Torens, Fist of the Angels Commander Deck Tech

Unsummoned Skull • January 31, 2025

Deckbuilding

Don't Bemoan Fate: Punch the Heavens

People are afraid right now, and justifiably so. Homes on fire; rights are under attack because of a zealous, fearful group; the threats of deportation and violence are palpable. In many ways, returning to Innistrad is remarkably timely.

Maybe, just maybe, we can take some lessons from the humans of Innistrad by looking at how they deal with living in a gothic horror setting, jumping from inhumane monstrosity to terrifying existential threat.

The humans of Innistrad fight. They band together, finding aspects of their shared humanity and empowering each other through necessary training. Torens, Fist of the Angels

represents this unification in the wake of the loss of their celestial protectors: if the angels can't protect us, we'll let our fists fly until they pierce the heavens.

Efficient Humans

Torens, Fist of the Angels

is a cheap, efficient Human who creates more Humans with training and has training himself. As a result, he leads an army of creatures that get bigger and bigger as we recruit stronger and stronger leaders. Some creatures, like Champion of Lambholt
 and Champion of the Parish
, can grow into their leadership responsibilities and take on training new arrivals.


With counters flying all over the place from training and from Juniper Order Ranger

, Abzan Falconer
 can do some real damage. It's surprising how Humans and counters overlap, and Selesnya is the perfect color combination to join that union.


With a wide board of Humans, we need some cards that can make combat easier and can dissuade counterplay from opponents. After all, the only counters we like are the ones we put on our creatures. Saryth, the Viper's Fang

provides deathtouch, while Grand Abolisher
 prevents spells and abilities from opponents during our turn.


Roaming Throne

may be a generically powerful creature for any kindred deck with activated abilities, but it's especially powerful here. Torens makes multiple Humans with it out, and training puts out multiple counters as well. It really is a perfect fit for a deck like this!


Card Draw/Advantage

As with most aggressive decks, we need card advantage to avoid curving out and sitting around. Our commander needs bodies to keep coming out, even after our board has developed. As a result, a win-more card like Shamanic Revelation

, which draws cards for the creatures we have out, is still quite potent.


Augur of Autumn

is a strong Human that provides card advantage from the top of the library. Training means that our creatures' powers are constantly shifting, so cards that care about different powers or augmented status are able to get maximum value.


While Esper Sentinel

is a powerhouse in white, one of the overlooked elements of the etherium-clad conqueror is that it is actually a Human! As such, it triggers our Human synergies and facilitates our beatdown.


Guardian Project

isn't at its best here, as tokens don't trigger it, but we do make plenty of differently named bodies with our Humans, so it will still trigger enough to be worth a spot. Skullclamp
, on the other hand, is a premium card in a deck that makes a stream of 1/1s, which our Human tokens happen to be, prior to undergoing training.


Ramp

We do need a bit of ramp, as we want to be casting multiple spells in a turn, especially after a card draw spell. Avacyn's Pilgrim

is the only on-theme one-drop we have access to; Llanowar Elves
 and Birds of Paradise
 just aren't worth it without the Human synergies.


Rishkar, Peema Renegade

is a rare non-Human powerful enough to make the grade. It's another counters card that works nicely with what we're already doing. After all, it turns all creatures with counters into Llanowar Elves
, regardless of how those counters got there.


Removal

As with the other categories, we want to fill our roles with as many Humans as possible. Cathar Commando

is a Naturalize
 attached to a Human body, but it does require itself to be sacrificed. Loran of the Third Path
 is a similar card, but it sticks around and draws cards politically for the remainder of its time on the battlefield.


Aura Shards

is a bit of a controversial inclusion. We don't have many cards that would get hit through friendly fire, but the Shards do tend to function as a stax effect, essentially neutering decks that depend heavily on artifacts and enchantments, and dissuading people from playing them out.


The general plan is to make small Humans that grow together through surviving combat. We draw a lot of cards to keep the pressure up, while powering out big plays and removing problem permanents.
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Torens, Fist of the Angels Commander Deck Tech

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Creatures (42)

Sorceries (1)

Lands (40)

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Unsummoned Skull

Unsummoned Skull

Teacher, judge, DM, & Twitch Affiliate. Lover of all things Unsummon. Streams EDH, Oathbreaker, D & D, & Pokemon. Even made it to a Pro Tour!