Alpharael, Dreaming Acolyte Reanimator Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Golbez, Crystal Collector" href="#" target="_blank">Golbez, Crystal Collector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CBachzim%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bachzim</a></span></i></p>
<p>As someone who has never played <em>Final Fantasy</em> - 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 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Water Crystal" href="#" target="_blank">Crystals</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a design I simply haven't been able to shake.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Golbez, Crystal Collector"></div></div></p>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Golbez, Crystal Collector" href="#" target="_blank">Golbez, Crystal Collector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Like a surprising amount of legends from this set, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Golbez, Crystal Collector" href="#" target="_blank">Golbez, Crystal Collector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a two-mana legend, which means he can come down early or at the right time for cheap. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">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.</span></p>
<p>What's this "then some" I'm on about? If you've got four artifacts, you've got a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Raise Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Raise Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If you control eight artifacts, your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Raise Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Raise Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> hits each opponent equal to the creature's power.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">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. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Using the built-in surveil from Golbez and discard, you'll be able to bring huge creatures to chip away at your opponents. </span></p>
<h2>Making the Engine Hum</h2>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Fortunately, <em>Final Fantasy</em> brings us cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gogo, Master of Mimicry" href="#" target="_blank">Gogo, Master of Mimicry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola Rhul" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola Rhul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that allow you to trigger Golbez's end step trigger a few times. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sakashima of a Thousand Faces" href="#" target="_blank">Sakashima of a Thousand Faces</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roaming Throne" href="#" target="_blank">Roaming Throne</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are other inclusions to get another pop out of the Collector.</p>
<p>If you really like this way to get going, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spark Double" href="#" target="_blank">Spark Double</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> 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.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gogo, Master of Mimicry"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Y&#039;shtola Rhul"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Roaming Throne"></div></div>
<p>With cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etherium Sculptor" href="#" target="_blank">Etherium Sculptor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud Key" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud Key</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> 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.</p>
<p>I'll say, for those who go with an artifact creature heavy build, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Semblance Anvil" href="#" target="_blank">Semblance Anvil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can send your deck into overdrive.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Etherium Sculptor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloud Key"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Semblance Anvil"></div></div>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Whether by cycling them like with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Void Beckoner" href="#" target="_blank">Void Beckoner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhet-Tomb Mystic" href="#" target="_blank">Rhet-Tomb Mystic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, looting with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rona, Herald of Invasion" href="#" target="_blank">Rona, Herald of Invasion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or having your artifacts trigger <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rook Turret" href="#" target="_blank">Rook Turret</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Transplant Theorist" href="#" target="_blank">Transplant Theorist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, your graveyard will be what you make it.</p>
<p>Plus, packing a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Monument to Endurance" href="#" target="_blank">Monument to Endurance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> 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!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Transplant Theorist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rook Turret"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rhet-Tomb Mystic"></div></div>
<p>Other cool cards in the deck? You got it!</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Street Wraith" href="#" target="_blank">Street Wraith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> 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. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Matoya, Archon Elder" href="#" target="_blank">Matoya, Archon Elder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> 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.</p>
<p>My favorite card in the deck to play with Golbez is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unshakable Tail" href="#" target="_blank">Unshakable Tail</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, 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 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bringer of the Last Gift" href="#" target="_blank">Bringer of the Last Gift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> you held onto.</p>
<p>The Tail was a great reason to keep <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Academy Manufactor" href="#" target="_blank">Academy Manufactor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the list, but I opted not to...this time.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unshakable Tail"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Matoya, Archon Elder"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Street Wraith"></div></div>
<h2>Putting the Nail in Your Opponents' Coffins</h2>
<p>How does Golbez win a game of Commander? Let me count the ways!</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Golbez, Crystal Collector" href="#" target="_blank">Golbez, Crystal Collector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'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.</p>
<p>Returning a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Consuming Aberration" href="#" target="_blank">Consuming Aberration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the late game can punish self-mill strategies. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Broodstar" href="#" target="_blank">Broodstar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Master of Etherium" href="#" target="_blank">Master of Etherium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> 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 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Dreadnought" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Dreadnought</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kozilek, the Great Distortion" href="#" target="_blank">Kozilek, the Great Distortion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that'll ring some bells as well.</p>
<p>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 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Void Beckoner" href="#" target="_blank">Void Beckoner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Death&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Death&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, that's 21 damage to each opponent. You might want to pack a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodthirsty Conqueror" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodthirsty Conqueror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> 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.</p>
<p>My favorite finisher inclusions in the deck are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archfiend of Despair" href="#" target="_blank">Archfiend of Despair</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wound Reflection" href="#" target="_blank">Wound Reflection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. 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.</p>
<p>Finally, as with all UBx decks that love artifacts, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge" href="#" target="_blank">Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> 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.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archfiend of Despair"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wound Reflection"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge"></div></div>
<h2>Go for the Golbez! Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Golbez, Crytal Collector - EDHREC article" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Golbez, Crystal Collector
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Access Denied
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Agadeem&#039;s Awakening // Agadeem, the Undercrypt
*1 Lich-Knights&#039; Conquest
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Altar of Bhaal // Bone Offering
*1 Anvil of Bogardan
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Cloud Key
*1 Collector&#039;s Vault
*1 Dimir Signet
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Liquimetal Torque
*1 Monument to Endurance
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Strionic Resonator
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Talisman of Dominance
*1 The Underworld Cookbook
*1 Transmutation Font
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Ancient Stone Idol
*1 Archfiend of Despair
*1 Bringer of the Last Gift
*1 Broodstar
*1 Consuming Aberration
*1 Death&#039;s Shadow
*1 Eloise, Nephalia Sleuth
*1 Etherium Sculptor
*1 Fang, Fearless l&#039;Cie
*1 Gogo, Master of Mimicry
*1 High Fae Trickster
*1 Kozilek, the Great Distortion
*1 Likeness Looter
*1 Master of Etherium
*1 Matoya, Archon Elder
*1 Mirko, Obsessive Theorist
*1 Necron Deathmark
*1 Noxious Gearhulk
*1 Phyrexian Dreadnought
*1 Phyrexian Soulgorger
*1 Refurbished Familiar
*1 Rhet-Tomb Mystic
*1 Roaming Throne
*1 Rona, Herald of Invasion // Rona, Tolarian Obliterator
*1 Rook Turret
*1 Rot-Curse Rakshasa
*1 Ruthless Technomancer
*1 Sai, Master Thopterist
*1 Sakashima of a Thousand Faces
*1 Shadowgrange Archfiend
*1 Street Wraith
*1 Stridehangar Automaton
*1 The Cyber-Controller
*1 The Warring Triad
*1 Transplant Theorist
*1 Troll of Khazad-dûm
*1 Unshakable Tail
*1 Void Beckoner
*1 Warren Soultrader
*1 Y&#039;shtola Rhul
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Biotransference
*1 Black Market Connections
*1 Tortured Existence
*1 Wound Reflection
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Karn, Living Legacy
*1 Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Academy Ruins
*1 Archway of Innovation
*1 Cabal Coffers
*1 Command Tower
*1 Darksteel Citadel
*1 Drowned Catacomb
*1 Fomori Vault
*1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
*1 Gloomlake Verge
*1 Havengul Laboratory // Havengul Mystery
*5 Island
*1 Midgar, City of Mako // Reactor Raid
*1 Mistvault Bridge
*1 Morphic Pool
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Seat of the Synod
*1 Shipwreck Marsh
*1 Sunken Hollow
*1 Sunken Ruins
*7 Swamp
*1 Undercity Sewers
*1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*1 Vault of Whispers
*1 Volrath&#039;s Stronghold
*1 Watery Grave
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>All in all, this is a deck best understood by goldfishing it. Try it out <a href="https://archidekt.com/decks/13812053/golbez_crytal_collector_edhrec_article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>, I think you'll like it!</p>
<p>Is this a deck I put together because I wanted an excuse to play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Death&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Death&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? 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.</p>
<p>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 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Greaves" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Greaves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swiftfoot Boots" href="#" target="_blank">Swiftfoot Boots</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>How would you build your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Golbez, Crystal Collector" href="#" target="_blank">Golbez, Crystal Collector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck? Did I come close? Let me know in the comments!</p>


dimir reanimator

Alpharael, Dreaming Acolyte Reanimator Deck Tech

Golbez, Crystal Collector - Battlecruiser Bruiser