Art by Matt Cavotta
Commander deckU
Empress Galina
A theft-based control deck that uses Empress Galina and blue utility spells to seize permanent control of opponents' legendary cards and powerful creatures.
Asked for“A $50 Empress Galina commander deck — a theft-and-control deck that steals opponents' creatures and casts their spells, turning their own cards into your win conditions.”
Deck anatomy
What this list actually runs on: how cheaply it casts things, and whether it has enough ramp, card draw and interaction to keep up at the table. Each block is one card — hover for its name.
Mana curve · 60 nonland cards
The working parts
Counted from Scryfall’s community card tags, not from the builder’s own labels. A card that does two jobs counts twice, so these add up to more than the deck. The hatched band is a common rule of thumb, not a law — combo decks run leaner, battlecruiser decks heavier.
Colored mana symbols
Commander
1Empress Galina
3UULegendary Creature — Merfolk Noble
Chosen commander for the requested strategy.
Ramp
10
Card Draw
9
Removal
11
Threats/Wincons
19
Corrupted Conscience
3UUEnchantment — Aura
Steals a creature and makes it a win tech via infect
Agent of Treachery
5UUCreature — Human Rogue
Steals on entry and draws cards for stolen items
Beguiler of Wills
3UUCreature — Human Wizard
Budget repeatable theft of smaller creatures
Hypnotic Siren
UEnchantment Creature — Siren
Low cost creature or late game theft aura
Entrancing Melody
XUUSorcery
Mana-efficient theft for tokens and low-cost creatures
Diluvian Primordial
5UUCreature — Avatar
Casts opponents powerful spells for free
Utility
11
Liquimetal Torque
2Artifact
Turns any non-land into an artifact for removal or utility synergy
Lightning Greaves
2Artifact — Equipment
Protects commander and grants haste for activation
Freed from the Real
2UEnchantment — Aura
Combos with Galina to steal multiple legends per turn
Vizier of Tumbling Sands
2UCreature — Human Cleric
Untaps the Empress or produces mana
Thousand-Year Elixir
3Artifact
Allows Galina to use her ability immediately and twice
