Spellslinger Commander: Cast Spells, Deal Damage, Win Games

Spellslinger decks are one of the most exciting archetypes in Commander. Instead of attacking with creatures, you cast a barrage of instants and sorceries, dealing damage and controlling the game from the stack. If you love casting spells and watching your opponents scramble to keep up, spellslinger is the archetype for you.

What Makes a Good Spellslinger Deck?

A good spellslinger deck needs three things: a commander that rewards casting spells, a high density of instants and sorceries, and payoff cards that trigger when you cast spells. Let's break down each component:

Commanders That Reward Casting Spells

The best spellslinger commanders have abilities that trigger when you cast instants or sorceries, or that reduce their costs.

• Niv-Mizzet, Parun: Draw a card whenever you cast an instant or sorcery, and deal 1 damage to any target whenever you draw a card. The ultimate spellslinger commander.
• Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge: Exile the top card of your library when Jeleva enters, and cast it without paying its mana cost whenever Jeleva attacks.
• Zada, Hedron Grinder: Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery that targets only Zada, copy it for each other creature you control.
• Melek, Izzet Mage: Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery from the top of your library, copy it and you may choose new targets for the copy.

High Density of Instants and Sorceries

A good spellslinger deck should run at least 35-40 instants and sorceries. This ensures you can consistently trigger your commander's abilities and have spells to cast every turn.

Payoff Cards

Payoff cards reward you for casting spells. These can be card draw engines, damage dealers, or copy effects.

• Young Pyromancer: Create a 1/1 red Elemental creature token whenever you cast an instant, sorcery, or artifact spell.
• Electrostatic Pummel: Pay 1R to give Electrostatic Pummel +1/+0 until end of time. Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you may pay 1R. If you do, Electrostatic Pummel gains flying until end of turn.
• Guttersnipe: Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, Guttersnipe deals 2 damage to each opponent.
• Archmage Ascension: Whenever you cast your 7th spell in a turn, you may search your library for a card, reveal it, and put it into your hand.

Best Spellslinger Commanders

Niv-Mizzet, Parun

Niv-Mizzet is the ultimate spellslinger commander. His ability to draw you a card and deal 1 damage whenever you cast an instant or sorcery creates a powerful card advantage engine. With Niv-Mizzet on the battlefield, every spell you cast becomes more valuable.

Zada, Hedron Grinder

Zada is a unique spellslinger commander that copies your targeted spells for each creature you control. This means a single Lightning Bolt can deal 3 damage to every opponent if you have 3 creatures. Zada decks are all about going wide with cheap creatures and then blasting your opponents with targeted spells.

Melek, Izzet Mage

Melek is a spellslinger commander that lets you cast spells from the top of your library. This means you can cast spells without using mana from your hand, effectively giving you free spells. Melek decks are all about setting up the top of your library and then casting spells from it.

Building a Spellslinger Deck

Here's a step-by-step guide to building a spellslinger deck:

1. Choose your commander: Pick a commander that rewards casting spells. Niv-Mizzet, Zada, and Melek are the most popular choices.
2. Build your spell base: Run at least 35-40 instants and sorceries. Include damage spells, card draw, and counterspells.
3. Add payoff cards: Run cards that trigger when you cast spells. Young Pyromancer, Guttersnipe, and Electrostatic Pummel are excellent choices.
4. Add ramp: Run 8-12 ramp sources to help you cast your expensive spells on time.
5. Add card draw: Run 8-12 card draw sources to help you find your best spells.
6. Add removal: Run 8-10 removal spells to deal with opposing threats.
7. Test and iterate: Play your deck and see what works. Cut underperforming cards and add new ones.

Checking Your Spellslinger Deck with Rate My Decks

When you analyze your deck with Rate My Decks, we detect your deck's archetype and compare it to the optimal build for that archetype. If your spellslinger deck is running too few instants and sorceries, we'll flag it as a weakness. If your deck is missing key payoff cards, we'll recommend additions.