How it grades
Fundamentals 83/100. Plays like Mill.
This reads as Mill, built around Captain N'ghathrod. Attack the library instead of the life total: fifty-three cards is the real clock. Mill payoffs and library-hate double as interaction, and opposing fetchlands are free Archive Traps. The hard matchups are decks that use their graveyard, so pack exile effects. Its strongest fundamental is land count (38 lands. About 40 fits this curve for Mill, with Herald's Horn's discount counted); the first thing to tighten is mana curve: 28% of spells cost ≤2, 15% cost 6+.
- AMana reliability
- A+Land count
- B-Mana curve
- B+Ramp
- B-Card draw
- A+Interaction
- A+Commander synergy
- A+Win conditions
- A-Card quality
- A+Legality & size
Where it falls short
- B-Mana curve28% of spells cost ≤2, 15% cost 6+.
- B+Ramp9 ramp effects (want 11+ for this curve for Mill).
- B-Card draw7 draw effects (want 10+ for Mill).
Strong on mana reliability, land count, interaction, commander synergy, win conditions, card quality and legality & size.
87 cards graded: A- 10, B+ 34, B 38, B- 4, C+ 1. The command zone is the plan, so it isn't graded.
Upgrades
Padeem, Consul of Innovation3U$2.41
In place of Phyrexian Rager: weakest slot in the deck (68/100)
Fills the draw gap (you're at 7 of 10+). Pays off your artifact engine (14 producers). Fuels your card-draw payoffs (3 in deck).
Mox Opal0$236.10
In place of Black Market: expensive for ramp: the help arrives late (66/100)
Fills the ramp gap (you're at 9 of 11+). Top-5% staple by play data. Pays off your artifact engine (14 producers).
Urza, Lord High Artificer2UU$16.18
In place of Dimir Keyrune: weakest slot in the deck (68/100)
Fills the ramp gap (you're at 9 of 11+). Pays off your artifact engine (14 producers). Top-5% staple by play data.
Emry, Lurker of the Loch2U$0.67
In place of Hex: weakest slot in the deck (56/100)
Fuels your graveyard payoffs (4 in deck). Fits the graveyard build players run with your commanders. Pays off your artifact engine (14 producers).
Wizard ClassU$3.05
In place of Wharf Infiltrator: weakest slot in the deck (70/100)
Pays off your card-draw engine (9 producers). Fills the draw gap (you're at 7 of 10+). Fuels your card-draw payoffs (3 in deck).
Rhystic Study2U$69.59
In place of Fractured Sanity: its U cost is heavy for this mana base; expect it several turns late (72/100)
WotC game-changer. Fills the draw gap (you're at 7 of 10+). Fuels your card-draw payoffs (3 in deck).
Decanter of Endless Water3$5.20
In place of Dimir Signet: weakest slot in the deck (72/100)
Fills the ramp gap (you're at 9 of 11+). Pays off your card-draw engine (9 producers). Top-5% staple by play data.
Unwinding Clock4$22.79
In place of Memory Plunder: weakest slot in the deck (59/100)
Pays off your artifact engine (14 producers). Top-5% staple by play data.
Displacer Kitten3U$34.30
In place of Haunted One: weakest slot in the deck (59/100)
Pays off your instant-and-sorcery engine (14 producers). Pays off your enters-the-battlefield engine (13 producers). Top-5% staple by play data.
Black Market Connections2B$10.35
In place of Everflowing Chalice: weakest slot in the deck (72/100)
Is a Horror for your commanders' plan. Fills the ramp gap (you're at 9 of 11+). Fuels your card-draw payoffs (3 in deck).
Save a copy to try them. The editor's Improve list has these and more, with the swaps one click each.
Decklist
Commander 1
Creatures 31
- A-
- B+
- A-
- A-
- B+
- B+
- B+
- B+
- B
- B
- B
- B+
- B
- B
- B+
- B+
- B+
- B+
- B
- A-
- B+
- B
- B
- B+
- B+
- A-
- B+
- B+
- B
- B+
- B+
Instants 5
- B+
- B
- B-
- B
- B+
Sorceries 9
- B+
- B+
- B-
- B+
- B+
- B+
- B
- B
- B
Artifacts 11
- A-
- A-
- B+
- B+
- B+
- B
- A-
- B
- A-
- B+
- A-
Enchantments 5
- B
- B+
- B
- B-
- B
Lands 38
- B+
- B
- B
- B
- B
- B
- B
- B
- B+
- B
- B
- B+
- B+
- B+
- B-
- B
- B
- C+
- B×3
- B×2
- B×2
- B×2
- B×3
- B×3
- B×3
- B×2
Prices are current market estimates, not what the sealed product costs. Magic: The Gathering is © Wizards of the Coast.