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So You Want to Build Simic? Where Blue Meets Green and Doing it Right.
Are you looking to combine the best of Blue's sneaky card advantage and next-level saltiness with Green's explosive growth and stompy creatures? You've come to the right place. Let's break down how to build a Simic Commander deck that'll impress your friends and slightly annoy them (in the best way possible).
Understanding Simic
Simic is a beloved and feared deck type in Magic: The Gathering that lets you dive deep into the synergy between blue and green cards. The Simic Combine, hailing from the Ravnica block, is all about pursuing knowledge and advancing life through a blend of science and magic.
When building a Simic Commander deck, your first step is to choose a commander that embodies the Simic ethos. Commanders like Momir Vig, Simic Visionary, or Prime Speaker Zegana are popular choices, each offering unique abilities to shape your deck’s strategy. Once you’ve selected your commander, the fun begins as you assemble a deck that complements their strengths and playstyle.
Simic Commander decks often feature a harmonious mix of creatures, spells, and artifacts that work together to create a powerful and cohesive game plan. The possibilities are endless, whether you’re building a “good stuff” deck packed with powerful cards or focusing on a specific theme like +1/+1 counters. The key is to find cards that synergize well with your commander and enhance your overall strategy.
Simic inside Commander is a deck build that rewards creativity and strategic thinking. It’s a playground where you can experiment with different combinations and see how they unfold in the game. So, grab your cards, shuffle your deck, and get ready to explore the fascinating world of Simic Commander.
Picking Your Commander
When it comes to Simic commanders, you’ve got some compelling options to choose from. Let’s break them down by what they do best.
Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait, is your go-to choice if you’re looking for pure value engines. Drawing two cards for playing a land is just absurd value, and in Commander, that kind of advantage snowballs quickly. Thrasios, Triton Hero, is another powerhouse, acting as a Swiss Army knife that can do everything from ramping to drawing cards at instant speed.
For those who love big mana, Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy turns every mana rock into a powerhouse. It’s the kind of Commander that makes your Sol Ring tap for four mana, which is just as broken as it sounds. Zimone, Quandrix Prodigy offers a more balanced approach - think of her as a baby Thrasios that can help you ramp up while keeping your hands full.
The Must-Have Cards (And Why They're Must-Have)
Ramp Package (Your Ticket to Good Times)
Look, you’re playing Green - if you’re not ramping, you’re doing it wrong. The foundation of any good Simic deck starts with its ramp package, and there are some cards you absolutely shouldn’t leave home without.
Nature’s Lore and Three Visits are the gold standard of ramp spells. Why? Because they grab Forest TYPES (yes, your Breeding Pool counts), and they come in untapped. This flexibility means you’re not just ramping but fixing your colors perfectly. That’s the difference between playing your Commander on curve or watching everyone else have fun without you.
Birds of Paradise might look unassuming, but a turn-one flying friend who makes any color of mana is precisely what you want to see in your opening hand. Pair that with Sakura-Tribe Elder (the second, okay, maybe third-best snake in Magic, and I’ll die on that hill, or at least stand somewhat firmly on it), and you’ve got the early-game acceleration that makes Simic decks purr.
Card Draw (Because Winners Draw Cards)
In Commander, you're probably losing if you're not drawing extra cards. Rhystic Study might make you the most annoying player at the table with your constant "Do you pay the 1?" but being annoying is better than being dead. Guardian Project turns every creature you cast into a card draw engine, and in a format like Commander, that advantage is backbreaking.
Return of the Wildspeaker is the kind of flexible card draw that Simic dreams of. Need cards? Draw based on your biggest creature's power at instant speed. Need to end the game? Pump your whole team for a massive alpha strike. That's the kind of flexibility that wins games.
Creatures That Do More
Your creatures shouldn't just be bodies on the board - they should be value engines that keep you ahead even if they eat a removal spell. Eternal Witness is the gold standard here. Getting back whatever you need most is incredibly powerful, whether that's a counterspell, a land, or another Eternal Witness (you know what you did).
Seedborn Muse might as well read, "Play Magic on everyone's turn." Your opponents will hate it, but that's their problem. When you're untapping all your permanents on each upkeep, the value you generate is absolutely disgusting.
Making Things Work (The Interaction Package)
Let’s discuss interaction because someone at your table will always try something stupid. Counterspell might be basic, but it’s basic for a reason - two blue mana to say “no” to literally anything is still one of the best deals in Magic. Beast Within has earned its place as a format staple because sometimes you need something gone RIGHT NOW, and “anything” is a pretty good list of legal targets. The beast token they get is a small price to pay for dealing with that Vorinclex that’s ruining everyone’s day.
Reality Shift deserves special mention because exile removal is becoming increasingly crucial in Commander. When someone’s trying to go infinite with their Commander, turning it into a face-down 2/2 is both effective and slightly humiliating.
Let's Talk Lands (Not Sexy, But Necessary)
The first rule of Magic is don't skimp on lands. If you do, you'll live to regret it. Your mana base might not be the exciting part of the deck, but it’s what lets you do all the fun stuff. Command Tower and Breeding Pool are obvious includes, but let’s talk about why you need more than just the fancy lands. Running a healthy number of basic lands isn’t just budget-conscious - it’s smart Magic. When someone hits you with a Path to Exile or Field of Ruin, you want to have something to go find. The design changes over the years in Magic: The Gathering has enhanced the appeal of lands, similar to the evolution of playing cards.
Reliquary Tower might seem skippable, but in Simic, you’ll draw LOTS of cards. Having to discard down to hand size feels terrible when every card could be the one you need. Plus, nothing feels better than saying, “in response to your wheel effect, I’ll keep my twenty cards, thanks.”
How Games Actually Play Out
Here’s what a typical game with a well-built Simic deck looks like: You’ll start by ramping early - ideally dropping some combination of mana dorks and ramp spells in your first few turns. Once your mana flows, you’ll draw extra cards and deploy value creatures that keep the advantage rolling.
The key is always to be building toward something. You may be setting up a massive Genesis Wave or accumulating enough resources to protect your game-winning play. Either way, Simic excels at building an overwhelming advantage over time. You’re playing Magic’s version of a snowball rolling downhill - start small, end HUGE.
Real Talk: Power Level and Politics
Here's the thing about Simic - it can be built to dominate a table, but that's not always the best plan. You want to find the sweet spot where you're generating enough advantage to win but not so much that everyone immediately targets you. Remember, becoming the arch-enemy too early is often a losing proposition in Commander.
Include ways to help other players occasionally, whether using Beast Within to help someone deal with a problem permanent or letting them draw off your Consecrated Sphinx trigger. A little political goodwill goes a long way.
The Final Word
Building Simic in Commander is like conducting an orchestra of value. Every piece must contribute to your game plan of steady advancement and inevitable victory. Don’t skimp on ramp spells - they’re your tempo advantage. Never underestimate the power of card draw - it’s your fuel. Always have protection for your key pieces - nothing’s worse than getting blown out by a well-timed removal spell.
And most importantly, have fun with it! Simic is incredibly flexible and can support everything from sea monster tribal to +1/+1 counter shenanigans. Find the strategy that speaks to you and evolve it into something magnificent.
Welcome to the Simic Combine. May your creatures grow large, your card draws plentiful, and your mana value be infinite. Just try not to make your playgroup hate you too much - or at least make sure you win quickly enough that they don’t have time to complain.