Symbiote Spider-ManSymbiote Spider-Man | Art by Paolo Rivera

Welcome to a deck tech built around a recently spoiled card from the upcoming Marvel's Spider-Man set. Today, we're going to...

• Highlight a new potential commander from Marvel's Spider-Man and describe some game plans
• Build a budget-friendly (~$40) "Core" power level deck following these plans
• Work through important card categories and discuss notable inclusions
• Include a decklist and a deck checklist
• Go through mid-budget upgrades (<=$20 per card) as options to invest more into this strategy

For this week, let's take a look at Symbiote Spider-ManSymbiote Spider-Man.

What Does Symbiote Spider-Man Do?

This commander acts as a type of Thieving MagpieThieving Magpie – dealing combat damage to an opponent will result in continual card advantage. Luckily for us, triggering abilities like these are easier in multiplayer formats than in 1v1, because there are more potential players to attack. Its first ability also resembles Forbidden AlchemyForbidden Alchemy, because the cards that aren't selected can still be useful if you have a graveyard-centric strategy.

Symbiote Spider-ManSymbiote Spider-Man's second ability is reminiscent of the recent renew ability. Exiling it from our graveyard will grant another creature (hopefully one with high power) an upgraded version of its card selection and self-mill capabilities.

The Game Plan(s)

Two main things about this commander stand out:

1. We'll need a creature-heavy deck. Keeping the creature count high means having a target to have this Spider-Man latch onto from the graveyard, keeping the card advantage flowing.
2. We'll need a graveyard-focused deck. Making the most out of this commander's ability means filling our deck with cards that care about having lots of cards in the graveyard, including abilities like delve, descend, flashback, threshold, unearth, and other synergies.

With that being said, what cards can fit one or both of these categories?

Graveyard-Based Creatures

Filling the Graveyard

Beyond our commander, cheap creatures like Snarling GorehoundSnarling Gorehound, Stitcher's SupplierStitcher's Supplier, Dogged DetectiveDogged Detective, and Veteran Ice ClimberVeteran Ice Climber will begin filling our graveyard in the early game.

These are all both self-mill enablers and beneficiaries of a stocked graveyard:

• Aven HeartstabberAven Heartstabber
• Cruel SomnophageCruel Somnophage
• Lazav, the MultifariousLazav, the Multifarious
• The Ancient OneThe Ancient One
• The Warring TriadThe Warring Triad
• Siegfried, Famed SwordsmanSiegfried, Famed Swordsman

Big Graveyard Matters

Creatures like Hollow MarauderHollow Marauder, Avatar of WoeAvatar of Woe, Huskburster SwarmHuskburster Swarm, and TombstalkerTombstalker are top-end threats whose cost is reduced by our large graveyard. They're also all large, evasive creatures, which makes them great targets for our commander's +1/+1 counter ability.

Cards like Avenger of the FallenAvenger of the Fallen, Graveblade MarauderGraveblade Marauder, Kiora, the Rising TideKiora, the Rising Tide, and Apocalypse DemonApocalypse Demon follow suit, turning into scarier threats the larger our graveyard becomes.

Symbiote Spider-Man's effect allows for deeper digging and more milling the larger a creature's power is. These cards will work well in this strategy:

• Ghoul's FeastGhoul's Feast
• Boneyard MycodraxBoneyard Mycodrax
• Criminal PastCriminal Past
• NighthowlerNighthowler
• BonehoardBonehoard

Returning From the Dead

With lots of self-milling, we'll make sure to include some cards that matter while they're in the graveyard. This can take the form of evasion enablers to fill our commander's need to connect in combat, like:

• Artful DodgeArtful Dodge
• Dragon ShadowDragon Shadow
• Dragon WingsDragon Wings
• Demonic EmbraceDemonic Embrace
• WonderWonder

It also means running creatures that can return themselves from the grave after getting milled, like:

• Bloodsoaked ChampionBloodsoaked Champion
• GutterbonesGutterbones
• Dogged DetectiveDogged Detective
• Scourge of Nel TothScourge of Nel Toth
• Master of DeathMaster of Death
• NarcomoebaNarcomoeba
• Skaab RuinatorSkaab Ruinator
• Skeleton CrewSkeleton Crew

In the late game, an unearthed Kederekt LeviathanKederekt Leviathan can reset the board in a pinch.

Cards Leaving Your Graveyard

With all this casting and returning from graveyards, cards like Skeleton CrewSkeleton Crew, Tormod, the DesecratorTormod, the Desecrator, Desecrated TombDesecrated Tomb, and Defiled CryptDefiled Crypt can begin building out an army of tokens.

River KelpieRiver Kelpie joins in the party to generate some card advantage (and look how well our commander's second ability combines with its persist ability!).