Doctor Doom Rises in This Commander Deck Tech

Doctor Doom | Art by David Palumbo

Last month (or last year, if you prefer), we had a myriad of spoilers from the Marvel Super Heroes set. This week, I'll be providing a Commander deck tech on...

*A knock on the door*

I'm not expecting anyone right now. I wonder who it could be. *Opens the Door, and staggers back a little* Wait, Doctor Doom?

Doom: Yes, it is I.

Me: *stammers a bit, but corrects myself* I must ask: Are you the Doom, or are you a Doombot?

Doom: Look into my eyes, and know that you are speaking with the one true Doom. Lord of Latveria. Godfather of one Valeria Richards. One-time Sorcerer Supreme, and Leader of the World. Also, the nemesis of the so-called Fantastic Four and their leader Reed Richards.

Me: *takes a moment to digest what was said, and looks past the metal mask* It is you. I welcome you to my humble abode. How can I help?

Doom: I've heard of a game Reed now plays, called Magic: The Gathering. It so happens that both of us got a card, and I need a deck to defeat him. I've heard about the time when you appeared on J. Jonah Jameson's broadcast. He was a fool for shouting you off as he did. I can see the potential in you.

Me: I can assist you, but may I ask if you're new to the game? I'd like to go over your game plan, if you'll indulge me.

Doom: As you were.

Me: Right.

The Plot Thickens

Me: To begin, your card costs six mana, so we need to ramp pretty hard when you get there. At that point, we're going to need you to stick around. Fortunately, your card has indestructible built into it. We just need to control an artifact creature or a Plan. There's plenty of ways to do that. Even your card comes with a pair of 3/3 Doombots.

But, we can always use more. For starters, Death in Heaven will keep graveyard-centric decks honest, and makes artifact creatures on top of that. In addition, Genesis of the Daleks will keep dropping artifact creatures, and the number will grow for each lore counter on the card.

In the end, we force an opponent into a choice: Destroy the Daleks and lose a load of life, or wipe the board of non-Daleks. However, it's likely that the wipe will happen because opponents will see this coming and try to reduce the number of Daleks. There's a few more in there, but don't count on them being out at the same time as the Saga.

Doom: I noticed you have a card of me tooting Namor's horn.

Me: That was for a little fun. It gave me and everyone else a good laugh. That said, the real card I should be covering in its place is the one Plan card that's been revealed so far: Doom Reigns Supreme. Your card is the only one with the Villain type in this list, so the build-up will be slow, but at least it'll be indestructible while it's out. I won't keep you for too long, so let me show you the first list. And, if this isn't to your liking, I have something up my sleeve as well.

The Plan's Schematics

All Laid Bare

Me: This list is my traditional Universes Beyond only list. People find the whole thing polarizing, but you wouldn't have come to me if it didn't exist. Certainly, this list's game plan is to amass an army of artifact creatures. It's your typical Bracket 2 fanfare, and simple to understand.

Firstly, both Cybermen Squadron and Cyberman Patrol do two different things, but achieving the same goal. On the one hand, Squadron gives every nonlegendary artifact creature the myriad ability, so you can attack other opponents as well. This is useful when you have an "enters the battlefield" ability (or ETB for short) that you want to double or triple up on. On the other, Patrol makes blocking difficult, especially if life totals are low.

In a similar vein, Skorpekh Lord gives your artifact creatures a small boost and, more importantly, menace. This'll make blocking your artifact army much more difficult. That said, I have to say the best card in the deck is Biotransference. While the first ability doesn't do much here, it makes your card an artifact creature, thus making it indestructible.

Not only that, each artifact you cast creates an artifact creature token.

Doom: I would like to point out that Reed is playing under Bracket 3.

Me: Figures, but fear not. I have just the deck. *goes and pulls out an elaborate deckbox, and presents it* Allow me to introduce you to...

The Reedslayer

The Master Plan

Me: This deck I dubbed "The Reedslayer." I pulled out every stop I could to ensure this deck is worthy to your eyes. Normally, I'd explain what in-universe cards would work in your deck. However, as you need to put a stop to Reed's plans, I present this list instead.

To start, I looked over Reed's card, and he draws a card if he casts a noncreature spell before combat. Thus, I included Sheoldred, the Apocalypse as a foil to that ability. We're in black, and that has plenty of way to remove creatures, including Reed himself, so he won't copy anything.

Included in the deck are what are called "scam" cards. The intent is to cast this on your card, shielding it from removal and putting it back on the battlefield. In doing this, more Doombots are created. Otherwise, there's ways to make an absurd amount of mana, and finishers to exploit said mana.

There's also an infinite combo in the list: Aetherflux Reservoir, Bolas's Citadel, and Sensei's Divining Top.

Here's how it works: You have all three out. You tap the Top to put it back on top of the deck, drawing a card. However, with the Citadel out, the Top can be cast again for one life, and you get that life back (and more!) with Reservoir. This way, you go through the deck, and gain so much life it'll completely annihilate Richards with the Reservoir's activated ability.

Further Upgrades

Doom: This is beautiful. So evil, yet an excellent way to foil his plans. I will make use of this deck, and report back to you after Richards and his so-called Fantastic Four have been stopped.

Me: *gives Doom the deck* One more thing. If you want to push this deck into Bracket 4, it's quite simple to do. There are other Game Changers that tutor, like Vampiric Tutor, to get that combo faster. Cheap and fast mana rocks as well as Deadly Rollick (not a Game Changer) and Yawgmoth's Will will go a long way.

One Week Later

And that's a wrap for this article. I went above and beyond to present a deck that's worthy of Victor von Doom. I sure hope he's succeeded. In any case, join me next time when we return to ATLA when I go over the last character I'll cover from that set.

*I go and walk outside*

Doom: Ah, there you are.

Me: Oh, I didn't see you there. Welcome back.

Doom: I must applaud you. This deck destroyed the Fantastic Four, and put a stop to their plans. You have done well.

Me: I heard about that. What on Earth was he thinking? It would've been bad for everyone. To be honest, I especially feel bad for Susan, whom he tends to sideline to focus on his plans.

Doom: There is no need. She made her choice. I, however, must reward you. I offer you a place in Latveria as a new citizen. What do you say?

Me: I would be honored. I'll begin the move immediately.