Art by Adrian Majkrzak
Commander deckU
Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign
Deploy high-cost Sphinxes at a heavy discount to trigger Unesh's mini-Fact or Fiction ability, filling both hand and graveyard to fuel control magic, reanimation artifacts, and overwhelming aerial win conditions.
Asked for“Ur-Sphinx, sphinx value, mill, reanimator, control and big spells play, good bracket 3 feeling”
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
Urza's Incubator
3Artifact
stacks with commander to reduce Sphinx costs by four generic mana
Card Draw
8
Rhystic Study
2UEnchantment
premier card advantage engine that taxes opponent spells
Mystic Remora
UEnchantment
draws multiple cards early against noncreature spells
Fact or Fiction
3UInstant
instant speed mini-game that mirrors the commander ability to dig five cards
Frantic Search
2UInstant
discards high-cost targets into the graveyard while untapping lands
Dig Through Time
6UUInstant
delves away cards milled by Unesh to dig seven cards deep at instant speed
Treasure Cruise
7USorcery
one-mana draw three using graveyard fodder from Unesh triggers
Memory Deluge
2UUInstant
card selection from hand that can be flashed back from the graveyard for four cards
Removal
12
Reality Shift
1UInstant
exiles a creature and manifests the top card of the opponent library
Fierce Guardianship
2UInstant
free protection counterspell while commander is in play
Mana Drain
UUInstant
counters a spell and converts its mana cost into ramp next turn
Aetherspouts
3UUInstant
punishes wide combat steps by spinning attackers to the top or bottom of library
Evacuation
3UUInstant
instant speed mass bounce to reset opposing boards and replay sphinxes
Threats/Wincons
22
Consecrated Sphinx
4UUCreature — Sphinx
draws massive amounts of cards whenever opponents draw
Sphinx of the Second Sun
6UUCreature — Sphinx
provides an additional beginning phase for extra untaps and draws
Scholar of the Lost Trove
5UUCreature — Sphinx
sphinx that casts milled instant, sorcery, or artifact bombs for free
Chancellor of the Spires
4UUUCreature — Phyrexian Sphinx
mills an opponent early and reanimates their best instant or sorcery on ETB
Dream Eater
4UUCreature — Nightmare Sphinx
flash sphinx that bounces a threat and surveils deep into the graveyard
Windreader Sphinx
5UUCreature — Sphinx
draws a card whenever any creature with flying attacks
Sphinx Ambassador
5UUCreature — Sphinx
steals the best creature cards directly from opponents libraries
Atemsis, All-Seeing
3UUULegendary Creature — Sphinx
alternate win condition enabled by huge hand sizes and diverse mana costs
Master of Predicaments
3UUCreature — Sphinx
bluffs opponents to cast massive spells for free from hand
Sphinx of Foresight
2UUCreature — Sphinx
fixes early draws from the opening hand and scrys every upkeep
Prognostic Sphinx
3UUCreature — Sphinx
protects itself with discard and scrys three on attack
Glyph Keeper
3UUCreature — Sphinx
blanking removal with innate spellward and embalms from the graveyard
Argent Sphinx
2UUCreature — Sphinx
blinks itself to dodge wipes and repeatedly trigger Unesh with metalcraft
Serra Sphinx
3UUCreature — Sphinx
vigilant flying beater that triggers Unesh cost-effectively
Curator of Mysteries
2UUCreature — Sphinx
cheap cycler early that turns self-mill into consistent scrying
Ormos, Archive Keeper
4UULegendary Creature — Sphinx
turns prospective self-mill losses into massive card advantage and power
Sandstone Oracle
7Artifact Creature — Sphinx
sphinx that refills hand up to the highest count among opponents
Inspired Sphinx
5UUCreature — Sphinx
draws cards based on opponent count and produces thopter chump blockers
Body Double
4UCreature — Shapeshifter
clones and reanimates any milled creature directly from the graveyard
Diluvian Primordial
5UUCreature — Avatar
steals and casts an instant or sorcery from each opponent graveyard
Portal to Phyrexia
9Artifact
devastating edict effect that repeatedly reanimates creatures each upkeep
God-Pharaoh's Gift
7Artifact
reanimates milled sphinxes as 4/4 black zombies with haste each combat
Utility
10
Panharmonicon
4Artifact
doubles all enters-the-battlefield triggers from Unesh and other sphinxes
Roaming Throne
4Artifact Creature — Golem
names Sphinx to double every ETB and triggered ability in the deck
Spark Double
3UCreature — Illusion
copies Unesh without legend rule for double triggers and four-mana cost reductions
Sakashima of a Thousand Faces
3ULegendary Creature — Human Rogue
bypasses the legend rule to duplicate Unesh
Irenicus's Vile Duplication
3USorcery
creates a flying non-legendary clone of Unesh for extra triggers and discounts
Back from the Brink
4UUEnchantment
turns milled creature cards in the graveyard into token copies on board
Dollhouse of Horrors
5Artifact
constructs scaling token copies of milled sphinxes from the graveyard
Spelltwine
5USorcery
reanimates a high-impact spell from own graveyard and an opponent graveyard
Lightning Greaves
2Artifact — Equipment
grants immediate haste and shroud protection to Unesh
Swiftfoot Boots
2Artifact — Equipment
gives hexproof and haste to keep the commander safe from spot removal
