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Magic: The Gathering offers numerous strategies for victory, and one effective method is to simply outpace your opponents. By drawing more cards, deploying additional lands, generating extra mana, and casting more spells, you can build a significant lead that your competitors may struggle to match.
In the color scheme of Magic, blue and green—known as Simic—embody this strategy of boundless growth. No other commander embodies this philosophy better than Prime Speaker Zegana. With her, you can outmatch your foes through larger creatures, increased card draw, and clever counter manipulation.
The Commander: Prime Speaker Zegana
Prime Speaker Zegana presents a straightforward but powerful approach. Upon casting Zegana, she gains a number of +1/+1 counters equal to the highest power among the creatures you control. Following this, you draw a number of cards equal to that value plus one. For instance, if you have a lone 2/2 creature on the battlefield, casting her for six mana allows you to place three +1/+1 counters on Zegana and draw three cards.
With larger tokens on the field, Zegana’s abilities strengthen. If you manage to play a creature like Chasm Skulker or Lorescale Coatl by the third turn, they can grow to 4/4 or 5/5 by the time you cast Zegana on turn six. This setup means Zegana could potentially be a 5/5 drawing five cards or a 6/6 drawing six.
The capacity to draw multiple cards at once significantly enhances your hand. A deck tailored around Prime Speaker Zegana should focus on flooding the early game with creatures and spells, intent on effectively refreshing your hand once Zegana is played.
Ramp spells are vital in Zegana decks, speeding up her entry onto the battlefield and solidifying your mana base for future plays. Zegana offers two key advantages: card draw and +1/+1 counters. More cards translate to more strategic choices, while counters boost combat strength. With proper support, those counters can create additional benefits, including extra mana or even immediate game victories.
Building Your Prime Speaker Zegana Commander Deck
A well-constructed Prime Speaker Zegana deck includes several essential components.
Firstly, include creatures that increase in strength as you draw more cards. These creatures provide both power to aid in drawing and become more formidable once Zegana hits the field.
Secondly, implement mana ramp. Six mana is not the cheapest cost, so getting Zegana onto the battlefield as early as possible can be game-changing. Having more mana also means you’re ready to cast the myriad spells you’ll draw.
Next, include cards that effectively utilize the +1/+1 counters Zegana generates, along with reliable Simic staples to ensure deck success.
Growing Threats
Creatures that grow as you draw cards synergize exceptionally well with Prime Speaker Zegana. If you deploy Lorescale Coatl early, it can become a significant threat once Zegana is cast. Other strong options include Chasm Skulker, Forgotten Ancient, Pollywog Prodigy, and Fathom Mage, which all become more powerful as the game progresses. You also have cards like Master Biomancer, Kalonian Hydra, and Vorel of the Hull Clade that continue to grow and pressure opponents.
Additionally, you can consider non-creature growth methods. Cards like Wizard Class, Hardened Scales, and Branching Evolution can rapidly increase the number of +1/+1 counters on your creatures.
Counter Manipulation
While the +1/+1 counters Zegana grants are a great start, many cards allow you to go further. For instance, Plaxcaster Frogling bestows shroud upon your creatures with counters, while Evolution Witness retrieves valuable cards from your graveyard. Herald of Secret Streams makes countered creatures unblockable, enhancing your attack options.
There are also spells that can make the most of your counters. Inspiring Call can easily provide you a handful of cards, while Wave Goodbye gives you removal for creatures without counters.
Ramp
To cast higher-cost commanders effectively, you’ll want to include a healthy dose of mana ramp in your deck. Utilitarian mana sources such as Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, and various green spells like Farseek and Cultivate will facilitate this. Additionally, creatures like Incubation Druid and Rishkar, Peema Renegade can further enhance your mana production.
It’s essential to consider that drawing a massive number of cards can exceed the hand size limit. Cards like Thought Vessel and Reliquary Tower will aid in sidestepping this limit, allowing you to benefit fully from Zegana’s abilities.
Simic Staples
Leveraging blue and green means you should utilize staple cards unique to Simic. Oko, Thief of Crowns, is significant in Commander games and can really swing the balance in your favor if included.
Rapid Hybridization and Beast Within give you valuable removal options, while Voidslime and Counterspell can deny your opponents their critical spells.
In this context, Body of Research can generate a massive creature providing you an instant win if combined with Herald of Secret Streams or Rogue’s Passage.
Prime Speaker Zegana Commander Deck List
With all these elements in mind, here’s a suggested deck list to maximize your success with Prime Speaker Zegana:
| Commander (1) |
|---|
| Prime Speaker Zegana |
| Creatures (34) |
|---|
| Wildwood Scourge |
| Birds of Paradise |
| Llanowar Elves |
| Gyre Sage |
| Coiling Oracle |
| Incubation Druid |
| Pollywog Prodigy |
| Scavenging Ooze |
| Lorescale Coatl |
| Chasm Skulker |
| Vorel of the Hull Clade |
| Managorger Hydra |
| Rishkar, Peema Renegade |
| Plaxcaster Frogling |
| Fathom Mage |
| Evolution Sage |
| Evolution Witness |
| Kami of Whispered Hopes |
| Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle |
| Forgotten Ancient |
| Herald of Secret Streams |
| Kianne, Corrupted Memory |
| Master Biomancer |
| Twenty-Toed Toad |
| Zegana, Utopian Speaker |
| Zimone, Paradox Sculptor |
| Psychosis Crawler |
| Deadeye Navigator |
| Tatyova, Benthic Druid |
| Body of Knowledge |
| Murkfiend Liege |
| Kalonian Hydra |
| Hydroid Krasis |
| Tishana, Voice of Thunder |
| Planeswalkers (2) |
|---|
| Oko, Thief of Crowns |
| Jiang Yanggu, Wildcrafter |
| Sorcery (5) |
|---|
| Farseek |
| Curse of the Swine |
| Cultivate |
| Wave Goodbye |
| Body of Research |
| Instants (7) |
|---|
| Rapid Hybridization |
| Cyclonic Rift |
| Counterspell |
| Beast Within |
| Voidslime |
| Inspiring Call |
| Mutational Advantage |
| Enchantments (7) |
|---|
| Wizard Class |
| Hardened Scales |
| Simic Ascendancy |
| Proft’s Eidetic Memory |
| Innkeeper’s Talent |
| Branching Evolution |
| Rhystic Study |
| Artifacts (8) |
|---|
| Sol Ring |
| Arcane Signet |
| Thought Vessel |
| Simic Signet |
| Ozolith, the Shattered Spire |
| Swiftfoot Boots |
| Powerfist |
| Lands (36) |
|---|
| Reliquary Tower |
| Alchemist’s Refuge |
| Command Tower |
| Rogue’s Passage |
| Temple of the False God |
| Boseiju, who Endures |
| Karn’s Bastion |
| Otawara, Soaring City |
| Riptide Laboratory |
| Oran-Rief, the Vastwood |
| Hinterland Harbor |
| Breeding Pool |
| Yavimaya Coast |
| Simic Growth Chamber |
| Rejuvenating Springs |
| Temple of Mystery |
| Flooded Grove |
| Dreamroot Cascade |
| Misty Rainforest |
| Vineglimmer Snarl |
| Barkchannel Pathway / Tidechannel Pathway |
| Hedge Maze |
| Botanical Sanctum |
| Forest (7) |
| Island (6) |
Budget Substitutions
For those who may find parts of this deck list too pricey, here are budget-friendly alternatives to consider:
| Expensive Card | Budget Substitution |
|---|---|
| Birds of Paradise | Utopia Sprawl, Elvish Mystic, Sakura-Tribe Elder, Ilysian Caryatid, Honored Hierarch |
| Pollywog Prodigy | Zameck Guildmage |
| Deadeye Navigator | Progenitor Mimic |
| Kalonian Hydra | Overbeing of Myth, Kruphix, God of Horizons |
| Oko, Thief of Crowns | Kiora, the Crashing Wave, Kiora, Master of the Depths, Garruk, Primal Hunter |
| Cyclonic Rift | Repulsive Mutation, Simic Charm, Pongify, Quadrix Command |
| Wave Goodbye | Whelming Wave, Oversimplify |
| Innkeeper’s Talent | Primal Empathy, Decanter of Endless Water |
| Rhystic Study | Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner, Garruk’s Uprising, Hadana’s Climb, Bred for the Hunt, Nerd Rage |
| Ozolith, the Shattered Spire | Empyrial Plate |
| The Ozolith | Stocking the Pantry, Utopia Sprawl |
| Powerfist | Inexorable Tide |
| Boseiju, who Endures | Llanowar Reborn, Mosswort Bridge |
| Otawara, Soaring City | Lonely Sandbar, Mystic Sanctuary |
| Breeding Pool | Tangled Islet, Thornwood Falls, Overflowing Basin, Simic Guildgate, Rimewood Falls, Restless Vinestalk |
| Misty Rainforest | Tangled Islet, Thornwood Falls, Overflowing Basin, Simic Guildgate, Rimewood Falls, Restless Vinestalk |
| Hedge Maze | Tangled Islet, Thornwood Falls, Overflowing Basin, Simic Guildgate, Rimewood Falls, Restless Vinestalk |
Tips For Playing Prime Speaker Zegana
- Focus on establishing Zegana as effectively as possible in your early game. Aim for creatures that will reach a good size (four or five power) by the time you’re ready to cast her.
- If you don’t have sufficient power readily available, don’t feel pressured to cast Zegana right away. She is worth much more with a solid board presence rather than forcing her out early for little benefit.
- Look for opportunities to significantly grow a creature that can bring down opponents lacking life gain. Herald of Secret Streams and Rogue’s Passage are great cards for sealing the deal.
- Upon drawing cards like Twenty-Toed Frog or Simic Ascendancy, consider a defensive play, focusing on achieving an alternative win condition by amassing +1/+1 counters. This strategy can develop quicker than you might expect.
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