Superfriends

Superfriends decks run a high count of planeswalkers and use proliferate, protection, and board control to keep them alive long enough to activate their ultimate abilities. A single planeswalker ultimate can be game-altering. Multiple ultimates end the game.

How it works

1. Deploy planeswalkers and use board control to protect them
2. Proliferate to add loyalty counters faster than normal
3. Activate plus abilities each turn, building toward ultimates
4. Win through accumulated planeswalker value or a single devastating ultimate

Key cards

Proliferate:

• Atraxa Praetors' Voice — proliferate every end step. The premier Superfriends commander.
• Flux Channeler — proliferate whenever you cast a noncreature spell
• Inexorable Tide — proliferate whenever you cast any spell

Protection:

• Sphere of Safety — opponents pay mana per enchantment you control to attack you or your walkers
• Propaganda / Ghostly Prison — opponents pay mana to attack you
• The Eternal Wanderer — each opponent can only attack with one creature
• Board wipes that spare planeswalkers (Wrath of God, Damnation)

Planeswalker synergy:

• Doubling Season — planeswalkers enter with double loyalty counters. Many walkers can ultimate immediately with this.
• The Chain Veil — activate loyalty abilities an extra time each turn. Costs 4 mana to activate. Extremely powerful.

Strengths

Incremental value. Each planeswalker generates value every turn. Multiple walkers on the board compound rapidly.

Resilient to creature removal. Your threats are planeswalkers, not creatures. Board wipes help you by clearing attackers.

Diverse effects. Planeswalkers provide draw, removal, tokens, and win conditions across different loyalty abilities.

Weaknesses

Vulnerable to combat damage. Opponents can attack your planeswalkers directly. In a four-player game, that's a lot of potential attackers.

Setup time. Planeswalkers need turns to build loyalty. Getting them ultimated takes 3-4 turns minimum without proliferate.

Expensive cards. Both mana cost and dollar cost. Most good planeswalkers cost 4-6 mana and $5-30+.

Popular commanders

Atraxa Praetors' Voice (W/U/B/G) — proliferate every end step. Adds loyalty counters to all your planeswalkers at once.

Carth the Lion (B/G) — planeswalkers enter with an extra loyalty counter and you get extra plus ability value.

Commodore Guff (U/R/W) — built around planeswalkers. Creates tokens, draws cards, and has an ultimate that scales with planeswalker count.

Typical colors

Four or five colors to access the best planeswalkers. Atraxa (W/U/B/G, missing red) is most common. Jeskai (U/R/W) with Commodore Guff is an alternative.

Ratio adjustments