Krang, Master MindKrang, Master Mind | Art by Narendra Bintara Adi

As a supervillain, Krang from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles remains terrifying, imposing, and shrewd despite resembling a frail human brain; no arms or legs, only flimsy tentacles flailing about.

Without a mobile platform at his disposal to keep him ambulatory, he is incapable of causing much mayhem on his own.

Krang allies himself with the evil Shredder, who gifts him an android body with a control center installed in the stomach from which he can monitor all his heinous deeds. Worse still, the android's hands can transform into weapons, enabling Krang to hold his own in hand-to-hand combat without resorting to frantic tentacle-slaps like a belligerent, blind octopus.

This Krang, Master MindKrang, Master Mind deck serves as a warm welcome by filling Krang's armory with an array of android bodies to pilot and a small arsenal of weapons to wield. Not that he needs much help, as he's already boasting one of the strongest keywords in the multiverse…

What Does Krang, Master Mind Do?

Krang, Master Mind thrives when surrounded by artifacts of all stripes. He's an artifact himself and possesses affinity for artifacts, meaning each artifact we control reduces his mana cost by one colorless mana until, at its lowest, he can be played for two blue pips.

Krang's other two abilities play nicely with plentiful cheap artifacts. He's a 1/4, but he gains +1/+0 for each other artifact you control. Plus, upon entering the battlefield, Krang draws us up to four cards in hand if we have fewer, perfect for topping us off after we've flooded the board with artifacts.

Krang is hardly the first commander with affinity for artifacts, though he may be one of the most busted. Emry, Lurker of the LochEmry, Lurker of the Loch, Chiss-Goria, Forge TyrantChiss-Goria, Forge Tyrant, and Imskir Iron-EaterImskir Iron-Eater share the distinction but run at a much slower pace and aren't artifacts themselves, either.

Imskir is the most similar to Krang, though their ability rewards having high mana value artifacts around, which thwarts the usual affinity strategy of low-cost baubles and the like.

Urza, Chief ArtificerUrza, Chief Artificer also comes close but specifies that they have affinity for artifact creatures, limiting its speed, though at least Urza creates artifact creatures on his own.

Instead, Krang shares many similarities with a commander who couldn't care less about artifacts: Hogaak, Arisen NecropolisHogaak, Arisen Necropolis, who just so happens to helm my pet deck.

Hogaak defines its strategy by how its cost is reduced—small creatures and a decent graveyard—and even with a so-so board state, it can be cast for next to nothing, at which point it can swing in for commander damage or fuel big power and/or big mana value effects for cheap, then, just when you think Hogaak is gone for good, it returns effortlessly to continue charging towards Valuetown.

With Krang, it's fairly simple to get him out early and often by running OrnithopterOrnithopter, Welding JarWelding Jar, Mishra's BaubleMishra's Bauble, and all other manner of dinky little doodads for the sake of frantically spewing your hand onto the battlefield; however, I veered away from that strategy because I didn't want opponents to freak out and point their removal our way.

Instead, I figured Krang needed time to get his sea legs firmly in place before conquering Universes Within. First thing's first: Krang requires an acceptable android body; in these parts, we call them Vehicles…

Key Cards for Krang, Master Mind

Krang can't be shambling about on his own two tentacles. We'll ensure he travels in style with a curated selection of sweet rides he can crew:

• The majority of this deck's Vehicles come down cheaply and offer distinct effects. These include Bessie, the Doctor's RoadsterBessie, the Doctor's Roadster, Mobilizer MechMobilizer Mech, Smuggler's CopterSmuggler's Copter, and Unlicensed HearseUnlicensed Hearse.
• Getaway CarGetaway Car and Golden ArgosyGolden Argosy remove Krang from the battlefield so his card-drawing ETB can be repeated as needed.
• Brotherhood VertibirdBrotherhood Vertibird becomes as large as Krang, himself, and includes flying, to boot.
• The IndomitableThe Indomitable, Cargo ShipCargo Ship, and The RegaliaThe Regalia fulfill core functions of card draw and ramp; plus, The Indomitable can be recurred.
• Mighty Servant of Leuk-oMighty Servant of Leuk-o, Knight PaladinKnight Paladin, Skysovereign, Consul FlagshipSkysovereign, Consul Flagship, and Reaver TitanReaver Titan can easily swing the board in our favor and offer Krang some pretty sweet destructive power.
• Rover BladesRover Blades is on the weaker end but can be crewed or equipped as Krang sees fit.

The deck is also comprised of utility artifacts that either boost Krang's power or keep Vehicles in motion:

• Krang wears Lavaspur BootsLavaspur Boots, O-NaginataO-Naginata, Adaptive OmnitoolAdaptive Omnitool, Winged BootsWinged Boots, Wrecking Ball ArmWrecking Ball Arm, and NettlecystNettlecyst like a champ, either to gain some significant keywords like trample or, obviously, for fashion.
• The Blackstaff of WaterdeepThe Blackstaff of Waterdeep, Synthesizer LabshipSynthesizer Labship, and Living Brain, Mechanical MarvelLiving Brain, Mechanical Marvel allow Krang to run some Vehicles on autopilot when he's busy smashing face (and the brains behind those faces).
• Kappa CannoneerKappa Cannoneer, Memory GuardianMemory Guardian, Sojourner's CompanionSojourner's Companion, Valkyrie Aerial UnitValkyrie Aerial Unit, and Thought MonitorThought Monitor are psyched by this deck's high artifact count and have no problem taking the wheel. I opted not to include the vanilla affinity creatures, like FrogmiteFrogmite and Myr EnforcerMyr Enforcer: too boring for Krang's tastes.
• While not an artifact itself, Forensic GadgeteerForensic Gadgeteer produces even more artifacts and unlocks the ability to crack Clues for only one mana. The Gadgeteer can also reduce equip costs.

Krang's mana value is eight, though it's highly unlikely we'll ever have to pay full price. Still, even if he arrives for only two blue mana, his mana value endures on the battlefield, and we're well-situated to take full advantage:

• One with the MachineOne with the Machine, Traverse EternityTraverse Eternity, Rush of KnowledgeRush of Knowledge will draw more than enough cards to keep Krang fueled up.
• Doc Ock's TentaclesDoc Ock's Tentacles, Excalibur, Sword of EdenExcalibur, Sword of Eden, and Metalwork ColossusMetalwork Colossus enjoy significant cost reductions thanks to Krang. And they say he's heartless…!
• Krang's massive power matches his high mana value, which means he can quickly station Uthros, Titanic GodcoreUthros, Titanic Godcore, Uthros Research CraftUthros Research Craft, and Synthesizer LabshipSynthesizer Labship to capacity.

I wanted to specifically call out a few pieces of removal that jibe with our gameplan. Saw It ComingSaw It Coming, RavenformRavenform, and Spectral DelugeSpectral Deluge can be foretold, reducing the number of cards in our hand so Krang's ETB can hit all the harder.

I certainly could have gone further with this line of play but chose to relegate it at least until we see how the rest of the TMNT set shakes out.

How Does This Krang, Master Mind Commander Deck Win?

Krang, Master Mind is perfectly happy slapping opponents for commander damage, though, without many haste-enablers in mono-blue, I decided to relegate this line of play to later in the game.

Instead, the plan is to lay down some mana rocks and cheap Vehicles, bring out Krang for a discount, and crew those Vehicles right away, starting with cards like Smuggler's Copter and ending with something like Reaver Titan or Skysovereign, Consul Flagship.

Should Krang meet an untimely demise, it shouldn't be too difficult for him to muscle his way back out if the board is full of Vehicles. In a pinch, we're sporting Rise and ShineRise and Shine and Cyberdrive AwakenerCyberdrive Awakener to animate everything at once.

When it's time for Krang to close out the game himself, throw down DesynchronizationDesynchronization. The card will likely act as a one-sided board wipe, setting our opponents back significantly while Krang gallivants on over for commander damage.

If needed, O-Naginata, Winged Boots, and Wrecking Ball Arm offer evasive maneuvers, as does our little mecha-pup companion, K-9, Mark IK-9, Mark I. Yes, Krang loves dogs; he's not soulless.

Krang, Master Mind Commander Decklist

Wrath of Krang

I truly hope y'all enjoy this first-blush pass at Krang, Master Mind. My intention wasn't to present the perfect Krang deck, but rather to establish a versatile and affordable (~$135) base from which to build.

Plus, introduce Krang to the Tron lands: Urza's MineUrza's Mine, Urza's TowerUrza's Tower, and Urza's Power PlantUrza's Power Plant.

What are your thoughts on Krang, Master Mind? Do you feel he can hang in higher-power pods? Let's work on this one together as TMNT spoilers continue oozing out. Cowabunga, dudes!