Cavalry Charge

Commander Deck from March of the Machine Commander, 2023

Official decklist

Commander: Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir
Cards: 100
Current value: $97.07
Grade: A

How it grades

Fundamentals 95/100. Plays like Knight Tribal and Tokens.

This reads as Knight Tribal · Tokens, built around Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir. A Knight deck at heart: the creatures share a type on purpose, and lords, payoffs, and type-matters synergies make the whole board bigger than its parts. Tribal decks trade individual card power for critical mass, so keep the knight count high and let the synergy pay the bills. Its strongest fundamental is land count (39 lands. About 39 fits this curve for Knight Tribal); the first thing to tighten is card quality: Median EDHREC rank #5,114.

A-Mana reliability
A+Land count
A+Mana curve
A-Ramp
A+Card draw
A+Interaction
A+Commander synergy
AWin conditions
A-Card quality
A+Legality & size

Nothing falls short. Strong on mana reliability, land count, mana curve, ramp, card draw, interaction, commander synergy, win conditions, card quality and legality & size.

83 cards graded: A 1, A- 9, B+ 28, B 40, B- 2, C+ 2, C- 1. The command zone is the plan, so it isn't graded.

Upgrades

The 10 swaps that lift the grade most, about $24.33 together

Made together, they take Cavalry Charge from A to A+.

Thought Vessel2—
In place of Ichor Elixir: expensive for ramp: the help arrives late (58/100)
Fills the ramp gap (you're at 9 of 10+). Pays off your card-draw engine (18 producers). Top-5% staple by play data.
Archmage Emeritus2UU$0.61
In place of Path of the Enigma: doesn't ramp, draw, interact or threaten. What is it for? (38/100)
Pays off your instant-and-sorcery engine (17 producers). Fuels your go-wide payoffs (3 in deck). Fits the commander's plan.
Soul WardenW$3.41
In place of Knight of the Last Breath: weakest slot in the deck (53/100)
Pays off your token engine (11 producers). Pays off your go-wide engine (20 producers). Works with the commander directly.
Decanter of Endless Water3$5.05
In place of Fractured Powerstone: weakest slot in the deck (66/100)
Pays off the commanders' card-draw plan. Fills the ramp gap (you're at 9 of 10+). Pays off your card-draw engine (18 producers).
Marionette Apprentice1B$2.04
In place of Conjurer's Mantle: weakest slot in the deck (59/100)
Pays off your artifact engine (14 producers). Fuels your token payoffs (4 in deck). Top-5% staple by play data.
Puresteel PaladinWW$2.32
In place of Knights of the Black Rose: weakest slot in the deck (60/100)
Pays off your artifact engine (14 producers). Fuels your go-wide payoffs (3 in deck). Top-5% staple by play data.
Mentor of the Meek2W$4.77
In place of Xerex Strobe-Knight: weakest slot in the deck (60/100)
Pays off your go-wide engine (20 producers). Fuels your go-wide payoffs (3 in deck). Top-5% staple by play data.
Psychosis Crawler5$2.30
In place of Syr Elenora, the Discerning: weakest slot in the deck (61/100)
Pays off your card-draw engine (18 producers). Top-5% staple by play data. Pays off the commanders' card-draw plan.
Emry, Lurker of the Loch2U$0.66
In place of Sigiled Sword of Valeron: weakest slot in the deck (62/100)
Feeds the commanders' graveyard payoff. Pays off your artifact engine (14 producers). Fuels your go-wide payoffs (3 in deck).
Wizard ClassU$3.17
In place of Smitten Swordmaster // Curry Favor: weakest slot in the deck (62/100)
Pays off your card-draw engine (18 producers). Top-5% staple by play data. Pays off the commanders' card-draw plan.

Save a copy to try them. The editor's Improve list has these and more, with the swaps one click each.

Decklist

100 cards, worth about $97.07

Commander 1

Creatures 32

B
B
B
B
B+
B+
B+
B+
B
A
B+
B
B
B+
A-
B
B+
A-
B+
B
B
B
B+
B+
B
C+
B
B
B
B+
B
B

Instants 6

B
B+
B+
A-
B+
A-

Sorceries 7

C-
B+
B
B
B+
B
B

Artifacts 13

B-
B-
B
B
B
A-
B
B+
A-
A-
B
A-
A-

Enchantments 2

B+
B

Lands 39

B+
B
B+
B
B+
B
B+
B+
B+
B
B
B
B+
B
B
B+
B
B+
B+
C+
B×8
B×6
B×5

How it grades

Fundamentals 95/100. Plays like Knight Tribal and Tokens.