Baral, Chief of Compliance
Color Identity
Details
Mana Value
2
Popularity
#111
of 3,466 commanders · via EDHREC
Card Text
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard
Instant and sorcery spells you cast cost {1} less to cast.
Whenever a spell or ability you control counters a spell, you may draw a card. If you do, discard a card.
1/3
Playstyle
Control · Defensive · Heavy interaction · Wins by combo
- Aggression
- 1 of 5
- Speed
- 2 of 5
- Interaction
- 5 of 5
- Combat
- 1 of 5
- Engine
- 4 of 5
- Complexity
- 4 of 5
Card Price
Strategy Guides
Control Strategy Guide
Control decks are for players who enjoy deciding which threats matter, spending answers carefully, and winning after the table has slowed down. This strategy wants to stabilize the game, using control commanders, counterspells, removal, sweepers, and card-draw engines, to win through a protected finisher, planeswalker, combo finish, or long-term card advantage. Unlike Stax, Control answers threats on the stack or battlefield instead of locking everyone out of resources. The best control decks EDH players build accept that multiplayer control cannot counter everything, so they lean on sweepers and engines that trade across several opponents.
Spellslinger Strategy Guide
Spellslinger decks are for players who want each instant and sorcery to advance the board, refill the hand, or pressure life totals. This strategy wants to cast cheap spells across every turn cycle, using spellslinger commanders, magecraft payoffs, and copy effects, to win through accumulated damage, spell-made tokens, or card advantage. Unlike Storm, it does not need one huge chain turn, and unlike Combo it is not waiting for specific pieces to end the game at once. The best instants and sorceries decks reward steady sequencing and careful use of interaction.
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.
Card Draw Strategy Guide
Card Draw decks are for players who want a full hand to be the engine, the protection, and eventually the win condition. This strategy wants to draw extra cards every turn, using card draw commanders, repeatable engines, wheels, and draw payoffs, to win through card advantage EDH plans such as damage triggers, stocked interaction, or superior late-game resources. Unlike Control, it is not only answering threats, and unlike Spellslinger it cares about the draw event more than the spell cast. The best card draw commanders either refill you directly or convert each extra card into pressure.
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