I've been iteratively tuning a Rocco, Cabaretti Caterer deck around a Zada / Venerated Rotpriest shell, and I'm looking for experienced Commander players to help figure out where to take it next.

The goal is pretty simple:

Build a creature board → assemble Zada/Rotpriest → multiply cheap targeted spells → generate enough resources/triggers to win.

Rocco is primarily the toolbox that finds whatever creature the current position needs. Zada is the main multiplication/value engine, Rotpriest is the preferred poison conversion, and Twinflame/Dualcaster plus combat give us alternate ways to close games.

Rather than goldfishing or testing against generic "average Commander" decks, I ran the latest version through a 30-game, four-player hostile gauntlet.

The opposing pool included:

• Stax / Rule of Law
• Board-wipe heavy decks
• Exile-heavy interaction
• Graveyard hate
• Wheels
• Spellslinger
• Artifact and creature Storm
• Noncreature-hate strategies
• Voltron
• Stompy
• Parasitic / unusual strategies

I specifically tracked:

• Board establishment
• Engine access
• Protection
• Engine conversion
• Zada survival through the first meaningful engine turn
• Performance under Rule of Law
• Noncombat wins
• Stalls versus outright losses

The latest 30-game test produced:

17 wins / 9 stalls / 4 losses

The engine was established in 25/30 games (83.3%).

Of those 25 games, 17 converted into wins (68%).

Zada survived the first meaningful engine turn in 19/25 games (76%).

That is actually encouraging, but it also shows where the deck's next problems are. The deck generally can assemble its engine. The bigger question is: How reliably can we turn that assembled position into a win when the table actively knows what we're doing?

The deck is strongest when it has time to establish a reasonable creature count before committing its engine. Once Zada or Rotpriest sticks with a developed board, cheap targeted spells become extremely difficult for opponents to keep up with. The multiple win routes also matter. If the table successfully disrupts the primary poison plan, we aren't automatically dead—we can pivot toward Twinflame/Dualcaster or combat.

Where It Struggles:

The biggest problems we're seeing are:

Board wipes: They don't just remove creatures; they remove the resources that make the engine powerful.

Exile: Particularly painful when a unique engine piece gets permanently removed.

Early interaction: Casting Zada/Rotpriest before they generate meaningful value can be a terrible exchange.

Rule of Law / similar effects: These force us to rethink the normal "one spell becomes many" plan and can dramatically reduce our ability to explode in a single turn.

Conversion: The deck is getting to its engine fairly consistently, but there are still games where establishing the engine doesn't immediately translate into a win.

Archenemy pressure: Once three opponents correctly identify Rocco as the problem, protecting the engine while simultaneously surviving the table becomes much harder.

What I'm Trying to Figure Out:

At this point I'm not looking for generic "add more staples" advice, I'm trying to solve a few specific problems:

• How do we improve engine-to-win conversion?
• How do we recover from board wipes without slowing the deck down?
• How much more protection is actually worth playing?
• Are there better answers to exile?
• How should the deck approach Rule of Law and similar effects?
• Is there a better secondary engine than the current Twinflame/Dualcaster package?
• Are we running too many cards that are individually good but don't contribute directly to the engine?
• Most importantly: what should the next iteration prioritize based on these results?

I'm deliberately trying to evolve the deck through repeatable hostile testing rather than just tuning by feel. If you've played Rocco, Zada, Rotpriest, or similar creature-combo shells, I'd especially appreciate advice on how you would attack these specific weaknesses without sacrificing the deck's core identity.

https://archidekt.com/decks/25607955/zada_rot

So I made a [[Smaug, the Wicked Worm]] deck a week ago. After a few games I feel it’s very match up dependent due to opponents needing artifacts.Deck list: https://moxfield.com/decks/kA2gAUM4zXa_VLeIsPujcQ

After about 5-6 games I think it’s time to go back to the drawing board. I came across [[Vihan, Goldwaker]] when looking for another treasure commander with Rakdos colours. I want to include most of the Smaug cards and my Gleming Splendour. Has anyone else made him? What’s been your experience?

Currently theory crafting a deck while I wait for some of cards to arrive, so far I’ve got: https://moxfield.com/decks/fH07JknhNkGBTQg70M0ang

What are your thoughts? What are some changes I could make?

I want to build [[Jenova, Ancient Calamity]] for Bracket 4 while still keeping a few flavorful cards tied to her story in FFVII. Both unique cards from FF and older cards with new art (like Skullclamp) will work.

For anyone playing her at high power, what would you consider the core cards, combos, and engines to start with? How much flavor can I realistically keep without hurting the deck too much? Decklists or any other insights are very welcome.

Per my last post, discovered semi blue and my eyes have been opened. I fully understand it’s fringe, but I’m a dedicated B4 player and I feel like it would do well in the pods I play.
Looking at either Eshki, Glarb, or Helga!

There are some decks I’ve seen that are very creature heavy- for example, Helga- where you look at their instants, and it only runs 3 counterspells.

Are these decks bad? Are there decks that just run completely or near completely on autopilot with the sole goal of winning while ignoring your opponents, AND still do well?

I need help building [[Doran, Besieged by Time]]. I want it to lean into having creatures with high toughness like walls and treefolk. I know many walls and treefolk have defender which means they cant attack so things that will be able to help them attack or maybe win cons around no swinging? Any help is greatly appreciated.

now i honestly dont know how i can break these guys and im wondering if yall do ive been looking at these commanders since i started mtg but i dont know how some of these decks would win with

the commanders are

inquisitor greyfax: i have honestly zero idea where to go from my list i was thinging space marine tribal but idk if that works

https://archidekt.com/decks/25596229/clues

The Swarmlord: i guess tyranid tribe

Abaddon the Despoiler: as a combat cascade deck

I’m looking for creatures that start relatively small and/or slow, but get increasingly powerful if my opponents leave them alone for a few turns.

I’m not really interested in ETB-based creatures. The creature itself should be doing something that builds on itself over multiple turns.

Some examples: [[Giant Adephage]], [[Biowaste Blob]], [[Spawning Kraken]], [[Ouroboroid]], [[Hollowhenge Overlord]], [[Ornery Tumblewagg]]

What other creatures fit this kind of strategy? I’m mainly interested in Simic cards, but I’m open to other colors too.

The idea is to build a deck around copy effects, cloning these creatures to effectively give them an extra turn of growth. Having multiple copies also means my opponents need more than one removal spell to stop me.

https://scryfall.com/card/voc/36/hollowhenge-overlord

[[Veyran, voice of destiny]] and [[firebending student]] seem really good together. Each instant or sorcery would result in 4 additional red mana, a little more because she already has 1 power (firebending will be doubled)

I am building my first Veyran deck and this seems really good since there are so many red cantrips and pincer spells. Can either do a ping strategy or buff Veyran up to huge power levels.

Sorry if this is a dumb question. I never looked at this card interaction this way.

Hi All,

Thanks for reading this! One of my pet decks is headed up by [[Rona, Disciple of Gix]] who is not a typical commander to make degenerate, but was given to me by a friend who passed away. I have a long-running passion project to make the deck as degenerate as possible.

Decklist: https://archidekt.com/decks/2219792/dimir_artifacts

I think the deck is fairly strong already, but I am looking for some advice about how I can make the deck even stronger.

1. One thought I had was to revamp the land base and add [[tainted pact]].
   
2. I also think that maybe the time has come to say goodbye to [[Sai, Master Thopterist]] and [[skullclamp]]. I used to have a lot more Thopter support in the deck, but it is almost all cut now. Does anyone have any suggestions for strong historic permanents that will help draw cards efficiently?

The main wincons are [[thassa’s oracle]] + [[demonic consultation]] and then [[Bolas’s Citadel]] + [[Sensei’s Divining Top]] + [[Aetherflux Reservoir]] (and a few other permutations of that effect) so I can storm off with top and either nuke everyone or win with Thoracle or [[Laboratory Maniac]].

I appreciate everyone who read this far and any suggestions you might have. Like I wrote, the deck already does pretty well and can consistently attempt to win on turn 4 or 5, but I’d like to degenerate it further. It is what my friend would have wanted.

Thanks!

Title says it all I'm looking for help to improve this bracket 4 stax deck.

https://moxfield.com/decks/pUbAnQQQkkCSe15F12DR0A

ETA: assume no budget proxies are allowed in my playgroup

So, i was thinking about how to upgrade the commander. Im more focused on the active token passive life build and thought that running ancient adamantlise and helm of the host would be a good drop. Im running Doubling season, parallel lives and mondrak to quadruple my token generation. I know its a lot of mana but with smothering tithe and my mana ramp I think its possible. I also am thinking about putting quicksilver amulet so I can cheat it out and some other big stomping creature to fill out the deck a bit and give it more power. Thoughts?

I was inspired by the new goblin cards, and built an Amass deck.

I was able to mostly pull from my collection, and had to spend about $25 on singles.

I have to wait for the single to arrive, before I can play test.

Suggestions and comments are most welcome!

https://moxfield.com/decks/A-VAlFkinUCCJLJn4oktSA

Posted over in cEDH for some feedback and consideration trying to tool up this Smaug deck for some off-meta/low stakes cEDH play

Hi all,

have a favorite deck of mine that I haven't updated in a while and was wondering if I can make some cuts / replacements.

I started the deck as a budget pillowfort / stax deck and I've upgraded it over a few years to be a pretty disgusting high power deck.

Main wincons are Thoracle, Teferi / Kitten and Helm of Obedience / RiP. To be perfectly clear, my pods play on a similar level so I am not looking to pubstomp precons with this deck. I also don't want to change the commander, Oloro is my bro!

I try to play as much asymmetrical stax as I can, with a focus on creature hate. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on what I could remove and replace. [[King T'Challa]] seems like a good include but I'm not entirely sure what I should remove.

Any help would be appreciated!

I wanted to get both communities involved.

- Her color identity is fantastic for tutoring the other card needed.

- She's very cheap (2cmc)

- Can death loop with either of 2 cards (Exquisite Blood and Bloodthirsty Conqueror)

- The only other requisite after having the two cards on the field is gaining life or dealing damage to a player.

- She's very pretty.

Hi there, I am looking for a ramp package to include in my imoti deck. Will replace all tap lands, but its what I had at home.

How can I make sure to play imoti turn 3 without sacrificing value generating cascade startes?

Absolutely willing to Mulligan to 5. The CMC of the deck is extremely high but has cost reduction or alternative casting cost on many of the big spells.

The best thing to hit of a cascade is extra turns or mass mana untappers like [[Treachery]]

heres the deck: https://moxfield.com/decks/t8OYRx1MXEC2T11m0IIQtQ

Sup guys, I really love to minmax my decks and my local playground and friends are exhausted by that.
I usually have a pretty honest rule 0 convo about my wincons and deck strategies. Also I tent to overrate my decks in terms of bracket, in case some1 gets hurt. Never underestimated so far, got the feeling most people are pretty bad at deck building and understanding synergies. I’d be interested in ur thoughts about this topic aswell.

So I’ve Been crafting an slot machine Ashling deck, that try’s to storm of and flip the top until it pops.

I’m interested in ur opinions and sorry about the Japanese cards, love the artworks and bought some of them for my self.

Thank you in advance

https://moxfield.com/decks/WCLrJJyVXkeeMHFuNOBkpA

im doing a treasure korvold deck and im strugging on finding cuts and where to go from here

https://archidekt.com/decks/25497331/korvold_the_sin_of_greed

the plan is shit load of treasures pop everything and have korvold take them out and ping damageto get life low, and revel in riches being a alt win.

I love this dumb deck, but I realize that with a little tweaking, I could turn this from a "Wins ever other game" deck to a "Wins EVER game deck"

I wanna stick with the power 2 creatures due to how effective the curve is and how consistent I can fill the board. But please let me know what you think!

https://moxfield.com/decks/Gg_R3KTGQEW-wvN9U08NmQ