Legendary Creature — Bird Monk

Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker

Mana value4EDHREC#4,595PartnerYes

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The Commander

Flying

Whenever an opponent casts a spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Ishai.

Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)

Guide

Gameplan

Ishai grows rapidly off opponents' spellcasting, becoming a huge evasive threat that you turn into a Voltron win with auras and equipment. As a Partner commander, you pair her with a second legend to add a strategy or color while suiting up Ishai to swing for lethal commander damage. You protect her, give her double strike and trample, and close fast before the table can answer.

Strengths

Free, repeatable scaling in multiplayer—Ishai often becomes a 6/6+ flyer by turn 4-5 with no investment
Flying evasion makes commander-damage kills reliable
Partner flexibility lets you splash a third color or a whole second gameplan
Cheap to recast at 4 mana, resilient to bounce/grow-back plans

Weaknesses

Removal-dependent: targeted removal, edicts, or -X/-X resets the counter investment
No built-in protection or evasion beyond flying
Stalls against decks that don't cast many spells (or play around her on your turn)
Aura/equipment-heavy builds risk card disadvantage to two-for-ones
Vulnerable to fog/blockers with reach or flying

Key Cards

Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh — Premier red Partner that adds a second cheap Voltron threat and opens Boros aggression/equipment payoffs.
Tymna the Weaver — Black Partner giving card advantage off combat damage to fuel an aggressive Voltron shell.
Swiftfoot Boots — Hexproof and haste keep Ishai safe and let her attack the turn she lands.
Rancor — Recurring trample aura that pushes commander damage through chump blockers.
Sram, Senior Edificer — Card draw engine for the auras and equipment that make Ishai lethal.
Finest Hour — Extra combat plus double strike turns a grown Ishai into a one-attack kill.

Upgrade Path

Pick a Partner that defines the deck—Rograkh for cheap Boros Voltron, Tymna for card draw, Bruse Tarl for double-strike alpha strikes—then add protection (Lightning Greaves, Whispersilk Cloak, Robe of the Archmagi) and evasion/double strike (Aqueous Form, Battle Mastery). Lean on cheap card-advantage enchantments (Sram, Mesa Enchantress) and tutors (Steelshaper's Gift, Open the Armory) to assemble your kill consistently. Tighten the mana base with fast lands and rocks so you suit up and swing before removal catches up.

Core Cards

The most-played cards for this commander, built from aggregated deck data (the Mythic Graph). Build public decks to seed it.

Win Conditions

▸Commander damage from a buffed, evasive Ishai (often with double strike/trample)
▸Voltron one-shots via auras and equipment
▸Combat damage backed by extra-combat or anthem effects from a second Partner
▸Grinding control finish using Ishai as the lone clock

Archetypes

Voltron — Ishai's self-growing flying body is an ideal aura/equipment carrier for commander-damage kills.
Control — Azorius colors plus a clock means you can counter and remove while Ishai swings.
Tokens/Go-Wide — A second Partner like Tymna or Ravos can support a wide board backed by Ishai's threat.
Stax — Slowing opponents while Ishai is your sole, evasive win condition.