<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Malcolm, the Eyes" href="#" target="_blank">Malcolm, the Eyes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | <em>Art by</em><em> <a href="https://michaelwalshcomics.com/">Michael Walsh</a></em></h6>
<p>Last year, the <em>Magic </em>Pride event was my favorite of the year. The premise is simple: all legendary creatures have partner. This format has a nearly limitless number of potential partner combinations to construct a strategy around. The greatest challenge for me isn't building a good deck, but choosing just one deck to play at the event. In this deck tech, we're going to be taking my signature commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Malcolm, the Eyes" href="#" target="_blank">Malcolm, the Eyes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and pairing him with my favorite commander from <em>Final Fantasy</em>: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Midgar Mercenary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Malcolm, the Eyes"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary"></div></div>
<h2>What Do Cloud and Malcolm Do?</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Malcolm, the Eyes" href="#" target="_blank">Malcolm, the Eyes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a two-mana commander with flying and haste. Whenever you cast your second spell each turn, you get a Clue token. That's it. In the age of commanders that have two paragraphs of rules text, I find Malcolm's simplicity refreshing. The complexity lies in how to take advantage of Malcolm's abilities. Here, I'm primarily interested in leveraging Malcolm's speed and evasion. A two-mana creature with flying is going to get through in combat very often in the early stages of the game as most opponents will still be developing their mana and establishing their engines by the time Malcolm hits the red zone.</p>
<p>Unlike Malcolm, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Midgar Mercenary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has quite a bit of text to work through. When Cloud enters, you search your library for an Equipment card and put it into your hand. Then, while Cloud is equipped, his abilities as well as the abilities of any Equipment attached to him trigger twice. The tutor effect is going to be key in this deck. I'm a huge fan of toolbox-style decks that have a plethora of situational cards tied together by a powerful tutor effect and Cloud is a perfect fit.</p>
<p>These two commanders are going to come together to form a really sweet Voltron deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Midgar Mercenary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an easy way to find the best Equipment card for any given situation and Malcolm is an evasive creature that shouldn't be difficult to connect with. Additionally, both commanders are very good attackers! This means I can theoretically work towards a turn where I kill the two most threatening opponents at the table with commander damage in a single turn, leaving only one player alive to try to stop me.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Malcolm &amp; Cloud</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Buster Sword"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blade of Selves"></div></div>
<p>The most important cards in any deck with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Midgar Mercenary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the command zone are the Equipment spells. I've fit as many of the best Equipment as I can get away with in this deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Buster Sword" href="#" target="_blank">Buster Sword</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as most <em>Final Fantasy</em> fans would probably guess, has really strong synergy with Cloud. Getting to cast one spell from your hand for free is pretty good, but getting to do it twice when <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Buster Sword" href="#" target="_blank">Buster Sword</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is equipped to Cloud is a ridiculous amount of value. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blade of Selves" href="#" target="_blank">Blade of Selves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is also at its best when equipped to Cloud, as attacking with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blade of Selves" href="#" target="_blank">Blade of Selves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> equipped will give you a bunch of copies of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Midgar Mercenary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Sure, those copies are all going to get sacrificed to the legend rule, but each one of them will still get their enters trigger to search for an Equipment.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sigarda&#039;s Aid"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Puresteel Paladin"></div></div>
<p>The weakest part of Equipment spells is that they cost mana to cast and additional mana to equip to a creature. No one wants to spend their hard-earned mana on equipping their creatures. Thankfully, a number of ways to cheat on these costs have been printed over the years. Taking a page directly out of Modern Hammer Time's playbook, this deck includes <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigarda&#039;s Aid" href="#" target="_blank">Sigarda&#039;s Aid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Puresteel Paladin" href="#" target="_blank">Puresteel Paladin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, two of the most mana-efficient ways to cheat Equipment onto your creatures. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Forge Anew" href="#" target="_blank">Forge Anew</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bureau Headmaster" href="#" target="_blank">Bureau Headmaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fighter Class" href="#" target="_blank">Fighter Class</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are also here to help give Cloud his <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Buster Sword" href="#" target="_blank">Buster Sword</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> without having to spend all of my mana.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thoughtcast"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emry, Lurker of the Loch"></div></div>
<p>Between Malcolm's Clue tokens, artifact-based ramp, and the 15 Equipment cards in the deck, I expect this deck to have a lot of artifacts in play at any given time. I've included some cards with affinity or improvise to take full advantage of that. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thoughtcast" href="#" target="_blank">Thoughtcast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will often be a one-mana <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Divination" href="#" target="_blank">Divination</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Metallic Rebuke" href="#" target="_blank">Metallic Rebuke</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> becomes a one-mana <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Leak" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Leak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> very early into most games. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emry, Lurker of the Loch" href="#" target="_blank">Emry, Lurker of the Loch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ensures that none of your most important artifacts stay gone for long after being removed. Emry is particularly strong in a deck that plays <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mishra&#039;s Bauble" href="#" target="_blank">Mishra&#039;s Bauble</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza&#039;s Bauble" href="#" target="_blank">Urza&#039;s Bauble</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as she'll often be able to tap to draw a card with one of those at the very least.</p>
<h2>How Do Malcolm &amp; Cloud Win the Game?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jeska, Thrice Reborn"></div></div>
<p>The most common way that a Voltron deck wins games is through commander damage, typically dealt by a commander with a critical mass of Auras or Equipment attached. This deck is no exception. It isn't all Auras and Equipment, though. <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> is a card I've been including as a finisher more and more often in my decks lately and this deck makes very good use of her. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Two-Handed Axe" href="#" target="_blank">Two-Handed Axe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> serves a similar purpose to Jeska, while being an Equipment that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Midgar Mercenary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stoneforge Mystic" href="#" target="_blank">Stoneforge Mystic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can fetch.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kappa Cannoneer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Inkmoth Nexus"></div></div>
<p>It is important for any Voltron deck to have creatures that can get the job done in case the commanders are rendered uncastable, either by a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drannith Magistrate" href="#" target="_blank">Drannith Magistrate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or prohibitively high command tax. With all of the powerful Equipment in this deck, any creature can easily become a lethal threat, but some cards in the deck are more well-suited than others to this purpose. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kappa Cannoneer" href="#" target="_blank">Kappa Cannoneer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an unblockable menace that is easy to cast and difficult to remove. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inkmoth Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Inkmoth Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a land that can become a creature with infect. With a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigarda&#039;s Aid" href="#" target="_blank">Sigarda&#039;s Aid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on the field, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inkmoth Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Inkmoth Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can attack and then receive an instant-speed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Colossus Hammer" href="#" target="_blank">Colossus Hammer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> after blocks to kill a player in one hit!</p>
<h2>Malcolm &amp; Cloud Commander Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Jeskai Stoneblade" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Cloud, Midgar Mercenary
*1 Malcolm, the Eyes
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Astrologian&#039;s Planisphere
*1 Blade of Selves
*1 Buster Sword
*1 Chrome Mox
*1 Colossus Hammer
*1 Conqueror&#039;s Flail
*1 Cori-Steel Cutter
*1 Lavaspur Boots
*1 Mishra&#039;s Bauble
*1 Mithril Coat
*1 Mox Amber
*1 Mox Opal
*1 Nettlecyst
*1 Pre-War Formalwear
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Springleaf Drum
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Sword of Feast and Famine
*1 Sword of Fire and Ice
*1 Two-Handed Axe
[/Artifacts]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Jeska, Thrice Reborn
*1 Saheeli, Sublime Artificer
[/Planeswalkers]
[Instants]
*1 An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse
*1 Deflecting Swat
*1 Dispel
*1 Fierce Guardianship
*1 Final Fortune
*1 Flusterstorm
*1 Force of Negation
*1 Force of Will
*1 Galvanic Blast
*1 Metallic Rebuke
*1 Misdirection
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Wear // Tear
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Combat Research
*1 Curiosity
*1 Curious Obsession
*1 Fighter Class
*1 Forge Anew
*1 Frostcliff Siege
*1 Guild Artisan
*1 Sigarda&#039;s Aid
[/Enchantments]
[Creatures]
*1 Bureau Headmaster
*1 Emry, Lurker of the Loch
*1 Esper Sentinel
*1 Forensic Gadgeteer
*1 Kappa Cannoneer
*1 Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator
*1 Professional Face-Breaker
*1 Puresteel Paladin
*1 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
*1 Sram, Senior Edificer
*1 Stoneforge Mystic
*1 Subtlety
*1 Third Path Iconoclast
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
*1 Academy Ruins
*1 Ancient Den
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 City of Brass
*1 Command Tower
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Great Furnace
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*1 Inkmoth Nexus
*1 Island
*1 Mana Confluence
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Misty Rainforest
*1 Mountain
*1 Plains
*1 Plateau
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Raugrin Triome
*1 Razortide Bridge
*1 Rustvale Bridge
*1 Sacred Foundry
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Sea of Clouds
*1 Seat of the Synod
*1 Silverbluff Bridge
*1 Spectator Seating
*1 Spire of Industry
*1 Starting Town
*1 Steam Vents
*1 Training Center
*1 Tundra
*1 Urza&#039;s Saga
*1 Volcanic Island
*1 Windswept Heath
*1 Wooded Foothills
[/Lands]
[Sorceries]
*1 Eagle Vision
*1 Shattering Spree
*1 Thoughtcast
*1 Winds of Abandon
[/Sorceries]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>I'd place this deck into the lower end of the Optimized Bracket (4). The suite of interaction and ramp is packed with Game Changers, and this deck has a very fast gameplan that would most likely be overwhelming to less interactive decks in the lower brackets. It wouldn't be a big ask to tone it down to fit into the Upgraded Bracket (3) for someone that isn't as committed to playing cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Force of Will" href="#" target="_blank">Force of Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chrome Mox" href="#" target="_blank">Chrome Mox</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>This deck is made for players that like to feel like they're putting a puzzle together each turn. The decision trees start to get complicated as early as turn two where you have to decide which commander to deploy first, and then what Equipment Cloud will fetch first. While it is incredibly fun to navigate those decision trees, they come with a very real risk. Even the most skilled pilot could make a wrong choice early on in a game and doom themselves in the process. I love the feeling of that risk hanging over my head, but it certainly isn't for everyone.</p>
<p>I love building for this variant of Commander, even if I only get to play it twice a year. I'm excited to see what interesting combinations the people at my local game store came up with this year, and I'm equally excited to hear about what pairings the people in the comments have come up with!</p>
<p>For more Malcolm, the Eyes content, be sure to check out <a href="https://commandersherald.com/60-to-100-legacy-delver/">my article</a> about him over on Commander's Herald. Even with all of the awesome tools recent sets have given us, I believe this version of the deck still holds up.</p>


rule zero commander

Cloud, Midgar Mercenary & Malcolm, the Eyes Pride Event Deck Tech