Sonic the HedgehogSonic the Hedgehog | Art by Evan Stanley

Hello everyone! I’m Levi from The Thought Vessel, and today I’m honored to present my decklist for Sonic the HedgehogSonic the Hedgehog. I really didn’t think I’d see the day Sonic would appear on an official Magic card, but here we are!

Not only was he printed, he’s also a uniquely buildable commander. I doubt many players will build Sonic the way I have, but we’ll get into the game plan later.

First, let’s take a look at Sonic himself.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Moving at the speed of sound, the protagonist creatures from the Sonic Secret Lair all appropriately have either haste or flash. Naturally, Sonic cares about both keywords. Every time he attacks, each creature with haste or flash gets a +1/+1 counter.

In an aggro build, this could lead to a fast, aggressive deck pumping out hasty Goblins or Elementals. I’ve even seen brews with enchantments like FervorFervor granting blanket haste and focusing on dropping the strongest creatures possible.

True to the games, whenever a creature with haste or flash is dealt damage, a Treasure pops out. While the Treasure enters tapped, it sets us up nicely for future turns.

One part of the card that's being overlooked at the time of writing is how it allows us to lean into an archetype not often explored in Jeskai: Draw-Go.

The Game Plan With Sonic

Originally, flash was a blue-exclusive mechanic, letting creatures be played at instant speed. Over time, it’s expanded into white and is often used tactically, like a combat trick — though flash now appears in all five colors.

With a mix of white flash creatures, classic blue interaction, and a splash of red, we’ve built a deck that rewards tight piloting and clever timing. Rather than go the “Quickest Hedgehog Around” route, we’re leaning into the “hurry up and wait” playstyle, manipulating the board and combats to keep our opponents guessing.

Similar Commanders

Looking at other Draw-Go creature-based decks, two commanders stand out: Chromium, the MutableChromium, the Mutable and the Dimir Faeries duo (Nymris, Oona's TricksterNymris, Oona's Trickster and Alela, Cunning ConquerorAlela, Cunning Conqueror).

Chromium swaps red for black, granting access to powerful flash cards like Orcish BowmastersOrcish Bowmasters, Opposition AgentOpposition Agent, and Blightwing BanditBlightwing Bandit. However, it lacks Sonic’s direct support out of the command zone. Sonic lets us use flash creatures to generate Treasure, build board presence, and threaten combat, all from the command zone.

Dimir Faeries, meanwhile, lean into typal synergies with cards like Obyra, Dreaming DuelistObyra, Dreaming Duelist and Scion of OonaScion of Oona. While typal synergies are strong, Sonic lets us skip that restriction and just run the best flash cards across more colors.

Let’s look at some highlights from the actual list.

Notable Cards for Sonic

The core of this deck lies in the creatures. We’re running 38 in total — 31 with flash — so we’re playing almost exclusively on our opponents’ turns.

Mysterious StrangerMysterious Stranger, from the Fallout set, is a fascinating inclusion. It grants us a free spell from a player’s graveyard, scaling with the table’s power level and introducing some chaos. Enduring CuriosityEnduring Curiosity is another gem. Flash it in as creatures go unblocked, and we’ve got ourselves a situation where we can refill our entire hand on one combat.

Izzet StaticasterIzzet Staticaster is a pinger that works perfectly with Sonic’s ability. Since the trigger is tied to being dealt damage — not dying — this little pinger can deal one damage to our own creatures each turn, ramping us via Treasure generation.

Portal MagePortal Mage and Selfless SquireSelfless Squire are sneaky game-changers. Selfless SquireSelfless Squire blanks all combat damage for a turn and often leaves us with a massive blocker. If someone swings for the win, we’re likely to crack back for lethal. Portal MagePortal Mage needs more players alive to shine, but it can get our opponent’s attacking creatures stuck in a new location, attacking right into a wall of blockers or into a problematic player.

Keep Sonic Safe

This deck hinges on Sonic staying alive to pump creatures and generate Treasure, so we’ve got a few ways to protect him.

Hydroelectric SpecimenHydroelectric Specimen is a perfect MDFC for us: it has flash, and it can redirect a targeted spell to itself, dodging something like Swords to PlowsharesSwords to Plowshares.

Plumecreed EscortPlumecreed Escort and Saiba CryptomancerSaiba Cryptomancer can give a creature hexproof for the turn and stick around to grow under Sonic’s ability. Fear of ImpostorsFear of Impostors is just a counterspell on legs.

But why stop there when Vexilus PraetorVexilus Praetor can give Sonic protection from everything?

Make That Money

We’re also running a few ping effects, beyond Izzet StaticasterIzzet Staticaster, to farm Treasure. It’s not the main strategy, but it’s a powerful subtheme. Fire MagicFire Magic is a one-mana spell that deals one damage to each creature, potentially doing more. Since our flash creatures often have buffs, we can dodge the worst of it while clearing out tokens or mana dorks.

PyrohemiaPyrohemia is another consistent Treasure engine: deal damage across the board and profit, while keeping small creatures in check. StarstormStarstorm follows the same line, with the added flexibility of being cyclable if it’s not needed.

Stax Lite

There are a good number of flash creatures in the “soft stax” category. Archivist of OghmaArchivist of Oghma is amazing against decks that search a lot, netting us life and card draw. Aven MindcensorAven Mindcensor locks down tutors by limiting search to the top four cards.

Deep Gnome TerramancerDeep Gnome Terramancer lets us ramp alongside our opponents. Faerie MastermindFaerie Mastermind draws us cards whenever an opponent draws their second, and even has a mana sink ability to accelerate that clock.

The Creatures Without Flash

Some creatures are just too good not to include, flash or not. Goldspan DragonGoldspan Dragon is a standout; since we’re hoarding Treasure, this Dragon doubles their output and provides more. It turns our Treasure into a powerful mana engine and makes holding up spells a lot more viable.

Wavebreak HippocampWavebreak Hippocamp might be the MVC of the deck. It draws a card whenever we cast our first spell on each opponent’s turn — which could easily mean three extra cards a round for a bulk rare.

Naiad of Hidden CovesNaiad of Hidden Coves reduces the cost of spells cast on opponents’ turns, and if we had ten of this effect, we’d probably run them all. The discount is massive in a deck like this.

Finally, Knuckles the EchidnaKnuckles the Echidna from the Secret Lair is basically Professional Face-BreakerProfessional Face-Breaker with haste and double strike, both of which synergize perfectly here. As mentioned before, Treasure production is key.

The Game Changers

This deck leans on finesse more than raw power, so we’re taking full advantage of a few Game Changers. We’re actually running a three-card package here, which is rare for my builds, but each one earns its slot.

We want to keep a pile of Treasure up at all times to use or bluff our ability to play spells. Smothering TitheSmothering Tithe, without any explanation, is just best-in-class for this.

Cyclonic RiftCyclonic Rift gives us a huge tempo swing and is perfect for a deck that wants to play at instant speed. Teferi's ProtectionTeferi's Protection keeps Sonic, and our whole board, safe from disaster.

So… How Do We Win With Sonic?

Since this is a bracket 3 list, we’re avoiding combos for now. We’ve got two finishers and one alternate win condition. As we move to the endgame with this deck, there’s no time for relaxation, because the longer the game goes, the more likely it is that opponents find answers to our tempo plays.

Moonshaker CavalryMoonshaker Cavalry is our white Craterhoof BehemothCraterhoof Behemoth, giving all creatures +X/+X and flying — an explosive way to end the game. Akroma's WillAkroma's Will gives our team a pile of keywords like double strike, lifelink, and protection from all colors. With some +1/+1 counters and help from the table, it can seal the deal.

Our alternate win con is a bit janky but still worth mentioning: Knuckles the EchidnaKnuckles the Echidna wins the game if we control 30 or more artifacts on our upkeep. That includes Treasures. It’s rare, but not impossible, and certainly a fun Plan B (or C).

Where to Improve

If we want to push this deck toward Bracket 4, there are a few easy combos to consider. Kiki-Jiki, Mirror BreakerKiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker pairs with flash creatures like Deceiver ExarchDeceiver Exarch for infinite attackers. We’re already playing Dualcaster MageDualcaster Mage, so adding Molten DuplicationMolten Duplication can create another infinite army.

If we’d rather avoid creature loops, we can focus on broken mana. Adding Mox AmberMox Amber turns Hullbreaker HorrorHullbreaker Horror from tempo engine to combo piece.

For meta-specific upgrades, more stax is always an option. Crafty CutpurseCrafty Cutpurse can steal tokens. Containment PriestContainment Priest punishes blink decks. Tishana's TidebinderTishana's Tidebinder shuts down activated abilities like Sisay, Weatherlight CaptainSisay, Weatherlight Captain.

Angel of the Dire HourAngel of the Dire Hour is a brutal fog that exiles all attackers, though at seven mana, we might already be fine with our other fogs.

With combos, more stax, and a bit of extra removal, this deck could absolutely hang at a Bracket 4 table.

Wrapping Up

And that’s Sonic: Hurry Up and Wait. I hope you enjoyed my spin on the speedy hedgehog. If there are cards you’re trying in your list, let us know in the comments! As always, feel free to copy this list, use it as a jumping-off point, or just take a few ideas. At the end of the day, it’s your experience to shape. Until next time, happy brewing!

Sonic the Hedgehog Commander Deck List