Bracket 3 · Our Bard, King of Dale decklist · Tokens
Our Bard list is Azorius tokens and card draw. Bard doubles every token you make and turns every extra card draw into two.
The deck triggers "second card each turn" creatures like Prince Imrahil the Fair and Homunculus Horde, stacks doublers like Anointed Procession and Elspeth, Storm Slayer, and finishes with Moonshaker Cavalry or Akroma's Will on a huge board.
- Strategy
- Tokens
- Bracket
- 3
- Avg. mana value
- 2.70
- Lands
- 36
01The Commander
Bard, King of Dale is a six-mana 3/5 with reach and vigilance. If you would draw a card except the first one in each of your draw steps, you draw two cards instead.
If one or more tokens would be created under your control, you create twice that many instead.
The two halves feed each other. One extra draw on any turn is already your second card, so cards like Prince Imrahil the Fair and Mischievous Mystic trigger, and Bard doubles the tokens they make.
02How This Deck Wins
- 1
Set up draw triggers
Cheap creatures like Prince Imrahil the Fair, Mischievous Mystic and Emrakul's Messenger reward drawing your second card each turn.
- 2
Double everything with Bard
Bard turns each extra draw into two and each token into two. Add Anointed Procession or Elspeth, Storm Slayer to make it four.
- 3
Overrun the table
Swing with a wide board pumped by Moonshaker Cavalry, Akroma's Will or Caretaker's Talent.
03Deck at a Glance
Bracket 3 · Tokens · 100 cards
Composition
- Commander1
- Creatures24
- Instants & sorceries19
- Artifacts & enchantments19
- Planeswalkers1
- Lands36
- Tokens11
Mana Curve
Color Split
symbols
- White 51%
- Blue 49%
By the Numbers
Cards by Role
04Token Makers
Bard doubles every one of these.
Also in this role
05Doublers and Token Payoffs
Stack the doublers, then cash in.
Also in this role
06Card Draw Engines
Extra draws turn on your whole board.
Also in this role
07Finishers and Mana
Ramp to Bard, then end it.
Also in this role
08Interaction
Azorius answers and protection.
Also in this role
09Combos and Key Interactions
Bard, King of Dale + Homunculus Horde
Each Horde trigger makes two copies, and every copy triggers on your second draw of each later turn too, including opponents' turns, so the Hordes grow fast.
Bard, King of Dale + Anointed Procession
Two token doublers stack, so every token effect makes four times as many.
Bard, King of Dale + Skullclamp
Equip a 1/1 token. It dies, and Skullclamp's two draws become four with Bard.
10How to Play
Opening hand
Keep hands with three lands, a mana rock and a cheap draw creature like Prince Imrahil the Fair or Mischievous Mystic.
Early gameturns 1-3
Play cheap draw payoffs, cantrips like Opt and Preordain, and mana rocks. Rhystic Study or Esper Sentinel keep cards flowing.
Mid gameturns 4-7
Cast Bard with protection up. Then every extra draw doubles and every token doubles, so cast your token makers after him.
Late gameturn 8+
Swing wide and pump the team with Moonshaker Cavalry or Akroma's Will, or cast Approach of the Second Sun twice.
Tips
- Bard doesn't change the first card you draw in each of your draw steps. Every other draw becomes two.
- With Bard out, any single draw on an opponent's turn is your second card, so your "second card each turn" creatures trigger on every turn.
- Bard, Anointed Procession and Elspeth, Storm Slayer stack. Two doublers make four tokens, three make eight.
- Cantrips like Opt and Ponder draw two with Bard, so cast them on opponents' turns when you can.
Common mistakes
- Casting token makers before Bard and losing the doubling.
- Using Supreme Verdict when you are ahead on board.
- Drawing so much with Windfall or Frantic Search that you discard your best cards.
- Tapping out for Bard with no counterspell or protection.
Watch out for
- Board wipes.
- Removal on Bard.
- Effects that stop tokens or extra draws.
- Opposing counterspells.
11Bracket and Rule 0
Our list runs 2 Game Changers (Rhystic Study, Smothering Tithe), within the Bracket 3 limit of three.
This is a Bracket 3 (Upgraded) style deck with two Game Changers, Rhystic Study and Smothering Tithe.
It has no infinite combos, but Homunculus Horde with Bard can snowball fast, and Moonshaker Cavalry on a wide board can win in one swing. Approach of the Second Sun is an alternate win. Mention them at Rule 0.
12Full Decklist
Every card in our Bard, King of Dale proxy deck (100 cards). Hover or tap a name to see the card.
Commander
- 1Bard, King of Dale4WU
Creatures (24)
- 1Esper SentinelW
- 1Belladonna Took1W
- 1Emrakul's Messenger1U
- 1Faerie Mastermind1U
- 1Mischievous Mystic1U
- 1Prince Imrahil the FairWU
- 1Tataru Taru1W
- 1The Queen of Dale1W
- 1Voice of Victory1W
- 1Adeline, Resplendent Cathar1WW
- 1Bard the Bowman1WU
- 1Chasm Skulker2U
- 1Cosmogrand Zenith2W
- 1King T'Challa1WU
- 1Loran of the Third Path2W
- 1Alandra, Sky Dreamer2UU
- 1Bard's Company2WU
- 1Bard, Heir of Girion2WU
- 1Curiosity Crafter3U
- 1Faramir, Prince of Ithilien2WU
- 1Homunculus Horde3U
- 1Mister Fantastic, Reed Richards3U
- 1The Council of Four3WU
- 1Moonshaker Cavalry5WWW
Planeswalkers (1)
- 1Elspeth, Storm Slayer3WW
Instants (14)
- 1An Offer You Can't RefuseU
- 1BrainstormU
- 1OptU
- 1Path to ExileW
- 1Swan SongU
- 1Swords to PlowsharesW
- 1Arcane Denial1U
- 1Bilbo's Gambit1W
- 1CounterspellUU
- 1Dovin's VetoWU
- 1Reprieve1W
- 1Flawless Maneuver2W
- 1Frantic Search2U
- 1Akroma's Will3W
Sorceries (5)
- 1PonderU
- 1PreordainU
- 1Windfall2U
- 1Supreme Verdict1WWU
- 1Approach of the Second Sun6W
Artifacts (11)
- 1Skullclamp1
- 1Sol Ring1
- 1Arcane Signet2
- 1Azorius Signet2
- 1Fellwar Stone2
- 1Lightning Greaves2
- 1Mind Stone2
- 1Talisman of Progress2
- 1Thought Vessel2
- 1Great Gilded Boat2U
- 1Horn of Gondor3
Enchantments (8)
- 1Gleaming Splendor1W
- 1Ominous Seas1U
- 1Caretaker's Talent2W
- 1Monologue Tax2W
- 1Rhystic Study2U
- 1Anointed Procession3W
- 1Smothering Tithe3W
- 1Teferi's Ageless Insight2UU
Lands (36)
- 1Adarkar Wastes
- 1Command Tower
- 1Deserted Beach
- 1Exotic Orchard
- 1Flooded Strand
- 1Floodfarm Verge
- 1Glacial Fortress
- 1Hallowed Fountain
- 9Island
- 1Meticulous Archive
- 1Minas Tirith
- 1Mystic Gate
- 1Otawara, Soaring City
- 11Plains
- 1Port Town
- 1Prairie Stream
- 1Reliquary Tower
- 1Sea of Clouds
Get the deck
Bard, King of Dale Tokens proxy deck
Bard doubles your cards and your army. Draw, multiply, and fly over the table.
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.