Overview

Political Puppets is a Jeskai politics deck that gives permanents away on purpose. Zedruu the Greathearted has an upkeep trigger that gains you X life and draws X cards, where X is the number of permanents you own that your opponents control. For {U}{R}{W} it makes target opponent gain control of target permanent you control. Every gift pays you back every turn.

The 99 cards are 24 creatures, 9 artifacts, 10 enchantments, 16 instants, 6 sorceries and 34 lands. Control-changing cards such as Dominus of Fealty, Insurrection, Reins of Power, Vedalken Plotter and Chromeshell Crab move permanents around, and clash cards such as Lash Out, Pollen Lullaby, Scattering Stroke and Whirlpool Whelm add a gamble. Defensive cards such as Ghostly Prison, Propaganda, Windborn Muse, Wall of Denial and Plumeveil keep you safe while you give things away.

Key Cards

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Dominus of Fealty
Theft · Flying
A 4/4 for {U/R}{U/R}{U/R}{U/R}{U/R}. It has flying, and at the beginning of your upkeep you may gain control of a target permanent until end of turn, untapping it and giving it haste. It borrows the best permanent every turn.
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Ruhan of the Fomori
Big Body · Politics
A 7/7 for {1}{U}{R}{W}. It is a 7/7 for four mana, and at the beginning of combat on your turn it attacks a random opponent. It is a threat that cannot be aimed, which keeps the table guessing.
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Trade Secrets
Card Draw · Politics
A sorcery for {1}{U}{U}. Target opponent draws two cards, then you draw up to four cards, and that opponent may repeat this process as many times as they choose. It turns greed into your card advantage.
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Insurrection
Theft · Finisher
A sorcery for {5}{R}{R}{R}. It untaps all creatures and gains control of them until end of turn, giving them haste. All the creatures on the table attack for you.

Playing the Deck

The early game is about mana and defence. Sol Ring, Fellwar Stone, Darksteel Ingot, Armillary Sphere and Prophetic Prism ramp you, Wall of Omens, Fog Bank and Guard Gomazoa hold the ground, and Howling Mine gives every player cards. Spurnmage Advocate can destroy an attacker.

The middle of the game is about gifts and control. Zedruu the Greathearted hands out permanents and draws cards, Vedalken Plotter swaps lands, Goblin Cadets gives away a creature when it blocks or is blocked, Brion Stoutarm sacrifices creatures for damage, and Journey to Nowhere, Prison Term and Flametongue Kavu remove creatures. Azorius Guildmage taps down attackers.

The late game is about huge swings. Insurrection takes the whole table's creatures for a turn, Numot, the Devastator and Ruhan of the Fomori are huge, Arbiter of Knollridge sets everyone's life to the highest total, Martyr's Bond punishes permanents dying, and Austere Command resets the board. Death by Dragons gives everyone else a Dragon.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths: The deck has plenty of defensive tools, a lot of card draw and a steady stream of surprising plays, so it can steer a multiplayer game. It also has plenty of interaction, including Spell Crumple, Flusterstorm, Repulse, Chaos Warp, Oblation and Punishing Fire.

Weaknesses: Giving permanents away can come back to bite you if you give the wrong thing to the wrong player, and a deck built on politics depends on the table. Goblin Cadets and False Prophet are risky cards, and the deck has only 34 lands, so it relies on its mana rocks.

Want to improve it? See the Political Puppets upgrade guide: twelve swaps with the data behind each one.

Verdict
Political Puppets is a fun and social deck that rewards good table talk and clever timing. It is a good choice for players who like to make deals, give gifts and decide when to take the best cards back.

Want to see what a fully optimised Zedruu the Greathearted build looks like? Try the Oracle.

✦ Build with The Oracle

Frequently Asked Questions

What cards are in the Political Puppets decklist?
The Political Puppets precon is a 100-card Commander deck led by Zedruu the Greathearted. The full Political Puppets decklist, with every card, current prices and a button to copy the list into your deck builder, is on this page.

When was Political Puppets released?
Political Puppets was released on June 17, 2011 as part of Commander 2011.

Who is the commander of Political Puppets?
Political Puppets is led by Zedruu the Greathearted, a Jeskai (W/U/R) legendary creature.

How many creatures are in Political Puppets?
The 99 cards besides Zedruu the Greathearted include 24 creatures.

How many lands does Political Puppets have?
Political Puppets has 34 lands in the 99 cards besides Zedruu the Greathearted, including basic lands.

Full Decklist

All 100 cards from the out-of-the-box Political Puppets precon, with current prices. Click any card to expand it.

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