IzzetLegendary Enchantment Creature — GodKeranos, God of Storms
Mana value5Rank#6,936
The Commander
Indestructible
As long as your devotion to blue and red is less than seven, Keranos isn't a creature.
Reveal the first card you draw on each of your turns. Whenever you reveal a land card this way, draw a card. Whenever you reveal a nonland card this way, Keranos deals 3 damage to any target.
Guide
Gameplan
Keranos sits in the command zone as an indestructible card-advantage engine, turning your first draw each turn into either an extra card or 3 free damage to a creature, planeswalker, or face. You play a low-curve Izzet control shell, surviving early with removal and counters while Keranos grinds incremental value, then close with spells and reach. He rarely attacks himself—the devotion-7 clause means he's usually just an enchantment.
Strengths
- Free recurring card advantage and direct damage from the command zone that can't be answered by creature removal
- Indestructible and non-creature most of the time, dodging board wipes and targeted removal
- Excellent grindy inevitability in long control games
- Pings down small creatures, mana dorks, and chips away at planeswalkers/players every turn
Weaknesses
- Only triggers off the FIRST draw each turn, so extra card draw doesn't multiply his triggers
- Slow clock—3 damage a turn won't close games quickly on its own
- Two-color identity limits ramp and removal versus three-color rivals
- Vulnerable to enchantment removal and graveyard/exile of the commander to deny recasting
- Top-deck dependent value can whiff or hand opponents information
Key Cards
- Brainstorm — Lets you set up the top card so Keranos reveals exactly what you want—land for a card or nonland for damage.
- Sensei's Divining Top — Repeatedly arranges your top card to control Keranos's reveal and smooth draws every turn.
- Mystic Remora — Stacks even more card advantage on top of Keranos's engine to bury opponents in resources.
- Rhystic Study — A second passive draw engine that pairs with control to keep your hand full.
- Cyclonic Rift — The premier blue finisher/reset that lets a slow control deck pull ahead and stabilize.
- Counterspell — Cheap interaction protects your value engine and keeps the game grindy in your favor.
Upgrade Path
Lean harder into a fast mana base (Mana Crypt, Sol Ring, signets, fast lands) and premium interaction (Mana Drain, Force of Will, Swan Song) so you control the early game while Keranos grinds. Add a deterministic combo finish—such as Dramatic Scepter with Isochron Scepter, or Underworld Breach with Lion's Eye Diamond—so you aren't relying solely on 3-damage increments. Tune the deck flatter with cantrips and top-deck manipulation (Top, Brainstorm, Ponder) to maximize Keranos triggers and consistency.
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
- ▸Slow incremental Keranos pings plus burn spells to the face
- ▸A big Cyclonic Rift or board wipe followed by a finisher like a large X-spell or extra-turn loop
- ▸Izzet combo finishes (e.g., Thassa's Oracle, Underworld Breach lines, or infinite mana payoffs)
- ▸Occasionally swinging with Keranos once devotion hits seven
Archetypes
- Control — Keranos provides the inevitability and card advantage that an Izzet counter/removal shell needs to win the long game.
- Spellslinger — A low-curve instant/sorcery deck supports devotion spikes and pairs damage spells with Keranos's pings.
- Combo — Izzet has access to compact two-card combos and storm-style finishers when you want to end games faster than Keranos's clock.
Combos
No combos found for this commander on Commander Spellbook.
Related Commanders
Same color identity (RU), by popularity.
