Art: Andrew Mar · ™ & © Wizards of the Coast
Lonis, Cryptozoologist
UGLegendary Creature — Snake Elf Scout · from $0.28
Whenever another nontoken creature you control enters, investigate.
{T}, Sacrifice X Clues: Target opponent reveals the top X cards of their library. You may put a nonland permanent card with mana value X or less from among them onto the battlefield under your control. That player puts the rest on the bottom of their library in a random order.
A typical Commander deck
A starting template, not a rule — counts to fill in around the commander.
- Lands3736–38 for most decks; fewer with cheap curves
- Ramp10mana rocks, dorks, land ramp — mostly 2–3 mana
- Card draw10repeatable engines beat one-shot cantrips
- Targeted removal6answers for creatures AND artifacts/enchantments
- Board wipes3sweepers reset boards you've lost
- Synergy & win conditions33the deck's actual plan
Staples in these colors
The 100 cards that fit this color identity in the most EDHREC decklists (EDHREC rank via Scryfall).
Budget
55 of 100 at $5 or less · 31 at $1 or less
| # | Card | Type | MV | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sol Ring | Artifact | 1 | $1.07 |
| 2 | Command Tower | Land | 0 | $0.26 |
| 3 | Arcane Signet | Artifact | 2 | $0.34 |
| 4 | Exotic Orchard | Land | 0 | $0.19 |
| 5 | Reliquary Tower | Land | 0 | $4.28 |
| 6 | Swiftfoot Boots | Artifact | 2 | $1.43 |
| 7 | Lightning Greaves | Artifact | 2 | $3.86 |
| 8 | Path of Ancestry | Land | 0 | $0.16 |
| 9 | Counterspell | Instant | 2 | $1.33 |
| 10 | Fellwar Stone | Artifact | 2 | $0.47 |
| 11 | Rogue's Passage | Land | 0 | $0.31 |
| 12 | Evolving Wilds | Land | 0 | $0.09 |
| 13 | Cultivate | Sorcery | 3 | $0.38 |
| 14 | Thought Vessel | Artifact | 2 | $2.23 |
| 15 | Farseek | Sorcery | 2 | $0.42 |
| 16 | Beast Within | Instant | 3 | $0.49 |
| 17 | Nature's Lore | Sorcery | 2 | $2.15 |
| 18 | Rampant Growth | Sorcery | 2 | $0.39 |
| 19 | Heroic Intervention | Instant | 2 | $9.28 |
| 20 | Terramorphic Expanse | Land | 0 | $0.10 |
| 21 | Myriad Landscape | Land | 0 | $0.25 |
| 22 | Mind Stone | Artifact | 2 | $0.21 |
| 23 | An Offer You Can't Refuse | Instant | 1 | $3.01 |
| 24 | Birds of Paradise | Creature | 1 | $4.98 |
| 25 | Polluted Delta | Land | 0 | $19.85 |
| 26 | Kodama's Reach | Sorcery | 3 | $1.55 |
| 27 | Flooded Strand | Land | 0 | $12.78 |
| 28 | Three Visits | Sorcery | 2 | $5.55 |
| 29 | Skullclamp | Artifact | 1 | $4.85 |
| 30 | Solemn Simulacrum | Creature | 4 | $0.27 |
| 31 | Misty Rainforest | Land | 0 | $35.98 |
| 32 | Bloodstained Mire | Land | 0 | $14.54 |
| 33 | Fabled Passage | Land | 0 | $0.65 |
| 34 | Windswept Heath | Land | 0 | $11.19 |
| 35 | Rhystic Study | Enchantment | 3 | $61.06 |
| 36 | Wooded Foothills | Land | 0 | $17.96 |
| 37 | Verdant Catacombs | Land | 0 | $29.16 |
| 38 | Scalding Tarn | Land | 0 | $36.86 |
| 39 | Marsh Flats | Land | 0 | $32.04 |
| 40 | Arcane Denial | Instant | 2 | $1.88 |
| 41 | Commander's Sphere | Artifact | 3 | $0.19 |
| 42 | Negate | Instant | 2 | $0.12 |
| 43 | Arid Mesa | Land | 0 | $31.40 |
| 44 | Cyclonic Rift | Instant | 2 | $29.75 |
| 45 | Llanowar Elves | Creature | 1 | $0.24 |
| 46 | Breeding Pool | Land | 0 | $9.15 |
| 47 | Swan Song | Instant | 1 | $10.72 |
| 48 | Ancient Tomb | Land | 0 | $56.94 |
| 49 | Brainstorm | Instant | 1 | $0.56 |
| 50 | Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth | Land | 0 | $56.13 |
| 51 | Boseiju, Who Endures | Land | 0 | $50.48 |
| 52 | Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth | Land | 0 | $16.76 |
| 53 | Fierce Guardianship | Instant | 3 | $59.21 |
| 54 | Temple of the False God | Land | 0 | $0.19 |
| 55 | Chromatic Lantern | Artifact | 3 | $0.38 |
| 56 | Otawara, Soaring City | Land | 0 | $26.57 |
| 57 | Garruk's Uprising | Enchantment | 3 | $0.39 |
| 58 | City of Brass | Land | 0 | $9.17 |
| 59 | The One Ring | Artifact | 4 | $109.88 |
| 60 | Hinterland Harbor | Land | 0 | $0.28 |
| 61 | Frantic Search | Instant | 3 | $0.82 |
| 62 | Mystic Remora | Enchantment | 1 | $10.97 |
| 63 | Elvish Mystic | Creature | 1 | $0.35 |
| 64 | Cavern of Souls | Land | 0 | $47.72 |
| 65 | Propaganda | Enchantment | 3 | $1.84 |
| 66 | Sakura-Tribe Elder | Creature | 2 | $0.30 |
| 67 | Mana Confluence | Land | 0 | $34.75 |
| 68 | Urza's Saga | Enchantment | 0 | $34.67 |
| 69 | Mana Drain | Instant | 2 | $50.65 |
| 70 | Lotus Petal | Artifact | 0 | $35.11 |
| 71 | Eternal Witness | Creature | 3 | $1.10 |
| 72 | Wayfarer's Bauble | Artifact | 1 | $0.31 |
| 73 | Roaming Throne | Creature | 4 | $47.06 |
| 74 | Ashnod's Altar | Artifact | 3 | $8.15 |
| 75 | Yavimaya Coast | Land | 0 | $0.31 |
| 76 | War Room | Land | 0 | $0.79 |
| 77 | Ponder | Sorcery | 1 | $1.82 |
| 78 | Rejuvenating Springs | Land | 0 | $4.12 |
| 79 | Delighted Halfling | Creature | 1 | $25.91 |
| 80 | Herald's Horn | Artifact | 3 | $2.88 |
| 81 | Mana Vault | Artifact | 1 | $91.59 |
| 82 | Pongify | Instant | 1 | $2.21 |
| 83 | Chrome Mox | Artifact | 0 | $51.19 |
| 84 | Windfall | Sorcery | 3 | $4.78 |
| 85 | Mystical Tutor | Instant | 1 | $14.99 |
| 86 | Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx | Land | 0 | $45.68 |
| 87 | Reflecting Pool | Land | 0 | $5.50 |
| 88 | Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs | Instant | 3 | $9.68 |
| 89 | Worldly Tutor | Instant | 1 | $26.58 |
| 90 | Dreamroot Cascade | Land | 0 | $0.86 |
| 91 | Mystic Sanctuary | Land | 0 | $1.01 |
| 92 | Three Tree City | Land | 0 | $29.09 |
| 93 | Return of the Wildspeaker | Instant | 5 | $1.51 |
| 94 | Gemstone Caverns | Land | 0 | $62.05 |
| 95 | Command Beacon | Land | 0 | $7.99 |
| 96 | Hardened Scales | Enchantment | 1 | $1.85 |
| 97 | Tireless Provisioner | Creature | 3 | $2.33 |
| 98 | Doubling Season | Enchantment | 5 | $29.62 |
| 99 | Idol of Oblivion | Artifact | 2 | $2.40 |
| 100 | Prismatic Vista | Land | 0 | $28.10 |
Curve of these staples
3
0
17
1
18
2
16
3
3
4
2
5
6
7+
Most played with Lonis, Cryptozoologist
The 25 most-played cards in 7 settled top-16 lists running Lonis, Cryptozoologist at 16+ player events since Mar 15, 2026, ranked by lists played — top-4 counts shown for context. Results from Topdeck.gg.
| # | Card | Played in | Top 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Academy Manufactor | 100% · 7 of 7 | 1 |
| 2 | Chord of Calling | 100% · 7 of 7 | 1 |
| 3 | Command Tower | 100% · 7 of 7 | 1 |
| 4 | Forest | 100% · 7 of 7 | 1 |
| 5 | Island | 100% · 7 of 7 | 1 |
| 6 | Nature's Rhythm | 100% · 7 of 7 | 1 |
| 7 | Shrieking Drake | 100% · 7 of 7 | 1 |
| 8 | Sol Ring | 100% · 7 of 7 | 1 |
| 9 | Yavimaya Coast | 100% · 7 of 7 | 1 |
| 10 | Ancient Tomb | 86% · 6 of 7 | 1 |
| 11 | Birds of Paradise | 86% · 6 of 7 | 1 |
| 12 | Breeding Pool | 86% · 6 of 7 | 1 |
| 13 | Crop Rotation | 86% · 6 of 7 | 1 |
| 14 | Delighted Halfling | 86% · 6 of 7 | 1 |
| 15 | Eldritch Evolution | 86% · 6 of 7 | 1 |
| 16 | Elvish Mystic | 86% · 6 of 7 | 0 |
| 17 | Elvish Spirit Guide | 86% · 6 of 7 | 1 |
| 18 | Fierce Guardianship | 86% · 6 of 7 | 1 |
| 19 | Flusterstorm | 86% · 6 of 7 | 1 |
| 20 | Force of Negation | 86% · 6 of 7 | 1 |
| 21 | Force of Will | 86% · 6 of 7 | 1 |
| 22 | Gemstone Caverns | 86% · 6 of 7 | 1 |
| 23 | Green Sun's Zenith | 86% · 6 of 7 | 1 |
| 24 | Jaheira, Friend of the Forest | 86% · 6 of 7 | 1 |
| 25 | Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy | 86% · 6 of 7 | 1 |
Combos with Lonis, Cryptozoologist
The 10 most popular of 20 combos (by EDHREC decklist count) using this commander that fit its color identity, from Commander Spellbook.
Academy Manufactor + Lonis, Cryptozoologist + Shrieking Drake
Infinite artifact tokens · Infinite Clue tokens · Infinite creature ETB · Infinite Food tokens · Infinite creature LTB · Infinite storm count
Lonis, Cryptozoologist + Shrieking Drake + Urza, Lord High Artificer
Infinite creature ETB · Infinite creature LTB · Infinite storm count · Infinite tapped Clue tokens
Academy Manufactor + Deadeye Navigator + Jaheira, Friend of the Forest + Lonis, Cryptozoologist
Infinite artifact tokens · Infinite blinking · Infinite card draw · Infinite Clue tokens · Infinite draw triggers · Infinite creature ETB · Infinite Food tokens · Infinite green mana · Infinite lifegain · Infinite lifegain triggers · Infinite creature LTB
Academy Manufactor + Adrix and Nev, Twincasters + Deadeye Navigator + Lonis, Cryptozoologist
Infinite artifact tokens · Infinite blinking · Infinite Clue tokens · Infinite creature ETB · Infinite Food tokens · Infinite lifegain · Infinite lifegain triggers · Infinite creature LTB
Academy Manufactor + Deadeye Navigator + Lonis, Cryptozoologist + Urza, Lord High Artificer
Infinite artifact ETB · Infinite artifact LTB · Infinite artifact sacrifice triggers · Infinite artifact tokens · Cast all spells in your library · Infinite blinking · Infinite card draw · Infinite Clue tokens · Infinite colored mana · Infinite draw triggers · Infinite creature ETB · Infinite Food tokens · Infinite lifegain · Infinite lifegain triggers · Infinite creature LTB · Infinite Treasure tokens · Exile your library
Academy Manufactor + Essence Flux + Eternal Witness + Lonis, Cryptozoologist
Infinite artifact tokens · Infinite Clue tokens · Infinite creature ETB · Infinite Food tokens · Infinite creature LTB · Infinite magecraft triggers · Infinite storm count
Academy Manufactor + Deadeye Navigator + Lonis, Cryptozoologist + Parallel Lives
Infinite artifact tokens · Infinite blinking · Infinite Clue tokens · Infinite creature ETB · Infinite Food tokens · Infinite lifegain · Infinite lifegain triggers · Infinite creature LTB
Academy Manufactor + Deadeye Navigator + Doubling Season + Lonis, Cryptozoologist
Infinite artifact tokens · Infinite blinking · Infinite Clue tokens · Infinite creature ETB · Infinite Food tokens · Infinite lifegain · Infinite lifegain triggers · Infinite creature LTB
Academy Manufactor + Essence Flux + Lonis, Cryptozoologist + Timeless Witness
Infinite artifact tokens · Infinite Clue tokens · Infinite creature ETB · Infinite Food tokens · Infinite creature LTB · Infinite magecraft triggers · Infinite storm count
Academy Manufactor + Archaeomancer + Essence Flux + Lonis, Cryptozoologist
Infinite artifact tokens · Infinite Clue tokens · Infinite creature ETB · Infinite Food tokens · Infinite creature LTB · Infinite magecraft triggers · Infinite storm count
Top finishes
8 finishes placing top 16 at 16+ player events with this commander. Results from Topdeck.gg.
- 16th of 22 — TEMPLO cEDH on Topdeck.ggOct 3, 2026 · 0–2–2 · by Alex vilchez López
- 14th of 38 — King of Games Series 18 on Topdeck.ggSep 20, 2026 · 1–1–2 · by Cole Salmon
- 1st of 19 — CEDH September Event 2026 on Topdeck.ggSep 19, 2026 · 2–1–1 · by Jacob Graham [LUX]
- 7th of 20 — TRYHARD LAB Budget 160 Sabado 30 Mayo on Topdeck.ggMay 30, 2026 · 1–2–1 · by Roberto Rojas
- 12th of 30 — CEDH TOPDECK STORE on Topdeck.ggMay 30, 2026 · 1–2–2 · by Alex vilchez López
- 15th of 46 — La Competència | Brain Freeze | cEDH | on Topdeck.ggMay 1, 2026 · 1–1–1 · by Alex vilchez López
- 8th of 50 — MBG April 11th Mox Diamond Event on Topdeck.ggApr 11, 2026 · 1–3–1 · by Steven James
- 9th of 39 — The Wizards of Oss tournament on Topdeck.ggMar 15, 2026 · 1–1–2 · by Okko
Card data and images courtesy of Scryfall; popularity ranking from EDHREC decklist data included in Scryfall bulk. Combo data courtesy of Commander Spellbook. Tournament results courtesy of Topdeck.gg. Deckwarden is unofficial Fan Content and is not endorsed by Wizards of the Coast.