Art by Anna Podedworna
Commander deckBGU
Gonti, Canny Acquisitor
Leverage evasive, low-mana creatures to reliably trigger Gonti's ability on multiple opponents every turn. Steal opposing threats, spells, and answers to scale with the power of the table while building advantage through card draw, interactive removal, and flexible theft payoffs.
Asked for“Build a Gonti, Canny Acquisitor Commander deck focused heavily on theft and playing opponents' cards. I want each game to play differently because my opponents' decks provide many of my threats and options. Emphasize effects that exile and let me cast opponents' cards, steal or copy useful permanents, use opponents' graveyards, and reliably deal combat damage to trigger Gonti. Include interaction, ramp, protection, and enough independent value that the deck still functions when Gonti is unavailable. Prioritize improvisation, decision-making, and multiplayer politics over deterministic combos. Avoid infinite combos and overly linear win conditions. Target Commander Bracket 3, with no more than 3 Game Changers. The deck should be strong and focused but not optimized for cEDH.”
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 · 61 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
1Gonti, Canny Acquisitor
2BGULegendary Creature — Aetherborn Rogue
Chosen commander for the requested strategy.
Ramp
10
Fellwar Stone
2Artifact
Excellent ramp artifact that produces opponents' colors for casting stolen spells.
Card Draw
8
Toski, Bearer of Secrets
3GLegendary Creature — Squirrel
Indestructible creature that turns evasive attacks into massive card draw.
Edric, Spymaster of Trest
1GULegendary Creature — Elf Rogue
Encourages opponents to attack each other while rewarding your small attackers with card draw.
Coastal Piracy
2UUEnchantment
Draws cards whenever your small evasive creatures connect.
Bident of Thassa
2UULegendary Enchantment Artifact
Draws cards on combat damage and forces opponents into unfavorable attacks.
Reconnaissance Mission
2UUEnchantment
Draws cards on combat damage with cycling flexibility.
Removal
10
Assassin's Trophy
BGInstant
Versatile nonland permanent removal at instant speed.
Tear Asunder
1GInstant
Instant exile for artifact or enchantment, kickable to hit any nonland permanent.
Fierce Guardianship
2UInstant
Free noncreature counterspell while commander is out.
Threats/Wincons
26
Changeling Outcast
BCreature — Shapeshifter
Cheap unblockable creature to trigger Gonti reliably early.
Slither Blade
UCreature — Snake Rogue
1-drop unblockable creature for consistent combat damage triggers.
Triton Shorestalker
UCreature — Merfolk Rogue
Evasive 1-drop that ensures early Gonti exile triggers.
Gudul Lurker
UCreature — Salamander
Cheap unblockable creature to safely hit opponents.
Invisible Stalker
1UCreature — Human Rogue
Hexproof unblockable creature that triggers Gonti safely.
Dimir Infiltrator
UBCreature — Spirit
Unblockable threat that can also transfigure for 2-CMC key cards.
Hypnotic Siren
UEnchantment Creature — Siren
Early flying attacker that can be bestowed late to steal a creature.
Thief of Sanity
1UBCreature — Specter
Evasive creature that steals cards on combat damage synergy with Gonti.
Nashi, Moon Sage's Scion
1BBLegendary Creature — Rat Ninja
Ninjutsu threat that exiles and plays cards from all players' libraries.
Hostage Taker
2UBCreature — Human Pirate
Exiles opposing creatures or artifacts and lets you cast them.
Xanathar, Guild Kingpin
4UBLegendary Creature — Beholder
Allows you to play cards continuously off the top of an opponent's deck.
Brainstealer Dragon
5BBCreature — Dragon Horror
Exiles cards from opponents at end step and burns them when you play non-owned cards.
Arvinox, the Mind Flail
4BBBLegendary Enchantment Creature — Horror
Exiles cards from opponents' decks and turns into a giant creature.
Dauthi Voidwalker
BBCreature — Dauthi Rogue
Shadow attacker that exiles opposing cards and casts one for free.
Agent of Treachery
5UUCreature — Human Rogue
Steals any permanent on entry and draws cards when controlling stolen permanents.
Gonti, Lord of Luxury
2BBLegendary Creature — Aetherborn Rogue
Classic theft creature that fits perfectly with the commander theme.
Wandering Archaic // Explore the Vastlands
5Creature — Avatar // Sorcery
Copies opposing instant and sorcery spells unless they pay extra.
Villainous Wealth
XBGUSorcery
Massive scaling theft spell to exile and cast a huge portion of an opponent's deck.
Cunning Rhetoric
2BEnchantment
Deters attacks by exiling cards from attacking players to play later.
Mind's Dilation
5UUEnchantment
Exiles top cards whenever opponents cast spells and lets you play them free.
Tasha, the Witch Queen
3UBLegendary Planeswalker — Tasha
Planeswalker that exiles spells from graveyards and generates Demon tokens when casting stolen spells.
Animate Dead
1BEnchantment — Aura
Cheap reanimation spell that can steal any creature from any graveyard.
Reanimate
BSorcery
Efficient graveyard theft card to pull the best creature in any yard.
Memory Plunder
UBUBUBUBInstant
Instant-speed cast of an instant or sorcery from an opponent's graveyard.
Inevitable Betrayal
Sorcery
Suspends to search an opponent's library and put a creature directly into play.
Bribery
3UUSorcery
Searches an opponent's deck for their best creature threat and puts it onto your board.
Utility
7
Siren Stormtamer
UCreature — Siren Pirate Wizard
1-drop flyer that doubles as spell protection for Gonti.
Swiftfoot Boots
2Artifact — Equipment
Haste and hexproof protection for key threats or commander.
Heroic Intervention
1GInstant
Instant-speed board protection against destruction and damage.
Whispersilk Cloak
3Artifact — Equipment
Gives unblockable and shroud to ensure Gonti or theft creatures connect.
Tamiyo's Safekeeping
GInstant
Single-target hexproof and indestructible protection spell.
Felix Five-Boots
2BGULegendary Creature — Ooze Rogue
Doubles all combat damage triggers, doubling Gonti's exiles and combat draws.
