Counters Ascendant - The PDH Portal

Counters Ascendant

Pauper Commander
Commander
Haliya, Ascendant Cadet
Haliya, Ascendant Cadet
{2}{G}{W}{W}
Legendary Creature — Human Soldier
Power/Toughness: 3/3
Whenever Haliya enters or attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control. Whenever one or more creatures you control with +1/+1 counters on them deal combat damage to a player, draw a card.
Description

The deck focuses on generating and multiplying +1/+1 counters through creatures like Dockworker Drove, Ivy Lane Denizen, and Drix Fatemaker, while also leveraging evasion tools such as trample and first strike to push damage through.

With proliferate spells like Courage in Crisis and Smell Fear, ramp options like Fertilid and Scale the Heights, and recursion from cards like Evolution Witness, the deck ensures that counters keep piling up and big threats keep coming back.

The result is a resilient, stompy strategy that steadily grows in power and card advantage while overwhelming opponents with ever-bigger creatures.

Check out the video overview on YouTube.

Deck Stats

Total Cards: 100
99 main deck + 1 commander

Created: Aug 31, 2025

Format: Pauper Commander

Card List

Qty Card Mana Cost Type
1
Blossoming Sands
Blossoming Sands
Rarity: common
- Land
1
Desert of the Indomitable
Desert of the Indomitable
Rarity: common
- Land — Desert
1
Desert of the True
Desert of the True
Rarity: common
- Land — Desert
1
Drifting Meadow
Drifting Meadow
Rarity: common
- Land
1
Evolving Wilds
Evolving Wilds
Rarity: common
- Land
11
Forest
Forest
Rarity: common
- Basic Land — Forest
1
Forge of Heroes
Forge of Heroes
Rarity: common
- Land
10
Plains
Plains
Rarity: common
- Basic Land — Plains
1
Sandstone Bridge
Sandstone Bridge
Rarity: common
- Land
1
Secluded Steppe
Secluded Steppe
Rarity: uncommon
- Land
1
Selesnya Sanctuary
Selesnya Sanctuary
Rarity: uncommon
- Land
1
Slippery Karst
Slippery Karst
Rarity: common
- Land
1
Terramorphic Expanse
Terramorphic Expanse
Rarity: common
- Land
1
Tranquil Thicket
Tranquil Thicket
Rarity: common
- Land
1
Turntimber Grove
Turntimber Grove
Rarity: common
- Land
1
Ainok Bond-Kin
Ainok Bond-Kin
Cost: {1}{W} Rarity: common
{1}{W} Creature — Dog Soldier
1
Arboreal Grazer
Arboreal Grazer
Cost: {G} Rarity: common
{G} Creature — Sloth Beast
1
Arcane Signet
Arcane Signet
Cost: {2} Rarity: common
{2} Artifact
1
Band Together
Band Together
Cost: {2}{G} Rarity: common
{2}{G} Instant
1
Banishing Light
Banishing Light
Cost: {2}{W} Rarity: uncommon
{2}{W} Enchantment
1
Basking Broodscale
Basking Broodscale
Cost: {1}{G} Rarity: common
{1}{G} Creature — Eldrazi Lizard
1
Bite Down
Bite Down
Cost: {1}{G} Rarity: common
{1}{G} Instant
1
Bonder's Ornament
Bonder's Ornament
Cost: {3} Rarity: common
{3} Artifact
1
Breath of Life
Breath of Life
Cost: {3}{W} Rarity: common
{3}{W} Sorcery
1
Broken Bond
Broken Bond
Cost: {1}{G} Rarity: common
{1}{G} Sorcery
1
Charge Through
Charge Through
Cost: {G} Rarity: common
{G} Instant
1
Combo Attack
Combo Attack
Cost: {2}{G} Rarity: common
{2}{G} Sorcery
1
Commander's Sphere
Commander's Sphere
Cost: {3} Rarity: common
{3} Artifact
1
Cosmic Hunger
Cosmic Hunger
Cost: {1}{G} Rarity: common
{1}{G} Instant
1
Courage in Crisis
Courage in Crisis
Cost: {2}{G} Rarity: common
{2}{G} Sorcery
1
Cultivate
Cultivate
Cost: {2}{G} Rarity: common
{2}{G} Sorcery
1
Dockworker Drone
Dockworker Drone
Cost: {1}{W} Rarity: common
{1}{W} Artifact Creature — Robot
1
Drix Fatemaker
Drix Fatemaker
Cost: {3}{G} Rarity: common
{3}{G} Creature — Drix Wizard
1
Duskshell Crawler
Duskshell Crawler
Cost: {1}{G} Rarity: common
{1}{G} Creature — Insect
1
Evolution Witness
Evolution Witness
Cost: {2}{G} Rarity: common
{2}{G} Creature — Elf Shaman Mutant
1
Explore
Explore
Cost: {1}{G} Rarity: rare
{1}{G} Sorcery
1
Farhaven Elf
Farhaven Elf
Cost: {2}{G} Rarity: common
{2}{G} Creature — Elf Druid
1
Fertilid
Fertilid
Cost: {2}{G} Rarity: common
{2}{G} Creature — Elemental
1
Fertilid's Favor
Fertilid's Favor
Cost: {3}{G} Rarity: common
{3}{G} Instant
1
Funeral Pyre
Funeral Pyre
Cost: {W} Rarity: common
{W} Instant
1
Gaea's Gift
Gaea's Gift
Cost: {1}{G} Rarity: common
{1}{G} Instant
1
Gnarlid Colony
Gnarlid Colony
Cost: {1}{G} Rarity: common
{1}{G} Creature — Beast
1
Grapple with the Past
Grapple with the Past
Cost: {1}{G} Rarity: common
{1}{G} Instant
1
Guardian Gladewalker
Guardian Gladewalker
Cost: {1}{G} Rarity: common
{1}{G} Creature — Shapeshifter
1
Implement of Ferocity
Implement of Ferocity
Cost: {1} Rarity: common
{1} Artifact
1
Ivy Lane Denizen
Ivy Lane Denizen
Cost: {3}{G} Rarity: common
{3}{G} Creature — Elf Warrior
1
Karametra's Favor
Karametra's Favor
Cost: {1}{G} Rarity: uncommon
{1}{G} Enchantment — Aura
1
Khalni Heart Expedition
Khalni Heart Expedition
Cost: {1}{G} Rarity: common
{1}{G} Enchantment
1
Kodama's Reach
Kodama's Reach
Cost: {2}{G} Rarity: common
{2}{G} Sorcery — Arcane
1
Lembas
Lembas
Cost: {2} Rarity: common
{2} Artifact — Food
1
Luxknight Breacher
Luxknight Breacher
Cost: {3}{W} Rarity: common
{3}{W} Creature — Human Knight
1
Master Chef
Master Chef
Cost: {2}{G} Rarity: common
{2}{G} Legendary Enchantment — Background
1
Mind Stone
Mind Stone
Cost: {2} Rarity: uncommon
{2} Artifact
1
New Horizons
New Horizons
Cost: {2}{G} Rarity: common
{2}{G} Enchantment — Aura
1
Nyxborn Hydra
Nyxborn Hydra
Cost: {X}{G} Rarity: common
{X}{G} Enchantment Creature — Hydra
1
Owlbear
Owlbear
Cost: {3}{G}{G} Rarity: common
{3}{G}{G} Creature — Bird Bear
1
Poison the Blade
Poison the Blade
Cost: {1}{G} Rarity: common
{1}{G} Instant
1
Pollenbright Druid
Pollenbright Druid
Cost: {1}{G} Rarity: common
{1}{G} Creature — Elf Druid
1
Pridemalkin
Pridemalkin
Cost: {2}{G} Rarity: common
{2}{G} Creature — Cat
1
Prishe's Wanderings
Prishe's Wanderings
Cost: {2}{G} Rarity: common
{2}{G} Instant
1
Rabid Bite
Rabid Bite
Cost: {1}{G} Rarity: common
{1}{G} Sorcery
1
Ram Through
Ram Through
Cost: {1}{G} Rarity: common
{1}{G} Instant
1
Recommission
Recommission
Cost: {1}{W} Rarity: common
{1}{W} Sorcery
1
Revive the Shire
Revive the Shire
Cost: {1}{G} Rarity: common
{1}{G} Sorcery
1
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Cost: {1}{G} Rarity: common
{1}{G} Creature — Snake Shaman
1
Scale the Heights
Scale the Heights
Cost: {2}{G} Rarity: common
{2}{G} Sorcery
1
Search for Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow
Cost: {2}{G} Rarity: common
{2}{G} Sorcery
1
Shelter
Shelter
Cost: {1}{W} Rarity: common
{1}{W} Instant
1
Smell Fear
Smell Fear
Cost: {1}{G} Rarity: common
{1}{G} Sorcery
1
Snakeskin Veil
Snakeskin Veil
Cost: {G} Rarity: common
{G} Instant
1
Stormplain Detainment
Stormplain Detainment
Cost: {2}{W} Rarity: common
{2}{W} Enchantment
1
Supply Runners
Supply Runners
Cost: {4}{W} Rarity: uncommon
{4}{W} Creature — Dog
1
Blessed Light
Blessed Light
Cost: {4}{W} Rarity: common
{4}{W} Instant
1
Territorial Scythecat
Territorial Scythecat
Cost: {2}{G} Rarity: common
{2}{G} Creature — Cat
1
Thirsting Roots
Thirsting Roots
Cost: {G} Rarity: common
{G} Sorcery
1
Tormod's Crypt
Tormod's Crypt
Cost: {0} Rarity: uncommon
{0} Artifact
1
Unbounded Potential
Unbounded Potential
Cost: {1}{W} Rarity: common
{1}{W} Instant
1
Union of the Third Path
Union of the Third Path
Cost: {2}{W} Rarity: common
{2}{W} Instant
1
Urban Daggertooth
Urban Daggertooth
Cost: {2}{G}{G} Rarity: common
{2}{G}{G} Creature — Dinosaur
1
Wanderer's Strike
Wanderer's Strike
Cost: {4}{W} Rarity: common
{4}{W} Sorcery
Qty Card Mana Cost Type
1
Palace Sentinels
Palace Sentinels
Cost: {3}{W} Rarity: common
{3}{W} Creature — Human Soldier
1
Entourage of Trest
Entourage of Trest
Cost: {4}{G} Rarity: common
{4}{G} Creature — Elf Soldier
1
Staunch Throneguard
Staunch Throneguard
Cost: {5} Rarity: common
{5} Artifact Creature — Construct
1
Throne Warden
Throne Warden
Cost: {1}{W} Rarity: common
{1}{W} Creature — Human Soldier