"What we do now echoes in eternity"

- Marcus Aurelius -

For most, the quotation serves as a reminder: Our legacy outlives us. Actions have impact far beyond this mortal limelight. Entire generations can be shaped by the choices made today. For Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran, this holds a decidedly more literal meaning. Agrus's devotion to justice saw the soldier elevated to spectral status, a literal embodiment of everything the Boros Legion stood for, only tempered with compassion inherent to the Wojek League. As the acting police force for Ravnican citizenry, the Wojek took a dynamic role in serving the public. Sure, the Guilds took precedence, but that doesn't mean honest cops like Agrus Kos didn't also look out for the little guy.

Decades before Streets of New Capenna, Magic's first foray into pulpy crime noir came in the form of Ravnica: City of Guilds, the first set to introduce the two-color identity names still used today. It's here we met Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran, already "too old for this sh__", playing out his final days in the Wojek. He was grizzled, with a tragic past and equally tragic addiction to magical healing drops. But he was also the hero fated to save Ravnica's plane-wide protective contract, the Guildpact, from the schemes of numerous other Guilds. He'd ultimately give his life for the cause, but that didn't mean his days in the Boros were over. Just as former-partner Bell Borca, Spectral Sergeant didn't let a pesky nuisance like death stop him, so too has Agrus kept up the good fight via Agrus Kos, Eternal Soldier.

If you're interested in more detailed exploration of the Ravnica: City of Guilds trilogy, check out my Lore and Consequences series for a deep-dive:

1. Lore and Consequences: Szadek vs Agrus Kos
2. Lore and Consequences: Teysa vs Niv Mizzet
3. Lore and Consequences: Rakdos vs Kraj

Twists and turns abound, so if you like intrigue, these will give you plenty to chew on. Just be mindful: Spoilers are included.

Functionally, Agrus Kos, Eternal Soldier bears a resemblance to his former self via impacting the entire team. Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran worked best with multiple troops, making each more deadly in combat. His spectral counterpart works on a more subtle pulse, sharing out any ability that targets him. The more creatures, the greater the impact. His ability is a great nod to the original Boros Legion mechanic: Radiate, which can be seen on cards like Wojek Embermage, Brightflame, and Rally the Righteous. Befitting his colors, most abilities copied with Agrus Kos, Eternal Soldier will amplify combat potential, but there's greater nuance afoot than simple power/toughness boosts.

Let's explore further by breaking down our Commander:

1. Whereas Boros colleague Feather, the Redeemed cares about spells, Agrus Kos, Eternal Soldier is about getting the most mileage out of abilities. But both Commanders operate under specific targeting restrictions. Agrus Kos can only copy abilities that specifically target him. Veteran's Armaments may equip onto our Commander for free, but Agrus won't be able to copy its stat-boost, as it's not a targeting effect. However, cards Power Matrix, Giver of Runes, and Key to the City do individually target creatures and can thus be shared out.

2. Once targeting conditions are met, Agrus is happy to copy both Activated and Triggered abilities in equal measure. Activated abilities are those we fire-off ourselves, while Triggered abilities result from a condition being met. For example, we must take it upon ourselves to activate Cenn's Tactician and start handing out counters, while cards like Aurelia, Exemplar of Justice and Steel Seraph trigger in response to naturally moving to Combat. A triggered ability sees a condition met, then fires. While we may have more direct control over Activated abilities, the huge variety of Triggered effects give us an expansive library of card to choose from. Even our lands get in on the Activated (Slayers' Stronghold) vs Triggered (Teetering Peaks) ability action.

3. Agrus Kos, Eternal Soldier can copy all the abilities he wants, but it won't matter without an army to share them with. They are the Boros Legion, after all. As such, we bring in a healthy creature-count and sizeable toolbox for Token production. Even 1/1 creatures are quickly made deadly once Agrus starts radiating effects off Serra Advocate and the like. Cards like Assemble the Legion and Platoon Dispenser directly produce token creatures, while troops like Duke Ulder Ravengard and Delina, Wild Mage use their abilities in conjunction with Agrus to mold a surprise army out of nowhere.

4. When it comes to Boros token production, one creature type rises to the top: Soldiers. Not only do our colors have ample means to create Soldiers, but our Commander himself is part of the armed services. As such, we'll bring in some additional synergies via a Soldier sub-theme. Cenn's Tactician and Siege Veteran are both at their best when the majority of our team is enlisted. Preeminent Captain allows for the deployment of a free surprise attacker, allowing us to leave mana open for ability-sharing shenanigans (Ex. Fallaji Vanguard).

5. Our high creature count, already emboldened by whatever bonus Agrus Kos, Eternal Soldier shares, synergizes well another type of permanent. One that frequently enhances creatures via targeted abilities, but requires protection. I speak of Planeswalkers. Cards like Ajani Steadfast, Jeska, Thrice Reborn, and Basri Ket will need your army's defenses to keep them alive, but that's made easier by Agrus spreading out their blessings. Some of these planeswalkers (The Wandering Emperor, Elspeth, Knight-Errant) also contribute directly to the army. Finally, with our deck already apt to multiply +1/+1 counters, an extra dash of Proliferate (Sword of Truth and Justice, Grateful Apparition) goes even further to keep our Planeswalkers alive and growing.

Agrus Kos, Eternal Soldier | Commander | Matthew Lotti

• Commander (1)
• 1 Agrus Kos, Eternal Soldier

• Creatures (27)
• 1 Adarkar Valkyrie
• 1 Aurelia, Exemplar of Justice
• 1 Baird, Argivian Recruiter
• 1 Basri's Lieutenant
• 1 Bell Borca, Spectral Sergeant
• 1 Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder
• 1 Cenn's Tactician
• 1 Delina, Wild Mage
• 1 Duke Ulder Ravengard
• 1 Eldrazi Displacer
• 1 Esper Sentinel
• 1 Fallaji Vanguard
• 1 Giver of Runes
• 1 Grateful Apparition
• 1 Hanweir Garrison
• 1 Heliod, Sun-Crowned
• 1 Jaxis, the Troublemaker
• 1 Luminarch Aspirant
• 1 Mother of Runes
• 1 Myrel, Shield of Argive
• 1 Platoon Dispenser
• 1 Preeminent Captain
• 1 Scholar of New Horizons
• 1 Serra Advocate
• 1 Siege Veteran
• 1 Steel Seraph
• 1 Taranika, Akroan Veteran

• Planeswalkers (8)
• 1 Ajani Steadfast
• 1 Ajani, Caller of the Pride
• 1 Basri Ket
• 1 Elspeth Resplendent
• 1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
• 1 Gideon Blackblade
• 1 Jeska, Thrice Reborn
• 1 The Wandering Emperor

• Instants (3)
• 1 Call the Coppercoats
• 1 Entrapment Maneuver
• 1 Sejiri Shelter // Sejiri Glacier

• Sorceries (6)
• 1 Ascend from Avernus
• 1 Blasphemous Act
• 1 Emeria's Call // Emeria, Shattered Skyclave
• 1 Martial Coup
• 1 Shatterskull Smashing // Shatterskull, the Hammer Pass
• 1 Vanquish the Horde

• Enchantments (8)
• 1 Assemble the Legion
• 1 Nahiri's Machinations
• 1 Paladin Class
• 1 Retreat to Valakut
• 1 Showdown of the Skalds
• 1 Sparring Regimen
• 1 Tocasia's Welcome
• 1 Undercellar Sweep

• Artifacts (13)
• 1 Archaeomancer's Map
• 1 Boros Signet
• 1 Ebony Fly
• 1 Fellwar Stone
• 1 Heraldic Banner
• 1 Key to the City
• 1 Mind Stone
• 1 Oblivion Stone
• 1 Power Matrix
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Strionic Resonator
• 1 Sword of Truth and Justice
• 1 Talisman of Conviction

• Lands (34)
• 3 Mountain
• 5 Plains
• 1 Access Tunnel
• 1 Arid Mesa
• 1 Battlefield Forge
• 1 Castle Embereth
• 1 Cave of Temptation
• 1 Clifftop Retreat
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Daru Encampment
• 1 Hanweir Battlements
• 1 Karn's Bastion
• 1 Mirrorpool
• 1 Needleverge Pathway // Pillarverge Pathway
• 1 Plaza of Heroes
• 1 Rogue's Passage
• 1 Rugged Prairie
• 1 Rustic Clachan
• 1 Sacred Foundry
• 1 Sejiri Steppe
• 1 Slayers' Stronghold
• 1 Spectator Seating
• 1 Spinerock Knoll
• 1 Sunbaked Canyon
• 1 Sundown Pass
• 1 Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
• 1 Teetering Peaks
• 1 Windbrisk Heights

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Initially, our deck wants to start building up a board presence. Once Agrus Kos, Eternal Soldier comes to the party, we'll have troops ready for him to invigorate. As the attacking begins, we'll use stats-boosting abilities to deal maximum damage in the midgame. Later, once our opponents have established bigger, nastier roadblocks to stop our assaults, defensive cards like Mother of Runes switch over to offensive, providing the team with evasion to close things out.

Assemble the Legion: Our first unit is all about supplying abilities to the rest of the team. Heliod, Sun-Crowned, Cenn's Tactician, and Serra Advocate all provide offensive Activated abilities, while Mother of Runes, Giver of Runes, Adarkar Valkyrie, and Eldrazi Displacer lean more on the defensive/protective side of the fence. Jump into the land of Triggered abilities, and you'll find further combat boosts via Aurelia, Exemplar of Justice, Basri's Lieutenant, Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder, Fallaji Vanguard, Luminarch Aspirant, Siege Veteran, and Tarakina, Akroan Veteran. Be mindful of how you stack triggers, as creature-multiplying troops like Jaxis, the Troublemaker, Duke Ulder Ravenguard, and Delina, Wild Mage want to make attacking tokens before any combat abilities are applied, ensuring no one misses shared stats boosts, abilities, etc.

The next batch of creatures is all about numbers, with each bringing multiple bodies to the table. Myrel, Shield of Argive, Baird, Argivian Recruiter, Hanweir Garrison, and Platoon Dispenser craft more Soldiers, often repeatedly. The latter also contributes to card advantage, alongside fellow-Soldiers Esper Sentinel and Bell Borca, Spectral Sergeant. Moving from Soldier to Spirit, Grateful Apparition's potential is easy to overlook. With the myriad of +1/+1 counter outlets, plus a plethora of planeswalkers, this innocuous little ghost can drastically speed up your army's lethality.

Legion's Initiative: To back up our army, combat-relevant abilities are further expanded upon via Paladin Class, Nahiri's Machinations, Showdown of the Skalds, Sparring Regime, Key to the City, Power Matrix, Retreat to Valakut and Sword of Truth and Justice. We can then doube-up these already shared abilities via Strionic Resonator. Outside of combat, there are trickier ways Agrus Kos, Eternal Soldier can impact the game. For one, he allows a single fate counter from Oblivion Stone to spread across the team, leaving everyone safe from the ensuing blast. Combining Nahiri's Machinations with Vanquish the Horde or Martial Coup yields similarly devastating results. Protection-enabling creatures like Mother of Runes ensure Blasphemous Act doesn't so much as singe your army.

For token-production, Call the Coppercoats, Entrapment Maneuver, Assemble the Legion, Martial Coup, and Undercellar Sweep each bring more Soldiers to the battlefield. Note that the Initiative provided by Undercellar Sweep provides another targeted ability via the Forge room on Undercity. Ranks are only further enhanced via our Planeswalkers, many of whom also bring combat-centric abilities for Agrus to spread out. Gideon Blackblade, Jeska, Thrice Reborn, Ajani Steadfast, Ajani, Caller of the Pride and Elspeth Respledent can make combat a nightmare, while The Wandering Emperor, Basri Ket, and Elspeth, Knight-Errant add to the roster, then boost it to even deadlier degrees. With all these smaller creatures entering play, cards like Tocasia's Welcome are bound to keep the cards flowing.

Mana Support and Rocks: Boros needs all the mana rocks it can get (Arcane Signet, Boros Signet, etc.), but that doesn't mean we can't also squeeze combat potential out of them, too. Ebony Fly and Heraldic Banner play useful offensive roles alongside growing our mana base. Scholar of New Horizons is also likely to keep on growing, what with the +1/+1 counter shenanigans afoot. At minimum, he'll grab at least one land, though the potential for more is high.

While building this deck, I was pleasantly surprised at the number of lands that provide abilities. I tried including as many as possible, seeing the opportunity cost was quite low. Giving the entire team +2/+0 for playing a land (Teetering Peaks) sounded fantastic. Heck, a well-timed Sejiri Steppe can close out the game. Slayers's Stronghold, Sunhome, Fortress of Legion, Cave of Temptation, Daru Encampment Rustic Clachan, Access Tunnel, and Rogue's Passage can all be Activated for extra impact in the Red Zone. Ample trickery is also enabled via Karn's Bastion and Mirrorpool.

You might even live the dream and Meld Hanweir Battlements to Hanweir Garrison! Turn those Soldiers into...well, I'm not sure what to call Eldrazi tokens. Unspeakable horrors? Cosmic abominations? Squggily-things?

Hanweir, the Writhing Township by Vincent Proce

I'm guessing there's soldiers in there. Somewhere. Maybe on the left?

Budget Options: While Agrus Kos, Eternal Soldier may give out abilities to everyone for a modest 2-mana investment, other Magic: the Gathering cards aren't so generous. This beloved game of ours can be expensive, so here are some substitutes for players who'd rather not break the bank on cardboard. All cards over $20 will be noted and recommended for swap-outs. If anything seems interesting, regardless of price tag, give them a roll in the main! Creativity is an oft-forgotten cornerstone of Commander. One of the aspects that makes it special. Mix and match card choices to your heart's content!

Creatures: Most of our army comes in under budget, but there are a few exceptions. Esper Sentinel and Heliod, Sun-Crowned both show up in Modern, driving up prices. Myrel, Shield of Argive comes in just under budget, but that's likely to change if Soldiers start to take off in Standard. Who knows what mechanical troops Phyrexia: All Will be One brings to the table to support the creature type?

When it comes to replacements, it comes down to whether you're more interested in abilities or creature-production. If it's the former, looks to budget options like Scavenged Brawler, Sunrise Cavalier, Thundering Raiju, Flamerush Rider, Distinguished Conjurer, Tormentor Exarch, or Bogarden Rager. If you prefer token-crafting, solid Soldier choices include Captain of the Watch, Skyknight Vanguard, Evangel of Heliod, and Reverent Hoplite. Ranger of Eos is also useful for tutoring-up protective duo Mother of Runes and Giver of Runes, or a Cenn's Tactician to buff the army.

Supporting Spells: Only Sword of Truth and Justice and The Wandering Emperor fall prey to the Magic budget gods. Powerful, but not without substitution. Duelist's Heritage, Rowan, Fearless Sparkmage, and Elspeth, Sun's Nemesis all provide ability-ready options, with Elspeth also creating more Soldier tokens. Speaking of Soldiers, look to cards like Deploy to the Front, Rise of the Hobgoblins, Nomads' Assembly, and Finale of Glory to keep the front lines fully staffed. Legion Loyalty is another fun way to triple an army in combat, just remember to stack your triggers so the copies can benefit from Agrus.

Mana Options: Fortunately, while our mana base is full of ability-wielding real estate, none of it comes in over budget. Only Arid Mesa and Sunbaked Canyon get the axe. If we're seeking to simply replace on-color duals, look to cards like Needle Spires, Temple of Triumph, or Furycalm Snarl. If you'd prefer to add even more abilities to the deck, Sandstone Bridge and Looming Spires both provide low-impact, but low-opportunity cost pump effects.

Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder by Anthony Palumbo

The long lost third Mario brother?

The holiday season may have passed, but that doesn't mean we can't hang onto the spirit of generosity. Agrus Kos, Eternal Soldier serves as a reminder to keep spreading that goodwill throughout 2023. Even a ragged band of tokens can become a potent force with such an attitude. Sure, your opponents may not appreciate the proliferation of skill and power, but I've no doubt your army will ensure their concerns are short-lived. Their life totals are sure to be.

Thanks for reading, and may you always have an ability up your sleeve!

-Matt-

@Intrepid_Tautog