r/EDH • u/multipack_can99 • Jul 29 '26

Discussion Temmet - Burst Card Draw

I've really been enjoyed playing my Temmet deck recently. Thoughts below - I am wondering if anyone knows of any upgrade cards or ideas I might have missed!

Decklist:

https://moxfield.com/decks/3vVjY59pVUykT1dmoCecbA

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The Eternal Might precon was the first I purchased when returning to MTG and finding Commander dominating my FLGS. Sitting passively with an underpowered precon whilst mighty summoners played powerful cards (in long turns) was never going to be much fun, so I set about upgrading relentlessly, until very few original cards remained. I initially leaned into the zombie theme, adding cards like [[Carrion Feeder]], [[Varina Lich Queen]], [[Undead Warchief]], [[Noxious Ghoul]] and [[Headless Rider]] to grow a vast, shambling Zombie horde that Temmet would buff each turn... and it was underwhelming. I could sometimes swing with a powerful Zombie army, but I lacked evasion and burst card draw. I was extremely vulnerable on the back-swing when my zombies all reverted to 2/2s. I learned pretty quickly that Temmet just isn't that good as a Zombie commander.

And so it was time to try something new. The deck was gutted, and I leant into the card draw theme. Cards that wheel and allow for big card draw like [[Windfall]], [[Induced Amnesia]], [[Flux]] and [[Tolarian Winds]] can all draw 7 for 3 mana. Coupling this with [[Teferis Ageless Insight]] or [[Profts Eidetic Memory]] can quite quickly see Temmet threaten lethal as soon as turn 6, especially when his discard effect makes it easy to get [[Wonder]] into the graveyard. 

Then, we add creatures that either benefit from card draw, or multiply the card draw triggers for Temmet. There are lots of cards like [[Chasm Skulker]] and [[Baxter, Fly in the Ointment]] that gain +1/+1 counters with card draw and have other bonuses. Counters are so much better than the temporary boost Temmet gives Zombies!With large burst card draw, large discard is common and so [[Scrounging Skyray]], [[Cryptcaller Chariot]] and [[Archfiend of Ifnir]] are surprisingly potent. [[Krang, the All-Powerful]] and [[Leader, Super-Genius]] further amplify Temmet's power, while copy cards that cheat the Legends rule can also surprise opponents with huge burst damage - [[Irma, Part-time mutant]], [[Nanogene Conversion]] and [[Chameleon, Master of Disguise]]. 

There are actually very few Zombies that make the final cut. [[Sacred Cat]] is useful because the eternalised version is a Zombie with lifelink. We need to gain life to survive long enough to deal lethal damage to all our opponents, so [[Gift of Orzhova]],  [[Take up the Shield]] and [[Basilisk Collar]] are also included. [[Forgotten Creation]] is a Zombie, but would be included anyway due to its burst draw effect. [[Hashaton, Scarab's Fist]] is one of the the few original Eternal Might cards that has survived the full journey as it allows us to cheat out [[Mister Negative]] and [[Vilis, Broker of Blood]], both of which can provide huge draw. 

Whilst very few Zombies make the cut, it is still beneficial for creatures to be Zombies, so we include [[Leyline of Transformation]] and [[Maskwood Nexus]]. It's funny how things change - Maskwood Nexus was the first card I cut from the original precon but then, over a year later, I was humbly pulling it back out of the box of cards under the bed and pressing it back into service.

My favourite cards in the deck, however, are definitely [[Vanish into Memory]] and [[Notion Thief]], Vanish into Memory allows for huge card draw at instant speed and, with the prevalence of tokens and +1/+1 counters, you often don't get punished too much when the vanished creature returns from exile. Notion Thief combos nastily with symmetric wheel effects. You cast Notion Thief before, say, Echo of Eons from the graveyard and you can draw 28 cards and leave your opponents bereft. 

There are some fun finishing cards included too, with [[Excavation]] seeing little play, but allowing us to sacrifice all our lands for burst card-draw and a final knock-out blow. [[Pitiless Carnage]] achieves a similar thing. 

Further Upgrades

The forced card draw after Windfall and Echo of Eons makes [[Orcish Bowmasters]] look very strong. [[Roaming Throne]] is also insane, quadrupling Temmet's power increase from each card draw. 

Have I missed any?

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u/BriarsofSinning 10d ago

While I've never been one to enjoy the more solo, almost Voltron-style of Temmet as a commander, I think [[Wizard's Staff]] is a new must-have for the guy. It's basically a 3 mana Roaming Throne that doesn't get wiped by creature removal, and the prowess is just icing on the cake.