Donatello, Gadget MasterDonatello, Gadget Master | Art by Svetlin Velinov

Welcome to Too-Specific Top 10, where if there isn’t a category to rank our pet card at the top of, we’ll just make one up! (Did you know that Coveted JewelCoveted Jewel is the only (non-MDFC) artifact that lets you draw three cards upon entering?)

Ooo, another mono-blue Artifacts commander? Don't mind if I do!

In true Ninja fashion, Donatello, Gadget MasterDonatello, Gadget Master is doing the ninjitsu thing, ultimately resulting in him sneaking in to do damage, and therefore copy an artifact. Now, I know what you're thinking, because everyone that saw this card was thinking it: turn one Sol RingSol Ring, turn two this guy, then I'm drowning in mana!

Well, not quite. The first thing we're going to need if we're building a Donatello deck is some cheap attackers that can come down on turn one and then swing in on turn two. Then Sol Ring and other cheap artifacts can come down to get copied, except if it's much besides Sol Ring, we then won't have the mana to sneak in Donatello, meaning we're on to turn three.

Honestly, though? I think we're focusing on the wrong portion of things. Copying mana rocks is all well and good, and is absolutely going to be a part of this deck, but what about after we have 10 mana just lying around? What are we copying then?

Top 10 Expensive, Mono-Blue, Nonlegendary, Non-Mana-Rock, Cumulative Artifacts

Criteria: Mono-blue artifacts costing five or more mana that do more than just add mana, with said "more" also being relevant in multiples. As is tradition, all results are ordered by EDHREC score.

10. Cyberdrive AwakenerCyberdrive Awakener

(104K Inclusions, 2.71% of 3.84M Decks)

Normally, f you're looking to end the game in an artifact deck, Cyberdrive AwakenerCyberdrive Awakener is near the top of your list of possibilities. Making your whole board of mana rocks and value engines into 4/4 fliers just ends games. There is a slight issue when it comes to Donatello, Gadget MasterDonatello, Gadget Master specifically, however.

Don't get me wrong, casting Awakener does exactly what you want, enlivening your whole board of artifacts and probably winning the game. If it doesn't, then things are a bit of a non-bo with Donatello's combat damage trigger, with a copy of Awakener making all your artifacts live and fly after you've already dealt your damage for the turn.

In other words? While this is probably fine, we're gonna press on and see if we can't find something that will work with our game plan a little better.

9. Blightsteel ColossusBlightsteel Colossus

(110K Inclusions, 1.42% of 7.76M Decks)

The biggest problem with Blightsteel ColossusBlightsteel Colossus has always been that instead of killing the table, it only kills one player. There's no doubt that doubling your Blightsteels does speed things up, but even with two that get through successfully, the odds that your last opponent has an answer have got to be near 100%, right? Murphy's Law and all that.

Let's keep it moving and see what else we can find.

8. Portal to PhyrexiaPortal to Phyrexia

(114K Inclusions, 1.46% of 7.76M Decks)

Speaking of answers to Blightsteel, it's Portal to PhyrexiaPortal to Phyrexia! If one copy didn't do it, it's likely that two would, and then you'd roll right into an upkeep where you could get the Blightsteel and the next biggest threat back from someone's graveyard.

This is the exact kind of huge, impactful artifact we're looking for. In short, nine mana is a lot, but there's little question that Portal would do exactly what it's supposed to for the price: win the game.

7. Kappa CannoneerKappa Cannoneer

(115K Inclusions, 2.99% of 3.84M Decks)

Why pay nine mana to win when you can do so for six or less, though? Kappa CannoneerKappa Cannoneer is everything we wanted Cyberdrive AwakenerCyberdrive Awakener to be: a huge, impactful artifact creature that becomes even more huge and impactful when we copy it with Donatello's ability.

There is the significant downside of us having to wait a turn for summoning sickness to go away, but it's also likely that Cannoneer comes down a turn earlier anyhow due to its improvise ability.

In short, this is the card we've been looking for, and one we'll almost never be sad to see.

6. Steel HellkiteSteel Hellkite

(118K Inclusions, 1.52% of 7.76M Decks)

Steel HellkiteSteel Hellkite, on the other hand, is none of those things. What this card is is a relic of a bygone age, when Sad RobotSad Robot reigned supreme and we had time for six-mana Dragons that required a turn and then more mana to make any sort of impact.

Yes, yes, you could destroy tokens for free, but you could do that immediately with a cheaper artifact. Pass.

5. Wurmcoil EngineWurmcoil Engine

(119K Inclusions, 1.54% of 7.76M Decks)

My thoughts on Wurmcoil EngineWurmcoil Engine in 2026 aren't quite as severe as they are about Steel HellkiteSteel Hellkite, but they are nonetheless similar. If we were looking to be an Aristocrats deck that also cared about copying big, impactful artifacts, then I could see an argument here.

Without that lean into death effects, however, I just think our energy is better spent elsewhere.

4. Myr BattlesphereMyr Battlesphere

(135K Inclusions, 1.73% of 7.76M Decks)

I don't feel that time has moved on from Myr BattlesphereMyr Battlesphere in the same way it has for Steel Hellkite and Wurmcoil Engine. Both the latter feel like they've just been outclassed, but that's not the case with Battlesphere. Instead, Battlesphere has what's known as competition.

In other words, there are several options you have in your average deck for your large, "artifact creature that makes more artifact creatures which do more damage" slot. So, the real question is: What are the pros and cons of each?

For Myr BattlesphereMyr Battlesphere, the advantage is self-contained efficiency. For seven mana, you get the biggest creature and the most immediate tokens of any of these options, outside of the possibility of Cybermen SquadronCybermen Squadron, which could create more if you already have a large board state.

Threefold ThunderhulkThreefold Thunderhulk, on the other hand, has a much smaller body and fewer initial tokens for the same price as Battlesphere, with the tradeoff being that you can get more with each combat step, and also make Thunderhulk bigger by sacrificing said tokens. In other words, if you have time to be patient; Thunderhulk actually snowballs a lot better than the sphere that depicts a snowball.

And then there's Cybermen SquadronCybermen Squadron, which only makes a measly two tokens by itself, which actively die. So if you don't have an existing board state, this is pretty much always going to feel subpar. Where Cybermen really shine though is when you have another creature on this list that is making hordes of artifact creatures.

Keep in mind that myriad doesn't let you stack up attack triggers, as the declaration of attacks has already happened by the time it triggers, enter the battlefield triggers still work, meaning that attacking with a Battlesphere while you have Cybermen out will net you eight Myr, and doing so with a Thunderhulk will net you nine Gnomes (and that's before you even count the tokens you made previously which can all be temporarily multiplied with myriad as well).

Finally, Rolling HamsphereRolling Hamsphere deals direct damage in similar fashion to Battlesphere, but does have the significant downside of having to be crewed by the Hamsters it makes, along with said Hamsters not being artifacts.

None of which answers the question of which of these monstrosities is the best to make several copies of with Donatello. For my money? That's Cybermen SquadronCybermen Squadron, although the math can make you a little woozy. Assuming you have a pod of four players, one Cybermen Squadron makes two token copies of each other artifact creature that attacks, two Cybermen make four copies of each artifact creature that attacks, except it also makes four Cybermen copies that don't trigger more myriad. Three make six copies of each artifact creature that attacks, while also making twelve myriad copies of Cybermen.

After that, you're on your own, citizen, and don't call me if you've managed to make an Auton SoldierAuton Soldier copy of Donatello along the way.

3. Caged SunCaged Sun

(137K Inclusions, 1.77% of 7.76M Decks)

On the one hand, it seems like Caged SunCaged Sun is the perfect artifact to make several copies of in a monocolored deck. You'll be drowning in mana, and your creatures will be huge, right? Well, yes, if you have a bunch of blue creatures.

More likely in a Donatello deck, however, is that you will have a bunch of colorless artifact creatures. Combine that with the fact that you'll also be making a bunch of copies of rocks that will already have you drowning in mana that Caged Sun won't double, and this seems like a pretty easy skip.

2. Thought MonitorThought Monitor

(140K Inclusions, 3.64% of 3.84M Decks)

Thought MonitorThought Monitor, on the other hand, is a windmill slam into the deck. We're going to have this thing down to costing a single blue pip in no time at all, and then it will also be a great copy target to draw more cards and keep the damage coming through the air.

In short, this is everything we want.

1. Meteor GolemMeteor Golem

(147K Inclusions, 1.89% of 7.76M Decks)

Alas, we're not done with 2013 Commander staples quite yet. In theory, Meteor GolemMeteor Golem is everything we could want in a mono-blue deck that can pay seven mana for things at the drop of a hat. It provides removal we don't have plentiful access to, while also being copyable with Donatello.

However, I just don't think we need this anymore. Blue has access to bounce, which can temporarily get rid of any pesky PropagandaPropagandas or Solitary ConfinementSolitary Confinements we run into, which should be more than enough for our snowball to roll right over the top of anyone that's put up defenses.

Honorable Mentions

With my constant looking for new pieces for my cEDH decks that both revolve around artifacts, Iron Man and Lady Octopus, I was actually a little bit surprised to see that some huge artifacts I had long ago become on a first-name basis with were not included in our top ten.

And these pieces that have mostly failed to make muster in my cEDH endeavors? They're all super nuts with Donatello. Auton SoldierAuton Soldier makes nonlegendary, artifact versions of Donatello, meaning that you can make more copies of him with each combat step that will then make more copies, both temporarily with a myriad trigger and permanently with Donatello's combat damage trigger.

If you're looking for the fastest way to win with a Mechanized ProductionMechanized Production, then congratulations, you've found it. Perhaps even more likely to win you the game, however, is multiple copies of Coveted JewelCoveted Jewel. Yes, it does come with some risk (quite a bit, if we're being honest) of handing the game to your opponents when the Jewel ends up being passed around the table, but let's be honest: If you can't protect your Jewel after getting six cards and six mana, then you probably don't deserve to win the game anyhow.

Finally, Wondrous CrucibleWondrous Crucible in multiples can be a bit of a hassle to resolve, but is nonetheless going to win you games as you accrue value from your graveyard every end step and give all of your permanents multiple instances of ward 2. It's a beautiful thing.

There's more to go over for your average Donatello deck, but I've already waxed poetic about seventeen or so seven-mana artifacts, so rather than go over more details, how about I just show you the decklist instead?

Donatello, Gadget Master Commander Deck List

This deck is an absolute blast to play. The games where you get to start doubling with Donatello's sneak on turn two feel like you could blow any Bracket 3 deck out of the water, but there's also quite a few games where you don't really start copying anything until turns four or five, which is why I ultimately settled on Bracket 2 for the deck.

Regardless of when it happens, you will end up at some point with enough complicated copy shenanigans and the math that comes with them that you'll just mentally skip on all of it and go to a lethal combat. Or at least you should, for both your sake and the table's.

Nuts and Bolts

There always seems to be a bit of interest in how these lists are made (this seems like a good time to stress once again that they are based on EDHREC score, NOT my personal opinion…), and people are often surprised that I’m not using any special data or .json from EDHREC, but rather just muddling my way through with some Scryfall knowledge! For your enjoyment/research, here is this week’s Scryfall search.

What Do You Think?

As alluded to above, Donatello seems like it's going to lead to many a board state where things get so complicated that the table as a whole is going to have to help rewind the slinky, as it were. The question is... is that okay?

And finally, what is your favorite huge artifact to copy? Do you have a deck that can do so, or is Donatello, Gadget MasterDonatello, Gadget Master your new jam?

Let us know in the comments, and we'll see you at the table across from the TV playing The Sorcerer's Apprentice.