Archidekt Deckbuilding Contest - July 2026

{"ops":[{"insert":"One drops. A lot of them. Also storm.\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":{"card-link":"Gandalf, Westward Voyager"}},{"insert":" meet Asian Gandalf. Sonic’s big creatures meet big mill. There is also some group hugging because Asian Gandalf is a benevolent god. This is winnable jank and I love this deck. It’s a very fun pet project. Simic mill should be its own 2 things you don’t see often… hope you like having a 5+ mana curve\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"This deck is all about rocks, a bunch of mana rocks, copy them to ramp up and cast big stuff. \n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"This deck is for the July 2026 Deckbuilding Contest: Build a creative and interesting deck featuring a weird mana curve that's relevant to the deck's game plan. \n\nThis deck features a sort of inverse mana curve, mostly opposite the usual bell-shaped mana curve. Fewer cards of a medium mana value, and lots of very low-cost and high-cost cards. The deck seeks to take advantage of creatures with very high mana values (mostly artifacts, but a few good non-artifact ones too). The deck does this by trying to abuse the fact that a copy of a creature copies the original creature's mana value. Together along with myriad, this can allow for some very explosive interactions.\n\nThe commander is "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Muddle, the Ever-Changing"}},{"insert":", a new card from the recent Prismari precon. By casting an instant or sorcery, Muddle becomes a copy of a non-legendary creature, except it gets myriad. This is a very reliable way to \"give\" myriad to our high-cost creatures, enabling the deck's strategy.\n\nHere's the play-by-play:\nRamp. We'll need a fair amount of mana to get things going, so rocks like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sol Ring"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Arcane Signet"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Talisman of Creativity"}},{"insert":" are the obvious choices in Izzet to accelerate our mana."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Play our commander. "},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Play a big mana creature. Using the ramp from step 1, the next goal is to stick a big mana creature onto the battlefield. The deck has plenty of these, so there's no worry about not drawing one by the time we get to this step. Many of the big guys in the deck also have built in ways to reduce their cost, making them easier to cast:"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Thought Monitor"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Furnace Hellkite"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Frogmyr Enforcer"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sojourner's Companion"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Panther Robot"}},{"insert":" , and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mycosynth Golem"}},{"insert":" all have affinity for artifacts. Combined with the mana rocks and the other artifacts that the deck plays (including 4 artifact lands), affinity reduces costs significantly and allows us to cast these guys for cheap. Later on, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mycosynth Golem"}},{"insert":" even reduces the cost for all our other artifact creatures, too."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ancient Stone Idol"}},{"insert":" can be a big surprise play for cheap in the right situation."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kappa Cannoneer"}},{"insert":"'s improvise is a little less effective than affinity, but it still helps us reduce his cost."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Metalwork Colossus"}},{"insert":" gets a reduction in cost from simply having our mana rocks and other non-creature artifacts on the battlefield."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Start making copies. With our commander and a big dude out, we can finally get the ball rolling. Cheap cantrips like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cloak of Feathers"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Slip Through Space"}},{"insert":" , and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Enter the Enigma"}},{"insert":" are great to proc Muddle's ability, while also allowing Muddle to attack freely without having to worry about Muddle being blocked."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Abuse mana values. The deck features plenty of ways to take advantage of creating a bunch of high mana value tokens:"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Broadside Bombardiers"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bosh, Iron Golem"}},{"insert":". After our copies deal damage, there's still a little bit of the combat phase left where we're able to activate these cards, getting rid of our myriad tokens that are going to be exiled anyways. The high mana value of the copies means big damage when they're sacrificed."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Simulacrum Synthesizer"}},{"insert":" takes our temporary myriad tokens and makes permanent construct tokens that are huge because of all the artifacts we're throwing around."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Memorial Vault"}},{"insert":" allows us to turn our myriad tokens into a huge amount of impulse draw."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Slobad, Iron Goblin"}},{"insert":" also helps to get rid of tokens. While it is sometimes difficult to utilize his mana, the deck still has a few ways to do so. We can use it to pay for "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Threefold Thunderhulk"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bosh, Iron Golem"}},{"insert":"'s abilities. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Shimmer Myr"}},{"insert":" is also in the deck to allow us to use Slobad's mana for casting more big artifacts."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"And last but not least, my personal favorite: "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Monkey Cage"}},{"insert":". Monkey Cage lacks a few certain words of rules text that usually go along with an ability like it has: \"If you do\". This means that we still get the monkeys even if Monkey Cage isn't sacrificed. This becomes relevant when multiple, big mana creatures are entering the battlefield at the same time, like with myriad. Monkey Cage sees them all enter, and triggers multiple times. It gets sacrificed to the first trigger, but we get the monkeys from all the triggers, meaning we potentially create dozens of monkeys."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThe deck tries to win by overwhelming our opponents with huge big mana creatures, while using those creatures to abuse cards that care about high mana values. \n\nLastly, here are some other fun things in the deck:\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Palantír of Orthanc"}},{"insert":": Should allow us to consistently draw extra cards once our opponents see how many high mana value cards are in our deck."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ugin's Binding"}},{"insert":": Can proc Muddle on one turn, and then becomes a \"Cyclonic Rift at home\" later on when we cast a big colorless spell."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Glint Raker"}},{"insert":": Big flying beater that can grab artifacts from our library."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Zhulodok, Void Gorger"}},{"insert":": We should be casting at least a few big colorless spells, so in a grindier game Zhulodok can provide some incredible value."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Pinnacle Monk // Mystic Peak"}},{"insert":": It's fun to slap myriad on Pinnacle monk if we need to pull some instants and sorceries out of our graveyard."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Improvisation Capstone"}},{"insert":": Has a good chance to hit some big spells every turn."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Blade of Selves"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Corporeal Projection"}},{"insert":": These introduce more myriad triggers into the mix, which is always a fun time."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Auton Soldier"}},{"insert":": Functions mostly as a second Muddle, although can't change the creature that it copies like Muddle can."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Redoubled Stormsinger"}},{"insert":": If we stack the triggers correctly, this doubles the number of myriad tokens we make. More importantly, though, this doubles our "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Monkey Cage"}},{"insert":" tokens."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Vesuvan Duplimancy"}},{"insert":": With all the instants and sorceries we cast that target Muddle, Duplimancy can create some insane value as it creates non-legendary copies of Muddle."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Summon: Bahamut"}},{"insert":": In addition to being a pretty decent Muddle target, Summon: Bahamut is also a potential wincon if it reaches its final chapter because of all the high mana value permanents we have sitting around."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"So this deck makes use of Meren's recursion to reuse land cyclers over and over, and then Umori to help manage the cost of things. It's fairly resilient to everything but a Farewell. but running the fewest number of lands possible for a deck in commander while still having a really high curve is the challenge I went for when designing this deck. I've played and tweeked it for years. Depending on the opener it can go with just one land, but can very easily work with two, anything more is gravey. My personal favorite card here is Apex Devastator because it reads \"pay 10 mana, get five creatures into play\". Sloppity Bilepiper also adds to this letting me add an EXP and then grabbing a replacement. Early game, just keep returning the cyclers to make sure to get out our land drops, adding in small bodies when you can, but mid to late game, those cyclers are still chonky beat sticks. And that is how this deck wins. No fancy combos, no infinites. I just march over and beat you to death with lorge bois. It's also filed with a bunch of special versions of cards I've gotten, be given, or earned over the years. This is in my Top10 favorite decks and I never have a bad time playing it.\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"A living end cycle deck with lots of adventures and double sided spells to interact with despite the decks's high mana curve. \n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"This is a turn 3 four mana ramp spell deck. Turn 1 land, turn 2 Susan Foreman, turn 3 ramp spell, turn 4 The Sixth Doctor, turn 5 Something big that gets copied. Using mana rocks instead of land ramp gives you the option of copying them as well as the monsters in this deck and a few of them have another function built into them. The two land ramp spells let you grab scavenger grounds for graveyard hate or the towns for other effects, depending on which spell it is. City of Death is another ramp spell that has more use later in the game. The Blue Spirit, Vedalkan Orrery and Alchemist's Refuge allow you to cast spells on other people's turns to get more Sixth Doctor triggers per turn cycle. Clara Oswald, Sakashima, Adrix and Nev and Auton Soldier will also give more \"triggers.\" Sakashima, Arcanis and Batterskull will allow you to get a copy and return it to your hand should you find yourself out of options. \n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"The Plan"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"The basic game plan is to cycle a lot of cards until you have something nice for your commander, The "},{"attributes":{"strike":true},"insert":"First"},{"insert":"Only Sliver to bring to "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Show and Tell"}},{"insert":" . Once you have a big finisher in hand or something like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Omniscience"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"One with the Multiverse"}},{"insert":", you cast your commander and since you are only running one card with a mana cost below 5, that will be the card you hit.\n\nThe Curve"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Well, it's not so much a curve as it is a big pile of high-cost cards with cycling. Nothing is cheaper than 5 except our one copy of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Show and Tell"}},{"insert":" . There are various ways of cheating around this, of course, with cycling being the most common way of using your mana in the early turns, but a few cards with Warp, Delve, Channel, Adventure, or just abilities that let you use them cheaper than their printed mana value also help keep you active until you're ready to cast your commander. People will probably be dubious once they see you doing things other than casting slivers with your First Sliver sitting there in the command zone.\n\nRamp"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Given the deckbuilding restriction of not having any cards with costs below 5, our ramp options are pretty limited. The most glaring omission is the absence of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sol Ring"}},{"insert":". Do we get to at least run some signets? Unfortunately, no. There will be no "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Farseek"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rampant Growth"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Shared Roots"}},{"insert":", either. Instead, we have to rely on a ramp package of: "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Altanak, the Thrice-Called"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Greater Tanuki"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Beanstalk Giant // Fertile Footsteps"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Beanstalk Wurm // Beanstalk Wurm"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Moldering Gym // Weight Room"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Overlord of the Hauntwoods"}},{"insert":".\n\nThe Backup Plan"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Since the main game plan of Show and Tell is fairly susceptible to counters and removal, we do need a backup plan. The idea here is that once you've done all your setup and gone for it, you will have a bunch of random angels, demons, and most importantly dinosaurs in your graveyard. Given enough stuff in your graveyard, the one copy of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Living Death"}},{"insert":" can put you in pretty good shape against most decks that tend to have fewer big creatures going to the bin.\n\nI thought about having a copy of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hypergenesis"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Living End"}},{"insert":" (okay, I actually had these in the first draft) but "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Keruga, the Macrosage"}},{"insert":" said it wasn't allowed, and I think having a big dinosaur/hippo companion is cooler than winning with a redundant combo piece anyway.\n\nThe Backup Backup Plan"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"If all else fails, you're in Bracket 3, just play those big creatures and start swinging. It might work!\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"The whole point of this deck is to deny your opponents as much as possible while sacrificing your creatures for more creatures and then bringing said creatures back from the graveyard, steal cards from your opponents while you eradicate their whole board\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"attributes":{"underline":true,"italic":true,"bold":true},"insert":"(Slaps the roof of the deckbox)"},{"insert":"\n\nAre you tired of paying premium mana prices for clunky, overpriced spells? \n\nAre you sick of drawing a six-drop in your opening hand like some kind of chump?\n\nAre you sick and tired of those so-called \"best practice\" bell curves telling you how to live your life? \n\nWell, throw those graphs in the garbage, friends, because today, Stan S. Stanman has the deckbuilding opportunity of a LIFETIME just for YOU!\n\nLook at this beauty! We’ve completely ELIMINATED the middleman! That’s right! Three-drops? TRASH! Four-drops? OUTDATED! Five-drops? A scame invented by BIG MIDRANGE! If you look at our mana \"curve\", it spikes right up at one and two, and then? A sheer, glorious, heart-stopping ride off a CLIFF! It flatlines! Zero! Nada! We pass the savings directly on to YOU!\n\nNow, I know what you’re thinking. "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"\"But Stan,\""},{"insert":" you say, clutching your game changers, "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"\"How does a deck even function without a top-end?!\" "},{"insert":"Friend, that sheer cliff isn't a defect. It’s our entire BUSINESS MODEL!\n\nWe’ve got "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Akiri, Line-Slinger"}},{"insert":" out front, and she is practically GIVING this stuff away! She doesn’t care about the MSRP of these artifacts. She just wants VOLUME! Why save up for some fancy six-mana bauble when I can get you into a gently-used "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Colossus Hammer"}},{"insert":" , a pristine "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bloodforged Battle-Axe"}},{"insert":" , and a "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Retrofitter Foundry"}},{"insert":" by TURN THREE?! Our opening hands look like a yard sale gone horribly wrong, and by the time your opponents are reading their Evolving Wilds, Akiri is already swinging for LETHAL! Everything must go!\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"\"But Stan!\""},{"insert":" you cry out, "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"\"What do I do with my mana on turn four if my curve is entirely gone?! What if my hand is empty from all this VALUE?! Do I top deck like some chump?\""},{"insert":"\n\nBoom! Let me introduce you to my associate: "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Thrasios, Triton Hero"}},{"insert":" ! Because we completely vaporized the top-end of the curve, you will NEVER be tempted to make a bad investment! Every single land, Signet, and Talisman you play is immediately funneled into spinning the Thrasios wheel! He’s a premium, aquatic, value-generating MACHINE! We’ve jammed this deck full of highly affordable untappers and infinite-mana combos like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Devoted Druid"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Swift Reconfiguration"}},{"insert":" ! \n\nNow, you’re a smart customer. You’re asking, "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"\"Stan, how do I actually close out the game if I refuse to cast anything that costs more than two?\""},{"insert":"\n\nFriends, let me tell you about a beautiful little thing called LOOPHOLES!\n\nTake a look at "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Banefire"}},{"insert":" . Look at "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Earthquake"}},{"insert":" ! Read the mana cost! One red mana and an \"X\"! Technically, legally, for all contest and auditing purposes, these are ONE-DROPS! But once Thrasios draws your whole library with infinite mana? BAM! That \"one-drop\" suddenly becomes an uncounterable, table-wiping NUKE! And it is completely, 100% legal under maritime law.\n\nTake it to the pod! Tell 'em Stan sent ya!\n\n( No refunds!)\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"everything everything everything\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"I built this deck wanting to have big partners and cheat giant creatures into play. Mainly I wanted kodama because I thought it would be funny to piper huge thing into play and then drop another giant thing from kodama trigger.\n\nRecently I decided I wanted to get turn 3 kodama more consistently and I looked on scryfall and saw there many 3 mana creatures that tap for 2 mana. So I changed to a more consistent and budget friendly 1 cmc to 3 cmc to 6 cmc Kodama. It actually has worked very well at getting to turn 3 kodama for an overwhelming turn 4.\n\nThe curve is very top heavy, and also emphasizes that 1cmc to 3cmc jump.\n\nThis deck started as a project to distract me from a death in the family and has been truly a joy to keep making changes.\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":{"card-link":"Hidetsugu and Kairi"}},{"insert":" \n\nBurn your opponents while playing big sorceries/isnt. off the top. \n\ncycle copies of your commander to keep flipping cards off the top\n\nundying cards to help keep the cycle going if needed through sac outlets\n\nkept at tier 3\n\nreverse bell mana curve\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"This is a deck with cheating mana costs for instants and sorceries. Since "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mizzix of the Izmagnus"}},{"insert":" reduces mana costs, your x spells will always increase your experience, and increase the power of your next spell. Prioritize starting up by using the removal suite and building up experience counters, then spending the mana to refill your hand with draw x spells. Once you have a good amount, you have hopefully drawn "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Expansion Algorithm"}},{"insert":"(happens more often than you think when you draw x as much as this deck does) and can cast it to double your experience counters from say 10 to twenty. After that, use more burns to finish the game, or force your opponents to draw out their deck.\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"Mill and self mill deck with some fun includes for a casual version of this commander\n\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#000000"},"insert":"This deck turns lands and self-mill into a renewable resource loop where nearly every card feeds the next"},{"insert":"\n"}]}