Kethek, Crucible Goliath

Published February 26th, 2023

Commander (1)

Kethek, Crucible Goliath

Lands (35)

Arid Mesa
Blood Crypt
Bloodstained Mire
Canyon Slough
Command Tower
Dragonskull Summit
Graven Cairns
Haunted Ridge
Luxury Suite
Marsh Flats
Mountain x6
Myriad Landscape
Polluted Delta
Reflecting Pool
Scalding Tarn
Smoldering Marsh
Sulfurous Mire
Sulfurous Springs
Swamp x6
Tainted Peak
Temple of Malice
Verdant Catacombs
Volrath’s Stronghold
Witch’s Cottage
Wooded Foothills

Artifacts (8)

Arcane Signet
Phyrexian Altar
Rakdos Signet
Skullclamp
Sol Ring
Talisman of Indulgence
Transmogrant’s Crown
Wayfarer’s Bauble

Enchantments (5)

Bitter Reunion
Dawn of the Dead
Flameshadow Conjuring
Phyrexian Arena
The Meathook Massacre

Instants (7)

Act of Aggression
Blood for the Blood God!
Entomb
Force of Despair
Malakir Rebirth
Rakdos Charm
Vampiric Tutor

Sorceries (15)

Agadeem’s Awakening
Blasphemous Act
Damnation
Demonic Tutor
Diabolic Intent
Dread Return
Faithless Looting
Imperial Seal
Jeska’s Will
Mob Rule
Night’s Whisper
Seize the Spotlight
Sign in Blood
Song-Mad Treachery
Vandalblast

Planeswalkers (1)

Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools

//Creatures (28)

Archfiend of Sorrows
Argentum Masticore
Blood Artist
Bloodghast
Body Launderer
Captivating Crew
Cityscape Leveler
Dockside Extortionist
Drivnod, Carnage Dominus
First-Sphere Gargantua
Grim Haruspex
Massacre Wurm
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
Molten Primordial
Morbid Opportunist
Puppeteer Clique
Ravenous Chupacabra
Reassembling Skeleton
Rekindling Phoenix
Sepulchral Primordial
Solemn Simulacrum
Squee, Goblin Nabob
Squee, the Immortal
Unlucky Witness
Viscera Seer
Woe Strider
Yawgmoth, Thran Physician
Zulaport Cutthroat

Kethek, Crucible Goliath is a fun new Rakdos commander that can be built on a variety of budgets, has access to both combo and non-combo win conditions, and has a semi-random effect that can lead to every game feeling unique without ever being inherently oppressive.

Feed the Beast

Kethek needs something to eat every turn in order to churn through and produce something new from your deck. To accomplish this, we can throw in some creatures that are nigh-impossible to get rid of, such as the Squees & Rekindling Phoenix. If you don’t feel like sacrificing your own creatures and want to find something bigger and juicier in your deck, feel free to use as many Act of Treason type effects as you like, and just eat your opponents commanders or bomb-tier threats.

Combos

Combos for the deck can vary, from standard Rakdos fare like Zealous Conscripts & Kikki-Jikki, Mirror Breaker to some more involved lines revolving Around Mikaeus, the Unhallowed, a sacrifice outlet, and cards such as Puppeteer Clique with a Blood Artist type of effect. For non-infinite, value combos, Kethek Pairs great with cards such as Flameshadow Conjuring & Dawn of the Dead, providing extra value from your creatures and giving your commander something to eat every turn. Or, if you prefer a big bomb-type finisher, it’s hard to go wrong with old favourites like Rise of the Dark Realms or Insurrection. As always, make sure to consider the power level of your playgroup when considering which combos to run, if any at all.

Card Name: Imperial Seal. Mana Cost: {B}. Card Oracle Text: Search your library for a card, then shuffle and put that card on top. You lose 2 life.

Imperial Seal

Tip: Use cards like Imperial Seal, Vampiric Tutor or Scheming Symmetry to guarantee the creature card that Kethek Pulls out of the deck! Or try lands such as Volrath’s Stronghold or Witch’s Cottage to reuse the creatures from your graveyard!

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While the latest return to what was once Mirrodin did not provide many legendary creatures that excited me, Kethek, Crucible Goliath was a welcome exception. Churning out value and providing a use for all those creature-stealing red cards that have been gathering dust in your draft chaff boxes, Kethek should be an enjoyable commander for years to come as it’s all but guaranteed to receive a few new cards to potentially play with each new set release, due in part to it’s relatively generic and customizable ability.

Article by Dr. Peace

Before starting Magic, Dr. Peace has been an active player of various card games as long as he can remember. He began playing Magic towards the end of Tarkir block where he was introduced to the Commander format. Now, his time is spent brewing stranger and stranger decks while aiming to stay in line with the true spirit of the format.

1 Comment


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