The Commander
When Fortune enters, scry 2.
Whenever Fortune attacks while saddled, at end of combat, exile it and up to one creature that saddled it this turn, then return those cards to the battlefield under their owner's control.
Saddle 1
Guide
Gameplan
Fortune is a cheap, recurring blink engine on legs: saddle it for 1, swing, and at end of combat flicker both Fortune and the saddling creature to reuse enter-the-battlefield triggers every turn. Build a mono-white blink/value deck stacked with ETB creatures, then turn the accumulated card and board advantage into a wide or tall win. Early turns you ramp and deploy value creatures, then attack repeatedly to recycle their triggers while resetting auras/counters and dodging removal.
Strengths
- Free, repeatable blink each combat with no extra mana once Fortune is out
- Saddle 1 is trivially cheap and any creature can do it
- Resets ETB creatures, removes counters/auras, and saves a creature from targeted removal at end of combat
- Cheap 3-mana commander with built-in card selection (scry 2) that comes down early
- Mono-white means consistent mana and access to powerful enchantment/creature hatebears
Weaknesses
- Blink only triggers when Fortune connects in combat, so it's vulnerable to blockers and removal of the steed
- Mono-white struggles for card draw and big mana ramp compared to other colors
- Combat-dependent engine—stax, fog effects, or a single well-placed deathtouch blocker stalls it
- Loses value entirely if Fortune is answered before saddling
- Slow to assemble a real win without strong ETB payoffs
Key Cards
- Solitude — Blinking it each combat gives repeatable free removal, exiling a creature every turn.
- Skyclave Apparition — Recurring exile of any nonland, nontoken permanent turns Fortune into a removal engine.
- Restoration Angel — Flash blink and evasive saddler that can both protect Fortune and abuse its own flicker.
- Stonehorn Dignitary — Flickering it repeatedly locks opponents out of combat damage as a soft lock.
- Containment Priest — Hatebear that punishes other flicker/reanimation strategies while you abuse ETBs legitimately via casting.
- Cathars' Crusade — Every blinked creature retriggers as it 'enters,' snowballing +1/+1 counters across your board.
Upgrade Path
Add the best mono-white ETB creatures and free removal (Solitude, Skyclave Apparition, Stonehorn Dignitary) plus protection like Swords to Plowshares and Flawless Maneuver to keep Fortune alive. Improve mana and card flow with Smothering Tithe, Land Tax, Welcoming Vampire, and Mentor of the Meek so the engine doesn't run dry. For a true power spike, lean into a soft lock with repeated Stonehorn flickers backed by Aven Mindcensor and Drannith Magistrate, or add Cathars' Crusade plus token ETBs for an explosive go-wide kill.
Core Cards
The most-played cards for this commander, built from aggregated deck data (the Mythic Graph). Build public decks to seed it.
Win Conditions
- ▸Grind out card and board advantage with ETB creatures, then attack with a wide board
- ▸Lock opponents out of combat damage via repeated Stonehorn Dignitary flickers, then close with beaters
- ▸Pump the team with Cathars' Crusade counters and swing for lethal
- ▸Repeatable removal (Solitude, Skyclave Apparition) strips defenses while creatures finish
Archetypes
- Blink/Flicker — Fortune is a free repeatable flicker outlet that retriggers ETB creatures every combat.
- Value Midrange — Stacking enter-the-battlefield effects with a cheap recursive engine grinds opponents out of resources.
- Stax/Soft Lock — Recurring Stonehorn Dignitary or Glowrider-style effects build a combat or resource lock.
- Tokens/Go-Wide — Cathars' Crusade and token-making ETBs turn each flicker into a growing board.
Combos
- The Legend of Kuruk // Avatar Kuruk + Fortune, Loyal Steed + Chameleon, Master of Disguise
→ Infinite turns, Lock
- Wormfang Manta + Tocatli Honor Guard + Fortune, Loyal Steed
→ Infinite turns, Lock
- Wormfang Manta + Torpor Orb + Fortune, Loyal Steed
→ Infinite turns, Lock
- Lumra, Bellow of the Woods + Walk the Aeons + Fortune, Loyal Steed
→ Near-infinite turns, Lock
- Wormfang Manta + Hushbringer + Fortune, Loyal Steed
→ Infinite turns, Lock
Combos via Commander Spellbook.
Related Commanders
Same color identity (W), by popularity.
