Sygg, River Cutthroat

Legendary Creature — Merfolk Rogue

At end of turn, if an opponent lost 3 or more life this turn, you may draw a card. (Damage causes loss of life.)

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Freeform	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Historic Brawl	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Modern Beyond Horizons	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
PreDH	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (50)

Coward_Token on Hybrid rule change

2 weeks ago

In the recent update article to the bracket system, Gavin Verhey floated the idea of making hybrid mana symbols inclusive rather than excluding for the purpose of the 99. Regardless of how you feel about the change, what would the impact be?

Scryfall search for cards with hybrid mana

Card list I made ages ago but never posted

Ashiok, Dream Render gets to be annoying more often

Murderous Redcap gets to combo in even more decks

Dream Salvage: mono-black discard decks

Azor's Elocutors: mono-white pillow fort gets a wincon?

Sygg, River Cutthroat would be cool for a lot of political decks

Everlasting Torment & Kulrath Knight for Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons & Massacre Girl, Known Killer. For the Knight, also Toxrill, in case you want to be even more annoying.

Vexing Shusher expands its anti-countering services

Wort, the Raidmother might be neat for red+ spellslinger that uses tokens, like Magnus the Red

Rhys the Redeemed: more power to go-wide strategies (although Elfball haters might not be so enthustiatic)

The bonder cycle: Jubilant Skybonder, Cunning Nightbonder, Proud Wildbonder, and Sonorous Howlbonder ... also Alert Heedbonder, I guess.

Enchanted Evening, Gilder Bairn: more shenanigans abound

Godhead of Awe: might be neat for mono-W?

Worm Harvest: Titania is now the queen of worms

All companions become available to an expanded selection of color identites, with the exception of Jegantha (and Lutri)

trippy_mcfly on Cumly Cube

4 months ago

Introducing Cumly Cube 1.3! Two years ago, Cumly Cube was updated to Cumly Cube 1.2, creating a balanced cube and wonderful play experience for all involved. Despite these changes, there remained some minor flaws in the card pool. I am now pleased to announce that, after extensive research and design, Cumly Cube has reached a final form. No card is too powerful. No card is too weak. Synergy is abundant. Both the draft and play experiences are dynamic, exciting, and new. There will be no more major updates to Cumly Cube 1.

120 cards have been removed, and 120 cards have been added. Here are the changes, provided with brief justifications:

REMOVED:

ARTIFACT

1. Everflowing Chalice: mana rocks should cost 3 or have a drawback
2. Glass of the Guildpact: too weak
3. Heraldic Banner: encouraged mono-colored decks
4. Illuminated Folio: too weak
5. Jayemdae Tome: too weak
6. Loreseeker's Stone: too weak
7. Mind Stone: mana rocks should cost 3 or have a drawback
8. Null Rod: too much of a hate card
9. Pithing Needle: too powerful with Urza's Saga
10. Pyromancer's Goggles: too narrow
11. Retrofitter Foundry: too powerful with Urza's Saga

CREATURE

1. Bomat Courier: too powerful against slow starts
2. Deathpact Angel: creates a Cleric token, not a supported creature type
3. Dimir Cutpurse: too powerful
4. Elves of Deep Shadow: too obvious of a choice as a cumly
5. Golos, Tireless Pilgrim: too powerful
6. Hostage Taker: too powerful
7. Kalamax, the Stormsire: too powerful
8. Loyal Retainers: too obvious of a choice as a cumly
9. Monastery Mentor: too powerful
10. Moonveil Dragon: pumping the team makes for anticlimactic endings
11. Murktide Regent: we’ve seen enough of this card already in other formats
12. Ornithopter of Paradise: too obvious of a choice as a cumly
13. Phantom Tiger: too weak
14. Risen Reef: too powerful
15. Shadrix Silverquill: creates Inkling tokens, not a supported creature type
16. Tatyova, Benthic Druid: too powerful
17. Thraben Inspector: we’ve seen enough of this card already in other formats
18. Toxrill, the Corrosive: creates Slug tokens, not a supported creature type

ENCHANTMENT

1. Alpha Authority: hexproof makes for less interesting games
2. Favorable Winds: too weak
3. Offspring's Revenge: too narrow
4. Pernicious Deed: too powerful of a board wipe
5. Rally the Ranks: too weak
6. Song of Freyalise: too typical a card for green

LAND (types are grouped together in this list)

1. Tolarian Academy: too powerful
2. Arid Mesa: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
3. Bloodstained Mire: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
4. Flooded Strand: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
5. Marsh Flats: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
6. Misty Rainforest: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
7. Polluted Delta: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
8. Scalding Tarn: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
9. Verdant Catacombs: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
10. Windswept Heath: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
11. Wooded Foothills: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
12. Badlands: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
13. Bayou: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
14. Plateau: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
15. Savannah: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
16. Scrubland: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
17. Taiga: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
18. Tropical Island: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
19. Tundra: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
20. Underground Sea: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
21. Volcanic Island: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
22. Hissing Quagmire: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
23. Lavaclaw Reaches: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
24. Lumbering Falls: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
25. Shambling Vent: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
26. Needle Spires: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
27. Raging Ravine: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
28. Stirring Wildwood: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
29. Wandering Fumarole: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting

INSTANT

1. Abnormal Endurance: too typical a card for black
2. Aerial Predation: too narrow
3. Alchemist's Gift: too weak
4. Arbor Armament: too weak
5. Autumn's Veil: too narrow
6. Betrayal of Flesh: too weak
7. Bladebrand: too typical a card for black
8. Brainstorm: we’ve seen enough of this card already in other formats
9. Cathartic Pyre: too much utility for an instant
10. Comet Storm: one-sided board wipes need to be focused on creature type
11. Consider: too typical a card for blue
12. Crippling Chill: too typical a card for blue
13. Crush: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
14. Dawn Charm: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better
15. Dive Down: hexproof makes for less interesting games
16. Divine Offering: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
17. Dragon's Fire: too typical a card for red
18. Electrify: too typical a card for red
19. Fell the Pheasant: too narrow
20. Gainsay: too narrow
21. Gut Shot: too weak
22. Heroic Intervention: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better
23. Hold the Line: too narrow
24. Into the Core: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
25. Lash of Thorns: too weak
26. Make Your Mark: too weak
27. Opt: too typical a card for blue
28. Overload: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
29. Pitfall Trap: too narrow
30. Repulse: too typical a card for blue
31. Scrap: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
32. Seedtime: too narrow
33. Shatter: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
34. Smash: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
35. Smashing Success: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
36. Smite: too narrow
37. Turn to Frog: turns a creature into a Frog, not a supported creature type
38. Unsummon: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better

SORCERY

1. Blasphemous Act: too typical a card for red
2. Chart a Course: too much utility
3. Cleansing Wildfire: too much utility
4. Cultivate: too typical a card for green
5. Disentomb: too typical a card for black
6. From the Ashes: too narrow
7. Funeral Rites: too much utility
8. Gitaxian Probe: too typical a card for blue
9. Necromantic Summons: too typical a card for black
10. Nighthaze: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better
11. Persist: too typical a card for black
12. Pirate's Prize: too much utility
13. Ponder: too much utility
14. Reanimate: too typical a card for black
15. Recover: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better
16. Serum Visions: too typical a card for blue
17. Spitting Earth: too typical a card for red
18. Thoughtcast: too typical a card for blue

ADDED:

ARTIFACT

1. Coat of Arms: encourages building around creature types
2. Patchwork Banner: encourages building around creature types

CREATURE

1. Arahbo, the First Fang: supports the Avatar and Cat creature types
2. Avatar of the Resolute: supports the Avatar creature type
3. Autonomous Assembler: supports the Assembly-worker creature type
4. Bag End Porter: supports the Dwarf creature type
5. Breya, Etherium Shaper: supports the Human and Thopter creature types
6. Captain Storm, Cosmium Raider: supports the Human and Pirate creature types
7. Captivating Unicorn: supports the Unicorn creature type and supports enchantment decks
8. Centaur Battlemaster: supports the Centaur creature type and functions as a strong payoff for prowess decks
9. Chronicler of Heroes: supports the Centaur creature type
10. Conclave Cavalier: supports the Centaur and Elf creature types
11. Conclave Mentor: supports the Centaur creature type
12. Crosis, the Purger: supports the Dragon creature type
13. Fear of Exposure: supports the Nightmare creature type and supports enchantment decks
14. Ghostly Changeling: supports all creature synergy decks
15. Gimli of the Glittering Caves: supports the Dwarf creature type
16. Glissa Sunseeker: supports the Elf creature type
17. Graveshifter: supports all creature synergy decks
18. Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea: supports the Elf creature type
19. Haunt of the Dead Marshes: supports the Elf and Nightmare creature types
20. He Who Hungers: supports the Spirit creature type
21. Heedless One: supports the Avatar and Elf creature types
22. Jungle Creeper: supports the Elemental creature type
23. Jungle Delver: supports the Merfolk creature type
24. Kataki, War's Wage: supports the Spirit creature type and functions as artifact hate
25. Keiga, the Tide Star: supports the Dragon and Spirit creature types
26. Kiora's Follower: supports the Merfolk creature type
27. Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca: supports the Merfolk creature type
28. Lagonna-Band Trailblazer: supports the Centaur creature type
29. Marwyn, the Nurturer: supports the Elf creature type
30. Master Skald: supports the Dwarf creature type
31. Mine Layer: supports the Dwarf creature type
32. Neighborhood Guardian: supports the Unicorn creature type
33. Promised Kannushi: supports the Human and Spirit creature types
34. Realmwalker: supports all creature synergy decks
35. Reveka, Wizard Savant: supports the Dwarf creature type
36. Seraphic Steed: supports the Angel and Unicorn creature types
37. Soul of Zendikar: supports the Avatar and Beast creature types
38. Steadfast Unicorn: supports the Unicorn creature type
39. Stingmoggie: supports the Elemental creature type and functions as artifact hate
40. Sygg, River Cutthroat: supports the Merfolk creature type
41. Vineshaper Mystic: supports the Merfolk creature type
42. Wistful Selkie: supports the Merfolk creature type
43. Yargle and Multani: supports the Elemental and Spirit creature types
44. Zacama, Primal Calamity: supports the Dinosaur creature type

ENCHANTMENT

1. Aura of Silence: functions as artifact and enchantment hate
2. Aura ShardsGC: functions as artifact and enchantment hate
3. Blessed Sanctuary: supports the Unicorn creature type
4. Corrosion: functions as artifact hate
5. Embargo: interesting prison piece for stasis decks
6. Font of Fortunes: card advantage at a fair price for Cumly Cube
7. Gate to Phyrexia: functions as artifact hate and supports the niche but possible sacrifice deck
8. Impending Disaster: a useful piece for aggressive decks or niche graveyard decks
9. Shared Animosity: supports all creature synergy decks

LAND (types are grouped together in this list)

1. Drowned Catacomb: completing the full set of check lands
2. Glacial Fortress: completing the full set of check lands
3. Hinterland Harbor: completing the full set of check lands
4. Sulfur Falls: completing the full set of check lands
5. Cascade Bluffs: completing the full set of filter lands
6. Graven Cairns: completing the full set of filter lands
7. Mystic Gate: completing the full set of filter lands
8. Sunken Ruins: completing the full set of filter lands
9. Wooded Bastion: completing the full set of filter lands
10. Darkwater Catacombs: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
11. Desolate Mire: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
12. Ferrous Lake: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
13. Fire-Lit Thicket: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
14. Flooded Grove: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
15. Overflowing Basin: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
16. Skycloud Expanse: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
17. Sunscorched Divide: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
18. Viridescent Bog: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands

INSTANT

1. Accelerate: supports prowess decks
2. And They Shall Know No Fear: supports all creature synergy decks
3. Artifact Mutation: functions as artifact hate and supports the Saproling creature type
4. Bandage: supports prowess decks and is also funny
5. Brokers Charm: charms are an important part of Cumly Cube
6. Charge Through: supports prowess decks
7. Cremate: supports prowess decks
8. Mirrodin Avenged: supports prowess decks
9. Poison the Blade: supports prowess decks and offers deathtouch in green instead of its typical color, black
10. Pressure Point: supportsli prowess decks and offers tapping in white instead of its typical color, blue
11. Steady Progress: supports prowess decks as well as slower proliferate decks
12. Sugar Rush: supports prowess decks and offers power boost in black instead of its typical color, red
13. Treacherous Greed: supports the niche but possible sacrifice deck
14. Turf Wound: a strange tempo card that fits the ethos of Cumly Cube
15. Warriors' Lesson: supports prowess decks and might end up as green Ancestral Recall

SORCERY

1. Altar of Bone: supports the niche but possible sacrifice deck
2. Aphetto Dredging: supports all creature synergy decks
3. Apocalypse: total game resets are an important part of Cumly Cube, because you end up playing more Cumly Cube!
4. Ashen Powder: a more situational and odd piece for reanimator decks
5. Blood for Bones: a more situational and odd piece for reanimator decks
6. Breath of Life: offers reanimation in white instead of its typical color, black
7. Broken Bond: functions as artifact and enchantment hate yet also ramps
8. Channel the Suns: a strange yet useful mana-fixer. Out with fetch lands, in with sorcery WUBRG!
9. Cloak of Feathers: supports prowess decks
10. Crippling Fear: supports all creature synergy decks
11. False Dawn: supports prowess decks and might offer mana-fixing in niche situations? Even if this card is pretty useless, it screams Cumly Cube
12. Grim Tutor: tutoring is a small part of Cumly Cube but very important in the right decks
13. Growth Spasm: offers ramp, mana-fixing, and supports the Eldrazi creature type
14. Hymn of Rebirth: offers reanimation in green and white instead of its typical color, black
15. Ice Storm: land destruction is a small part of Cumly Cube but a necessary balance, and not usually in green
16. Jace's Triumph: there are Jace planeswalkers in Cumly Cube
17. Mana Vapors: a strange tempo card that fits the ethos of Cumly Cube
18. Many Partings: offers mana-fixing and food
19. Migratory Route: offers mana-fixing and supports the Bird creature type
20. Obzedat's Aid: offers reanimation in black and white
21. Ordered Migration: supports the Bird creature type
22. Raise the Palisade: supports all creature synergy decks
23. Resourceful Return: a more situational and odd piece for black graveyard decks and artifact decks
24. Ribbons of Night: offers direct damage in black instead of its typical color, red
25. Rise of the Witch-king: a more situational and odd piece for reanimator decks
26. Riveteers Confluence: similar to a charm
27. Safewright Quest: offers slight mana-fixing in green and white
28. Solve the Equation: tutoring is a small part of Cumly Cube but very important in the right decks
29. Sweep the Skies: supports the Thopter creature type
30. Temporal Machinations: supports artifact decks
31. Unnatural Restoration: supports proliferate decks
32. Urborg Repossession: a more situational and odd piece for black graveyard decks

Lord_Olga on 0% Synergy, 100% WINERGY

1 year ago

Craeter Oh hey dude!! I do have a couple of conditional draws (Sygg, River Cutthroat, Nashi, Searcher in the Dark, Deadeye Tracker), but something more reliable couldn't hurt. Thanks for pointing it out!

DreadKhan on I Must Posses All, or I Possess Nothing

1 year ago

I built a discard deck of my own awhile back, though mine is Dimir (I went with Sygg, River Cutthroat for the card draw) there might be a few cards that are worth a look!

It might get you killed since you're not running hard Stax like Static Orb in here, but Bloodchief Ascension is a really strong card in a discard deck. If you get this out early, it can easily take over a game.

Since you have Creeping Dread in here, maybe Stronghold Rats? Maybe Necrogoyf? Painful Quandary is a lot of mana for a reasonably strong effect, especially if you have any additional effects out with it. I threw in a bunch of racks that hit each opponent (stuff like Wheel of Torture, Rackling, and Shrieking Affliction), I found these helped speed things up.

I'm not sure if you are interested in stuff like Crawlspace, Ensnaring Bridge, or Koskun Falls? They are handy in a discard deck because people often want you dead as soon as they realize your going to make them discard all the fun stuff they're holding up, protection type Stax can be very helpful in my experience. I have a few more, mostly weirder ones, if you want to lean into the area, but it's not THAT deep unless you throw in hard Stax (like Static Orb and Meekstone).

I don't use them in my own discard list, but I also like Shizo, Death's Storehouse for the Fear. Maybe Access Tunnel and/or The Black Gate?

vic on Can something trigger after "end …

1 year ago

I control a Sygg, River Cutthroat, it's my turn, and I've dealt 3 damage. I also control an Alandra, Sky Dreamer. Do I get a drake?

wallisface on Suture Priest's Curse

1 year ago

Some thoughts:

• Gather Specimens costs far too much mana to be viable, the game’s not lasting long enough to cast it.

• Similarly, Panharmonicon is far too late-game to be helpful. It’ll either serve as a “win more” card (unhelpful), or lose you the game (by having to take a turn-off to cast it).

• Sygg, River Cutthroat feels too cute to be good here - you want to be focusing all your attention on enacting your gameplan and this card feels like its not helping with that. I’d put Authority of the Consuls and Soul Warden in the same bucket.

• a lot if decks i’ve seen trying this strategy use both Hunted Phantasm and Illness in the Ranks to great effect.

• as mentioned above, Eldrazi Displacer will serve you better than your current flicker effects. Also, while it’d only target your own stuff, Ephemerate would be strong here.

Fombrot on 5 Colors

1 year ago

Ramp/Acceleration

• Retraced Image
• Gretchen Titchwillow
• Thrasios, Triton Hero
• Murasa Rootgrazer
• Land Tax
• Exploration
• Wild Growth
• Brought Back

Draw/value

• Treasured Find
• Maelstrom Nexus
• Overbeing of Myth
• Mask of Riddles
• Sygg, River Cutthroat
• Tainted Indulgence
• Shapers' Sanctuary
• Tribute to the World Tree
• Temur Ascendancy
• Jared Carthalion, True Heir

Removal/interaction

• Riveteers Charm
• Unscythe, Killer of Kings
• Sunder Shaman
• Hide / Seek
• Frilled Mystic
• Lightning Helix

Other

• Hunted Horror
• Flurry of Wings
• Legion's Initiative
• Ephemerate

Licecolony on Goaded With The Sauce

2 years ago

I really like your manifest take on Jon. Consider Dulcet Sirens. It's a clever way to mitigate risk of having those horrible creatures for yourself. I'll definitely be adding Crawlspace and Endless Whispers to my list.

Suggested removals from deck Plague Reaver. While it's a nice card to give away, the turn you play it you'll have to sacrifice Jon Irenicus to Plague Reaver's trigger regardless of which order you put the abilities onto the stack. You'd rather not lose Jon.

Gisa, Glorious Resurrector. It's something you can't give away, which means it's good when you're ahead, but not great when you're behind,. Your mileage may vary, but I think getting something more immediately impactful on the board tends to be best.

Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker. You're not running a mill strategy, you'll only be filling the graveyard of dedicate graveyard decks.

Taniwha. I love this creature and totally understand running it for the memes, but phasing triggers before your upkeep, which means that when you give it away, it'll be phased out for the first turn under your opponent, so they'll keep their lands and you won't draw a card from Jon's ability. The turn cycle has to make two full rounds before Taniwha does anything.

Tergrid, God of Fright  ^Flip. Unlike Sheoldred, Tergrid doesn't make the opponent do either of its effects. It's another creature you don't want to give away, and Jon makes cards unsacrificeable. It just won't trigger much unless you're against a sacrifice deck.

Ensnaring Bridge. The creatures you donate will often be quite big. Ensnaring bridge will prevent them from attacking your opponents and deny you card draw.

Chromatic Lantern. It's only good if you need the mana fixing. You don't need the mana fixing. Try something like Thought Vessel or Decanter of Endless Water or Midnight Clock instead.

Assault Suit doesn't goad the creatures itself. Often they'll swing at you if possible.

Dissipation Field. Not as good as it looks. Doubles ETB triggers. Anti synergy with cards like Endless Whispers.

No Mercy Jon just has better options for this slot. If you can replace a non-creature with a creature in this deck, you usually want to.

Grave Betrayal. That's 7 mana for a card that could ruin your game by forcing you to revive bad cards you do not want.

Diplomatic Immunity. You want instant speed protection and protection from board wipes. Something like March of Swirling Mist is more versatile offensively and defensively.

Dark Ritual. I'm uncertain what you're trying to ramp into so quickly that you would need this. Maybe I'm wrong.

Countersquall. You may as well play the one mana version in An Offer You Can't Refuse.

Redirect may be bested by Narset's Reversal? That's a matter of opinion.

AEtherize risks bouncing creatures attacking other opponents such as those you've goaded but want them to keep. Try replacing this with a more versatile effect like Reins of Power or a more aggressive effect in Illusionist's Gambit.

Damnation. Jon prefers sacrifice board wipes so that your opponents keep their shit creatures.

Overall I think you could run less counter-magic in favor of more proactive effects.

Cards to Consider Creatures Generally I want to focus on adding creatures that you can give away and then steal back later to win the game.

With Jon, you often want cheap evasive creatures to give out for early card draw with his ability. Right now you have 1 two-drop creature. Throwing in a Changeling Outcast or a Slither Blade can mean you can give a creature away for cheap and still hold up mana for other things. Slither blade wouldn't die to Heartless Summoning too.

In the two-drop slot, you can run creatures that are more defensive like Baleful Strix, or give you card draw like Sygg, River Cutthroat or just more powerful creatures like Flesh Reaver which is a goaded 6/6 that can deal 12 damage a turn or Wretched Anurid. Heck, you can even add a versatile two-drop in Dimir Infiltrator which can be given away in the early game or used as a tutor in the late-game.

In the three drop slot, I think your idea of adding Steel Golem is a great one to make sure the only creatures your opponent has are the ones you're giving them. It's a brutal card. Rotting Regisaur is a card you don't mind giving away early, and can take back later to win. Phyrexian Soulgorger can be donated to an opponent as a goaded 10/10. They won't have to pay the upkeep, but that's a great body to give someone as a political tool. Cephalid Facetaker is also worth consideration though I personally don't run it.

In the four-drop slot, like you mentioned, Grid Monitor is a proactive creature counter. Abyssal Persecutor can save you from death. Archfiend of the Dross is risky but fun (it comes back to your control after the opponent dies).

In the 5-drop slot, both of the evil-eye cards are absolute ALL STARS. They work so well every game I've drawn them. They can also replace some of your weaker defenses like No Mercy and Dissipation Field

As a sidenote, I also like Deep-Sea Kraken as an unblockable 8/8 that can win you the game with homeward path.

Removal I recommend running more sacrifice-based removal since it'll mean your opponents keep the crap you give them. Things like Tergrid's Shadow or Vona's Hunger or All is Dust (one of my favorites) or Killing Wave. I also prefer Toxic Deluge to some of your other removal since it goes through hexproof. Curse of the Swine is also an exile effect that can be selective and works really well. You can also run single-target removal like Reality Shift or Pongify if you'd rather instant speed interaction. Feed the Swarm is quality. If you really don't care about cruelty, you can run Torment of Hailfire, but that card is honestly always too boring for me to want in my decks.

Card Draw Jon has access to some great card draw that most decks can't take advantage of. Fateful Handoff is a card draw spell that also donates (though does not goad). Sygg, River Cutthroat works well with evasive threats you give away (though should not be donated). Verity Circle works great with Jon's ability since it donates the creature first, and then taps it down. Teferi's Ageless Insight allows you to double your draw triggers from Jon.

Equipment Remember that you can donate creatures while they're equipped and you still control the equipment so they can't re-equip it. Pact Weapon makes the attacking creature bigger, while ensuring you can't die, and will draw you another card whenever the donated creature attacks. Dowsing Dagger  ^Flip works effectively on evasive creature to get you ramped. Vorpal Sword is a win condition on your unblockable evasive creatures.

Goad Dulcet Sirens, Bloodthirsty Blade.

Misc Graveyard removal is king. Throw in a Scavenger Grounds. My favorite card to run is Reality Shift. Make an Avenger of Zendikar spawn a dozen Wretched Anurids. It's not GREAT, but it is always funny. Cultural Exchange is a fun time too with all your manifest and shitty creatures.

That is all. Hope it was helpful.