Wakanda Forever is the best kind of commander precon—unique cross synergies, new token mechanics, and six legendary creatures to choose from for our commander.
A true sandbox of deckbuilding design.
The five main themes we get are: affinity, vibranium, monarch, +1/+1 counters, and tokens, and there is clear synergistic overlap.
Vibranium artifacts help with affinity and token strategies. Many, many strong artifact creatures from the past utilize +1/+1 counters (Arcbound Ravager, anyone?) and ramping into beefy controlling artifacts can help us retain the monarch.
But, a lovely, diverse ensemble of mechanics can lead to some real stinker opening hands.
(Usually, a hand of six spells looks like it would be great with another land or two)
It’s time to pare back on themes to get to a mechanically streamlined build.
Time to get political.
King T’Challa gets political in Black Panther #1
Choosing a Leader
Who will lead the Wakandan army?
T’Challa is a clear flavor and strength choice. An inexpensive-to-cast commander that ramps us, grows with the game, and creates tokens with reasonable consistency is a lot to pass up on. If we want to lean into classic affinity strategies, T’Challa would run the show. But today, we pass.
T’Chaka is too old and too dedicated to new leadership. Pass.
Indestructible in the command zone and a nudge into a token build is intriguing… but, pass on Bast.
Is there a Storm build that gives all our opponents’ creatures flying when they attack us? Maybe one day, but not today. Pass.
Shuri looks reasonable in a metalcraft-inspired build, but doesn’t do enough to support metalcraft on her own. Pass.
That leaves us with Okoye. A four-mana 3/3 that makes us the Monarch when she enters, puts a +1/+1 counter on a creature every turn, and fiercely attacks anyone who dares take the monarchy away from us.
Okoye in Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon #5
A true Wakandan queen.
Okoye Defends the Monarchy
Building into monarch synergies, we must defend our rule.
Out of the box, we get Heart-Shaped Herb, Queen Mother Ramonda, and Storm, Queen of Wakanda as ways to prevent our opponents from stealing the monarch. Additionally, we get Throne of the High City, King Solomon’s Frogs, T’Chaka, Venerable King, and Fight for the Throne as instant speed ways to steal back the monarch before our opponents draw their card.
As the monarch with Okoye in play, we will gain one additional card and one +1/+1 counter each turn. Dawnstrider allows us to cash in our extra card to prevent all combat damage, thus retaining the monarch. Spike Weaver does the same, but allows us to cash in a +1/+1 counter instead of a card in our hand.
Moment’s Peace acts double duty. On first cast, it will protect us from losing the monarch. Once in our graveyard, our opponents will be strongly dissuaded from considering attacking us. A true moment of peace in the Wakandan countryside.
Queen Ramonda describes peace before Wakanda was named in Black Panther Vol 6 #167
To continue to keep the peace, we will add six more ways to dissuade (or outright prevent) our opponents from attacking us.
As a time-tested, classic piece of pillow-fort monarchies, Ghostly Prison has earned a slot in every monarch adjacent list. Is it interesting or necessary? No. But, we would be remiss to not include it here. Ghostly Prison’s big cousin, Champions of Minas Tirith, though, is a relative newcomer to the party and worth trying out.
Noble Heritage is a fun, political card that fits uniquely into Okoye’s style. Protects the monarch? Check. Benefits +1/+1 counter synergies? Check. Flavor references nobility? Check.
For just two mana, Noble Heritage allows us to pile +1/+1 counters on our creatures every turn and gives our opponents the opportunity to do the same, only if they give up any opportunity to steal the monarch.
As Queen of Wakanda, Storm earned her place in this build on flavor alone. Storm wants to stay queen, and so will stop any fliers from swinging in to steal the crown.
Overall, we are light on interaction in our final build. So, Unstable Glyphbridge and Promise of Loyalty are necessary added board wipes to keep our opponent’s boards in line. Each of these sweepers gives us added protection against incoming attacks.
Long live the queen!
Good to be Queen
Monarch drawing an additional card each turn is strong enough on its own to not require any additional support. However, let’s add Court of Grace, Jolrael, and Hoofprints of the Stag as ways to accrue additional benefits.
Court of Grace (and the rest of the more expensive court cards) is a clear winner in this deck, providing a beefy flier every turn that we protect the monarch.
Although Jolrael is from Dominaria, and although Jolrael is a reclusive hermit who turned her back on the Dominarian nobility, she is clearly depicted with two black panthers, a royal headdress, and mechanically benefits our monarch theme. She may want to stay in the Mwonvuli Jungle, but we need her in Wakanda.
Hoofprints of the Stag is probably not even very good, but I just wanted to throw it in here to try it out. A low set up cost of two mana allows us to (hopefully) get it into play early, or in a way that does not greatly disrupt our mana sequencing, then rewards us every other turn, if we retain the monarch, with a three-mana 4/4 elemental flyer.
Okoye wouldn’t be impressed with the Elementals. She wants soldiers.
Okoye prefers a stronger army in Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda
Expanding Territories
The real, fictional Okoye would not be a colonialist.
The monarch would be enough—defended, free, and at peace.
But, we are playing a combat-based trading card game.
Okoye will defend our interests, and our interest is to accrue as much value as possible while leaving little for everyone else at the table.
As long as we have Okoye defending the monarch, she can defend the initiative as well.
For our inclusions, we are only taking the best of the best—Seasoned Dungeoneer, Undermountain Adventurer, White Plume Adventurer, and Sarevok’s Tome.
In our warrior heavy build, Seasoned Dungeoneer will often grant protection from creatures to one of our warriors the turn she comes down, ensuring we are able to take back a contested initiative or monarch every turn.
Undermountain Adventurer admittedly would have pulled a little more weight under T’Challa’s tokens-ramping-into-enormous-artifacts style of leadership. But under Okoye, there is still plenty of work to be done ramping out Coveted Jewel, Gilded Lotus, and Helm of the Host. Sarevok’s Tome follows the same line. Better under T’Challa. Still here under new management.
White Plume is inexpensive to cast, and that’s its best (and nearly only) quality here. While it can technically untap Dawnstrider for us to chain fogs turn after turn, most of the time, it will be a purely defensive tool used to set up blockers.
Making Use of Counters
As a last touch to upgrading Wakanda Forever, we are going to add a little more support for the +1/+1 counter theme.
Out of the box, we get a small handful of cards that grant +1/+1 counters, but Royal Talon Fighter Jet is the only card that wears the counters for a meaningful benefit.
With Okoye in the command zone, we are adding Brigone, Mikaeus, and Steelbane Hydra to make use of our counters.
What a team.
Mikaeus takes Okoye’s counter and shares it with Brigone and the Hydra.
Brigone sheds the counter to draw us a card.
Steelbane sheds the counter to destroy our opponents’ mana rocks.
Teamwork makes the dream work.
Cut from the Dora Milaje
Cutting a lot of cards is never easy. But with Okoye at the helm, artifacts, combat, and redundant monarch pieces are no longer pulling their full weight.
Okoye will not fail in Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda #2
The cuts are –
Bast, Panther Goddess
Beast Within
Dispatch
Everett K. Ross, Hapless Attaché
Generous Gift
Black Panther’s Claws
Ingenious Smith
M’Baku, Jabari Chieftain
Metalwork Colossus
Meteor Golem
Midnight Angel Armor
Nakia, Wakandan Operative
Overwhelming Stampede
Panther Habit
Panther Robot
Shuri, the Black Panther
Vibranium Mining Mech
Vibranium Strike Gauntlets
W’Kabi, Shield of the Nation
Bonus Section – At the Crossroads
If a sandbox smattering of mechanics and wonky openers is what you are looking for, here is a small collection of cards that live at the intersection of affinity, vibranium, tokens, +1/+1 counters, and monarch.
Without further explanation and with T’Challa at the helm instead of Okoye, here’s a short list of cards that could have been considered for inclusion.
Cleanup Step
T’Challa out, Okoye in.
We took a deck with a sandbox of themes, and whittled down to a monarch and initiative build that made light use of Okoye’s +1/+1 counters.
It is the noble work of the Dora Milaje to protect the Black Panther. Relegating T’Challa to the ninety-nine was Okoye’s way of ensuring T’Challa’s safety.
Marvel.com Promotional Art
