The Sentry, Golden GuardianThe Sentry, Golden Guardian | Art by Alexander Skripnikov

No, that's not blonde Californian Superman. This is Marvel, doggone it. That's the Sentry! And, like Jordan and Pippen, like Thelma and Louise, like Simon and Garfunkel, he comes with a partner. In this case, a shadowy, somewhat concerning partner...

In today's article, we'll be examining both, and all the ways you can add them to your decks. Or, better yet, how to build a brand new Commander deck around The Sentry, Golden GuardianThe Sentry, Golden Guardian.

So Who Is This Guy, Anyway?

Or guys, I guess. They're technically two people housed in the same vessel, like JJ McCarthy and Nine, only they're somewhat less disappointing.

I wouldn't blame you for not knowing them. This duo isn't quite the Marvel household name. Even Ant-Man is probably the bigger deal (sometimes literally). So I'm here to give you a little history lesson, MCU style.

Yes, I'm relying on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, because the sheer volume of comics gives me mild anxiety. Sentry and the Void appeared in the 2025 film Thunderbolts*, played by Bill Pullman's son, Lewis Pullman (cue the Independence Day monologue).

Here's what I learned from that movie: Sentry is a nearly all-powerful being (hence the indestructible text). To my understanding, he'd be in contention for superest superhero ever, if not for one minor snafu: A hidden (and evil) alter ego. That's the Void. He's super emo, and he can pretty much banish people to the Shadow Realm. (Shoutout to Maximillian Pegasus.)

I mention all this because Thunderbolts* was my favorite Marvel movie of the year. Also, for the non-Marvel crowd, I hope it gives you added appreciation for this top-down design. It's pretty spot-on.

How Not To Get Destroyed by the Void

So. I'd like to start with the most interesting aspect of the Sentry, which isn't even the Sentry. It's the Void. There are seven—seven!—approaches one might take to this legendary token.

First, you can kill it. Sure, the Void is indestructible, but since it's a token, it's got added vulnerability to classic white enchantments like Oblivion RingOblivion Ring, since it won't return from exile. Bounce effects function similarly, particularly the new Airbending mechanic from Avatar. Airbending LessonAirbending Lesson is a nice, clean answer to the Void that even gives back a card in return.

Option two: Use it politically. If a player's behind in the game, give them a free flying, indestructible 5/5, along with an offer of undying friendship (until you need to kill them). They say the enemy of an enemy is a friend, so why not bequeath the Void unto a friend (enemy's enemy?) of your choosing? Treat it like a free bargaining chip to curry favor when it's most needed.

Warning: Your mileage will vary depending on your playgroup. Mine, for example, is pretty cutthroat. Jeremy, Drew, Ian, and I really don't care if people give us free stuff. In fact, we're suspicious of it. Keep your friends' personalities in mind while playing this commander, and act accordingly.

What's the third option? Force the Void to attack your opponents. White is the perfect color for the task, with such combat taxing cards as Ghostly PrisonGhostly Prison, Sphere of SafetySphere of Safety, Baird, Steward of ArgiveBaird, Steward of Argive, and more. The Void must attack every turn, but if your opponents can't pay the tax, they'll have no choice but to send him elsewhere.

Our fourth option is a mix of options two and three, and it's embodied by two cards: Anti-Venom, Horrifying HealerAnti-Venom, Horrifying Healer and Phyrexian VindicatorPhyrexian Vindicator. Neither of them strictly forbid opponents from attacking you like Ghostly PrisonGhostly Prison can, but both strongly deter Void attacks (assuming you can grant them flying or reach).

Better yet, you can gift Void to an ally, then ask them to attack into your Anti-Venom or Vindicator, giving you a massive boost. A lot of moving pieces, I know—but that's what makes Commander fun.

The fifth option is probably my favorite: Claim the Void for yourself. Most exchange effects are localized to blue, unfortunately, although there are some janky ones available in mono-white. Avarice TotemAvarice Totem came to mind first. I'll never forget opening this thing in a Fifth Dawn pack and wondering, Is this as bad as it looks?

No. It's worse. But now, 21 years later, we're trading it for a Marvel superhero. Because if there's one thing better than a 5/5 indestructible flyer, it's two of them (even if one's a token). Plus, if you pursue this route, you can enjoy the fun of also offering straight-up dangerous gifts via the new(ish) Stiltzkin, Moogle MerchantStiltzkin, Moogle Merchant. I'm thinking Nine LivesNine Lives. Combine that with an Austere CommandAustere Command for an insta-kill, baby.

Our sixth option for dealing with the Void is simply ignoring it. After all, since the Sentry has vigilance and indestructible, he'll just bounce off the Void in combat, giving your opponents little incentive to attack you to begin with. This is the least fun way to answer the token, but it does work.

And finally, our seventh method to defeat the Void is good old fashioned Freudian repression. In other words, we're going to pretend that token doesn't exist...by making it literally never exist.

When I first consulted Sentry's commander page, I was a bit baffled by the presence of HushbringerHushbringer. Hushwing GryffHushwing Gryff, and Tocatli Honor GuardTocatli Honor Guard. In my experience, such cards just make you an easy target, since most decks are packed with ETBs, and most players don't enjoy having them shut off.

But of course, these cards are symmetrical, even on your commander. That means casting Sentry with a HushbringerHushbringer out, for example, means no Void. A fun little interaction there.

Alright, if you're a little overwhelmed by the myriad ways to utilize that token, let's focus on the Sentry himself a little more.

The Sentry in the 99

My pal Drew is hard at work building a Kambal, Profiteering MayorKambal, Profiteering Mayor deck. I don't know if he's seen this card yet, but if not, do me a favor and don't tell him about it—I'd rather not play against it. If he gets a Void whenever I get a Void, I'd rather avoid the Void so I'm not annoyed. Settle down, Kyle. You're sounding like Dr. Seuss...

Sentry fits right in with numerous other commanders, including but not limited to the aforementioned Kambal, along with Odric, Lunarch MarshalOdric, Lunarch Marshal, Breena, the DemagogueBreena, the Demagogue, Marisi, Breaker of the CoilMarisi, Breaker of the Coil, and Nelly Borca, Impulsive AccuserNelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser. I hesitate to mention that last one, because my other pal Jeremy has a Nelly deck that drives me absolutely ballistic. It needs no more support, okay? The deck's annoying enough already.

Anyway, whether the Sentry's in the command zone or the 99, don't overlook his creature types. Humans are EDHREC's sixth most popular type, and there's no shortage of them—or their payoffs—in mono-white. Greymond, Avacyn's StalwartGreymond, Avacyn's Stalwart is tops for the type in mono-white, and although it's somewhat awkward that he and Sentry share a spot on the curve, it's well worth playing the latter in the former. Giving Sentry two additional keywords into to the three he already starts with? In the words of the Thing, 'nuff said.

And don't forget the Hero type, either. Thus far, the much-maligned Spider-Man is the only set that supports that type, albeit in light splashes; if you check the Kindred tags, you won't even find Heroes listed. However, we've already seen a spoiled Captain America, Super-SoldierCaptain America, Super-Soldier from this set supporting the creature type, so I wouldn't be surprised if more was on the way.

And one more thing: Final Fantasy was full of Hero tokens, both from job select and several other one-off effects.

In short, Heroes are out there, and if they get enough support in Marvel Super Heroes, they could become viable.

The coolest 99 Sentry might find himself in is a throuple (quadrouple?) with Sakashima of a Thousand FacesSakashima of a Thousand Faces and Akroma, Vision of IxidorAkroma, Vision of Ixidor. Akroma turns the Sentry into an 8/8, and from there, you can either copy Sentry with Sakashima, or copy Akroma for an additional +3/+3 bonus.

The Sentry in the Command Zone

Although Sentry is a unique head honcho, I'm honestly a little dubious of his effectiveness. Being a 5/5 with several relevant keywords is strong, but even with years of added support, mono-white is still more challenging to build than other colors.

Furthermore, Sentry's two short of the magic seven power, taking him five attacks for commander damage lethality instead of three.

That said, a Sentry deck could still be loads of fun. Indestructible and flying form an excellent foundation for a Voltron strategy, for example. He's also a relatively safe place to dump +1/+1 counters, Equipment, or Auras.

I'm not sure it's an archetype, per se, but you might also run the Sentry as Board-Wipe Kindred. Since he's intrinsically indestructible, Wrath of GodWrath of God, Day of JudgmentDay of Judgment, and the like can easily wipe a battlefield, leaving only the Sentry standing (or floating).

If you're looking for inspiration in this regard, I recommend consulting Zurgo HelmsmasherZurgo Helmsmasher's EDHREC page. Yes, WorldslayerWorldslayer works just as well for Sentry as it does for Zurgo. Just check your Brackets.

In terms of specific cards, Odric, Lunarch MarshalOdric, Lunarch Marshal, PariahPariah, and Duelist's HeritageDuelist's Heritage feel like auto-includes. Note that the Heritage can grant double strike to the Void (I'm assuming you'll only do that if he's attacking someone else). The classic Lightning GreavesLightning Greaves is another auto-include, since shroud combined with indestructible leaves Sentry vulnerable only to a select few cards in the format. (Yes, overloaded Cyclonic RiftCyclonic Rift still works. But everyone's always vulnerable to an overloaded Cyclonic RiftCyclonic Rift.)

But the spiciest way to build this commander is with blink effects, which turns Sentry into Oprah for Void tokens. When everyone has a Void, you can turtle up so they're forced to attack each other. From there, you can compound the damage with stuff like the aforementioned Duelist's HeritageDuelist's Heritage. Or even combat tricks. Maybe?

Look, I'm not saying it's a winning strategy. I'm just saying it's cool. And sometimes that's all a commander needs to become popular. I'll have to keep that in mind when it comes time for this set's Over/Under...

The Sentry, Golden Guardian Commander Deck List

Always tough to post a deck without even playing the commander yet, so consider this the rough draft of what will no doubt someday be a masterpiece. Just like Thunderbolts* was.

Shoutout to EDHREC's Average Deck feature, which is, in my opinion, one of our most underrated functions. I suspect people feel icky about using it, maybe because it seems like netdecking, and I suppose it would be if you just copy and pasted. But hey, netdecking wins tournaments, and it can win games at your kitchen table, too.

Plus, sometimes it's better to start somewhere and iterate rather than staring at the proverbial blank page—or in this case, a void.

Parting Thoughts

I hope this article has given you a deeper appreciation of the Sentry, his flavor, his applications, and of course, his accompanying token. From a design and gameplay perspective, I think this card is far deeper than it might appear at first blush, which is why I'm so eager to play him. I don't anticipate building him his own deck, but I look forward to drafting the Sentry alongside Akroma, Vision of IxidorAkroma, Vision of Ixidor in my Commander Cube. Pity my opponents.