Like most Universes Beyond sets, MTG Avatar brought a ton of powerful legends to the table for Commander enthusiasts to utilize. In addition to the cards from the main set, MTG Avatar also comes equipped with a boatload of Jumpstart legends, many of which also have lots of EDH appeal.
In fact, one particular legend has received a ton of EDH hype, which, when combined with its rarity as a Jumpstart mythic, has contributed to its price tag ballooning all the way to $60! Besides being a solid ramp Commander on its own, this creature is a fantastic inclusion in the 99 of a variety of decks.
Building Up Experience Counters With Toph
Toph, Earthbending Master is a rather interesting design. It pays you off for consistently having lands enter the battlefield by increasing the number of experience counters you have, which then fuel Toph’s attack trigger. Notably, you don’t even have to attack with Toph to get your bonus, any creature will do. This makes it trivial to Earthbend turn after turn without putting Toph in danger.
For those looking to maximize Toph as your Commander of choice, there are a handful of different styles of cards that help you get the most from it. The first and most obvious are ramp cards that let you build up experience counters as quickly as possible.
Early in the game, efficient options such as Nature’s Lore help you get Toph into play ahead of schedule. From there, efficient options like Harrow and Entish Restoration that trigger Landfall multiple times are your best bet, especially because these instants synergize extra with Earthbent lands. Once you get your engine rolling, even a top-end ramp spell as massive as Boundless Realms has a lot of appeal as a way to trigger Landfall a ton of times at once.
Of course, given how important triggering Landfall is to your game plan, it’s worth running some other elite Landfall creatures to take full advantage of your ramp elements. Right off the bat, Evolution Sage should be an automatic inclusion, since Proliferating not only helps you rack up experience counters, but also works to grow your Earthbent lands. Additionally, any Landfall payoffs that flood the board with creatures, such as Rampaging Baloths and Scute Swarm, are welcome inclusions.
Notably, there are other ways to take advantage of Landfall triggers besides simply casting ramp spells. Any green Fetchlands function as low cost ways to double up on triggers. Speaking of getting extra value, Traveling Chocobo and Ancient Greenwarden ensures that every land entering the batltlefield gives you two Landfall triggers. With all of these tools at your disposal, you should have no problem taking over long games with Toph’s second ability.
Earthbending Synergies
For Toph, the clear reward for increasing your number of experience counters is that you get to start turning your lands into enormous creatures whenever you attack. As powerful as this can be, though, it is a bit of a slow process, and your opponent can always chump block your beefy lands to stay afloat. As such, you really want additional ways to abuse Toph as an Earthbending machine to guarantee you can take over grindy games.
One method of speeding things up is to use Strionic Resonator or Roaming Throne to copy Toph’s second triggered ability. This way, you generate multiple must-kill threats each turn cycle. After that, any Trample enablers make it easier to close games. Kodama of the West Tree fills this role nicely while also rewarding you every time you connect with one of your Earthbent lands in combat.
Given the sheer number of +1/+1 counters that get spread around by Toph, additional +1/+1 counter synergies give you an even better late-game engine. The Ozolith, for example, ensures that when one of your beefy lands dies, you’ll have the opportunity to make your next threat even larger.
Interestingly, attacking isn’t the only way to abuse the Earthbending mechanic. Consistently, Earthbending turn after turn opens the door for Terrasymbiosis and Inspiring Call to serve as elite card draw mechanisms. Digging deeper, cards like Momentous Fall and The Legend of Kyoshi become absurd card draw spells as the game progresses.
There are also a number of lands you can play that pay you off for Earthbending onto them. Strip Mine and Wasteland are classic pieces that any Toph deck shouldn’t leave home without. After Earthbending onto one of them, sacrificing the land will trigger its return to play, so you can set up a sort of soft lock on an opponent. Similarly, Earthbending onto lands like Urza’s Saga that naturally get sacrificed has a ton of value.
Even “Man-lands” synergize nicely with Earhtbending. For instance, once you get nine experience counters, Inkmoth Nexus becomes an enormous problem since you can make it a lethal threat at will. These particular mini combos are worth keeping in mind in any Earthbending deck, even those without Toph in the Command Zone.
Toph in the 99
With this in mind, Toph has plenty of utility in the 99 of a variety of other Commander decks. Unsurprisingly, any archetype centered around land creatures, especially those with Bumi Unleashed at the helm, will want Toph in the mix.
The same can be said for Black Panther, Wakandan King shells, since Toph provides a flow of +1/+1 counters onto your lands, which you can move around with Black Panther to generate extra value. Because Earthbent lands come back to the battlefield when they die, Toph also works nicely in decks built around The Gitrog Monster, Hearthhull, the Worldseed, and other Commanders that encourage you to sacrifice your lands.
The absolute best strategies for Toph in the 99, however, are those with other experience counter legends in the Command Zone. From Azlask, the Swelling Scourge to Meren of Clan Nel Toth, there are tons of decks that can use Toph simply for its Landfall ability. All of this utility adds up, so it’s no wonder Toph is in high demand.
Stick with us here at mtgrocks.com: the best site for Magic: The Gathering coverage. Be sure to check out our deckbuilder for your next big brew!