SimicLegendary Creature — Avatar WizardGandalf, Westward Voyager
Mana value5Rank#12,369
The Commander
Whenever you cast a spell with mana value 5 or greater, each opponent reveals the top card of their library. If any of those cards shares a card type with that spell, copy that spell, you may choose new targets for the copy, and each opponent draws a card. Otherwise, you draw a card. (A copy of a permanent spell becomes a token.)
Guide
Gameplan
Ramp aggressively into expensive spells (MV5+) so that every big cast either copies itself or refills your hand. You leverage Simic ramp and card advantage to chain large creatures, X-spells, and bombs that snowball into an overwhelming board or a copied game-ending spell.
Strengths
- Built-in card advantage and free spell copies on every big cast
- Simic gives access to the best ramp and card draw in the format
- Copying X-spells and huge creature spells produces enormous swings
- Rewards a high-curve, high-impact deck full of bombs
Weaknesses
- Heavily reliant on ramp; a clunky opening hand stalls badly
- Trigger only fires on MV5+, so cheap interaction doesn't advance the engine
- No built-in evasion or protection for Gandalf himself
- Vulnerable to counterspells and removal on key big spells before the copy resolves
Key Cards
- Cultivate — Cheap ramp and fixing to get to your MV5+ spells faster, even though it doesn't trigger Gandalf itself.
- Tooth and Nail — An MV9 spell that triggers Gandalf and copying its entwined version puts a devastating amount of power onto the battlefield.
- Hydroid Krasis — A big X-spell that draws cards on cast and triggers Gandalf for extra value or a copy.
- Apex Devastator — A massive MV10 finisher with cascade that absolutely triggers Gandalf for a copy or a card.
- Lithoform Engine — Adds another copy layer to your already copy-centric strategy for double bombs.
- Genesis Wave — Huge X-spell that dumps your deck onto the battlefield and triggers Gandalf for a potential copy.
Upgrade Path
Tighten the curve so you reliably hit MV5+ spells by turn four or five with fast ramp like Sol Ring, Three Visits, and signets. Add more impactful X-spells and copy enablers (Lithoform Engine, Reverberate effects) to maximize Gandalf's payoff, and include protection like Heroic Intervention or counterspells to shield your key casts. Cut narrow cheap cards that never trigger him in favor of high-value bombs and flexible interaction.
Core Cards
The most-played cards for this commander, built from aggregated deck data (the Mythic Graph). Build public decks to seed it.
Win Conditions
- ▸Copying a massive X-spell or Tooth and Nail to overwhelm the board
- ▸Beating down with copied/oversized creatures and tokens
- ▸Out-grinding the table on card advantage into an unbeatable board state
Archetypes
- Big Mana Ramp — Gandalf rewards casting MV5+ spells, so loading up on ramp to cast bombs early is the core plan.
- Spells Matter / Copy — Each qualifying spell can be copied for free, doubling X-spells, bombs, and value engines.
- Simic Value Control — The reliable card draw from the trigger fuels a grindy, card-advantage-driven midrange game.
Combos
No combos found for this commander on Commander Spellbook.
Related Commanders
Same color identity (GU), by popularity.
