Select Language:
Captain Howler, Sea Scourge: A Unique Take on Izzet Decks
Captain Howler, Sea Scourge is a notable creature from the Magic: The Gathering Aetherdrift set. It serves as the central figure in the Izzet (blue/red) strategy, designed to take advantage of discarding cards for various benefits.
Building a deck around Captain Howler offers a refreshing spin on the typical Izzet approach. Instead of focusing on casting numerous spells, this deck emphasizes the synergy of discarding and drawing cards. Whether you’re a fan of Pirates, Sharks, or simply enjoy the mechanics of discarding cards for value, Captain Howler, Sea Scourge makes an exceptional choice for a commander.
Sample Decklist
Commander: Captain Howler, Sea Scourge
| Creature | Creature | Creature | Creature | Creature | Creature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alandra, Sky Dreamer | Anger | Blighted Agent | Brallin, Skyshark Rider | Chasm Skulker | Containment Construct |
| Curator of Mysteries | Evie Frye | Forgotten Creation | Ghostly Pilferer | Glint-Horn Buccaneer | Homunculus Horde |
| Inti, Seneschal of the Sun | Invisible Stalker | Ivora, Insatiable Heir | Jace’s Archivist | Kitsa, Otterball Elite | Magus of the Bazaar |
| Magus of the Wheel | Marauding Mako | Mary Read and Anne Bonny | Merfolk Looter | Oliphaunt | Overlord of the Floodpits |
| Rhet-Tomb Mystic | Scrounging Skyray | Slither Blade | Surly Badgersaur | The Locust God | Triton Shorestalker |
| Wonder | Blasphemous Act | Burning Inquiry | Careful Study | Faithless Looting | Highway Robbery |
| Lorien Revealed | Path of the Pyromancer | Reforge the Soul | Windfall | Big Score | Chaos Warp |
| Countervailing Winds | Decaying Time Loop | Demand Answers | Faithless Salvaging | Frantic Search | Izzet Charm |
| Prismari Command | Thrill of Possibility | Tolarian Winds | Unexpected Windfall | You Find the Villain’s Lair | Arcane Signet |
| Boosted Sloop | Currency Converted | Izzet Signet | Key to the City | Monument to Endurance | Pip-Boy 3000 |
| Sol Ring | Talisman of Creativity | Thought Vessel | Drake Haven | Ash Barrens | Avishkar Raceway |
| Blasted Landscape | Cascade Bluffs | Command Tower | Desert of the Fervent | Desert of the Mindful | Desolate Lighthouse |
| Exotic Orchard | Fiery Islet | Forgotten Cave | Geier Reach Sanitarium | x7 Island | Lonely Sandbar |
| x7 Mountain | Reliquary Tower | Remote Isle | Rogue’s Passage | Shivan Reef | Smoldering Crater |
| Stormcarved Coast | Sulfur Falls |
This decklist consists of 31 creatures, 10 sorceries, 13 instants, 10 artifacts, 1 enchantment, and 34 lands. The creatures are designed to assist in discarding and drawing cards or reap benefits from these actions.
Key Cards
Captain Howler, Sea Scourge
As the commander, Captain Howler is essential for your strategy. It boasts solid stats and protection through its ward ability, making it both a fierce attacker and reliable blocker. Its low mana cost means you can summon it quickly to utilize its effects effectively.
Tip: When using multiple discard abilities in one turn, aim to distribute Captain Howler’s effect across several creatures, reducing the risk of losing any one target to removal spells.
The ideal targets for Captain Howler’s ability are unblockable creatures, allowing you to boost them significantly. Creatures that can consistently deal damage, rather than being easily blocked, will yield the best results.
Monument to Endurance
Given the frequency of discards in this deck, Monument to Endurance serves as an invaluable support card. By discarding multiple cards each turn, you can reliably draw cards, generate Treasure tokens, and deal three damage to opponents.
Tip: Save the damage for the end. Drawing a card is more beneficial in the late game, while generating treasure is typically more valuable early on. Adjust your priorities based on the game state.
Although Monument’s effects can only be activated once per turn, you can find numerous ways to discard cards during your opponents’ turns, continuously gaining value.
The Locust God
The Locust God is not only a powerful card but also enhances your battlefield presence. Many cards in this deck focus on drawing and discarding, allowing each card drawn to create a 1/1 flying token. These tokens serve as elusive attackers, as flying creatures are often harder for opponents to block.
In addition to its synergy with the deck, The Locust God can return to your hand if it dies, ensuring it remains a resource for your strategy unless exiled.
Blighted Agent
Among the options to pump with Captain Howler’s ability, Blighted Agent stands out as the best choice. Its unblockable nature, combined with infect, allows it to potentially eliminate an opponent with a single successful attack if it has enough power.
Note: Infect creatures do not deal conventional combat damage but instead give poison counters. An opponent loses the game if they accumulate ten poison counters.
Even if you don’t defeat an opponent outright, Blighted Agent can still apply pressure, paving the way for future victories with more discard outlets.
Strategies for Playing the Deck
The Captain Howler, Sea Scourge deck revolves around discarding cards and enhancing the power of your creatures. Focus on creatures like Blighted Agent, Triton Shorestalker, Slither Blade, and Invisible Stalker, as they cannot be blocked and can deal significant damage.
Many discard options exist, with wheel cards that discard entire hands, such as Windfall and Reforge the Soul, standing out. Since these are often one-time uses, cards that allow continuous discarding—like Mary Read and Anne Bonny—are extremely useful.
Additionally, generating creature tokens can bolster your board presence, giving you more attackers and blockers. The Locust God, Drake Haven, and Homunculus Horde produce tokens through card drawing, supporting your overall strategy.
Tip: Izzet decks struggle with natural ramp, so deploy your mana rocks early to ensure you have sufficient mana for your spells.
Winning through combat is the primary goal of this deck. Captain Howler’s ability can bolster creatures substantially, potentially ending the game in a single aggressive turn, especially against opponents with weak defenses.
However, there is a significant potential drawback: the deck relies heavily on your commander. Captain Howler’s explosive potential makes it a prime target for removal, so while its ward helps mitigate this, it’s still wise to be prepared for its potential loss. Fortunately, Captain Howler is inexpensive to play, making it less burdensome to cast again.
Add us on ChatGPT
Add us on Perplexity
