Combining steady card advantage, immediate board stat buffs, and reliable defensive blocking stats, Bard, Heir of Girion from The Hobbit Commander (HOC) brings dynamic tempo aggression to the Azorius color identity in Magic: The Gathering.
As a 4/4 Human Archer with Reach and Vigilance costing four mana (), Bard boosts all other creatures you control by +1/+1 while drawing a card whenever you attack with one or more creatures. Operating as both an anthem in the command zone and an attacking draw engine, Bard drives mid-range token builds and evasive creature strategies toward explosive late-game wins.
Here is the strategic operational blueprint of Moxfield’s premier Bard, Heir of Girion list, detailing how to generate cheap tokens, trigger attack-based card advantage, and overwhelm opponents under a boosted Azorius swarm.
1. Core Mechanics & Strategic Phases
Winning with Bard relies on establishing low-cost evasive attackers early, protecting Bard to ensure consistent turn-by-turn card draw, and multiplying token generation to capitalize on his global +1/+1 anthem.
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Early Game (Turns 1–3): Deploy early token generators like Raise the Alarm and evasive threats like Esper Sentinel or Faerie Mastermind. Ramp using Sol Ring and Arcane Signet.
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Mid Game (Turns 4–5): Cast Bard, Heir of Girion. Swing with your existing board to draw cards immediately, while Bard’s Reach and Vigilance hold down the defense against incoming flyers.
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Late Game (Turns 5+): Scale your board using Adeline, Resplendent Cathar or Monastery Mentor, buffer your board with protection spells like Teferi’s Protection, and finish opponents off with extra combat triggers or pump spells.
2. Moxfield Highlights: Azorius Attack & Token Synergies
The top community builds on Moxfield maximize Bard’s efficiency by leveraging low-mana token creators and cheap countermagic to preserve combat momentum.
Adeline, Resplendent Cathar / Myrel, Shield of Argive
Premier attack-trigger token engines. Adeline creates attacking Human tokens for every opponent, immediately gaining Bard’s +1/+1 buff and generating massive combat pressure while drawing cards.
Clever Concealment / Teferi’s Protection / Fierce Guardianship
High-tier protection tools. Phasing out your wide token board prevents devastating board wipes, keeping your anthem engine intact.
Mondrak, Glory Dominus / Anointed Procession
Essential token multipliers. Doubles all incoming tokens created by your attack triggers and instant-speed spells.
Swords to Plowshares / Cyclonic Rift / Dovin’s Veto
Efficient Azorius interaction suite. Clears major blockers and counters game-ending spells from opposing players.
3. Copy & Paste Bard, Heir of Girion 100-Card Decklist
Use the text box below to copy the complete highly-optimized community list. It contains exactly 1 Commander and 99 mainboard cards, calibrated for an error-free import into Moxfield.
1 Bard, Heir of Girion
1 Adeline, Resplendent Cathar
1 Anointed Procession
1 Arcane Signet
1 Arid Mesa
1 Azorius Signet
1 Flooded Strand
1 Brainstorm
1 Clever Concealment
1 Command Tower
1 Counterspell
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Dovin's Veto
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Esper Sentinel
1 Faerie Mastermind
1 Fierce Guardianship
1 Flusterstorm
1 Force of Will
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Intangible Virtue
1 Land Tax
1 Ledger Shredder
1 Marsh Flats
1 Metalworker
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Monastery Mentor
1 Mondrak, Glory Dominus
1 Mother of Runes
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Myrel, Shield of Argive
1 Ocelot Pride
1 Path to Exile
1 Polluted Delta
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
1 Raise the Alarm
1 Reconnaissance
1 Rhystic Study
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Sea of Clouds
1 Smothering Tithe
1 Sol Ring
1 Supreme Verdict
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Talisman of Progress
1 Teferi's Protection
1 Tundra
1 Windswept Heath
1 Mystic Remora
1 Drannith Magistrate
1 Flawless Maneuver
1 Esper Sentinel
1 Grand Abolisher
1 Recruiter of the Guard
1 Spellseeker
1 Displace
1 Ghostly Flicker
1 Ephemerate
1 Soulherder
1 Touch the Spirit Realm
1 Felidar Guardian
1 Restoration Angel
1 Peregrine Drake
1 Mulldrifter
1 Cloudblazer
1 Wall of Omens
1 Agent of Treachery
1 Archaeomancer
15 Plains
15 Island
Summary: Anthem the Swarm, Draw the Victory
Moxfield’s top deck builders embrace Bard, Heir of Girion for combining card draw on attacks with an immediate +1/+1 board anthem in Azorius colors. By steadily expanding a token army while drawing into protection and interaction, Bard overwhelms commander pods with efficiency and tempo. Copy the flawless 100-card decklist above, lead your forces, and dominate your next Commander match.
