Hello everyone! I'm Levi from The Thought Vessel, and today we're looking at one of the most complicated cards to politically navigate in all of Magic, Alexios, Deimos of Kosmos. This commander can be incredibly scary to play against if you've never seen it before and has the potential to close out games before they even begin. But as strong as it is, it's not unbeatable. Let's dig into this wild commander that kind of came out of nowhere.

The Commander

Alexios, Deimos of Kosmos was originally an uncommon creature from the Assassin's Creed set. The set was on the smaller side and didn't get a lot of attention, but it had a bunch of neat cards. This one stood out as a super Voltron commander. During each opponent's turn, that player gains control of Alexios and has to attack one of your other opponents. This happens for each opponent, meaning Alexios gets to swing four times per rotation. But wait, there's more. Alexios also gets a +1/+1 counter each time he's passed to another player, so he reaches critical mass fast.

The Deck

The deck is typically straightforward. The whole game plan is to get Alexios on the field as early as possible and stack him with equipment or spells to keep him alive. The protection suite leans toward giving him protection from colors or shroud. Hexproof isn't as good here, since when Alexios is passed to the next player, that player can target him, and they will if they're smart. Shroud prevents even you from targeting him, but it's often the best option when you're trying to keep him around longer than a turn. Here is an example of an Alexios deck you might see in the wild.

Alexios, Deimos of Kosmos EDHREC | Commander

• Commander (1)
• 1 Alexios, Deimos of Kosmos

• Creatures (14)
• 1 Agitator Ant
• 1 Brash Taunter
• 1 Brass Squire
• 1 Foundry Inspector
• 1 Iron Myr
• 1 Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar
• 1 Komainu Battle Armor
• 1 Lizard Blades
• 1 Magus of the Moon
• 1 Professional Face-Breaker
• 1 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
• 1 Silent Arbiter
• 1 Simian Spirit Guide
• 1 Slicer, Hired Muscle

• Planeswalkers (1)
• 1 Jeska, Thrice Reborn

• Instants (11)
• 1 Abrade
• 1 Chaos Warp
• 1 Deflecting Swat
• 1 Lightning Bolt
• 1 Pyroblast
• 1 Red Elemental Blast
• 1 Return the Favor
• 1 Seething Song
• 1 Tibalt's Trickery
• 1 Unleash Fury
• 1 Untimely Malfunction

• Sorceries (8)
• 1 Blasphemous Act
• 1 Disrupt Decorum
• 1 Faithless Looting
• 1 Gamble
• 1 Jeska's Will
• 1 Mana Geyser
• 1 Spectacular Showdown
• 1 Vandalblast

• Enchantments (6)
• 1 Blood Moon
• 1 Powerbalance
• 1 Shiny Impetus
• 1 Sticky Fingers
• 1 The Sound of Drums
• 1 Winter Moon

• Artifacts (25)
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Beamtown Beatstick
• 1 Blackblade Reforged
• 1 Brotherhood Regalia
• 1 Champion's Helm
• 1 Commander's Plate
• 1 Darksteel Plate
• 1 Fellwar Stone
• 1 Goldvein Pick
• 1 Hammer of Nazahn
• 1 Lightning Greaves
• 1 Mask of Memory
• 1 Mind Stone
• 1 Mithril Coat
• 1 Pip-Boy 3000
• 1 Rogue's Gloves
• 1 Ruby Medallion
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Swiftfoot Boots
• 1 Sword of Feast and Famine
• 1 Sword of the Animist
• 1 The Spear of Leonidas
• 1 Trailblazer's Boots
• 1 Two-Handed Axe
• 1 Whispersilk Cloak

• Lands (34)
• 26 Mountain
• 1 Ancient Tomb
• 1 Arena of Glory
• 1 Buried Ruin
• 1 Command Beacon
• 1 Homeward Path
• 1 Myriad Landscape
• 1 Rogue's Passage
• 1 War Room

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Strengths

This deck is all about speed. It can close out games way faster than most casual pods are ready for. Trample helps push damage through blockers, especially when a player's on the chopping block. Once Alexios hits the table, equipment and redirect spells can make it a nightmare to remove him cleanly. These games tend to be quick, which means you'll usually have time to run it back for a second game, or even a third.

Weaknesses

The biggest weakness comes from players working together. If everyone's acting in their own best interest, Alexios will tear through the table. But if players form a united front, his game plan can fall apart. Here's how: Trample only requires enough damage to kill the blocker, any extra is excess damage. That excess can be assigned to the player, but it doesn't have to be. If players cycle through blockers, each one throwing a creature under the bus, they can reduce or even eliminate damage taken. That gives time to remove Alexios and restart the cycle.

Also, this deck is kind of like a Mr. Meeseeks from Rick and Morty, it wasn't meant to stick around for too long. If the game drags out, things start getting weird and it becomes way harder to use Alexios effectively.

Cards to Look Out For

1. Silent Arbiter - This makes it so only Alexios can attack, essentially locking the game into his battle plan. Without removal, it becomes extremely difficult to take out the Alexios player.
2. Jeska, Thrice Reborn - A sneaky but brutal threat. Triple damage means that once Alexios has just three +1/+1 counters, an unblocked attack is instantly lethal at 21 commander damage.
3. Sword of Fire and Ice - Really, this applies to all the swords, but this one shines for the extra value. Because the sword grants the effect, not Alexios, the Alexios player gets those triggers as Alexios punches their way through the board.
4. Whispersilk Cloak - The universal sign that says, "I'm not doing anything else with my commander - try and stop it." Shroud and unblockable is about the best this deck can hope for. The downside is you can't equip anything else afterward, but it still feels like casting an Epic spell.
5. Blood Moon - This is a Mono-Red deck that wants to outrun the table. Punishing greedy mana bases with a well-timed Blood Moon can tilt the balance heavily in Alexios' favor.

How to Defeat a Deimos

Alexios wants a turn one Sol Ring, Mana Vault, or something else explosive to come down by turn three at the latest. He's looking to end the game before your deck even gets going. With only a couple pieces of removal or counterspells in his path, Alexios becomes too expensive to be a threat. Encourage the table to maintain at least one creature that can block and trade with a 5/5, and you'll have a fighting chance. Since Alexios has to attack and will be destroyed, the commaner tax is going to get very expensive.

Here are a few specific cards that work great against Alexios:

1. Brash Taunter - Let Alexios swing in, and this goblin will send the pain right back where it came from. In a Political agreement, you can have your opponents all swing into Brash Taunter, allocate the excess damage to Brash Taunter, and then send all of that to Alexios.
2. Deflecting Palm - Nothing feels worse than eating your own damage. Clean and effective, this card can sent the Alexios damage right back at the attacking player.
3. Baleful Strix - A simple two-mana creature that replaces itself and trades up beautifully with Alexios. A card that always punches above its weight. It's really incredible how well one death touching creature can dissuade attackers.

Alexios, Deimos of Kosmos is a commander that brings chaos to the table, demanding quick thinking and cooperation... or else. It's the kind of card that turns games into stories, and whether you're the one playing him or trying to survive him, you'll remember the experience. Until next time, happy gaming.