Golbez, Crystal CollectorGolbez, Crystal Collector | Art by Bachzim

As someone who has never played Final Fantasy - in fact, actively avoided the franchise - I am delightfully surprised by the designs of the set. Many legends have caught my eye, but the card for the stern and stoic Collector who fancies his CrystalsCrystals is a design I simply haven't been able to shake.

What Does Golbez, Crystal CollectorGolbez, Crystal Collector Do?

Like a surprising amount of legends from this set, Golbez, Crystal CollectorGolbez, Crystal Collector is a two-mana legend, which means he can come down early or at the right time for cheap.

In my experience with this deck, you'll want Golbez out as soon as possible thanks to his first ability. Getting to surveil 1 for each artifact that enters under your control means that you'll be able to plan ahead and fill your graveyard for some selection and then some. As a 1/4, he deters some swings coming your way, which is a nice bonus.

What's this "then some" I'm on about? If you've got four artifacts, you've got a Raise DeadRaise Dead. If you control eight artifacts, your Raise DeadRaise Dead hits each opponent equal to the creature's power.

A Dimir artifact or pseudo-self-mill commander isn't necessarily new territory for the color pair, but there's something fresh about what Golbez can do. With this deck, you'll want to sit back and build up a board full of artifacts so you can put the hurt on your opponents.

Using the built-in surveil from Golbez and discard, you'll be able to bring huge creatures to chip away at your opponents. 

Making the Engine Hum

There are several branches to making this deck work: copying Golbez's end step trigger, playing a ton of artifacts, and putting creatures with huge power into your graveyard.

Fortunately, Final Fantasy brings us cards like Gogo, Master of MimicryGogo, Master of Mimicry and Y'shtola RhulY'shtola Rhul that allow you to trigger Golbez's end step trigger a few times. Sakashima of a Thousand FacesSakashima of a Thousand Faces and Roaming ThroneRoaming Throne are other inclusions to get another pop out of the Collector.

If you really like this way to get going, Spark DoubleSpark Double is another good choice, but as a 0/0, your end step trigger won't hurt anybody, but you can get a little wild the next turn.

With cards like Etherium SculptorEtherium Sculptor and Cloud KeyCloud Key you'll be able to get your mana rocks out quicker while sculpting your top-deck from Golbez's surveil trigger. Crafting that perfect top-deck also comes with putting together a great graveyard.

I'll say, for those who go with an artifact creature heavy build, Semblance AnvilSemblance Anvil can send your deck into overdrive.

Surveilling isn't the only way to get your big creatures into the graveyard. With my version of a Golbez deck, discarding your big creatures is a way to get the ones stuck in your hand back in the graveyard so Golbez can dig them back to your hand again.

Whether by cycling them like with Void BeckonerVoid Beckoner and Rhet-Tomb MysticRhet-Tomb Mystic, looting with Rona, Herald of InvasionRona, Herald of Invasion, or having your artifacts trigger Rook TurretRook Turret and Transplant TheoristTransplant Theorist, your graveyard will be what you make it.

Plus, packing a Monument to EnduranceMonument to Endurance just makes sense! An artifact to trigger Golbez that'll make another artifact to trigger Golbez while you're filling your graveyard for when you trigger Golbez? Sign me up!

Other cool cards in the deck? You got it!

Street WraithStreet Wraith allows you to trade life for a card, and when you've only got between four and seven artifacts in play, Golbez lets you have it back to ditch for another card. Matoya, Archon ElderMatoya, Archon Elder overperforms in this deck, I promise. Drawing on each surveil means you'll keep your graveyard and your hand stocked every time an artifact lands.

My favorite card in the deck to play with Golbez is Unshakable TailUnshakable Tail, which gives you a Clue token whenever you surveil a creature to your graveyard. Then what? I guess I surveil again! And with a deck that has 40 creatures, you'll probably make a ton of Clue tokens and have a thick graveyard for that Bringer of the Last GiftBringer of the Last Gift you held onto.

The Tail was a great reason to keep Academy ManufactorAcademy Manufactor in the list, but I opted not to...this time.

Putting the Nail in Your Opponents' Coffins

How does Golbez win a game of Commander? Let me count the ways!

Golbez, Crystal CollectorGolbez, Crystal Collector's end step trigger is a great way to get the game over and done with. There are several different types of creatures in the deck that pack a punch when they come back to your hand.

Returning a Consuming AberrationConsuming Aberration in the late game can punish self-mill strategies. BroodstarBroodstar and Master of EtheriumMaster of Etherium are excellent targets for at least eight points of life loss for each opponent. There are a few fixed rate creatures to snap up like Phyrexian DreadnoughtPhyrexian Dreadnought and Kozilek, the Great DistortionKozilek, the Great Distortion that'll ring some bells as well.

While the end step trigger can chip away at opponents, it can also win the game on the spot if you've got a full yard and those end step trigger copiers mentioned above. If you get two copies of this ability and you bring back a Void BeckonerVoid Beckoner and a Death's ShadowDeath's Shadow, that's 21 damage to each opponent. You might want to pack a Bloodthirsty ConquerorBloodthirsty Conqueror to stave off on the crack back if this doesn't kill the table, but I'm a gambler and chose not to include it.

My favorite finisher inclusions in the deck are Archfiend of DespairArchfiend of Despair and Wound ReflectionWound Reflection. While the Archfiend doesn't outright copy Golbez's end step trigger, it packs double the punch, and with six power, it's not a bad deal to get back to hand and deal out 18 points of life loss.

Finally, as with all UBx decks that love artifacts, Tezzeret, Master of the BridgeTezzeret, Master of the Bridge is just the bee's knees. A repeatable drain equal to the amount of artifacts you control plus a cost reduction and a recursion ability makes Tezz really flexible. Let's be real though, Tezz is mostly a finisher here.

Go for the Golbez! Commander Deck List

Conclusion

All in all, this is a deck best understood by goldfishing it. Try it out here, I think you'll like it!

Is this a deck I put together because I wanted an excuse to play Death's ShadowDeath's Shadow? I'll never tell! I will admit to this being a deck I tinkered with extensively and settled on an "all-in" approach for. It's definitely a glass cannon, but that's still a cannon. Go off, go nuts, go HAM.

There are plenty of different cards to switch in and out to make it your own. Golbez will only fly under the radar a few times before people catch on, so I can see adding more protection than just the Lightning GreavesLightning Greaves and Swiftfoot BootsSwiftfoot Boots.

How would you build your Golbez, Crystal CollectorGolbez, Crystal Collector deck? Did I come close? Let me know in the comments!