Art by Matt Stewart
Commander deckBRU
Marchesa, the Black Rose
This deck pairs Marchesa with Modular Constructs. Because Modular creatures enter with +1/+1 counters and transfer them upon death, Marchesa guarantees they reanimate every single end step, resulting in an unstoppable recurring counter-duplication engine.
Asked for“Build a Commander-legal Typal/Kindred deck around a creative and non-obvious interaction between the commander and a chosen creature type. The commander cannot be of the chosen creature type, and the creature type cannot appear anywhere in the commander's rules text. The commander should meaningfully support the chosen creature type through an unusual mechanical or thematic interaction. Avoid obvious or established pairings where the commander was clearly designed to support that tribe. A generic commander that merely happens to work well with the tribe is not enough. The deck should have a strong mechanical identity, with the chosen creature type being central to the strategy. The connection between the commander and tribe should be clever, unexpected, and easy to explain. Prioritize originality and unusual synergies over simply maximizing the tribe's conventional strategy.”
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 · 59 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
1Marchesa, the Black Rose
1UBRLegendary Creature — Human Wizard
Chosen commander for the requested strategy.
Ramp
10
Foundry Inspector
3Artifact Creature — Construct
construct that reduces artifact spell costs
Solemn Simulacrum
4Artifact Creature — Golem
construct that fetches land and draws a card on death
Card Draw
11
Mindless Automaton
4Artifact Creature — Construct
construct that converts +1/+1 counters into card draw
Circuit Mender
3Artifact Creature — Insect
construct that draws a card whenever it leaves the battlefield
Combustible Gearhulk
4RRArtifact Creature — Construct
large construct providing card draw or graveyard damage
Herald's Horn
3Artifact
reduces construct costs and filters construct cards into hand
Midnight Reaper
2BCreature — Zombie Knight
draws cards whenever nontoken creatures die
Skullclamp
1Artifact — Equipment
insane card draw when sacrificing 1-toughness modular constructs
Noxious Gearhulk
4BBArtifact Creature — Construct
construct that destroys a creature and gains life on ETB
Removal
9
Torrential Gearhulk
4UUArtifact Creature — Construct
construct that flashes back instant removal from graveyard
Phyrexian Scriptures
2BBEnchantment — Saga
board wipe that turns a construct nonbiological and spares all artifact creatures
Threats/Wincons
21
Arcbound Ravager
2Artifact Creature — Beast
premier modular construct sac outlet that eats artifacts and shifts counters
Arcbound Crusher
4Artifact Creature — Juggernaut
trampling modular construct that grows whenever artifacts enter
Arcbound Worker
1Artifact Creature — Construct
cheap 1-drop modular construct for early sac loops
Arcbound Slith
2Artifact Creature — Slith
modular construct that gains counters on combat damage
Arcbound Stinger
2Artifact Creature — Insect
flying modular construct for easy dethrone triggers
Arcbound Reclaimer
4Artifact Creature — Golem
modular construct that recurs artifacts from graveyard to top of library
Arcbound Fiend
6Artifact Creature — Horror
modular construct that steals counters from other creatures
Walking Ballista
XXArtifact Creature — Construct
construct ping engine powered by infinite reanimated modular counters
Hangarback Walker
XXArtifact Creature — Construct
construct that spawns thopters upon death and loops endlessly
Steel Overseer
2Artifact Creature — Construct
construct that puts +1/+1 counters on all artifact creatures
Scrap Trawler
3Artifact Creature — Construct
construct that retrieves lower cost artifacts on death
Kuldotha Forgemaster
5Artifact Creature — Construct
construct sac outlet that tutors any artifact directly to the field
Metallic Mimic
2Artifact Creature — Shapeshifter
construct lord that gives all future constructs a +1/+1 counter on ETB
Adaptive Automaton
3Artifact Creature — Construct
construct lord that boosts construct stats
Traxos, Scourge of Kroog
4Legendary Artifact Creature — Dragon Construct
massive construct untapping continuously off artifact casts
Patchwork Automaton
2Artifact Creature — Construct
warded construct growing on every artifact cast
Marionette Master
4BBCreature — Human Artificer
drains opponents whenever modular artifacts die
Phyrexian Dreadnought
1Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Dreadnought
12/12 construct for 1 mana that immediately sacs creatures to start Marchesa loops
Scuttling Doom Engine
6Artifact Creature — Construct
construct that deals 6 damage to an opponent whenever it dies
Utility
8
Unspeakable Symbol
1BBEnchantment
instant speed life-for-counter engine to protect Marchesa and guarantee dethrone
Goblin Bombardment
1REnchantment
free sacrifice outlet that deals damage directly
Lightning Greaves
2Artifact — Equipment
gives Marchesa haste and shroud protection
Roaming Throne
4Artifact Creature — Golem
construct that doubles Marchesa's end step reanimation triggers
The Ozolith
1Legendary Artifact
stores all dying modular counters to double down on counter placement
