Cleon, Merry Champion

Cleon, Merry Champion is a scrappy little combat machine that rewards you for casting cheap spells and targeting him. His double strike means even a 2/2 body deals real damage quickly, and the heroic trigger turns every target spell into a mini-draw engine. You want to load up on cheap instants and sorceries—especially ones that target Cleon—to trigger his ability repeatedly and play extra cards off the top of your library. This creates a snowball effect where you're digging deeper into your deck while pressuring opponents with evasion or pump effects.

The deck plays like a spellslinger-tempo hybrid: cast a cheap pump spell or trick, trigger heroic, exile a card, then either play that card immediately or sit on it for later. Cards like Brute Force, Defiant Strike, and Samurai of the Pale Curtsy are perfect because they're efficient, target your commander, and usually draw cards or improve his combat math. You'll also want evasion outlets (unblockable creatures or Madcap Skills-type effects) to make sure those double strikes actually connect. Finish games with either raw combat damage using pump and evasion, or by fueling enough card advantage to bury opponents in value and tempo.

Strategy generated by Tapped Decks AI. Not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast.