Art by Matt Stewart
Saved commander deck
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.
Prompt: 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.
Commander
1 cards
Marchesa, the Black Rose
{1}{U}{B}{R}Legendary Creature — Human Wizard
Chosen commander for the requested strategy.
Ramp
10 cards
Foundry Inspector
{3}Artifact Creature — Construct
construct that reduces artifact spell costs
Solemn Simulacrum
{4}Artifact Creature — Golem
construct that fetches land and draws a card on death
Card Draw
11 cards
Kindred Discovery
{3}{U}{U}Enchantment
draws cards whenever constructs enter or attack
Mindless Automaton
{4}Artifact Creature — Construct
construct that converts +1/+1 counters into card draw
Circuit Mender
{3}Artifact Creature — Insect
construct that draws a card whenever it leaves the battlefield
Combustible Gearhulk
{4}{R}{R}Artifact Creature — Construct
large construct providing card draw or graveyard damage
Herald's Horn
{3}Artifact
reduces construct costs and filters construct cards into hand
Midnight Reaper
{2}{B}Creature — Zombie Knight
draws cards whenever nontoken creatures die
Grim Haruspex
{2}{B}Creature — Human Wizard
draws cards on nontoken creature deaths
Tezzeret's Gambit
{3}{U/P}Sorcery
draws cards and proliferates all +1/+1 counters
Skullclamp
{1}Artifact — Equipment
insane card draw when sacrificing 1-toughness modular constructs
Noxious Gearhulk
{4}{B}{B}Artifact Creature — Construct
construct that destroys a creature and gains life on ETB
Removal
9 cards
Torrential Gearhulk
{4}{U}{U}Artifact Creature — Construct
construct that flashes back instant removal from graveyard
Bedevil
{B}{B}{R}Instant
flexible removal for artifact, creature, or planeswalker
Phyrexian Scriptures
{2}{B}{B}Enchantment — Saga
board wipe that turns a construct nonbiological and spares all artifact creatures
Threats/Wincons
21 cards
Arcbound Ravager
{2}Artifact Creature — Beast
premier modular construct sac outlet that eats artifacts and shifts counters
Arcbound Crusher
{4}Artifact Creature — Juggernaut
trampling modular construct that grows whenever artifacts enter
Arcbound Worker
{1}Artifact Creature — Construct
cheap 1-drop modular construct for early sac loops
Arcbound Slith
{2}Artifact Creature — Slith
modular construct that gains counters on combat damage
Arcbound Stinger
{2}Artifact Creature — Insect
flying modular construct for easy dethrone triggers
Arcbound Reclaimer
{4}Artifact Creature — Golem
modular construct that recurs artifacts from graveyard to top of library
Arcbound Fiend
{6}Artifact Creature — Horror
modular construct that steals counters from other creatures
Walking Ballista
{X}{X}Artifact Creature — Construct
construct ping engine powered by infinite reanimated modular counters
Hangarback Walker
{X}{X}Artifact Creature — Construct
construct that spawns thopters upon death and loops endlessly
Steel Overseer
{2}Artifact Creature — Construct
construct that puts +1/+1 counters on all artifact creatures
Scrap Trawler
{3}Artifact Creature — Construct
construct that retrieves lower cost artifacts on death
Kuldotha Forgemaster
{5}Artifact Creature — Construct
construct sac outlet that tutors any artifact directly to the field
Metallic Mimic
{2}Artifact Creature — Shapeshifter
construct lord that gives all future constructs a +1/+1 counter on ETB
Adaptive Automaton
{3}Artifact Creature — Construct
construct lord that boosts construct stats
Traxos, Scourge of Kroog
{4}Legendary Artifact Creature — Dragon Construct
massive construct untapping continuously off artifact casts
Patchwork Automaton
{2}Artifact Creature — Construct
warded construct growing on every artifact cast
Marionette Master
{4}{B}{B}Creature — Human Artificer
drains opponents whenever modular artifacts die
Phyrexian Dreadnought
{1}Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Dreadnought
12/12 construct for 1 mana that immediately sacs creatures to start Marchesa loops
Scuttling Doom Engine
{6}Artifact Creature — Construct
construct that deals 6 damage to an opponent whenever it dies
Utility
8 cards
Unspeakable Symbol
{1}{B}{B}Enchantment
instant speed life-for-counter engine to protect Marchesa and guarantee dethrone
Goblin Bombardment
{1}{R}Enchantment
free sacrifice outlet that deals damage directly
Viscera Seer
{B}Creature — Vampire Wizard
free creature sacrifice outlet with scry
Lightning Greaves
{2}Artifact — Equipment
gives Marchesa haste and shroud protection
Roaming Throne
{4}Artifact Creature — Golem
construct that doubles Marchesa's end step reanimation triggers
The Ozolith
{1}Legendary Artifact
stores all dying modular counters to double down on counter placement
