Art: Ryan Barger · ™ & © Wizards of the Coast

Phenax, God of Deception

Legendary Enchantment Creature — God · from $11.62

Indestructible As long as your devotion to blue and black is less than seven, Phenax isn't a creature. Creatures you control have "{T}: Target player mills X cards, where X is this creature's toughness."

Build with this commander Start with a starter shell Card details, printings & prices

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

51 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	Thought Vessel	Artifact	2	$2.23
14	Bojuka Bog	Land	0	$1.12
15	Terramorphic Expanse	Land	0	$0.10
16	Myriad Landscape	Land	0	$0.25
17	Mind Stone	Artifact	2	$0.21
18	Dark Ritual	Instant	1	$0.44
19	An Offer You Can't Refuse	Instant	1	$3.01
20	Polluted Delta	Land	0	$19.85
21	Flooded Strand	Land	0	$12.78
22	Skullclamp	Artifact	1	$4.85
23	Solemn Simulacrum	Creature	4	$0.27
24	Misty Rainforest	Land	0	$35.98
25	Bloodstained Mire	Land	0	$14.54
26	Fabled Passage	Land	0	$0.65
27	Windswept Heath	Land	0	$11.19
28	Rhystic Study	Enchantment	3	$61.06
29	Wooded Foothills	Land	0	$17.96
30	Verdant Catacombs	Land	0	$29.16
31	Scalding Tarn	Land	0	$36.86
32	Watery Grave	Land	0	$9.86
33	Marsh Flats	Land	0	$32.04
34	Arcane Denial	Instant	2	$1.88
35	Commander's Sphere	Artifact	3	$0.19
36	Reanimate	Sorcery	1	$6.56
37	Negate	Instant	2	$0.12
38	Arid Mesa	Land	0	$31.40
39	Cyclonic Rift	Instant	2	$29.75
40	Demonic Tutor	Sorcery	2	$62.80
41	Toxic Deluge	Sorcery	3	$5.04
42	Swan Song	Instant	1	$10.72
43	Ancient Tomb	Land	0	$56.94
44	Brainstorm	Instant	1	$0.56
45	Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth	Land	0	$56.13
46	Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth	Land	0	$16.76
47	Fierce Guardianship	Instant	3	$59.21
48	Temple of the False God	Land	0	$0.19
49	Chromatic Lantern	Artifact	3	$0.38
50	Sunken Hollow	Land	0	$0.29
51	Otawara, Soaring City	Land	0	$26.57
52	Feed the Swarm	Sorcery	2	$0.19
53	Talisman of Dominance	Artifact	2	$0.49
54	City of Brass	Land	0	$9.17
55	The One Ring	Artifact	4	$109.88
56	Frantic Search	Instant	3	$0.82
57	Mystic Remora	Enchantment	1	$10.97
58	Phyrexian Arena	Enchantment	3	$1.92
59	Drowned Catacomb	Land	0	$0.50
60	Deadly Rollick	Instant	4	$26.52
61	Cavern of Souls	Land	0	$47.72
62	Propaganda	Enchantment	3	$1.84
63	Vampiric Tutor	Instant	1	$48.13
64	Mana Confluence	Land	0	$34.75
65	Urza's Saga	Enchantment	0	$34.67
66	Mana Drain	Instant	2	$50.65
67	Lotus Petal	Artifact	0	$35.11
68	Wayfarer's Bauble	Artifact	1	$0.31
69	Black Market Connections	Enchantment	3	$10.78
70	Victimize	Sorcery	3	$0.57
71	Deadly Dispute	Instant	2	$0.29
72	Roaming Throne	Creature	4	$47.06
73	Ashnod's Altar	Artifact	3	$8.15
74	War Room	Land	0	$0.79
75	Blood Artist	Creature	2	$2.78
76	Underground River	Land	0	$0.51
77	Ponder	Sorcery	1	$1.82
78	Morphic Pool	Land	0	$28.50
79	Herald's Horn	Artifact	3	$2.88
80	Mana Vault	Artifact	1	$91.59
81	Pongify	Instant	1	$2.21
82	Chrome Mox	Artifact	0	$51.19
83	Dimir Signet	Artifact	2	$0.27
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	Mystic Sanctuary	Land	0	$1.01
90	Three Tree City	Land	0	$29.09
91	Gemstone Caverns	Land	0	$62.05
92	Night's Whisper	Sorcery	2	$0.23
93	Command Beacon	Land	0	$7.99
94	Idol of Oblivion	Artifact	2	$2.40
95	Prismatic Vista	Land	0	$28.10
96	Buried Ruin	Land	0	$0.38
97	Phyrexian Tower	Land	0	$29.06
98	Thran Dynamo	Artifact	4	$1.94
99	Fell the Profane // Fell Mire	Instant	4	$5.80
100	Cabal Coffers	Land	0	$20.77

Curve of these staples

Combos with Phenax, God of Deception

The 10 most popular of 24 combos (by EDHREC decklist count) using this commander that fit its color identity, from Commander Spellbook.

Consuming Aberration + Maddening Cacophony + Phenax, God of Deception
Infinite mill for target opponent · Near-infinite mill
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Consuming Aberration + Phenax, God of Deception + Traumatize
Infinite mill for target opponent
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Eater of the Dead + Phenax, God of Deception
Near-infinite mill · Near-infinite self-mill
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Maddening Cacophony + Phenax, God of Deception + Sewer Nemesis
Infinite mill for target opponent · Near-infinite mill
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Consuming Aberration + Fleet Swallower + Phenax, God of Deception
Infinite mill for target opponent
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Consuming Aberration + Phenax, God of Deception + Terisian Mindbreaker
Infinite mill for target opponent
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Consuming Aberration + Jidoor, Aristocratic Capital // Overture + Phenax, God of Deception
Infinite mill for target opponent
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Phenax, God of Deception + Sewer Nemesis + Traumatize
Infinite self-mill · Infinite mill for target opponent
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Cut Your Losses + Phenax, God of Deception + Sewer Nemesis
Infinite self-mill · Infinite mill for target opponent · Near-infinite mill for target opponent
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Doomsday Excruciator + Phenax, God of Deception
Near-infinite mill · Near-infinite self-mill
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo

Top finishes

4 finishes placing top 16 at 16+ player events with this commander. Results from Topdeck.gg.

11th of 22 — Commander Casual - Magic Barcelona on Topdeck.ggOct 9, 2026 · 0–2–0 · by Bastien Baudry
14th of 32 — Commander Casual - Magic Barcelona on Topdeck.ggAug 28, 2026 · 0–2–0 · by Bastien Baudry
13th of 22 — Commander Casual - Magic Barcelona on Topdeck.ggAug 21, 2026 · 0–2–0 · by Bastien Baudry
14th of 18 — Commander Casual - Magic Barcelona on Topdeck.ggAug 14, 2026 · 0–2–0 · by Bastien Baudry

All 4 finishes →

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.

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