In Commander, Tokens and Counters remain two of the most popular archetypes, and there’s plenty of overlap between them. While these themes are inherently simplistic, there are so many legends to build around that each adds their own spice. Bess, Soul Nourisher, for example, rewards you for going both tall and wide in a unique way, while even offering some infinite combo potential.
MTG Bess, Soul Nourisher
At a baseline, what makes Bess, Soul Nourisher so interesting as a Commander is its ability to pay you off for playing puny creatures. With a big enough Commander and a wide enough board, you’ll have no issue attacking for a boatload of damage in one swing.
With this in mind, you’re heavily incentivized to incorporate lots of 1/1 token makers. March of the Multitudes, Secure the Wastes, and Grand Crescendo all make for strong inclusions. Notably, token generators that trigger Bess’s first ability multiple times a turn, like Scute Swarm and Torens, Fist of the Angels, are especially impactful.
While simply playing out 1/1s will grow your Commander over time, you can also speed up the process with counter doublers like Hardened Scales and Doubling Season. In a similar vein, Cathar’s Crusade and Rosie Cotton of South Lane further reward your token production by growing Bess.
Once you get your engine rolling, you just need to fend off opposing removal long enough to assemble lethal damage. Heroic Intervention, Teferi’s Protection, and similar effects should help do the trick. Throw in any old Overrun effect or Champion of Lambholt to ensure your creatures get past chump blockers, and you’re golden.
Infinite Mana and Counters
As threatening as Bess is at face value, the legend can also take over games thanks to an infinite combo. Using Bess, Animation Module, and a mana-producing sacrifice outlet like Ashnod’s Altar, you can make infinite mana and an infinitely large Bess.
By putting a counter on Bess with Animation Module, you’ll trigger Animation Module, which can create a Servo for one mana. This new Servo will trigger Bess to get a counter, triggering Animation Module, which Ashnod’s Altar can help pay for. Since this gets you a new Servo, it’ll trigger Bess again, and you can keep sacrificing these to Ashnod’s to pay for the loop.
This process will grow Bess infinitely large to set up potential lethal attacks and also nets infinite mana, making Walking Ballista a game-winning play. Notably, this combo line also provides infinite enters triggers, turning Soul Warden into an infinite life piece and helping Mentor of the Meek draw your deck.
A Cheap and Underplayed Commander
Ultimately, thanks to its efficiency and game-breaking potential, Bess is a scary Commander to face down. Despite this, the Citizen only appears as the Commander in 2,060 decks according to EDHREC. Its usage in the 99 of other decks isn’t high, either, with only 8,850 decks to its name. While this makes sense given Bess’s strict build-around nature, it’s certainly deserving of more respect as a Commander choice.
The good news, however, is that this legend’s consistent lack of demand has helped it maintain a $0.65 price tag. As a result, it’s easy and relatively risk-free to pick up a copy and give it a spin at your next Commander Night.
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