Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
WUGLegendary Creature — Bird Wizard

Derevi, Empyrial Tactician

Mana value3EDHREC#2,829

The Commander

Flying

When Derevi enters and whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, you may tap or untap target permanent.

{1}{G}{W}{U}: Put Derevi onto the battlefield from the command zone.

Guide

Gameplan

Derevi grinds out advantage through repeated permanent tap/untap triggers off combat damage, often weaponizing creatures into mana, draw, or attack triggers while locking opponents out with stax pieces. You either go wide with cheap fliers and tokens to spam combat damage triggers, or build a hard lock with tappers and asymmetric resource denial. Derevi's command-zone recast for {1}{G}{W}{U} sidesteps commander tax, making her relentlessly available.

Strengths

  • Command-zone recast avoids commander tax, keeping Derevi nearly impossible to remove permanently
  • Bant colors give the best stax, ramp, and control tools in the format
  • Tap/untap triggers enable powerful land/mana untap loops and combat shenanigans
  • Cheap, evasive body that snowballs incremental advantage

Weaknesses

  • Relies on connecting in combat or building a critical mass of permanents to do real work
  • Stax builds can be slow and draw table-wide aggression
  • No native card advantage engine in the command zone
  • Vulnerable to board wipes that reset a go-wide plan

Key Cards

  • Winter OrbDerevi untaps your own lands on combat damage, breaking the symmetry of resource denial.
  • Static OrbSame asymmetric lock as Winter Orb, letting you operate while opponents stall.
  • Seedborn MuseUntaps your permanents each turn, supercharging tappers and mana for a control lock.
  • Stoneforge MysticFetches and cheats equipment to make Derevi or tokens lethal threats fast.
  • Smothering TithePremier white ramp that fuels Derevi's mana-hungry recasts and stax pieces.
  • OppositionTurns your creatures into a hard tapper lock, complemented by Derevi untapping them.

Upgrade Path

Lean harder into asymmetric stax (Winter Orb, Tangle Wire, Static Orb) since Derevi uniquely breaks their symmetry, and add fast mana like Mana Crypt and Sol Ring to deploy locks ahead of the table. Tighten the creature suite toward evasive bodies and tappers (Glen Elendra Archmage, Opposition) and add tutors like Enlightened Tutor for your key lock pieces. Top-end with a compact combo such as an untap-loop mana engine to convert your lock into a clean win.

Core Cards

Win Conditions

  • Stax lock that grinds opponents out while you attack with evasive threats
  • Voltron beatdown with equipped Derevi or pumped fliers
  • Going wide with tokens backed by anthems and tappers
  • Combo finishes via untap loops (e.g., infinite mana into outlets)

Archetypes

  • StaxDerevi untaps your lands and permanents to break symmetry on Winter Orb, Static Orb, and tax effects.
  • TokensGoing wide with evasive tokens maximizes combat-damage tap/untap triggers and board presence.
  • ControlBant counters, tappers, and Derevi's lock pieces let you dictate the game from the top.
  • VoltronEquipment and evasion turn Derevi into a recurring, tax-free beater that keeps connecting.

Combos

Combos via Commander Spellbook.

Related Commanders

Same color identity (GUW), by popularity.

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