In the vast universe of Magic: The Gathering, certain legendary creatures stand out not only for their power but for the way they reshape gameplay. Karlach, Fury of Avernus is one such figure a force of relentless aggression and extra combat phases. Originating from the Dungeons & Dragons crossover set Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate, Karlach brings both flavor and formidable functionality to red commander decks. With a straightforward yet potent ability to enable extra combat turns, Karlach can be the core of a powerful aggressive deck or a valuable addition to multi-combat strategies. Understanding Karlach’s strengths, synergies, and best build paths can elevate your gameplay whether you’re facing down foes in a Commander pod or theorycrafting a new red deck shell.
Karlach, Fury of Avernus Overview
Card Details and Mechanics
Karlach, Fury of Avernus is a red legendary creature specifically a Tiefling Barbarian. Here are her core attributes:
- Mana Cost: 4R
- Power/Toughness: 5/4
- Text: ‘Whenever you attack, if it’s the first combat phase of the turn, untap all attacking creatures. They gain first strike until end of turn. After this phase, there is an additional combat phase.’
- Choose a Background: This ability allows Karlach to be used as part of a two-part commander pairing in the Commander format.
This ability essentially allows a deck built around Karlach to generate a second combat phase every turn, provided she is on the battlefield when you initiate the attack. This mechanic alone makes Karlach a powerful choice for aggressive, creature-focused builds.
Commander Potential and Background Synergies
Choosing a Background
One of the most unique features of Karlach is the Choose a Background mechanic, which lets you pair her with an enchantment Background card as a second commander. The right Background can greatly enhance her deck’s consistency, aggression, or utility. Some of the top options include:
- Acolyte of Bahamut: Reduces the cost of creatures, allowing you to more easily flood the board and support Karlach’s attack triggers.
- Passionate Archaeologist: Deals damage when commanders enter the battlefield, synergizing with Karlach and blink or recursion strategies.
- Flaming Fist: Grants double strike to attacking creatures a devastating combo with Karlach’s extra combat trigger.
Mono-Red or Partner Builds
While Karlach can serve as a mono-red commander, her flexibility increases greatly with the Background mechanic. Players can tailor the build to favor fast-paced aggression, burn synergy, or even include colors like white, green, or blue (in casual rule adjustments) to supplement the red base with additional tools.
Deck Strategy and Game Plan
Turn Structure Manipulation
The key to success with Karlach lies in leveraging her ability to take additional combat phases. This means untapping creatures and attacking again within the same turn. Multiple combat phases work particularly well with:
- Creatures with attack triggers (e.g., Inferno Titan, Etali, Primal Storm)
- Creatures with power-boosting effects like Anax, Hardened in the Forge
- Tokens or go-wide strategies that increase pressure with every attack
Winning Through Combat
Karlach thrives in aggressive decks that aim to win through damage. With each additional combat phase, your creatures essentially double their impact. This effect compounds quickly when paired with cards like:
- Aggravated Assault Allows for even more combat phases if you have the mana.
- Sword of Feast and Famine Untaps lands to fuel additional combat or spells.
- Moraug, Fury of Akoum Grants even more combat phases when lands enter the battlefield.
Protecting Karlach
To maintain tempo and control over the battlefield, Karlach needs to stay on the field. Opponents will quickly realize her threat level, so protective cards are essential:
- Swiftfoot Boots or Lightning Greaves Provide haste and shroud/hexproof.
- Darksteel Plate Grants indestructibility, shielding her from wipes and damage-based removal.
- Deflecting Swat Redirects removal or key spells in a pinch.
Synergistic Cards and Combos
Extra Combat Enablers
Stacking Karlach’s combat phase effect with other cards that grant extra combat steps can push a deck’s damage output into overdrive. Look out for:
- Relentless Assault Grants an additional combat phase for each cast.
- Seize the Day Can be cast and then flashed back for two extra combats.
- Combat Celebrant Exert to get another combat phase.
Cards That Reward Attacks
Since Karlach rewards aggressive play, cards that benefit from attacking can gain significant value:
- Raid Bombardment Deals damage each time a small creature attacks.
- Curse of Opulence Generates Treasure tokens as opponents are attacked.
- Hellrider Deals damage whenever a creature attacks.
Gameplay Tips and Tricks
Timing and Combat Awareness
One of the most crucial skills when piloting Karlach is understanding combat timing. Because her ability only triggers if it’s the first combat phase of the turn, sequencing is essential. Avoid playing other combat-phase-creating cards before attacking with Karlach, or you might miss the trigger.
Using Tokens Effectively
Token production plays well in a Karlach deck because you can flood the board and swing twice per turn. Cards like Krenko, Mob Boss or Dragon Fodder can populate your battlefield quickly and put immediate pressure on your opponents with Karlach leading the charge.
Balancing Risk and Reward
While the aggressive approach is key, overextending can leave you vulnerable to board wipes. Make sure to keep one or two cards in reserve and use red’s access to impulsive draw (e.g., Light Up the Stage, Reckless Impulse) to refill your hand and maintain momentum.
Deck Archetypes Featuring Karlach
Go-Wide Aggro
This archetype focuses on building a massive army of small creatures or tokens and overwhelming the opponent through multiple combat phases. Karlach boosts this strategy by giving you two swings per turn, increasing damage output exponentially.
Voltron Commander
With a focus on equipping Karlach with powerful equipment and auras, the Voltron approach aims to eliminate opponents with commander damage. Cards like Colossus Hammer and Embercleave synergize well with extra combat turns and high damage output.
Combo-Based Red Aggro
Here, the focus is on setting up multi-turn combos involving extra combat phases, infinite combat loops, or infinite mana using cards like Sword of Feast and Famine and Aggravated Assault. While more fragile, these combos can end the game on the spot.
Karlach, Fury of Avernus offers an explosive and exciting way to play red in Magic: The Gathering. Her ability to generate consistent extra combat phases each turn makes her a natural fit for aggressive decks and combat-focused strategies. Whether you’re building around her in a mono-red shell or using the Background mechanic for added synergy, Karlach has the tools to dominate the battlefield. With careful planning, smart sequencing, and the right support cards, she can turn even a modest board state into a lethal force again and again. If you enjoy swinging into battle and making every combat count, Karlach is a commander that demands your attention.