Art by Charles Chaisson
Commander deckU
Sam Kirk, Xenoanthropologist
Generate a massive swarm of Clue tokens whenever opponents cast creature spells, then weaponize them with artifact affinity, improvise mana, and game-ending animation effects.
Asked for“Sam Kirk, Xenoanthropologist commander deck”
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
1Sam Kirk, Xenoanthropologist
3ULegendary Creature — Human Scientist
Chosen commander for the requested strategy.
Ramp
10
Thought Vessel
2Artifact
Provides mana and unlimited hand size for heavy card draw
Inspiring Statuary
3Artifact
Turns noncreature Clue tokens into improvise mana for nonartifact spells
Urza, Lord High Artificer
2UULegendary Creature — Human Artificer
Taps your Clues for blue mana without sacrificing them
Moonsnare Prototype
UArtifact
Taps Clues for early ramp and offers removal in the late game
Card Draw
10
Shimmer Dragon
4UUCreature — Dragon
Taps two untapped Clues to draw cards repeatedly
Thoughtcast
4USorcery
Draws two cards for as little as a single blue mana via affinity
Thought Monitor
6UArtifact Creature — Construct
Cheap flying body that draws two cards with affinity for artifacts
Tamiyo's Journal
5Legendary Artifact — Book
Generates extra Clues and tutors by sacrificing three Clues
Teferi's Ageless Insight
2UULegendary Enchantment
Doubles every card drawn from cracking Clues
Forensic Gadgeteer
2UCreature — Vedalken Artificer Detective
Investigates and reduces Clue activation costs to one mana
Minn, Wily Illusionist
1UULegendary Creature — Gnome Wizard
Spawns growing illusions and cheats permanents into play as you draw cards
Removal
11
An Offer You Can't Refuse
UInstant
Low-cost protection against noncreature spells
Threats/Wincons
21
Cyberdrive Awakener
5UArtifact Creature — Construct
Animates all Clues into flying 4/4 beaters for a lethal strike
Kappa Cannoneer
5UArtifact Creature — Turtle Warrior
Grows massive and unblockable with every Clue created
Mechanized Production
2UUEnchantment — Aura
Alternate win condition with eight Clues
Nettlecyst
3Artifact — Equipment
Creates a huge creature scaling with your artifact count
Psychosis Crawler
5Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Horror
Drains the entire table whenever you crack Clues
Alandra, Sky Dreamer
2UULegendary Creature — Merfolk Wizard
Generates flying Drakes and buffs the team as you crack Clues
Master of Etherium
2UArtifact Creature — Vedalken Wizard
Grows into a giant threat powered by your artifact tokens
Broodstar
8UUCreature — Beast
Massive flying beater that costs very little with your Clues
Karn, Scion of Urza
4Legendary Planeswalker — Karn
Generates enormous Construct tokens that scale with artifacts
The Antiquities War
3UEnchantment — Saga
Digs for artifacts and turns all Clues into 5/5s on chapter three
Mirrodin Besieged
2UEnchantment
Creates Thopters or wins the game by accumulating artifacts in the graveyard
Sai, Master Thopterist
2ULegendary Creature — Human Artificer
Creates Thopter tokens and offers a card draw sacrifice outlet
Efficient Construction
3UEnchantment
Generates flying blockers and attackers as you cast artifacts
Thopter Spy Network
2UUEnchantment
Generates Thopters and draws cards when artifact creatures connect
Filigree Attendant
2UUArtifact Creature — Homunculus
Evasive flier that grows with your token count
Darksteel Juggernaut
5Artifact Creature — Juggernaut
Indestructible beater scaled to your total artifact count
Wurmcoil Engine
6Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Wurm
Resilient artifact threat that provides lifegain and board presence
Hullbreaker Horror
5UUCreature — Kraken Horror
Controls the stack and battlefield in late game
Nezahal, Primal Tide
5UULegendary Creature — Elder Dinosaur
Hard-to-remove beater that draws cards off opponent noncreature spells
The Reality Chip
1ULegendary Artifact Creature — Equipment Jellyfish
Provides card advantage off the top of the library
Utility
10
Academy Manufactor
3Artifact Creature — Assembly-Worker
Triples token generation by creating a Food and Treasure alongside every Clue
Whir of Invention
XUUUInstant
Tutors any artifact directly onto the battlefield using improvise
Unwinding Clock
4Artifact
Untaps all your artifacts during each other player's untap step
Lightning Greaves
2Artifact — Equipment
Provides free shroud and haste to protect Sam Kirk
Displacer Kitten
3UCreature — Cat Beast
Blinks mana rocks, untappers, or creatures to reset abilities
Trinket Mage
2UCreature — Human Wizard
Tutors Sol Ring or one-mana utility artifacts
Emry, Lurker of the Loch
2ULegendary Creature — Merfolk Wizard
Recurs key artifacts from the graveyard for cheap
