Rhiannon Hendricks
Building a Superfriends deck in *Magic: The Gathering* without *The Chain Veil* is entirely feasible, though it requires careful card selection and strategy adjustments. *The Chain Veil* is often included for its ability to turbocharge planeswalker ultimates, but its absence doesn’t doom the deck. Instead, players can focus on synergy-driven planeswalkers like *Teferi, Hero of Dominaria* or *Ashio, the Defiled*, whose passive abilities and loyalty mechanics provide consistent value. Supplementing with efficient board wipes, ramp spells, and token generators ensures the deck remains competitive. While *The Chain Veil* offers explosive potential, a well-crafted Superfriends list can thrive by leveraging redundancy, resilience, and strategic timing, proving that the archetype’s strength lies in its versatility rather than reliance on a single card.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Deck Archetype | Superfriends (Tribal - Legendary Creatures) |
| Commander Options | Multiple viable commanders (e.g., [[Brinelin, the Moon Kraken]], [[Tuvasa the Sunlit]], [[Jegantha, the Wellspring]], [[Kykar, Wind's Fury]]) |
| Key Strategy | Utilize legendary creatures for value, synergy, and board presence without relying on [[The Chain Veil]] |
| Mana Base | Optimized for 3-4 colors (e.g., WUBR, Naya, Jeskai) depending on commander |
| Ramp Strategy | Efficient mana rocks, land ramp, and artifact-based acceleration |
| Draw/Card Advantage | Legendary-focused draw engines (e.g., [[Mangara, the Diplomat]], [[Raffine, Scheming Seer]]) |
| Removal Suite | Flexible removal targeting creatures, artifacts, and enchantments |
| Win Conditions | Combo finishers (e.g., [[Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder]] + [[Gyre Engineer]], [[Captain Sisay]] + [[Ugin, the Spirit Dragon]]) or gradual value accumulation |
| Meta Viability | Competitive in casual to mid-power metas; less reliant on infinite combos |
| Budget Flexibility | Can be built on a budget with staple legendaries and efficient mana base |
| Weaknesses | Slower than traditional Superfriends decks with [[The Chain Veil]]; relies on consistent legendary drops |
| Notable Exclusions | [[The Chain Veil]], high-CMC non-legendary win conditions |
| Synergy Focus | Tribal synergies (e.g., Humans, Wizards, Sphinxes) and legendary-specific effects |
| Sideboard Considerations | Graveyard hate, artifact/enchantment removal, and meta-specific answers |
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What You'll Learn
- Alternative Mana Acceleration: Explore cards like Mana Vault or Grim Monolith for fast mana
- Efficient Commanders: Use commanders like Raffine or Tymna for consistency without The Chain Veil
- Infinite Combos: Build around Thrasios and Tymna for combo wins without relying on The Chain Veil
- Stax Strategy: Incorporate stax pieces like Winter Orb to control the game without The Chain Veil
- Card Draw Engines: Utilize Rhystic Study or Mystic Remora for draw without The Chain Veil
Alternative Mana Acceleration: Explore cards like Mana Vault or Grim Monolith for fast mana
In the realm of Superfriends decks, the absence of The Chain Veil doesn't have to spell doom for your mana acceleration strategy. Instead, it opens the door to exploring alternative, often underutilized, fast mana options that can keep your engine humming. Cards like Mana Vault and Grim Monolith are prime examples of artifacts that provide immediate mana without relying on the infamous Veil's combo potential. These cards shine in their ability to generate mana from turn one, ensuring your planeswalkers hit the board early and often. However, their effectiveness comes with a cost—literally. Both require a mana investment to activate, which can strain your early game if not managed carefully.
To maximize the value of Mana Vault and Grim Monolith, consider pairing them with mana rocks that produce more than one mana, such as Coalition Relic or Chromatic Lantern. This synergy ensures you recoup your initial investment quickly while maintaining a steady mana flow. Additionally, artifacts like Wayfarer's Bauble or Terrarion can help you dig for lands, smoothing out your draws and reducing the risk of mana screw. The key is to strike a balance between fast mana and long-term sustainability, as overcommitting to artifacts can leave you vulnerable to board wipes or artifact removal.
A persuasive argument for these alternatives lies in their resilience. Unlike The Chain Veil, which is often a prime target for removal due to its combo potential, Mana Vault and Grim Monolith are less likely to draw immediate hate. Their lower profile allows them to fly under the radar, providing consistent value throughout the game. Moreover, their ability to tap for mana on the turn they enter the battlefield makes them immediate threats, giving you a head start in the planeswalker arms race. This early advantage can be game-changing, especially in multiplayer formats where tempo is critical.
When incorporating these cards, be mindful of their drawbacks. Mana Vault, for instance, deals 1 damage to you each turn it’s untapped, which can add up in longer games. To mitigate this, prioritize activating it only when necessary or include life gain effects like Sanguine Bond or Exsanguinate to offset the damage. Grim Monolith, while more benign, still requires a mana investment to activate, so ensure you have a critical mass of mana rocks or lands to support it. A well-timed Grim Monolith activation can fuel a game-winning ultimate, but only if your mana base is robust enough to handle the cost.
In conclusion, Mana Vault and Grim Monolith offer a viable path to fast mana in Superfriends decks without relying on The Chain Veil. Their early-game impact, combined with strategic synergies and careful management of their drawbacks, can elevate your deck’s performance. By embracing these alternatives, you not only diversify your mana acceleration strategy but also reduce your vulnerability to meta-specific hate cards. The result? A resilient, dynamic Superfriends deck that thrives in a variety of matchups.
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Efficient Commanders: Use commanders like Raffine or Tymna for consistency without The Chain Veil
Building a Superfriends deck without *The Chain Veil* requires a shift in strategy, focusing on commanders who inherently provide consistency and value without relying on infinite combos. Enter Raffine, Scheming Seer and Tymna the Weaver, two commanders who excel at generating incremental advantages through repeatable effects. Raffine’s ability to draw cards whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control creates a steady stream of resources, while Tymna’s life drain and card draw on opponents’ turns ensures you stay ahead in both card advantage and life total. These commanders prove that Superfriends decks can thrive without *The Chain Veil* by leaning into efficient, repeatable value engines.
To maximize Raffine’s potential, prioritize creatures with enter-the-battlefield (ETB) triggers, such as Solemn Simulacrum or Mulldrifter, to fuel her draw ability. Pair her with planeswalkers like Teferi, Hero of Dominaria or Tamiyo, Field Researcher, whose static abilities and loyalty-gaining triggers synergize with Raffine’s card draw. Avoid overloading the deck with high-mana planeswalkers; instead, focus on low-to-mid cost walkers that can be cast and activated quickly. This keeps the deck efficient and ensures Raffine’s ability triggers frequently, maintaining a steady flow of resources without needing *The Chain Veil*’s explosive power.
Tymna, on the other hand, thrives in a deck packed with low-cost creatures and disruptive strategies. Her ability to drain life and draw cards on opponents’ turns makes her a formidable political and value-generating tool. Pair her with Sidisi, Brood Tyrant or Teysa Karlov to create a graveyard-focused engine, or lean into tokens with Ghired, Conclave Exile or Anafenza, the Foremost. The key is to ensure your creatures are cheap and numerous, allowing Tymna to trigger consistently. Planeswalkers like Ajani, Adversary of Tyrants or Vivien, Monsters’ Advocate complement her strategy by providing additional value and control without requiring *The Chain Veil*’s combo potential.
Both Raffine and Tymna demonstrate that Superfriends decks can succeed without *The Chain Veil* by focusing on incremental advantages and efficient commanders. While *The Chain Veil* offers explosive turns, these commanders provide a more consistent and resilient game plan. By building around their unique abilities and pairing them with synergistic planeswalkers and creatures, you can create a deck that grinds out value, outpaces opponents, and wins through sheer efficiency. The takeaway? Superfriends doesn’t need *The Chain Veil*—it just needs the right commander to lead the way.
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Infinite Combos: Build around Thrasios and Tymna for combo wins without relying on The Chain Veil
Thrasios, Triton Hero and Tymna the Weaver form a dynamic duo in Commander, their partner abilities synergizing beautifully for combo-oriented strategies. While The Chain Veil often steals the spotlight in superfriends decks, it’s entirely possible to build a potent infinite combo engine around these partners without it. The key lies in leveraging their innate abilities: Thrasios’s draw-and-ramp trigger and Tymna’s life-draining, card-drawing prowess. By pairing them with carefully selected artifacts, enchantments, and creatures, you can create loops that generate infinite mana, draw your deck, or drain opponents without relying on The Chain Veil’s risky double-activation mechanic.
One effective combo leverages Intruder Alarm and Cloudstone Curio alongside Thrasios. With Intruder Alarm in play, Thrasios’s untap ability triggers repeatedly, generating infinite mana and drawing your deck. Cloudstone Curio acts as a safety valve, allowing you to recycle Thrasios if needed. This combo avoids the fragility of The Chain Veil, which can be countered or removed mid-combo, leaving you vulnerable. Instead, it relies on redundancy—both Alarm and Curio can be tutored with cards like Demonic Tutor or Enlightened Tutor, ensuring consistency.
For a more interactive approach, consider pairing Thrasios and Tymna with Blood Artist or Zulaport Cutthroat and Ashnod’s Altar. Tymna’s life loss triggers these creatures, sacrificing Thrasios to Ashnod’s Altar for mana, which then untaps Thrasios, restarting the loop. This combo not only generates infinite mana and damage but also thrives in multiplayer games, where Tymna’s ability shines. Unlike The Chain Veil, which often paints a target on your back, this combo is less obvious and can fly under the radar until it’s too late for opponents to respond.
A third option involves Food Chain, a card that synergizes remarkably well with Thrasios. By sacrificing Thrasios to Food Chain, you can cast him from the command zone repeatedly, generating infinite mana and drawing your deck. This combo is particularly resilient, as Food Chain provides an alternative mana source that bypasses traditional counterplay. While The Chain Veil offers raw power, Food Chain provides subtlety and flexibility, allowing you to adapt to the board state without telegraphing your intentions.
When building around these combos, prioritize protection and redundancy. Cards like Counterspell, Swords to Plowshares, and Veil of Summer safeguard your pieces, while Dockside Extortionist and Smothering Tithe provide additional mana sources to fuel your engine. Avoid over-relying on any single combo, as flexibility is key in a format as interactive as Commander. By embracing Thrasios and Tymna’s unique abilities, you can craft a superfriends deck that wins consistently without The Chain Veil’s crutch, proving that infinite combos don’t require its notorious power.
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Stax Strategy: Incorporate stax pieces like Winter Orb to control the game without The Chain Veil
In the realm of Superfriends decks, The Chain Veil often takes center stage as a powerhouse enabler for planeswalker dominance. However, relying solely on this artifact can make your strategy predictable and vulnerable to removal. Enter the Stax approach, a control-oriented strategy that leverages cards like Winter Orb to stifle opponents while advancing your game plan. By incorporating these stax pieces, you can maintain board control, slow down opponents, and create a window for your planeswalkers to take over—all without The Chain Veil.
Step 1: Choose Your Stax Pieces Wisely
Not all stax cards are created equal. Winter Orb, for instance, locks down non-land mana production, forcing opponents to rely on basic lands while your mana base remains relatively unaffected. Pair it with Static Orb to punish creature-based decks, or Tangle Wire to further restrict mana development. Trinisphere is another excellent addition, taxing opponents’ spells while your planeswalkers’ activations remain relatively cheap. The key is to select cards that synergize with your Superfriends strategy, ensuring your deck remains proactive rather than purely disruptive.
Step 2: Balance Control with Progression
Stax decks often walk a fine line between controlling the game and stalling it entirely. To avoid becoming the archenemy, include cards that advance your own game plan. Smothering Tithe and Rhystic Study generate value while taxing opponents, and Teferi, Hero of Dominaria untaps your permanents to bypass stax effects. Additionally, prioritize planeswalkers with static abilities, like Teferi, Time Raveler or Narset, Parter of Veils, which provide ongoing advantages without requiring immediate activation.
Caution: Avoid Overloading on Stax
While stax pieces are powerful, overloading your deck with them can dilute your win conditions. Aim for 5–7 stax cards, depending on your meta. Too many can slow your own strategy, and opponents may adapt by prioritizing artifact/enchantment removal. Test your deck’s balance by ensuring you can deploy a planeswalker by turn 4–5, even under stax pressure. If your games consistently devolve into stalemates, consider cutting a stax piece for a more proactive card like Cyclonic Rift or Supreme Verdict.
By integrating stax pieces like Winter Orb, you can control the game pace, protect your planeswalkers, and create opportunities to dominate without relying on The Chain Veil. This approach requires careful card selection and balance, but the payoff is a resilient, unpredictable deck that thrives in competitive metas. Experiment with different stax combinations, and remember: the goal isn’t to lock out the game entirely but to create a window for your Superfriends to shine.
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Card Draw Engines: Utilize Rhystic Study or Mystic Remora for draw without The Chain Veil
In the absence of The Chain Veil, Superfriends decks often struggle to maintain consistent card draw, a critical component for fueling their game plan. However, two underutilized gems, Rhystic Study and Mystic Remora, offer elegant solutions. These enchantments provide a steady stream of cards without relying on the combo-oriented Veil, making them ideal for more controlling or political builds.
Rhystic Study's power lies in its passive nature. For a mere two mana, it taxes opponents during their draw step, potentially netting you a card if they decline to pay. This effect scales beautifully in multiplayer games, where opponents are more likely to pass on the tax, fearing backlash from others. While it may seem modest, the cumulative advantage over several turns can be substantial, especially when paired with other disruptive elements.
Mystic Remora, on the other hand, demands a more proactive approach. Its cumulative upkeep cost requires careful planning, but the payoff is a guaranteed card each turn. This predictability is invaluable for decks that need to dig for specific answers or assemble their game-winning pieces. The key to maximizing Remora's potential is timing its cast to coincide with a turn where you can afford the initial investment, then managing your mana efficiently to keep it active.
Both cards excel in different scenarios. Rhystic Study shines in meta-games where opponents are hesitant to pay the tax, while Mystic Remora is a safer bet in more aggressive environments where you need assured card advantage. Combining them can create a robust draw engine, but be mindful of overloading your deck with enchantments that serve similar purposes.
To integrate these engines effectively, consider the following: include mana accelerants to cast them early, run interaction to protect your investment, and prioritize instant-speed answers to respond to threats while your draw engines are active. By leveraging Rhystic Study and Mystic Remora, Superfriends decks can maintain their momentum without The Chain Veil, relying instead on steady, reliable card advantage to outmaneuver opponents.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can build a Superfriends deck without The Chain Veil. While The Chain Veil is a powerful card, the deck relies on its tribal synergy and commander effects, which can still function effectively without it.
Alternatives include cards like Smothering Tithe, Rhystic Study, Mana Drain, or Teferi, Hero of Dominaria, which provide card advantage, mana, or control without relying on The Chain Veil’s combo potential.
Removing The Chain Veil doesn’t necessarily weaken the deck if you focus on other strengths, such as planeswalker synergy, board control, and value generation from cards like Ojutai’s Command or Mystical Teachings.
Absolutely. Superfriends decks can win through incremental value, ultimate abilities of planeswalkers, or by leveraging cards like Craterhoof Behemoth or Gahlta, Primal Hunger to close out the game.
Commanders like Ramos, Dragon Engine, Prime Speaker Vannifar, or Kykar, Wind’s Fury are excellent choices, as they focus on planeswalker synergy and value generation rather than combo-reliant strategies.
