Sphinx by Cammy45

Format: Commander

Commander: The Ur-Sphinx

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 40

Deck overview

This deck is an Esper Sphinx tribal midrange strategy commanded by The Ur-Sphinx. It leverages the commander's eminence ability alongside an efficient suite of 2-mana rocks and cost-reducing flyers like Watcher of the Spheres and Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign to accelerate expensive, high-impact Sphinxes onto the battlefield. Once established around Turn 4, the deck generates overwhelming card advantage through powerhouse draw engines such as Consecrated Sphinx, Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign, and Tivit, Seller of Secrets. The mid-to-late game transitions into an aggressive aerial assault starting around Turn 6, utilizing the commander's attack trigger to mill opponents and cast their best spells for free. Defensively, the list features a robust interaction package of flexible spot removal, unconditional countermagic, and sweepers like Merciless Eviction to keep opposing strategies in check. It wins reliably by Turn 8 through evasive flying combat damage backed by counterspells and protective measures like Flawless Maneuver.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Absorb
  • 1 An Offer You Can't Refuse
  • 1 Anguished Unmaking
  • 1 Anticipate
  • 1 Arcane Sanctum
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Azorius Signet
  • 1 Bojuka Bog
  • 1 Brokers Hideout
  • 1 Caves of Koilos
  • 1 Chancellor of the Spires
  • 1 Chromatic Lantern
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Commander's Sphere
  • 1 Concealed Courtyard
  • 1 Consecrated Sphinx
  • 1 Contaminated Landscape
  • 1 Counterspell
  • 1 Damn
  • 1 Darkslick Shores
  • 1 Darkwater Catacombs
  • 1 Dazzling Sphinx
  • 1 Defiler of Dreams
  • 1 Deserted Beach
  • 1 Desolate Mire
  • 1 Dimir Signet
  • 1 Dovin's Veto
  • 1 Dream Trawler
  • 1 Drowned Catacomb
  • 1 Elenda and Azor
  • 1 Erebos's Intervention
  • 1 Fabled Passage
  • 1 Fellwar Stone
  • 1 Flawless Maneuver
  • 1 Glacial Fortress
  • 1 Impulse
  • 1 Inspired Sphinx
  • 5 Island
  • 1 Isolated Chapel
  • 1 Isperia, Supreme Judge
  • 1 Jubilant Skybonder
  • 1 Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff
  • 1 Maestros Theater
  • 1 Mana Leak
  • 1 Master of Predicaments
  • 1 Medomai the Ageless
  • 1 Merciless Eviction
  • 1 Mind Stone
  • 1 Mystic Sanctuary
  • 1 Negate
  • 1 No More Lies
  • 1 Obscura Storefront
  • 1 Orzhov Signet
  • 4 Plains
  • 1 Prairie Stream
  • 1 Raffine, Scheming Seer
  • 1 Scholar of the Lost Trove
  • 1 Seachrome Coast
  • 1 Shattered Sanctum
  • 1 Shipwreck Marsh
  • 1 Silundi Vision // Silundi Isle
  • 1 Skycloud Expanse
  • 1 Smothering Tithe
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Sphinx of Clear Skies
  • 1 Sphinx of Enlightenment
  • 1 Sphinx of Foresight
  • 1 Sphinx of the Final Word
  • 1 Sphinx of the Revelation
  • 1 Sphinx of the Second Sun
  • 1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
  • 1 Sunken Hollow
  • 4 Swamp
  • 1 Swiftfoot Boots
  • 1 Swords to Plowshares
  • 1 Talisman of Dominance
  • 1 Talisman of Hierarchy
  • 1 Talisman of Progress
  • 1 The Ur-Sphinx
  • 1 Thought Vessel
  • 1 Tivit, Seller of Secrets
  • 1 Turn Aside
  • 1 Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign
  • 1 Utter End
  • 1 Void Rend
  • 1 Warden of Evos Isle
  • 1 Wash Away
  • 1 Watcher of the Spheres
  • 1 Windreader Sphinx
  • 1 Yennett, Cryptic Sovereign