pie chart

Volo, Volatility Value Volleyball

Commander / EDH Bracket 3 Clone GU (Simic) Primer Tokens Value Engine Zoo

atingtdm

Upvote 0
0

Land (35)

Zoo (9)

Ramp (14)

Copytribal (12)

Recursion (2)

Tutor (2)

WinCon (1)

Wrath (1)

Commander (1)

Commander: foil Volo, Guide to Monsters

DrawOrFilter (13)

Interaction (10)

Maybeboard

Interaction (16)

Other (1)

Recursion (1)

Wrath (1)

Copytribal (11)

DrawOrFilter (4)

Land (2)

Zoo (9)

Ramp (6)

Tutor (1)

"Ach! Volo, Run!".

Here is my easy guide to building a Bracket 3 Volo deck.

Ach! Volo, Run!

There are three main game styles of Magic: Aggro, Combo, and Control.

Simic is a color combination seen to be good at ramping, card draws, and some control magic.

And we're doing aggro-control midrange by following Volo's guidance, trying to keep up.

If you look clearly, you'll find out Volo rewards you while casting different creature-type spells. A perfect commander for a zoo theme even clones tribal as well. Because they were once a shapeshifter type on the stack, but changed it after resolve. Even better, you could choose to copy different permanents on board to make some benefit.

That's been said, but you don't need to jam every single clone card in the 99. Some of them are obviously Clever Impersonator than others, better check that out before building the deck.

Clones

Now we're building a zoo, so how do we pick?

  1. No Humans, Wizards, and Amoeboid Changeling aren't wellcomed, leave my zoo.

  2. Don't use the same creature types twice, except for Clone.

  3. Fblthp, the Lost were fine as long as they looked fabulous.

  4. Mirrorhall Mimic   in different creature types or can remove itself from your graveyard is excellent.

  5. Doubling Season, Parallel Lives won't work here. If you saw anyone using them with Volo, you've been bamboozled.

  6. Triggered abilities like Cascade, "Whenever you cast a spell", and "When you cast this spell" won't be triggered from their copies; you don't want them.

  7. Alternative casting mechanics like Mutate work well, and all your creatures are not "Homo Sapiens". Escape, Evoke, Madness, etc. also works.

  8. Tokens will disappear while leaving the battlefield, so Vorapede and Woodfall Primus are half that good, try to avoid them.

  9. You have some duplicate creature-type needs to clean up, to help you cast another Body Double. Why don't you just leave this job for Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath?

Human

How about wincon? You need extra effort to win a game without some combo. Worry not, my friends, life will find its way out.

There are millions of ways you could draw cards in Simic, but what's the "Voloest" way?

Coastal Piracy? Nope. Beast Whisperer? Nah. Garruk's Uprising? Yesn't!

In Highlander format, "There Can Be Only One" rules limit some cards' power. For example, Risen Reef could only be found in an elemental tribe or blink theme deck. Fortunately, we have wild card, lots of them. They go nuts instantly by popping each other's triggered abilities.

I might be the few people who use Generous Patron in the Volo deck.

Drawn 6 cards for only ... Another Stunt Double, Selesnya Eulogist, Roaming Throne, the numbers after this will drive people crazy.

Also, Sludge Monster gives some precious counters as well.

More

Simic is good at ramping, but how do we maximize the benefits, also flavor as well, from Volothamp?

Creatures, of course, my friends. Cards can be selected from the following conditions.

According to your budget and META, choose the most suitable cards for you. And leave some slots for other kinds of ramping, don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Ramp

You thought extra value was fun? How about EXTRA SEASONING? Yeah! Let's Go!!!!

Extra Saltiness, Sourniness, Spiciness, and extra Jankiness we loved.

Two opponents lose a card, and you give the one who hasn't discarded draw 2.

When you paid the kicker cost for Thieving Skydiver, the copied spell that Volo gave was also kicked, two birds for one stone.

Love

We built a heavy creature base deck, which means it's clunky and lacks instant speed. On a fringe power-level table, use Vedalken Orrery with lots of creatures' ETB effects, which are unreliable. We already spent most of our mana to cast creature spells, so low mana value or mana-free interactions must be included.

If you don't wanna or are not allowed to use Proxies, then here are some suggested cards to give you a hand.

Find Them

"I've traveled the length and breadth of Faerûn, and there's always something new."—Volothamp Geddarm

Feel free to ask about how to operate this deck or any suggestions. And consider giving an Upvote +1 ?

Suggestions

Updates Add

Recently — Aug. 30, 2025
Edit

Update— July 16

In Ilysian Caryatid, Growth Spiral. Out Burgeoning, Exploration. Burgeoning and Exploration almost do nothing in the late game.

In Juvenile Mist Dragon, Transplant Theorist, Abundant Harvest, Incubation / Incongruity. Out Stunt Double, Phyrexian Metamorph, Ice-Fang Coatl, Treasure Cruise. Reduce the number of clones and add some valuable creatures for them to clone. Also, I'm trying the filter-cantrip so that I can get the card I require.

In Thrashing Brontodon, Nature's Claim. Out Force of Vigor, Resculpt. Doesn't need to answer every minor threat in the early game. I think it's better to be late and a good body, or many bodies.

In Skyshroud Claim, Tempt with Discovery. Out Nature's Lore, Three Visits. For the Scute Swarm.

In Storm of Saruman, Out Wolfwillow Haven. As Volo's backup.

In Snow-Covered Island, Alchemist's Refuge, Cephalid Coliseum. Out Rimewood Falls, Mystic Sanctuary, Otawara, Soaring City. Not worth putting in an almost legend-less deck.

Update— August 3

In Starwinder, Ancient Silver Dragon. Out Juvenile Mist Dragon. I want more card draw.

In See Double, Codecracker Hound. Out Second Harvest. More flexible, not just a win-more card.

In Aetherspouts. Out Thrashing Brontodon, Peregrine Drake. A wrath buys me a lot more time.

In Veil of Summer, Misdirection. Out Abundant Harvest. Bracket 3 still needs some stack interaction.

In Silundi Vision  Flip, Rimewood Falls. Out Liquimetal Torque, Poison Dart Frog, Skyshroud Claim. The mana curve is increasing, requiring a higher land count.

Update— August 30

+1 Vineglimmer Snarl / -1 Snow-Covered Forest.

+1 Dig Through Time / -1 Misdirection.

+1 Skyshroud Claim / -1 Nature's Claim. I think spending all 4 mana to cast Volo and nothing to follow is very risky; therefore, ramp harder.

Q2, 2025 — June 28, 2025
Edit
Q1, 2025 — Feb. 14, 2025
Edit
Year of 2024 — Sept. 28, 2024
Edit
Year of 2023 — Dec. 9, 2023
Edit
Year of 2022 — Nov. 9, 2022
Edit

Comments

Attention! Complete Comment Tutorial! This annoying message will go away once you do!

Become a supporter of TappedOut and hide ads for only $3/month!

Important! Formatting tips — Comment Tutorial — markdown syntax

Please login to comment

92% Casual

Competitive