Overview

Symbiotic Swarm is a deck about passing keywords around. Kathril, Aspect Warper checks your graveyard when it enters, and for each of flying, first strike, double strike, deathtouch, hexproof, indestructible, lifelink, menace, reach, trample and vigilance that a creature card in your graveyard has, you put a counter with that keyword on a creature you control. Then Kathril gets a +1/+1 counter for each counter put on a creature this way.

The 99 cards are 34 creatures, 1 planeswalker, 7 artifacts, 6 enchantments, 6 instants, 7 sorceries and 38 lands. Several of the creatures, including Odric, Lunarch Marshal and Majestic Myriarch, share keywords across the team, Cairn Wanderer copies keywords from creature cards in any graveyard, and Avenging Huntbonder and Slippery Bogbonder hand out or move counters. Other cards, such as Splinterfright, Skullwinder, Deadbridge Chant and Soul of Innistrad, fill your graveyard and bring creatures back from it, which feeds Kathril and the keyword cards.

Key Cards

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Odric, Lunarch Marshal
Keyword Sharing · Team Buff
A 3/3 for {3}{W}. At the beginning of each combat, your creatures gain a keyword, such as first strike, flying, deathtouch or lifelink, if a creature you control has it. One evasive or deathtouch creature makes the whole team dangerous.
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Majestic Myriarch
Keyword Sharing · Big Body
A creature for {4}{G}. Its power and toughness are each equal to twice the number of creatures you control, and at the beginning of each combat it gains keywords your other creatures have. It is often the biggest creature on the table.
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Selective Adaptation
Tutor · Card Advantage
A sorcery for {4}{G}{G}. You reveal the top seven cards of your library and choose a card for each keyword it lists, such as flying, first strike or lifelink. You put one chosen card onto the battlefield and the others into your hand, with the rest going to your graveyard. It finds a handful of cards and fills the graveyard for Kathril.
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Avenging Huntbonder
Double Strike · Counters
A 3/3 for {3}{W}{W}. It has double strike, and whenever it attacks you put a double strike counter on another target attacking creature. A big creature that attacks with it hits twice.

Playing the Deck

The early game is about mana and a first board. Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Commander's Sphere, Cultivate, Sakura-Tribe Elder and Satyr Wayfinder ramp you, and Aerial Responder, Vampire Nighthawk and Cartographer's Hawk provide evasive creatures to share keywords from. Together Forever puts counters on two creatures early.

The middle of the game is about spreading keywords and counters. Odric, Lunarch Marshal and Majestic Myriarch pass keywords around, Tayam, Luminous Enigma makes each other creature you control enter with an extra vigilance counter, and Abzan Ascendancy puts a counter on every creature. Gavony Township and Vitality Hunter add counters and lifelink, and Nikara, Lair Scavenger draws cards when creatures with counters leave. Yannik, Scavenging Sentinel distributes counters as it enters.

The late game is about reanimation and big threats. Reveillark, Ever After, Unburial Rites, Unbreakable Bond and Soul of Innistrad bring creatures back, Akroma, Angel of Wrath, Archon of Valor's Reach and Titanoth Rex are large bodies, and Hornet Queen makes four flying deathtouch Insects. Duneblast destroys everything except one creature, and Ajani Unyielding exiles threats.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths: The deck has a lot of good creatures and card advantage, and several of them share or collect keywords. It also has plenty of removal, including Abzan Charm, Despark, Blood Curdle, Deathsprout, Acidic Slime and Sunblast Angel.

Weaknesses: The deck is three colours with several demanding costs, so its mana can be awkward, and the most interesting payoffs need creatures with the right keywords in play or in the graveyard. Duneblast and Cataclysmic Gearhulk reset the board, which can hurt your own plan.

Want to improve it? See the Symbiotic Swarm upgrade guide: twelve swaps with the data behind each one.

Verdict
Symbiotic Swarm is a good-stuff creature deck with a clever keyword theme and plenty of recursion. It is a good choice for players who like building a board of different creatures and sharing the best abilities between them.

Want to see what a fully optimised Kathril, Aspect Warper build looks like? Try the Oracle.

✦ Build with The Oracle

Frequently Asked Questions

What cards are in the Symbiotic Swarm decklist?
The Symbiotic Swarm precon is a 100-card Commander deck led by Kathril, Aspect Warper. The full Symbiotic Swarm decklist, with every card, current prices and a button to copy the list into your deck builder, is on this page.

When was Symbiotic Swarm released?
Symbiotic Swarm was released on April 17, 2020 as part of Commander 2020 (Ikoria).

Who is the commander of Symbiotic Swarm?
Symbiotic Swarm is led by Kathril, Aspect Warper, a Abzan (W/B/G) legendary creature.

How many creatures are in Symbiotic Swarm?
The 99 cards besides Kathril, Aspect Warper include 34 creatures.

How many lands does Symbiotic Swarm have?
Symbiotic Swarm has 38 lands in the 99 cards besides Kathril, Aspect Warper, including basic lands.

Full Decklist

All 100 cards from the out-of-the-box Symbiotic Swarm precon, with current prices. Click any card to expand it.

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