Mm'menon, the Right HandMm'menon, the Right Hand | Art by Joshua Raphael
Mm'menon, the Right HandMm'menon, the Right Hand certainly isn't a card name that rolls off the tongue, but you know what is a bit more pronounceable? Sensei's Divining TopSensei's Divining Top.
That's right, Edge of Eternities has given us a mono-blue artifact-centric commander for cEDH that'll make pre-ban CounterTop Miracles players giddy with joy as they dig for their favorite namesake artifact game after game after game.
So, who is this Jellyfish, and what makes it worth considering for cEDH? Let's take a look!
What Does Mm'menon, the Right HandMm'menon, the Right Hand Do?
For , Mm'menon is a 3/4 legendary Jellyfish Advisor creature with flying that grants all artifacts you control the ability ": Add . Spend this mana only to cast a spell from anywhere other than your hand." Additionally, Mm'menon allows you to look at the top card of your library at any time, and you may cast artifact spells from the top of your library.
Zooming out, Mm'menon is a bit of a blend between Urza, Lord High ArtificerUrza, Lord High Artificer and Future SightFuture Sight, providing you with a conditional version of each of these two powerhouses' best effects. Urza's mana production is unmatched, but it isn't exactly an excellent source of card advantage - unless you already have infinite mana.
Meanwhile, Future Sight is a perfectly powerful source of cast-from-library card advantage, but it doesn't provide you with any extra mana to get the ball rolling on casting your newly-accessible spells. Mm'menon, however, provides you with both - at the cost of doubling down on the artifact-theme.
Finally, it's worth noting that the mana production from Mm'menon isn't just limited to spells being cast from the top of your library. Should Mm'menon face some sort of removal spell (this is a very commander-centric deck), I readily anticipate that wise players will float mana from their artifacts in order to recast Mm'menon from the command zone during that same phase, should timing restrictions allow.
Similarly, while I don't advocate running Echo of EonsEcho of Eons in Mm'menon, it is one of blue's more popular spells in cEDH with flashback, demonstrating another corner case where Mm'menon's mana production extends beyond the top deck artifacts you'll most assuradly be casting.
Key Cards for Mm'menon, the Right HandMm'menon, the Right Hand
Baubles
These low-to-no cost artifacts are the bread and butter of Mm'menon, comprising a nigh-insurmountable amount of mana advantage as they snowball into each other.
Remember, with Mm'menon in play, each of these artifacts can tap to either go mana positive or mana neutral the turn you cast them. This means that - as soon as the turn Mm'menon hits the field - it isn't wholly unsurprising to watch as an avalanche of artifacts get cast, one paying for the next, straight from the top of the library.
Outside of just being cheap, these baubles also represent card replacement thanks to their similar activated abilities. Whether it's sacrificing Chromatic SphereChromatic Sphere to filter a into , or Urza's BaubleUrza's Bauble to peak at a card from an opponent's hand, each of these cards can also clear a second card from the top of the deck thanks to their incidental card draw.
Mm'menon will always play a whole lot of artifacts, but that isn't the same thing as only playing artifacts, so any additional backup to clear lands or the like from the top of the deck is invaluable.
Top-Deck Manipulation
Speaking of messing with the top of your library, this next category of cards is the more expensive extension of the baubles mentioned above, but with that increased expense comes the benefit of repeatability.
Thanks to baubles, Mm'menon rounds out the deck's mana production and critical mass of low-cost artifacts. Top-deck manipulators, meanwhile, are the one-and-two cost artifacts which serve to maximize the likelihood that Mm'menon's Future Sight-esque effect will actually see a castable card.
Digging into some of these options more closely, Scroll RackScroll Rack provides Mm'menon with the opportunity to take uncastable non-artifact spells from the top, put them into your hand, and put castable artifacts back on top - effectively drawing you as many cards as you have artifacts in your hand.
Grinding StationGrinding Station, meanwhile, forgoes the mana investment gating its activation in order to chew through the top of your library, rather than putting nonartifact cards into your hand. See an artifact on top? Cast it, trigger Grinding Station's untap, float mana from the artifact, then sacrifice it to Grinding Station to clear unusable cards from the top.
Last but not least, Codex ShredderCodex Shredder is the simple pinnacle of what these cards seek to do: mill (or otherwise clear) cards when you need to. At one mana, this artifact can pay for itself to cast a spell from the top of your library or tap to mill a card, giving you another shot at digging one card deeper either way.
Flash Enablers
Artifacts (as well as colorless spells overall) bring with them an extra few flash enablers worth considering, as these layer well with top-deck manipulation so as to provide maximum flexibility in moving cards between zones.
Starting off with Shimmer MyrShimmer Myr, this card brings with it the all-important artifact card type (as well as flash in and of itself), meaning that it can burst onto the scene at a moment's notice, either from your hand or from the top of your deck. Plus, being an artifact, it can tap for Mm'menon mana, repaying its cost in part.
Similarly, Liberator, Urza's BattlethopterLiberator, Urza's Battlethopter also brings with it the artifact card type and the flash ability, as well as the broadening of Shimmer Myr's artifact-condition for flash so as to also apply to colorless spells even if they aren't artifacts (something that'll matter when we look at potential combos).
All in all, flash is a potent ability that most cEDH decks have some access to right now. What sets Mm'menon apart, however, is which enablers it uses: those that can be cast from the top of the library.
How Does Mm'menon, the Right HandMm'menon, the Right Hand Win?
As I not-so-subtly hinted at in the introduction, winning the game with Mm'menon, the Right Hand essentially comes down to one card: Sensei's Divining TopSensei's Divining Top. However, rather than just being an end-game the likes of Thassa's OracleThassa's Oracle, Sensei's Divining Top is also an incredibly powerful single-card engine in this deck without any other support (beyond the commander, that is). So, let's break it down.
Sensei's Divining Top - the Card
For , Sensei's Divining Top is an artifact with two abilities:
- : Look at the top three cards of your library, then put them back in any order
- : Draw a card, then put Sensei's Divining Top on top of its owner's library.
At first, Top looks like a relatively simple source of top-deck manipulation the likes of which low-color decks can especially appreciate in order to smooth out their draws. Given the repeat mana investment and the lack of actual card advantage, however, you wouldn't be mistaken in leaving the evaluation at that: decent, but not exactly striking.
With Mm'menon, however, all hell breaks loose, as this card fits just about every roll you could possibly ask for. Cheap enough to replace itself, thanks to Mm'menon's mana-granting ability? Check. Repeatable top-deck manipulation? Check. A way to clear non-artifact cards from the top of the library and put an artifact in its place? Also check!
In short, when Mm'menon isn't in play, Sensei's Divining Top is a totally reasonable card, meaning that it won't be a feel-bad to draw in the early turns before Mm'menon has been cast. In the mid-to-late game, however, this card is a brutal synergy piece that just short of plays itself.
Sensei's Divining Top - the Combos
Moving to the myriad secondary cards which form the basis of the combos by which Mm'menon wins, three different lines pop out readily. First off: cost reduction.
By reducing Sensei's Divining Top's mana cost to thanks to any of the myriad artifact-reducers in this deck (such as Etherium SculptorEtherium Sculptor), Mm'menon allows for the infinite-casting of Sensei's Divining Top from the top of your library, drawing your deck in the process. Simply tap Top to exchange it with the top card of your library, then recast Top with Mm'menon for , and rinse and repeat.
This segues into either of the next two finishers, both of which deal lethal damage to your opponents: Glaring FleshrakerGlaring Fleshraker, and Aetherflux ReservoirAetherflux Reservoir.
Glaring Fleshraker does two important things: first, whenever you cast a colorless spell (like Sensei's Divining Top), you'll create an Eldrazi Spawn token, which can be sacrificed for a colorless mana; secondly, Glaring Fleshraker will also deal one damage to each opponent, as it does this whenever another colorless creature enters under your control (such as the Eldrazi Spawn).
Paring this with Sensei's Diving Top, you don't even need a cost reducer, as the mana production from the Spawns perfectly keeps pace with the cost of Top.
As for Aetherflux Reservoir, this closer works neatly thanks to the fact that, in order to draw a bunch of cards with the Top and cost reducer combo, you'll need to cast a whole bunch of spells. That'll gain you plenty of life off of Reservoir's triggers, which you can then sink into blowing up your opponents.
Mm'menon, the Right HandMm'menon, the Right Hand cEDH Deck List
Squidward in Space (Mm'menon cEDH)
View on ArchidektCommander (1)
- 1 Mm'menon, the Right HandMm'menon, the Right Hand
Artifacts (38)
- 1 Aether SpellbombAether Spellbomb
- 1 Aetherflux ReservoirAetherflux Reservoir
- 1 Arcane SignetArcane Signet
- 1 Candy TrailCandy Trail
- 1 Chromatic SphereChromatic Sphere
- 1 Chromatic StarChromatic Star
- 1 Chrome MoxChrome Mox
- 1 Cloud KeyCloud Key
- 1 Codex ShredderCodex Shredder
- 1 Conqueror's FlailConqueror's Flail
- 1 Defense GridDefense Grid
- 1 Everflowing ChaliceEverflowing Chalice
- 1 Fellwar StoneFellwar Stone
- 1 Grim MonolithGrim Monolith
- 1 Grinding StationGrinding Station
- 1 Helm of AwakeningHelm of Awakening
- 1 Jeweled AmuletJeweled Amulet
- 1 Lion's Eye DiamondLion's Eye Diamond
- 1 Lotus PetalLotus Petal
- 1 Mana VaultMana Vault
- 1 Manifold KeyManifold Key
- 1 Mishra's BaubleMishra's Bauble
- 1 Moonsnare PrototypeMoonsnare Prototype
- 1 Mox DiamondMox Diamond
- 1 Mox OpalMox Opal
- 1 Pyxis of PandemoniumPyxis of Pandemonium
- 1 Repurposing BayRepurposing Bay
- 1 Sapphire MedallionSapphire Medallion
- 1 Scroll RackScroll Rack
- 1 Semblance AnvilSemblance Anvil
- 1 Sensei's Divining TopSensei's Divining Top
- 1 Sol RingSol Ring
- 1 The One RingThe One Ring
- 1 Unwinding ClockUnwinding Clock
- 1 Urza's BaubleUrza's Bauble
- 1 Uthros Research CraftUthros Research Craft
- 1 Voltaic KeyVoltaic Key
- 1 Witching WellWitching Well
Instants (15)
- 1 An Offer You Can't RefuseAn Offer You Can't Refuse
- 1 Chain of VaporChain of Vapor
- 1 Dramatic ReversalDramatic Reversal
- 1 Fierce GuardianshipFierce Guardianship
- 1 FlusterstormFlusterstorm
- 1 Force of NegationForce of Negation
- 1 Force of WillForce of Will
- 1 Into the Flood MawInto the Flood Maw
- 1 Mana DrainMana Drain
- 1 Mental MisstepMental Misstep
- 1 Mindbreak TrapMindbreak Trap
- 1 Pact of NegationPact of Negation
- 1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific SpringsSink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
- 1 Swan SongSwan Song
- 1 Whir of InventionWhir of Invention
Creatures (16)
- 1 Artificer's AssistantArtificer's Assistant
- 1 Displacer KittenDisplacer Kitten
- 1 Etherium SculptorEtherium Sculptor
- 1 Faerie MastermindFaerie Mastermind
- 1 Foundry InspectorFoundry Inspector
- 1 Glaring FleshrakerGlaring Fleshraker
- 1 Hydroelectric Specimen // Hydroelectric LaboratoryHydroelectric Specimen // Hydroelectric Laboratory
- 1 Liberator, Urza's BattlethopterLiberator, Urza's Battlethopter
- 1 Loyal InventorLoyal Inventor
- 1 MetalworkerMetalworker
- 1 Phyrexian MetamorphPhyrexian Metamorph
- 1 RiddlesmithRiddlesmith
- 1 Shimmer MyrShimmer Myr
- 1 SpellskiteSpellskite
- 1 The Reality ChipThe Reality Chip
- 1 Trinket MageTrinket Mage
Enchantments (3)
- 1 CounterbalanceCounterbalance
- 1 Mystic RemoraMystic Remora
- 1 Rhystic StudyRhystic Study
Sorceries (4)
- 1 ReshapeReshape
- 1 Sea Gate Restoration // Sea Gate, RebornSea Gate Restoration // Sea Gate, Reborn
- 1 TimetwisterTimetwister
- 1 Transmute ArtifactTransmute Artifact
Planeswalkers (1)
- 1 Tezzeret, Cruel CaptainTezzeret, Cruel Captain
Lands (22)
- 1 Academy RuinsAcademy Ruins
- 1 Ancient TombAncient Tomb
- 1 City of TraitorsCity of Traitors
- 1 Command TowerCommand Tower
- 1 Crystal VeinCrystal Vein
- 1 Flooded StrandFlooded Strand
- 1 Fomori VaultFomori Vault
- 1 Gemstone CavernsGemstone Caverns
- 1 Inventors' FairInventors' Fair
- 1 IslandIsland
- 1 Minamo, School at Water's EdgeMinamo, School at Water's Edge
- 1 Mishra's WorkshopMishra's Workshop
- 1 Misty RainforestMisty Rainforest
- 1 Otawara, Soaring CityOtawara, Soaring City
- 1 Polluted DeltaPolluted Delta
- 1 Prismatic VistaPrismatic Vista
- 1 Saprazzan SkerrySaprazzan Skerry
- 1 Scalding TarnScalding Tarn
- 1 Seat of the SynodSeat of the Synod
- 2 Snow-Covered IslandSnow-Covered Island
- 1 Urza's SagaUrza's Saga
Wrap Up
Mm'menon, the Right HandMm'menon, the Right Hand is easily one of the more interesting variations of the "big, blue, artifact" deck that has come out in recent memory. Urza, Lord High ArtificerUrza, Lord High Artificer is still certainly the long-running favorite of the category, but I honestly think that combination of mana and card advantage which Mm'menon offers is simply too high to pass up on.
Is it better than Urza? I'm not sure, but it just might be - and that's exactly why I'm excited to see it in the wild.
Your opinions are welcome. We love hearing what you think about Magic! We ask that you are always respectful when commenting. Please keep in mind how your comments could be interpreted by others. Personal attacks on our writers or other commenters will not be tolerated. Your comments may be removed if your language could be interpreted as aggressive or disrespectful. You may also be banned from writing further comments.