Xanathar, Guild Kingpin

Legendary Creature — Beholder

At the beginning of your upkeep, choose target opponent. Until end of turn, that player can’t cast spells, you may look at the top card of their library at any time, you may play the top card of their library, and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any colour to cast spells this way.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Alchemy	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Pre-release	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Standard	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (18)

Rakious07 on Upkeep Upkeep get your upkeep here

2 weeks ago

Also Bonehoard Dracosaur, Braids, Conjurer Adept, Charmbreaker Devils, Court of Embereth, Creeping Bloodsucker, Darksteel Reactor, Endless Ranks of the Dead, Feast on the Fallen, Galvanoth, Gate to the AEther, Goblin Assault, Guild Feud, Ill-Gotten Inheritance, Jhoira of the Ghitu, Mindsplice Apparatus, Portal to Phyrexia, Protection Racket, Quakebringer, Reality Strobe, Replicating Ring, Spawn of Mayhem, Struggle for Project Purity, Subversion, Tamiyo's Journal, & Xanathar, Guild Kingpin

plakjekaas on BBEG Deck Ideas

6 months ago

It's clearly Xanathar, Guild Kingpin. Steal-your-stuff has that desperate and evil feel to play against, and beholders are classical D&D monsters. A big, bad take-over-the-world villain has never been more literal.

Azoth2099 on Sen Triplets - Esper Control (Seeking Help)

9 months ago

Iraeus

Yep! I'd cut the following:

Vega, the Watcher, Tasha, the Witch Queen, Mind's Dilation, Celestial Dawn, Lighthouse Chronologist, Restore Balance, Xanathar, Guild Kingpin, Dromar's Charm & Talent of the Telepath !

lcarl3035 on I am fine with your deck!

1 year ago

Xanathar, Guild Kingpin if you could ramp up to it or Covetous Urge if you're desperate.

xXFareEvaderXx on Budget Lantern Control

1 year ago

What are your thoughts on Xanathar, Guild Kingpin as an alternate wincon to Traumatize? You can use Xanathar similarly to the way you use Lantern of Insight and Codex Shredder except you get to steal whatever you would make them mill and then use that to win or just beatdown with Xanathar.

Bellairs on Emiel The Blessed One [Primer]

1 year ago

Looks fun!

Workhorse goes infinite with Emiel. Infinite ETB triggers. Infinite mana with Heartstone out.

Charming Prince is a neat card. You don't go infinite with it, but if you're against decks that permanently steals cards (Etali, Primal Storm, Xanathar, Guild Kingpin, etc) this can get them back. And if you have enough mana, you can bounce it repeatedly to save creatures from boardwipes.

Be careful with Yisharn, its ability prevents you from going infinite with Brood Monitor, since you have to sacrifice the eldrazi for mana.

You may want to consider adding some low mana ETB creatures for tempo. Right now Emiel is cheaper than most of your pay off creatures, so you're going Ramp -> Turn 3 Emiel -> Turn 4 Creature (4/5/6 drop) -> Turn 5 actually getting to activate Emiel for extra value. Wall of Blossoms, Elvish Visionary, Wall of Omens, etc are good chump blockers, replace themselves, and can accelerate you earlier than the big creatures that are targets for removal.

One thing I don't get is why Polyraptor is there, it's a good card but I don't see much synergy with Emiel?

AcidicArisato on Principle of Control

2 years ago

For stealing your opponents' cards, I'd recommend Xanathar, Guild Kingpin as a back-up Sen. Celestial Dawn is also an auto-include in Sen decks.

If you want stax pieces, Drannith Magistrate, Nevermore, and Wash Away are great ways to stop your opponent from casting their commanders.

Aura of Silence is handy for taking care of pesky enchantments and can slow down their plans. Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver and Bojuka Bog are handy pieces of graveyard hate, with the latter being a free-roll in your deck.

Scheming Symmetry is HILARIOUS with Aven Mindcensor and Opposition Agent. Leonin Arbiter also goes nicely with it.

Fatespinner is nasty and can functionally lock opponents out of combat. Rhystic Study is an auto-include in these types of decks.

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In terms of win-cons, you could go with the Mindcrank combo: Mindcrack + Duskmantle Guildmage. Use Ghoulcaller's Bell to start the process without damage. Syr Konrad, the Grim is also good for redundancy.

There's also any number of combos involving Laboratory Maniac, Thassa's Oracle, and Jace, Wielder of Mysteries. Use Demonic Consultation on your upkeep and name a card not in your deck to win on your draw step.

If you have a high enough density of creatures, Mortal Combat is a very simple way to win. With enough artifacts, Mechanized Production can be a free-roll. Revel in Riches is a very simple way of creating mana, with the upside of occasionally winning you the game (also pairs well with Spell Swindle.) Felidar Sovereign is also a hilarious.

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If you're looking to make opponents struggle by dismantling their pieces, you should absolutely have pieces like Swords to Plowshares, Path to Exile, Vanishing Verse, and maybe even Generous Gift in addition to boardwipes like Farewell, Tragic Arrogance, Cataclysm, and Wrath of God.

Paxreseda on You are what you bury...

2 years ago

Etrata, the Silencer, Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur do nothing for mill and have no synergy with the rest of the deck. Nyxathid is based on opponent hand size & only Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur had any bearing on that. Lazav, the Multifarious only effects cards in your own graveyard and is legendary. Lastly, Xanathar, Guild Kingpin is cute, but has no synergy with other cards.

Jettison those and replace the ten creatures. Four Ruin Crab. Four Hedron Crab. Maybe a couple Maddening Cacophony.

Not sure how useful having single Cancel and Thought Collapse are. Memory Plunder would make better use of those non-creature spells that get milled.