(Ormos, Archive KeeperOrmos, Archive Keeper | Art by G-host Lee)

One With Nothing

Hello everyone, welcome back to Conditions Allow. This is the series where I pick a legendary creature with a drawback, and try to turn it into a strength. There have been a lot of sets released in a very short amount of time. From Ikoria to previews of the new Zendikar Rising, keeping up with all of the new cards has been difficult. There have been lots of new commanders to brew around, and plenty of new cards to slot into old decks. Today, I'm finally diving into Jumpstart to build around one of my favorite legendaries from the set, Ormos, Archive KeeperOrmos, Archive Keeper.

Ormos, Archive KeeperOrmos, Archive Keeper is a tricky commander that asks you to play right on the brink of disaster. It does have a powerful draw ability, letting you discard three unwanted cards with different names to draw five cards, but that isn't what interests me here. Ormos takes a page from Laboratory ManiacLaboratory Maniac's page, and truly shines when you have no cards left in your library. If you would draw a card while there are no cards in your library, instead put five +1/+1 counters on Ormos, Archive KeeperOrmos, Archive Keeper.

This effect can make Ormos very big, very fast, but it also leaves us in a precarious position. If our commander dies, we will most likely lose the game shortly after. Ormos also doesn't seem like it wants to mill our opponents out, meaning we won't be drawing any new cards, while our opponents will be. Defending this commander long enough to win could be a challenge. Let's head over to Ormos's EDHREC page and see what approach is most popular.

Consulting the Archives

There are two broad categories of effects among the top cards on Ormos, Archive KeeperOrmos, Archive Keeper's EDHREC page: card draw, and mill. Drawing extra cards with Teferi's Ageless WisdomTeferi's Ageless Wisdom gets us closer to an empty library. Milling has the same effect, so Dreamborn MuseDreamborn Muse and Drowned SecretsDrowned Secrets appear as well. I'm not sure sure about that Sphinx's TutelageSphinx's Tutelage though, as it can only target our opponents. Ormos wants us to deck out, not our opponents.

To that end, there are also a couple of cards that empty our library in one shot. Enter the InfiniteEnter the Infinite is an expensive but powerful card that draws all but one card from our deck. LevelerLeveler costs less mana, and takes a more permanent approach to emptying our library. Still, if we have access to the right cards, it shouldn't matter if our library is exiled or in our hands.

Most of the rest of the cards are generic blue value spells, with an emphasis on removal and counterspells. Protecting Ormos is important, so this makes sense, but I don't see very many recursion effects. Self-mill decks usually go forward with the goal of doing something unfair with the cards that end up in the graveyard. This is usually accomplished with ReanimateReanimate and other Animate DeadAnimate Dead effects. Large graveyards also act as a second 'hand' for commanders like Kess, Dissident MageKess, Dissident Mage and Muldrotha the GravetideMuldrotha the Gravetide, or fuel combos with cards like Necrotic OozeNecrotic Ooze and Nethroi, Apex of DeathNethroi, Apex of Death.

Looking at Ormos’s page, it seems like that second part is missing. The goal is to mill ourselves, and then win with a huge Ormos, but that won’t often happen that smoothly. Having zero cards isn’t only dangerous because we lose if Ormos is removed, but also because it means we aren’t drawing any new cards while our opponents are. We’re going to need to be able to use the cards in our graveyard to offset this disadvantage.

Learning From History

I actually wasn't sure what the best way to approach this problem was until I watched this video showcasing a Historic deck on Magic Arena. The goal of this deck is to ramp to six mana, and then control the game with Sublime EpiphanySublime Epiphany and Shipwreck DowserShipwreck Dowser. Every time we cast Sublime EpiphanySublime Epiphany, we'll have it make a copy of Shipwreck DowserShipwreck Dowser to return the Epiphany to our hand. This will be the goal of the deck: control the flow of the game to sculpt our hand and graveyard until we are ready to empty our library and push for the win with Ormos, Archive KeeperOrmos, Archive Keeper. I'm also going to add more cards that make use of our graveyard, since they are sorely missing from Ormos's EDHREC page.

One major weakness of this strategy is the amount of mana it requires. Sublime EpiphanySublime Epiphany is a six-mana spell, and we need to be able to cast it three or more times per turn. In mono-blue, this means we're going to need a lot of artifacts. Curving from Arcane SignetArcane Signet into Hedron ArchiveHedron Archive and Gilded LotusGilded Lotus will let us keep up with the green decks at the table. Basalt MonolithBasalt Monolith is another key piece of ramp because it combos with Mesmeric OrbMesmeric Orb to mill our library when we're ready. The most important piece of our mana puzzle, however, is Unwinding ClockUnwinding Clock. The colorless Seedborn MuseSeedborn Muse, Unwinding ClockUnwinding Clock is a powerful mana engine that is relevant for us at every stage of the game. Early on we can activate Ormos, Archive KeeperOrmos, Archive Keeper's ability to churn through our deck, and late game, it'll ensure we can reliably cast Sublime EpiphanySublime Epiphany every turn.

Do It Again and Again

Sublime EpiphanySublime Epiphany isn't the only way to get extra value out of ArchaeomancerArchaeomancer. Conjurer's ClosetConjurer's Closet is a necessity for abusing enter-the-battlefield effects, as is the new Thassa, Deep-DwellingThassa, Deep-Dwelling. Along with getting extra triggers, we can double our triggers with PanharmoniconPanharmonicon and Naban, Dean of IterationNaban, Dean of Iteration. Salvager of SecretsSalvager of Secrets and Shipwreck DowserShipwreck Dowser are also both Wizards, so Naban will always ensure we are getting two spells back with each token made, or each time one of the original creatures flickers.

With all these triggers, we're going to need plenty of spells to put back into our hand. We'll want plenty of backup counterspells, but removal will be key as well. Clearing away blockers with Into the RoilInto the Roil or Reality ShiftReality Shift can be the difference between a swift victory and a slow defeat. MisdirectionMisdirection and Stubborn DenialStubborn Denial are also worth shouting out, as they can catch opponents by surprise when they think we are out of mana. Lastly, Sigil TracerSigil Tracer isn't a spell, but it does let us copy spells. We'll be accruing Wizard tokens during the game, which the Tracer can use to double the efficacy of our counterspells, removal, and draw spells.

A Graveyard Toolbox

While this deck focuses on recurring instants and sorceries, we want to be able to reuse our other cards as well. Most of the deck is made up of artifacts, so Emry, Lurker of the LochEmry, Lurker of the Loch is a must. Along with lands like Buried RuinBuried Ruin and Academy RuinsAcademy Ruins, we should be able to get Unwinding ClockUnwinding Clock back every time it gets destroyed.

There are also several utility creatures we can "cast" from the graveyard. Kederekt LeviathanKederekt Leviathan is a board wipe if we need it, while Vizier of Many FacesVizier of Many Faces deals with opposing threats by copying them. Champion of WitsChampion of Wits is great for filtering through our deck early on, and offers not-insignificant card draw later when we need it. For some all-purpose recursion, Codex ShredderCodex Shredder is a decent option that can also assist with milling ourselves.

Everything Must Go!

So we have a plan for protecting Ormos, Archive KeeperOrmos, Archive Keeper once our library is empty, and we can use the cards we mill along the way. But how are we actually going to empty that library? There are plenty of good options, some of which I've already mentioned. Drowned SecretsDrowned Secrets and Jace's ErasureJace's Erasure will get us there eventually, while Enter the InfiniteEnter the Infinite pretty much does the job all at once. LevelerLeveler also acts quickly, although we'll need to be careful that our hand and graveyard contain all the cards we'll need for the rest of the game before committing to exiling our deck.

I don't think we need a ton of ways to mill ourselves out, so I'm only going to include two. LevelerLeveler is great for its simplicity and mana efficiency. I'm already including Basalt MonolithBasalt Monolith as a mana source, so Mesmeric OrbMesmeric Orb is a natural choice as well, forming an insta-mill combo with the Monolith whenever it pays to untap itself! This is really a control deck, and the main strategy of recurring Sublime EpiphanySublime Epiphany to protect our board will work even if there are still cards left in our library. Plus, there are quite a few ways for mono-blue to search for artifacts.

Speaking of tutors, I want to highlight Vedalken AethermageVedalken Aethermage and Long-Term PlansLong-Term Plans. We can obviously find Sublime EpiphanySublime Epiphany with Mystical TutorMystical Tutor or Merchant ScrollMerchant Scroll, but the other half of our combo is a creature, which mono-blue has a much harder time searching for. With Vedalken AethermageVedalken Aethermage any one of our Wizards is just a short cycle away. This could be ArchaeomancerArchaeomancer if we haven't found it yet, or it could be Azami, Lady of ScrollsAzami, Lady of Scrolls to draw more cards, or Vedalken ArchmageVedalken Archmage to take advantage of the many mana rocks in the deck. Long-Term PlansLong-Term Plans is an unconditional, instant-speed tutor that puts the card we search for into our library third from the top, instead of directly into our hand. This is often too slow, but Ormos, Archive KeeperOrmos, Archive Keeper's activated ability can let us draw that card immediately. Jace, Wielder of MysteriesJace, Wielder of Mysteries can do the same if we target ourselves to mill two before drawing.

The final step is adding lands. The more utility lands we can include the better, to ensure we can activate Ormos, Achive KeeperOrmos, Achive Keeper's ability as reliably as possible. We have to discard three cards with different names, so getting stuck with a bunch of Islands can be a problem. Of particular note, Cephalid ColiseumCephalid Coliseum is an instant-speed draw effect we can use to power up our commander, Rogue's PassageRogue's Passage ensures we can get in for damage, and Inventors' FairInventors' Fair is another artifact tutor. I'm also turning half our basics into Snow-Covered IslandSnow-Covered Islands to help with the "three cards with different names" requirement.

Ormos, Archive KeeperOrmos, Archive Keeper is a really fun concept that I'm very excited to try out. Playing right on the brink of disaster can be exhilarating, especially when you can do it in new ways. Having no library is often an immediate win condition, and its cool seeing that concept being developed along more generally fun, interactive lines.

But what do you think about Ormos, Archive KeeperOrmos, Archive Keeper. Is it a fun new commander, or a gimmick card that isn't worth the payoff? If you've tried building this deck, what cards would you recommend? Let me know in the comments, and thanks for reading.

Ben Doolittle

Ben was introduced to Magic during Seventh Edition and has played on and off ever since. A Simic mage at heart, he loves being given a problem to solve. When not shuffling cards, Ben can be found lost in a book or skiing in the mountains of Vermont.