Arcane Foundry › Commanders › Gwaihir, Greatest of the Eagles
Gwaihir, Greatest of the Eagles
Legendary Creature — Bird Noble · {4}{W} · White commander
Flying
Whenever Gwaihir attacks, target attacking creature gains flying until end of turn.
At the beginning of each end step, if you gained 3 or more life this turn, create a 3/3 white Bird creature token with flying and "Whenever this token attacks, target attacking creature gains flying until end of turn."
Build a Gwaihir, Greatest of the Eagles deck →
What Gwaihir, Greatest of the Eagles actually does
Read off the card by the same engine the Forge and Analyzer use — this is the mechanical classification, not a summary.
- Triggered ability · attackWhenever Gwaihir attacks, target attacking creature gains flying until end of turn.
- Triggered ability · end_stepAt the beginning of each end step, if you gained 3 or more life this turn, create a 3/3 white Bird creature token with flying and "Whenever this token attacks, target attacking creature gains flying u
- Keyword · flyingflying
What a Gwaihir, Greatest of the Eagles deck needs
Plays as combat trigger. What the commander asks of the other 99 — read from the card and checked by hand.
- repeatable lifegain — lifelink, gain-life triggers and Food (every life gained is its trigger)
- token payoffs — anthems, sacrifice outlets and go-wide finishers (it makes tokens on repeat)
- haste, evasion and protection for the commander, and extra combats (its own attack is the engine)
The Gwaihir, Greatest of the Eagles deck plan
The roles the Forge fills for this commander, and how many cards of each.
- 6× Put haste on the commander the turn it resolves — a tap ability is unusable otherwise
- 4× Evasion that does NOT target or attach — for a commander your own auras and equipment cannot legally touch
- 16× Gain life repeatedly — for a commander that converts life gained into drain, the gain IS the damage
- 4× Make the commander connect — a body that never deals combat damage never triggers
- 12× Make creature tokens — a static anthem or a go-wide commander needs a board to be wide
- 4× A team pump that actually pumps tokens
- 5× Actually remove one problem permanent — preventing its damage is not removing it
- 9× Find the exact card the plan needs
- 1× Answer a whole board at once
Best cards for Gwaihir, Greatest of the Eagles
Ranked by an engine that reads what each card does — its real cost, its delay and how reliably it works — rather than counting how often other people play it.
Put haste on the commander the turn it resolves — a tap ability is unusable otherwise
- Thousand-Year Elixir3 mana
- Lightning Greaves2 mana
- Swiftfoot Boots2 mana
- Akroma's Memorial7 mana
- Lavaspur Boots1 mana
- Sting, the Glinting Dagger2 mana
- Haunted Cloak3 mana
- Sword of Vengeance3 mana
Evasion that does NOT target or attach — for a commander your own auras and equipment cannot legally touch
- Akroma's Will4 mana
- Glaring Spotlight1 mana
- Elspeth, Storm Slayer5 mana
- The Wind Crystal4 mana
- Elspeth, Sun's Champion6 mana
- Inquisitorial Rosette2 mana
- Eldrazi Monument5 mana
- Toby, Beastie Befriender3 mana
Gain life repeatedly — for a commander that converts life gained into drain, the gain IS the damage
- Basilisk Collar1 mana
- High Market0 mana
- Zuran Orb0 mana
- Authority of the Consuls1 mana
- Serra Ascendant1 mana
- Shadowspear1 mana
- Soul Warden1 mana
- Soul's Attendant1 mana
Make the commander connect — a body that never deals combat damage never triggers
- Elspeth, Sun's Champion6 mana
- Eldrazi Monument5 mana
- Akroma's Memorial7 mana
- On Wings of Gold4 mana
- Shadowspear1 mana
- Bilbo's Ring3 mana
- Cliffhaven Kitesail1 mana
- Gryff's Boon1 mana
Make creature tokens — a static anthem or a go-wide commander needs a board to be wide
- Replicating Ring3 mana
- Elspeth, Storm Slayer5 mana
- Hero of Bladehold4 mana
- Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate0 mana
- Elspeth, Sun's Champion6 mana
- Andúril, Flame of the West3 mana
- Cosmogrand Zenith3 mana
- Twilight Drover3 mana
A team pump that actually pumps tokens
- Intangible Virtue2 mana
- Caretaker's Talent3 mana
- Inspiring Leader3 mana
- Prava of the Steel Legion3 mana
- Gideon's Memorial2 mana
- Mite Overseer4 mana
- Phantom General4 mana
- Flowering of the White Tree2 mana
Actually remove one problem permanent — preventing its damage is not removing it
- Path to Exile1 mana
- Swords to Plowshares1 mana
- March of Otherworldly Light1 mana
- Generous Gift3 mana
- Erode1 mana
- Unwanted Remake1 mana
- Angelic Ascension2 mana
- You Cannot Pass!1 mana
Find the exact card the plan needs
- Open the Armory2 mana
- Enlightened Tutor1 mana
- Templar Knight2 mana
- Idyllic Tutor3 mana
- Ranger-Captain of Eos3 mana
- Loyal Tutor1 mana
- Recruiter of the Guard3 mana
- Search for Glory3 mana
Answer a whole board at once
- Vanquish the Horde8 mana
- Wrath of God4 mana
- Day of Judgment4 mana
- Shatter the Sky4 mana
- Split Up3 mana
- Winds of Abandon2 mana
- Depopulate4 mana
- No Witnesses4 mana