The Deck Thief [PRIMER]

Commander / EDH Mill Rogues UB (Dimir) Unblockable

DavidBray

Creature (32)

• 1x Adaptive Automaton
• 1x Brazen Borrower
• 1x Cephalid Facetaker
• 1x Changeling Outcast
• 1x Consuming Aberration
• 1x Dauthi Voidwalker
• 1x Frogtosser Banneret
• 1x Ghostly Pilferer
• 1x Glen Elendra Liege
• 1x Grim Hireling
• 1x Guiltfeeder
• 1x Inkfathom Infiltrator
• 1x Invisible Stalker
• 1x Mari, the Killing Quill
• 1x Merfolk Windrobber
• 1x Metallic Mimic
• 1x Nemesis of Reason
• 1x Nighthawk Scavenger
• 1x Notion Thief
• 1x Oona's Blackguard
• 1x Sakashima of a Thousand Faces
• 1x Sakashima the Impostor
• 1x Slither Blade
• 1x Soaring Thought-Thief
• 1x Solemn Doomguide
• 1x Stinkdrinker Bandit
• 1x Thieves' Guild Enforcer
• 1x Thieving Skydiver
• 1x Triton Shorestalker
• 1x True-Name Nemesis
• 1x Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire
• 1x Zareth San, the Trickster

Land (34)

• 1x Access Tunnel
• 1x Bojuka Bog
• 1x Clearwater Pathway  ^Flip
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Darkslick Shores
• 1x Drowned Catacomb
• 1x Evolving Wilds
• 1x Fabled Passage
• 8x Island
• 1x Mutavault
• 1x Polluted Delta
• 1x Prismatic Vista
• 1x River of Tears
• 1x Secluded Courtyard
• 1x Shipwreck Marsh
• 1x Shizo, Death's Storehouse
• 1x Sunken Hollow
• 1x Sunken Ruins
• 5x Swamp
• 1x Terramorphic Expanse
• 1x Underground River
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x Watery Grave

Enchantment (7)

• 1x Animate Dead
• 1x Bitterblossom
• 1x Bloodchief Ascension
• 1x Fraying Sanity
• 1x Psychic Corrosion
• 1x Reconnaissance Mission
• 1x Sphinx's Tutelage

Sorcery (6)

• 1x Increasing Confusion
• 1x Knowledge Exploitation
• 1x Mind Grind
• 1x Notorious Throng
• 1x Reanimate
• 1x Scheming Symmetry

Commander (1)

Artifact (10)

• 1x Altar of Dementia
• 1x Altar of the Brood
• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Cloak and Dagger
• 1x Dimir Signet
• 1x Lightning Greaves
• 1x Mindcrank
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Swiftfoot Boots
• 1x Whispersilk Cloak

Instant (9)

• 1x AEtherize
• 1x Counterspell
• 1x Cyclonic Rift
• 1x Drown in the Loch
• 1x Fierce Guardianship
• 1x Memory Lapse
• 1x Negate
• 1x Visions of Beyond
• 1x Vraska's Contempt

Planeswalker (1)

• 1x Jace, Memory Adept

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Maybeboard

Creature (2)

• 1x Bruvac the Grandiloquent
• 1x Spark Double

Artifact (1)

• 1x Vorpal Sword

Instant (2)

• 1x Keep Watch
• 1x Mana Drain

Land (1)

• 1x Cavern of Souls

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Anowon, the Ruin Thief rogue tribal deck which aims to mill opponents to death. Uses cheap, evasive rogue cards and tokens to create a wide army to mill equal to power, as well as setting up some larger pieces to mill more significant portions of the opponent's library.

Unblockable

Invisible Stalker - the 'perfect' unblockable creature. Hexproof. Unblockable. Tricorn hat.

Dauthi Voidwalker - basically 'unblockable', with the added bonus of snatching from among the opponent's best cards for just a sacrifice.

True-Name Nemesis - the 'perfect' unblockable creature MK. II. Since I play a lot of 2 player Commander, this is almost always an unblockable, hexproof beater with 3 damage (and 3 milled cards) on a protected body.

Slither Blade & Triton Shorestalker - your go-to 1CMC unblockable rogues, Slither Blade being the best value - of course - because of it's tougher body.

Changeling Outcast - a weaker Slither Blade, as it can't block. This deck doesn't intend to do much blocking, but not having the option makes this weaker than I'd like.

Inkfathom Infiltrator - Similar to Changeling Outcast, a less strong Invisible Stalker, without hexproof and can't block. Still, a flexible mana cost means this is one of the most reliable creatures in the deck.

Cephalid Facetaker - Doesn't hit for much at 1 power, but has the ability to duplicate any tribal effects or attack triggars. If only it had an 'if that creature is legendary, it is not legendary' clause, but we can hope for Sakashima of a Thousand Faces in Magical Christmas Land.

Guiltfeeder - 'fear' is a less strong 'unblockable'/'can't be blocked', but if it isn't...

Shizo, Death's Storehouse - helps Zareth San, the Trickster keep bringing opponent's creatures out, helps Anowon, the Ruin Thief not die in a push, helps Sakashima the Impostor continue to be whoever he's pretending to be.

Ghostly Pilferer - Technically unblockable, although I never like it. Sure, I can Reanimate a creature I discard, but this card really focuses on its previous 2 abilities.

Rogue +1/+1

Anowon, the Ruin Thief - So cheap, so impactful. It's not often that the deck's commander gives a straight up tribal +1/+1.

Glen Elendra Liege - with only 2 creatures not of a colour, and 9 creatures bloth Blue and Black, this is a very nice pump with a very flexible casting cost.

Adaptive Automaton - I'd prefer a more tribally focused effect for 3CMC (like the Dark Ascension captains) but in lieu of that a simple +1/+1 can't hurt.

Metallic Mimic - less powerful than Adaptive Automaton, as it doesn't change the board when it comes down, but if we're lucky enough to get it out early enough, it can be a fun feeder for the deck.

Oona's Blackguard - similar to Metallic Mimic but with a great payoff later, especially if Mimic has already built up the board.

Stinkdrinker Bandit - takes a bit to jump through these hoops, but several of these rogues are unblockable, so an aggressive, power-focused pump play's well with Anowon, the Ruin Thief's M.O.

Soaring Thought-Thief - again, takes a bit to get moving, but +1/+0 isn't the worst effect.

Rogue Tribal

Bitterblossom - more rogues are essential, even at the cost of 1 life, and evasive rogues are even better.

Frogtosser Banneret - can reduce the costs of 12 rogues in this deck,especially Anowon, the Ruin Thief and his commander tax, and the haste isn't to be sniffed at, either.

Solemn Doomguide - sure, it's 'Party' focused, but allowing me to eke out 1 more turn's value from each of my rogues allows this to have possibly a lot of impact on a battlefield where I would usually have to make choices of whether to attack or not.

Zareth San, the Trickster - the 7 unblockable and 6 flying rogues in the deck could, at any moment, become a 4/4 beater with upside...and I get to recast the rogue to boot.

Notorious Throng - Bitterblossom without life loss, or even a Temporal Mastery with board filling.

Cloak and Dagger - odd one, as most of the rogues don't have haste, but since Anowon, the Ruin Thief's ability is power based, this mills an extra 2 cards and protects a target...probably Anowon himself.

Mari, the Killing Quill - Interesting mode of tribal, making opponents either 1) not want to block, or 2) block and die, or 3) block, die, some get through and I draw cards and make treasures. Have to see this in action, but this could be very fun.

Mill Synergy

Anowon, the Ruin Thief - I genuinely never thought I'd see mill even slightly viable in Commander, let alone like this, but drawing a card on a successful push keeps the engine moving. This means the deck needs to reliably be able to get him out to be successful. Now, imagine how out of hand it would be if it said 'for each creature card milled this way'...

Altar of the Brood - for 1 mana, we turn every permanent into mill 1. Between the many Rogues in the deck, the not insignificant amount of artifacts or cards like Notorious Throng, there will be more than enough permanents to get this card firing off.

Altar of Dementia - In a pinch, I can sac my board for a win, in response to a board wipe I can get last minute value, if my rogues are blocked successfully they can still serve the main plan: a game changing card.

Bloodchief Ascension - with unblockable creatures, this is very easy to activate. Deal damage, mill cards, more damage, heal...and if Mind Crank is out, this takes an opponent out of the game.

Consuming Aberration - With so many mill triggars, this is a reliable mid-game beater.

Guiltfeeder - his fear was mentioned earlier, but at 5CMC, this is a great final push to make all the mill so far count.

Scheming Symmetry - find that piece you really want...and mill it straight into your graveyard. Might as well say "Can only be cast on precombat main phase."

Zareth San, the Trickster - and if Scheming Symmetry hits a perfect piece, bring it back onto my side of the board. Rarely makes it to a second triggar because of either its blockable nature or removal, but fun while it lasts.

Fraying Sanity - double the mill! Mill if you've already milled, mill if we've killed your creatures, mill if you've cast an instant or sorcery, mill if you've set up reanimate...

Visions of Beyond - Ancestral Recall might be banned in Commander, but this beauty isn't.

Into the Story - talking of beauty, 4CMC for draw 4 cards...it's not the most potent, but it really helps restock late-game.

Drown in the Loch - modal gem that is able to deal with most threats after just a few turns, and sits in that perfect space of being able to counter if mana is held open, or deal with issues in later turns, if not, allowing more aggressive rogues.

Animate Dead and Reanimate - recur the biggest enemy threats for very little mana. More often than not, Animate Dead is stronger, as this deck doesn't have as much life gain, but Reanimate can often help me bring back my own, cheaper CMC creatures.

Extra Mill

Consuming Aberration - with a deck that focuses on 2CMC, this becomes Mind Funeral regularly.

Nemesis of Reason - less mana and better art than Fleet Swallower, this allows me to live my Glimpse the Unthinkable dreams.

Jace, Memory Adept - just like Nemesis, another Glimpse the Unthinkable on a stick, for a 0 loyalty ability, as well as a good finisher once the opponent's graveyard is suitably swollen.

Thieves' Guild Enforcer - with 23 rogues in the deck, this could hit half of a deck on her own (in magical christmas land).

Increasing Confusion - just like Oona, Queen of the Fae this hits all I have mana open for...and then flashbacks the following turn or double. Inefficient, but scalable.

Merfolk Windrobber - allows an early game push, pre-Anowon, but mill 1 is pretty feeble. More important is sacking this late game when Sphinx's Tutelage or Teferi's Tutelage is on the board.

Mind Grind - unsure, as this costs 6 mana to do what Mind Funeral can do for 3 mana, but it is scalable.

Mindcrank - acts as a second Anowon, the Ruin Thief and, as previously mentioned, sets up an infinite combo with Bloodchief Ascension.

Sphinx's Tutelage & Psychic Corrosion - 'Strictly better' Teferi's Tutelages that repays its investment every upkeep and works beautifully with Visions of Beyond.

Nephalia Drownyard - neither here nor there, but if 3 mana is unused on an opponent's endstep, it can't hurt to have options.

Soaring Thought-Thief - if only it didn't say "or more", but every bit of mill helps.

Top Ranked	Achieved #35 position overall 3 years ago Achieved #23 position in Commander / EDH 3 years ago Achieved #2 position in Commander / EDH Mill 3 years ago Achieved #2 position in Commander / EDH UB (Dimir) 3 years ago
Date added	4 years
Last updated	2 years
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	5 - 0 Mythic Rares 50 - 0 Rares 22 - 0 Uncommons 10 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	2.68
Tokens	Faerie Rogue 1/1 B, On an Adventure, Treasure
Folders	Commander Decks, Ben possible decks, Mill, Rogue ideas