Every Magic: The Gathering aficionado knows the thrill of a spark of inspiration—an idea that seemingly leaps at you from nowhere, igniting creativity like a match in a dark cave. My most recent adventure in this vast card landscape began in perhaps the most unexpected of places. While innocently browsing through Etsy’s charms, my eye was caught by a deck box shaped like Scooby-Doo’s iconic Mystery Machine. Its teal hue and flower power design didn’t just whisper “Take me!” but screamed, “Build a deck worthy of my quirky splendor!” And thus, my mystery-solving Commander deck escapade commenced.
Creating a deck inspired by the adventures of Scooby-Doo and his gang wasn’t just about thematic frivolity. No, this was a serious quest to distill the essence of mystery itself and translate it to the cardboard realm. The key ingredient? The Investigate mechanic. For the uninitiated, Investigate produces Clue tokens, which can be sacrificed for two mana to draw a card. They’re the functional equivalent of Fred, Velma, Daphne, and Shaggy piecing together clues about whatever specter or villain du jour is trying to get away with some dastardly crime. You dangle mana like a good old Scooby Snack, forego it, and in return your strategy gets to pull back the mask on another patch of chaos.
The heart of any Commander deck is, of course, its commander. This role required a paragon who was all about uncovering truths. Enter Morska, Undersea Sleuth from the fictional “Murders at Karlov Manor” set. Morska fit the Scooby-Doo theme like a mystery busting hand in a glove. She limits your hand size, constructs a complimentary Clue token every turn, and flourishes each time you draw a second card, encouraging not just a haunted investigation but a strategy as elegantly sharp as Daphne’s sense of fashion.
Morska’s palette of colors—green, white, and blue—presents a triumvirate of possibilities. Green batches your resources and accelerates mana, white enforces order with removal spells and protection, and blue, naturally, plays detective with investigation and card draw.
The supporting cast of the deck echoes the scripted roles the gang always fell into at the start of every episode. Tireless Tracker? He’s a relentless clue generator who rewards land plays with pieces of the grand puzzle. Thorough Investigation ensures that whenever you attack, stray clues magically manifest under your control, turning each attack into a narrative of pressing urgency. And Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse, bursts onto the scene, her eyes alight, turning each freshly drawn card into a thematic creature, an army at the ready.
As the game progresses, just like the quiet unsettling of a haunted mansion at midnight, this deck kicks into gear, picking up speed and intrigue. The early turns are like setting the stage at a spooky old mansion. Cultivate and Farseek pave your way with mana abundance, allowing Morska herself to emerge from the corridors. Once she’s on the field, buckle up—it’s a wild ride. Engage in the detective work, gathering Clues while cunningly holding mana reserves for defensive plays or timely interruptions.
When to win? Oh, the choice is yours! Much like the denouements of those classic cartoon mysteries, your victories can manifest in stunning forms. Morska herself, all grown up through relentless card draws, can deliver the final blow, winning through the mechanics of Commander damage. Alternatively, your swarm of tokens can parade unabated, overwhelming foes just like the persistent tenacity of the gang tracking down a slippery villain. The artifact theme, already accommodated through countless Clue tokens, can transform your board presence into an ungodly juggernaut, rolling over adversaries with steady, relentless momentum.
The charm of this deck is its allegiance to its roots. Scooby-Doo isn’t just an aesthetic overlay, it breathes through every play. Whether you’re uncovering perilous secrets, piecing together fragmented narratives, or building up just enough spectacle to unmask the final villain, each game you play feels like an episode: tightly-knit, thoughtfully thematic, and undeniably compelling.
It’s consistent and resilient, much like our favorite Great Dane and his four human counterparts. So every time you shuffle up the Mystery Machine and set it on the Magic: The Gathering table, you’re not just playing cards. You’re engaging in a love letter to a timeless caper, dancing through clues, daring escape plans, and the promise of revelation. This deck doesn’t just promise victory—it promises an adventure where every victory, like unraveling a mystery, is a journey worth taking.
