Tasha, the Witch Queen
A Dimir planeswalker commander that turns stolen spells into Demon pressure while banking value from opponents’ graveyards.
Public decks: 2Bracket: Varies
Overview
- Plays as a reactive UB deck that wants time to land Tasha and protect her.
- Uses Tasha’s +1 to draw while “paging” key instants and sorceries out of opponents’ graveyards.
- Leans on the −3 to cast a paged spell for free, converting that swing into board presence via 3/3 Demons.
- Often wins by chaining multiple spells you don’t own, building an air force of Demons and riding the tempo advantage.
- Tends to scale with table quality: the better the spells in opposing graveyards, the stronger your ceiling.
Common lines
- Stabilize early with interaction, then deploy Tasha when you can defend her for at least a turn cycle.
- Tick up to draw and selectively exile high-impact instants/sorceries from different opponents, setting up future −3 turns.
- Fire the −3 when you can immediately leverage the free spell (and the Demon token) to swing tempo or protect Tasha.
Strengths
- Built-in card advantage from the +1 while advancing your game plan.
- Steals value without needing your own win-con spell package to be huge.
- Can pivot between control and pressure thanks to repeatable Demon token production.
- Threatens big tempo turns by casting paged spells for free.
Weaknesses
- Reliant on opponents having worthwhile instants and sorceries in graveyards; some pods won’t feed you.
- Planeswalker commander can be attacked down, forcing you to spend resources defending her.
- The −3 is powerful but finite; repeated recasts require continued setup and loyalty management.
- Graveyard disruption aimed at opponents (or effects that keep graveyards empty) can blunt your best lines.
Rule zero notes
- This commander’s power level can swing a lot depending on what opponents are playing (your ceiling rises with their spells).
- Expect some amount of “theft” gameplay: you will be exiling and casting cards you don’t own.
- Games can feel swingy when a free cast off −3 hits something high impact from an opponent’s graveyard.
Matchups
Best into
- Spell-heavy pods where instants and sorceries naturally fill graveyards
- Midrange tables that trade resources and stock graveyards over time
- Slower games where a planeswalker can accrue incremental advantage
Struggles against
- Low-to-the-ground creature pressure that can reliably attack Tasha
- Strategies that don’t use many instants/sorceries, reducing your page targets
- Games where graveyards are frequently emptied or kept inaccessible
FAQ
What is Tasha actually trying to do in a typical game?
She accrues cards with +1, stockpiles opponents’ instants and sorceries in exile with page counters, then cashes in with −3 to cast one for free and snowball with Demon tokens.
How do you usually win?
Often by generating repeated 3/3 Demons from casting spells you don’t own and using the tempo from free casts to pull ahead until combat closes the game.
When should I use the −3?
Typically when the free spell will immediately change the board, protect Tasha, or swing momentum; firing it off just for value can leave her vulnerable.
What if opponents don’t have good spells in their graveyards?
Your ceiling drops, so you’ll lean harder on Tasha’s steady draw and play a more straightforward UB control-to-board-pressure game.
Is this a control commander or a token commander?
It often plays like control early, then transitions into a token pressure plan once you start casting enough spells you don’t own.