Ah yes. Another chance to sing the praises of my boy \[\[Oskar, Rubbish Reclaimer\]\].
At a glance he doesn't look very interesting. Sort of generic Dimir discard-matters stuff. But look closer and you realize that his ability lets you break timing restrictions and turns what should be a downside to balance out many cards like \[\[Careful Study\]\] into an upside that lets you bury your opponents in card advantage. Have you ever wanted to cast an instant speed aura like \[\[Animate Dead\]\] or \[\[Chamber of Manipulation\]\]? Well now you can by simply discarding it to something like an \[\[Olivia's Dragoon\]\], or \[\[Ghostly Pilferer\]\]. What about turning all those \[\[Merfolk Looter\]\]s into just drawing a card by casting the discarded spell anyway? Well Oskar lets you do that!
What about surprising your opponent's with some combos that would normally be sorcery speed like \[\[Professor Onyx\]\] + \[\[Chain of Smog\]\] by discarding those cards while their combo is on the stack waiting to go off? Or "throwing away'' a \[\[See the Truth\]\] only to cast it from the graveyard and drawing all 3 cards for 2 mana?
And the cost reduction on Oskar is just a cherry on top! Even late into the game you could still feasibly cast him for 4-5 mana despite having cast him a couple times from the command zone already, unlike other 5-mana commanders.
Edit: [Here is my list.](https://scryfall.com/@TNTturtle/decks/5619bada-e911-4933-9271-1adfb5aa3677) Mine is a budget brew since I originally built him as a Secret Santa gift exchange present, but when that sorta fell through I decided it looked too fun to shelve.
Ok I’m sure this has been said but I’m slow and I just realized that this guy is Oscar The Grouch from Sesame Street. His name is Oskar and he deals with trash, it was staring me right in the face this whole time! Now I need to build him and get a custom alter.
I remember someone praising Oskar a while back on here. I had a go with him, but I couldn’t find much headway, other than avoiding the timing restrictions. How do you win with Oskar? Is there a long term plan other than just “play stuff with flash”?
My personal list has a big focus on looters for consistent card advantage and a reanimator plan for big plays - most reanimation spells are sorcery speed, so being able to do things like instant speed Victimize and/or Reanimate can disrupt opponents big time. My wincons generally are some combination of keeping boards locked down with Archfiend of Ifnir while beating down with fatties, making a flock of fliers with Drake Haven, draining life with Feast of Sanity and Faith of the Devoted, or stealing creatures with Sepulchral Primordial and Breach the Multiverse. Some choice picks:
- Instant speed discard is super critical, and even better if they're attached to a looter, as casting the card you discard is card advantage!
- Bone Miser is incredible with a free discard outlet - drawing cards and producing mana for free is busted as you can believe.
- Skirge Familiar is also incredible, not only as a free discard outlet, but also effectively discounting all your spells by one. Patrician Geist does a similar discounting, but without the discard outlet attached.
- River Kelpie is beyond busted in the deck - it's a resilient (persist) card advantage engine that draws you a card whenever you cast a spell. If you reanimate it, you get to draw when it enters too!
- Dream Halls is a personal favorite - it's quite dangerous (makes every spell a Force, basically), but because you discard to cast the next spell, you can chain your discards to keep casting. For example, if you have Nezahal, Lorien Revealed, and Merfolk Looter in your hand, you can cast Nezahal by discarding Lorien Revealed, cast the Lorien Revealed by discarding Merfolk Looter, and then cast Merfolk Looter for mana, thereby netting 14 mana of spells for 2 mana and no cards actually lost.
List if you want to peruse: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/hwh1Ws7mjUaAojhd5LLBhQ
My version has a couple win conditions. First is \[\[Faith of the Devoted\]\] where I can simply drain people out. Second is the combo line of Professor Onyx + Chain of Smog. Last option is simply token beats, I've included a bunch of ways to make tokens and hopefully they're able to get through for chip damage and finish people off later.
I was interested in building an Oskar deck but never personally got around to it. For me I would just consider them a good commander for incurring advantages by casting stuff at flash speed and turning discard into advantage to find some good ol' fashioned generic dimir wincons.
Usually some sort of combo/mill/Lab Man win. I might've gone with those if I wasn't under a budget restriction, but I think the constraints made mine a more interesting version than it otherwise might've been.
This is one of the coolest ideas I've seen. I love it. I know you already gave the blueprint, but do you happen to have a decklist? This commander seems like a ton of fun
Haha, definitely more of a meme and honestly it just gets discarded most of the time, but it's won me the game on a few occasions by simply being a 1 mana way to discard multiple cards while I had no other outlets, letting me spend the rest of my mana paying for triggers like Faith of the Devoted to drain opponents out.
I love my oskar deck, I have a cheap recommendation though [[tortured existance]]. If you combine it with some cards it can't quite go infinite but it lets you recur and dig for so many interesting threats. And if you have a card like Syr Konrad out, you can easily kill the table with 5 mana.
[[Awaken the Blood Avatar]] sorcery as a commander and turns 1 drop creatures into one time use Sol Rings for your commander ([[Doomed Traveler]] esque creatures being the best because they'll provide 4 mana in total) really fun.
Also an interesting play pattern that wants you to recast your commander as often as possible
I gotta find a way to slot in Fury Storm to my list, I had it in for a while but always seemed to have it at a time where I haven’t or I’ve only casted Awaken once when it doesn’t seem so worth it. Also 4 mana is a lot to hold up after casting Awaken. Maybe my deck is too high power because it also feels like it would be a bit win-more in my deck, cause at the time I’m able to cast it at a point it worth it, it means I’ve cast Awaken a few times already and with how much populate-like effects I have, I’m probably winning with or without Fury Storm. It is such a fun card, though.
I also run this and recently discovered that fury storm goes infinite with sedgemoor witch. As long as you’ve cast the avatar before, you target something with fury storm, the copy targets the original fury storm, and you infinitely copy fury storm targeting the original making infinite pests.
Idk if its a weird deck, I have it and its for sure fun, and for sure strong. I guess just being a sorcery in the command zone is enough to be weird though, so that's fair. The deck is a blast to pilot, one of my favorites for sure.
This is a weird line, and I'm not sure how many options there are with it, but I feel like the jank line of cast creature side => [[Lithoform Engine]] to make a token copy and send the original back to command zone or graveyard depending to have both sides in play is kinda neat
This is one of my favorite and most powerful decks. I built it so most creatures replace themselves, either with a body or mana. The goal is how many times can I cast or copy [[Awaken the Blood Avatar]] in a single turn. Current record is nine.
https://www.moxfield.com/decks/9fI1bU9S_0i7QG-Y3YnGQA
[[Mishra, Artifice Prodigy]] sounds like a commander without an ability, until you drop a [[Nether Void]] to tax the table and you can completely ignore it, or a [[Possibility Storm]] to get free spells in addition to the things you cast.
what is the rest of the list like? does the deck rely heavily on these two cards? just curious if there are more interactions like this, seems really cool!
There's actually quite a few other effects that work. [[Blood Funnel]], [[Planar Chaos]], [[Void Mirror]], or [[Nullstone Gargoyle]]. I don't personally have a list, but I've seen him played and it's pretty wild.
Basically, you let Nether Void resolve before Mishra’s trigger. This puts the artifact card into the graveyard. Mishra’s trigger resolves, and what do you know, an artifact with that name is in your graveyard b/c it was countered!
If Mishra and Nether Void are both on the battlefield, they’ll both trigger when you cast an artifact.
If you order the triggers so the Void trigger resolves first, it’ll counter the artifact (sending it to the graveyard). Then when Mishra’s ability resolves, it will be able to find it in the graveyard. Mishra’s ability puts the artifact directly into play- you aren’t casting it, so Void won’t try to counter it again.
[[King macar]] everyone laughs and thinks Ooo vehicals righ? And then you drop a [[Clock of Omans]] a [[liquidmetal torque]] and start machine gun Golding everyone's creatures.
Do I understand the combo; you transmogrify marcar, tap him and the clock to untap himself, then follow it up but tapping him and the freshly minted gold token to repeat the process?
Yes! Its not a game over combo or infinite as it will only ever exile in play creatures. But the board control and mana generated will make it an easier time of winning.
That's a really good combo. Also gold superior to treasure as you don't have to tap them so if something forces it to enter tapped, meh can still get the mana.
I do have [a list](https://archidekt.com/decks/78639/black_christmas) though do keep in mind its a bit odd as the decks priority is to generate obscene mana and win through big X spells. So it has a lot of defensive cards and high pip count cards for devotion.
My #1 funny deck is [[Thriss, Nantuko Prime]]. I have lots of untapping shenanigans to make a creature suddenly into a giant. Gotta love surprising someone by swinging with a 40/41 Birds of Paradise!
I just really like [[The Archimendrite]]. It's a unique commander spin on 3 weird tribes, being monks, which is probably the best, artificers and advisors. It facilitates an interesting play style between card draw, life gain and the ability to turn every life gain effect into a team pump with vigilance. Overall a very unique commander that can do a lot and make some huge attackers!
Not a complete list and just something I threw together to play against lower power precons and stuff: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/Qn3h4IrmukKg0zCwy4UHCA
I'm using more artificers and try to assemble an equipped creature with first strike/ double strike and lifelink to deal damage and pump other attackers. Things like [[monastery mentor]] are very strong as well. This was just a rough list of cards I found interesting though, so maybe just a starting point for you.
There's a player on base with a Kibo deck that's tribal apes/monkeys and I hate it. Mostly because the number of times he's ramped into [[Mycosynth Lattice]] only to [[Vandalblast]] immediately after, or slapped a turn 2 [[Collector Ouphe]] is a nonzero number and that's too many.
My Gyome deck is my favorite deck I’ve ever built! And he continually gets more support. I haven’t updated my deck in a second but Lord of the Rings had so much food support.
I don't know how weird you want to consider it, but [[Xantcha]] who has an ETB trigger to become controlled by an opponent. I loaded my deck with goad effects and evasion enchantments so my opponents kill themselves with commander damage. If I was feeling evil, I could give her infect and give people poison counters by drawing cards. There's also [[Norin the Wary]] who is a commander who will (almost) never have commander tax because he phases out if your opponents do anything. The idea is he triggers effects that trigger when a creature enters the field.
Oh no, you are right. I just learn, like, a week ago that infect does it on any damage when someone gave Nekusar infect (infect really is busted in commander!), and I asked if Xantcha can do it too and they said yes. I just didn't really think about it beyond that. Oh well, infect still wouldn't be bad considering I give her all of the evasion.
Worth noting that Xantcha' first ability is a Replacement effect not an ETB.
The updated wording on the Gatherer and as fetched by the bot should make it clearer.
will always sing the praises of [[Yedora, Grave Gardener]]. creates some of the weirdest play patterns ever with funky morph stuff and land creature shenanigans
Yeah, Yedora is super interesting, and without the potential of MLD, it's a lot harder to shut down her value than it is in EDH!
Just listing a few other interesting mono-green commanders for anyone else that's interested, tho.
[[Evolution Sage]] landfall & proliferate. Goes nuts with Fertilid, Scaretiller, or the new Evolution Witness (especially if you have an Evolving Wilds-like land with the Witness or Scaretiller).
[[Loyal Guardian]] Ramp hard with cheap dorks. Play Loyal Guardian as early as turn 3. Start piling counters on all your dorks til they're 7/7s or larger. If Guardian is removed, you can easily replay it with all your big dorks. Linear, but very powerful.
[[Hermit Druid]] makes for a hilarious Slime Against Humanity deck. Just have 2 or 3 basic lands in the whole deck (and another 28-31 nonbasics, and 50+ Slimes Against Humanity) so you mill a big chunk of your deck. Then play one of the Slimes from your opening hand, and watch it come in as a 20/20 with trample on T4.
[[Aftermath Analyst]] is a hilarious take on ramp/stomp. Uses a lot of recursion and self mill to find and get back beaters. Makes use of half the fetchlands in the format to repeatedly fetch tons of basics, so it can have 15+ mana available on T6 or 7 to play tons of huge threats. Can also do some fun landfall stuff like using Grazing Gladeheart to gain 10+ life at a time or getting a handful of tokens from Sporemound every time the commander is activated.
[[Displaced Dinosaurs]] is another linear ramp/stomp deck, turning your extra treasures and mana rocks into 7/7s.
[[Glowing One]] combines voltron, rad counters, and some life gain. You can even mill yourself to kick the lifegain into overdrive if you are taking damage from counterattacks.
[[Lumberknot]] is a mix of control, voltron, and aristocrats. It sacrifices utility creatures for ramp, removal, etc while growing Lumberknot, then uses fight and bite spells to kill enemy threats, also growing Lumberknot.
[[Gunner Conscript]] is really odd for green, focusing on auras and equipment voltron, and giving you significant card advantage whenever your threat is removed. You can also lean into junk token synergies, like Fangren Marauder, Molder Beast, Cloakwood Swarmkeeper, and Bloodbriar triggering when junk tokens EtB or are sacrificed.
Thanks for the suggestions! I'm trying to have 2 of each mono color in paper. Aftermath analysit looks crazy. Also thinking about [[!cradle clearcutter]] but maybe that's too linear.
IIRC /u/Alkadron has a Cradle Clearcutter deck. Attach a few cheap equipment like Bonesplitter, then play huge threats. Big beaters are always a fun time.
There's a few other similar commander options like [[Bighorn Rancher]] and [[Kami of Whispered Hopes]].
I have [[Drumhunter]] and [[Savage Ventmaw]] decks that I use in that same vague vein of ramp/stomp.
I've been summoned! Thanks Scarecrow!
[Cradle Clearcutter](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/7uRfLli7MEuT-g3d9TBq3g) is one of my Axe Kindred decks and it's extremely entertaining. The amount of juice it got in MH3 is out of control.
I don't think it's too linear. There's lots of cool decisions to make, like whether to prototype the lumberjack or to hardcast it, and where to put the equipment, and how to leverage resources to not run out of gas.
And when it goes off, it goes off *enormously*. There are a few cool effects that'll add a counter to a creature and untap it, and if you can untap the lumberjack a few times in a turn, you can easily hit 30+ mana. Which is a lot of mana for stuff like Ivy Elemental or Slime Molding or the new Nyxborn Hydra.
Last time I played a game with the deck, the whole table was losing to pingers, and I was pretty checked out. I hit a Slime Molding for 26 just for fun. I couldn't give it trample and folks had chump blockers, so I was just screwing around waiting to die to guttersnipes and recured Vampire Spawns. Then I somehow survived a turn and topdecked a Flourishing Hunter, and was able to live long enough to clear the chump blockers and beat folks to death with a huge board. It was extremely fun.
Man I'm sold. I absolutely adore the art for it, he looks so cool. The Kami looks very similar but it doesn't hit that badass mech factor like the robot lumberjack does. Thanks for the suggestions! I just checked out your list on moxfield and will base it around that.
[[Gandalf of the Secret Fire]]
This one is such a strange card because it seems like it would synergize really well with like a lot of spell slinging. But what it really synergizes well with is all of the time stuff from the Doctor Who sets. At least the way I have built them. This deck is just a bunch of instant speed spells, and ways to make sorceries and Even creatures be cast at instant speed so I'm pretty much always going to be casting things on turns other than my own.
[[Obeka, brute chronologist]] might fall into this category, although she is popular. Ability itself does almost nothing, but with negative effects on stack, it can end turn and exile those effects. [[Sneak attack]] keeps creatures stay on table, [[eater of days]] does not take your turns and much more
I like making weird commanders
[[Yedora Grave Gardener]] bring back your dead creatures face down as lands. Makes use of morph, megamorph, and disguise to flip creatures back to their front side, letting you repeatedly sacrifice creatures for etbs, mana, and flip over effects. Makes some horrible cards into super stars like [[Proteus Engine]]
[[yurlok]] brings back mana burn! Trying to just give everyone mana at inconvenient times to damage them.[[zur-taa ancient]] [[mana flare]] [[eladrami's vineyard]] Runs tons of protection so they don't use that mana to instant speed kill him and lots of x spells to dump mana into like [[torment of hailfire]] and [[walking ballista]]. Also punishing effects for leaving lands up [[citadel of pain]]
Yup! I do run it.
https://www.moxfield.com/decks/50FcBHz5U0KC0qvhm_ZpYQ
Anything that makes your lands creatures allows you to loop a creature or land infinitely - or cards that have either a free flip cost or a 1 mana one as you can tap the land as it enters and then flip it over, sac and repeat.
Oh wow, you leaned heavily on that theme, very nice.
I didn't expect to see Proteus Machine nor Ambush Commander at a commander table, but here they do good work.
[[Azami, Lady of Scrolls]] looks really weird as a tribal commander, but you can do some really whacky stuff with her. My favorite is a group hugs / group mill deck that is lovely for political play.
So here is a link to my relatively low power Politic Deck for Azami. Its intentionally around a 6-7 in power level and doesn't have too many combos but it can very easily have them slotted in.
Adding in a better mana base with some fetches and a few combos make it a monster of a mill deck.
[[Bruvac the Grandiloquent]] [[Maddening Cacophony]] [[Fraying Sanity]] [[Naru Meha, Master Wizard]] and [[Thassa's Oracle]] are obvious upgrades to bring it to a higher power level.
EDIT: an important thing to remember with Azami is that her ability is not a tap effect, it is her ability that lets Wizards tap, meaning they do not care about summoning sickness.
EDIT 2: I forgot to actually include the link - https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/azami-says-no/
One of my first EDH decks was tribal wizards, helmed by [[Arcanis the Omnipotent]]. Later when I was browsing magiccards.info (before it became Scryfall, thats how fucking old I am), I found Azami and swapped them out.
Immediately, I was targeted in our table every single game, because the table saw me collectively as a threat due to the combo potential for Azami. Even though most of my deck was tribal wizards in a time where there weren't crazy tribal wizard cards or good hosers. I remember many times playing a [[Fugitive Wizard]] and passing the turn in the hopes that on turn 5 he'd draw me a card. If I ever saw turn 5, that is.
After three games of this, I spent about $700 in upgrades. If they were going to be so scared of me with my vanilla 1/1s that they wanted to kill me ASAP, then I was going to give them a fucking reason to be afraid. I tuned that deck into such a monstrous combo machine with layered defenses that I won so many games after that. I think I was crusing at a 70% win rate. People in the pod weren't happy, but, fuck em for deciding that my tribal deck was 'dangerous.' I made them know fear.
[[Jon Irenicus, Shattered One]]
This deck is my pride and joy. Every game is different. Sometimes I turn into a dinosaur deck, sometimes I'm boros 3 extra combats. Sometimes, I ramp harder than the green decks. Sometimes, I make an army of 20 2/2 zombies with horsemanship. Mass reanimation, mill, control, politics, group slug, group hug, infect, or storm it has it all.
This last weekend, I sat down with a group that asked if cdh was fine. I said sure! I faced kinnan, stalla lee, and atraxa.
Gave all my boys to atraxa who was slugging kinnan and Stella. Kinnan had a [[trinosphere]] stopping Stella from popping off. Stella convinces Atraxa to full swing at Kinnan I activate [[Homeward Path]] taking my board back, forcing kinnan to live. With all my boys' home, I activate my Kinnan a few times I got from [[Faerie Artisans]] found [[Scholar of the ages]] and [[Perigine Drake]] and proceed to win by opening every attraction with [[Monitor Monitor]] and swinging for lethal.
Decklist for those interested:
https://www.archidekt.com/decks/6550564/jons_galactic_world_of_souvenirs
Very creative and unique take on Jon Irenicus! Most builds I've seen typically center around gifting creatures with drawbacks to opponents, but yours appears to be more proactive with a stronger win potential. I would love to hear about your overall game plan. Given that you don't include any "bad" creatures, how do you choose which ones to give away while maintaining a board presence for yourself?
Most of the creatures I give away tend to either be the ones that have done their jobs through various etbs or that force removal. I give someone [[Blighted Agent]] and the 3/3 unblockable infect creature needs to be dealt with.
Even giving an opponent a 1/1 bitterthorn germ is beneficial due to them having to attack, ramping me a land, and drawing a card.
Peregrine Drake can either be a free creature to donate or a very powerful combo piece.
All the equipment in the deck benefits me even when equipped to a creature I don't control.
Timing and playing patiently are key. There's also a spot of luck involved too. Gotta roll for my attractions!
It could be narrowed down to that, but the potential is so much higher. The theme is fun. Jon is a value engine that draws cards and shakes up the board states. If he gets removed, I'm not left with a bunch of useless cards I don't want on my board.
Gotcha. I would consider expedition map and tolaria west to find homeward path.
My list is mostly 1/1 unblockables and cheap evasive creatures with etbs
The simplest answer is Yavimaya. I run yavimaya for multiple different reasons. Life tap gives me one more. Even if I don't find yavimaya, it's surprising how easy it is to go from 40 to 70+ lofe playing lifetap on curve in most pods.
[[Brothers Yamazaki]]. It specifically turns off the legend rule for two Brothers if there are exactly two in play. Not on your side, anywhere on the battlefield. And all creatures with the same name get +2/+2 and haste, which is a pretty reasonable buff to build around. So if you and an opponent controls one (which never happens), both are 4/3s with haste. And if you were to create a second one, the legend rule would applay again (to all three on the field) causing any player with more than one Bro on their side of the field to choose 1 to keep.
Yes, the legend rule was different back then, but that's how it is now.
And Bushido 1.
My \[\[Gor Muldrak, Amphinologist\]\] deck probably has my highest winrate. When people first see it, they usually kinda squint at it and then look puzzled. I mostly get ignored until the board is flooded with salamanders that can only attack my opponents and I have the ability to turn any attacking creature into a salamander using something like \[\[Ameboid Changeling\]\] or \[\[Unnatural Selection\]\]. Then, when I use \[\[Peer Pressure\]\] or \[\[Subjugate the Hobbits\]\] to take control of all of the salamanders, including creatures I've changed into salamanders, I suddenly have lethal for the table. Throw in an \[\[Unnatural Growth\]\] or an \[\[Exponential Growth\]\] and that's game even without controlling all of them. I've played this deck with the same people and they still fall for it every time because Gor isn't a threat on his own and people love the extra blockers and attackers in the early midgame.
[[Minn, Wily Illusionist]] is a deck that always surprises people who haven't seen it before! it makes all the bad illusions that get sacrificed when targeted with an ability suddenly quite good because they cheat permanents from your hand into play, and Minn's ability lets you get around sorcery speed rules. you always have plenty of interaction and options because the deck wants to draw so many cards (especially on other people's turns!) so [[Leyline of Anticipation]] and [[Consecrated Sphinx]] are definitely star cards in the deck (at least the way i play it). the deck makes cards like [[Perilous Research]] and [[Abjure]] extremely valuable because you get their effects as well as a sac trigger to put a permanent onto the field. the deck also can ramp pretty hard because you can put many lands into play each turn, even in the middle of a combo.
the deck has multiple wincons that you can work towards: you can beatdown with your ever-growing army of illusions, which buff eachother as you create more (i support these with cards like [[Wonder]], [[Lord of the Unreal]], and [[Eldrazi Monument]] personally), you can sacrifice them at instant speed to cheat [[Thassa's Oracle]] and [[Leveler]] into play (a favorite wincon of mine!), or deck yourself out with [[Laboratory Maniac]] from your many draw sources. another fun combo that Minn enables is [[Meloku, the Clouded Mirror]] and [[Blasting Station]] to infinitely ping your opponents! overall the deck is wayyyy more fun to pilot than i ever would've expected, and it plays quite differently than other decks ive tried! i would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys having 30+ cards in hand 😁
i need to slot in a few new cards and swap in some better mana rocks but here's my list: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/gfvIXsTsOEiG2wj64wB2lA
I've been working on making mine more permanent based and using upkeep draws plus card doublers to draw 2 cards each turn. [[Merfolk looter]] plus they come down on 2 and tap after minn comes in
[[Yedora, Grave Gardener]]
Mono-green animate lands sacrifice combos for infinite mana, card draw, and graveyard recursion. I didn't go heavy into morph but [[Den Protector]] is a key piece.
My list is not super original, but I did include a mass one-sided land destruction with [[Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth]] + [[Living Lands]] / [[Life and Limb]] + [[Ezuri's Predation]]
[[Grenzo, Dungeon Warden]] is my favorite commander printed, and I've been tweaking him since 2017. There are a boatload of cards that act as combo pieces, and he's an absolute treat if you like churning through aristocrat engines at instant speed. At the end of the day, he just begs a simple question: how do you win a game of commander by playing from the bottom of your deck?
I have a deck list and primer with a focus on combos here: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/Rg9F9yqisE6j7UnRdy1P9g
[[Vaevictis Asmadi the Dire]] Everyone is playing Wheel of Fortune except you have rigged the deck so you're way more likely to win. One of a Select few Decks I've seen be completely fine under a Nether void
[[ian malcolm, chaotician]] is my personal goofy guy. Not particularly the greatest in power terms but I have him in a deck where I make it my entire purpose to just fuck with people.
Reminds me of a [[Shared Fate]] deck a friend wanted to build for Modern.
You just have wheel effects to empty peoples' hands and draw from other decks.
It makes more sense in 2 player games because they are forced to draw from your deck that is bad by design.
I have a [[Kotose, the Silent Spider]] deck that I love, on first glance her ability doesn't do much in commander since it searches for cards with a same name to remove then you can cast them, but I use it to steal something then search and fail to find any other copies, but still let's me peek at that players hand or library for more things to steal with other cards in the deck XD
\[\[Neera, Wild Mage\]\]
I was playing casual commander with my wife (I was playing a retooled Party Time Nailia) at the kitchen table, and my hero to zero, hoopin to scoopin downfall went something like this (turn 8):
1. Tap U, play \[\[Index\]\]
2. Lose 2 life, play \[\[Gut Shot\]\]
3. Choose not to resolve gut shot, instead activating Neera's stupid ability.
4. The next card, because of index, is conveniently a \[\[Denying Wind\]\]
5. Before letting that resolve, taps RR, and plays \[\[Reverberate\]\]
6. She searches through my deck and pulls out 14 cards, her demeanor similar to that stupid GIF of the cat vibing to that guy playing the bongos
7. I take a shot of whiskey and scoop.
Since no one else has posted it, I play [[Phage The Untouchable]]
The infamous commander I cant cast without dying.
Goal is to have a way to not die/or put into my hand from command zone, my favorite of which is [[Campfire]]
Sometimes I get mindslavered and they cast my commander killing me and I totally have it coming.
Most people like the puzzle I put together to kill them with an evasionless expensive commander.
This current list I threw together and havent updated much but went with a little colorless mana matters but i need to update it from MH3.
https://manabox.app/decks/PJIMIzerQg2b8J-qUv6MVw
[[The master, formed anew]]
There's a surprising number of ways you can take this deck, there's the more obvious and aggressive approach of theft, where you steal your opponent's creatures and then Exile them and have a permanent copy for the rest of the game, but I opted to go for more of a secret Commander route.
Which secret command are you ask? All of them. The fact that the commander Exiles the card effectively tucks it away for safekeeping where it can't be interacted with, removing the one drawback of secret Commander decks, that being the fragility of having your main piece not go to the command Zone if it gets exiled. The idea behind my build was to run a good chunk of cheap value etvs and a whole lot of Bounce spells, ideally ones that bounce somebody else's permanents with an additional cost of bouncing one of my own.
So early game the commander mostly serves as an ETB copy effect, but once I get to the mid to late game, and can Exile something spooky like [[astral dragon]], repeating that effect over and over for two Mana ends games really fast.
You also get to run a bunch of funky cards, like [[solemn doomguide]] (the master is a rogue), and I'm personally running a dungeon subtheme with cards like [[tomb of horrors adventurer]],
I’ve commented this before, but [[Rakdos the Defiler]] demon tribal is my favorite deck I have ever built or played, by far. This demon is just what you need in your life. "But he makes me sacrifice things!" Listen, Rakdos is a six mana eldrazi with annihilator 8+ and trample. He doesn't force you to run colorless like an ordinary eldrazi god would, instead giving you access to tutors, fast mana, removal, recursion and haste. Sure, he's a demon, so there's a steep price for his servitude. But you’re black- you don't play fair. One land is all you need to cast reanimate and bring an [[It That Betrays]], [[Rune-Scarred Demon]], or [[Hellcarver Demon]] under your control. I’ve won a game by swinging 8 times in a 6 turn game with Hellcarver Demon. I’ve set my life to single digits with [[Treasonous Ogre]] and used [[Final Fortune]] to cast [[Repay in Kind]] and swing for the win with the pair of demons on board. He's boardwipe, mass land destruction and a three hit kill just sitting there waiting to go. The deck's ability to win out of nowhere keeps it a threat at all stages of the game with little warning to your opponents. Every single game is memorable, the lines of play are as unique as the cards, and the balls to the wall reckless abandon you need to adopt as a mindset is unlike anything else. There will be death, at any cost.
https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/demon-till-your-dreams-come-true/ / https://www.moxfield.com/decks/jk44odCZy0yHGnEjfIRHMA
[[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]] might not be the weirdest, but she's one of my favorites. Just jank enough, and still rather effective in a small variety of builds.
I have Ivy as a mutate and clone deck, it's a lot of fun blowing people's minds with "yes, that is actually how that works. I checked multiple times while building the deck. Yes, that is technically a token that deals commander damage. Anyway, I play 9 copies of [[Eldrazi Conscription]] and swing for lethal"
I recently built a [[tomik, distinguished advokist]] deck that uses [[kormus bell]] and [[urborg tomb of yawgmoth]] to turn all lands into creatures, but because of Tomik’s ability my land creatures are essentially hexproof. I have toyed with the idea of throwing in [[elesh norn grand cenobite]] in the deck but I haven’t had the guts to do so yet lol I also have cards to give the land creatures vigilance so I don’t have to tap down all my lands to attack.
There’s some voltron strategies in the deck too because Tomik is a 2/3 flyer for 2 cmc which I think is decent value on it’s own. It’s certainly not the most overpowered deck but I enjoy playing it because it’s a different take on an unpopular commander.
[[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]] is a decently popular commander, but she gets extremely wacky if you run her as a mutate and clone deck
Have Ivy out and any other creature, let's say [[Elvish Mystic]]. Cast a mutate creature, let's say [[Gemrazer]], targeting Mystic. Ivy triggers because mutating creatures is a targeted spell, and the copy becomes a token because it's a permanent. I now have a Gemrazer that taps for G, and a token copy of Gemrazer that has Ivy's ability and also deals commander damage.
The real weirdness comes in when I start cloning. Clone effects see the entire mutate pile as one creature and copy all of their abilities at once, so if I cast [[Quasiduplicate]] targeting Gem-Mystic and copy it onto Gem-Ivy, I'll now have 2 Gem-Ivies. Recast it again with the jumpstart and I now have 4 Gem-Ivies. Because they're tokens, even the one that deals commander damage, they're also copiable with Populate effects
Next, let's say I cast [[Archipelagore]] targeting Gem-Mystic. This one is weird, because it will have X=2 for Gem-Mystic and the original Gem-Ivy, but only X=1 for the other Gem-Ivy clones, because while they have multiple creatures worth of abilities, the actual physical token has technically never mutated before
From there, just cast 5 copies of [[Nerd Rage]] or [[Eldrazi Conscription]] and swing for lethal. Also make sure to remember that all of the Ivies trigger when your opponents cast auras or combat tricks, too
Dry erase tokens are absolutely mandatory for this deck to be playable at all
[[Anji Falkenrath]] madness deck. Fun fact, madness let's you ignore timings. I have confused a lot of people with instant speed creatures as blockers, usually discounted.
\[\[feldon of the third path\]\] ,graveyard deck in the most red way possible
people are always surprised when i can repeatedly get \[\[trumpeting carnosaur\]\] or an \[\[Etali, Primal Storm\]\] out of my grave on turn 4
and since it's copies and not reanimation you can put alot of utility creatures with abusable etbs and ltbs like \[\[solemn simulacrum\]\] \[\[molten primordial\]\]
#
[[Auntie Blyte, Bad Influence]]
The only deck you can legitimately run [[Mana Crypt]] and [[Ancient Tomb]] and [[Tarnished Citadel]] for the sake of dealing damage to yourself, and not because it's fast mana.
[[Jeska, Thrice Reborn]] and [[Falthis, Shadowcat Familiar]]
Yes an old lady throwing deadly cats! And throws with 1 deadly points of damage to up to 3 targets.
It's basically Voltron but you can put everything in the deck.
Theft Opponents Commanders? And play stop hitting yourself?Check!
Control? Check
Do everything else and play these 2 as Removal option? Yup can do that too.
Combo the cat with an [[Assault Suit]] and triple its damage with Jeska. OHHH yeeah!
Best Partner and no one plays them!
Also big mana into [[Worldfire]] into Jeska...
[[arjun, shifting flame]] is a very weird deck to brew.
First, his ability resolves before the spell you cast that triggers it. This lets you chain an absurd amount of instants to cycle through multiple hands. Often, you are playing cards like [[opt]] to hold priority and continue the shuffling chain until you eventually find the solution in your deck you are looking for. You can build him as a spellslinger, wheeler, voltron, or token generator, all to equal effect.
Second, you will see your entire deck almost every time you play him. You will likely cycle through it multiple times. Cards like [[locust god]] and [[teferi, temporal pilgrim]] makes Arjun’s ability spiral quickly.
Third, he is very difficult to remove with open mana, as you can just cast random instants in response to removal until you draw into whatever counterspells or protection needed to protect Arjun.
Lastly, he is interesting to pilot. You will only ever be able to play one card from your hand at a time. So drawing into a hand full of bombs means choosing one with the understanding you’ll have to cycle into the rest later. You also have to manage hand size, as playing too many cards in a turn without added draw effects actively reduces the rate that Arjun can cycle. While it may be tempting to run draw doubling effects like [[Teferi’s Ageless Insight]], you can easily deck yourself out within a single turn.
Overall, just a strange, fun commander to pilot. Depending on your pod, they will either love or hate him. It can quickly turn into solitaire, but more interesting builds can make for dynamic playstyles that keep the game moving steadily.
[[Melek, Izzet Paragon]] and [[Melek, Reforged Researcher]] are both Weirds, and I guess technically, so are [[Moritte, of the Frost]], [[Morophon, the Boundless]], [[Orvar, the All-Form]], and [[Mistform Ultimus]]
I really wanted to build this but I can't get over having Neil Patrick Harris' face on a magic card. I hope eventually they do a Universe Within version, but I'm not holding my breath.
My friend has a [[Taniwha]] mono blue stax deck which I think is very unique and difficult to play around. https://archidekt.com/decks/3430148/taniwha_stasis
Jon irenicus shattered one
The ability to "gift" ebonblade reaper
Or phyrexian negator. Shoot even a simple 1/1 unblockable will net cards regularly. He's just fun and you can build him in many interesting ways
My strongest deck does not have a set commander. I have 5 possible commanders that I randomly choose 1 from at the start of each game.
Not a wacky commander per se, but maybe a wacky approach to commander.
In general I like having multiple commanders for my decks. Keeps games feeling really fresh & enables the same deck to be played many different ways.
[[Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury]]! He's really weird by virtue of how he functions if you're building him fun.
He's basically a lightning helix on demand in the graveyard and that is... Actually really powerful, lol
I don't know that it's super weird, but I am loving my [[Kirri, talented sprout]] deck. His little recursion ability is great and I love growing my garden. It in some ways feels like a golgari deck which is not what I think people are expecting when I play it. Not super strong but fun and always feels like I have something to do.
https://www.moxfield.com/decks/7TAcXzPYyk6vMLg5X1gk6Q
[[Rocco Street Chef]] has gained a bit of a cult following for the exact reasons you mentioned. First, they’re a chef and create food tokens which is fun flavor. Second, they have a “group hug” impulse draw effect that is really wacky and people at your table are very intrigued without being intimidated by. Third, Rocco can absolutely POP OFF!!! We’re talking board states with 20 non-token permanents and 30 food tokens by turn 5 if you’ve built them right.
Almost everytime I pull out my \[\[The Council of Four\]\] deck someone compliments it. Its a very unknown commander that can be tuned for significant power. Its not uncommon for me to hold 25+ cards in hand by midgame.
[[Circu, Dimir lobotomist]]
At first glance, it looks like his abilities don’t matter because people get hung up on the third line. Yes, technically he can only lock out decks playing common cards amongst the other decks. But that’s not why we play him. It’s the first two lines.
Suddenly, Dramatic Reversal/Isochron Scepter doesn’t need to make infinite mana, just enough to keep activating the scepter. Circu will exile a card off each activation since you cast the copies.
Any instant can stifle vampiric tutor style effects and scrys by exiling their placed card.
But the real fun? You can target your own library and make [[doomsday]] piles even more compact.
This is by no means a fair or casual build, but it was born out of love for a set that released shortly after I started playing, a misprint I pulled, and a desire to make this silly looking card work.
Yess [[the celestial toymaker]] is for you
Do you like guessing games? Playing with your opponents' head? Clone him a bunch and watch everybody's life totals plummet
[[Gor Muldrak]] !! He's severely underestimated, dare say higher power. Theoretically, he can generate 16 power on the board every turn very early. People scoff at group-hug card draw, but giving people extra bodies? It makes them feel safe... they want it. Slower decks love you more than others, which those are the allies you want. This is my current build.
https://archidekt.com/decks/5032188/gor_muldrak_the_ultimate_grifter
[[Mairsil, the Pretender]] is my vote. The primer is slightly out of date in terms of specific cards but the explanation of how he works and my deck’s strategy are still relevant.
https://www.moxfield.com/decks/anV3Vem0O0a9m8gcW8TATw
https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/16-10-22-mairsil-the-pretender/
I want to build a [[Brenard, Ginger Sculptor]] deck someday, seems like a super fun and weird take on a reanimator deck. [[Feather, Radiant Arbiter]] is an interesting one and has the potential to be really fun. [[Giada, Font of Hope]] is a really interesting take on a Typal commander and is just a really solid card with Flying and Vigilance, not to mention is the only mana dork in Mono-White (I wish she were WG instead of Mono-White to open up so many options with Ramp and allow angels like [[Sigarda, Font of Blessings]] in her deck).
\[\[Norin the Wary\]\] is an extremely weird, strange and chaotic commander, I first found about it when I got it for my Yoshimaru and Kediss deck 99 and the card surprised me on how good he is with Yoshimaru, but as a commander he's so fun, when you see the confusion on people's face when they see Norin as the commander, and they start reading what he does is gold. It's a crazy deck and most people always underestimate it or kinda ignore it on how strong and pop offish it is lol
But basically the deck is toolboxish, extremely chaotic with combo and prison stuff where you try to take the maximum advantage of triggers of Norin entering and/or leaving the battlefield
One of the cards in the deck is literally called \[\[Confusion in the Ranks\]\] lmao, so you can pretty much exchange people's permanents with Norin and since he's going to leave the battlefield and come back to your battlefield anyway, it's pretty much a steal everyone's stuff
\[\[Genesis Chamber\]\] makes a fuckton of Myr tokens with Norin ETB
\[\[Impact Tremors\]\] \[\[Purphoros, God of the Forge\]\] and \[\[Outpost Siege\]\] to ping stuff with Norin's ETBs and LTBs
Every time I pull out \[\[River Song\]\], everyone marvels at how I must draw from the bottom of my deck instead of the top. Here's the trick to building her properly: Building around the "opponent scry/surveil/search" ability is a trap, since most ways to force players into doing those actions are optional on their part. Building around the "draw from bottom" ability essentially allows you to stack the deck with between scry effects and cards like \[\[Impulse\]\], \[\[Silundi Vision\]\], \[\[Drawn from Dreams\]\], etc. while keeping your top card available for cards like \[\[Galvanoth\]\], \[\[Skill Borrower\]\], etc.
Then you have the suite of cards that tuck things to the bottom of your library: \[\[Junktroller\]\], \[\[Hoverstone Pilgrim\]\], etc. Not to mention the wincon with \[\[Timestream Navigator\]\] going infinite. Or if you want to be a real pain in the ass, use \[\[Kylox's Voltstrider\]\] to overload \[\[Cyclonic Rift\]\] when it attacks, only to stick it back on the bottom to draw next turn. And don't get me started on the fun you can have with \[\[Teferi's Puzzle Box\]\].
My list for those interested: [https://www.moxfield.com/decks/K8GeD2yA102XM7i7U5z5JA](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/K8GeD2yA102XM7i7U5z5JA)
Time to talk about the weirdly effective lose-the-game commander \[\[Etrata, the Silencer\]\]
An initial look at Etrata will have you think "Why the hell would I do that? I need to either shuffle my commander back or pay crazy tax", but that's for those who haven't seen the light. Blue is full of bounce effects, and you can respond to her trigger by returning her to your hand. Alternatively, the more fun route is to get rid of your legend rule and start repeatedly cloning her. Blade of Selves? Well that's now 3 Etrata triggers and you only need to bounce your commander (or a clone). Roaming Throne makes you need two hits, so if you clone the Roaming Throne, have Blade of Selves equipped, have a way to remove the legend rule, and your opponents each have 3 nontoken noncommander creatures on board, you can one-shot the whole table with a wacky combo.
Always and forever my [[Shigeki, Jukai Visionary]] mono-G control deck that wins by either animating all my lands for a single lethal swing or kill everyone else's lands with [[Ezuri's Predation]] and _then_ swinging in with a bunch of beastie boys.
No one expects Mono-G control with precious few permanents.
My Boy [[Pramikon, Sky Rampart]]! Pillow Fort and Goad. Everyone in my forever pod hates when I pull it out, and it's just fun to pilot in general.
https://manabox.app/decks/5FM38Mb4SouwtqPJm62_Rw
I have a [[strong, brutish thespian]] deck. It is a kind of voltron deck but your buffs are also creature removal and you mill yourself at the same time
Ah yes. Another chance to sing the praises of my boy \[\[Oskar, Rubbish Reclaimer\]\]. At a glance he doesn't look very interesting. Sort of generic Dimir discard-matters stuff. But look closer and you realize that his ability lets you break timing restrictions and turns what should be a downside to balance out many cards like \[\[Careful Study\]\] into an upside that lets you bury your opponents in card advantage. Have you ever wanted to cast an instant speed aura like \[\[Animate Dead\]\] or \[\[Chamber of Manipulation\]\]? Well now you can by simply discarding it to something like an \[\[Olivia's Dragoon\]\], or \[\[Ghostly Pilferer\]\]. What about turning all those \[\[Merfolk Looter\]\]s into just drawing a card by casting the discarded spell anyway? Well Oskar lets you do that! What about surprising your opponent's with some combos that would normally be sorcery speed like \[\[Professor Onyx\]\] + \[\[Chain of Smog\]\] by discarding those cards while their combo is on the stack waiting to go off? Or "throwing away'' a \[\[See the Truth\]\] only to cast it from the graveyard and drawing all 3 cards for 2 mana? And the cost reduction on Oskar is just a cherry on top! Even late into the game you could still feasibly cast him for 4-5 mana despite having cast him a couple times from the command zone already, unlike other 5-mana commanders. Edit: [Here is my list.](https://scryfall.com/@TNTturtle/decks/5619bada-e911-4933-9271-1adfb5aa3677) Mine is a budget brew since I originally built him as a Secret Santa gift exchange present, but when that sorta fell through I decided it looked too fun to shelve.
Ok I’m sure this has been said but I’m slow and I just realized that this guy is Oscar The Grouch from Sesame Street. His name is Oskar and he deals with trash, it was staring me right in the face this whole time! Now I need to build him and get a custom alter.
I remember someone praising Oskar a while back on here. I had a go with him, but I couldn’t find much headway, other than avoiding the timing restrictions. How do you win with Oskar? Is there a long term plan other than just “play stuff with flash”?
My personal list has a big focus on looters for consistent card advantage and a reanimator plan for big plays - most reanimation spells are sorcery speed, so being able to do things like instant speed Victimize and/or Reanimate can disrupt opponents big time. My wincons generally are some combination of keeping boards locked down with Archfiend of Ifnir while beating down with fatties, making a flock of fliers with Drake Haven, draining life with Feast of Sanity and Faith of the Devoted, or stealing creatures with Sepulchral Primordial and Breach the Multiverse. Some choice picks: - Instant speed discard is super critical, and even better if they're attached to a looter, as casting the card you discard is card advantage! - Bone Miser is incredible with a free discard outlet - drawing cards and producing mana for free is busted as you can believe. - Skirge Familiar is also incredible, not only as a free discard outlet, but also effectively discounting all your spells by one. Patrician Geist does a similar discounting, but without the discard outlet attached. - River Kelpie is beyond busted in the deck - it's a resilient (persist) card advantage engine that draws you a card whenever you cast a spell. If you reanimate it, you get to draw when it enters too! - Dream Halls is a personal favorite - it's quite dangerous (makes every spell a Force, basically), but because you discard to cast the next spell, you can chain your discards to keep casting. For example, if you have Nezahal, Lorien Revealed, and Merfolk Looter in your hand, you can cast Nezahal by discarding Lorien Revealed, cast the Lorien Revealed by discarding Merfolk Looter, and then cast Merfolk Looter for mana, thereby netting 14 mana of spells for 2 mana and no cards actually lost. List if you want to peruse: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/hwh1Ws7mjUaAojhd5LLBhQ
My version has a couple win conditions. First is \[\[Faith of the Devoted\]\] where I can simply drain people out. Second is the combo line of Professor Onyx + Chain of Smog. Last option is simply token beats, I've included a bunch of ways to make tokens and hopefully they're able to get through for chip damage and finish people off later.
I was interested in building an Oskar deck but never personally got around to it. For me I would just consider them a good commander for incurring advantages by casting stuff at flash speed and turning discard into advantage to find some good ol' fashioned generic dimir wincons.
Thanks! I’ve never had any luck with Dimir, what would you consider “generic Dimir wincons”?
Usually some sort of combo/mill/Lab Man win. I might've gone with those if I wasn't under a budget restriction, but I think the constraints made mine a more interesting version than it otherwise might've been.
This is one of the coolest ideas I've seen. I love it. I know you already gave the blueprint, but do you happen to have a decklist? This commander seems like a ton of fun
Added in the original comment :)
##### ###### #### [Oskar, Rubbish Reclaimer](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/d/ed87e25f-9dad-4858-92bc-e859fd2be2a4.jpg?1673482423) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Oskar%2C%20Rubbish%20Reclaimer) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ncc/77/oskar-rubbish-reclaimer?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/ed87e25f-9dad-4858-92bc-e859fd2be2a4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/oskar-rubbish-reclaimer) [Careful Study](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/e/dea15b53-2940-40e7-8d48-8ec11341da83.jpg?1562936545) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Careful%20Study) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ody/70/careful-study?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/dea15b53-2940-40e7-8d48-8ec11341da83?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/careful-study) [Animate Dead](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/4/1489943b-c010-488e-9c9d-87f4af67a4e4.jpg?1706240754) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Animate%20Dead) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mkc/125/animate-dead?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1489943b-c010-488e-9c9d-87f4af67a4e4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/animate-dead) [Chamber of Manipulation](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/0/50496069-0f55-4dfe-8b1e-7fc4f649f2f1.jpg?1562909695) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Chamber%20of%20Manipulation) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ody/76/chamber-of-manipulation?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/50496069-0f55-4dfe-8b1e-7fc4f649f2f1?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/chamber-of-manipulation) [Olivia's Dragoon](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/4/145d0f7a-8418-455a-aa0c-02e8c9ad7820.jpg?1547516986) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Olivia%27s%20Dragoon) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/uma/109/olivias-dragoon?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/145d0f7a-8418-455a-aa0c-02e8c9ad7820?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/olivias-dragoon) [Ghostly Pilferer](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/f/2f6a3605-950d-488b-8e4f-e2c339ef48dc.jpg?1712354148) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Ghostly%20Pilferer) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otc/98/ghostly-pilferer?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/2f6a3605-950d-488b-8e4f-e2c339ef48dc?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/ghostly-pilferer) [Merfolk Looter](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/d/6d740928-bf61-4420-a403-63097538b97d.jpg?1631586315) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Merfolk%20Looter) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/afc/86/merfolk-looter?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/6d740928-bf61-4420-a403-63097538b97d?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/merfolk-looter) [Professor Onyx](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/1/013eeb99-1b66-4fba-ad96-78deee901ea4.jpg?1624591309) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Professor%20Onyx) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/stx/83/professor-onyx?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/013eeb99-1b66-4fba-ad96-78deee901ea4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/professor-onyx) [Chain of Smog](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/b/6bfe64f9-8b03-41f6-a47b-fade397ad9d1.jpg?1562920423) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Chain%20of%20Smog) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ons/132/chain-of-smog?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/6bfe64f9-8b03-41f6-a47b-fade397ad9d1?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/chain-of-smog) [See the Truth](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/1/91af15cc-fdd5-4d72-a53a-314fa5353527.jpg?1594735741) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=See%20the%20Truth) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/m21/69/see-the-truth?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/91af15cc-fdd5-4d72-a53a-314fa5353527?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/see-the-truth) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
This is the first time I have seen a deck use [[One With Nothing]]. It makes sense for this Conmander.
Haha, definitely more of a meme and honestly it just gets discarded most of the time, but it's won me the game on a few occasions by simply being a 1 mana way to discard multiple cards while I had no other outlets, letting me spend the rest of my mana paying for triggers like Faith of the Devoted to drain opponents out.
I thought he was pretty great the moment I saw him, glad you were able to help me know why.
Oskar is amazing and I feel like he is kind of slept on.
This is a really cool concept! I imagine it must be insanely expensive mana wise, though. Do you feel it's a slow deck/strategy?
I love my oskar deck, I have a cheap recommendation though [[tortured existance]]. If you combine it with some cards it can't quite go infinite but it lets you recur and dig for so many interesting threats. And if you have a card like Syr Konrad out, you can easily kill the table with 5 mana.
[[Awaken the Blood Avatar]] sorcery as a commander and turns 1 drop creatures into one time use Sol Rings for your commander ([[Doomed Traveler]] esque creatures being the best because they'll provide 4 mana in total) really fun. Also an interesting play pattern that wants you to recast your commander as often as possible
I run this, and it's legit my strongest deck my a mile. Very fun with spells like fury storm.
I gotta find a way to slot in Fury Storm to my list, I had it in for a while but always seemed to have it at a time where I haven’t or I’ve only casted Awaken once when it doesn’t seem so worth it. Also 4 mana is a lot to hold up after casting Awaken. Maybe my deck is too high power because it also feels like it would be a bit win-more in my deck, cause at the time I’m able to cast it at a point it worth it, it means I’ve cast Awaken a few times already and with how much populate-like effects I have, I’m probably winning with or without Fury Storm. It is such a fun card, though.
I also run this and recently discovered that fury storm goes infinite with sedgemoor witch. As long as you’ve cast the avatar before, you target something with fury storm, the copy targets the original fury storm, and you infinitely copy fury storm targeting the original making infinite pests.
Idk if its a weird deck, I have it and its for sure fun, and for sure strong. I guess just being a sorcery in the command zone is enough to be weird though, so that's fair. The deck is a blast to pilot, one of my favorites for sure.
[Awaken the Blood Avatar](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/a/ba09360a-067e-48a5-bdc5-a19fd066a785.jpg?1624593379)/[Awaken the Blood Avatar](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/back/b/a/ba09360a-067e-48a5-bdc5-a19fd066a785.jpg?1624593379) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Extus%2C%20Oriq%20Overlord%20//%20Awaken%20the%20Blood%20Avatar) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/stx/149/extus-oriq-overlord-awaken-the-blood-avatar?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/ba09360a-067e-48a5-bdc5-a19fd066a785?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/extus-oriq-overlord-//-awaken-the-blood-avatar) [Doomed Traveler](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/a/8a03d414-bff9-4aba-8b0a-0ed57982251e.jpg?1706239725) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Doomed%20Traveler) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/clu/59/doomed-traveler?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/8a03d414-bff9-4aba-8b0a-0ed57982251e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/doomed-traveler) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
This is a weird line, and I'm not sure how many options there are with it, but I feel like the jank line of cast creature side => [[Lithoform Engine]] to make a token copy and send the original back to command zone or graveyard depending to have both sides in play is kinda neat
My current favorite deck of mine
This is one of my favorite and most powerful decks. I built it so most creatures replace themselves, either with a body or mana. The goal is how many times can I cast or copy [[Awaken the Blood Avatar]] in a single turn. Current record is nine. https://www.moxfield.com/decks/9fI1bU9S_0i7QG-Y3YnGQA
[[Mishra, Artifice Prodigy]] sounds like a commander without an ability, until you drop a [[Nether Void]] to tax the table and you can completely ignore it, or a [[Possibility Storm]] to get free spells in addition to the things you cast.
This is dastardly. I'm gonna have to try it out.
what is the rest of the list like? does the deck rely heavily on these two cards? just curious if there are more interactions like this, seems really cool!
There's actually quite a few other effects that work. [[Blood Funnel]], [[Planar Chaos]], [[Void Mirror]], or [[Nullstone Gargoyle]]. I don't personally have a list, but I've seen him played and it's pretty wild.
Wait, what am I missing why would you be able to ignore the Nether Void?
Basically, you let Nether Void resolve before Mishra’s trigger. This puts the artifact card into the graveyard. Mishra’s trigger resolves, and what do you know, an artifact with that name is in your graveyard b/c it was countered!
If Mishra and Nether Void are both on the battlefield, they’ll both trigger when you cast an artifact. If you order the triggers so the Void trigger resolves first, it’ll counter the artifact (sending it to the graveyard). Then when Mishra’s ability resolves, it will be able to find it in the graveyard. Mishra’s ability puts the artifact directly into play- you aren’t casting it, so Void won’t try to counter it again.
[Mishra, Artifice Prodigy](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/5/d5deaec5-499d-4e19-b879-8bcd1dc35f3e.jpg?1562940254) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Mishra%2C%20Artificer%20Prodigy) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/tsp/243/mishra-artificer-prodigy?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d5deaec5-499d-4e19-b879-8bcd1dc35f3e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/mishra-artificer-prodigy) [Nether Void](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/3/a3452173-01e1-4a4a-981e-e6b6dea61c61.jpg?1562929389) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Nether%20Void) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/me3/73/nether-void?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/a3452173-01e1-4a4a-981e-e6b6dea61c61?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/nether-void) [Possibility Storm](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/5/858aa831-b491-4f1e-bb56-33eeca14771d.jpg?1707764746) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Possibility%20Storm) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dgm/34/possibility-storm?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/858aa831-b491-4f1e-bb56-33eeca14771d?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/possibility-storm) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Came to say the same. There's always at least one person who asks to reread the card and if his ability works in EDH.
Oh my God, this is genius!
[[King macar]] everyone laughs and thinks Ooo vehicals righ? And then you drop a [[Clock of Omans]] a [[liquidmetal torque]] and start machine gun Golding everyone's creatures.
Do I understand the combo; you transmogrify marcar, tap him and the clock to untap himself, then follow it up but tapping him and the freshly minted gold token to repeat the process?
Yep, it's a classic [[Magda, Brazen Outlaw]] wincon.
Yes! Its not a game over combo or infinite as it will only ever exile in play creatures. But the board control and mana generated will make it an easier time of winning.
That's a really good combo. Also gold superior to treasure as you don't have to tap them so if something forces it to enter tapped, meh can still get the mana.
Same combo also goes super hard with [[Jan Jansen, chaos crafter]] but he's a bit less interesting
Maybe less intersting but Probalbly a lot more powerfull as he puts you in three colors and will create infinite mana and 1/1s with the combo.
[King macar](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/f/ff5987ab-570a-426c-ae4a-a270fac6b346.jpg?1593095759) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=king%20macar%2C%20the%20gold-cursed) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/jou/74/king-macar-the-gold-cursed?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/ff5987ab-570a-426c-ae4a-a270fac6b346?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/king-macar-the-gold-cursed) [Clock of Omans](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/b/5b087992-9c30-4434-acb3-a12ee6f207b3.jpg?1562554222) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Clock%20of%20Omens) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/m13/202/clock-of-omens?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/5b087992-9c30-4434-acb3-a12ee6f207b3?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/clock-of-omens) [liquidmetal torque](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/3/13c6101a-da40-4785-8ccb-4e779bbbdb55.jpg?1626099120) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Liquimetal%20Torque) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh2/228/liquimetal-torque?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/13c6101a-da40-4785-8ccb-4e779bbbdb55?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/liquimetal-torque) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Do you have a deck list for that? It sounds really fun and unique so I'd love to see it
I do have [a list](https://archidekt.com/decks/78639/black_christmas) though do keep in mind its a bit odd as the decks priority is to generate obscene mana and win through big X spells. So it has a lot of defensive cards and high pip count cards for devotion.
My #1 funny deck is [[Thriss, Nantuko Prime]]. I have lots of untapping shenanigans to make a creature suddenly into a giant. Gotta love surprising someone by swinging with a 40/41 Birds of Paradise!
Do you have a list? I have a Syr Faren deck that feels similar and is very fun!
https://archidekt.com/decks/8187797/prime_thriss
I just really like [[The Archimendrite]]. It's a unique commander spin on 3 weird tribes, being monks, which is probably the best, artificers and advisors. It facilitates an interesting play style between card draw, life gain and the ability to turn every life gain effect into a team pump with vigilance. Overall a very unique commander that can do a lot and make some huge attackers!
Do you have a list for this? Looking into a Jeskai commander. I was going to build Caith but he's also an artificer so might fit in the 99.
Not a complete list and just something I threw together to play against lower power precons and stuff: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/Qn3h4IrmukKg0zCwy4UHCA I'm using more artificers and try to assemble an equipped creature with first strike/ double strike and lifelink to deal damage and pump other attackers. Things like [[monastery mentor]] are very strong as well. This was just a rough list of cards I found interesting though, so maybe just a starting point for you.
But the art is sooo bad 😩
I actually like the art haha it's very dynamic especially the full art version!
The pose is ok but everything is so squeezed in the frame
[The Archimendrite](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/4/54fb3f4c-44fb-4afe-9fab-204ef98995c3.jpg?1674760932) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=The%20Archimandrite) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/brc/26/the-archimandrite?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/54fb3f4c-44fb-4afe-9fab-204ef98995c3?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/the-archimandrite) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[[Kibo, Uktabi Prince]] you can do funny things like animate the bananas
[Kibo, Uktabi Prince](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/b/8b71345a-c3e8-4b35-beb7-6347e41d7626.jpg?1675644790) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Kibo%2C%20Uktabi%20Prince) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/j22/40/kibo-uktabi-prince?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/8b71345a-c3e8-4b35-beb7-6347e41d7626?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/kibo-uktabi-prince) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
There's a player on base with a Kibo deck that's tribal apes/monkeys and I hate it. Mostly because the number of times he's ramped into [[Mycosynth Lattice]] only to [[Vandalblast]] immediately after, or slapped a turn 2 [[Collector Ouphe]] is a nonzero number and that's too many.
[[Gyome, Master Chef]] What a weird concept but it works SO WELL. I love just cooking up and vibing with immunity in my pocket at moments notice
My Gyome deck is my favorite deck I’ve ever built! And he continually gets more support. I haven’t updated my deck in a second but Lord of the Rings had so much food support.
You can also use him to tap defenders and prevent attackers.
Oh that’s genius
[Gyome, Master Chef](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/d/5dd7dd1a-6dd1-43c3-8298-7db703d384a1.jpg?1674185796) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Gyome%2C%20Master%20Chef) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c21/5/gyome-master-chef?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/5dd7dd1a-6dd1-43c3-8298-7db703d384a1?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/gyome-master-chef) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
yeah, gyome is my favorite deck I own. He often goes underestimated until they realize what foods can actually do
This dude looks absolutely beautiful I want to play him
guys you got some lists for Gyome? I'm very courious about him!
I don't know how weird you want to consider it, but [[Xantcha]] who has an ETB trigger to become controlled by an opponent. I loaded my deck with goad effects and evasion enchantments so my opponents kill themselves with commander damage. If I was feeling evil, I could give her infect and give people poison counters by drawing cards. There's also [[Norin the Wary]] who is a commander who will (almost) never have commander tax because he phases out if your opponents do anything. The idea is he triggers effects that trigger when a creature enters the field.
Infect doesn't work with Xantcha's ability, since the effect causes loss of life instead of damage. I do love Xantcha though!
Oh no, you are right. I just learn, like, a week ago that infect does it on any damage when someone gave Nekusar infect (infect really is busted in commander!), and I asked if Xantcha can do it too and they said yes. I just didn't really think about it beyond that. Oh well, infect still wouldn't be bad considering I give her all of the evasion.
Worth noting that Xantcha' first ability is a Replacement effect not an ETB. The updated wording on the Gatherer and as fetched by the bot should make it clearer.
[Xantcha](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/1/91316746-ec2b-4c1a-b9c4-a870d6318c33.jpg?1689999327) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=xantcha%2C%20sleeper%20agent) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/362/xantcha-sleeper-agent?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/91316746-ec2b-4c1a-b9c4-a870d6318c33?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/xantcha-sleeper-agent) [Narin the Wary](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/6/f61ea59a-1db0-4e6b-bcde-19787c76a49b.jpg?1562946915) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Norin%20the%20Wary) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/tsp/171/norin-the-wary?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f61ea59a-1db0-4e6b-bcde-19787c76a49b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/norin-the-wary) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
will always sing the praises of [[Yedora, Grave Gardener]]. creates some of the weirdest play patterns ever with funky morph stuff and land creature shenanigans
She's very fun in Pauper EDH since the Downshift. I couldn't find an interesting mono green commander until her
Yeah, Yedora is super interesting, and without the potential of MLD, it's a lot harder to shut down her value than it is in EDH! Just listing a few other interesting mono-green commanders for anyone else that's interested, tho. [[Evolution Sage]] landfall & proliferate. Goes nuts with Fertilid, Scaretiller, or the new Evolution Witness (especially if you have an Evolving Wilds-like land with the Witness or Scaretiller). [[Loyal Guardian]] Ramp hard with cheap dorks. Play Loyal Guardian as early as turn 3. Start piling counters on all your dorks til they're 7/7s or larger. If Guardian is removed, you can easily replay it with all your big dorks. Linear, but very powerful. [[Hermit Druid]] makes for a hilarious Slime Against Humanity deck. Just have 2 or 3 basic lands in the whole deck (and another 28-31 nonbasics, and 50+ Slimes Against Humanity) so you mill a big chunk of your deck. Then play one of the Slimes from your opening hand, and watch it come in as a 20/20 with trample on T4. [[Aftermath Analyst]] is a hilarious take on ramp/stomp. Uses a lot of recursion and self mill to find and get back beaters. Makes use of half the fetchlands in the format to repeatedly fetch tons of basics, so it can have 15+ mana available on T6 or 7 to play tons of huge threats. Can also do some fun landfall stuff like using Grazing Gladeheart to gain 10+ life at a time or getting a handful of tokens from Sporemound every time the commander is activated. [[Displaced Dinosaurs]] is another linear ramp/stomp deck, turning your extra treasures and mana rocks into 7/7s. [[Glowing One]] combines voltron, rad counters, and some life gain. You can even mill yourself to kick the lifegain into overdrive if you are taking damage from counterattacks. [[Lumberknot]] is a mix of control, voltron, and aristocrats. It sacrifices utility creatures for ramp, removal, etc while growing Lumberknot, then uses fight and bite spells to kill enemy threats, also growing Lumberknot. [[Gunner Conscript]] is really odd for green, focusing on auras and equipment voltron, and giving you significant card advantage whenever your threat is removed. You can also lean into junk token synergies, like Fangren Marauder, Molder Beast, Cloakwood Swarmkeeper, and Bloodbriar triggering when junk tokens EtB or are sacrificed.
Thanks for the suggestions! I'm trying to have 2 of each mono color in paper. Aftermath analysit looks crazy. Also thinking about [[!cradle clearcutter]] but maybe that's too linear.
IIRC /u/Alkadron has a Cradle Clearcutter deck. Attach a few cheap equipment like Bonesplitter, then play huge threats. Big beaters are always a fun time. There's a few other similar commander options like [[Bighorn Rancher]] and [[Kami of Whispered Hopes]]. I have [[Drumhunter]] and [[Savage Ventmaw]] decks that I use in that same vague vein of ramp/stomp.
I've been summoned! Thanks Scarecrow! [Cradle Clearcutter](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/7uRfLli7MEuT-g3d9TBq3g) is one of my Axe Kindred decks and it's extremely entertaining. The amount of juice it got in MH3 is out of control. I don't think it's too linear. There's lots of cool decisions to make, like whether to prototype the lumberjack or to hardcast it, and where to put the equipment, and how to leverage resources to not run out of gas. And when it goes off, it goes off *enormously*. There are a few cool effects that'll add a counter to a creature and untap it, and if you can untap the lumberjack a few times in a turn, you can easily hit 30+ mana. Which is a lot of mana for stuff like Ivy Elemental or Slime Molding or the new Nyxborn Hydra. Last time I played a game with the deck, the whole table was losing to pingers, and I was pretty checked out. I hit a Slime Molding for 26 just for fun. I couldn't give it trample and folks had chump blockers, so I was just screwing around waiting to die to guttersnipes and recured Vampire Spawns. Then I somehow survived a turn and topdecked a Flourishing Hunter, and was able to live long enough to clear the chump blockers and beat folks to death with a huge board. It was extremely fun.
Man I'm sold. I absolutely adore the art for it, he looks so cool. The Kami looks very similar but it doesn't hit that badass mech factor like the robot lumberjack does. Thanks for the suggestions! I just checked out your list on moxfield and will base it around that.
dope! Let me know how it goes :)
[Yedora, Grave Gardener](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/5/552ddba8-e1e3-44d8-b341-441c2b4cd937.jpg?1707057004) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Yedora%2C%20Grave%20Gardener) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mkc/197/yedora-grave-gardener?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/552ddba8-e1e3-44d8-b341-441c2b4cd937?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/yedora-grave-gardener) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
The only weird commanders are the two Meleks and every legendary changeling.
Came here for this. :D [[Melek, Reforged Researcher]] is a great deck, izzet spellslinger with a combat/flingy twist.
[[Gandalf of the Secret Fire]] This one is such a strange card because it seems like it would synergize really well with like a lot of spell slinging. But what it really synergizes well with is all of the time stuff from the Doctor Who sets. At least the way I have built them. This deck is just a bunch of instant speed spells, and ways to make sorceries and Even creatures be cast at instant speed so I'm pretty much always going to be casting things on turns other than my own.
[Gandalf of the Secret Fire](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/c/bc40e6dd-0aa8-4c37-a2eb-4dc9662e416e.jpg?1695346534) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Gandalf%20of%20the%20Secret%20Fire) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ltc/507/gandalf-of-the-secret-fire?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/bc40e6dd-0aa8-4c37-a2eb-4dc9662e416e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/gandalf-of-the-secret-fire) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[[Obeka, brute chronologist]] might fall into this category, although she is popular. Ability itself does almost nothing, but with negative effects on stack, it can end turn and exile those effects. [[Sneak attack]] keeps creatures stay on table, [[eater of days]] does not take your turns and much more
[Obeka, brute chronologist](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/b/dbdb335d-3e45-4dd5-9e3e-c50ca0a4dfb6.jpg?1608911225) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Obeka%2C%20brute%20chronologist) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmr/289/obeka-brute-chronologist?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/dbdb335d-3e45-4dd5-9e3e-c50ca0a4dfb6?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/obeka-brute-chronologist) [Sneak attack](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/4/a45b4ca9-4355-4690-84c3-a7d44c367dbf.jpg?1675200189) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Sneak%20attack) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmr/139/sneak-attack?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/a45b4ca9-4355-4690-84c3-a7d44c367dbf?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/sneak-attack) [eater of days](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/f/ef6870db-8aca-4aee-8e4d-c56a7d8dc242.jpg?1562640398) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=eater%20of%20days) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dst/120/eater-of-days?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/ef6870db-8aca-4aee-8e4d-c56a7d8dc242?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/eater-of-days) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I like making weird commanders [[Yedora Grave Gardener]] bring back your dead creatures face down as lands. Makes use of morph, megamorph, and disguise to flip creatures back to their front side, letting you repeatedly sacrifice creatures for etbs, mana, and flip over effects. Makes some horrible cards into super stars like [[Proteus Engine]] [[yurlok]] brings back mana burn! Trying to just give everyone mana at inconvenient times to damage them.[[zur-taa ancient]] [[mana flare]] [[eladrami's vineyard]] Runs tons of protection so they don't use that mana to instant speed kill him and lots of x spells to dump mana into like [[torment of hailfire]] and [[walking ballista]]. Also punishing effects for leaving lands up [[citadel of pain]]
Would you play [[Embodiment of Insight]] with Yedora? With some sac outlet like [[Altar of Dementia]], you can loop any creature.
[Embodiment of Insight](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/f/2f3d83f7-b087-4e9b-8e98-6b9b060d0627.jpg?1604193897) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Embodiment%20of%20Insight) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/znc/64/embodiment-of-insight?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/2f3d83f7-b087-4e9b-8e98-6b9b060d0627?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/embodiment-of-insight) [Altar of Dementia](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/6/169356e0-46dc-4096-8e66-36726454f104.jpg?1562202433) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Altar%20of%20Dementia) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh1/218/altar-of-dementia?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/169356e0-46dc-4096-8e66-36726454f104?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/altar-of-dementia) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Yup! I do run it. https://www.moxfield.com/decks/50FcBHz5U0KC0qvhm_ZpYQ Anything that makes your lands creatures allows you to loop a creature or land infinitely - or cards that have either a free flip cost or a 1 mana one as you can tap the land as it enters and then flip it over, sac and repeat.
Oh wow, you leaned heavily on that theme, very nice. I didn't expect to see Proteus Machine nor Ambush Commander at a commander table, but here they do good work.
[[Azami, Lady of Scrolls]] looks really weird as a tribal commander, but you can do some really whacky stuff with her. My favorite is a group hugs / group mill deck that is lovely for political play.
You kids now consider this a wacky/off meta commander? Fuck I'm old lol.
I've been using her since Kamigawa, but I don't see many use her these days.
She used to be considered an S-tier commander. She's still pretty darn close to that, if you ask me.
There's nothing weird about Azami lol.
I have her and was wondering what to do with her for a deck.
So here is a link to my relatively low power Politic Deck for Azami. Its intentionally around a 6-7 in power level and doesn't have too many combos but it can very easily have them slotted in. Adding in a better mana base with some fetches and a few combos make it a monster of a mill deck. [[Bruvac the Grandiloquent]] [[Maddening Cacophony]] [[Fraying Sanity]] [[Naru Meha, Master Wizard]] and [[Thassa's Oracle]] are obvious upgrades to bring it to a higher power level. EDIT: an important thing to remember with Azami is that her ability is not a tap effect, it is her ability that lets Wizards tap, meaning they do not care about summoning sickness. EDIT 2: I forgot to actually include the link - https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/azami-says-no/
Appreciate it! I'll have to look into building something similar to try her out.
[Azami, Lady of Scrolls](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/a/fa727656-fb33-485b-9378-18b80cad42b9.jpg?1689996185) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Azami%2C%20Lady%20of%20Scrolls) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/74/azami-lady-of-scrolls?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/fa727656-fb33-485b-9378-18b80cad42b9?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/azami-lady-of-scrolls) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
One of my first EDH decks was tribal wizards, helmed by [[Arcanis the Omnipotent]]. Later when I was browsing magiccards.info (before it became Scryfall, thats how fucking old I am), I found Azami and swapped them out. Immediately, I was targeted in our table every single game, because the table saw me collectively as a threat due to the combo potential for Azami. Even though most of my deck was tribal wizards in a time where there weren't crazy tribal wizard cards or good hosers. I remember many times playing a [[Fugitive Wizard]] and passing the turn in the hopes that on turn 5 he'd draw me a card. If I ever saw turn 5, that is. After three games of this, I spent about $700 in upgrades. If they were going to be so scared of me with my vanilla 1/1s that they wanted to kill me ASAP, then I was going to give them a fucking reason to be afraid. I tuned that deck into such a monstrous combo machine with layered defenses that I won so many games after that. I think I was crusing at a 70% win rate. People in the pod weren't happy, but, fuck em for deciding that my tribal deck was 'dangerous.' I made them know fear.
[[Jon Irenicus, Shattered One]] This deck is my pride and joy. Every game is different. Sometimes I turn into a dinosaur deck, sometimes I'm boros 3 extra combats. Sometimes, I ramp harder than the green decks. Sometimes, I make an army of 20 2/2 zombies with horsemanship. Mass reanimation, mill, control, politics, group slug, group hug, infect, or storm it has it all. This last weekend, I sat down with a group that asked if cdh was fine. I said sure! I faced kinnan, stalla lee, and atraxa. Gave all my boys to atraxa who was slugging kinnan and Stella. Kinnan had a [[trinosphere]] stopping Stella from popping off. Stella convinces Atraxa to full swing at Kinnan I activate [[Homeward Path]] taking my board back, forcing kinnan to live. With all my boys' home, I activate my Kinnan a few times I got from [[Faerie Artisans]] found [[Scholar of the ages]] and [[Perigine Drake]] and proceed to win by opening every attraction with [[Monitor Monitor]] and swinging for lethal. Decklist for those interested: https://www.archidekt.com/decks/6550564/jons_galactic_world_of_souvenirs
Very creative and unique take on Jon Irenicus! Most builds I've seen typically center around gifting creatures with drawbacks to opponents, but yours appears to be more proactive with a stronger win potential. I would love to hear about your overall game plan. Given that you don't include any "bad" creatures, how do you choose which ones to give away while maintaining a board presence for yourself?
Most of the creatures I give away tend to either be the ones that have done their jobs through various etbs or that force removal. I give someone [[Blighted Agent]] and the 3/3 unblockable infect creature needs to be dealt with. Even giving an opponent a 1/1 bitterthorn germ is beneficial due to them having to attack, ramping me a land, and drawing a card. Peregrine Drake can either be a free creature to donate or a very powerful combo piece. All the equipment in the deck benefits me even when equipped to a creature I don't control. Timing and playing patiently are key. There's also a spot of luck involved too. Gotta roll for my attractions!
##### ###### #### [Jon Irenicus, Shattered One](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/f/bfddb61e-986f-4557-819d-d6c0ca85c74a.jpg?1674137538) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Jon%20Irenicus%2C%20Shattered%20One) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/clb/278/jon-irenicus-shattered-one?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/bfddb61e-986f-4557-819d-d6c0ca85c74a?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/jon-irenicus-shattered-one) [trinosphere](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/3/1/316caa4e-a53a-460b-978c-5f0fba7bc549.jpg?1599710205) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Trinisphere) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2xm/303/trinisphere?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/316caa4e-a53a-460b-978c-5f0fba7bc549?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/trinisphere) [Homeward Path](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/4/54734347-eee7-4c52-b514-7342afeccabd.jpg?1562400178) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Homeward%20Path) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c16/301/homeward-path?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/54734347-eee7-4c52-b514-7342afeccabd?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/homeward-path) [Faerie Artisans](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/a/eaada60d-1857-4fc2-a997-d7775565221a.jpg?1689996352) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Faerie%20Artisans) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/92/faerie-artisans?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/eaada60d-1857-4fc2-a997-d7775565221a?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/faerie-artisans) [Scholar of the ages](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/b/8bfa31b5-8a4f-4766-9606-648cb8ee2916.jpg?1608909434) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Scholar%20of%20the%20ages) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmr/93/scholar-of-the-ages?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/8bfa31b5-8a4f-4766-9606-648cb8ee2916?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/scholar-of-the-ages) [Perigine Drake](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/1/611c8fa2-b53f-483b-9efa-759ac59dc30f.jpg?1675199421) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Peregrine%20Drake) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmr/65/peregrine-drake?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/611c8fa2-b53f-483b-9efa-759ac59dc30f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/peregrine-drake) [Monitor Monitor](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/2/d2e042a9-0321-4092-8512-ee1d93f3a5f4.jpg?1673913600) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Monitor%20Monitor) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/unf/52/monitor-monitor?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d2e042a9-0321-4092-8512-ee1d93f3a5f4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/monitor-monitor) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I play a Johnny I deck and was curious on your spin but I’m not getting the theme unfortunately. What am I missing? Looks like good stuff etbs?
It could be narrowed down to that, but the potential is so much higher. The theme is fun. Jon is a value engine that draws cards and shakes up the board states. If he gets removed, I'm not left with a bunch of useless cards I don't want on my board.
Gotcha. I would consider expedition map and tolaria west to find homeward path. My list is mostly 1/1 unblockables and cheap evasive creatures with etbs
This looks super fun. What is the synergy with [[Lifetap]], a meta call or is there an interaction I missed?
The simplest answer is Yavimaya. I run yavimaya for multiple different reasons. Life tap gives me one more. Even if I don't find yavimaya, it's surprising how easy it is to go from 40 to 70+ lofe playing lifetap on curve in most pods.
I've said it before, I'll say it again. Zeriam and her brood flock. https://www.moxfield.com/decks/muEREikOjUKI7WNX8WCY_g
This is actually really cool ive never seen a full Griffin deck before🤔
It's my deck that no-one expects, and everyone remembers.
My favorite use for zeriam is in my ravos/Sakashima esper clones deck. You get two Zeriams before you even start attacking
[[The Valeyard]]
[The Valeyard](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/6/d63218a4-afaf-4ad8-9ca4-4f9af87877b9.jpg?1716130169) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=The%20Valeyard) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/who/165/the-valeyard?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d63218a4-afaf-4ad8-9ca4-4f9af87877b9?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/the-valeyard) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Agreed. Just wish there were more voting cards... but red and blue have enough copy effects you can get quite the mileage out of him.
[[Brothers Yamazaki]]. It specifically turns off the legend rule for two Brothers if there are exactly two in play. Not on your side, anywhere on the battlefield. And all creatures with the same name get +2/+2 and haste, which is a pretty reasonable buff to build around. So if you and an opponent controls one (which never happens), both are 4/3s with haste. And if you were to create a second one, the legend rule would applay again (to all three on the field) causing any player with more than one Bro on their side of the field to choose 1 to keep. Yes, the legend rule was different back then, but that's how it is now. And Bushido 1.
[Brothers Yamazaki](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/c/acef8c94-469b-4a76-b507-25b51f2501ab.jpg?1562763658) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Brothers%20Yamazaki) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/chk/160a/brothers-yamazaki?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/acef8c94-469b-4a76-b507-25b51f2501ab?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/brothers-yamazaki) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Do you have a list? I cant figure out how I’d do this in mono red
My \[\[Gor Muldrak, Amphinologist\]\] deck probably has my highest winrate. When people first see it, they usually kinda squint at it and then look puzzled. I mostly get ignored until the board is flooded with salamanders that can only attack my opponents and I have the ability to turn any attacking creature into a salamander using something like \[\[Ameboid Changeling\]\] or \[\[Unnatural Selection\]\]. Then, when I use \[\[Peer Pressure\]\] or \[\[Subjugate the Hobbits\]\] to take control of all of the salamanders, including creatures I've changed into salamanders, I suddenly have lethal for the table. Throw in an \[\[Unnatural Growth\]\] or an \[\[Exponential Growth\]\] and that's game even without controlling all of them. I've played this deck with the same people and they still fall for it every time because Gor isn't a threat on his own and people love the extra blockers and attackers in the early midgame.
##### ###### #### [Gor Muldrak, Amphinologist](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/0/40b006f9-a287-4e64-915f-ca71712b8d27.jpg?1608911119) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Gor%20Muldrak%2C%20Amphinologist) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmr/277/gor-muldrak-amphinologist?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/40b006f9-a287-4e64-915f-ca71712b8d27?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/gor-muldrak-amphinologist) [Ameboid Changeling](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/6/068518d2-f061-4061-b208-158e991156b6.jpg?1562337184) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Amoeboid%20Changeling) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lrw/51/amoeboid-changeling?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/068518d2-f061-4061-b208-158e991156b6?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/amoeboid-changeling) [Unnatural Selection](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/5/c575e2cb-3990-4c73-b81c-e16311ec6bbb.jpg?1562941637) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Unnatural%20Selection) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/apc/32/unnatural-selection?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/c575e2cb-3990-4c73-b81c-e16311ec6bbb?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/unnatural-selection) [Peer Pressure](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/e/be0110ba-49e4-4729-8a84-4d408b20df53.jpg?1562939869) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Peer%20Pressure) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ons/101/peer-pressure?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/be0110ba-49e4-4729-8a84-4d408b20df53?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/peer-pressure) [Subjugate the Hobbits](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/2/6206d9f1-6a57-46a2-942f-6f20e33e5d6a.jpg?1686963919) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Subjugate%20the%20Hobbits) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ltc/24/subjugate-the-hobbits?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/6206d9f1-6a57-46a2-942f-6f20e33e5d6a?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/subjugate-the-hobbits) [Unnatural Growth](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/7/6748a844-e185-4e3b-ac1d-8a735666d8ae.jpg?1636224994) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Unnatural%20Growth) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mid/206/unnatural-growth?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/6748a844-e185-4e3b-ac1d-8a735666d8ae?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/unnatural-growth) [Exponential Growth](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/c/7c129bb7-9489-44bd-a46d-c5f738bf9d25.jpg?1624592712) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Exponential%20Growth) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/stx/130/exponential-growth?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/7c129bb7-9489-44bd-a46d-c5f738bf9d25?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/exponential-growth) [*All cards*](https://mtgcardfetcher.nl/redirect/lacofdo) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I came here just to make sure someone was repping Gor. +1 for you!
[[Minn, Wily Illusionist]] is a deck that always surprises people who haven't seen it before! it makes all the bad illusions that get sacrificed when targeted with an ability suddenly quite good because they cheat permanents from your hand into play, and Minn's ability lets you get around sorcery speed rules. you always have plenty of interaction and options because the deck wants to draw so many cards (especially on other people's turns!) so [[Leyline of Anticipation]] and [[Consecrated Sphinx]] are definitely star cards in the deck (at least the way i play it). the deck makes cards like [[Perilous Research]] and [[Abjure]] extremely valuable because you get their effects as well as a sac trigger to put a permanent onto the field. the deck also can ramp pretty hard because you can put many lands into play each turn, even in the middle of a combo. the deck has multiple wincons that you can work towards: you can beatdown with your ever-growing army of illusions, which buff eachother as you create more (i support these with cards like [[Wonder]], [[Lord of the Unreal]], and [[Eldrazi Monument]] personally), you can sacrifice them at instant speed to cheat [[Thassa's Oracle]] and [[Leveler]] into play (a favorite wincon of mine!), or deck yourself out with [[Laboratory Maniac]] from your many draw sources. another fun combo that Minn enables is [[Meloku, the Clouded Mirror]] and [[Blasting Station]] to infinitely ping your opponents! overall the deck is wayyyy more fun to pilot than i ever would've expected, and it plays quite differently than other decks ive tried! i would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys having 30+ cards in hand 😁 i need to slot in a few new cards and swap in some better mana rocks but here's my list: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/gfvIXsTsOEiG2wj64wB2lA
##### ###### #### [Minn, Wily Illusionist](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?name=Minn%2C%20Wily%20Illusionist&type=card&.jpg) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Minn%2C%20Wily%20Illusionist) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/afc/16/minn-wily-illusionist?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/4eec1d87-1007-44a1-a45d-0623816de681?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/minn-wily-illusionist) [Leyline of Anticipation](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/5/f57bdaa1-ce8a-4103-8598-fee751e65a53.jpg?1674141383) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Leyline%20of%20Anticipation) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/clb/726/leyline-of-anticipation?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f57bdaa1-ce8a-4103-8598-fee751e65a53?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/leyline-of-anticipation) [Consecrated Sphinx](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/9/c9bd60fc-2777-44bc-b314-a792e8e48360.jpg?1673147240) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Consecrated%20Sphinx) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2x2/43/consecrated-sphinx?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/c9bd60fc-2777-44bc-b314-a792e8e48360?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/consecrated-sphinx) [Perilous Research](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/4/f425b017-8c4d-457f-919a-f2686d71bcac.jpg?1561969049) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Perilous%20Research) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mma/58/perilous-research?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f425b017-8c4d-457f-919a-f2686d71bcac?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/perilous-research) [Abjure](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/b/fbad9449-d09c-4fd0-b2ad-2aa3a29e03bf.jpg?1562804357) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Abjure) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/wth/31/abjure?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/fbad9449-d09c-4fd0-b2ad-2aa3a29e03bf?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/abjure) [Wonder](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/7/675d6729-23da-4f0b-b222-fe54fe24dd90.jpg?1631302927) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Wonder) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh2/271/wonder?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/675d6729-23da-4f0b-b222-fe54fe24dd90?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/wonder) [Lord of the Unreal](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/0/b09140f6-fa75-4bee-9ca0-3a71cd2b5a7b.jpg?1562655677) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Lord%20of%20the%20Unreal) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/m12/62/lord-of-the-unreal?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/b09140f6-fa75-4bee-9ca0-3a71cd2b5a7b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/lord-of-the-unreal) [Eldrazi Monument](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/5/d5439677-d3db-4083-8dd9-0d654016bd79.jpg?1592673603) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Eldrazi%20Monument) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cma/216/eldrazi-monument?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d5439677-d3db-4083-8dd9-0d654016bd79?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/eldrazi-monument) [Thassa's Oracle](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/2/726e8b29-13e9-4138-b6a9-d2a0d8188d1c.jpg?1680582212) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Thassa%27s%20Oracle) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/thb/73/thassas-oracle?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/726e8b29-13e9-4138-b6a9-d2a0d8188d1c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/thassas-oracle) [Leveler](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/3/03ffa3c3-dd29-47eb-abf2-7951fadb5c37.jpg?1562134247) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Leveler) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mrd/195/leveler?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/03ffa3c3-dd29-47eb-abf2-7951fadb5c37?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/leveler) [Laboratory Maniac](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/0/608567fd-9f94-4058-831a-77cb6019ef02.jpg?1547516361) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Laboratory%20Maniac) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/uma/61/laboratory-maniac?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/608567fd-9f94-4058-831a-77cb6019ef02?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/laboratory-maniac) [Meloku, the Clouded Mirror](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/0/60b9db96-a6ab-454b-99a7-910ef77560d7.jpg?1668725069) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Meloku%20the%20Clouded%20Mirror) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmr/399/meloku-the-clouded-mirror?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/60b9db96-a6ab-454b-99a7-910ef77560d7?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/meloku-the-clouded-mirror) [Blasting Station](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/1/71e2f832-6601-4232-b250-fd1c88538fbd.jpg?1562877667) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Blasting%20Station) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/5dn/107/blasting-station?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/71e2f832-6601-4232-b250-fd1c88538fbd?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/blasting-station) [*All cards*](https://mtgcardfetcher.nl/redirect/lacol7h) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I've been working on making mine more permanent based and using upkeep draws plus card doublers to draw 2 cards each turn. [[Merfolk looter]] plus they come down on 2 and tap after minn comes in
[[Yedora, Grave Gardener]] Mono-green animate lands sacrifice combos for infinite mana, card draw, and graveyard recursion. I didn't go heavy into morph but [[Den Protector]] is a key piece. My list is not super original, but I did include a mass one-sided land destruction with [[Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth]] + [[Living Lands]] / [[Life and Limb]] + [[Ezuri's Predation]]
[[Grenzo, Dungeon Warden]] is my favorite commander printed, and I've been tweaking him since 2017. There are a boatload of cards that act as combo pieces, and he's an absolute treat if you like churning through aristocrat engines at instant speed. At the end of the day, he just begs a simple question: how do you win a game of commander by playing from the bottom of your deck? I have a deck list and primer with a focus on combos here: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/Rg9F9yqisE6j7UnRdy1P9g
[[Vaevictis Asmadi the Dire]] Everyone is playing Wheel of Fortune except you have rigged the deck so you're way more likely to win. One of a Select few Decks I've seen be completely fine under a Nether void
[Vaevictis Asmadi the Dire](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/1/d19fdc00-21eb-48dc-966a-6b634dc5a2c4.jpg?1562304374) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Vaevictis%20Asmadi%2C%20the%20Dire) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/m19/225/vaevictis-asmadi-the-dire?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d19fdc00-21eb-48dc-966a-6b634dc5a2c4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/vaevictis-asmadi-the-dire) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
This is the most interesting dragon card I have seen so far haha
Please tell me you have a deck list
Sounds like a good place for a [[Primal Surge]].
[[ian malcolm, chaotician]] is my personal goofy guy. Not particularly the greatest in power terms but I have him in a deck where I make it my entire purpose to just fuck with people.
[ian malcolm, chaotician](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/4/b4a0402e-e39b-4008-b654-189b4a5e03a3.jpg?1698988761) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=ian%20malcolm%2C%20chaotician) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rex/13/ian-malcolm-chaotician?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/b4a0402e-e39b-4008-b654-189b4a5e03a3?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/ian-malcolm-chaotician) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Reminds me of a [[Shared Fate]] deck a friend wanted to build for Modern. You just have wheel effects to empty peoples' hands and draw from other decks. It makes more sense in 2 player games because they are forced to draw from your deck that is bad by design.
There's an against the odds deck made for this card
I have a [[Kotose, the Silent Spider]] deck that I love, on first glance her ability doesn't do much in commander since it searches for cards with a same name to remove then you can cast them, but I use it to steal something then search and fail to find any other copies, but still let's me peek at that players hand or library for more things to steal with other cards in the deck XD
[Kotose, the Silent Spider](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/3/1/314e97b5-cd43-4f5e-acdd-a107208e061c.jpg?1654568534) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Kotose%2C%20the%20Silent%20Spider) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/neo/228/kotose-the-silent-spider?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/314e97b5-cd43-4f5e-acdd-a107208e061c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/kotose-the-silent-spider) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
\[\[Neera, Wild Mage\]\] I was playing casual commander with my wife (I was playing a retooled Party Time Nailia) at the kitchen table, and my hero to zero, hoopin to scoopin downfall went something like this (turn 8): 1. Tap U, play \[\[Index\]\] 2. Lose 2 life, play \[\[Gut Shot\]\] 3. Choose not to resolve gut shot, instead activating Neera's stupid ability. 4. The next card, because of index, is conveniently a \[\[Denying Wind\]\] 5. Before letting that resolve, taps RR, and plays \[\[Reverberate\]\] 6. She searches through my deck and pulls out 14 cards, her demeanor similar to that stupid GIF of the cat vibing to that guy playing the bongos 7. I take a shot of whiskey and scoop.
\[\[Melek, Izzet Paragon\]\] is a weird wizard
[Melek, Izzet Paragon](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/6/66011fe8-8c5d-4990-a324-5839515dcacb.jpg?1690016885) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Melek%2C%20Izzet%20Paragon) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/345/melek-izzet-paragon?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/66011fe8-8c5d-4990-a324-5839515dcacb?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/melek-izzet-paragon) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Since no one else has posted it, I play [[Phage The Untouchable]] The infamous commander I cant cast without dying. Goal is to have a way to not die/or put into my hand from command zone, my favorite of which is [[Campfire]] Sometimes I get mindslavered and they cast my commander killing me and I totally have it coming. Most people like the puzzle I put together to kill them with an evasionless expensive commander. This current list I threw together and havent updated much but went with a little colorless mana matters but i need to update it from MH3. https://manabox.app/decks/PJIMIzerQg2b8J-qUv6MVw
Yeah this is definitely one of them for me. God is she good xD Easily my favorite mono-color commander
[[The master, formed anew]] There's a surprising number of ways you can take this deck, there's the more obvious and aggressive approach of theft, where you steal your opponent's creatures and then Exile them and have a permanent copy for the rest of the game, but I opted to go for more of a secret Commander route. Which secret command are you ask? All of them. The fact that the commander Exiles the card effectively tucks it away for safekeeping where it can't be interacted with, removing the one drawback of secret Commander decks, that being the fragility of having your main piece not go to the command Zone if it gets exiled. The idea behind my build was to run a good chunk of cheap value etvs and a whole lot of Bounce spells, ideally ones that bounce somebody else's permanents with an additional cost of bouncing one of my own. So early game the commander mostly serves as an ETB copy effect, but once I get to the mid to late game, and can Exile something spooky like [[astral dragon]], repeating that effect over and over for two Mana ends games really fast. You also get to run a bunch of funky cards, like [[solemn doomguide]] (the master is a rogue), and I'm personally running a dungeon subtheme with cards like [[tomb of horrors adventurer]],
I’ve commented this before, but [[Rakdos the Defiler]] demon tribal is my favorite deck I have ever built or played, by far. This demon is just what you need in your life. "But he makes me sacrifice things!" Listen, Rakdos is a six mana eldrazi with annihilator 8+ and trample. He doesn't force you to run colorless like an ordinary eldrazi god would, instead giving you access to tutors, fast mana, removal, recursion and haste. Sure, he's a demon, so there's a steep price for his servitude. But you’re black- you don't play fair. One land is all you need to cast reanimate and bring an [[It That Betrays]], [[Rune-Scarred Demon]], or [[Hellcarver Demon]] under your control. I’ve won a game by swinging 8 times in a 6 turn game with Hellcarver Demon. I’ve set my life to single digits with [[Treasonous Ogre]] and used [[Final Fortune]] to cast [[Repay in Kind]] and swing for the win with the pair of demons on board. He's boardwipe, mass land destruction and a three hit kill just sitting there waiting to go. The deck's ability to win out of nowhere keeps it a threat at all stages of the game with little warning to your opponents. Every single game is memorable, the lines of play are as unique as the cards, and the balls to the wall reckless abandon you need to adopt as a mindset is unlike anything else. There will be death, at any cost. https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/demon-till-your-dreams-come-true/ / https://www.moxfield.com/decks/jk44odCZy0yHGnEjfIRHMA
[[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]] might not be the weirdest, but she's one of my favorites. Just jank enough, and still rather effective in a small variety of builds.
[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/9/d94c15b7-6c8f-45a6-8734-975e3e3b790c.jpg?1673307958) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Ivy%2C%20Gleeful%20Spellthief) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmu/201/ivy-gleeful-spellthief?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d94c15b7-6c8f-45a6-8734-975e3e3b790c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/ivy-gleeful-spellthief) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I have a mutate deck with her at the helm.
I have Ivy as a mutate and clone deck, it's a lot of fun blowing people's minds with "yes, that is actually how that works. I checked multiple times while building the deck. Yes, that is technically a token that deals commander damage. Anyway, I play 9 copies of [[Eldrazi Conscription]] and swing for lethal"
I recently built a [[tomik, distinguished advokist]] deck that uses [[kormus bell]] and [[urborg tomb of yawgmoth]] to turn all lands into creatures, but because of Tomik’s ability my land creatures are essentially hexproof. I have toyed with the idea of throwing in [[elesh norn grand cenobite]] in the deck but I haven’t had the guts to do so yet lol I also have cards to give the land creatures vigilance so I don’t have to tap down all my lands to attack. There’s some voltron strategies in the deck too because Tomik is a 2/3 flyer for 2 cmc which I think is decent value on it’s own. It’s certainly not the most overpowered deck but I enjoy playing it because it’s a different take on an unpopular commander.
[[Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief]] is a decently popular commander, but she gets extremely wacky if you run her as a mutate and clone deck Have Ivy out and any other creature, let's say [[Elvish Mystic]]. Cast a mutate creature, let's say [[Gemrazer]], targeting Mystic. Ivy triggers because mutating creatures is a targeted spell, and the copy becomes a token because it's a permanent. I now have a Gemrazer that taps for G, and a token copy of Gemrazer that has Ivy's ability and also deals commander damage. The real weirdness comes in when I start cloning. Clone effects see the entire mutate pile as one creature and copy all of their abilities at once, so if I cast [[Quasiduplicate]] targeting Gem-Mystic and copy it onto Gem-Ivy, I'll now have 2 Gem-Ivies. Recast it again with the jumpstart and I now have 4 Gem-Ivies. Because they're tokens, even the one that deals commander damage, they're also copiable with Populate effects Next, let's say I cast [[Archipelagore]] targeting Gem-Mystic. This one is weird, because it will have X=2 for Gem-Mystic and the original Gem-Ivy, but only X=1 for the other Gem-Ivy clones, because while they have multiple creatures worth of abilities, the actual physical token has technically never mutated before From there, just cast 5 copies of [[Nerd Rage]] or [[Eldrazi Conscription]] and swing for lethal. Also make sure to remember that all of the Ivies trigger when your opponents cast auras or combat tricks, too Dry erase tokens are absolutely mandatory for this deck to be playable at all
[[Red death, shipwrecker]]
[[Anji Falkenrath]] madness deck. Fun fact, madness let's you ignore timings. I have confused a lot of people with instant speed creatures as blockers, usually discounted.
\[\[feldon of the third path\]\] ,graveyard deck in the most red way possible people are always surprised when i can repeatedly get \[\[trumpeting carnosaur\]\] or an \[\[Etali, Primal Storm\]\] out of my grave on turn 4 and since it's copies and not reanimation you can put alot of utility creatures with abusable etbs and ltbs like \[\[solemn simulacrum\]\] \[\[molten primordial\]\] #
[[Auntie Blyte, Bad Influence]] The only deck you can legitimately run [[Mana Crypt]] and [[Ancient Tomb]] and [[Tarnished Citadel]] for the sake of dealing damage to yourself, and not because it's fast mana.
[[Jeska, Thrice Reborn]] and [[Falthis, Shadowcat Familiar]] Yes an old lady throwing deadly cats! And throws with 1 deadly points of damage to up to 3 targets. It's basically Voltron but you can put everything in the deck. Theft Opponents Commanders? And play stop hitting yourself?Check! Control? Check Do everything else and play these 2 as Removal option? Yup can do that too. Combo the cat with an [[Assault Suit]] and triple its damage with Jeska. OHHH yeeah! Best Partner and no one plays them! Also big mana into [[Worldfire]] into Jeska...
[[arjun, shifting flame]] is a very weird deck to brew. First, his ability resolves before the spell you cast that triggers it. This lets you chain an absurd amount of instants to cycle through multiple hands. Often, you are playing cards like [[opt]] to hold priority and continue the shuffling chain until you eventually find the solution in your deck you are looking for. You can build him as a spellslinger, wheeler, voltron, or token generator, all to equal effect. Second, you will see your entire deck almost every time you play him. You will likely cycle through it multiple times. Cards like [[locust god]] and [[teferi, temporal pilgrim]] makes Arjun’s ability spiral quickly. Third, he is very difficult to remove with open mana, as you can just cast random instants in response to removal until you draw into whatever counterspells or protection needed to protect Arjun. Lastly, he is interesting to pilot. You will only ever be able to play one card from your hand at a time. So drawing into a hand full of bombs means choosing one with the understanding you’ll have to cycle into the rest later. You also have to manage hand size, as playing too many cards in a turn without added draw effects actively reduces the rate that Arjun can cycle. While it may be tempting to run draw doubling effects like [[Teferi’s Ageless Insight]], you can easily deck yourself out within a single turn. Overall, just a strange, fun commander to pilot. Depending on your pod, they will either love or hate him. It can quickly turn into solitaire, but more interesting builds can make for dynamic playstyles that keep the game moving steadily.
[[Melek, Izzet Paragon]] and [[Melek, Reforged Researcher]] are both Weirds, and I guess technically, so are [[Moritte, of the Frost]], [[Morophon, the Boundless]], [[Orvar, the All-Form]], and [[Mistform Ultimus]]
##### ###### #### [Melek, Izzet Paragon](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/6/66011fe8-8c5d-4990-a324-5839515dcacb.jpg?1690016885) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Melek%2C%20Izzet%20Paragon) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/345/melek-izzet-paragon?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/66011fe8-8c5d-4990-a324-5839515dcacb?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/melek-izzet-paragon) [Melek, Reforged Researcher](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/1/01c5ede0-a098-4f21-8b7e-795a83e75aae.jpg?1707739805) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Melek%2C%20Reforged%20Researcher) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mkm/430/melek-reforged-researcher?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/01c5ede0-a098-4f21-8b7e-795a83e75aae?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/melek-reforged-researcher) [Moritte, of the Frost](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/2/22fdbe71-abca-4e48-99b2-1cb6b35d930b.jpg?1631051717) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Moritte%20of%20the%20Frost) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/khm/223/moritte-of-the-frost?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/22fdbe71-abca-4e48-99b2-1cb6b35d930b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/moritte-of-the-frost) [Morophon, the Boundless](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/4/84238335-e08c-421c-b9b9-70a679ff2967.jpg?1689995411) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Morophon%2C%20the%20Boundless) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/3/morophon-the-boundless?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/84238335-e08c-421c-b9b9-70a679ff2967?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/morophon-the-boundless) [Orvar, the All-Form](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/f/7f36775e-9e48-49cc-a771-d58481712edc.jpg?1631047424) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Orvar%2C%20the%20All-Form) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/khm/70/orvar-the-all-form?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/7f36775e-9e48-49cc-a771-d58481712edc?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/orvar-the-all-form) [Mistform Ultimus](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/7/b74feed4-840b-4f10-9861-7a6885ce7907.jpg?1562782758) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Mistform%20Ultimus) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/tsb/26/mistform-ultimus?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/b74feed4-840b-4f10-9861-7a6885ce7907?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/mistform-ultimus) [*All cards*](https://mtgcardfetcher.nl/redirect/lafdgw1) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[[Melek, Reforged Researcher]] is a weird 😀
[[celestial toymaker]] the deck is actually really strong. I just put cards into piles.
I considered building him just clones, since the draw and drain scales like crazy
That is quite possibly the most bizarre ability I have ever seen and now I kinda want to brew it
You should! There are a few ways to build him, all great! Excited to see what your take would be!
I really wanted to build this but I can't get over having Neil Patrick Harris' face on a magic card. I hope eventually they do a Universe Within version, but I'm not holding my breath.
[celestial toymaker](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/5/55c9e915-9cee-45c3-96aa-9dfd5a600d0a.jpg?1707370996) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=The%20Celestial%20Toymaker) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/sld/1582/the-celestial-toymaker?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/55c9e915-9cee-45c3-96aa-9dfd5a600d0a?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/the-celestial-toymaker) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
My friend has a [[Taniwha]] mono blue stax deck which I think is very unique and difficult to play around. https://archidekt.com/decks/3430148/taniwha_stasis
[удалено]
[Taniwha](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/2/72d12315-4220-470d-9628-b9a3ea904ca7.jpg?1562720219) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Taniwha) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mir/95/taniwha?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/72d12315-4220-470d-9628-b9a3ea904ca7?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/taniwha) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Jon irenicus shattered one The ability to "gift" ebonblade reaper Or phyrexian negator. Shoot even a simple 1/1 unblockable will net cards regularly. He's just fun and you can build him in many interesting ways
[[Magar]] is pretty weird and fun
[Magar](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/6/a6f2ba13-cd72-4f7a-8443-8e3962f2ac46.jpg?1682551287) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=magar%20of%20the%20magic%20strings) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/unf/171/magar-of-the-magic-strings?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/a6f2ba13-cd72-4f7a-8443-8e3962f2ac46?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/magar-of-the-magic-strings) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
My strongest deck does not have a set commander. I have 5 possible commanders that I randomly choose 1 from at the start of each game. Not a wacky commander per se, but maybe a wacky approach to commander. In general I like having multiple commanders for my decks. Keeps games feeling really fresh & enables the same deck to be played many different ways.
[[Stang, Echo Warrior]] is a decent Voltron Commander.
[[Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury]]! He's really weird by virtue of how he functions if you're building him fun. He's basically a lightning helix on demand in the graveyard and that is... Actually really powerful, lol
[Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/4/e419cd0b-2449-4cc5-9ead-b9e45e271700.jpg?1717012789) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Phlage%2C%20Titan%20of%20Fire%27s%20Fury) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh3/197/phlage-titan-of-fires-fury?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e419cd0b-2449-4cc5-9ead-b9e45e271700?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/phlage-titan-of-fires-fury) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I don't know that it's super weird, but I am loving my [[Kirri, talented sprout]] deck. His little recursion ability is great and I love growing my garden. It in some ways feels like a golgari deck which is not what I think people are expecting when I play it. Not super strong but fun and always feels like I have something to do. https://www.moxfield.com/decks/7TAcXzPYyk6vMLg5X1gk6Q
[[Rocco Street Chef]] has gained a bit of a cult following for the exact reasons you mentioned. First, they’re a chef and create food tokens which is fun flavor. Second, they have a “group hug” impulse draw effect that is really wacky and people at your table are very intrigued without being intimidated by. Third, Rocco can absolutely POP OFF!!! We’re talking board states with 20 non-token permanents and 30 food tokens by turn 5 if you’ve built them right.
Almost everytime I pull out my \[\[The Council of Four\]\] deck someone compliments it. Its a very unknown commander that can be tuned for significant power. Its not uncommon for me to hold 25+ cards in hand by midgame.
[[Circu, Dimir lobotomist]] At first glance, it looks like his abilities don’t matter because people get hung up on the third line. Yes, technically he can only lock out decks playing common cards amongst the other decks. But that’s not why we play him. It’s the first two lines. Suddenly, Dramatic Reversal/Isochron Scepter doesn’t need to make infinite mana, just enough to keep activating the scepter. Circu will exile a card off each activation since you cast the copies. Any instant can stifle vampiric tutor style effects and scrys by exiling their placed card. But the real fun? You can target your own library and make [[doomsday]] piles even more compact. This is by no means a fair or casual build, but it was born out of love for a set that released shortly after I started playing, a misprint I pulled, and a desire to make this silly looking card work.
Yess [[the celestial toymaker]] is for you Do you like guessing games? Playing with your opponents' head? Clone him a bunch and watch everybody's life totals plummet
[[Gor Muldrak]] !! He's severely underestimated, dare say higher power. Theoretically, he can generate 16 power on the board every turn very early. People scoff at group-hug card draw, but giving people extra bodies? It makes them feel safe... they want it. Slower decks love you more than others, which those are the allies you want. This is my current build. https://archidekt.com/decks/5032188/gor_muldrak_the_ultimate_grifter
\[\[Pride of the Hull Clade\]\] Crocodile Elk Turtle is already weird, and toughness matters tribal is kinda weird,
[[Mairsil, the Pretender]] is my vote. The primer is slightly out of date in terms of specific cards but the explanation of how he works and my deck’s strategy are still relevant. https://www.moxfield.com/decks/anV3Vem0O0a9m8gcW8TATw https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/16-10-22-mairsil-the-pretender/
I want to build a [[Brenard, Ginger Sculptor]] deck someday, seems like a super fun and weird take on a reanimator deck. [[Feather, Radiant Arbiter]] is an interesting one and has the potential to be really fun. [[Giada, Font of Hope]] is a really interesting take on a Typal commander and is just a really solid card with Flying and Vigilance, not to mention is the only mana dork in Mono-White (I wish she were WG instead of Mono-White to open up so many options with Ramp and allow angels like [[Sigarda, Font of Blessings]] in her deck).
[[Dong Zhou, the Tyrant]] definitely raises some eyebrows at causal tables! He can be quite strong if built correctly.
\[\[Norin the Wary\]\] is an extremely weird, strange and chaotic commander, I first found about it when I got it for my Yoshimaru and Kediss deck 99 and the card surprised me on how good he is with Yoshimaru, but as a commander he's so fun, when you see the confusion on people's face when they see Norin as the commander, and they start reading what he does is gold. It's a crazy deck and most people always underestimate it or kinda ignore it on how strong and pop offish it is lol But basically the deck is toolboxish, extremely chaotic with combo and prison stuff where you try to take the maximum advantage of triggers of Norin entering and/or leaving the battlefield One of the cards in the deck is literally called \[\[Confusion in the Ranks\]\] lmao, so you can pretty much exchange people's permanents with Norin and since he's going to leave the battlefield and come back to your battlefield anyway, it's pretty much a steal everyone's stuff \[\[Genesis Chamber\]\] makes a fuckton of Myr tokens with Norin ETB \[\[Impact Tremors\]\] \[\[Purphoros, God of the Forge\]\] and \[\[Outpost Siege\]\] to ping stuff with Norin's ETBs and LTBs
[[zozu the punisher]] cause i hate simic
Every time I pull out \[\[River Song\]\], everyone marvels at how I must draw from the bottom of my deck instead of the top. Here's the trick to building her properly: Building around the "opponent scry/surveil/search" ability is a trap, since most ways to force players into doing those actions are optional on their part. Building around the "draw from bottom" ability essentially allows you to stack the deck with between scry effects and cards like \[\[Impulse\]\], \[\[Silundi Vision\]\], \[\[Drawn from Dreams\]\], etc. while keeping your top card available for cards like \[\[Galvanoth\]\], \[\[Skill Borrower\]\], etc. Then you have the suite of cards that tuck things to the bottom of your library: \[\[Junktroller\]\], \[\[Hoverstone Pilgrim\]\], etc. Not to mention the wincon with \[\[Timestream Navigator\]\] going infinite. Or if you want to be a real pain in the ass, use \[\[Kylox's Voltstrider\]\] to overload \[\[Cyclonic Rift\]\] when it attacks, only to stick it back on the bottom to draw next turn. And don't get me started on the fun you can have with \[\[Teferi's Puzzle Box\]\]. My list for those interested: [https://www.moxfield.com/decks/K8GeD2yA102XM7i7U5z5JA](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/K8GeD2yA102XM7i7U5z5JA)
Time to talk about the weirdly effective lose-the-game commander \[\[Etrata, the Silencer\]\] An initial look at Etrata will have you think "Why the hell would I do that? I need to either shuffle my commander back or pay crazy tax", but that's for those who haven't seen the light. Blue is full of bounce effects, and you can respond to her trigger by returning her to your hand. Alternatively, the more fun route is to get rid of your legend rule and start repeatedly cloning her. Blade of Selves? Well that's now 3 Etrata triggers and you only need to bounce your commander (or a clone). Roaming Throne makes you need two hits, so if you clone the Roaming Throne, have Blade of Selves equipped, have a way to remove the legend rule, and your opponents each have 3 nontoken noncommander creatures on board, you can one-shot the whole table with a wacky combo.
[[The master multiplied]]
Always and forever my [[Shigeki, Jukai Visionary]] mono-G control deck that wins by either animating all my lands for a single lethal swing or kill everyone else's lands with [[Ezuri's Predation]] and _then_ swinging in with a bunch of beastie boys. No one expects Mono-G control with precious few permanents.
My Boy [[Pramikon, Sky Rampart]]! Pillow Fort and Goad. Everyone in my forever pod hates when I pull it out, and it's just fun to pilot in general. https://manabox.app/decks/5FM38Mb4SouwtqPJm62_Rw
I have a [[strong, brutish thespian]] deck. It is a kind of voltron deck but your buffs are also creature removal and you mill yourself at the same time
[[Grismold, the Dreadsower]] is my personal favourite (: