When the Commander Legends card gallery was completed we saw several new pirate cards, I immediately  was looking at making a Pirate deck. Now the cards aren’t currently available and in the UK all the LGS play areas are shut because of Covid 19 making testing problematic apart from with a sharpie, basic lands and my battle box. I find LGS play so much a better environment for new decks as the Pauper community is great offering advice and constructive criticism, MTGO is full of so much salt or advice would be to play a better deck.

Going on theme I’m thinking Pirate creature cards, cards that reference pirates and maybe we have a Ship as a vehicle.

I’m going to brew a Pirate deck and my thought processes on the key card selections and choices for the deck.

This is the core card pool to work from, courtesy of filtering some lists on Scryfall.

Pirates

• Azure Fleet Admiral
• Cloud Pirates
• Deadeye Rig-Hauler
• Kitesail Corsair
• Kitesail Skirmisher
• Prosperous Pirates
• Reef Pirates
• Rishadan Airship
• Rishadan Cutpurse
• Sailor of Means
• Shipwreck Looter
• Siren Lookout
• Steam Frigate
• Talas Air Ship
• Talas Explorer
• Talas Merchant
• Talas Scout
• Trove Tracker
• Deadeye Tormentor
• Desperate Castaways
• Dinosaur Hunter
• Dire Fleet Hoarder
• Dire Fleet Interloper
• Fathom Fleet Boarder
• Fathom Fleet Cutthroat
• Grasping Scoundrel
• Boarding Party
• Brazen Buccaneers
• Brazen Freebooter
• Crimson Fleet Commodore
• Fanatical Firebrand
• Fathom Fleet Firebrand
• Goblin Trailblazer
• Headstrong Brute
• Impulsive Pilferer
• Storm Fleet Pyromancer
• Swab Goblin
• Swaggering Corsair

And we have Ramirez DePietro, a Legendary Pirate could indeed be our Pirate King.

Pirate Synergy

• Sea Legs
• Siren’s Ruse
• March of the Drowned
• Buccaneer’s Bravado
• Fiery Cannonade
• Pirate’s Cutlass

Ship

Unfortunately we have no Ship’s apart from the spirit creature Ghost Ship.

Changeling

• Amoeboid Changeling
• Mothdust Changeling
• Wings of Velis Vel
• Changeling Outcast
• Ghostly Changeling
• Moonglove Changeling
• Nameless Inversion
• Skeletal Changeling
• Venomous Changeling
• Blades of Velis Vel
• Fire-Belly Changeling
• War-Spike Changeling
• Universal Automaton

So this gives us the option of Izzet, Dimir or even Grixis Pirates each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Looking at the cards at face value Izzet Faeries and Dimir Delver are Tier 1 decks that are powerful in the format and even Grixis has some solid deck lists already.

Looking at what cards we have available on the surface we look like we’re going to be starting Tier 3 or maybe even Tier 2, however, we do have individual cards that look impactful and new cards in the format. I’m okay with this, sometimes you want a deck to have fun with friends or if introducing someone to the format and a less powerful deck allows them more opportunity to enjoy their initial games in the format.

I’m going to use Pirates as my creature base, most of the Changeling’s don’t add anything significant apart from Changeling Outcast as an aggressive threat.

I’ve decided that Ramirez DelPietro for flavor purposes is worth including a 4/3 first strike creature is good and a dream scenario with a Pirate’s Cutlass is going to be able to go toe to toe with the majority of the format.

Crimson Fleet Commodore and Azure Fleet Admiral both look impressive and also bestow the Monarch especially flavourful when you want a Pirate King. We can also add Fall from Favor as removal and another way to become the Monarch. Will be going full on for the Monarch as card draw though I do fancy playing Frantic Inventory.

The Deck

This is where I am going to have my starting point.

Creatures

• 4             Fanatical Firebrand
• 4             Goblin Trailblazer
• 4             Siren Lookout
• 2             Azure Fleet Admiral
• 2             Crimson Fleet Commodore
• 1             Ramirez DelPietro

Goblin Trailblazer isn’t a brilliant threat but I’m hoping that it can hold a cutlass to become more of a threat.

Siren Lookout can be an aerial threat if needed but if we can Explore into our fourth land drop all the better.

Previously I built Dimir Ninja’s which was great fun but below Tier 1 quality. Leaning on creature synergies and the most powerful support spells will reduce any issues.

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Spells

• 1             Chainer’s Edict
• 1             Cast Down
• 4             Skred
• 1             Lightning Bolt
• 4             Flood of Recollection
• 1             Exclude
• 1             Negate
• 1             Soul Manipulation
• 1             Fiery Cannonade

I really want to try Flood of Recollection so I’ve built a tool box of powerful spells.

I’m tempted to run more Fiery Cannonade main deck.

• 4             Fall from Favor
• 2             Pirates Cutlass

Land

• 1             Dismal Backwater
• 1             Bloodfell Caves
• 4             Thriving Isle
• 1             Swiftwater Cliffs
• 2             Snow-Covered Swamp
• 6             Snow-Covered Island
• 4             Snow-Covered Mountain
• 3             Ash Barrens

This is a personal favourite for multicolour mana base using the flexibility of Thriving lands, life lands and enough snow lands for Skred to be maximised.

Sideboard

• 4             Rishadan Cutpurse
• 3             Red Elemental Blast
• 3             Blue Elemental Blast
• 3             Fiery Cannonade
• 2             Abrade

Not sure on Rishadan Cutpurse as it is sacrifice a permanent not a creature and can be paid to avoid but it is something that may be worth it.

Conclusion

The deck looks fun and by using so many new cards we can gain some vital intel on how effective newer cards can be in the format e.g.. Flood of Recollection and the new Monarch cards.