Richard Garfield, Ph.D.

Richard Garfield, Ph.D. is a unique toolbox commander that lets you bend the rules of deckbuilding. The core idea is to load your deck with diverse cards of the same mana cost, then use Richard's ability to play them as whatever you need in the moment. This gives you incredible flexibility—need a boardwipe? Play that five-mana creature as Wrath of God. Need ramp? Play it as a mana rock. The real puzzle is building a 99-card deck where multiple cards share each mana cost, creating redundancy without actually repeating cards.

You'll want to stock up on cards in the 2-5 mana range, since those are the most efficient and versatile. Think Counterspells, draw engines, removal, creatures, and utility—all at similar costs. Richard himself is a fragile body, so you're not winning through combat. Instead, you're grinding out value and answers, playing the right tool at the right time. Your opponents will struggle to predict what you're casting, and you'll adapt perfectly to whatever threats emerge.

This is a grindy, control-oriented deck that rewards deckbuilding creativity and game knowledge. You're essentially running five different game plans at once, all hidden behind mana costs.

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