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Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER is the featured commander in the **Magic: The Gathering** Limit Break preconstructed Commander deck. While it performs well right out of the box, Cloud truly shines when used as a dedicated Commander without the limits of a prebuilt deck.
This version of Cloud focuses heavily on Equipment, with each card related to him in the Final Fantasy set connected to Equipment in some way. A Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER Commander deck is ideal for maximizing Equipment, attaching them to creatures for powerful, potentially game-changing effects. If you enjoy Equipment strategies or are a fan of Final Fantasy 7, Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER is an excellent choice as your commander.
Decklist
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Commander: Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER |
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Adelbert Steiner ADVERTISEMENT |
Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist |
Barret, Avalanche Leader |
Beatrix, Loyal General |
Bruenor Battlehammer |
Bureau Headmaster |
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Cid, Freeflier Pilot ADVERTISEMENT |
Cloud, Midgar Mercenary |
Cloud, Planet’s Champion |
Codsworth, Handy Helper |
Danitha Capashen, Paragon |
Freya Crescent |
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Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms |
Halvar, God of Battle // Sword of the Realms |
Kellan, the Fae-Blooded |
Lion Sash |
Lizard Blades |
Professor Hojo |
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Puresteel Paladin |
Red XIII, Proud Warrior |
Sram, Senior Edificer |
Stoneforge Mystic |
Tifa, Martial Artist |
Yuffie, Materia Hunter |
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Farseek |
Nature’s Lore |
Open the Armory |
Rampant Growth |
Steelshaper’s Gift |
Three Visits |
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Chaos Warp |
Dispatch |
Inventory Management |
Path to Exile |
Swords to Plowshares |
Arcane Signet |
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Basilisk Collar |
Behemoth Sledge |
Blackblade Reforged |
Bloodforged Battle-Axe |
Champion’s Helm |
Colossus Hammer |
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Commander’s Sphere |
Conformer Shuriken |
Conqueror’s Flail |
Embercleave |
Excalibur, Sword of Eden |
Fellwar Stone |
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Hexplate Wallbreaker |
Inspirint Statuary |
Loxodon Warhammer |
Pip-Boy 3000 |
Power Fist |
Sol Ring |
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Sword of the Animist |
Talisman of Conviction |
Talisman of Unity |
The Reaver Cleaver |
Trailblazer’s Boots |
Ultima Weapon |
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Wrecking Ball Arm |
Blacksmith’s Talent |
Fighter Class |
Forge Anew |
Sigarda’s Aid |
Axgard Armory |
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Battlefield Forge |
Brushland |
Buried Ruin |
Canopy Vista |
Cinder Glade |
Clifftop Retreat |
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Command Tower |
Exotic Orchard |
x4 Forest |
Ishgard, the Holy See |
Jungle Shrine |
Karplusan Forest |
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x4 Mountain |
Overgrown Farmland |
x5 Plains |
Rockfall Vale |
Rogue’s Passage |
Rootbound Crag |
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Rugged Prairie |
Slayers’ Stronghold |
Spire of Industry |
Sundown Pass |
Sunpetal Grove |
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This deck features **24 creatures, six sorceries, five instants, 26 artifacts, four enchantments,** and **34 lands**. The creature count is slightly higher than the Equipment, which is crucial for optimal deck performance.
Key Cards
Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER
Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER is both a focal point for your Equipment and a source of card advantage and mana ramp. You want Cloud’s power to reach **seven or more**, which will activate all of Cloud’s abilities when he attacks.
Cloud allows you to draw a card for **each equipped creature**, making it beneficial to distribute your Equipment among all your creatures. Boosting Cloud’s power to at least seven also generates Treasure tokens.
Some Equipment come with high equip costs, but Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER can bypass these with its ability when it enters the battlefield. With **haste**, you can trigger Cloud’s effects as soon as he enters. Making Cloud unblockable is a smart strategy for safe attacks.
Codsworth, Handy Helper
Codsworth, Handy Helper is a key support card in any Equipment-focused strategy. It serves as a mana producer, tapping for two mana instead of one, and can also reduce equip costs by tapping itself. It can function as either ramp or utility, depending on the game situation, while also providing your commander with ward two for extra protection.
Inspiring Statuary
Inspiring Statuary helps balance Equipment and non-Equipment spells, turning all your Equipment into mana sources. The ability to improvise allows you to tap your artifacts to help pay for generic mana costs, letting you conserve colored mana. Tapping Equipment doesn’t create any downsides, so using them for improvise effectively makes them generate “free” mana. This flexibility allows you to cast creatures while still holding mana for interaction during your opponents’ turns.
Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms
Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms is a fantastic way to bring multiple Equipment into play simultaneously. His ability activates whether he enters the battlefield or attacks, ensuring the effect triggers if he is played at least once.
There are several creatures with reconfigure in the Equipment category, which Gilgamesh can fetch from the deck, enhancing battlefield presence even if those creatures remain as Equipment.
As the only Samurai in the deck, Gilgamesh is the sole target for free equipment. However, the deck has many methods to cheat Equipment onto your creatures, making it easy to capitalize on Gilgamesh’s ability.
How to Play the Deck
General Gameplan
A Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER deck focuses on equipping all your creatures, many of which should achieve at least seven power. Various Equipment provide stat boosts, like Behemoth Sledge and Blackblade Reforged, making it easier to hit that power threshold.
Some Equipment, like the Power Fist and Pip-Boy 300, place +1/+1 counters on equipped creatures, making it permanent for creatures to reach seven power, whether or not they are equipped.
It’s crucial to ensure that all your creatures are equipped, not just one. Unlike many Equipment decks, Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER doesn’t focus on a single powerful creature. Instead, equipping several creatures amplifies your benefits. For instance, Red XIII, Proud Warrior grants equipped creatures vigilance and trample, while Barret, Avalanche Leader produces tokens that equip themselves.
With numerous Equipment in the deck, make sure to place your best Equipment on your most powerful creatures. As a rule, prioritize equipping Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER to maximize commander damage against your opponents.
Win Conditions and Flaws
The deck’s main win strategy revolves around combat. You can deal damage traditionally by boosting your creatures with Equipment, or through commander damage by making Cloud a powerful threat.
This deck makes it straightforward to escalate your commander’s power to 21, potentially taking an opponent out of the game with just one hit. Some cards like Tifa, Martial Artist and Hexplate Wallbreaker even allow for extra combat steps, facilitating victory further.
However, a significant drawback is the deck’s reliance on Equipment, which can be mana-intensive—requiring you to spend mana both to cast the Equipment and to attach it to creatures. While cards like Sigarda’s Aid and Blacksmith’s Talent can help you attach Equipment for free, they must remain on the battlefield to be effective.
If you don’t have ways to reduce equip costs, your turns can become sluggish, giving your opponents time to disrupt your strategy. Once your creatures are equipped, though, you can unleash massive damage, shifting the game in your favor quickly.
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