DECK 16 | UPDATED: 2025-08-31 | STATUS: ACTIVE
The Neverending Story (1979) by Michael Ende is a classic story, which has made appearances in film, cartoon, and other media.
This is a humble attempt at recreating some of that fantasy flavor in the world of Magic: The Gathering (© Wizards of the Coast).
Cast
Bastian Bux
- Card: Jodah, the Unifier
- Description: In the book, Bastian enters Fantasia and becomes the self-proclaimed ruler. In a way, he is the "returned" king of Fantasia. Kenrith, fits the theme and also provides access to all the colors; a great commander for this deck. I swapped for Jodah, the unifier of all Fantasia.
- Alternatives: Kenrith, the Returned King
Atreyu
"If we're about to die anyway, I'd rather die fighting.
Come for me G'mork!
I am Atreyu!"
- Card: Saffi Eriksdotter
- Description: Atreyu is the green-skinned warrior summoned to save the Childlike Empress and the only one who can save Fantasia from the Nothing. Atreyu travels with a companion horse, Artax. To fit this bill, I decided to go with Saffi Eriksdotter, which, although being donned on a female, is wearing the dress that looks very similar to that worn by Atreyu from the film. Also, Saffi has an interesting ability to bring back creatures.
- Other Greenskins:
- Artax:
Falcor, the luck dragon
"Never give up hope and good luck will find you."
- Card(s):
- Description: Falcor is giant white flying dragon. Icingdeath, whilst not as friendly looking, still provides a lovely present (the sword), which could be considered good luck. Also, the art feels pretty close. A better visual representation of Falcor is Celestial Kirin.
- Alternates:
The Childlike Empress
"Call my name! Bastian, please! Save us!"
- Card: Azusa, Lost but Seeking
- Description: The Childlike Empress is the ruler of Fantasia from the Ivory Tower, who loses her power until Bastian gives her a new name. The flavor text on The Lady of the Mountain is a perfect fit; although, the card art and quality is debatable.
- Alternatives:
- Ivory Tower: Coastal Tower
- Fantasia: Bant Panorama
Morla the Ancient One
"Die? That at least would be something."
- Card: Yidaro, Wandering Monster
- Description: Morla is a giant turtle of knowledge who lives in Shell Mountain within the Swamps of Sadness and is portrayed as being very wise but, very, very, slow. I'm on the fence between Archelos (because of the flavor text and the powerful ability to tap / untap everything as it enters the battlefield) and Yidaro, who is a powerhouse, but has a cycle ability that makes it viable both early and late game.
- Alternates
Engywook and Urgl
"Get out of my light wench. You're disturbing my scientific work. --- Engywook"
- Cards:
- Description: Engywook is a gnome and a scholar of the Southern Oracle and Urgl is his wife. Engywook does his scientific research from his Observatory like creating the flying machine represented by Ornithopter of Paradise. I like Clever Conjurer, because he is an old-looking gnome who knows a lot (i.e., blue devotion). There are other scholar cards in MTG, but none really looked the part of Engywook. Urgl is a potions master. I chose Ioreth to represent her.
- Alternatives:
"It has to hurt if it's to heal. --- Urgl"
Grograman, The Many Colored Death
- Card: Mageta the Lion
- Description: Grograman is portrayed a giant color-changing lion that scorches the earth to always leave behind a desert. There are some great lion (cat) cards in MTG, but I chose Mageta, which despite looking more like a Rockbiter, can scorch the battlefield with a God of Wrath ability. Plus, Mageta is legendary, which fits the theme and, in the jungle of war, there's always a lion.
- Alternatives:
Dame Eyola of the House of Change
- Card:
- Description: Eyola is a character that assists Bastian not long after he enters Fantasia and helps get him on the right path. Characterized as a living plant, I found Autumn Willow and Esika (Kaldheim alt art). I chose Esika because she synergizes better with the legendary theme.
- Alternatives:
The Four Messengers
Cairon
"We wanted Atreyu. Not Atreyu the child, Atreyu the warrior."
- Card: Mangara, the Diplomat
- Description: Cairon is the herald to the Empress and, in the book, is depicted as a centaur (half human, half horse). In the film, Cairon is depicted as a wise old man.
- Alternatives:
The Four Heroes
- Characters:
- Hynreck
- Hykrion
- Hysbald
- Hydorn
- Card(s):
- Description: Four legendary heroes of Fantasia. I found Tajic, who cares about fighting alongside two other creatures (his brothers). Stangg is great as it comes in as two legendary creatures. It's a toss up whether to use Imperial Recruiter to help find the other brothers or Kjeldoran Warrior, who can band together with one of his brothers. Note that Hynreck, who adventures for the love of Princess Oglamar could be represented by Anax and Cymede.
- Alternatives:
The Three Deep Thinkers
- Characters:
- Ushtu the Mother of Intuition
- Shirkry the Father of Vision
- Yisipu the Son of Reason
- Cards:
- Description: The leaders of the Star Cloister of Ghigam, who head an entire order of monks dedicated to knowledge and the discovery of the secrets of Fantastica.
- Alternatives:
The Three Gates to the Southern Oracle
- The Riddle Gate (the first gate)
- Card: Yennett, Cryptic Sovereign
- Description: Guarded by sphinxes who can see into one's heart and judge their true worth. Those unworthy are either stuck answering all the world's riddles or blasted by lasers.
- The Magic Mirror (the second gate)
- Card: Mirage Mirror
- Description: A mirror that shows your true self; supposedly capable of driving men mad as strong brave men are shown to be sniveling cowards and honest men are shown to be lying cheats.
- No-Key Gate (the third gate)
Uyulala, The Southern Oracle
"Do not be afraid. We will not harm you."
- Card: Isperia, Supreme Judge
- Description: Uyulala is the Southern Oracle and looks like a blue sphinx. While there are a lot of sphinx cards, I like Isperia, who stands watch like a guardian and even looks a little blue. I also added Sphinx's Revelation to represent the knowledge gained by the oracle.
- Alternates:
Ilwan
- Card: Commander Eesha
- Description: Ilwan is characterized as a blue genie with a bird's beak. As I'm leaning towards white spells, I like Eesha with its protection from creatures. However, I also like Kami's card draw.
- Alternatives:
Pataplan, the winged mule
- Description: Child of Yikka, the mule, and a pegasus.
- Alternatives:
Querquobad, the Silver Sage
The Old Man of Wandering Mountain
Smerg
"I'll wish for the most horrible flying dragon in the history of Fantasia!
I wish him to be red; no, green.
I wish him to fly as fast as the Concorde and stinks so bad that he makes you sick!
And breathes fire." --- Bastian
- Card: Two-Headed Hellkite (non-legendary)
- Description: An invention of Bastian, Smerg is a multi-headed dragon with the tail of a scorpion and the legs of a grasshopper.
- Alternative:
Xayide
"I control all that is empty."
- Card: Sorceress Queen (non-legendary)
- Description: Xayide (z-eye-ee-da) is the empty sorceress, with power over everything empty. She threatens to over-take the Childlike Empress and become the new self-proclaimed queen of Fantasia. Xayide resides in hand-shaped castle, Horok. I chose Sorceress Queen for the name and flavor text, which both lend to my interpretation of what Xayide is all about. Her ability actually "empties" a target creature's power (i.e., sets it equal to zero). So many flavor wins!
- Horok the Seeing Hand: Swamp
Ygramul the Many
- Card: Arasta of the Endless Web
- Description: Ygramul is characterized as a giant shape shifting spider horror made of bees or hornets. I chose Arasta who embodies both the spider and the many.
- Alternatives:
G'mork
"People who have no hopes are easy to control. And whoever has control has the power."
- Card: Sarulf, Realm Eater
- Description: A werewolf-like creature that serves as a henchman of the power behind the Nothing and tasked with stopping Atreyu. G'mork in his cave is represented by Howling Mine.
The Manipulators / The Nothing
"[The Nothing] is the emptiness that's left. It's like a despair, destroying this world. --- G'mork"
- Card: Kozilek, the Great Distortion
- Description: The Manipulators control the Nothing, a powerful force that threatens to destroy Fantasia. What better emblem of 'nothing' than the void himself: Kozilek! A giant threat at any table.
- The Destruction of Fantasia: Urza's Ruinous Blast
The Auryn
- Card: Relic of Legends
- Description: The Auryn is an ancient magical jewel worn as a medallion by Atreyu, gifted to him by the Childlike Empress. I could not find anything that looks like the Auryn (two snakes intertwined and devouring each other's tails); however, Relic of Legends is both powerful and valuable and it ramps the deck based on how many legendary (characters) you have on the field.
- Alternatives: Pearl Medallion
Ghemmal
Mr. Coreander
"Oh, this is something special."
- Card: Stroke of Genius
- Description: Purveyor of fine books; owns the bookshop where Bastian finds the Neverending Story.
The Neverending Story (book)
- Card: Tamiyo's Journal
- Description: The book Bastian "borrows" from Mr. Coreander that leads him to read about Fantasia.
- Alternatives: Book of Rass
Other Locations in Fantasia
- Goab, the Desert of Colors
- Morgul, the Land of Cold Fire
- Perilin, the Night Forest
- The Dead Mountains
- The Grassy Ocean
- The Petrified Forest of Wodgabay
- The Silver Ship City
Unnamed Characters
Version 1.8
Changelog
2025-08-31 (AI-assisted)
Talismans as upgrades to prism and lens.
Upgrades to tapped lands.
Fist of Suns as alternative mana cost for legendary spells (with Bard Class Lv2, legendaries cost WBU).
Phial of Galadriel as a searchable mana rock (e.g., Search for Glory).
2025-08-06
2025-06-30
2023-09-04
2023-06-18
2022-10-07
2022-09-02
2022-07-27
2022-06-25
2022-03-03
2022-02-19
2022-01-20
References
- Goodwin (2020). What The NeverEnding Story Tells Us About Searching For Knowledge. .
- List of The Neverending Story Characters. .
- The Neverending Story Wiki.
- What are all the stories left unfinished in The Neverending Story?
- The Neverending Story Script.
