Original / 100-CARD BUILD

Hope Estheim

Azorius

A little life. A lot less library.

Trade a draw for five life. Browse the original’s cards and rules.

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MEET YOUR COMMANDERHope Estheim

Hope Estheim · Featured commander

STRATEGY · 3 PHASES

How this build plays

Original turns repeated life gains into Hope’s end-step mill, with draw replacement and life-doubling support. It also retains a Reservoir outlet, so the plan is broader than milling alone.

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
Trade a draw for five life
Activate Words of Worship before a draw to replace the next draw with five life. Hope uses that life gain at your end step, and Alhammarret’s Archive can double it. Because the draw was replaced, it does not also trigger an ability that requires drawing a card.
- Hope Estheim
- Words of Worship
- Alhammarret's Archive
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.
Words of Worship
{1}: The next time you would draw a card this turn, you gain 5 life instead.
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.
03CARRY IT THROUGH
Keep a second way to finish
Aetherflux Reservoir gains life as you cast successive spells, increasing Hope’s future mill total. Its damage ability costs fifty life and needs sufficient life to pay safely. Well of Lost Dreams can turn a life-gain event into cards if you pay the required mana, helping find the next spell.
- Hope Estheim
- Aetherflux Reservoir
- Well of Lost Dreams
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.
Aetherflux Reservoir
Whenever you cast a spell, you gain 1 life for each spell you've cast this turn. Pay 50 life: This artifact deals 50 damage to any target.
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.

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.

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.

Wall of Reverence

Defender, flying At the beginning of your end step, you may gain life equal to the power of target creature you control.

Drogskol Reaver

Flying Double strike (This creature deals both first-strike and regular combat damage.) Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.) Whenever you gain life, draw a card.

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.

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.

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.

Teferi's Tutelage

When this enchantment enters, draw a card, then discard a card. Whenever you draw a card, target opponent mills two cards. (They put the top two cards of their library into their graveyard.)

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.

Windfall

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

Sphinx's Revelation

You gain X life and draw X cards.

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.

Union of the Third Path

Draw a card, then you gain life equal to the number of cards in your hand.

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.

Ajani's Welcome

Whenever a creature you control enters, you gain 1 life.

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.

Boon Reflection

If you would gain life, you gain twice that much life instead.

Fumigate

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

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.

Rest in Peace

When this enchantment enters, exile all graveyards. If a card or token would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, exile it instead.

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.)

Ghostly Prison

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.

Angel of Destiny

Flying, double strike Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, you and that player each gain that much life. At the beginning of your end step, if you have at least 15 life more than your starting life total, each player this creature attacked this turn loses the game.

True Conviction

Creatures you control have double strike and lifelink.

Leonin Warleader

Whenever this creature attacks, create two 1/1 white Cat creature tokens with lifelink that are tapped and attacking.

Ajani, Strength of the Pride

+1: You gain life equal to the number of creatures you control plus the number of planeswalkers you control. −2: Create a 2/2 white Cat Soldier creature token named Ajani's Pridemate with "Whenever you gain life, put a +1/+1 counter on this token." 0: If you have at least 15 life more than your starting life total, exile Ajani and each artifact and creature your opponents control.

Aetherflux Reservoir

Whenever you cast a spell, you gain 1 life for each spell you've cast this turn. Pay 50 life: This artifact deals 50 damage to any target.

Nyx-Fleece Ram

At the beginning of your upkeep, you gain 1 life.

Words of Worship

{1}: The next time you would draw a card this turn, you gain 5 life instead.

Children of Korlis

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

Regal Caracal

Other Cats you control get +1/+1 and have lifelink. (Damage dealt by those creatures also causes you to gain that much life.) When this creature enters, create two 1/1 white Cat creature tokens with lifelink.

Heliod, Sun-Crowned

Indestructible As long as your devotion to white is less than five, Heliod isn't a creature. Whenever you gain life, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature or enchantment you control. {1}{W}: Another target creature gains lifelink until end of turn.

Archangel of Thune

Flying Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.) Whenever you gain life, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control.

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.

Island

({T}: Add {U}.)

Plains

({T}: Add {W}.)

Commander

1 card

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

Creature

23 cards

Artifact

12 cards

Enchantment

10 cards

Sorcery

5 cards

1×Fractured SanitySorcery · Printing not specified 1×Maddening CacophonySorcery · Printing not specified 1×WindfallSorcery · Printing not specified 1×FumigateSorcery · Printing not specified 1×Supreme VerdictSorcery · Printing not specified

Instant

12 cards

Planeswalker

1 card

1×Ajani, Strength of the PrideLegendary Planeswalker — Ajani · Printing not specified

Land

36 cards

PREGAME CONVERSATION · Planned

Commander Bracket Assessment

Rules-Based Bracket: No raised minimumEstimated Power Bracket: Mid 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

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

Several gain amplifiers and draw payoffs support an end-step mill plan. Broad tutors and fast-mana density are limited, and draw replacement competes with draw-trigger effects.

Assembly and timing: Life gained this turn must be generated before Hope resolves. Reservoir needs sufficient life and a spell sequence; it is not automatically a quick deterministic win here.

Recovery and constraints: Lifegain and sweepers buy time, while removal of Hope or key engines can delay translating that time into a finish.

Curve: 2.86 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: Words of Worship · Rhox Faithmender · Aetherflux Reservoir · Well of Lost Dreams.

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.