iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Summoners egg attacking as a 0/4 and then moving all my Arcbound Ravenger counters onto it mid combat. Not to mention a deck that would Egg into Clone Shell into Egg. Egg.

Summoner's Egg
{4}
Artifact Creature — Egg
Imprint — When this creature enters, you may exile a card from your hand face down.
When this creature dies, turn the exiled card face up. If it’s a creature card, put it onto the battlefield under your control.
0/4
Illustrated by Jim Nelson

000

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Brother do I have food and bling ramp for you.

Heaped Harvest
{2}{G}
Artifact — Food

When this artifact enters and when you sacrifice it, you may search your library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.

{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this artifact: You gain 3 life.

One can travel all of Valley and never eat the same meal twice.

Illustrated by Daniel Ljunggren

Necklace of Girion
{2}{G}
Legendary Artifact

Whenever you cast a green spell and whenever a Forest you control enters, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control.

{T}: Add {G}.

Illustrated by Marta Nael

130

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

@raginglevine.com Question with a creature type update: While there are no new creature types in FRA, Traxos was updated to a Dragon with newer versions? Will the older Traxos receive creature types errata? (Along with other dragon engines?) Thanks for all the work over the years.

Traxos, Scourge Eternal
{4}
Legendary Artifact Creature — Dragon Construct
Trample
Traxos doesn’t untap during your untap step.
Whenever you cast an artifact or creature spell, untap Traxos.
Its orders, ancient. Its advance, ponderous. Its threat, undeniable.
5/4
Illustrated by Aaron Miller

Traxos, Academy Guardian
{3}{U}
Legendary Artifact Creature — Dragon Construct
This spell costs {2} less to cast if you’ve cast a noncreature spell this turn.
Flying, vigilance
Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
“Tolaria has stood for a thousand years. You’re looking at why.”
—Lyra, Tolarian headmaster
1/5
Watermark: Echoverse
Illustrated by Aaron Miller

Traxos, Scourge of Kroog
{4}
Legendary Artifact Creature — Construct
Trample
Traxos enters tapped and doesn’t untap during your untap step.
Whenever you cast a historic spell, untap Traxos. (Artifacts, legendaries, and Sagas are historic.)
7/7
Illustrated by Lius Lasahido

Dragon Engine
{3}
Artifact Creature — Construct
{2}: This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
From a distance, dormant dragon engines can be mistaken for harmless statues. By the time you get close enough to spot the scorch marks, it’s too late.
1/3
Illustrated by Johann Bodin

111

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Paste and knife. Especially if you can do some sort of affinity thing. Being color agnostic is a plus.

Nutrient Block
{1}
Artifact — Food

Indestructible (Effects that say “destroy” don’t destroy this artifact.)

{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this artifact: You gain 3 life.

When this artifact is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, draw a card.

“What flavor do you want, Sami? Bland, dense, or vanilla?”
—Tannuk

Illustrated by Francisco Miyara

Vibranium Energy Daggers
{1}
Artifact — Equipment

Indestructible (Effects that say “destroy” don’t destroy this Equipment.)

Equipped creature gets +2/+2.

Equip {3} ({3}: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)

“These daggers can penetrate adamantium and disrupt nervous systems. What chance have you?”
—T'Challa, the Black Panther

Illustrated by Irvin Rodriguez

100

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

What if... blue thoughtseize? Like Vendillion Clique the spell.

Vendilion Clique
{1}{U}{U}
Legendary Creature — Faerie Wizard

Flash

Flying

When Vendilion Clique enters, look at target player’s hand. You may choose a nonland card from it. If you do, that player reveals the chosen card, puts it on the bottom of their library, then draws a card.

3/1
Watermark: Set Symbol

Illustrated by Willian Murai

110

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

I know it’s a bit different, but Tormod + Akiri gives you your colors and a payoff in the zone for “leaves the graveyard”.

000

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Kolaghan, Storm’s Fury is my favorite and oldest deck. But Dragonlord Kolaghan is also really high up there. It’s a Dragonstorm deck built to cast the various Dragonstorm style cards and win with an attack finish by dropping Kolaghan off of Hellkite Courser.

Dragonlord Kolaghan
{4}{B}{R}
Legendary Creature — Elder Dragon
Flying, haste
Other creatures you control have haste.
Whenever an opponent casts a creature or planeswalker spell with the same name as a card in their graveyard, that player loses 10 life.
6/5
Watermark: Kolaghan
Illustrated by Jaime Jones

Dragonstorm
{8}{R}
Sorcery
Search your library for a Dragon permanent card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle.
Storm (When you cast this spell, copy it for each spell cast before it this turn.)
Dragons come not in packs or in herds but in storms.
Illustrated by Kev Walker

Hellkite Courser
{4}{R}{R}
Creature — Dragon
Flying
When this creature enters, you may put a commander you own from the command zone onto the battlefield. It gains haste. Return it to the command zone at the beginning of the next end step.
The charge was heralded not by horns, but by the dragon’s echoing roar.
6/5
Illustrated by Caio Monteiro

010

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

And then the Guildpact and being trapped on Ixilan both being Azor's doing. Being controlled by yet another powerful Sphinx...

Azor, the Lawbringer
{2}{W}{W}{U}{U}
Legendary Creature — Sphinx

Flying

When Azor enters, each opponent can’t cast instant or sorcery spells during that player’s next turn.

Whenever Azor attacks, you may pay {X}{W}{U}{U}. If you do, you gain X life and draw X cards.

6/6
Illustrated by Ryan Pancoast

Azor's Gateway
{2}
Legendary Artifact

{1}, {T}: Draw a card, then exile a card from your hand. If cards with five or more different mana values are exiled with Azor’s Gateway, you gain 5 life, untap Azor’s Gateway, and transform it.

Sanctum of the Sun
Legendary Land

(Transforms from Azor’s Gateway.)

{T}: Add X mana of any one color, where X is your life total.

As soon as Jace laid eyes on the great sphinx’s chamber, the shards of memory began sliding into place.

Illustrated by Yeong-Hao Han

060

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Not the best system. But each Dragonshield Archive has a color and sorted by rarity + basics + tokens. Commons are in long boxes in the shelf.

010

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Feels like this has something to it of it’s giving +2 or greater already. Anything with equip 0 as well.

Bronze Cudgels
{1}
Artifact — Equipment
{2}: Until end of turn, equipped creature gets +X/+0, where X is the number of times this ability has resolved this turn.
Equip {1} ({1}: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)
“These were made when Michiko was young. Wield them wisely.”
—Chiyoko, Jukai elder
Illustrated by Néstor Ossandón Leal

000

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

I miss the "Wildfire" decks dearly. I get they don't have the power they once have but it's a defining archtype I fondly remember getting my first Vintage cube trophy with.

Add to Deck
Wildfire
{4}{R}{R}
Sorcery

Each player sacrifices four lands of their choice. Wildfire deals 4 damage to each creature.

Fire is always at the top of the food chain, and it has a big appetite.

Illustrated by Rob Alexander

150

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Last one I swear Matt 😅 With the Madcap Jester, I am assuming that we can't cast spells exiled face down unless the effect gave us the ability to look at them? Say for something like Grimoire Theif would I be able to cast those spell correct? But not for something like Doomsday Excruciator?

The Madcap Jester
{1}{U}{B}{R}
Legendary Creature - Clown Wizard
Whenever The Madcap Jester attacks, each opponent exiles the top of their library.

Whenever a spell of ability you control causes one of more cards to be exiled from an opponent's library, you may play those cards until the end of your next turn. Mana of any type can be spent to cast spells this way.
-
He who bears the cap laughs last.
2/2

Grimoire Thief
{U}{U}
Creature — Merfolk Rogue

Whenever this creature becomes tapped, exile the top three cards of target opponent’s library face down.

You may look at cards exiled with this creature.

{U}, Sacrifice this creature: Turn all cards exiled with this creature face up. Counter all spells with those names.

2/2
Illustrated by Randy Gallegos

Add to Deck
Doomsday Excruciator
{B}{B}{B}{B}{B}{B}
Creature — Demon

Flying

When this creature enters, if it was cast, each player exiles all but the bottom six cards of their library face down.

At the beginning of your upkeep, draw a card.

“All stars grow dark. All worlds come to an end.”

6/6
Illustrated by Denys Tsiperko

100

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Oh actual rules question this time! Taking The Everforger here as an example, with Rulebreaker does this mean this commander can ONLY have artifact creature and equipment cards and basic lands? Or is it in addition? (Thank you in advance Matt!)

100

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

If everyone else is running creatures, Vicious Shadows is an absolute classic murder machine:

Vicious Shadows
{6}{R}
Enchantment
Whenever a creature dies, you may have this enchantment deal damage to target player equal to the number of cards in that player’s hand.
“Thrashes of the ancient past still linger in spirit and shadow, desperate to sink their claws into our souls.”
—Rakka Mar
Illustrated by Joshua Hagler

010

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

If chosen, you MAY need this keyword counter tracker.

A keyword tracker for Flying, First Strike, Double Strike, Deathtouch, Haste, Hexproof, Indestructible, Lifelink, Menace, Reach, Trample, and Vigilance.

000

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Eight-And-A-Half-Tails has one of the best written personal stories of guilt in Magic. web.archive.org/web/20060318...

Eight-and-a-Half-Tails
{W}{W}
Legendary Creature — Fox Cleric
{1}{W}: Target permanent you control gains protection from white until end of turn.
{1}: Target spell or permanent becomes white until end of turn.
“Virtue is an inner light that can prevail in every soul.”
2/2
Illustrated by Daren Bader

000

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Pry this combo from my COLD. DEAD. HANDS.

Boseiju, Who Endures
Legendary Land

{T}: Add {G}.

Channel — {1}{G}, Discard this card: Destroy target artifact, enchantment, or nonbasic land an opponent controls. That player may search their library for a land card with a basic land type, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle. This ability costs {1} less to activate for each legendary creature you control.

Illustrated by Chris Ostrowski

Petrified Field
Land

{T}: Add {C}.

{T}, Sacrifice this land: Return target land card from your graveyard to your hand.

Illustrated by Glen Angus

110

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Cycle of group hug Leylines when? I remember when Rites of Flourishing was the peak of “this game is on the juice”

Rites of Flourishing
{2}{G}
Enchantment
At the beginning of each player’s draw step, that player draws an additional card.
Each player may play an additional land on each of their turns.
“Dance, and bring forth the coil! It is an umbilical to Gaea herself, fattening us with the earth’s rich bounty.”
Illustrated by Brandon Kitkouski

030

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

I think it’s because they are covered by and large by the “No mass land denial or infinite turns” clauses of the lower brackets.

220

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Skyfire Phoenix is great. I’ll take a second in Jochosta.

Jocasta, Automaton Avenger
{3}
Legendary Artifact Creature — Robot Hero
Flying
Whenever your commander deals combat damage to a player, put a +1/+1 counter on Jocasta.
Whenever you attack with your commander, if this card is in your graveyard, you may return it to the battlefield tapped and attacking.
2/2
Illustrated by Myles Wohl

000

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

IRL printing is a pain, I know it’s not iconic but the MTGO version as a proxy is just so much easier to understand. And it’s a cool card either way powerful use cases.

Transmute Artifact
{U}{U}
Sorcery
Sacrifice an artifact. If you do, search your library for an artifact card. If that card’s mana value is less than or equal to the sacrificed artifact’s mana value, put it onto the battlefield. If it’s greater, you may pay {X}, where X is the difference. If you do, put it onto the battlefield. If you don’t, put it into its owner’s graveyard. Then shuffle.
Illustrated by Jason Felix
Part of the Reserved List

100

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

For Mikeaus, there's been ALOT of untap support. Probably one of the cards I've recommended for people to add to upgrades the most this last year:

130

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Not sure it’s possible but I have a vision

Defenestrate
{2}{B}
Instant
Destroy target creature without flying.
The chaplain would perhaps have found some small comfort had he known that the replacement window would be named in his honor.
Illustrated by Darek Zabrocki

Bruce Banner
{U}
Legendary Creature — Human Scientist Hero
{X}{X}, {T}: Draw X cards. Activate only as a sorcery.
{2}{R}{R}{G}{G}: Transform Bruce Banner. Activate only as a sorcery.
“You shouldn’t make me angry …”
1/1
The Incredible Hulk
{2}{R}{R}{G}{G}
Legendary Creature — Gamma Berserker Hero
Reach, trample
Enrage — Whenever The Incredible Hulk is dealt damage, put a +1/+1 counter on him. If he’s attacking, untap him and there is an additional combat phase after this phase.
“… You wouldn’t like me when I’M ANGRY!!!”
8/8
Illustrated by Tommy Arnold

000

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Paras. I once encountered a level 0 Paris in OG Gold Version. It somehow went first, had no health, and knew no attacks, soft locking my game. I’d just hatched 3 Pokémon and hadn’t saved in 2 hours.

Paras from Pokémon. A spider/crab with mushrooms on its back.

020

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Hey hey now I can only make so much mana Veggie

Goblin Glasswright
{1}{R}
Creature — Goblin Sorcerer
This creature enters prepared. (While it’s prepared, you may cast a copy of its spell. Doing so unprepares it.)
2/2
Craft with Pride
{R}
Sorcery
Create a Treasure token. (It’s an artifact with “{T}, Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.”)
Illustrated by David Auden Nash

120

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Even in other decks this card plays very strongly.

Endless Foot Assault
{2}{W}
Enchantment
Squad {1}{W} (As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may pay {1}{W} any number of times. When this enchantment enters, create that many tokens that are copies of it.)
Whenever you attack, for each opponent, create a 1/1 black Ninja creature token that’s tapped and attacking that player.
Illustrated by Ryan Valle

000

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Kolaghan (KGone for short) here is SHOCKINGLY aggressive as more and more 4 MV hasty dragons are printed. It’s my oldest deck still in play.

Kolaghan, the Storm's Fury
{3}{B}{R}
Legendary Creature — Dragon
Flying
Whenever a Dragon you control attacks, creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn.
Dash {3}{B}{R} (You may cast this spell for its dash cost. If you do, it gains haste, and it’s returned from the battlefield to its owner’s hand at the beginning of the next end step.)
4/5
Illustrated by Jaime Jones

260

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Nezahal. The push towards ever stronger creatures with ETBs has made the card draw weaker, and the old “bounce house” strategy I played with it just blows up in its face now. Still great in the 99 but not as much a build around.

Nezahal, Primal Tide
{5}{U}{U}
Legendary Creature — Elder Dinosaur
This spell can’t be countered.
You have no maximum hand size.
Whenever an opponent casts a noncreature spell, draw a card.
Discard three cards: Exile Nezahal. Return it to the battlefield tapped under its owner’s control at the beginning of the next end step.
7/7
Illustrated by Yeong-Hao Han

241

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

If it helps Shivam all I want to do with this deck is equip Moriette with Takeno’s Diasho. Because Samurai.

Oathkeeper, Takeno's Daisho
{3}
Legendary Artifact — Equipment
Equipped creature gets +3/+1.
Whenever equipped creature dies, return that card to the battlefield under your control if it’s a Samurai card.
When Oathkeeper is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, exile equipped creature.
Equip {2}
Illustrated by Arnie Swekel

020

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

This land cycle hits as resonate and readable at a glance as the Theros Sky cycle. It's SO good.

140

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Ok, @scryfall.com I knew your game, I knew you had hands. I was not prepared for you to have feet too. Whoever made this for April fools is a genius. ( @emmapartlow.com and @seraphsix.com because they need to know or caused this )

The typical starter page for Scryfall.com replaced with a 90's style 32 bit webpage for "Dootscape"

0141

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Goes infinite with sprout swarm and enough creatures too.

Sprout Swarm
{1}{G}
Instant
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for {1} or one mana of that creature’s color.)
Buyback {3} (You may pay an additional {3} as you cast this spell. If you do, put this card into your hand as it resolves.)
Create a 1/1 green Saproling creature token.
Illustrated by Chippy

3130

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

SAME but brother may I introduce you to my white whale without a home:

Victimize
{2}{B}
Sorcery
Choose two target creature cards in your graveyard. Sacrifice a creature. If you do, return the chosen cards to the battlefield tapped.
Illustrated by Kekai Kotaki

020

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

I feel like these are contenders due to messing with the stadium counters themselves. For the purposes of this cube, is Strixhaven Stadium functionally an emblem or can it be destroyed/exiled?

Ferropede
{3}
Artifact Creature — Insect

This creature can’t be blocked.

Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you may remove a counter from target permanent.

1/1
Illustrated by Jeff Easley

Guildpact Informant
{2}{U}
Creature — Faerie Rogue

Flying

Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player or planeswalker, proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)

“Of course you’re being followed!”

1/1
Illustrated by Randy Gallegos

Thrummingbird
{1}{U}
Creature — Phyrexian Bird Horror

Flying

Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)

1/1
Illustrated by José Parodi

Vexing Radgull
{1}{U}
Creature — Bird Mutant

Flying

Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, that player gets two rad counters if they don’t have any rad counters. Otherwise, proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)

Fighting one is a terrible experience.

1/2
Illustrated by Josu Solano

100

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

I may be the person to have Ghost Quartered themselves more in Commander than anyone else in this format. It's ramp AND fixing I tell ya!

Ghost Quarter
Land

{T}: Add {C}.

{T}, Sacrifice this land: Destroy target land. Its controller may search their library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle.

Upon scattering her grandmother’s ashes, the Envoy was bathed in a warm spectral glow.

Illustrated by Sidharth Chaturvedi

171

Mark Churchwell @godofgrenades.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

He gets eaten by Indominus/Umori (or any other keyword commanders)

Indominus Rex, Alpha
{1}{U/B}{U/B}{G}{G}
Legendary Creature — Dinosaur Mutant

As Indominus Rex enters, discard any number of creature cards. It enters with a flying counter on it if a card discarded this way has flying. The same is true for first strike, double strike, deathtouch, hexproof, haste, indestructible, lifelink, menace, reach, trample, and vigilance.

When Indominus Rex enters, draw a card for each counter on it.

6/6
Illustrated by Miro Petrov

120