Commander Masters Preview: Xantcha, Sleeper Agent

Xantcha, Sleeper Agent

| Illustrated by Mark Winters

^{Good evening, agent, and welcome back from your vacation to the Louvre. Inside this bubble-wrapped package is an autodidactic messenger. He does not yet know your next mission, but will self-instruct in 30 seconds.}

^{Yesterday, at approximately 12:35 PM Sandwich Mean Time, the communists created a second moon. Locked in orbit over the island of Kaua'i, this socialist sphere has been clocked at three times as lunar as the original Moon while only using half the energy. Our best mathematical models conclude that the new celestial body is capable of overpowering any other cosmic signal, and indeed, our scouts have confirmed an alarming number of werewolves seizing the means of production on the east coast. Your mission: infiltrate the three KGB bases on the north, south, and west poles of the satellite, establish landing points to support our astral troops, and destroy this new moon before it becomes a full problem.}

Total Lunacy

Good morning, agent. I'm spymaster general Michael Celani, and I do things because they're hard. Just when we thought we'd won the space race, the communists launched the Second Moon so they can beat us to that one instead. It might be shocking, terrifying, and physically improbable, but you're here because you're calm under pressure, despite the fact there's significantly less atmosphere on the moon than on Earth. It's time to get ready, agent, because this lunar landing isn't gonna be fake. You won't be alone, either: we're sending you in with one of our top agents, who is going to be reprinted in Commander Masters.

Xantcha, Sleeper Agent

Infiltration Lens

If you're curious how one person could be at three different places simultaneously, know that the answer is science. See, the important thing about Xantcha

• Temporarily gain control of Xantcha
  with something like a Captivating Crew
  or Helm of Possession
  , and then create a token copy of her with Jaxis, the Troublemaker
  or Orthion, Hero of Lavabrink
  . The copy will enter under the control of an opponent, so you won't have to worry about the legend rule ruining your fun. Plus, since an enemy controls the token at the end of the turn, you won't even sacrifice it, since you can't sacrifice permanents you don't control!
  • Don't sleep on Mirage Mirror
    here. Yes, you can make it into a Xantcha
    so you can copy it, but you can also have it act as a second Heartstone
    when you're ready to close out the game, or even transform it into a permanent an opponent controls if it's suitably threatening.
• Alternatively, try copying Xantcha
  as you cast her with Lithoform Engine
  's last ability. That leaves two enemies under your watchful eye, and you can even use the engine's
  first ability to double up on the draw and damage, too.
• Don't be afraid to put Xantcha
  in the graveyard, either. We're packing several reanimation spells, and Feldon of the Third Path
  creates an artifact clone of her from the graveyard.
  • Dollhouse of Horrors
    works very similarly, but it will exile Xantcha
    as part of the cost. Sure, this will raise your commander taxes, but it also significantly increases how long your commander can stay out for just one mana a pop.
• If Xantcha
  dies during an opponent's turn, bring her right back with Activated Sleeper
  , or use it proactively to plagiarize an opponent's Dockside Extortionist
  .
• Similarly, Apprentice Necromancer
  , Footsteps of the Goryo
  , and Wake the Dead
  are all unconditional reanimation spells that are extremely cheap, and their shared downside (if you can even call it that) doesn't matter if you're reviving Xantcha
  .
• And although Gixian Puppeteer
  doesn't immediately save your commander when you cast it, you're better off playing it out early and capitalizing on that drain effect.

Field Backup

Don't worry, agent: unlike that time in Moscow, or that time in Canberra, or even that time in Boise, we won't abandon you to be captured and tortured for years in the dank basement of a Wendy's. I hear they served you inedible sludge, and we won't make you go through that again. No, we're sending a couple more agents your way as backup, and they're all great choices to copy with your various mad scientist allies. Speaking of mad scientists, what we're doing isn't strictly legal, so make sure you don't inform the United Nations.

• Both Sleeper Agent
  and Akroan Horse
  work like Xantcha
  , because they all end up under the control of an opponent. Make as many copies of these guys as you can to give to your opponents, because it only takes a few of them to accrue some serious advantages.
• Dusk Legion Zealot
  , Corpse Augur
  , and Phyrexian Gargantua
  each draw you cards thanks to a zone-change trigger; pretty standard stuff.
  • Humble Defector
    isn't quite so standard, but the copies you create from abilities like Feldon's
    have haste. The problem is you'll actually be permanently donating them, since you can't sacrifice creatures you don't control. Use this opportunity to have a little fireside chat with an opponent and make a deal you can capitalize on later.
• Ardent Elementalist
  can recur amazing spells, like Mana Geyser
  , which will allow you to activate Xantcha
  five times over, or our other preview card, Disrupt Decorum
  , which forces your opponents' creatures to duke it out as you sit back and laugh.
• Sidisi, Undead Vizier
  can Exploit herself to fetch you any card in your deck, and your first call is almost certainly Feldon
  . From there, keep making copies of her to find the cards you need to keep your gameplan active.
• Finally, even two Massacre Wurm
  triggers won't kill a standard Xantcha
  , but it'll probably snipe most creatures your opponents control and possibly your opponents themselves, too.

Turned to Stone

Well done, agent. You've successfully infiltrated all three moon bases, and our ground troops are making mincemeat of the moon's embedded laser cannons. All that's left for you is to push the button. Namely, the self-destruct button on Xantcha

With a few choice cards, like Ashnod's Transmogrant

If we enchant our newly robotic Xantcha

Project Moonfall

Congratulations on blowing up the moon, agent. President Reagan has already called to congratulate me for what you've done. Your name will be forgotten, as the names of all great spies are, but don't fret. We've all pooled our bonuses together and got you this $20 gift certificate to Wendy's. Wait, why are you curling up into a ball?

If you enjoy How They Brew It, please check out the Discord and my other projects at my website. You can vote on what article you want to see next, or just check out all the other cool stuff I do, and thanks so much to Wizards for giving us these preview cards. See you next time, where I'm probably going to be, like, an insurance executive or something.

View this decklist on Moxfield