Best / 100-CARD BUILD

Hope Estheim

Azorius

A little life. A lot less library.

Life gain and milling get different amplifiers. “Best” is this version’s name, not a tested ranking.

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MEET YOUR COMMANDERHope Estheim

Hope Estheim · Featured commander

STRATEGY · 3 PHASES

How this build plays

The supplied Best list keeps Bruvac and the Crystal replacements but removes Optimized’s Mindskinner package and the original Reservoir finish. Psychic Corrosion and Cosmos Elixir connect cards and end-step value, with Felidar Sovereign as a visible life-total threat.

01SET THE STAGE
Let every creature help the count
Soul Warden gains life for another creature entering, and Rhox Faithmender doubles life you would gain. With Hope in play at your end step, the total life gained that turn becomes the amount each opponent mills. Losing life later does not subtract from that gain tally.
- Hope Estheim
- Soul Warden
- Rhox Faithmender
Rules text for these cards
Hope Estheim
Lifelink At the beginning of your end step, each opponent mills X cards, where X is the amount of life you gained this turn.
Soul Warden
Whenever another creature enters, you gain 1 life.
Rhox Faithmender
Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.) If you would gain life, you gain twice that much life instead.
02BUILD THE ENGINE
Life gain and milling get different amplifiers
The Wind Crystal doubles life you would gain, raising the total Hope measures at your end step. The Water Crystal changes each opposing mill event to that many cards plus four. These are different replacement effects: the Water Crystal does not increase life gained.
- Hope Estheim
- The Wind Crystal
- The Water Crystal
Rules text for these cards
Hope Estheim
Lifelink At the beginning of your end step, each opponent mills X cards, where X is the amount of life you gained this turn.
The Wind Crystal
White spells you cast cost {1} less to cast. If you would gain life, you gain twice that much life instead. {4}{W}{W}, {T}: Creatures you control gain flying and lifelink until end of turn.
The Water Crystal
Blue spells you cast cost {1} less to cast. If an opponent would mill one or more cards, they mill that many cards plus four instead. {4}{U}{U}, {T}: Each opponent mills cards equal to the number of cards in your hand.
03CARRY IT THROUGH
Order the end step to use what it gives
Cosmos Elixir and Hope can trigger at the beginning of your end step. Put Hope’s trigger below the Elixir’s so the Elixir resolves first: at or below starting life, its two life can count for Hope. Above starting life it draws instead, which can trigger Psychic Corrosion to mill separately.
- Hope Estheim
- Cosmos Elixir
- Psychic Corrosion
Rules text for these cards
Hope Estheim
Lifelink At the beginning of your end step, each opponent mills X cards, where X is the amount of life you gained this turn.
Cosmos Elixir
At the beginning of your end step, draw a card if your life total is greater than your starting life total. Otherwise, you gain 2 life.
Psychic Corrosion
Whenever you draw a card, each opponent mills two cards.

Explore this build

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Hope Estheim

Lifelink At the beginning of your end step, each opponent mills X cards, where X is the amount of life you gained this turn.

Soul Warden

Whenever another creature enters, you gain 1 life.

Soul's Attendant

Whenever another creature enters, you may gain 1 life.

Lunarch Veteran

Whenever another creature you control enters, you gain 1 life. Disturb {1}{W} (You may cast this card from your graveyard transformed for its disturb cost.) Flying Whenever another creature you control leaves the battlefield, you gain 1 life. If Luminous Phantom would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, exile it instead.

Suture Priest

Whenever another creature you control enters, you may gain 1 life. Whenever a creature an opponent controls enters, you may have that player lose 1 life.

Daxos, Blessed by the Sun

Daxos's toughness is equal to your devotion to white. (Each {W} in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to white.) Whenever another creature you control enters or dies, you gain 1 life.

The Gaffer

At the beginning of each end step, if you gained 3 or more life this turn, draw a card.

Aerith Gainsborough

Lifelink Whenever you gain life, put a +1/+1 counter on Aerith Gainsborough. When Aerith Gainsborough dies, put X +1/+1 counters on each legendary creature you control, where X is the number of +1/+1 counters on Aerith Gainsborough.

Righteous Valkyrie

Flying Whenever another Angel or Cleric you control enters, you gain life equal to that creature's toughness. As long as you have at least 7 life more than your starting life total, creatures you control get +2/+2.

Angel of Vitality

Flying If you would gain life, you gain that much life plus 1 instead. This creature gets +2/+2 as long as you have 25 or more life.

Rhox Faithmender

Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.) If you would gain life, you gain twice that much life instead.

Felidar Sovereign

Vigilance (Attacking doesn't cause this creature to tap.) Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.) At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have 40 or more life, you win the game.

Y'shtola Rhul

At the beginning of your end step, exile target creature you control, then return it to the battlefield under its owner's control. Then if it's the first end step of the turn, there is an additional end step after this step.

Space-Time Anomaly

Target player mills cards equal to your life total.

Dawn of Hope

Whenever you gain life, you may pay {2}. If you do, draw a card. {3}{W}: Create a 1/1 white Soldier creature token with lifelink.

Profane Memento

Whenever a creature card is put into an opponent's graveyard from anywhere, you gain 1 life.

The Wind Crystal

White spells you cast cost {1} less to cast. If you would gain life, you gain twice that much life instead. {4}{W}{W}, {T}: Creatures you control gain flying and lifelink until end of turn.

Bruvac the Grandiloquent

If an opponent would mill one or more cards, they mill twice that many cards instead. (To mill a card, a player puts the top card of their library into their graveyard.)

Windfall

Each player discards their hand, then draws cards equal to the greatest number of cards a player discarded this way.

Live Long and Prosper

This spell can't be countered. Double your life total. Draw cards equal to the number of cards in your hand. You have no maximum hand size until your next turn.

Beacon of Immortality

Double target player's life total. Shuffle Beacon of Immortality into its owner's library.

Congregate

Target player gains 2 life for each creature on the battlefield.

Riot Control

You gain 1 life for each creature your opponents control. Prevent all damage that would be dealt to you this turn.

Heliod's Intervention

Choose one — • Destroy X target artifacts and/or enchantments. • Target player gains twice X life.

Authority of the Consuls

Creatures your opponents control enter tapped. Whenever a creature an opponent controls enters, you gain 1 life.

The Water Crystal

Blue spells you cast cost {1} less to cast. If an opponent would mill one or more cards, they mill that many cards plus four instead. {4}{U}{U}, {T}: Each opponent mills cards equal to the number of cards in your hand.

Cleric Class

(Gain the next level as a sorcery to add its ability.) If you would gain life, you gain that much life plus 1 instead. {3}{W}: Level 2 Whenever you gain life, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control. {4}{W}: Level 3 When this Class becomes level 3, return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. You gain life equal to that creature's toughness.

Well of Lost Dreams

Whenever you gain life, you may pay {X}, where X is less than or equal to the amount of life you gained. If you do, draw X cards.

Alhammarret's Archive

If you would gain life, you gain twice that much life instead. If you would draw a card except the first one you draw in each of your draw steps, draw two cards instead.

Will, Scion of Peace

Vigilance {T}: Spells you cast this turn that are white and/or blue cost {X} less to cast, where X is the amount of life you gained this turn. Activate only as a sorcery.

Fumigate

Destroy all creatures. You gain 1 life for each creature destroyed this way.

Celestine, the Living Saint

Flying, lifelink Healing Tears — At the beginning of your end step, return target creature card with mana value X or less from your graveyard to the battlefield, where X is the amount of life you gained this turn.

Cosmos Elixir

At the beginning of your end step, draw a card if your life total is greater than your starting life total. Otherwise, you gain 2 life.

Court of Cunning

When this enchantment enters, you become the monarch. At the beginning of your upkeep, any number of target players each mill two cards. If you're the monarch, each of those players mills ten cards instead. (To mill a card, a player puts the top card of their library into their graveyard.)

Swords to Plowshares

Exile target creature. Its controller gains life equal to its power.

Generous Gift

Destroy target permanent. Its controller creates a 3/3 green Elephant creature token.

Counterspell

Counter target spell.

Dovin's Veto

This spell can't be countered. Counter target noncreature spell.

Arcane Denial

Counter target spell. Its controller may draw up to two cards at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep. You draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.

Reprieve

Return target spell to its owner's hand. Draw a card.

Aetherize

Return all attacking creatures to their owner's hand.

Supreme Verdict

This spell can't be countered. Destroy all creatures.

Arcane Signet

{T}: Add one mana of any color in your commander's color identity.

Sol Ring

{T}: Add {C}{C}.

Talisman of Progress

{T}: Add {C}. {T}: Add {W} or {U}. This artifact deals 1 damage to you.

Mind Stone

{T}: Add {C}. {1}, {T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.

Wayfarer's Bauble

{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Search your library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.

Swiftfoot Boots

Equipped creature has hexproof and haste. (It can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control. It can attack and {T} no matter when it came under your control.) Equip {1} ({1}: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)

Propaganda

Creatures can't attack you unless their controller pays {2} for each creature they control that's attacking you.

Martyr of Sands

{1}, Reveal X white cards from your hand, Sacrifice this creature: You gain three times X life.

Children of Korlis

Sacrifice this creature: You gain life equal to the life you've lost this turn. (Damage causes loss of life.)

Haliya, Guided by Light

Whenever Haliya or another creature or artifact you control enters, you gain 1 life. At the beginning of your end step, draw a card if you've gained 3 or more life this turn. Warp {W} (You may cast this card from your hand for its warp cost. Exile this creature at the beginning of the next end step, then you may cast it from exile on a later turn.)

Boromir, Warden of the Tower

Vigilance Whenever an opponent casts a spell, if no mana was spent to cast it, counter that spell. Sacrifice Boromir: Creatures you control gain indestructible until end of turn. The Ring tempts you.

Sphinx's Revelation

You gain X life and draw X cards.

Heron of Hope

Flying If you would gain life, you gain that much life plus 1 instead. {1}{W}: This creature gains lifelink until end of turn.

War Report

You gain life equal to the number of creatures on the battlefield plus the number of artifacts on the battlefield.

Stroke of Midnight

Destroy target nonland permanent. Its controller creates a 1/1 white Human creature token.

Serra Ascendant

Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.) As long as you have 30 or more life, this creature gets +5/+5 and has flying.

Command Tower

{T}: Add one mana of any color in your commander's color identity.

Exotic Orchard

{T}: Add one mana of any color that a land an opponent controls could produce.

Adarkar Wastes

{T}: Add {C}. {T}: Add {W} or {U}. This land deals 1 damage to you.

Hallowed Fountain

({T}: Add {W} or {U}.) As this land enters, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, it enters tapped.

Sea of Clouds

This land enters tapped unless you have two or more opponents. {T}: Add {W} or {U}.

Nimbus Maze

{T}: Add {C}. {T}: Add {W}. Activate only if you control an Island. {T}: Add {U}. Activate only if you control a Plains.

Skycloud Expanse

{1}, {T}: Add {W}{U}.

Mystic Gate

{T}: Add {C}. {W/U}, {T}: Add {W}{W}, {W}{U}, or {U}{U}.

Reliquary Tower

You have no maximum hand size. {T}: Add {C}.

Scavenger Grounds

{T}: Add {C}. {2}, {T}, Sacrifice a Desert: Exile all graveyards.

Buried Ruin

{T}: Add {C}. {2}, {T}, Sacrifice this land: Return target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand.

War Room

{T}: Add {C}. {3}, {T}, Pay life equal to the number of colors in your commanders' color identity: Draw a card.

Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire

{T}: Add {W}. Channel — {2}{W}, Discard this card: It deals 4 damage to target attacking or blocking creature. This ability costs {1} less to activate for each legendary creature you control.

Folio of Fancies

Players have no maximum hand size. {X}{X}, {T}: Each player draws X cards. {2}{U}, {T}: Each opponent mills cards equal to the number of cards in their hand.

Psychic Corrosion

Whenever you draw a card, each opponent mills two cards.

Fractured Sanity

Each opponent mills fourteen cards. Cycling {1}{U} ({1}{U}, Discard this card: Draw a card.) When you cycle this card, each opponent mills four cards.

Maddening Cacophony

Kicker {3}{U} Each opponent mills eight cards. If this spell was kicked, instead each opponent mills half their library, rounded up.

Soul-Guide Lantern

When this artifact enters, exile target card from a graveyard. {T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Exile each opponent's graveyard. {1}, {T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.

Relic of Progenitus

{T}: Target player exiles a card from their graveyard. {1}, Exile this artifact: Exile all graveyards. Draw a card.

Island

({T}: Add {U}.)

Plains

({T}: Add {W}.)

Commander

1 card

1×Hope EstheimLegendary Creature — Human Wizard · Printing not specified

Creature

21 cards

Sorcery

7 cards

1×Space-Time AnomalySorcery · Printing not specified 1×WindfallSorcery · Printing not specified 1×Live Long and ProsperSorcery · Printing not specified 1×FumigateSorcery · Printing not specified 1×Supreme VerdictSorcery · Printing not specified 1×Fractured SanitySorcery · Printing not specified 1×Maddening CacophonySorcery · Printing not specified

Enchantment

6 cards

1×Dawn of HopeEnchantment · Printing not specified 1×Authority of the ConsulsEnchantment · Printing not specified 1×Cleric ClassEnchantment — Class · Printing not specified 1×Court of CunningEnchantment · Printing not specified 1×PropagandaEnchantment · Printing not specified 1×Psychic CorrosionEnchantment · Printing not specified

Artifact

15 cards

Instant

14 cards

Land

36 cards

PREGAME CONVERSATION · Planned

Commander Bracket Assessment

Rules-Based Bracket: No raised minimumEstimated Power Bracket: Mid 3–High 3

Based on the 100-card main deck; sideboard excluded. The Rules-Based Bracket is the lowest bracket this card list allows under Commander bracket rules. The Estimated Power Bracket is a personal estimate of how strongly the deck plays. It is not an official rating.

Evidence and limitations

Rules-Based Bracket · minimum

No raised minimum found in the checked restrictions. This does not establish Exhibition intent, Core fit or absence of every possible combo.

Exact Game Changers: None.

Mass land denial registry: None identified in the checked registry. Modal or repeated-land targeting still requires a pregame discussion.

Your extra-turn cards: None identified in the checked registry. Opponent turns from Emrakul or gifts are not counted as your own chain.

Confirmed early two-card lethal or turn-chain flags are not inferred from keywords. This is a lower bound, not a complete combo solver or permission to delay a consistently early line until turn seven. Agreed Rule Zero / Exhibition exceptions are outside this ordinary-restriction check.

Estimated Power Bracket · Mid 3–High 3

Estimated from the card list alone, not from tracked win rates or game results.

The supplied Best list removes Mindskinner and the Reservoir package while retaining gain/mill replacements. Elixir and Corrosion add recurring value rather than an automatic faster finish.

Assembly and timing: End-step trigger order can improve Hope’s mill, but repeated resources and time are still required. No strong universal tutor suite establishes an early combo clock.

Recovery and constraints: Defensive interaction and recurring card value support longer games; commander removal and sweepers still interrupt the core plan.

Curve: 2.80 average nonland mana value. Cheap mana/land-search text: Arcane Signet · Sol Ring · Talisman of Progress · Mind Stone · Wayfarer's Bauble. This text-derived reading aid is not an official score.

Search-library evidence: Wayfarer's Bauble. This includes restricted and land searches; efficient tutor overlap is reviewed separately above. There is no official tutor-count cap.

Fast mana indicators: Sol Ring. Conditional free interaction: None identified in the checked registry. Conditions and resource costs still apply.

Key cards: Cosmos Elixir · Psychic Corrosion · The Wind Crystal · The Water Crystal.

Official sources checked 2026-10-31; criteria update 2025-10-21, Game Changers update 2026-02-09. Method and official source links. Brackets 4 and 5 share structural freedom; competitive intent cannot be inferred from these counts.