The Commander
When Pia Nalaar enters, create a 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature token with flying.
: Target artifact creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
, Sacrifice an artifact: Target creature can't block this turn.
Guide
Gameplan
Pia Nalaar leads a mono-red artifact aggro deck that floods the board with cheap artifact creatures and tokens, then converts them into damage through anthems, sacrifice synergies, and unblockable attacks. You curve out with artifact creatures, pump your team, and use Pia's sac ability to push lethal swings or fuel aristocrats-style value. Late game you grind through token generation and recursion while burning down opponents.
Strengths
- Two repeatable abilities make Pia useful even as a backup engine, not just a token-maker.
- Mono-red artifact shells are cheap, fast, and easy to assemble on a budget.
- Sacrifice outlet on the command zone enables aristocrats and combo lines.
- Unblockable ability and team pump give reliable evasive aggro reach.
Weaknesses
- Mono-red lacks card draw and ramp outside of artifacts, so you can run dry.
- Board wipes are devastating since the deck overcommits to creatures.
- No access to interaction beyond burn and a few artifact answers.
- Pia is fragile at 2/2 and the deck leans hard on her staying alive.
Key Cards
- Goblin Welder — Recurs and cheats artifacts in and out, turning sacrificed bodies into value with Pia's outlet.
- Reckless Fireweaver — Pings each opponent whenever an artifact enters, turning Pia's tokens into a damage engine.
- Pia and Kiran Nalaar — Another Thopter source plus a sac-for-damage outlet that mirrors and amplifies Pia's plan.
- Krark-Clan Ironworks — Massive artifact sacrifice mana engine that pairs with Pia's tokens for explosive turns.
- Marionette Master — Converts every sacrificed artifact into direct drain, a premier aristocrats payoff.
- Hellkite Tyrant — Steals opponents' artifacts and provides an alternate artifact-count win condition.
Upgrade Path
Add token doublers and ETB payoffs (Anointed Procession is white-only, so lean on Reckless Fireweaver, Disciple of the Vault, and Marionette Master) to convert your artifacts into reliable drain. Improve mana with Mishra's Workshop, fast rocks like Sol Ring and Mana Vault, and recursion via Goblin Welder and Daretti, Scrap Savant. Tighten the curve and add protection (Lightning Greaves, Welding Jar) so a single board wipe doesn't end your game.
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
- ▸Wide artifact/Thopter swarm pumped and pushed through with the unblockable ability.
- ▸Aristocrats drain via Marionette Master or Reckless Fireweaver pinging on artifact ETBs.
- ▸Krark-Clan Ironworks/Goblin Welder loops generating lethal triggers.
- ▸Big artifact beaters or Hellkite Tyrant taking the game alone.
Archetypes
- Artifact Aggro — Pia pumps and unblocks an army of cheap artifact creatures for fast, evasive damage.
- Aristocrats — Her sacrifice-an-artifact ability is a free outlet to fuel death and ETB payoffs.
- Tokens — The ETB Thopter plus token doublers give a wide board to pump and sacrifice.
- Combo — Sac outlet plus Krark-Clan Ironworks or Reckless Fireweaver enables artifact loops and pings.
Combos
- Pia Nalaar, Consul of Revival + Eternal Scourge + Rest in Peace + Ashnod's Altar
→ Infinite colorless mana, Infinite creature tokens with haste, Infinite ETB
- Cadric, Soul Kindler + Mondrak, Glory Dominus + Pia Nalaar, Consul of Revival + Professional Face-Breaker + Prosperous Partnership
→ Cast all spells in your library, Exile your library, Near-infinite colored mana
Combos via Commander Spellbook.
Related Commanders
Same color identity (R), by popularity.
