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Mythic Decks
Mythic Decks

Heliod, Sun-Crowned

CMM · mythic · Released 2023-08-04

Power

brawl
tier-1Game-defining18/19
commander
tier-1Game-defining18/19

Tier shown as baseline → best-case (in its ideal shell). The score (-8 to 19) is a rank signal derived from tier + kind + atoms; browse by it on the cards page.

Derived from the 7 atoms below.

over

above rate

standalone

meaningful alone

synergy

wants support

takes over

can take over a game

flexible

multiple modes

broad

broadly useful

sticky

hard to remove

Commander Bracket

1Precon2Core3Upgraded4Optimized5cEDH

Archetypes

positive:
lifegaincounters-voltronplus-one-counterscomboenchantment-matters
negative:
millself-mill

Roles

counter-producerlifegain-payoffevasion-grantcombo-piecemidrange-threatindestructible-threat

Risks

devotion-requiredrequires-creature-densityslow-setup

Mechanics

—

Typal

synergy:
god
anti:

—

Structural

triggered-abilitystatic-abilityactivated-ability

Rationale

Heliod is a 3cmc indestructible 5/5 (when online) that converts every point of lifegain into a +1/+1 counter on any creature or enchantment, and grants lifelink for {1}{W}; it forms the centerpiece of the Heliod+Walking Ballista infinite-damage combo and is a premier lifegain-matters payoff. Signature in lifegain, plus-one-counters, counters-voltron, and enchantment-matters shells; the combo line makes it cEDH-relevant at bracket 4-5 as well.

Learnings (3)

  • Heliod + Walking Ballista is a two-card infinite-damage combo: give Ballista lifelink with Heliod's activated ability, then use its ping ability — each ping triggers Heliod's counter ability, re-adding the counter, looping indefinitely.

    tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6

  • Because Heliod is an enchantment even when not a creature (devotion < 5), his own triggered ability can place +1/+1 counters on himself as an enchantment, allowing him to accumulate counters off-plan and eventually become a massive creature threat even in non-devotion builds.

    tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6

  • The lifelink grant targets 'another target creature', so Heliod cannot grant himself lifelink; this matters for the infinite combo, which requires a separate creature like Walking Ballista or Soul's Attendant to serve as the lifelink vehicle.

    tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6

Popularity

  • EDHREC rank: #1,029

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