Gift Giver Jon - by Dviance

Format: Commander

Commander: Jon Irenicus, Shattered One

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 36

Deck overview

Led by Jon Irenicus, Shattered One, this Dimir control deck executes a dedicated bad-gifts strategy by casting over-statted creatures with crippling drawbacks and donating them to opponents. On turn 4, Jon donates threats like Steel Golem, Desecration Elemental, Demonic Taskmaster, or Archfiend of the Dross, granting them +1/+1 counters, permanent goad, and sacrifice immunity. This forces opponents to attack one another while suffering devastating upkeep triggers, forced sacrifices, or casting lockouts. Each attack by an owned creature draws a card, fueling a steady stream of countermagic, removal, and additional gifts. Defensive tools such as Crawlspace, Dissipation Field, and Aetherize protect your life total as opponents whittle each other down. Once the table is thinned to the final opponent, large goaded beaters, life-halving effects like Ebonblade Reaper, or alternate timers like Archfiend of the Dross close out the game.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Abyssal Persecutor
  • 1 Aetherize
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Archfiend of the Dross
  • 1 Bloodthirsty Blade
  • 1 Bojuka Bog
  • 1 Brainstorm
  • 1 Clever Impersonator
  • 1 Clone
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Commander's Sphere
  • 1 Contaminated Aquifer
  • 1 Counterspell
  • 1 Countersquall
  • 1 Crawlspace
  • 1 Curse of Verbosity
  • 1 Dark Ritual
  • 1 Darkwater Catacombs
  • 1 Decanter of Endless Water
  • 1 Demonic Taskmaster
  • 1 Desecration Elemental
  • 1 Diabolic Tutor
  • 1 Dimir Aqueduct
  • 1 Dimir Guildgate
  • 1 Dimir Locket
  • 1 Dimir Signet
  • 1 Dismal Backwater
  • 1 Dispel
  • 1 Dissipation Field
  • 1 Dreadship Reef
  • 1 Drinker of Sorrow
  • 1 Ebon Drake
  • 1 Ebonblade Reaper
  • 1 Evil Eye of Urborg
  • 1 Evolving Wilds
  • 1 Exchange of Words
  • 1 Exotic Orchard
  • 1 Fell
  • 1 Fellwar Stone
  • 1 Field of Ruin
  • 1 Flesh Reaver
  • 1 Gisa, Glorious Resurrector
  • 1 Go for the Throat
  • 1 Greater Harvester
  • 1 Hasran Ogress
  • 7 Island
  • 1 Jon Irenicus, Shattered One
  • 1 Jwar Isle Refuge
  • 1 Liege of the Pit
  • 1 Lord of the Pit
  • 1 Mask of Riddles
  • 1 Memorial to Folly
  • 1 Midnight Clock
  • 1 Mocking Doppelganger
  • 1 Morkrut Necropod
  • 1 Murky Sewer
  • 1 Myriad Landscape
  • 1 Notion Thief
  • 1 Parasitic Impetus
  • 1 Plague Reaver
  • 1 Ponder
  • 1 Port of Karfell
  • 1 Preordain
  • 1 Priest of the Blood Rite
  • 1 Psychic Impetus
  • 1 Ravenform
  • 1 Reliquary Tower
  • 1 Rogue's Passage
  • 1 Rotting Regisaur
  • 1 Run Away Together
  • 1 Sign in Blood
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Sower of Discord
  • 1 Steel Golem
  • 1 Strionic Resonator
  • 1 Stuffy Doll
  • 7 Swamp
  • 1 Swiftfoot Boots
  • 1 Switcheroo
  • 1 Sygg, River Cutthroat
  • 1 Syphon Mind
  • 1 Temple of Deceit
  • 1 Temple of the False God
  • 1 Terramorphic Expanse
  • 1 Underground River
  • 1 Verity Circle
  • 1 Vivisurgeon's Insight
  • 1 Wretched Anurid