Dargo, the Shipwrecker & Tymna the Weaver

Before we dive into a more detailed analysis, let’s take a quick look at our commanders.

• Tymna the Weaver: once on the banlist due to the format’s lower overall power level and the then-lack of a shared commander tax, Tymna is now rarely seen on the battlefield. After experimenting with various other partners and color combinations, I’ve found that teaming up with Dargo, the Shipwrecker is particularly satisfying. Tymna provides a straightforward but effective card advantage engine: whenever we deal combat damage to an opponent, we can pay 1 life to draw a card. While it doesn’t generate massive amounts of advantage, it’s a valuable resource for keeping our hand stocked with options..
• Dargo, the Shipwrecker: this 7/5 pirate with trample can be cast at a bargain due to his special ability, which reduces his casting cost by {2} for each artifact or creature sacrificed this turn or during his casting. With a base cost of {5}, we can cast him for just {1} mana in the early turns! Plus, let’s not forget that with just 3 well-placed hits, we can deal the 21 damage needed to finish the game.

You can find the full deck list on Moxfield.

Gameplan

The card advantage provided by Tymna the Weaver combined with Dargo, the Shipwrecker’s speed in closing games quickly gives this deck enough versatility to avoid being locked into a single plan. Relying solely on an explosive strategy to get Dargo out by turn three might win you a few games, but it’s likely to fall short against most of the new Magic tier decks.

With this deck, it’s crucial to manage our resources wisely and recognize the right moments to cast our pirate. There will be situations where we can cast Dargo, the Shipwrecker for just {1} mana, utilizing resources sacrificed earlier in the turn, such as Treasure, Mishra’s Bauble, or even a token from Rotten Reunion. However, sometimes it will be necessary to invest more resources to get Dargo onto the battlefield, and this expenditure must be well-justified. Sacrificing cards like Novice Inspector and its Clue without a solid plan can be risky, especially against decks with strong control elements.

The combination of Tymna the Weaver and Dargo, the Shipwrecker offers an intriguing blend of explosiveness and control. This synergy doesn’t force us into a single game plan but allows us to adapt and vary our strategies based on the situation. There’s no need to always pursue an ultra-aggressive approach with Dargo in the early turns; a more measured strategy can often yield better results. Therefore, I recommend not rushing and considering all the other strategies available in the deck we’re about to explore.

Tymna’s Plan

The Aggro Plan

Closely related to the previous plan, we can aim to reduce our opponent’s life points without initially relying on Dargo, the Shipwrecker. Although not all of our creatures are particularly devastating, we have some notable options like Ajani, Nacatl Pariah, Inti, Seneschal of the Sun, Gut, True Soul Zealot, Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury, Squee, Dubious Monarch, Den of the Bugbear, and Forth Eorlingas!.

The Artifact Plan

This deck includes several cards that can generate artifact tokens to feed to Dargo, the Shipwrecker, along with over 10 synergistic artifacts that work well with Dargo and our control plan. To enhance our aggression, we also have Urza’s Saga and Cranial Ram. Utilizing the early turns to deploy constructs with Urza’s Saga is an excellent way to deal damage to our opponent without investing significant resources.

Among the artifacts, we find:

• Lavaspur Boots, a great saga target to give haste to the construct and later to Dargo.
• Skullclamp, which can be equipped to many creatures for card draw.
• Tangle Wire, which in the early game can tap down opponent’s lands while we tap our army of tokens/creatures.
• The One Ring, an incredible card advantage engine that we can sacrifice almost anytime with Dargo.

Control?

While we aren’t masters of control, we have a range of tools to buy time and manage threats. We include several removal options (Fury, Solitude, Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury, Prismatic Ending, Damn, Dismember, Fatal Push, Lightning Bolt, March of Otherworldly Light, Swords to Plowshares, Portable Hole, Parallax Wave, Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire, Molten Collapse); hand disruption spells (Duress, Inquisition of Kozilek, Thoughtseize, Grief); and spells that can help slow down opponents in some situations (Esper Sentinel, Bloodtithe Harvester, Callous Sell-Sword, Orcish Bowmasters, Broadside Bombardiers). Our only graveyard interaction is Rotten Reunion and, in some cases, Reanimate.

We can also recur some of our resources with Chthonian Nightmare. Notable creatures that are easy to recur include Hope of Ghirapur to potentially block certain decks and Orcish Bowmasters to clear out small opponent pieces.

The Pirate Plan

In addition to the previously mentioned discard outlets, before casting our 7/5, we can get help from Hope of Ghirapur, which not only has evasion and is great for leveraging Tymna the Weaver’s ability but can also be sacrificed to ensure Dargo, the Shipwrecker will hit the battlefield and let us untap with him still in play.

What else can we use to pay for Dargo’s cost?

• Tokens generated by various cards can be sacrificed when casting Dargo, the Shipwrecker. For this purpose, we have: Novice Inspector, Thraben Inspector, Voldaren Epicure, Ajani, Nacatl Pariah, Bloodtithe Harvester, Loyal Apprentice, Orcish Bowmasters, Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, Carnage Interpreter, Gut, True Soul Zealot, Seasoned Pyromancer, Squee, Dubious Monarch, Strike It Rich, Forth Eorlingas!, Rotten Reunion, Mandibular Kite, Cranial Ram, Staff of the Storyteller, Case of the Stashed Skeleton, Fable of the Mirror-Breaker, Den of the Bugbear, Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance, Urza’s Saga, Chandra, Acolyte of Flame, Dihada, Binder of Wills.
• Cards that can sacrifice themselves include: Goldhound, Hope of Ghirapur, Gut, True Soul Zealot, Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury, Grief, Fury, Solitude, Lotus Petal, Mishra’s Bauble, Urza’s Bauble, Vexing Bauble, Rotten Reunion, and various tokens (Blood, Treasure, Clue).

Among the best cards that allow us to play Dargo, the Shipwrecker, are those that are somewhat “free”. We have cards that cycle like baubles (Mishra’s Bauble, Urza’s Bauble), mana sources (Goldhound, Lotus Petal, Phyrexian Tower, treasures from Dihada, Binder of Wills, Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, Strike It Rich), or have a sacrifice as a “free” ability (Chthonian Nightmare, Grief, Fury, Solitude, Gut, True Soul Zealot, Broadside Bombardiers, Burn Together, Bloodtithe Harvester, Hope of Ghirapur, Rotten Reunion).

Dargo with haste

Currently, Grim Reaper’s Sprint is not included in the list, as I found it somewhat cumbersome, and when I needed to free up a slot, it was the card I decided to cut. However, we still have a few cards to help get Dargo, the Shipwrecker out quickly with haste: Detective’s Phoenix, Lavaspur Boots, and Arena of Glory.

The Scam Plan

This isn’t a dedicated plan, but rather a synergy that can help us in certain situations. By leveraging Dargo, the Shipwrecker’s ability to sacrifice creatures, we can benefit from Malakir Rebirth and Reanimate to exploit enter-the-battlefield effects (Grief, Fury, Solitude, Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury) or to bring Dargo back from the graveyard.

The Fling Plan

Fling is not in the deck, but we have a few cards that somewhat mimic its effect in a more “intelligent” way. We can deal damage to our opponent with Dargo, the Shipwrecker thanks to these cards: Burn Together and Broadside Bombardiers (dealing 9 damage!).

About

Chandra, Acolyte of Flame
One of my favorite cards in this deck. Not only does it generate tokens for Dargo, the Shipwrecker, but it also lets us reuse instants and sorceries from the graveyard to control the board or get another look at the opponent’s hand. This recycling ability is crucial for maintaining control and continuing our game plan.

Dihada, Binder of Wills
The legendary cards you can fetch with her second ability include: Hope of Ghirapur, Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, Ajani, Nacatl Pariah, Inti, Seneschal of the Sun, Gut, True Soul Zealot, Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury, Squee, Dubious Monarch, The One Ring, Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire, Phyrexian Tower, Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance. In most situations, after playing Dihada, Binder of Wills, we will have 4 treasures to use for our plan. Sacrificing 3 treasures allows us to cast a 2-mana spell and Dargo, the Shipwrecker (thanks to 1 mana from the treasure and 3 total sacrifices that discount Dargo by 6 mana). Dihada also helps regain valuable life by giving lifelink and hexproof to Dargo, allowing it to survive destruction effects.

Inti, Seneschal of the Sun
One of the challenges in building this deck is balancing weaker cards that help cast Dargo, the Shipwrecker with less synergistic pieces that are necessary to compete with top-tier decks. Cards like Inti and Skullclamp help cycle weaker cards when they aren’t needed at the moment.

Broadside Bombardiers
This is a high-power card that finds a perfect home in Dargo, the Shipwrecker. Not only does it synergize with the red commander, but it also works well with Tymna the Weaver due to its evasion and its ability to remove potential blockers before they can interfere.

Squee, Dubious Monarch e Loyal Apprentice
n the past, I’ve used several cards like Adeline, Resplendent Cathar, Lagomos, Hand of Hatred, Skyknight Vanguard, Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon, Goblin Rabblemaster, Lord Skitter, Sewer King, Preacher of the Schism, Bitterblossom, but these are the two main ones I recommend for continuous token generation.

Staff of the Storyteller
To keep adding counters, we need to create creature tokens. The deck has many token generators: Chandra, Acolyte of Flame, Ajani, Nacatl Pariah, Loyal Apprentice, Orcish Bowmasters, Gut, True Soul Zealot, Seasoned Pyromancer, Squee, Dubious Monarch, Forth Eorlingas!, Rotten Reunion, Mandibular Kite, Cranial Ram, Case of the Stashed Skeleton, Fable of the Mirror-Breaker, Den of the Bugbear, Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance.

Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury
It isn’t directly synergistic with Dargo, the Shipwrecker, but it is an important resource against aggro for gaining life and against control for providing virtual card advantage by recurring from the graveyard.

Cactus Preserve
A land that, for just 3 mana, becomes a 7/7 with reach. As soon as it was spoiled, it was an obvious inclusion!

Legion Leadership
While Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis can rely on Berserk, we must settle for this card.

Strike It Rich
After a period of playing Dark Ritual, which provides +2 mana on the same turn it’s played, I had an epiphany: Strike It Rich creates a treasure that, even if sacrificed that same turn, gives us one mana and discounts Dargo, the Shipwrecker by 2. It’s a versatile card that allows us to cast some spells a turn earlier when played on the first turn and synergizes well with our deck. The flashback is also crucial, as it allows us to discount Dargo late game when we have run out of resources.

Case of the Stashed Skeleton, Enlightened Tutor e Tainted Pact
hese are the cards that allow us to search for the right card at the right moment.

Possible Additions

Without going into too much detail about each card, here’s a list of some potential additions to consider for this deck.

• Boromir, Warden of the Tower
• Daretti, Ingenious Iconoclast
• Drannith Magistrate
• Fire Covenant
• Flare of Duplication
• Glimpse the Impossible
• Grim Reaper’s Sprint
• Kroxa, Titan of Death’s Hunger
• Legion Extruder
• Ob Nixilis, the Adversary
• Ocelot Pride
• Retrofitter Foundry
• Rottenmouth Viper
• Skittering Precursor
• The Meep
• Tithing Blade

Combo

After testing various options, I decided not to include any combos in the deck due to their complexity and the number of slots they occupy. However, I’ll list some here for anyone interested in experimenting with them:

• The Meathook Massacre / Mayhem Devil + Dargo, the Shipwrecker + Phyrexian Altar
  With The Meathook Massacre or Mayhem Devil on the battlefield, cast Dargo, the Shipwrecker, then sacrifice it with Phyrexian Altar. Repeating this process can deal infinite damage to your opponent.
• Birgi, God of Storytelling / Relic of Legends + Dargo, the Shipwrecker + Altar of Dementia
  Cast Dargo from the command zone, gaining a red mana from Birgi if it’s on the battlefield. Then activate Altar of Dementia to sacrifice Dargo, milling cards equal to Dargo‘s power. Repeat the cycle.
• Birgi, God of Storytelling / Relic of Legends + Dargo, the Shipwrecker + Blasting Station / Goblin Bombardment
  Similar to the previous combo but using Blasting Station or Goblin Bombardment to deal infinite damage instead of milling cards.
• Goblin Bombardment + Dargo, the Shipwrecker + Pitiless Plunderer
  Sacrifice Dargo with Goblin Bombardment after making three other sacrifices. Upon Dargo’s death, create a treasure with Pitiless Plunderer, use it to replay Dargo, and repeat the process for infinite damage.

There are also other combos such as Ruthless Technomancer + Cursed Mirror + Dargo, the Shipwrecker, but they are not worth mentioning in detail.

Conclusion

The proposed deck strikes an interesting balance between aggression, artifact and token synergy, and sufficient control to handle major threats. The strategy revolves around the effective use of Tymna the Weaver and choosing the right moment to play Dargo, the Shipwrecker. We will utilize evasive creatures and tokens to maximize the value generated by Tymna and use the right sacrifice pieces to reduce the cost of Dargo. The presence of synergistic Pirate-themed cards and potential “bombs” creates advantageous situations that can lead us to victory.

Written by
Valentino Manicone