Malcolm, Keen-Eyed NavigatorMalcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator | Art by Eric Deschamps

Hello, everyone! I’m Levi from The Thought Vessel, and today we’re diving into one of my personal favorite decks that I’ve played for a long time: Plan A, Pirates, with the partner pairing of Malcolm, Keen-Eyed NavigatorMalcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator and Sakashima of a Thousand FacesSakashima of a Thousand Faces.

This is my clone deck that can produce an absolute snowball of value. It takes some intuition to pull out a win, but it’s incredibly fun to pilot. I put this deck together to adapt to whatever pod I found myself in and over the years it has received a lot of really neat pieces as sets have come out.

Of all my decks that I consistently keep in my bag for game nights, this one definitely produces some of the most interesting games.

Let’s begin!

The Commanders

As I mentioned in my recent Commander What If? article, this deck uses the partner pairing of Malcolm, Keen-Eyed NavigatorMalcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator and Sakashima of a Thousand FacesSakashima of a Thousand Faces. The primary focus early in the game is Malcolm. His ability lets us create a Treasure token whenever one or more Pirates deal damage to an opponent, which means if we connect with a Pirate on each opponent, we generate three Treasures.

This is where Sakashima comes in. Sakashima is a clone from the command zone, effectively serving as a second Malcolm and doubling this Treasure production. With two Malcolms on the battlefield, we can make up to six Treasures per turn. But why stop there? This deck includes twenty-three cards that can clone our commander for even more Treasure production.

At this point, some of you might be asking, “Malcolm is a legendary creature, so wouldn’t the clones die due to the legend rule?” Normally, yes, but with Sakashima in play and then cloned, "The Legend Rule" does not apply to permanents we control. This means we can clone Malcolm as much as we want.

The Gameplan

The deck’s gameplan usually goes one of three ways. Plan A is all about the Pirates. We want to clone Malcolm as much as possible to generate crazy amounts of mana and value. When we start chipping away at life totals two damage at a time and producing 15 or more Treasures per turn, you’ll definitely have the table’s undivided attention. That’s usually when players try to deploy their big bombs to take us out of the game.

That’s when Plan B kicks in, somebody brought something more fun to clone. This might be an Eldrazi, Jodah, the UnifierJodah, the Unifier, or even annoying creatures we want multiples of, like Sunscorch RegentSunscorch Regent. I’ve cloned all of those as I played this deck, and there’s almost always a good target available.

If neither Plan A nor Plan B is working, we have Plan C: provide the threat ourselves. Usually, this means something big that offers card advantage or removal. We’ll get into those cards later.

Key Cards

Playing mono-blue means we really want a full hand of cards. This is especially true when we’re hoarding Treasures like a Dragon or Scrooge McDuck. Bident of ThassaBident of Thassa and Grazilaxx, Illithid ScholarGrazilaxx, Illithid Scholar help a lot with this. Since we’ll be attacking to trigger Malcolm’s ability, they will give us card advantage at the same time. The IndomitableThe Indomitable also helps here, but it also can be crewed into a 6/6 blocker or attacker, giving us much-needed muscle in the early game. If that wasn’t enough, it can be recast from the graveyard if we have three or more tapped Pirates, which is easy with all the Malcolms flying around.

Shimmer DragonShimmer Dragon is a win-more card for this deck, but a ton of fun at the same time. It lets us use our Treasure tokens for something other than just mana. Every two Treasures can be tapped to draw a card. If we’re making lots of Treasures, this keeps our hand full pretty easily. Though not ideal, we can also start cloning Shimmer Dragon to build up a wall of 5/6 flying bodies.

This deck wants Malcolm on the board as quickly as possible to start making Treasure, so Spectral SailorSpectral Sailor and Siren StormtamerSiren Stormtamer are excellent turn one plays. Since they’re Pirates, they allow Malcolm to start producing Treasure right away. Spectral Sailor also has the bonus of being able to counter spells targeting Malcolm, protecting him while we get clones out. It’s also a mana sink to draw extra cards. Siren StormtamerSiren Stormtamer serves as a removal shield for Malcolm while we set up our cloning engine. Protecting Malcolm is a huge priority. Besides counter magic, we have SpellskiteSpellskite and Hydroelectric SpecimenHydroelectric Specimen to redirect spot removal away from our commander in the early parts of the game before we can get the clone train going.

This deck burns through resources faster than an unsupervised child in Toys-R-Us (RIP Geoffrey the Giraffe). Having Treasure to spend is essential and lets us take advantage of some cool cards. Three Steps AheadThree Steps Ahead can counter a spell, draw cards, and clone Malcolm all at once. If mana gets tight, it can also just be a strict CounterspellCounterspell. Rite of ReplicationRite of Replication is a bit mana-heavy but can make more Malcolms or five copies of a finisher. Sword of Hearth and HomeSword of Hearth and Home is a fantastic tool for Malcolm. It lets us fetch IslandIslands from our deck to ramp and gives us the option to blink out clones, resetting them to enter as different (hopefully stronger) creatures. Its protection from white and green also helps keep Malcolm safe from common removal spells like Swords to PlowsharesSwords to Plowshares and Beast WithinBeast Within.

The Top Flight of the Clones

Auton SoldierAuton Soldier and Spark DoubleSpark Double are great because the copies aren’t legendary. If, for whatever reason, we can’t get Sakashima into play, these help keep the gameplan moving. Cephalid FacetakerCephalid Facetaker is another solid choice, helping us get around flying blockers to keep the Treasures rolling in. We also like clones like Mirrorhall MimicMirrorhall Mimic and Vizier of Many FacesVizier of Many Faces because they can be reused from the graveyard if removed. The last thing we want to do is run out of cards and clones in this deck. That’s basically a death sentence for Malcolm.

Hulking MetamorphHulking Metamorph has been an interesting inclusion for the deck as it can be a simple 3/3 Malcolm at four mana or it can be a 7/7 flying Malcolm for nine mana. Though it is pricey, being able to clone 7/7 Malcolms instead of 2/2 can really change how our board looks. Pirated CopyPirated Copy is probably one of our best clones since it acts as a Coastal PiracyCoastal Piracy for any creature that shares a name with it. This effect is imprinted on the clones which then can be cloned again. With only a couple of clones, we can really dig into our deck for finishers.

Waxen ShapethiefWaxen Shapethief, Phyrexian MetamorphPhyrexian Metamorph, and Clever ImpersonatorClever Impersonator give us flexibility to copy permanents instead of creatures. One of my absolute favorite things to copy is a pet card of mine, The Immortal SunThe Immortal Sun. Since we don’t have planeswalkers, we can play it without any drawbacks. It makes spells cheaper, we get extra card advantage, and it gives out creatures +1/+1 which helps us hold up blockers and deal out enough damage to remove opponents. If we can get multiple in play through cloning, it’s that much stronger.

If the Malcolms aren’t enough and we don’t have good cloning targets on the board, BriberyBribery is a get out of jail free card. It steals a creature from an opponent’s deck and puts it right into play for us, which we can then clone repeatedly. The last time I used Bribery, I snagged a Consecrated SphinxConsecrated Sphinx from an opponent's deck. Needless to say, that game ended fast.

Fine… I’ll Do It Myself

Some opponents may try to keep their biggest creatures off the board to avoid cloning, so we brought our own threats. Hullbreaker HorrorHullbreaker Horror is typically a combo piece, but here acts as a tempo machine with a 7/8 uncounterable body. Cloning Hullbreaker Horror makes it very difficult for opponents to stick anything on the battlefield, and it can also let our instant-speed spells, like Reality ShiftReality Shift, double as a UnsubstantiateUnsubstantiate. Scourge of FleetsScourge of Fleets is basically a game changer for this particular deck. It’s a repeatable board wipe that keeps blockers off the field so we can swing for damage, while also being a larger creature at 6/6.

Nezahal, Primal TideNezahal, Primal Tide is our third beater and a nice draw engine. When cloned, we draw several cards each rotation. If there is a board wipe, we can discard cards to protect our Nezahals by exiling them and returning them to play tapped at the beginning of the next end step. Our fourth beater is Ulamog, the Infinite GyreUlamog, the Infinite Gyre. Cloning Ulamog doesn't give the cast triggers, but it acts as board wipe insurance. If a destroy effect wipes the board, we’ll have an army of indestructible Eldrazi with annihilator 4 to pressure the board. Keep in mind that we want to get a clone that bypasses the legendary restriction, like Sakashima or Spark Double, to make sure that we don’t have to sacrifice down to only one creature, but even if we don’t end up cloning Ulamog, the Eldrazi is still a great threat.

New Arrivals

The latest Magic: The Gathering set, Edge of Eternities, gave this deck a huge boost. We added three high-impact cards to the ninety-nine, which is rare for me with new sets. First is StarwinderStarwinder, my fifth beater. Since this deck wants a full hand to use all those Treasures, StarwinderStarwinder fits perfectly. Casting this 7/7 Leviathan for its warp cost and then cloning it, with the option to recast later after a wipe, is amazing. The draw effect is also a may ability, which prevents us from drawing out our whole deck on accident. Secluded StarforgeSecluded Starforge is another addition. This land lets us tap artifacts to buff a creature’s power for the turn. It doesn’t produce blue mana, but that’s a small price to pay for the potential extra damage. In the right game, it could even help us go for commander damage kills. Finally, Moonlit MeditationMoonlit Meditation is a card I was most excited to try. This enchantment replaces the first token-making trigger with copies of the enchanted permanent instead. When the Malcolms connects on all opponents, the first trigger nets us three copies of either a Malcolm or another strong target.

Game Changers

Because this deck relies on clones and has many moving parts, we have three game changers.

First is Force of WillForce of Will. Experienced players have probably spotted the deck’s Achilles’ heel: timing. If Sakashima is cast but Malcolm gets removed, we’re left with an isolated 3/1 Sakashima who could be removed at any time, reactivating the legend rule. Since this deck has no sacrifice outlets, that’s a tough spot. The best thing here is a free counterspell to protect Malcolm until we get clones online. Force of WillForce of Will fills this role, and Fierce GuardianshipFierce Guardianship is also under consideration. Cyclonic RiftCyclonic Rift is a reliable, if boring, board wipe. We usually don’t want to wipe all big creatures but rather tempo our opponents by bouncing stuff. Cyclonic RiftCyclonic Rift helps with that. Rhystic StudyRhystic Study rounds out the trio. It slows opponents and keeps our hand full. These cards aren’t mandatory but offer solid consistency in a very fluid strategy. They can be swapped out for other cards if you prefer to not play with them.

So… How Do We Win?

There’s technically a combo in the deck between Hullbreaker HorrorHullbreaker Horror and Sol RingSol Ring with a low-cost spell like Jeweled AmuletJeweled Amulet, but since this deck doesn’t have nonbasic land tutors, the odds of pulling it off are low.

More realistic is Mirror BoxMirror Box, which gives creatures +1/+1 for each other creature with the same name. In a deck full of flying clones, that quickly becomes lethal. The evil way to win is by copying Scourge of FleetsScourge of Fleets repeatedly to wipe the board on opponents’ turns while building an army of 6/6 creatures.

With all the card draw, counter magic, and cloning in this deck, every win feels unique. I’ve won with an army of Bonny Palls with Beau, outlasted everyone with multiples of Sheoldred, the ApocalypseSheoldred, the Apocalypse, and even pulled off an aristocrat win by copying Ayara, First of LocthwainAyara, First of Locthwain. It’s incredibly rewarding to solve the puzzle and it keeps me hooked.

Notable Exclusions

A couple of cards I get asked about but don’t play are Raise the PalisadeRaise the Palisade and Roaming ThroneRoaming Throne. These cards tend to pigeonhole the deck into revolving solely around Malcolm. I prefer this build to stay flexible and open to cloning anything good, not just Siren Pirates. If you want to lean hard into the Malcolm plan or Pirate kindred, these cards would be great fits, but I prefer my gameplan as is though.

Leveling Up

If we wanted to upgrade this deck for a competitive four-player table, consistency would be the focus. Adding tutors like Mystical TutorMystical Tutor or FabricateFabricate would help smooth draws, and faster mana rocks would get Malcolm onto the battlefield by turn two. We could also capitalize more on Hullbreaker HorrorHullbreaker Horror by adding infinite mana outlets paired with tutors to deal infinite damage or combo off with a Thassa's OracleThassa's Oracle. Astral DragonAstral Dragon is a card I actually pulled out of this deck because of the infinite combo with Machine God's EffigyMachine God's Effigy. If we want to move the needle, however, it is an excellent choice. The premise is near its limits, so it’s mostly about upgrading card quality and ensuring the engine runs smoothly.

Wrapping Up

This is my personal clone list for Malcolm and Sakashima, Plan A, Pirates. It’s one of my favorite decks of all time, and I can’t recommend it enough for players who like to solve puzzles as they play. When I am out and about like a MagicCon: Atlanta, I will have this deck one me. I would love to get a game with you. Feel free to copy the deck, use it as a blueprint for your own build, or just scour the list for card ideas. At the end of the day, you’re in control of your own play experience. Until next time, happy brewing!