Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain
An Esper combat snowball commander that turns one modified attacker into a rapidly scaling pile of doubled counters and copied Auras/Equipment.
Public decks: 1Bracket: Varies
Overview
- Wants to attack with a modified creature (counters and/or non-token attachments) to multiply its board state mid-combat.
- Each attack doubles every kind of counter on the attacker, then copies each attached nontoken permanent onto it, quickly compounding power and utility.
- Often plays like Voltron-plus: build one evasive threat, but the attachment-copying can create a second axis of advantage beyond just commander damage.
- Flying and lifelink let Arna pressure life totals while stabilizing races, especially once the attacker is suitably built up.
- Ward by discard taxes spot removal, encouraging opponents to either time sweepers well or spend extra resources interacting.
Common lines
- Deploy Arna, suit up a creature with an Aura/Equipment or counters, then start attacking to multiply the modifications.
- Use evasion (often from the commander or the build) to force through attacks and ensure the doubling/copy trigger keeps happening.
- Protect the key attacker with interaction, then pivot from “one big threat” into overwhelming stats and repeated attachment copies.
- When ahead, keep combat pressure high and force opponents to answer the attacker rather than develop their own engines.
Strengths
- Explosive scaling from repeated attack triggers; one connect can turn into a runaway snowball.
- Naturally rewards resilient, evasive attackers; flying and lifelink help maintain tempo and life cushion.
- Can generate a lot of value from a small number of permanents by copying attachments onto the attacker.
- Ward makes trading 1-for-1 removal less efficient for opponents, buying time for another attack step.
Weaknesses
- Combat-dependent; fogs, pillow-fort effects, and board stalls can shut off the primary engine.
- High reliance on a single modified attacker makes the deck vulnerable to exile-based removal or well-timed sweepers.
- Aura-heavy lines can be swingy into removal if you overcommit without protection.
- Graveyard and hand resources can be pressured because ward asks you to discard to keep Arna safe.
Rule zero notes
- This commander can snowball quickly off combat if unanswered; mention if your build is tuned for fast lethal via stacked modifications.
- Call out how much protection and counterspell density you run, since it affects how interactable the main attacker is.
- If you include very high-impact attachments (for example Eldrazi Conscription or Kaldra Compleat), note that copying them can end games abruptly.
- Clarify whether you’re aiming for commander-damage kills, wider combat via copied attachments, or a more value-oriented plan.
Matchups
Best into
- Creature-midrange pods that rely on blocking and incremental combat trades.
- Slower tables that give you time to assemble a modified attacker and start chaining attack triggers.
- Decks light on instant-speed exile and light on sweepers.
Struggles against
- Heavy-control pods with plentiful countermagic and instant-speed exile removal.
- Frequent board-wipe metas where investing in one attacker gets repeatedly reset.
- Pillow-fort and fog strategies that prevent meaningful attacks.
FAQ
What counts as a modified creature for Arna?
Any creature with counters on it and/or with Auras or Equipment attached will typically qualify, enabling the attack trigger.
Do the copied attachments stick around?
Arna creates token copies of the attached nontoken permanents and attaches them to the attacking creature, so the payoff can persist if the creature survives.
Is this mostly a Voltron commander?
It often plays like Voltron, but the attachment-copying can push it beyond a single pump plan by multiplying your best permanent-based buffs and utility.
How does the deck usually win?
Most wins come from overwhelming combat damage after a few attack triggers, either via commander damage lines or a massive modified attacker that becomes impossible to race.
What interaction hurts Arna the most?
Exile removal and sweepers are the cleanest answers, since they sidestep ward and punish heavy investment into one modified creature.