Niv-Mizzet's Grand Athenaeum

Commander / EDH Combo Competitive Control Infinite Combo UR (Izzet)

The_New_Guy

Creature (7)

• 1x Consecrated Sphinx
• 1x Gilded Drake
• 1x Magus of the Future
• 1x Phyrexian Metamorph
• 1x Snapcaster Mage
• 1x Tandem Lookout
• 1x Trinket Mage

Planeswalker (6)

• 1x Chandra, the Firebrand
• 1x Dack Fayden
• 1x Jace, the Mind Sculptor
• 1x Karn Liberated
• 1x Ral Zarek
• 1x Tezzeret the Seeker

Land (35)

• 1x Cascade Bluffs
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Darksteel Citadel
• 1x Desolate Lighthouse
• 1x Forgotten Cave
• 1x Ghost Quarter
• 1x Great Furnace
• 13x Island
• 1x Izzet Guildgate
• 1x Lonely Sandbar
• 1x Minamo, School at Water's Edge
• 3x Mountain
• 1x Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
• 1x Reflecting Pool
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Seat of the Synod
• 1x Steam Vents
• 1x Strip Mine
• 1x Sulfur Falls
• 1x Temple of Epiphany
• 1x Thespian's Stage

Enchantment (5)

• 1x Curiosity
• 1x Future Sight
• 1x Ophidian Eye
• 1x Rhystic Study
• 1x Treachery

Artifact (17)

• 1x Chromatic Lantern
• 1x Coalition Relic
• 1x Coldsteel Heart
• 1x Darksteel Ingot
• 1x Everflowing Chalice
• 1x Fire Diamond
• 1x Gilded Lotus
• 1x Izzet Signet
• 1x Lightning Greaves
• 1x Mind Stone
• 1x Prismatic Lens
• 1x Sensei's Divining Top
• 1x Sky Diamond
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Swiftfoot Boots
• 1x Thran Dynamo
• 1x Worn Powerstone

Instant (15)

• 1x Brainstorm
• 1x Capsize
• 1x Counterspell
• 1x Cyclonic Rift
• 1x Dissipate
• 1x Electrolyze
• 1x Evacuation
• 1x Fact or Fiction
• 1x Forbid
• 1x Hinder
• 1x Memory Lapse
• 1x Mystical Tutor
• 1x Pongify
• 1x Swan Song
• 1x Thirst for Knowledge

Sorcery (14)

• 1x Bribery
• 1x Compulsive Research
• 1x Decree of Annihilation
• 1x Jokulhaups
• 1x Merchant Scroll
• 1x Obliterate
• 1x Ponder
• 1x Preordain
• 1x Time Spiral
• 1x Time Stretch
• 1x Time Warp
• 1x Vandalblast
• 1x Wash Out
• 1x Winds of Change

Commander (1)

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Maybeboard

Creature (1)

• 1x Mulldrifter

Land (1)

• 1x Opal Palace

Enchantment (1)

• 1x Mind Over Matter

Artifact (1)

• 1x Elixir of Immortality

Instant (3)

• 1x Spell Crumple
• 1x Spell Shrivel
• 1x Time Stop

Sorcery (3)

• 1x Blatant Thievery
• 1x Fabricate
• 1x Walk the Aeons

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To those in tune with the Firemind, there is no difference between knowledge and flame.

"scientia est potentia (knowledge is power)", nothing describes Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind better than that. And what greater knowledge or power can you ask for other than card advantage. With card advantage, we will always have a better option, the right decision, the right answers. With an "inexhaustible" amount of cards at our disposal, our strategies are limitless. I present you Niv-Mizzet's Grand Athenaeum , a EDH deck designed to have card advantage at all times. "Learning never exhausts the mind." It is even more true when it comes to Niv-Mizzet's Grand Athenaeum in particular. With each spell cast, every turn played, this deck learns new strategies and provides the necessary answers needed to handle the myriad possibilities of situations. So please, do feel free to share your opinions and suggestions to help this deck evolve into the epitome of Wits and Cunning.

Infinite Combo

• Curiosity + Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind : Draw entire of your remaining library and deal 1 damage for each card.

• Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind + Ophidian Eye : Draw entire of your remaining library and deal 1 damage for each card.

• Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind + Tandem Lookout : Draw entire of your remaining library and deal 1 damage for each card. (last damage must be deal to Tandem Lookout because it is not a may draw ability)

Synergy

• Chandra, the Firebrand 's -2 ability + Bribery / Merchant Scroll = Tutor twice.

• Chandra, the Firebrand 's -2 ability + Time Stretch / Time Warp = Double the extra turns.

• Consecrated Sphinx + Winds of Change = (Depending on the number of players) Draw half your library.

• Decree of Annihilation + Karn Liberated's +4 ability = Lock down your opponent.

• Future Sight / Magus of the Future + Sensei's Divining Top = 1 colourless mana, draw a card.

• Gilded Drake / Snapcaster Mage / Trinket Mage + Jace, the Mind Sculptor's -1 ability = repeatable ETB effects.

Strategy

This deck wins the game mainly by using the infinite combos mentioned above. To get these combos out, this deck utilizes cantrips to draw into the win cons. This way, we not only generate lots of card advantage, we also align ourselves to Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind's ability to deal 1 damage to target creature or opponent per draw.

The strategy of the deck is to mana ramp with all your mana rocks as quickly as possible. In the mean time, cantrip with your draw spells and protect yourself until you draw into your combo.

Even though Niv-Mizzet's Grand Athenaeum doesn't have a lot of creatures, it can stand up to aggro and token decks with ease. Thanks to powerful removal spells like Cyclonic Rift, Decree of Annihilation, Evacuation, Jokulhaups , Obliterate , Vandalblast and Wash Out, these will ensure the destruction of any creature or resource advantages others may have over you.

Add in a few control spells like Counterspell and it will really ruin your opponent's day. Utility creatures like Consecrated Sphinx help to boost the decks synergy while others like Gilded Drake and Snapcaster Mage gives you more versatility.

Hey check out my deck Polukranos, World Eater

Hey check out my deck Prossh, Top of the Food Chain

Date added	10 years
Last updated	5 years
Key combos	Curiosity + Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind + Ophidian Eye Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind + Tandem Lookout
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	8 - 0 Mythic Rares 30 - 0 Rares 28 - 0 Uncommons 18 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.29
Tokens	Ape 3/3 G, Bird 2/2 U, Emblem Dack Fayden