Bracket 3 · Our Gandalf, Party Guest decklist · Spellcaster Tribal
Our Gandalf list is Jeskai Wizards and spells. At the beginning of combat on your turn, Gandalf casts an instant or sorcery from your hand for free, and every legendary Wizard you add makes that free spell bigger.
The deck fills the board with legendary Wizards like Talrand, Kykar and Vivi, doubles triggers with Harmonic Prodigy and Veyran, and wins by casting Inspired Ultimatum, Improvisation Capstone and Call Forth the Tempest for free.
- Strategy
- Spellcaster Tribal
- Bracket
- 3
- Avg. mana value
- 3.62
- Lands
- 34
01The Commander
Gandalf, Party Guest is a four-mana 3/4 Avatar Wizard. At the beginning of combat on your turn, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from your hand without paying its mana cost if its mana value is X or less, where X is twice the number of legendary Wizards you control.
Gandalf counts himself, so he always casts spells with mana value 2 or less. Two legendary Wizards make it 4, three make it 6, and four reach 8, enough for Inspired Ultimatum or Aminatou's Augury.
The free spell is cast from your hand, so it still triggers Talrand, Sky Summoner, Kykar, Wind's Fury, Whirlwind of Thought and Gale, Waterdeep Prodigy.
02How This Deck Wins
- 1
Build a Wizard council
Nearly every creature is a legendary Wizard. Cheap ones like Baral, Chief of Compliance, Kaza, Roil Chaser and Balmor, Battlemage Captain raise Gandalf's number fast.
- 2
Cast big spells for free
Each combat, Gandalf casts something expensive from your hand. Harmonic Prodigy and Wizard's Staff make his trigger happen more than once.
- 3
Close it out
Spell payoffs like Vivi Ornitier, Gandalf the Grey and Adeliz, the Cinder Wind chip in damage, and Inspired Ultimatum, Insurrection or Surge to Victory end the game.
03Deck at a Glance
Bracket 3 · Spellcaster Tribal · 100 cards
Composition
- Commander1
- Creatures24
- Instants & sorceries32
- Artifacts & enchantments9
- Planeswalkers0
- Lands34
- Tokens5
Mana Curve
Color Split
symbols
- White 14%
- Blue 52%
- Red 34%
By the Numbers
Cards by Role
04Trigger Doublers and Copiers
One free spell is good. Two or three win games.
Also in this role
05Spell Payoff Wizards
Every spell makes a body, a card or damage.
Also in this role
06Big Free Spells
Hold these for Gandalf's combat trigger.
Also in this role
07Card Draw, Cost Reduction and Mana
Keep your hand full of spells for Gandalf.
Also in this role
08Interaction
Jeskai answers and counters.
Also in this role
09Combos and Key Interactions
Gandalf, Party Guest + Harmonic Prodigy
Gandalf is another Wizard, so his beginning-of-combat trigger happens twice. You cast two free spells instead of one.
Gogo, Master of Mimicry + Gandalf, Party Guest
With Gandalf's combat trigger on the stack, pay {X}{X} and tap Gogo to copy it X times. Each copy casts another free spell from your hand.
Gandalf, Party Guest + Full Throttle
Cast Full Throttle in your first main phase for two extra combats. Gandalf triggers at the beginning of each combat, and your attackers untap each time.
Veyran, Voice of Duality + Talrand, Sky Summoner
Each instant or sorcery you cast makes two Drakes instead of one.
10How to Play
Opening hand
Keep hands with three lands, a mana rock or cheap Wizard, and at least one strong spell to cast later. Gandalf on turn three or four with a legendary Wizard beside him is ideal.
Early gameturns 1-3
Play mana rocks and cheap legendary Wizards like Baral, Chief of Compliance, Kaza, Roil Chaser and Balmor, Battlemage Captain. Hold counterspells up when you can.
Mid gameturns 4-7
Cast Gandalf and keep adding legendary Wizards. Use his combat trigger on removal, draw or Mizzix's Mastery while you build toward a bigger number.
Late gameturn 8+
With four legendary Wizards, cast Inspired Ultimatum, Improvisation Capstone or Insurrection for free, then swing with Drakes, Spirits and pumped Wizards.
Tips
- Gandalf only counts legendary Wizards. Harmonic Prodigy and copies from Multiversal Incursion don't raise X, but each copy of Gandalf gets its own free spell.
- Raise the Palisade naming Wizard bounces every creature that isn't a Wizard and keeps yours, but your Drake and Spirit tokens go too.
- Urza's Ruinous Blast spares your legendary Wizards but exiles your mana rocks, Harmonic Prodigy and tokens.
- Riptide Laboratory saves a Wizard from removal or replays Naru Meha, Master Wizard for another copy.
Common mistakes
- Casting your big spells from hand instead of saving them for Gandalf.
- Forgetting Gandalf's trigger only happens at the beginning of combat on your turn.
- Counting nonlegendary Wizards toward Gandalf's number.
- Overextending legendary Wizards into a board wipe.
Watch out for
- Board wipes that clear your Wizard count.
- Removal on Gandalf.
- Counterspells and effects that stop free spells.
- Hand disruption that strips your big spells.
11Bracket and Rule 0
Our list runs 3 Game Changers (Cyclonic Rift, Fierce Guardianship, Jeska's Will), within the Bracket 3 limit of three.
This is a Bracket 3 (Upgraded) style deck with three Game Changers. There are no two-card infinite combos, but Thousand-Year Storm, Full Throttle and Insurrection can end the game in one big turn, so mention them at Rule 0.
12Full Decklist
Every card in our Gandalf, Party Guest proxy deck (100 cards). Hover or tap a name to see the card.
Commander
- 1Gandalf, Party Guest1URW
Creatures (24)
- 1Balmor, Battlemage CaptainUR
- 1Baral, Chief of Compliance1U
- 1Harmonic Prodigy1R
- 1Kaza, Roil ChaserUR
- 1Kitsa, Otterball Elite1U
- 1Krile BaldesionWU
- 1Ral, Monsoon Mage1R
- 1The Emperor of PalameciaUR
- 1Adeliz, the Cinder Wind1UR
- 1Alisaie Leveilleur2W
- 1Gale, Waterdeep Prodigy2U
- 1Gandalf, Goblins' Bane2R
- 1Gogo, Master of Mimicry2U
- 1Jori En, Ruin Diver1UR
- 1Venat, Heart of Hydaelyn1WW
- 1Veyran, Voice of Duality1UR
- 1Vivi Ornitier1UR
- 1Alphinaud Leveilleur3U
- 1Kykar, Wind's Fury1URW
- 1Naru Meha, Master Wizard2UU
- 1Talrand, Sky Summoner2UU
- 1Alania, Divergent Storm3UR
- 1Azami, Lady of Scrolls2UUU
- 1Gandalf the Grey3UR
Instants (16)
- 1An Offer You Can't RefuseU
- 1BrainstormU
- 1Path to ExileW
- 1Swan SongU
- 1Swords to PlowsharesW
- 1CounterspellUU
- 1Cyclonic Rift1U
- 1Dovin's VetoWU
- 1Fierce Guardianship2U
- 1Flame of Anor1UR
- 1Frantic Search2U
- 1Mana Sculpt1UU
- 1Sink into Stupor1UU
- 1Akroma's Will3W
- 1Big Score3R
- 1Olórin's Searing Light2RW
Sorceries (16)
- 1Jeska's Will2R
- 1Mizzix's Mastery3R
- 1Raise the Palisade4U
- 1Step Through3UU
- 1Taunt from the Rampart3RW
- 1Urza's Ruinous Blast4W
- 1Full Throttle4RR
- 1Surge to Victory4RR
- 1Improvisation Capstone5RR
- 1Inspired UltimatumUURRRWW
- 1Multiversal Incursion5UU
- 1Sea Gate Restoration4UUU
- 1Aminatou's Augury6UU
- 1Call Forth the Tempest5RRR
- 1Insurrection5RRR
- 1Mnemonic Deluge6UUU
Artifacts (7)
- 1Sol Ring1
- 1Arcane Signet2
- 1Fellwar Stone2
- 1Talisman of Conviction2
- 1Talisman of Creativity2
- 1Talisman of Progress2
- 1Wizard's Staff1U
Enchantments (2)
- 1Whirlwind of Thought1URW
- 1Thousand-Year Storm4UR
Lands (34)
- 1Adarkar Wastes
- 1Arid Mesa
- 1Clifftop Retreat
- 1Command Tower
- 1Deserted Beach
- 1Exotic Orchard
- 1Flooded Strand
- 1Glacial Fortress
- 1Hallowed Fountain
- 5Island
- 3Mountain
- 1Path of Ancestry
- 3Plains
- 1Raugrin Triome
- 1Reliquary Tower
- 1Riptide Laboratory
- 1Sacred Foundry
- 1Scalding Tarn
- 1Sea of Clouds
- 1Shivan Reef
- 1Spectator Seating
- 1Steam Vents
- 1Stormcarved Coast
- 1Sulfur Falls
- 1Sundown Pass
- 1Training Center
Get the deck
Gandalf, Party Guest Spellcaster Tribal proxy deck
Gandalf turns every legendary Wizard into a bigger free spell. Build the council and let him cast.
Every card in this guide is shown exactly as it prints in the deck you get, sleeve-ready, with tokens.
Shop the deck · $45Every card named in this guide is in our deck, and every image is our own proxy card, rendered from the art in this deck.