The Best Pillowfort Cards in Commander | EDH | Control Protection | Magic the Gathering | Commander 

Sphere of Safety is more expensive - 5 cmc - but in an enchantments deck it can make it functionally impossible for players to attack. I recently played a game where the last remaining other player had to pay 11 per creature to attack me. He managed it by saccing 74 tokens to Ashnod's Altar, but it cost him 176 mana to kill me.

No mercy {2}{B}{B} Enchantment: Whenever a creature deals damage to you, destroy it.

Norn's Annex is a personal favorite of mine; they either have to be playing white or paying life to attack me, which speeds up the game if everyone's dropping 2 life per monster

Social distancing to the max

I am so hype to hide from my opponent's... WHILE SAVING MONEY!

Awwww, pillowfort is such a cute way of saying it! Time for pillowfort tribal!

This sounds good.

One of the most potent options for the "no damage" category is Glacial Chasm. Like Solitary Confinement, it comes with the caveat that you need some sort of engine going to make the card work, but it isn't too difficult. Some players don't bother with land destruction at all and find themselves completely unable to hurt you through Glacial Chasm. I've had a lot of EDH games in which at least two opponents just moved their focus away from me entirely because Glacial Chasm made me a difficult target.

One of my favorites because its a little different is Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts where if a creature deals combat damage to you, destroy it.

I was literally just searching for pillowfort cards in blue and black to throw into my Dragonlord Silumgar deck! Awesome coincidence that this vid came out today!

Would you look at that, Oloro just fell out of my binder.

Pillowfort cards, otherwise known as cards I’m immediately adding to my decks. Seriously though, I have Ghostly Prison and Propaganda in a Curse deck and I love it.

Missing Web of Inertia from the list, great underrated card!

I'm surprised you didn't mention Peacekeeper. Its like Blazing Archon, but it only costs 2 colorless and one white with an upkeep of paying one white and one colorless or you sacrifice it. Its a sleeper pillowfort card you don't see that much, and you can drop it turn 2 or 3.

Don't forget the ones that destroy creatures after they damage you! Dread, Teysa envoy of ghosts, No Mercy, Vengeful Pharaoh...

I have a captain sisay enchtantress/pillow fort deck that uses almost all of these. A few I think you should consider: Darien, King of Kjeldor Spear of Heliod Both of this are aa bit clunky bur you will notice that most of the pillow fort cards are more effective against wide board presence and less so against big board presence. A lot of games someone who sticks an ulamog or darksteel colossus can pay five or six everyturn and just kill you. Darien scales to midrange and big aggro very well; one hit will always produce enough 1/1's to trade with their board. It's also key for mitagating annihilator, edicts, etc. The spear has synergies with token decks and darien specifically as well as a very good targeted removal ability. It's mana intensive and requires a lot of white but it can do something that a lot of the other pillow for cards cannot. It is also both an artifact and an enchantment for additional synergies. These can fill in some of the gaps that other pillow fort cards can leave (both are also tutor targets for sisay).

Protection of the Hekma is surprisingly legit. Hoses Nekusar and other decks that win with small creatures.

I love this, was looking to make pillow fort Kenrith deck, just in time

My favorite card to play alongside pillowfort stuff is War's Toll. They can either attack you or play any spells, they have to attack with stuff you don't want to attack with and they don't have mana for instants.

Thanks for all the great content!

Never been this early before..Hello! Love checking your channel when I wake up, always a great way to start my morning :)

I had a buddy who ran an abzan pillow fort, featured almost all the cards you listed (minus the off-color and newer cards) plus junktu spikes AND meek stone. it was less of a fort and more of a prison.

My favorite is Isperia, Supreme Judge, which is even less pillowfort-y than the last group, but she lets me do my favorite thing in Magic - draw cards - for each attacking creature.

"Sandwurms claim even the skies above their dunes." -Wurm doesn't have reach

Soul Snare is amazingly effective disincentive with A Ghostly Prison/ Propaganda effect also out. Keeps them from hitting you with one big creature.

On the matter of Collective Restraint, the Wastes count as another basic land type. This means that if someone doesn't mind adding colorless lands without effects to their decks, they could add another point to the cost that the opponents would have to pay without adding another color to the deck. It also means that the maximum cost that other players would have to pay is six mana instead of five.

You forgot War Tax 2U enchantment XU: creatures can't attack this turn unless their controllers pays X for each attacking creature. It's budget and I love it

Something not mentioned in this video is Sarkhan the Masterless... Its static allows your dragons to ping creatures that attack in your direction... And its -3 allows you to have a dragon to boot... It's so good on Dragon tribal decks, as people won't attack you to eliminate you from the game if you're being ganged up early... It could also be used with effects like Torbran so the ping becomes a bolt, which is much better...

I would include No Mercy and Dread in this list, opponents dont need to pay mana to attack. But theses cards will make them think twice before attacking.

A nice list: Maybe Lightmine Field & Raking Canopy might be adjacent.

Rune-tail, kitsune ascendant 2W 2/2 , in commander you can automatically flip it cause requirement is having more than 30 hp, when you flip it it prevents all damage that would be dealt to your creatures, so its still a nice protection

I think Sarkhan the Masterless is a good "Red" way of doing this type of effect as well. Especially if you're running a dragon-themed deck. It doesn't say "unless you pay ____" on it, but it does deter attacks.

The black enchantment “no mercy” is a good deterrent. No mercy {2BB}/4CMC Enchantment “Whenever a creature successfully deals combat damage to you, destroy it.”

No Mercy, or the elemental incarnation Fear. Both are great "attack and see what happens" cards in black

War Tax 2{U} Enchantment. You can pay blue and X and creatures can't attack you this turn unless their controller pays X for each creature. A little expensive because you've got to hold mana up, but can buy you turns against aggressive decks if you do.

I use a few of these (ghostly prison, propaganda, collective restraint and Norns annex) in my atraxa voltron deck along side brave the sands. With ring of three (well infinite with atraxa) wishes to tutor up what I need. The way around attack tax is to attack with creatures that spawn creatures that are attacking.

This is definitely a list of some the best pillow fort cards! I've had almost all of these in a deck at some point. Here's a list of other cards I like to consider when building a Pillow Fort deck. They vary in power and ability but I still like to consider them. Lightmine Field Powerstone Minefield Urza's Armor Guardian Seraph Protection of the Hekma Hedron-Field Purists Web of Inertia War Tax Teferi's Moat Stormtide Leviathan Reverence Peacekeeper Norn's Annex Baird, Steward of Argive Archangel of Tithes Angelic Arbiter Thunderstaff Orbs of Warding Maze of Ith Ith, High Arcanist Gomazoa Guard Gomazoa Fog Bank Constant Mists Ajani Steadfast No Mercy Mystic Barrier Fight or Flight Humility Flooded Woodlands

Some additional cards I run in my pillow-fort deck that I think are pretty good but weren't listed here include Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts (destroy creatures that hit you and make future blockers, she's also a great blocker), Righteous Aura (prevent damage), Aurification (turn creatures that hit you into walls), Dissipation Field (bounce things that hit you), and No Mercy (destroy creatures that hit you). And I feel like due to the fact that so many of these pillow-fort cards are enchantments Greater Auramancy (give your other enchantments shroud) and Karmic Justice (blow up one of their things if they blow up one of your things) deserve an honorary mention at least even though they do not pillow-fort directly. There's some great Pillow-fort lands too! Some of these are cards like Kor Haven (budget Maze of Ith), Maze of Ith (less budget Maze of Ith lol), Glacial Chasm (which can be a real annoyance for your opponents and stops all damage not just combat), and Hall of Heliod's Generosity (which is a great way to make your pillow fort waaaay more annoying to get rid of). Also, it wasn't mentioned but Koskun Falls is a world enchantment which isn't usually relevant but does make it a little more risky to play. Due to the "World Rule (420.5i), if someone else plays a world enchantment yours goes away. With that on top of needing creatures in play it's definitely a lot of downside for a propaganda/ghostly prison effect, I would usually steer clear of that one unless you are in mono black and need that effect as there are so many other alternatives in other colors. Just kind of sucks having an enchantment that can get blow out by a creature board wipe (especially as pillow-fort decks often want to be clearing the board repeatedly).

Back in the day I ran light of day and shifting sky and then used celestial dawn to turn my stuff all white when it worked it was fun....

My favorite card to accompany Solitary Confinement is Psychic Possession. You're already skipping your draw step, so now you draw at least one card at your enchanted opponent's draw step and very possibly more each turn. It's a match made in pillowfort heaven!

I really like glacial chasm, web of inertia, lightmine field and the black enchantment which says every creature is destroyed after hitting you

Aurification: 2WW. This is also a penalty attack enchantment. Whenever a creature deals damage to you (not just combat damage), put a gold counter on it. As long as it has this counter, it becomes a wall and gains defender. With all the ways white has to gain life, you can take the damage, but then those creatures cannot attack again. Makes people think twice about attacking you, because they won't be able to attack anyone else.

Missed peacekeeper. I use it in aristocrats or reanimator strategies ;)

Dissipation Field can lead to some fun politicking: works on more than creatures.

Forbidding Spirit is a 3 mana creature with an etb that does the ghostly prison effect until your next turn. The advantage of that is even if it's killed the effect persists. Probably best in a Teshar or Brago deck where you can get that effect repeatability.

Goading is great!! Disrupt Decorum is a one-time effect, but it does serious work. Additionally, there's Dread in black to destroy creatures that damage you.

Not a pillowfort card per se, but Karmic Justice really helps protect all your precious enchantments. I've had great success running it

in a similar vein to kazuul is Isperia, Supreme Judge. No payment option, but instead of making tokens, you get to draw cards.

Web of Inertia is a fun one used for while with graveyard hate cards 😉

Norns annex is pretty good too! Either they pay two life or one white mana for each creature. It’s nearly killed people when they don’t have white in their deck.

One of my favorites is Web of Inertia. It’s great early game because people won’t have much if anything in the graveyard to exile and especially great if you’ve got something like War’s Ashiok to exile graveyards

Caltrops is a pet card of mine for the Consequences category. If you have a way to give it deathtouch, it can be a game-changer

I made a Kazuul deck titled "Blood for the Blood God" and oh man is that a fun deck to play.

BTW, I know this card isn't a pillowfort, but 2 (w) Grand Abolisher is a nice way to stop people from countering what you play on your turn since it stops all spells and abilities of your opponent from activating on your turn

There's also War Tax, which can be activated at anytime to manipulate the battle.

Got some fun ideas for my olorro pillow fort commander deck. thank you.

I have an nekusar deck all based on the "consequential damage/ life loss" theme, have all the miasma effects. Games are quick xD

Caltrops and Deathpits will always be my favorite defensive combo.

I run a Gwafa Pullow Fort deck that runs a lot of these cards, plus Peacekeeper, enchanted evening, and Willbreaker. "All yer creaturez are belong to uz!"

I feel like it would be really fun to load up your opponents with 1/1 tokens, play all the cards at the end of this video, and then force them to attack you. Also, the very first commander game my brother ever played, he dropped a Sandstorm Convergence against my Ur Dragon deck. That was a very quick game after that.

Best pillowfort card for flying tribal is none other than MUDSLIDE. Conversely, it also synergizes well with Kalamax keeping him tapped.

You forget the Basic Land Wastes, so X is 6 for each attacking creature if you play with Collective Restraint ;)

Dueling Grounds and Silent Arbiter are excellent if you have a creature with menace, since it's essentially unblockable. Green has plenty of those, and Tromokratis hits like a house in monoblue

A new one I have is Darien, King of Kjeldor with any "creature etc gain 1 life spell". If you only have one such effect, you just perpetually stay at the same life total, if you have multiple, it can get ridiculous. Had a real fun game with my monowhite daxos lifegain against aristocrats which was me just gaining life rather than taking it and stopping the Sanguine Bond/exquisite blood combo

Would also love mentions on good pillow fort commanders as well. I'll add [No Mercy] and [Humility] to the list. Great content!

You can avoid the upkeep on Elephant Grass by using something like Umbilicus or Blood Clock.

While not exactly pillow fort I would include grave pact and death pits of wrath they can make opponent think twice about attacking, death pits goes well with first strike and double strike creatures as well as plinkers. Puting firewhip on eater of the dead is a fun way to use death pits people are less likely to attack you when you can one sided board wipe at any time.so in a way it can be considered pillow fort

My favorite is Solitary Confinement, in my Reyhan/Ravos deck. Especially when Ravos is in play, you always have that extra creature from your graveyard every turn to pay the discard cost of Confinement. I still want to play a black enchantment deck with hissing miasma, blood reckoning, marchesas decree, and revenge of ravens.

Lightmine Field is a good one, stops token swarms in their tracks. Energy Field is another good one, pairs exceptionally well with Rest in Peace. If you want to be really mean then Energy Field + Rest in Peace + Dovescape + Guile. Good luck to your opponents doing much about that

sandwurm convergence is my pet card. I love it!

Now I want a Pillowfort themed Deck, snuggling in and watching my enemies fight each other sounds fun

A classic in ensnaring bridge. With a little hand manipulation makes any attacking based strategy doomed without artifact removal

Best video ever and I have only seen the title

Hi Mitch, thanks for the vid as I LOVE pillowforting especially with enchantments! Here is a list of pillowfort(y) cards that I run in my Tuvasa Enchantress.deck (this is prob controversial but I regard anything that slows opponent s down from attacking/damaging you as pillowfort - other peeps would prob regard some of them them as "hate" cards) Kismet Worship Aurification Elephant Grass Dissipation Field Delaying Shield Solitary Confinement Aura of Silence Solemnity (combine it with Decree of Silence and lots of other two card combos) Glacial Chasm Choke Phyrexian Unlife Energy Field (combos with Wheel and Sun and Moon and RIP) Rest in Peace Force Bubble Sphere of Safety Sterling Grove Greater Auramancy Privileged Position (soft lock with the two above) Stony Silence City of Solitude Destiny Spinner Dream Tides

I think ensnaring bridge can be amazing too, when playing the right deck

Form of the dragon is another pillow fort card that synergies amazingly with sandwurm convergence to make it so creatures can’t attack you

Think I've played with all of these at some point... My play group is very combat driven! I love koskun falls in my Grismold the dread sower deck in combination with tombstone stairwell. Here have an insane amount of token creatures... But don't attack me with them!

Chronomantic Escape is one of my favorite cards, glad to see it made the list

Norn's annex, for 3 w/p w/p and Creatures can't attack you or a planeswalker you control unless their controller pays w/p for each of those creatures

Stoic Angel is another good card that works in a similar way as dueling grounds and silent arbiter. I run all three of those in an exalted voltron deck.

I love running dissipation field in a lot of my decks, same with aurification cuz nothing is funnier than turning someone’s 12/12 beat stick into an 0/4 wall.. 😂

You know I would also add another category: 'Anywhere but here' adding cards like: Edric, spymaster of threst, Crown of doom, Bloodthirsty blade, Disrupt decorum, Gisela, blade of goldnight or a very recent one; agitator ant. These cards don't exactly disincentives attacks against you but incentiveses attacks on your opponents.

I would love to see an ultimate defense deck come out of this. I have no idea what a good commander would be though that could use most of the cards

In the same vein as dueling grounds and silent arbiter, mirri weatherlight duelist is good. She is slightly more aggressive but if you have Glare of Subdual then you can tap the creature you definitely don't want attacking you and make it so that they can only attack with a single other creature

It's global rather than just for you, but Peacekeeper can really throw a wrench into things. And possibly draw the ire of the table.

Dueling Grounds and Silent Arbiter are amazing in an Exalted deck.

Favorite 2 card pillow for combo Darkest hour, light of day

I have a lot of these in my decks but some I have never seen. I will take note.

I won't mention Moat, but what about Teferi's Moat from Invasion? 3WU for an Enchantment that when it enters play you choose a color and creatures of that color can't attack?

Light mine field is my favorite. I have always put it into my decks because my group likes goblins lol

Regarding Collective restraint. Be so tempted to throw in a Wastes to have the potential to tick that up to 6 mana to attack.

I usually throw at least one of these in a deck no matter what the goal is, sometimes a single timely ghostly prison can stop you from getting stomped to death by a hoard of elves or tokens

Always good to see more black pillow-fort options.

Tons of these are perfect for my Thrasios Ravos Turbo Fog Alt Win-Con Deck. Epic

Dueling Grounds and Crawlspace were some of my MVPs in my Uril deck. Give him first strike and vigilance and bam they'll never get through

I also don't like being attacked. That's why I added Marble Titan, Meekstone, Crackdown and Blind Obedience to my Doran deck 😁😈 Tapped creatures can't attack, you know!

In the first category, you missed archangel of tithe. But my favorite pillowfort card is sun droplet, quite effective in multiplayer, especially if you can benefit from the life gain like in my heliod sun-crowned.

Blazing Archon is a key creature in my Oath of Druids deck!!

Can't wait to add some of these cards to Thantis, the Warweaver, Kazuul especially. Who said ogres and spiders can't be friends?

Energy field, glacial chasm, and for five color decks spirit of resistance