Art by Adrian Majkrzak
Commander deckU
Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign
Cast discounted Sphinxes to repeatedly trigger Fact or Fiction abilities, filling the graveyard and sculpting the hand while reanimating and copying massive flying threats and high-impact control spells.
Asked for“Ur-Sphinx, sphinx value, mill, reanimator, control and big spells play, bracket 3, but no game changers”
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
1Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign
4UULegendary Creature — Sphinx
Chosen commander for the requested strategy.
Ramp
10
Card Draw
9
Removal
10
Engulf the Shore
3UInstant
scalable blue board sweep that leaves high-toughness Sphinxes intact
Threats/Wincons
24
Sphinx of the Second Sun
6UUCreature — Sphinx
extra beginning phase untaps lands and draws cards
Chancellor of the Spires
4UUUCreature — Phyrexian Sphinx
large flyer that reanimates opponent instants and sorceries
Scholar of the Lost Trove
5UUCreature — Sphinx
reanimates large spells and artifacts from the graveyard
Diluvian Primordial
5UUCreature — Avatar
casts spells out of all opponent graveyards
Sphinx of the Final Word
5UUCreature — Sphinx
hexproof threat that makes instant and sorcery spells uncounterable
Dream Eater
4UUCreature — Nightmare Sphinx
flash flying threat with surveil and bounce
Windreader Sphinx
5UUCreature — Sphinx
draws cards whenever any flying creature attacks
Master of Predicaments
3UUCreature — Sphinx
cheats big spells into play for free on combat damage
Sphinx of Foresight
2UUCreature — Sphinx
smooths opening hands and scrys every upkeep
Arbiter of the Ideal
4UUCreature — Sphinx
inspired trigger puts permanents into play from topdeck
Glyph Keeper
3UUCreature — Sphinx
evasive beater with built-in spell ward and embalm recursion
Prognostic Sphinx
3UUCreature — Sphinx
hexproof protection discard outlet with massive scry
Inspired Sphinx
5UUCreature — Sphinx
draws cards on ETB and creates flying thopter blockers
Sphinx of Uthuun
5UUCreature — Sphinx
ETB Fact or Fiction on a massive flying body
Sandstone Oracle
7Artifact Creature — Sphinx
refills the hand up to an opponent's hand size
Argent Sphinx
2UUCreature — Sphinx
blinks itself to trigger Unesh repeatedly with metalcraft
Atemsis, All-Seeing
3UUULegendary Creature — Sphinx
alternate win condition enabled by big hand sizes
Body Double
4UCreature — Shapeshifter
reanimates any milled creature as a copy on ETB
Phyrexian Metamorph
3UPArtifact Creature — Phyrexian Shapeshifter
copies Unesh or any Sphinx to trigger cost-effective value
Clever Impersonator
2UUCreature — Shapeshifter
versatile clone copying any nonland permanent
Spark Double
3UCreature — Illusion
creates a nonlegendary copy of Unesh for double triggers
Irenicus's Vile Duplication
3USorcery
creates a flying nonlegendary clone of Unesh
Utility
9
Portal to Phyrexia
9Artifact
sacrifices opponent boards and reanimates creatures every upkeep
Rite of Replication
2UUSorcery
kicked copy creates an army of Sphinxes and mass Unesh triggers
Roaming Throne
4Artifact Creature — Golem
chosen as Sphinx to double all triggered abilities
