It’s once again time to pick a card and find some commanders for it. Today, we’re going to be looking at an oddity from Kaladesh.
This card is one that many people still don’t really appreciate the power of, but it’s also one that can absolutely win the game in the right decks.
What is Marionette Master?
Marionette Master
Marionette Master
Fabricate 3 (When this creature enters, put three +1/+1 counters on it or create three 1/1 colorless Servo artifact creature tokens.)
Whenever an artifact you control is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, target opponent loses life equal to this creature's power.
is a six-mana 1/3 creature with fabricate three, which means it can either come in with three +1/+1 counters or make three Servo artifact tokens when it enters the battlefield. Along with that, it reads, “Whenever an artifact you control is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, target opponent loses life equal to Marionette Master’s power.”
So, your choices here are to either make a lot of tokens and sacrifice them, or bolster Marionette Master to be stronger and sacrifice fewer tokens. You could also lean into an aggro artifact strategy too. While it seems like a simple card at first, recent sets have allowed this card to truly soar.
So, let’s dive into the two commanders we’ve picked for this six-mana puppeteer.
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Golem’s Marionette
We’ve got two Commanders for this one as they both have partner. First is
Armix, Filigree Thrasher
Armix, Filigree Thrasher
Whenever Armix attacks, you may discard a card. When you do, target creature defending player controls gets -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the number of artifacts you control plus the number of artifact cards in your graveyard.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
, a three-mana black 3/2 golem that reads, “Whenever Armix, Filigree Thrasher attacks, you may discard a card. When you do, target creature defending player controls gets -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the number of artifacts you control plus the number of artifact cards in your graveyard.”
The second is
Ich-Tekik, Salvage Splicer
Ich-Tekik, Salvage Splicer
When Ich-Tekik enters, create a 3/3 colorless Phyrexian Golem artifact creature token.
Whenever an artifact is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on Ich-Tekik and a +1/+1 counter on each Golem you control.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
, a five-mana green 1/1 that reads, “When Ich-Tekik, Salvage Splicer enters the battlefield, create a 3/3 colorless Phyrexian Golem artifact creature token. Whenever an artifact is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on Ich-Tekik and a +1/+1 counter on each Golem you control.” In short then, our aim here is to learn into both +1/+1 counters and also Golems.
For Golems, we recommend Vital Splicer, [tooltips]Maul Splicer,
Bottle Golems
Bottle Golems
Trample
When this creature dies, you gain life equal to its power.
,
Clay Golem
Clay Golem
{6}, Roll a d8: Monstrosity X, where X is the result. (If this creature isn't monstrous, put X +1/+1 counters on it and it becomes monstrous.)
Berserk — When this creature becomes monstrous, destroy target permanent.
,
Phyrexian Triniform
Phyrexian Triniform
When this creature dies, create three 3/3 colorless Phyrexian Golem artifact creature tokens.
Encore {12} ({12}, Exile this card from your graveyard: For each opponent, create a token copy that attacks that opponent this turn if able. They gain haste. Sacrifice them at the beginning of the next end step. Activate only as a sorcery.)
,
Triplicate Titan
Triplicate Titan
Flying, vigilance, trample
When this creature dies, create a 3/3 colorless Golem artifact creature token with flying, a 3/3 colorless Golem artifact creature token with vigilance, and a 3/3 colorless Golem artifact creature token with trample.
,
Salvage Titan
Salvage Titan
You may sacrifice three artifacts rather than pay this spell's mana cost.
Exile three artifact cards from your graveyard: Return this card from your graveyard to your hand.
, and
Golem Foundry
Golem Foundry
Whenever you cast an artifact spell, you may put a charge counter on this artifact.
Remove three charge counters from this artifact: Create a 3/3 colorless Golem artifact creature token.
. All of these make or are Golems and will help you flood the board with creatures you’ll be buffing up. On the +1/+1 counter side of things,
Hardened Scales
Hardened Scales
If one or more +1/+1 counters would be put on a creature you control, that many plus one +1/+1 counters are put on it instead.
,
Winding Constrictor
Winding Constrictor
If one or more counters would be put on an artifact or creature you control, that many plus one of each of those kinds of counters are put on that permanent instead.
If you would get one or more counters, you get that many plus one of each of those kinds of counters instead.
,
Forgotten Ancient
Forgotten Ancient
Whenever a player casts a spell, you may put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may move any number of +1/+1 counters from this creature onto other creatures.
,
Primeval Protector
Primeval Protector
This spell costs {1} less to cast for each creature your opponents control.
When this creature enters, put a +1/+1 counter on each other creature you control.
,
Vigor
Vigor
Trample
If damage would be dealt to another creature you control, prevent that damage. Put a +1/+1 counter on that creature for each 1 damage prevented this way.
When Vigor is put into a graveyard from anywhere, shuffle it into its owner's library.
, and
Branching Evolution
Branching Evolution
If one or more +1/+1 counters would be put on a creature you control, twice that many +1/+1 counters are put on that creature instead.
will all bolster your efforts greatly. We think you can get the rest of the strategy here, just turn things sideways, make your things big, and win the game.
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Master of the Fae-Cursed King
Korvold, Fae-Cursed King
Korvold, Fae-Cursed King
Flying
Whenever Korvold enters or attacks, sacrifice another permanent.
Whenever you sacrifice a permanent, put a +1/+1 counter on Korvold and draw a card.
is a five-mana black, red, and green 4/4 with flying that reads, “Whenever Korvold, Fae-Cursed King enters the battlefield or attacks, sacrifice another permanent. Whenever you sacrifice a permanent, put a +1/+1 counter on Korvold and draw a card.” Now, you can certainly use the +1/+1 counter stuff from the above duo here, but honestly, you should be going all-in on treasure with Korvold.
That means looking at cards like
Kalain, Reclusive Painter
Kalain, Reclusive Painter
When Kalain enters, create a Treasure token. (It's an artifact with "{T}, Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.")
Other creatures you control enter with an additional +1/+1 counter on them for each mana from a Treasure spent to cast them.
,
Old Gnawbone
Old Gnawbone
Flying
Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, create that many Treasure tokens.
, and even the likes of
Prosper, Tome-Bound
Prosper, Tome-Bound
Deathtouch
Mystic Arcanum — At the beginning of your end step, exile the top card of your library. Until the end of your next turn, you may play that card.
Pact Boon — Whenever you play a card from exile, create a Treasure token.
if you want to. Anything that creates treasure tokens is a great way to get extra artifacts out, and the more artifacts you have to sacrifice, the easier it is to trigger
Marionette Master
Marionette Master
Fabricate 3 (When this creature enters, put three +1/+1 counters on it or create three 1/1 colorless Servo artifact creature tokens.)
Whenever an artifact you control is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, target opponent loses life equal to this creature's power.
.
Korvold is already a stupidly powerful commander as it is, so when you then combine them with treasure tokens and a win condition like
Marionette Master
Marionette Master
Fabricate 3 (When this creature enters, put three +1/+1 counters on it or create three 1/1 colorless Servo artifact creature tokens.)
Whenever an artifact you control is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, target opponent loses life equal to this creature's power.
as well, you end up with a deck that’ll often feel cruel to play. You’ll also likely end up the target a lot of the time. On the plus side though, it’s highly unlikely anybody will actually be able to stop you.