Ao, the Dawn Sky
Color Identity
Details
Mana Value
5
Popularity
#628
of 3,466 commanders · via EDHREC
Card Text
Legendary Creature — Dragon Spirit
Flying, vigilance
When Ao dies, choose one —
• Look at the top seven cards of your library. Put any number of nonland permanent cards with total mana value 4 or less from among them onto the battlefield. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
• Put two +1/+1 counters on each permanent you control that's a creature or Vehicle.
5/4
Playstyle
Midrange · Flexible pace · Minimal interaction · Wins by engines
- Aggression
- 3 of 5
- Speed
- 2 of 5
- Interaction
- 1 of 5
- Combat
- 3 of 5
- Engine
- 4 of 5
- Complexity
- 4 of 5
Card Price
Strategy Guides
Combo Strategy Guide
Combo decks are for players who enjoy finding a narrow line, protecting it, and ending the game with specific cards working together. This strategy wants to assemble combo commanders, tutors, draw, and compact two-card or three-card packages, using infinite combos or deterministic loops, to win in one decisive moment. Unlike Spellslinger it is not paid for every spell cast, unlike Storm it does not need a long chain turn, and unlike Big Mana it does not rely on casting one enormous payoff. The best combo decks EDH players build balance speed with enough interaction to survive the table's disruption.
Reanimator Strategy Guide
Reanimator decks are for players who want to turn the graveyard into a shortcut for creatures that should cost far more mana. This strategy wants to load its own graveyard with high-impact targets, using discard, self-mill, and Entomb-style tutors, to win by casting cheap reanimation spells that cheat creatures into play ahead of schedule. Unlike Graveyard value decks, Reanimator is less about recurring small resources every turn, and unlike Mill it is not trying to empty libraries as the primary weapon. The best reanimator commanders and graveyard commanders help discard threats, return them, or convert each reanimated creature into immediate pressure.
Stax Strategy Guide
Stax decks are for players who want to win by deciding which resources matter before opponents can use them. This strategy wants to tax mana, cards, combat, and casting windows, using stax commanders and resource denial EDH pieces like Winter Orb and Smokestack, to win through a board state where your deck still functions and opponents cannot rebuild. Unlike Control, which answers threats after they appear, Stax locks the costs and rules of the game so many threats never get cast. The best stax commanders break parity, then convert the slowed table into combat damage, attrition, or a compact combo.
Artifacts Strategy Guide
Artifact decks are for players who want cheap permanents, mana rocks, and utility pieces to become one connected engine. This strategy wants to build artifact count and mana density, using artifact commanders, cost reducers, Treasure, recursion, and untap effects, to win through construct armies, loops, or artifact payoffs. Unlike Equipment, it cares about every artifact rather than just weapons, and unlike Ramp it turns the mana rocks themselves into the engine instead of only casting bigger spells. The best artifact decks EDH players build reward careful sequencing because each small piece can convert the next piece into more mana or cards.
Appears in These Collections
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