Overview

Ahoy Mateys is a Pirate tribal deck that keeps its crew coming back. Admiral Brass, Unsinkable mills four cards when he enters, and at the beginning of combat on your turn you may return target Pirate creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield with a finality counter on it. It has base power and toughness 4/4 and gains haste until end of turn, so every combat starts with a new attacker.

The 99 cards are 34 creatures, 14 artifacts, 3 enchantments, 5 instants, 6 sorceries and 37 lands. Every one of the creatures is a Pirate. The deck makes Treasure with creatures such as Captain Lannery Storm, Corsair Captain and Pitiless Plunderer, steals what it cannot beat with cards such as Hostage Taker, Captivating Crew and Coercive Recruiter, and fills the graveyard so Admiral Brass has plenty to bring back.

Key Cards

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Admiral Beckett Brass
Lord · Theft
A 3/3 for {1}{U}{B}{R}. Other Pirates you control get +1/+1. At the beginning of your end step, gain control of target nonland permanent controlled by a player who was dealt combat damage by three or more Pirates this turn. A wide Pirate attack can steal a permanent each turn.
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Hostage Taker
Theft · Removal
A 2/3 for {2}{U}{B}. When it enters, exile another target creature or artifact until it leaves the battlefield. You may cast that card for as long as it remains exiled, and you can spend mana of any type to cast it. It is a Pirate, so it also gets Admiral Beckett Brass's bonus.
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Ramirez DePietro, Pillager
Treasure · Card Advantage
A 4/3 for {2}{U}{B}. When it enters, you lose 2 life and create two Treasure tokens. Whenever one or more Pirates you control deal combat damage to a player, exile the top card of that player's library, and you may cast that card for as long as it remains exiled.
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Gemcutter Buccaneer
Treasure · Equipment
A 1/3 for {3}{R}. Whenever it or another Pirate you control enters, create a tapped Treasure token. Your Treasures are Equipment as well, giving the equipped creature +2/+0, with equip Pirate {1} and equip {3}.

Playing the Deck

The early game is about cheap Pirates and mana. Spectral Sailor and Siren Stormtamer cost a single blue mana, Kari Zev, Skyship Raider, Dire Fleet Daredevil and Warkite Marauder are efficient two-drops, and Sol Ring, Arcane Signet and the Dimir, Izzet and Rakdos Signets fix the three colours. Corsair Captain gives your other Pirates +1/+1 and a Treasure, and Captain Lannery Storm makes Treasure whenever she attacks.

The middle of the game is about attacking and stealing. Port Razer untaps your creatures and gives you an extra combat phase, Zara, Renegade Recruiter can put a creature from the defending player's hand onto the battlefield attacking for a turn, and Coercive Recruiter and Captivating Crew take control of a creature until end of turn. Arm-Mounted Anchor draws cards when the equipped creature connects, Bident of Thassa draws a card whenever any creature you control deals combat damage to a player, The Grim Captain's Locker gives the creature cards in your graveyard escape, and The Indomitable can be cast from the graveyard.

The deck finishes with a huge attack or by resetting the board when it is behind. Angrath's Marauders doubles all the damage your sources deal, Don Andres, the Renegade gives creatures you control but do not own +2/+2, menace and deathtouch, and Blasphemous Act, Blood Money and Evacuation clear the table. Admiral Brass can return a Pirate each turn, which helps the deck recover after a sweeper.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths: The deck has a lot of ways to turn an opponent's resources against them: Hostage Taker, Captivating Crew, Coercive Recruiter, Zara and Admiral Beckett Brass all take things, and the Treasure tokens help to cast them. It also has solid removal and interaction, such as Lethal Scheme, Feed the Swarm, Chaos Warp and Prismari Command, and good card advantage from cards like Black Market Connections and Windfall.

Weaknesses: Many cards cost life or require combat damage, such as Ramirez DePietro, Dire Fleet Ravager and Black Market Connections, so a deck that stops attackers or races you can be a problem. The deck is three colours with many double-coloured costs, and a sweeper at the wrong time can leave you with nothing to attack with while the Admiral waits for his next combat.

Want to improve it? See the Ahoy Mateys upgrade guide: six swaps with the data behind each one.

Verdict
Ahoy Mateys is an aggressive tribal deck with a swashbuckling plan: attack, steal what you like and bring the crew back. It is a good deck for players who like proactive play, and because every creature is a Pirate its tribal payoffs are very consistent.

Want to see what a fully optimised Admiral Brass, Unsinkable build looks like? Try the Oracle.

✦ Build with The Oracle

Frequently Asked Questions

What cards are in the Ahoy Mateys decklist?
The Ahoy Mateys precon is a 100-card Commander deck led by Admiral Brass, Unsinkable. The full Ahoy Mateys decklist, with every card, current prices and a button to copy the list into your deck builder, is on this page.

When was Ahoy Mateys released?
Ahoy Mateys was released on November 17, 2023 as part of Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander.

Who is the commander of Ahoy Mateys?
Ahoy Mateys is led by Admiral Brass, Unsinkable, a Grixis (U/B/R) legendary creature.

How many creatures are in Ahoy Mateys?
The 99 cards besides Admiral Brass, Unsinkable include 34 creatures.

How many lands does Ahoy Mateys have?
Ahoy Mateys has 37 lands in the 99 cards besides Admiral Brass, Unsinkable, including basic lands.

Full Decklist

All 100 cards from the out-of-the-box Ahoy Mateys precon, with current prices. Click any card to expand it.

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