Nekusar, the MindrazerNekusar, the Mindrazer | Art by Mark Winters

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Ten under Twenty, the article series in which we look at all kinds of commanders and find those hidden gems that simply aren’t getting the play they deserve. In order to qualify as a gem, the card must be in less than 20% of eligible decks for EDHREC. This week, we're looking at an oldie but a goodie, Nekusar, the MindrazerNekusar, the Mindrazer. Naturally, this list is a buffet style, meaning you can simply take what you like and leave what you don’t. At the end of the day, it is your deck. Before we get into the cards, let’s first look at the commander.

Nekusar, the Mindrazer

Nekusar was originally printed in Commander 2013. This was a revolutionary commander, opening up the Wheels archetype (named after Wheel of FortuneWheel of Fortune), providing a damage outlet in the command zone as a payoff by inflicting a point of damage off of every card an opponent draws.

The deck is traditionally filled with as many Wheel effects as possible, causing players to constantly pitch their hand for a new one, often multiple times in the same turn. The cards we're looking at will want to support this strategy in one way or another.

Let’s begin!

10) Zenith ChroniclerZenith Chronicler (11%)

Starting off our list, we have a card draw enabler, just not a wheel-related one. Zenith ChroniclerZenith Chronicler forces each other player to draw a card off of their first multicolored spell. Since this is not a “may” ability, this will generate a lot of additional card draws and Nekusar triggers over the course of the game, as it isn’t threatening enough to catch a spot removal spell. It can also serve as a three-power blocker in a pinch to dissuade chip damage from smaller creatures.

It may not be the spiciest card on this list, but it definitely deserves more representation than the eleven percent it's currently in.

9) Insatiable AvariceInsatiable Avarice (9%)

This goes with flavoring your powerful cards to the deck when you can. Instead of running a Game Changer like Demonic TutorDemonic Tutor, you can play Insatiable AvariceInsatiable Avarice which can add the optional bonus of drawing cards. What is nice about the card draw effect is it can be assigned to a target player, so there are scenarios where you can tutor a card to the top of your deck, force another player to draw three cards and take three damage (plus any other Nekusar-like effects in play), and then wheel those cards away with WindfallWindfall or a similar card. Having a choice like that in your deck can lead to far more interesting games than a simple tutor would.

Demonic TutorDemonic Tutor is showing up in close to 29% of decks, while Insatiable AvariceInsatiable Avarice is at only 9%? I feel as a community we can show some more love to this card.

8) Archfiend of IfnirArchfiend of Ifnir (8%)

A big issue that Nekusar faces in games is in combat. Because Nekusar wants to dedicate so many card slots to wheeling cards and enablers, there isn’t a lot of room for profitable blockers if a deck like a mono-green stompy comes to avenge their discarded Craterhoof BehemothCraterhoof Behemoth. This is where the Archfiend of IfnirArchfiend of Ifnir comes into play.

When wheeling, players will constantly be discarding cards to draw their new hand. For each card Nekusar draws, the Archfiend of IfnirArchfiend of Ifnir will be putting a -1/-1 counter on each creature opponents control. Let’s say in a Nekusar deck that focuses on Wheels that actually discard cards (a tall order, I know, but just stay with me here), they pitch an average of ten cards per turn through two Wheel spells. With 10 -1/-1 counters being placed, it would be hard to find even Eldrazi that would be able to stick around.

Another nice part of this card is if that matchup doesn’t call for that level of creature control, or you simply don’t have the mana, it comes with its own cycling keyword, letting you pitch the card to your graveyard for a new card at a low price of two generic mana. This is great for Nekusar and only shows up in 8% of decks on EDHREC.

7) Sigil of SleepSigil of Sleep (7%)

Admittedly, this is a pet card of mine, so I will absolutely accept any comments of bias on Sigil of SleepSigil of Sleep here at number seven. The main thing to remember about this card is it says “damage,” not “combat damage.” This creates a spectacularly annoying removal/tempo engine with Nekusar, where every time an opponent draws a card, Nekusar can bounce one of their creatures back to hand. In a token deck, it's even worse since you can elect to return the tokens back to hand, where they would cease to exist. All of this synergy for one blue mana.

Is this the best thing that Nekusar can do? Absolutely not. But it's one of the more fun things you can do. This card shows up in only seven percent of Nekusar decks, only costs one blue mana to cast, and is under $2 to buy. Honestly, there isn’t much of a reason to not try Sigil of Sleep.

6) Anvil of BogardanAnvil of Bogardan (7%)

Coming to us straight from the Reserved List, we have one of the more expensive cards on our list in Anvil of Bogardan. The Anvil is a great “group hug” effect in Nekusar since the deck is capable of punching opponents for both discarding and drawing cards. Getting an extra draw trigger and a discard trigger each turn can lead to a huge increase in damage output.

Since Anvil is a bit more on the expensive side, I can understand it only showing up in seven percent of Nekusar decks on EDHREC, but if you do have a Nekusar deck that plays cards like Howling MineHowling Mine and other draw enablers, this would be a slam dunk addition for you.

5) Witch's ClinicWitch's Clinic (6%)

If there is one thing that I irrationally love in Commander, it's high-floor cards. Witch’s ClinicWitch’s Clinic is exactly that. As an untapped nonbasic land, the only opportunity cost involved with this card is that it doesn’t produce any colors. When you use a Wheel spell in Nekusar and have every player draw seven cards, that's going to be 21 total damage. Witch’s Clinic can give Nekusar lifelink to gain that much life. There can be scenarios in which the Nekusar deck can gain life so fast that opponents can’t deal enough damage to knock Nekusar out before they're eliminated themselves. Not too shabby for a $2 card.

4) Saw It ComingSaw It Coming (2.22%)

At only 2.22%, we have a very interesting counterspell. One of the main pain points that Nekusar can run into in games is the hesitation to wheel if there's something really strong in hand that you don’t want to discard. Because of this, foretell is an incredible mechanic to utilize in a Wheel deck.

Saw It ComingSaw It Coming is a counterspell that you can exile from your hand face down to use later. As Nekusar continues to wheel and deal damage, that counterspell can still be used, giving you your “eighth” card in hand.

3) Siren StormtamerSiren Stormtamer (0.38%)

In the same breath as Saw It Coming, it's really helpful to be able to place cards in positions where they're out of hand but still able to be used. Siren Stormtamer is our next example, only being played in 0.38% of Nekusar decks. It serves as a counterspell or StifleStifle for a spell or ability that's targeting you or a creature you control, like Nekusar. Being that it's seen on the battlefield, it won’t catch a player by surprise, but it often discourages players from using their removal your way since they don’t want to waste it.

2) Will of the JeskaiWill of the Jeskai (0.24%)

At our second deepest hidden gem, we have a new card from Tarkir: Dragonstorm with Way of the Jeskai. Since this is a new card, I don’t anticipate it staying as a hidden gem for very long. Another Wheel effect for five card draws after the fact, this also boasts the ability to give each instant or sorcery in your graveyard flashback for the turn. In a Nekusar game, it's not unreasonable to have multiple Wheel effects in your graveyard from previous turns that can be used on the turn to chain into more card draw effects and have everyone draw an extra 15 cards or so. In the endgame for Commander, this could be enough damage to eliminate players.

Only 52 decks are currently using this card according at the time of writing, so this is definitely your opportunity to get ahead of the curve.

1) Bohn, Beguiling BalladeerBohn, Beguiling Balladeer (0.158%)

Finally, at the top of our list, we have Chris Pine from the Dungeons and Dragons Movie Secret Lair. Bohn, Beguiling Balladeer allows Nekusar to take advantage of the foretell mechanic on any card in hand, creating a vault of cards to use later. Unlike the other foretell counterpart in Dream DevourerDream Devourer, Bohn can also help with Nekusar combat problems by goading creatures on the second spell cast in a turn, sending them in a different direction. For only three mana and showing up in only 0.158% of Nekusar decks, this legendary creature definitely deserves more love than it's getting.

Cards Seeing Too Much Play In Nekusar Decks

When I suggest ten new cards for a Nekusar deck, I understand that it can be intimidating to try to find cards to take out to make room. With that in mind, I have an additional section called “Cut Candidates” which are the cards that I believe might be getting a little too much play for what they do.

1) Kami of the Crescent MoonKami of the Crescent Moon (59%)

This one is definitely going to have some controversy, but bear with me. Kami is a nice Howling MineHowling Mine effect, allowing an additional card to be drawn each turn for each player. It's nice to force other players to draw more cards, but I think it's more important to have these types of effects either attached to something like Spiteful VisionsSpiteful Visions to add damage and draw the card, or provide more card draw like another Wheel might. I also prefer Howling MineHowling Mine over Kami of the Crescent MoonKami of the Crescent Moon since it's an artifact instead of a creature and won’t get caught up in creature-based board wipes.

2) Lightning GreavesLightning Greaves/ Swiftfoot BootsSwiftfoot Boots (42% and 35%, respectively)

I understand the urge to keep Nekusar safe by granting shroud or hexproof. But with the amount of redundancy of damage outlets Nekusar has, keeping two slots dedicated to these Equipment spells could be used more efficiently since Nekusar isn’t really positioned as an attacker or containing a payoff to take advantage of haste. I suggest using one or the other if you're a fan of protection magic, but not both.

3) MegrimMegrim (54%)

Using this card requires a bit more finesse in deck building to really take advantage of. You would have to use a lot more Wheel spells that force discarding effects and neglect the shuffle wheel effects like Winds of ChangeWinds of Change. In place of this card, you could play Raiders' WakeRaiders' Wake, which only costs one additional mana and can make players discard cards and self-enable instead. There are decks that are going to want MegrimMegrim, but I would rather focus on the card draw side of the ability and keep the deck on a singular focus.

And there you have it, ten new cards to try out in Nekusar and three to take a look at cutting. I hope you found some hidden gems to try out! Of course, there are way more gems for Nekusar than ten, so let us know your favorite hidden gem in the comments that wasn’t on my list! If you have a commander you would like to see next, let us know in the comments or by sending an email to [email protected].

Until next time, happy brewing!