Art by Scott M. Fischer
Commander deckBGRUW
Karn, Gilded Guardian
Maximize Karn's card draw ability by deploying multicolored artifacts to represent all five colors, then repeatedly blink and clone Karn to draw massive amounts of cards and overpower opponents.
Asked for“Budget Karn, Gilded Guardian deck that focus on multicolored artifacts and clones to clone Karn again and again.”
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 · 62 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
1Karn, Gilded Guardian
2W2U2B2R2GLegendary Artifact Creature — Golem
Chosen commander for the requested strategy.
Ramp
10
Chromatic Lantern
3Artifact
Perfect mana fixing for a five-color artifact strategy
Faeburrow Elder
1GWCreature — Treefolk Druid
Taps for substantial mana alongside multicolored permanents
Ornithopter of Paradise
2Artifact Creature — Thopter
Flying mana dork that fixes colors and is an artifact
Decanter of Endless Water
3Artifact
Fixes colors and removes hand size limit for huge draw turns
Card Draw
8
Baleful Strix
UBArtifact Creature — Bird
Cheap artifact that is both blue and black while replacing itself
Shorikai, Genesis Engine
2WULegendary Artifact — Vehicle
White-blue artifact providing steady card draw and tokens
Esper Sentinel
WArtifact Creature — Human Soldier
White artifact creature taxing opponents and drawing cards
Thought Monitor
6UArtifact Creature — Construct
Affinity-discounted blue artifact creature with an ETB draw two
Sharding Sphinx
4UUArtifact Creature — Sphinx
Blue artifact creature creating thopter tokens on combat damage
Removal
10
Generous Gift
2WInstant
Universal removal that handles lands, planeswalkers, or creatures
Dovin's Veto
WUInstant
Uncounterable protection against wipes and noncreature spells
Ethersworn Adjudicator
4UArtifact Creature — Vedalken Knight
WUB artifact creature that provides repeatable destruction
Threats/Wincons
26
Sphinx of the Guildpact
7Artifact Creature — Sphinx
Artifact creature of all five colors, maximizing Karn's draw trigger
Transguild Courier
4Artifact Creature — Golem
Artifact creature with all colors to immediately max out Karn's ETB
Breya, Etherium Shaper
WUBRLegendary Artifact Creature — Human
Four-color artifact creature granting extreme board control
Tivit, Seller of Secrets
3WUBLegendary Creature — Sphinx Rogue
WUB artifact generating treasures and clues while hitting hard
Sharuum the Hegemon
3WUBLegendary Artifact Creature — Sphinx
WUB artifact creature that reanimates Karn or other artifacts
Magister Sphinx
4WUBArtifact Creature — Sphinx
WUB artifact creature that sets an opponent's life total to ten
Etherium-Horn Sorcerer
4URArtifact Creature — Minotaur Wizard Sorcerer
URG artifact creature that cascades and can bounce itself
Glassdust Hulk
3WUArtifact Creature — Golem
White-blue artifact creature that grows and becomes unblockable
Time Sieve
UBArtifact
Blue-black artifact enabling extra turn loops with artifact tokens
Oni-Cult Anvil
BRArtifact
Black-red artifact that drains opponents and produces artifact tokens
Cyberman Patrol
2Artifact Creature — Cyberman
WUB artifact creature granting afflict to your artifact creature swarm
Filigree Angel
5WWUArtifact Creature — Angel
White-blue artifact creature that restores a massive amount of life
Spark Double
3UCreature — Illusion
Clones Karn without dying to the legend rule and triggers ETB draw
Irenicus's Vile Duplication
3USorcery
Creates a non-legendary flying token copy of Karn
Auton Soldier
4UUArtifact Creature — Alien Soldier
Clones Karn with myriad and circumvents the legend rule
Phyrexian Metamorph
3UPArtifact Creature — Phyrexian Shapeshifter
Flexible clone that is an artifact itself and triggers Karn
Clever Impersonator
2UUCreature — Shapeshifter
Versatile clone that copies Karn or the best permanent on board
Mirrorhall Mimic // Ghastly Mimicry
3UCreature — Spirit // Enchantment — Aura
Copies Karn and later transforms to generate copies every upkeep
Progenitor Mimic
4GUCreature — Shapeshifter
Creates an additional copy of Karn each upkeep for constant draws
Undercover Operative
2UUCreature — Shapeshifter Rogue
Copies Karn and gains a shield counter for resilience
Stunt Double
3UCreature — Shapeshifter
Flash clone capable of copying Karn unexpectedly to draw cards
Saheeli, the Sun's Brilliance
URLegendary Creature — Human Artificer
Taps to make temporary artifact token copies of Karn
Blade of Selves
2Artifact — Equipment
Equips to Karn to generate myriad copies that trigger draw on ETB
Helm of the Host
4Legendary Artifact — Equipment
Generates a non-legendary Karn token each combat step
Bramble Sovereign
2GGCreature — Dryad
Pays two mana to make a token clone whenever Karn enters
Utility
8
Mirror Box
3Artifact
Removes the legend rule so all Karn clones can stay on board
Soulherder
1WUCreature — Spirit
Flickers Karn every end step to trigger his ETB draw
Thassa, Deep-Dwelling
3ULegendary Enchantment Creature — God
Indestructible blink engine that retriggers Karn every turn
Brago, King Eternal
2WULegendary Creature — Spirit Noble
Flickers Karn and all mana rocks upon dealing combat damage
Lightning Greaves
2Artifact — Equipment
Zero-mana equip providing essential shroud and haste
