Ajani, Nacatl Pariah // Ajani, Nacatl Avenger
CommanderA Boros Cat-maker that can flip into a planeswalker and turn a wide board into counters, bursts of damage, and a punishing sacrifice ultimate.
Public decks: 2Bracket: Varies
Card text
Legendary Creature — Cat Warrior // Legendary Planeswalker — Ajani
When Ajani enters, create a 2/1 white Cat Warrior creature token.
Whenever one or more other Cats you control die, you may exile Ajani, then return him to the battlefield transformed under his owner's control.
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+2: Put a +1/+1 counter on each Cat you control.
0: Create a 2/1 white Cat Warrior creature token. When you do, if you control a red permanent other than Ajani, he deals damage equal to the number of creatures you control to any target.
−4: Each opponent chooses an artifact, a creature, an enchantment, and a planeswalker from among the nonland permanents they control, then sacrifices the rest.
Overview
- Starts fast: Ajani brings a Cat token on entry and can keep making more once transformed.
- Leans into going wide with Cats, then converting that board into pressure via team-wide +1/+1 counters.
- Naturally resilient to spot removal: if other Cats die, Ajani can exile and return transformed, dodging some removal and resetting as a planeswalker.
- The transformed 0 ability can double as reach, letting a big creature count translate into direct damage if you control another red permanent.
- Ajani’s ultimate can act like a lopsided board reset by forcing opponents to keep only one of each permanent type.
Common lines
- Cast Ajani early, get the Cat token, and begin building a board that rewards staying wide.
- Engineer situations where Cats die (combat trades or sweepers) to flip Ajani and pivot into planeswalker value.
- After transforming, alternate between making more Cats and growing the team to set up lethal swings.
- Use the transformed 0 ability as a finisher or key removal by scaling damage with your creature count.
- Threaten the −4 as a closing lever: opponents often have to answer Ajani before the sacrifice effect wipes their board.
Strengths
- Efficient board development: makes bodies immediately and can continue to produce tokens after transforming.
- Strong snowball potential from repeated Cat production plus team-wide +1/+1 counter growth.
- Built-in pivot point: the flip condition can turn creature attrition into a planeswalker advantage engine.
- Can close games without combat by converting a wide board into direct damage on the transformed side.
- Ultimate provides a high-impact reset that can punish decks relying on multiple permanent types.
Weaknesses
- Board-dependent: if your creature count is low, the damage mode and counter plan lose a lot of punch.
- Vulnerable to repeated sweepers and exile-based interaction that prevents or limits the flip/value loop.
- Planeswalker side can draw table pressure; protecting Ajani after flipping can be difficult without a developed board.
- Boros constraints can make sustained card advantage and rebuilding after wipes more challenging.
- Token-centric starts can struggle into early, efficient mass removal or effects that suppress creature swarms.
Rule zero notes
- Call out whether you’re aiming for a combat-focused token swarm plan or leaning on the transformed damage mode as a primary finisher.
- Flag how often you expect to present the −4 sacrifice ultimate and whether your deck is built to protect Ajani to reach it.
- Mention if your list includes many ways to intentionally sacrifice or trade Cats to flip Ajani reliably.
- Disclose your expected speed: whether this is a slower token grind or a more aggressive go-wide strategy.
Matchups
Best into
- Creature-combat pods where tokens and counters can dominate the battlefield
- Midrange tables that trade resources and give you chances to flip Ajani off natural creature deaths
- Decks light on planeswalker answers that have trouble stopping repeated token production
Struggles against
- Heavy-sweeper environments that repeatedly clear small creatures before they matter
- Exile-heavy control shells that can remove Ajani cleanly and blunt the flip plan
- Pillow-fort or fog-heavy tables that invalidate combat as a primary win path
FAQ
What is Ajani trying to do in Commander?
You typically build a wide board of Cats, flip Ajani through Cat deaths, then leverage the planeswalker side to grow the team, make more bodies, and threaten a decisive ultimate.
How do you usually flip Ajani?
Ajani flips when one or more other Cats you control die, which often happens through combat trades, sacrifice outlets, or opponents’ sweepers.
How does this deck usually win?
Most games end via go-wide combat backed by repeated +1/+1 counters, with the transformed 0 ability providing reach by turning creature count into direct damage.
Is the transformed 0 ability always a burn spell?
No; it only deals the big burst of damage if you control a red permanent other than Ajani, so your deck needs reliable red permanents for that mode to be consistent.
How scary is the −4 ultimate at a typical table?
It can be a major turning point because it strips opponents down to one artifact, one creature, one enchantment, and one planeswalker, so tables often try to answer Ajani before he gets there.