Livaan, Cultist of Tiamat

Gameplan

Livaan turns every noncreature spell into a damage buff, so you assemble a cheap evasive threat (or Livaan himself), then chain cheap-to-mid spells that pump it for X equal to each spell's mana value. With cantrips, rituals, and cost reducers you swing for huge connecting damage in a single turn, often paired with double-strike or trample to close fast.

Key Cards

• Birgi, God of Storytelling — Generates a red mana per spell, letting you chain noncreature spells to stack Livaan triggers for free.
• Grinning Ignus — Combos with Birgi for infinite casts, generating unlimited Livaan triggers and a lethal pump.
• Storm-Kiln Artificer — Makes Treasures off every noncreature spell, refueling more spells and more +X/+0 pumps.
• Fervor — Gives haste so a freshly cast or pumped threat connects the turn you go off.
• Rite of Flame — Cheap ritual that nets mana and still triggers Livaan for a free +1/+0 alongside the acceleration.
• Temur Battle Rage — Adds double strike and trample, converting a single Livaan pump into doubled, unblockable commander damage.

Upgrade Path

Add free and ritual-enabling pieces—Jeska's Will, Pyretic Ritual, Underworld Breach loops, and cost reducers like Ruby, Daring Tracker or Goblin Anarchomancer—to chain more spells per turn. Lean into protection (Heroic Intervention is off-color, so use red options like Boros Charm-style instants, Faithless Looting recursion, and Deflecting Swat) and evasion enablers like Rogue's Passage and Whispersilk Cloak. Pick a Background such as Reckless Barbarian or one granting haste/evasion to make Livaan or your one-shot threat connect reliably.