GruulLegendary Creature — Elemental DogPako, Arcane Retriever
Mana value5Rank#17,782PartnerYes
The Commander
Partner with Haldan, Avid Arcanist
Haste
Whenever Pako attacks, exile the top card of each player's library and put a fetch counter on each of them. Put a +1/+1 counter on Pako for each noncreature card exiled this way.
Guide
Gameplan
Pako and Haldan want to attack early, exiling cards from every library to fuel a snowballing fetch counter pile, then cast those exiled cards for free. You grow Pako fat off noncreature exiles while Haldan lets you play the noncreature cards you've exiled, generating massive card advantage. Close games by either swinging with a giant trampling Pako or chaining the free spells you steal off opponents' libraries.
Strengths
- Explosive, unbounded card advantage that draws from every player's deck
- Pako grows into a real threat with haste, ending games via combat quickly
- Haldan turns exiled noncreature cards into free spells, effectively a second engine
- Synergizes with extra-combat and big-mana payoffs to spiral out of control
Weaknesses
- Heavily commander-dependent; losing Pako repeatedly stalls the whole plan
- You can only cast cards with fetch counters, so removal of your commanders strands them
- Vulnerable to board wipes and targeted removal on Pako before it connects
- Cards exiled are random, so consistency and a reliable backup plan are shaky
- Symmetrical exile can occasionally help opponents see cards too
Key Cards
- Haldan, Avid Arcanist — The mandatory partner that lets you actually cast every noncreature card Pako exiles.
- Rip Apart — Cheap interaction is fine, but the real point is enablers—prioritize ramp and trample for Pako.
- Rampaging Baloths — Big green payoffs and trample enablers help convert Pako's counters into damage.
- Combat Celebrant — Extra combat steps mean more triggers, more fetch counters, and a faster kill.
- Berserk — Doubling Pako's swelling power can deal lethal commander damage out of nowhere.
- Aggravated Assault — Repeatable extra combats let Pako trigger multiple times to bury opponents in counters and free spells.
Upgrade Path
Lean into trample and pump (Berserk, Rancor, Embercleave) plus extra-combat enablers (Aggravated Assault, Combat Celebrant) so Pako converts counters into kills fast. Add strong ramp and cost reducers to reliably cast the noncreature cards Haldan unlocks, and include commander protection like Heroic Intervention and Lightning Greaves. For consistency, prioritize cheap evasion and haste support so Pako connects on turn three or four before the table sets up defenses.
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
- ▸Pummel a table with a giant trampling Pako, often amplified by Berserk or extra combats
- ▸Grind out the game with overwhelming card advantage from exiled spells via Haldan
- ▸Assemble extra-combat loops with Aggravated Assault to deal lethal commander damage
- ▸Cast a bomb or finisher stolen from an opponent's library
Archetypes
- Counters/Voltron — Pako naturally accumulates +1/+1 counters and can be pumped into a one-shot trampling threat.
- Stax-light Value — Constant card exile plus free casts from Haldan gives an overwhelming resource advantage.
- Big Mana Ramp — You need mana to cast the stolen noncreature spells, rewarding heavy green ramp.
- Extra Combat Aggro — Multiple attacks per turn multiply Pako's triggers for both growth and card flow.
Combos
- Aggravated Assault + Bear Umbra + Pako, Arcane Retriever
→ Infinite combat phases, Infinitely large creature
Combos via Commander Spellbook.
Related Commanders
Same color identity (GR), by popularity.
