Bracket 3 · Our Ekthi decklist · Equipment
Our Ekthi list is mono-white Equipment where every Equipment brings its own body. Ekthi gives each Equipment living weapon, so it enters attached to a 0/0 Phyrexian Germ token, and Ekthi gives every Germ +1/+1.
The deck is built from swords, boots and armor, card draw that triggers on Equipment, and one-sided wipes like Hour of Reckoning, which kills nontoken creatures and leaves your Germ army standing.
- Strategy
- Equipment
- Bracket
- 3
- Avg. mana value
- 2.69
- Lands
- 35
01The Commander
Ekthi, Contaminator Priest gives each Equipment you control living weapon. Whenever an Equipment enters, you create a 0/0 black Phyrexian Germ and attach the Equipment to it.
Ekthi also gives your other Phyrexians +1/+1, and every Germ is a Phyrexian. A Sword of Fire and Ice becomes a 3/3 pro-red, pro-blue Germ that draws and shoots when it connects.
Because each Equipment arrives already attached, you skip most equip costs. Cheap Equipment like Bloodforged Battle-Axe or Paradise Mantle becomes a creature for one mana.
02How This Deck Wins
- 1
Cast Equipment, get bodies
Every Equipment makes a Germ wearing it. Cheap pieces build a board fast while Sram, Senior Edificer and Puresteel Paladin draw cards.
- 2
Suit up
Puresteel Paladin, Forge Anew and Kíli the Resourceful make equipping free, so you can stack swords and armor on your best attacker.
- 3
Swing big
Halvar, God of Battle gives equipped creatures double strike, and Akroma's Will or Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite makes the final attack lethal.
03Deck at a Glance
Bracket 3 · Equipment · 100 cards
Composition
- Commander1
- Creatures15
- Instants & sorceries11
- Artifacts & enchantments37
- Planeswalkers1
- Lands35
- Tokens5
Mana Curve
Color Split
symbols
- White 100%
By the Numbers
Cards by Role
04Best Equipment
With Ekthi, each of these is also a creature. These hit hardest.
Also in this role
05Equipment Engines
These draw cards on Equipment, cut costs and make equipping free.
Also in this role
06Tutors
Finding the right sword is half the game.
Also in this role
07Anthems and Finishers
Germs are small. These make them big.
08Removal, Protection and Mana
Cheap white answers and the mana to cast big Equipment.
Also in this role
09Combos and Key Interactions
Ekthi, Contaminator Priest + Bloodforged Battle-Axe
Each time the Germ connects, the Axe copies itself, and each copy makes a new 1/1 Germ with +2/+0.
Puresteel Paladin + Ekthi, Contaminator Priest
Every Equipment draws a card and makes a Germ, and with three artifacts you can move Equipment around for free.
Hour of Reckoning + Ekthi, Contaminator Priest
Wipe every nontoken creature. Your Germ tokens and their Equipment stay, though Ekthi dies too.
10How to Play
Opening hand
Keep hands with two or three lands, a cheap Equipment and a draw engine or tutor. Ekthi costs four, so a turn-two Equipment and turn-four Ekthi is a strong start.
Early gameturns 1-3
Cast cheap Equipment and engines like Sram, Senior Edificer or Puresteel Paladin. Germs from Ekthi only come once Ekthi is out, so equip your creatures in the meantime.
Mid gameturns 4-7
Cast Ekthi, then every Equipment brings a Germ. Tutor for a sword and start attacking with protected Germs.
Late gameturn 8+
Stack Equipment on one attacker with Halvar, God of Battle for double strike, or wipe with Hour of Reckoning and swing with your Germ army.
Tips
- Living weapon only applies when an Equipment enters, so cast Ekthi before your Equipment.
- Germs are 0/0 with Ekthi's +1/+1, so moving all Equipment off one kills it.
- Hour of Reckoning is convoke: tap Germs to help pay for it.
- Bloodforged Battle-Axe copies are Equipment entering, so each makes another Germ.
Common mistakes
- Casting Equipment before Ekthi and missing the free Germs.
- Losing Ekthi and leaving bare 0/0 Germs that die.
- Overspending on equip costs when Puresteel Paladin or Forge Anew could make them free.
- Ignoring artifact wipes in your opponents' decks.
Watch out for
- Artifact wipes like Vandalblast.
- Removal on Ekthi, which turns Germs back into 0/0s.
- Effects that stop tokens being created.
- Fliers your ground Germs can't block.
11Bracket and Rule 0
Our list runs 1 Game Changer (Enlightened Tutor), within the Bracket 3 limit of three.
The deck wins through combat with no two-card infinite combos.
12Full Decklist
Every card in our Ekthi proxy deck (100 cards). Hover or tap a name to see the card.
Commander
- 1Ekthi, Contaminator Priest3W
Creatures (15)
- 1Esper SentinelW
- 1Cid, Freeflier Pilot1W
- 1Cloud, Midgar MercenaryWW
- 1Kíli the Resourceful1W
- 1Puresteel PaladinWW
- 1Sram, Senior Edificer1W
- 1Stone Haven Outfitter1W
- 1Stoneforge Mystic1W
- 1Cloudsteel Kirin2W
- 1Codsworth, Handy Helper2W
- 1Danitha Capashen, Paragon2W
- 1Foundry Inspector3
- 1Halvar, God of Battle2WW
- 1Vulpine Harvester3W
- 1Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite5WW
Planeswalkers (1)
- 1The Aetherspark4
Instants (7)
- 1DispatchW
- 1Enlightened TutorW
- 1Path to ExileW
- 1Swords to PlowsharesW
- 1Flawless Maneuver2W
- 1Generous Gift2W
- 1Akroma's Will3W
Sorceries (4)
- 1Steelshaper's GiftW
- 1Open the Armory1W
- 1Sevinne's Reclamation2W
- 1Hour of Reckoning4WWW
Artifacts (32)
- 1Paradise Mantle0
- 1Bloodforged Battle-Axe1
- 1Colossus Hammer1
- 1Commander's Plate1
- 1Masterwork of Ingenuity1
- 1Shadowspear1
- 1Skullclamp1
- 1Sol Ring1
- 1Stoneforge Masterwork1
- 1Adaptive Omnitool2
- 1Arcane Signet2
- 1Blackblade Reforged2
- 1Lightning Greaves2
- 1Long-Lost Lances2
- 1Mind Stone2
- 1Swiftfoot Boots2
- 1Sword of the Animist2
- 1Wrecking Ball Arm2
- 1Bitterthorn, Nissa's Animus3
- 1Buster Sword3
- 1Caduceus, Staff of Hermes2W
- 1Nettlecyst3
- 1Orcrist, Goblin-cleaver3
- 1Sword of Feast and Famine3
- 1Sword of Fire and Ice3
- 1Sword of Forge and Frontier3
- 1Hulkbuster Armor4
- 1Swordsman's Steel4
- 1Aettir and Priwen6
- 1Argentum Armor6
- 1Kaldra Compleat7
- 1Excalibur, Sword of Eden12
Enchantments (5)
- 1Land TaxW
- 1Sigarda's AidW
- 1Intangible Virtue1W
- 1Caretaker's Talent2W
- 1Forge Anew2W
Lands (35)
- 1Adagia, Windswept Bastion
- 1Ancient Den
- 1Buried Ruin
- 1Emeria, the Sky Ruin
- 1Inventors' Fair
- 1Monumental Henge
- 25Plains
- 1Rogue's Passage
- 1Three Tree City
- 1Urza's Saga
- 1War Room
Get the deck
Ekthi Equipment proxy deck
Ekthi turns every Equipment into a creature. Cast your swords, suit up for free, and swing with a protected Germ army.
Every card in this guide is shown exactly as it prints in the deck you get, sleeve-ready, with tokens.
Shop the deck · $45Every card named in this guide is in our deck, and every image is our own proxy card, rendered from the art in this deck.