{"ops":[{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"\"We're rascals, scoundrels, villains, and knaves, "},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Drink up me hearties, yo ho. "},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs, "},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Drink up me hearties, yo ho.\" "},{"insert":"\n\nWhile there are many commanders that specifically deal with Pirates and piracy, many of them are concerned with the number of pirates one has, or pirates specifically performing certain actions. However, looking at the list of Pirates, their value mostly comes from ETB effects and attacking/dealing damage to players. Tragically, the vast majority of Pirate commanders serve as payoffs to this game plan, but there are precious few to enable it. Enter: "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Alora, Merry Thief"}},{"insert":", a delightful Halfling who provides Pirates with an unblockable attack, guaranteeing their Attack/Damage triggers, but also returns them to hand after the attack, allowing repeated ETB triggers every turn. Unfortunately, mono-blue is not varied enough to support this game plan, but thankfully, Alora can choose a Background as her commander, and in "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Popular Entertainer"}},{"insert":", there exists a beautiful synergy with her unblockable Pirates that doesn't conflict with her own commander cost, and gives her access to the widest pool of dual-color Pirates in Izzet. With her background, Alora provides a constant engine of repeated value with her Pirates, landing direct hits every turn while keeping the biggest threat on the board pointed safely away from her.\n\nThe game plan is simple: \n\nTurn 1: Color-fix if needed, to ensure access to both colors of mana on turn 2. Otherwise, cast a 1-mana Pirate, if possible.\nTurn 2: Play a second land and cast Popular Entertainer.\nTurn 3: Play a third land and cast Alora.\nTurn 4 and onwards: Let the fun begin.\n\nThe deck functions as a hybrid Control/Aggro deck, mainly focused on using the enemy board rather than shutting them down. However, fun plays include casting "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Merchant Raiders"}},{"insert":", and locking down particularly problematic pieces of opponents' boards with multiple 1-mana pirates, achieving a double-goad with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Port Razer"}},{"insert":" while getting a second pirate back to hand, or casting "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Reflections of Littjara"}},{"insert":" to create token copies of each Pirate, doubling their ETB effects, and allowing them to return to hand without compromising board presence. There is no real need to ramp, but making treasures is thematic, and is helpful to cast any Instants to disrupt the opponents' plans. Card draw is essential to keep the deck running, with multiple engines and one-offs that help get through the deck faster, ensuring consistent land drops while also potentially setting up the graveyard for future plays. such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Amphin Mutineer"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fathom Fleet Swordjack"}},{"insert":". Not particularly resilient to board wipes or removal, but with Alora's bounce, she typically guarantees a pirate in hand even through a board wipe, and the mana curve is low enough that it's relatively easy to rebuild.\n"}]}