Dargo, the Shipwrecker and Jeska, Thrice Reborn are a hyper aggressive duo that love to keep coming back out through treasure ramp. Not only that, they combo together to threaten lethal commander damage if anyone ever leaves themselves tapped out. Pair that with Jeska being able to burn away multiple blockers, this is actually a fairly potent combination. Keep up the pressure and beat down the opponents as fast as possible with these partners in crime that embody everything that it means to be Red.

Most of the deck is dedicated towards treasure ramp and commander support. The assumption is that these two are going to eat a huge amount of removal, so the aim is to make sure they keep coming back fast enough to continue pressuring players into a defensive corner. Finish opponents off with effects that prevent blockers on turns opponents thought they were safe, one-shotting opponents for a perfect 21 commander damage.

This deck was built using the Tolarian Academy "formula". It also aims to be under $100, making it a semi-affordable starting point for anyone interested in this strategy. This deck was partly inspired by Warhammer Fantasy's "Albion Giants": Bologs, Cachtorr and the druid Hengus.

Include 10-15 card draw effects. The “core 10” should either be recurrent effects or draw 2+ cards.

  • Fire Giant's Fury (mass impulse)
  • Outpost Siege (impulse) (repeating)
  • Inspired Tinkering (impulse) (treasure)
  • Season of the Bold (impulse) (treasure)
  • Big Score (dig 2) (treasure)
  • Pirate's Pillage (dig 2) (treasure)
  • Unexpected Windfall (dig 2) (treasure)
  • Seize the Spoils (dig 2) (treasure)
  • Bitter Reunion (dig 2)
  • Ichor Wellspring (draw 2)

Bonus Draw

  • Reckless Lacky (treasure)
  • Redrock Sentinel (treasure)
  • Grabby Giant (treasure)
  • Collector's Vault (treasure)

4 Wrath Effects

These should be 6 or less mana ideally

  • Spiteful Banditry (burn all X) (treasure)
  • Sarkhan's Unsealing (burn all 4) (repeating)
  • Contagion Engine (proliferate)
  • Megaton’s Fate (burn all 8 + artifact) (treasure)

6 Spot Removal

Should be 3 mana or less, but can be more if they synergies with the decks strategy.

  • Gleeful Demolition (artifact)
  • Abrade (burn 3 + artifact)
  • Explosive Derailment (burn 4 + artifact)
  • Volt Charge (burn 3 + proliferate)
  • Contagion Clasp (proliferate)
  • Thundercloud Shaman (giant synergy) (burn all 2-3)

5-10 other interaction

Make sure that somewhere in the deck are at least 3+ graveyard hate and 4+ artifact/enchantment hate

  • Not of This World (counterspell)
  • Untimely Malfunction (retarget + artifact) (block stun)
  • Return the Favor (retarget)
  • Wild Ricochet (retarget)
  • Shunt (redirect)

Should be about 8-12 cards that ramp how much mana is available. This can be an artifact that taps for mana or a spell that tutors a Land ONTO the battlefield. A good thing to remember is a "solid mana rock" will produce at LEAST half as much mana as it costs. Example: spend two, get an artifact that taps for 1. Spend 3, tutor one land onto the battlefield and another into your hand. Spend 4, artifact that taps for 2.

Two Mana Accelerants

  • Sol Ring
  • Noble’s Purse (treasure)
  • Generous Plunderer (treasure)
  • Prized Statue (treasure)

Other Ramp

  • Breeches, Eager Pillager (pirate synergy)
  • Strike it Rich (treasure)
  • Curse of Opulence (treasure)
  • Commander's Sphere (draw)

Bonus Ramp

Planning on using 38 lands, giving me about 27 cards to play around with

Dargo Payments

Cards that allow a Turn 3 Bargo. Prefer treasure cards or mana creatures as they provide progress towards Jeska as well. Looking to have 16-20 of these (4 in mana ramp)

Treasure

  • Wily Goblin
  • Charming Scoundrel
  • Gold Pan
  • Gilded Pinions

Self-sacrifice Creatures

  • Generator Servant
  • Reckless Barbarian

Creature + artifact Spam

  • Voldaren Epicure
  • Flayer Husk
  • Nimblewright Schematic
  • Servo Schematic
  • Mogg War Marshal
  • Junk Jet
  • Batterbone
  • Mask of Immolation

Unblockable effects

  • Silver Shroud Costume (evasion)
  • Smokebomb (evasion)
  • Sonic Screwdriver (ramp)

Other Synergy

  • Swiftfoot Boots (hexproof + haste)
  • Rowan's Talent (+1 ability for Jeska)
  • Chandra, Acolyte of Flame (feed Dargo + loyalty for Jeska)
  • Thermopod (goes infinite with Dargo)
  • Involuntary Employment (nets 1 for casting Dargo + sacrifice an opponents creature)
  • Furnace Reins (nets 2 casting Dargo + sacrifice an opponents creature)
  • Sticky Fingers (menace on turn 4 may mean Dargo is unblockable) (treasure source)

Something to remember is to try and avoid having more than about 1/3 lands enter tapped. It helps have a "smoother" game experience.

Mana Lands

  • 20 Mountains

Mono Color Effects (tapped)

  • Mines of Moria (treasure farming)
  • Areana of Glory (haste)
  • Mystic Peak (spell - instant/sorcery recursion)
  • Volcanic Fissure (spell - unblockable)
  • Smoldering Crater (cycle)
  • Forgotten Cave (cycle)
  • Desert of the Fervent (cycle)

Colorless effect lands

  • Volatile Fault (land destruction)
  • Demolition field (land destruction)
  • Field of Ruin (land destruction)
  • Pit of Offerings (graveyard removal)
  • Scavenger Grounds (graveyard removal)
  • Rogue's Passage (unblockable)
  • Treasure Vault (treasure ramp)
  • Buried Ruin (artifact recursion)
  • War Room (draw)
  • Arch of Orazca (draw)

Upgrades

Infinite Dargo

  • Phyrexian Alter (loop Dargo infinitely)
  • Gamble (Search Phyrexian Alter or Thermopod)
  • Reckless handling (search Phyrexian Alter)
  • Goblin Engineer (search Phyrexian Alter)
  • Inventors Fair (search Phyrexian Alter)

Loop Dargo infinitely with Phyrexian Alter or Thermopod, then cast Jeska with infinite counters on her, letting her burn enemies for infinite damage. Note: having an infinte combo with one card + command zone may be a bit much for a lot of tables. Make sure to have the Rule 0 discussion about infinte combos and have a few swaps handy just in case.

Infinite mana Combos (Jeska can just perpetually kill herself using her -x ability and win)

  • Brass Bounty + Reiterate (In theme for the rest of the deck + both are good without needing to combo)
  • The Reaver Cleaver + Aggressive Assault (Reaver cleaver is in theme + Aggressive Assault is semi-useful even on its own)
  • The Reaver Cleaver + Helkite Charger (helkite charger is "decent" on its own as a second win condition)

General Upgrades

  • Deflecting Swat (redirect)
  • Bolt Bend (redirect)

One Mana Cards to swap in

There is room to swap a few two-mana cards for some one-mana options that function better in the late game.

  • Impulsive Pilferer (treasure after sacrifice)
  • Faithless Looting

Suggestions

Updates Add

Comments

95% Casual

Competitive

Date added 1 month
Last updated 1 month
Legality

This deck is Commander / EDH legal.

Rarity (main - side)

5 - 0 Mythic Rares

16 - 0 Rares

33 - 0 Uncommons

26 - 0 Commons

Cards 100
Avg. CMC 2.79
Tokens Blood, City's Blessing, Construct 1/1 C, Elemental 1/1 R, Goblin 1/1 R, Gold, Junk, On an Adventure, Phyrexian Germ 0/0 B, Phyrexian Goblin 1/1 R, Radiation, Servo 1/1 C, Treasure, Wicked
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