<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link reverse"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gwen Stacy" href="#" target="_blank">Ghost-Spider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://victoradameart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Victor Adame Minguez</a></em></p>
<p>Spider-Gwen is my favorite character in the Spider-Man mythos. After the starter deck spoilers, I was a little worried. However, Gwen's card in the main set is a home run for me. In this deck tech, I'll be taking my first shot at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gwen Stacy" href="#" target="_blank">Gwen Stacy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I have really high hopes for this one!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gwen Stacy"></div></div>
<h2>What Does Gwen Stacy Do?</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gwen Stacy" href="#" target="_blank">Gwen Stacy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of several cards with a mechanic unique to <em>Marvel's Spider-Man</em>. She's both a transform card and a modal dual faced card. That is, you can cast both the Gwen Stacy and Ghost-Spider halves of the card and Gwen Stacy also has the option to transform into Ghost-Spider for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>.</p>
<p>That ability has an interesting implication for command tax, as the first time Ghost-Spider dies, she can be cast as Gwen Stacy for only four mana and then transformed later rather than demanding an up-front investment of seven mana.</p>
<p>Gwen Stacy is a two-mana 2/1 that exiles the top card of your library on entry, and that card remains playable for as long as Gwen Stacy is on the battlefield. Notably, that card remains playable even after Gwen Stacy has transformed into Ghost-Spider.</p>
<p>The real star of the show is Ghost-Spider, a five-mana 4/4 with flying, vigilance, and haste. Ghost-Spider gets a +1/+1 counter each time you play a land or cast a spell from exile. Then, two counters (any kind) can be removed from Ghost-Spider to exile the top card of your library to be played until end of turn.</p>
<p>There are a lot of different directions to go here. I really like the idea of leveraging Ghost-Spider's evasion and built-in pump ability to create a sweet Voltron deck. It's going to feel like a much more aggressive version of the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spider-Man 2099" href="#" target="_blank">Spider-Man 2099</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/spider-man-2099-commander-deck-tech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I wrote about last time</a>. The major difference is that Ghost-Spider is a menace in combat from the moment she hits the table.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Gwen Stacy</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Etali, Primal Storm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kami of Celebration"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wild Wasteland"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etali, Primal Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Etali, Primal Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fun "Timmy" card that I don't often get to put into a deck and feel good about it. Here, I think he fits right in! Etali is able to create up to four Ghost-Spider triggers each time he attacks while also being a big scary Dinosaur that will soak up some of the removal opponents would rather be pointing at Ghost-Spider.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kami of Celebration" href="#" target="_blank">Kami of Celebration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an incredible, if a little over-costed, engine piece. Whenever a modified creature attacks, Kami of Celebration exiles the top card of your library to be played until end of turn, and whenever a spell is cast from exile, it puts a +1/+1 counter on target creature.</p>
<p>With Ghost-Spider in play, this will grant two +1/+1 counters per card played from exile. That means each card played from exile will provide enough +1/+1 counters to activate Ghost-Spider and exile another card.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wild Wasteland" href="#" target="_blank">Wild Wasteland</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another engine piece that creates some pretty wacky gameplay. It replaces the draw step with exiling two cards that can be played this turn. This practically guarantees a way to trigger Ghost-Spider each turn, at the cost of a being able to build a hand, something an aggressive deck like this isn't really looking to do anyways.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Passionate Archaeologist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unstable Amulet"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Quintorius Kand"></div></div>
<p>Just like with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spider-Man 2099" href="#" target="_blank">Spider-Man 2099</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Passionate Archaeologist" href="#" target="_blank">Passionate Archaeologist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a force in this deck. Any time Gwen Stacy is in play, Passionate Archaeologist provides an excellent source of burn damage that helps close out games. All it asks in return is that you cast spells from exile, something this deck will be doing frequently.</p>
<p>While there's no way to take advantage of the half of the card that cares about energy, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unstable Amulet" href="#" target="_blank">Unstable Amulet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another source of burn that wears down opposing life totals as the deck does what it's supposed to. The only downside of it is that it will often be difficult to get good value from it if it's drawn in the later stages of the game.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quintorius Kand" href="#" target="_blank">Quintorius Kand</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a planeswalker with three virtually useless loyalty abilities! But his passive ability is the real draw. Dealing two damage to each opponent and gaining two life whenever a spell is cast from exile can be very valuable, especially in grindy games where the life gain can buy extra turns.</p>
<h2>How Does This Gwen Stacy Deck Win?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Livaan, Cultist of Tiamat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jeska, Thrice Reborn"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ozolith"></div></div>
<p>As with any Voltron deck, the win conditions are ways to make the commander deal extra damage. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Livaan, Cultist of Tiamat" href="#" target="_blank">Livaan, Cultist of Tiamat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Legion Leadership" href="#" target="_blank">Legion Leadership</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeska, Thrice Reborn" href="#" target="_blank">Jeska, Thrice Reborn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tavern Brawler" href="#" target="_blank">Tavern Brawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all serve as ways to increase <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gwen Stacy" href="#" target="_blank">Gwen Stacy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s damage output and create a very fast clock.</p>
<p>It should only take one or two attacks to kill a single player given how fast the +1/+1 counters pile up on Gwen. With <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ozolith" href="#" target="_blank">The Ozolith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, removing Gwen doesn't even take care of the problem.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fear of Missing Out"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Full Throttle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Final Fortune"></div></div>
<p>Sometimes Ghost-Spider will need a way to eliminate multiple players in a single turn. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fear of Missing Out" href="#" target="_blank">Fear of Missing Out</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Full Throttle" href="#" target="_blank">Full Throttle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Final Fortune" href="#" target="_blank">Final Fortune</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> create that possibility through extra turns or combats. Combined, they could even create a scenario where all three opponents are eliminated in a single turn.</p>
<p>I think of these effects like a release valve. In a normal game, it will usually be possible to take it slow and kill one player at a time. Sometimes, everyone will have a terrifying board state and the pressure to do something about it will be extreme. The ability to remove two or more players in one go is one of the few ways to diffuse that pressure.</p>
<h2>Gwen Stacy Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Gwen Stacy" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Gwen Stacy
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Boros Charm
*1 Cyclonic Rift
*1 Delayed Blast Fireball
*1 Dovin&#039;s Veto
*1 Fierce Guardianship
*1 Final Fortune
*1 Fire Magic
*1 Flusterstorm
*1 Legion Leadership
*1 Saw It Coming
*1 Sink into Stupor
*1 Stubborn Denial
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Temur Battle Rage
*1 Ultimate Magic: Holy
[/Instants]
[Creatures]
*1 Birgi, God of Storytelling
*1 Bonehoard Dracosaur
*1 Brazen Borrower
*1 Cait Sith, Fortune Teller
*1 Etali, Primal Storm
*1 Fear of Missing Out
*1 Inti, Seneschal of the Sun
*1 Kami of Celebration
*1 Laelia, the Blade Reforged
*1 Livaan, Cultist of Tiamat
*1 Party Thrasher
*1 Pinnacle Monk
*1 Professional Face-Breaker
*1 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
*1 Spider-Man 2099
*1 Spider-Punk
*1 Starwinder
*1 Urabrask, Heretic Praetor
*1 Urianger Augurelt
*1 Vega, the Watcher
*1 Witch Enchanter
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Passionate Archaeologist
*1 Showdown of the Skalds
*1 Tavern Brawler
*1 Valakut Exploration
*1 Wild Wasteland
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Jeska, Thrice Reborn
*1 Quintorius Kand
[/Planeswalkers]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Azorius Signet
*1 Boros Signet
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Izzet Signet
*1 Shadowspear
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Conviction
*1 Talisman of Creativity
*1 Talisman of Progress
*1 The Ozolith
*1 Two-Handed Axe
*1 Unstable Amulet
*1 Worn Powerstone
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Doomskar
*1 Expressive Iteration
*1 Glimpse the Impossible
*1 Jeska&#039;s Will
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Adarkar Wastes
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Battlefield Forge
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Command Tower
*1 Cori Mountain Monastery
*1 Elegant Parlor
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Floodfarm Verge
*1 Glacial Fortress
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*3 Island
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Meticulous Archive
*1 Mistrise Village
*1 Misty Rainforest
*2 Mountain
*1 Plains
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Raugrin Triome
*1 Riverpyre Verge
*1 Sacred Foundry
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Sea of Clouds
*1 Shivan Reef
*1 Spectator Seating
*1 Steam Vents
*1 Sulfur Falls
*1 Sunbillow Verge
*1 Thundering Falls
*1 Training Center
*1 Windswept Heath
*1 Wooded Foothills
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>I'm really excited to start jamming games with my favorite character at the helm of my deck. I'm positive that there are going to be many waves of major adjustments to this deck as I get to integrate it into my weekly play rotation (and once it becomes available to play in the Brawl queue on <em>Arena</em>!).</p>
<p>This list should be a great starting point for anyone else that's as excited to play with this card as I am. I look forward to reading suggestions in the comments and would absolutely love to see what others have cooked up for this deck, especially other commander damage-focused builds.</p>
<h3>More <em>Spider-Man</em>:</h3>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="BvNAptYYKC"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/venom-deadly-devourer-deck-tech/">Venom, Deadly Devourer Deck Tech</a></p></blockquote>
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exile commander

Gwen Stacy // Ghost-Spider Commander Deck Tech

A High Mana Cait Sith, Fortune Teller Commander Deck