead to an unexpected comeback in the late-game, unearthing as many creatures as you can afford to pay for. Recursion may not have previously been a pirate strong suit, but it’s a reliable part of the Ahoy Mateys toolkit.

MTG The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Ahoy Mateys Commander

Admiral Brass, Unsinkable leads her Brazen Coalition deep below Ixalan’s surface and provides a reliable core to the Ahoy Mateys deck. Admiral Brass provides a strong foundation of recursion for the deck, ensuring that your pirates get another shot at swinging after hitting the grave. Re-using your best ETB and on-attack triggers should be the aim here, but the extra damage every turn is an excellent boost all the same.

The Ahoy Mateys deck’s alt Commander is Don Andres, the Renegade. Befitting the deck’s focus on Piracy, Don Andres provides boosts to any creatures you control but don’t own. Stealing and controlling your opponents’ creatures to boost your own ranks is hugely benefitted by Don Andres granting them menace and deathtouch, practically guaranteeing their attacks will land for as long as you control them.

Additionally, Don Andres generates treasure tokens when casting stolen noncreature spells, setting you ahead in terms of resources with a strongly thematic ability. While his effects may not be as reliable as Admiral Brass’, their payoff is arguably more exciting, and well worth building a deck around fully.

Creature: 30 Cards

1 Amphin Mutineer
1 Corsair Captain
1 Timestream Navigator
1 Warkite Marauder
1 Dire Fleet Ravager
1 Fathom Fleet Captain
1 Angrath’s Marauders
1 Captain Lannery Storm
1 Captivating Crew
1 Coercive Recruiter
1 Dire Fleet Daredevil
1 Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
1 Port Razer
1 Admiral Beckett Brass
1 Hostage Taker
1 Zara, Renegade Recruiter
1 Azure Fleet Admiral
1 Daring Saboteur
1 Departed Deckhand
1 Ghost of Ramirez DePietro
1 Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator
1 Merchant Raiders
1 Siren Stormtamer
1 Spectral Sailor
1 Pitiless Plunderer
1 Breeches, Brazen Plunderer

Artifact: 11 Cards

1 Bident of Thassa
1 Icon of Ancestry
1 Vanquisher’s Banner
1 Arcane Signet
1 Commander’s Sphere
1 Dimir Signet
1 Herald’s Horn
1 Izzet Signet
1 Rakdos Signet
1 Sol Ring
1 Wayfarer’s Bauble

Instant: 5 Cards

1 Evacuation
1 Lethal Scheme
1 Chaos Warp
1 Prismari Command
1 Rakdos Charm

Sorcery: 6 Cards

1 Blood Money
1 Blasphemous Act
1 Distant Melody
1 Windfall
1 Feed the Swarm
1 Faithless Looting

Enchantment: 3 Cards

1 Bident of Thassa
1 Black Market Connections
1 Shared Animosity

Land: 37 Cards

1 Choked Estuary
1 Desolate Lighthouse
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Foreboding Ruins
1 Frostboil Snarl
1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
1 Nephalia Drownyard
1 Smoldering Marsh
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Sunken Hollow
1 Command Tower
1 Crumbling Necropolis
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Path of Ancestry
1 Port of Karfell
1 Rogue’s Passage
1 Secluded Courtyard
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Thriving Bluff
1 Thriving Isle
1 Thriving Moor
1 Unclaimed Territory
6 Island
4 Swamp
5 Mountain

New: 13 Cards

1 Admiral Brass, Unsinkable
1 Don Andres, the Renegade
1 The Indomitable
1 Storm Fleet Negotiator
1 Francisco, Fowl Marauder
1 The Grim Captain’s Locker
1 Skeleton Crew
1 Broadside Bombardiers
1 Gemcutter Buccaneer
1 Arm-Mounted Anchor
1 King Narfi’s Betrayal
1 Enterprising Scallywag
1 Ramirez DePietro, Pillager

While it may not be on the overpowered end of The Lost Caverns of Ixalan’s Commander decks, Ahoy Mateys is still a solid pick for anyone looking to add some exciting new options to an under-loved archetype.

If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.