MTG Ixalan Commander Decklist: Explorers of the Deep

Delve deep into Ixalan’s core and explore along with the plane’s Merfolk with this new MTG Commander deck: Explorers of the Deep.

Where The Lost Caverns of Ixalan’s main set primarily covers the expedition to the core of the world, The Lost Caverns’ Commander decks put the focus on the plane’s main factions and their typal synergy. The Merfolk higlhighted in Explorers of the Deep head into the Lost Caverns in search of a new home, following the devastation caused by the Phyrexian multiversal invasion.

We’ll walk you through the Explorers of the Deep Commander deck and help you decide if this is the Ixalan faction for you.

MTG Lost Caverns of Ixalan: Explorers of the Deep strategy

Explorers of the Deep’s creatures may seem a little underpowered at first, but they work in concert to boost themselves to huge levels of power. With blanket +1/+1s for Merfolk from cards like Merfolk Sovereign and Sage of Fables, you’ll soon assemble a force to be reckoned with.

The deck’s land ramp options are backed up by staples like Cultivate and powerful, cheap boosts like Explore, setting your mana production ahead by leaps and bounds.

One of the deck’s absolute best includes is Branching Evolution, a pricey reprint that handily doubles the rate of your counter production. Incremental boosts to your Merfolk suddenly become huge leaps in power, with other players at the table struggle to match up to your assembled forces.

MTG Lost Caverns of Ixalan: Explorers of the Deep Commander

Explorers of the Deep’s Commander is Hakbal of the Surging Soul. An exceptional value Commander, Hakbal can set you so far ahead in terms of land ramp that your opponents will be left at the shallow end of the mana pool.

Hakbal pays off your Merfolk typal strategy but granting every Merfolk Explore at the beginning of combat. With enough Merfolk on the field you can churn through your deck, add additional+1/+1 counters, play additional land or draw. Hakbal allows you to both out-resource and overpower your opponents with ease, building up to a winning play in a scant few turns.

The deck’s alt Commander is Xolatoyec, the Smiling Flood. Xolatoyec introduces support for a rarely used Counter in MTG, Flood Counters. Through applying Flood Counters on ETB or attack, Xolatoyec can also convert opponents’ lands into islands, allowing you free direct damage if you splash in any islandwalk cards.
Xolatoyec’s main function is untapping any of your cards with counters on at the end of turn, effectively providing most of your merfolk with vigilance and untapping any lands bestowed with Flood Counters, freeing up mana for counterspells and reaction-based play.

MTG Lost Caverns of Ixalan Explorers of the Deep Decklist 

Here’s the full decklist for the Explorers of the Deep Commander deck from Creatures to Lands: 

Creature: 29 Cards

1 Benthic Biomancer
1 Coralhelm Commander
1 Emperor Mihail II
1 Herald of Secret Streams
1 Kopala, Warden of Waves
1 Master of the Pearl Trident
1 Merfolk Sovereign
1 Seafloor Oracle
1 Surgespanner
1 Svyelun of Sea and Sky
1 Thassa, God of the Sea
1 Thieving Skydiver
1 Deeproot Elite
1 Realmwalker
1 Cold-Eyed Selkie
1 Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
1 Prime Speaker Zegana
1 Tishana, Voice of Thunder
1 Vorel of the Hull Clade
1 Zegana, Utopian Speaker
1 Metallic Mimic
1 Merrow Reejerey
1 Sage of Fables
1 Stonybrook Banneret
1 Evolution Sage
1 Kiora’s Follower
1 Merfolk Mistbinder
1 Merfolk Skydiver
1 Tatyova, Benthic Druid

Sorcery: 4 Cards

1 Curse of the Swine
1 Ravenform
1 Explore
1 Kodama’s Reach

Instant: 7 Cards

1 Ruinous Intrusion
1 Quandrix Command
1 Aetherize
1 Rapid Hybridization
1 Beast Within
1 Inspiring Call
1 Growth Spiral

Artifact: 5 cards

1 Arcane Signet
1 Commander’s Sphere
1 Simic Signet
1 Sol Ring
1 Swiftfoot Boots

Enchantment: 6 Cards

1 Kindred Discovery
1 Reflections of Littjara
1 Branching Evolution
1 Hardened Scales
1 Simic Ascendancy
1 Deeproot Waters

Land: 36 Cards

1 Alchemist’s Refuge
1 Hinterland Harbor
1 Karn’s Bastion
1 Mosswort Bridge
1 Temple of Mystery
1 Vineglimmer Snarl
1 Command Tower
1 Llanowar Reborn
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Path of Ancestry
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Rogue’s Passage
1 Secluded Courtyard
1 Simic Growth Chamber
1 Temple of the False God
1 Unclaimed Territory
7 Forest
13 Island

New: 13 cards

1 Hakbal of the Surging Soul
1 Xolatoyac, the Smiling Flood
1 Mist Dancer
1 Ripples of Potential
1 Wave Goodbye
1 Bygone Marvels
1 Deeproot Historian
1 Topography Tracker
1 Tributary Instructor
1 Singer of Swift Rivers
1 Commit /// Memory
1 Merfolk Cave-Diver
1 Nicanzil, Current Conductor

Simic colors deploying +1/+1 counters are among MTG’s most reliably well-performing archetypes. Merfolk saw an excellent showing in MTG’s first trip to Ixalan, and that lucky streak is set to continue in The Lost Caverns.