Celes, Rune Knight (Grand Melee) by NormanSanzo

Format: Commander

Commander: Celes, Rune Knight

Bracket: 4

DeckCheck Threat Index: 59

Deck overview

This deck is a high-power Mardu aristocrats combo list commanded by Celes, Rune Knight. The strategy revolves around Celes's second ability: whenever a creature enters from the graveyard, Celes places a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control. When paired with a creature featuring Persist—such as Putrid Goblin, Lesser Masticore, Obstinate Gargoyle, or Murderous Redcap—and any free sacrifice outlet, the +1/+1 counter cancels out the persist -1/-1 counter as a state-based action. This generates an infinite loop of death and enter-the-battlefield triggers. The deck reliably tutors its combo pieces through a dense suite of creature and artifact tutors, fast mana rituals, and cheap reanimation spells. Redundant backup enablers like Vizier of Remedies and Thran Vigil guarantee execution even if the commander is removed, while premier protection like Grand Abolisher and Silence ensures unhindered victory.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Altar of Dementia
  • 1 Ancient Tomb
  • 1 Anger
  • 1 Animate Dead
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Arid Mesa
  • 1 Ashnod's Altar
  • 1 Beseech the Mirror
  • 1 Blasting Station
  • 1 Blood Artist
  • 1 Blood Crypt
  • 1 Bloodstained Mire
  • 1 Buried Alive
  • 1 Cabal Ritual
  • 1 Carrion Feeder
  • 1 Celes, Rune Knight
  • 1 City of Brass
  • 1 Cloudshift
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Corrupted Conviction
  • 1 Crystal Vein
  • 1 Damn
  • 1 Dark Ritual
  • 1 Deadly Rollick
  • 1 Deflecting Swat
  • 1 Demonic Tutor
  • 1 Diabolic Intent
  • 1 Disenchant
  • 1 Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim
  • 1 Emergence Zone
  • 1 Ephemerate
  • 1 Esper Sentinel
  • 1 Exotic Orchard
  • 1 Faithless Looting
  • 1 Feign Death
  • 1 Fellwar Stone
  • 1 Gamble
  • 1 Goblin Bombardment
  • 1 Goblin Engineer
  • 1 Goblin Matron
  • 1 Godless Shrine
  • 1 Grand Abolisher
  • 1 High Market
  • 1 Impact Tremors
  • 1 Imperial Recruiter
  • 1 Lesser Masticore
  • 1 Leyline of the Void
  • 1 Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff
  • 1 Lotus Petal
  • 1 Lurrus of the Dream-Den
  • 1 Luxury Suite
  • 1 Mana Confluence
  • 1 Marionette Apprentice
  • 1 Marsh Flats
  • 1 Mind Stone
  • 2 Mountain
  • 1 Murderous Redcap
  • 1 Not Dead After All
  • 1 Obstinate Gargoyle
  • 1 Path to Exile
  • 1 Pinnacle Monk // Mystic Peak
  • 2 Plains
  • 1 Priest of Fell Rites
  • 1 Prismatic Lens
  • 1 Putrid Goblin
  • 1 Reanimate
  • 1 Reprieve
  • 1 Sacred Foundry
  • 1 Savai Triome
  • 1 Sevinne's Reclamation
  • 1 Silence
  • 1 Simian Spirit Guide
  • 1 Skirk Prospector
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Spectator Seating
  • 1 Springleaf Drum
  • 9 Swamp
  • 1 Swords to Plowshares
  • 1 Thran Vigil
  • 1 Umbral Collar Zealot
  • 1 Unearth
  • 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
  • 1 Vault of Champions
  • 1 Vexing Bauble
  • 1 Victimize
  • 1 Village Rites
  • 1 Viscera Seer
  • 1 Vizier of Remedies
  • 1 Wishclaw Talisman
  • 1 Zulaport Cutthroat