MTG Teval, the Balanced Scale: Bracket 3 Commander Guide (Gravebreak)
Draftsim's Bracket 3 Sultai build for Teval, the Balanced Scale from Tarkir: Dragonstorm centers on gravebreak and runs 38 lands plus mill and recursion.
Draftsim has put out a Bracket 3 Commander guide for Teval, the Balanced Scale, the Sultai commander from Tarkir: Dragonstorm. Its list is a graveyard deck that revolves around "gravebreak," meaning you make cards leave your graveyard so your permanents can trigger positive effects.
According to Draftsim, Teval reached the top ten most popular commanders on EDHREC within a year of release. Everything below comes from that single community guide, not from an official publisher source.
Teval Commander Decklist Breakdown
Draftsim's card counts for the list are:
- 1 Commander
- 23 Creatures
- 15 Instants
- 10 Sorceries
- 9 Enchantments
- 4 Artifacts
- 38 Lands
How Teval's Attack Trigger Works
When Teval attacks, the trigger puts cards into the graveyard, usually takes one back out, and creates Zombie Druid tokens. Nothing limits it to once per turn, so you can end up with several Zombies in a single turn.
The trigger does not care where a card goes or what type it is, only that it leaves the graveyard. Returning cards to hand, exiling spells to delve, playing lands from the graveyard and reanimating creatures can all set it off.
Gravebreak Payoffs: Insidious Roots, Syr Konrad and More
The gravebreak payoffs in the list are Insidious Roots, Kishla Skimmer, Fang, Fearless l'Cie, Teval's Judgment and Syr Konrad, the Grim.
- Insidious Roots grants a mana ability to all of your tokens rather than only Plants, so the Zombie Druids can tap for mana.
- Teval's Judgment creates the same tokens as Teval, draws cards and ramps through Treasure.
- Syr Konrad, the Grim also triggers when creatures are milled, die or leave any player's graveyard.
Mill, Reanimation and Interaction Package
The list fills the graveyard with Liliana the Repentant, Hedron Crab, Stitcher's Supplier, Mesmeric Orb, Court of Cunning, Ripples of Undeath and Lost Monarch of Ifnir.
The guide notes that Mesmeric Orb produces a full graveyard after two untap steps if you tap your lands. It also says Court of Cunning can be reclaimed with a 4/4 flying Dragon token if opponents steal the monarch.
Recursion and reanimation cards include Animate Dead, Reanimate, Dread Return, Life from the Loam, Afterlife from the Loam and Eternal Witness.
For interaction, the list runs Assassin's Trophy, Bitter Triumph, Swan Song, Stubborn Denial, Soul Shatter and Tear Asunder.
Context for Commander Players
This guide sits alongside other Commander deck-building coverage on TCGKing, such as a Draftsim upgrade guide for the Necron Dynasties precon and a community guide to vampire decks by bracket.
What it means for players
- Any effect that removes cards from the graveyard feeds Teval, so delve, reanimation and recursion all count.
- With Insidious Roots, Zombie Druid tokens double as mana sources.
- Counterspells and removal sit next to the graveyard engine in this build.
What is still unknown
- The total deck price is not stated.
- No official publisher source backs the list; it is Draftsim's own build.
TCGKing updates this article as soon as Wizards of the Coast announces these details. Follow all Magic news or get it in our newsletter.
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