Paradoxless Glissa

Commander / EDH Artifact BG (Golgari)

UndercoverElephant

Land (29)

• 1x Ash Barrens
• 1x Blast Zone
• 1x Blooming Marsh
• 1x Boseiju, Who Shelters All
• 1x Castle Locthwain
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Forbidden Orchard
• 1x Forest
• 1x Inventors' Fair
• 1x Isolated Watchtower
• 1x Llanowar Wastes
• 1x Overgrown Tomb
• 1x Phyrexian Tower
• 1x Polluted Delta
• 1x Prismatic Vista
• 1x Snow-Covered Forest
• 1x Snow-Covered Swamp
• 1x Spire of Industry
• 1x Swamp
• 1x Temple of Malady
• 1x Tomb of the Spirit Dragon
• 1x Tree of Tales
• 1x Twilight Mire
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x Vault of Whispers
• 1x Verdant Catacombs
• 1x Windswept Heath
• 1x Woodland Cemetery
• 1x Zhalfirin Void

Sorcery (6)

• 1x Ancient Stirrings
• 1x Innocent Blood
• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Diabolic Intent
• 1x Uncage the Menagerie
• 1x Toxic Deluge

Artifact (27)

• 1x Astral Cornucopia
• 1x Chrome Mox
• 1x Engineered Explosives
• 1x Everflowing Chalice
• 1x Lotus Petal
• 1x Mana Crypt
• 1x Mishra's Bauble
• 1x Mox Opal
• 1x Urza's Bauble
• 1x Avarice Totem
• 1x Codex Shredder
• 1x Expedition Map
• 1x Mana Vault
• 1x Manifold Key
• 1x Nihil Spellbomb
• 1x Sensei's Divining Top
• 1x Skullclamp
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Viridian Longbow
• 1x Voltaic Key
• 1x Grim Monolith
• 1x Nim Deathmantle
• 1x Scroll Rack
• 1x Wishclaw Talisman
• 1x Staff of Domination
• 1x Birthing Pod
• 1x Krark-Clan Ironworks

Instant (13)

• 1x Culling the Weak
• 1x Dark Ritual
• 1x Entomb
• 1x Natural State
• 1x Nature's Claim
• 1x Noxious Revival
• 1x Vampiric Tutor
• 1x Veil of Summer
• 1x Abrupt Decay
• 1x Assassin's Trophy
• 1x Plunge into Darkness
• 1x Tainted Pact
• 1x Ad Nauseam

Commander (1)

Creature (20)

• 1x Hangarback Walker
• 1x Ornithopter
• 1x Stonecoil Serpent
• 1x Walking Ballista
• 1x Birds of Paradise
• 1x Deathrite Shaman
• 1x Hope of Ghirapur
• 1x Myr Mindservant
• 1x Arcbound Ravager
• 1x Dark Confidant
• 1x Lesser Masticore
• 1x Melira, Sylvok Outcast
• 1x Myr Retriever
• 1x Perilous Myr
• 1x Phyrexian Revoker
• 1x Cathodion
• 1x Junk Diver
• 1x Metalworker
• 1x Scrap Trawler
• 1x Dross Scorpion

Enchantment (4)

• 1x Carpet of Flowers
• 1x Concordant Crossroads
• 1x Sylvan Library
• 1x Necropotence

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This deck used to centre around a Paradox Engine storm, until it was banned. Now it generally aims for an Ad Nauseam setup to draw 20+ cards, then creating infinite grey mana through KCI sac loops, and finishing everyone off with direct damage.

Total CMC 102, excluding Glissa, so an Ad Naus should average 1 card per 1 life or thereabouts. Typical game plan: find that card as soon as possible, and choose the right moment to play it.

Glissa herself

Glissa does not always feature, but helps grind out value in long games. She is often worth playing in turn 3 as a powerful decoy while getting ready for an Ad Naus in turn 4. First strike, Deathtouch is great for protecting a life total, and people immediately start worrying about your graveyard.

Also she makes up for a lack of blue spells - there isn't much point countering an artifact when she's around.

Sac combos

Using either Krark-Clan Ironworks alone or Arcbound Ravager + Dross Scorpion + Sol Ring as the engine

1. Myr Retriever + Scrap Trawler + artifacts with CMC 3, 1 and 0 in the graveyard
2. Lesser Masticore + Melira, Sylvok Outcast
3. Cathodion + Nim Deathmantle
4. Also straight win via Metalworker + Staff of Domination

Wins via Walking Ballista , Nim Deathmantle + Perilous Myr , or Dross Scorpion + either Viridian Longbow or Codex Shredder

Birthing Pod Sequence

Birthing Pod + Dross Scorpion + any mana rock + a CMC 1 artifact creature is a game win sequence, as follows (requires 12 mana total + 12 life):

• 1) Sac e.g. Hope of Ghirapur to Birthing Pod to fetch Myr Retriever ; sac Myr Retriever to fetch Scrap Trawler ; return and replay Hope of Ghirapur .
• 2) Sac Hope of Ghirapur to fetch Arcbound Ravager ; sac Arcbound Ravager to fetch Junk Diver ; return and replay Hope of Ghirapur .
• 3) Sac Hope of Ghirapur to fetch Perilous Myr ; sac Junk Diver (fetching nothing); return and replay Myr Retriever and Arcbound Ravager .
• 4) Now use Arcbound Ravager as sac outlet and Dross Scorpion to untap a mana rock, sac-ing Myr Retriever and Junk Diver to return the others, dealing damage with Perilous Myr

If there's a CMC 2 or 3 artifact creature in your graveyard, you can shortcut (requires 9 mana total and 10 life):

• 1) Sac Hope of Ghirapur to fetch Myr Retriever ; sac Myr Retriever to fetch Scrap Trawler ; return and replay e.g. Phyrexian Revoker .
• 2) Sac Phyrexian Revoker to fetch Junk Diver ; return and replay Hope of Ghirapur .
• 3) Sac Hope of Ghirapur to fetch Arcbound Ravager .
• 4) Now use Arcbound Ravager as sac outlet and Dross Scorpion to untap a mana rock, sac Junk Diver to return and replay Hope of Ghirapur and Myr Retriever ; sac Hope of Ghirapur to pod to fetch Perilous Myr and you're away..

This is not easy to pull off, and not how the deck normally wins (see combos above), but it is the centre-piece of the deck when not simply heading straight for Ad Nauseam . The components synergise with all other artifacts, and it can be done in stages. E.g. add Mishra's Bauble and you'll draw a load of cards in the process.

Opening Hand

If the opening hand has no card draw or tutor, mulligan it. Finding the key cards is essential, especially without access to Blue.

• Priority: Ad Nauseam , Necropotence , Demonic Tutor , Vampiric Tutor , Diabolic Intent , Birthing Pod
• Otherwise: Dark Confidant , Scroll Rack , Sensei's Divining Top , Sylvan Library , Skullclamp , Uncage the Menagerie

Statistically there's a 61% chance of one or more of those 12 in any 7 cards. If it's one of the second 6, probably needs a backup like Ancient Stirrings or Entomb

What it needs

Bayou , Mox Diamond , Imperial Seal , maybe a few more fetch lands

What if...

...they un-ban Paradox Engine ? I guess it would probably make the cut.

Date added	5 years
Last updated	5 years
Key combos	Metalworker + Staff of Domination Myr Retriever + Scrap Trawler Cathodion + Nim Deathmantle Arcbound Ravager + Dross Scorpion + Sol Ring Lesser Masticore + Melira, Sylvok Outcast Nim Deathmantle + Perilous Myr Birthing Pod + Dross Scorpion
Legality	This deck is not Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	11 - 0 Mythic Rares 49 - 0 Rares 18 - 0 Uncommons 18 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	1.49
Tokens	Spirit 1/1 C, Thopter 1/1 C