Nebuchadnezzar

Gameplan

Nebuchadnezzar is a slow blue-black control commander whose own ability is unreliable, so the deck wins by leaning on color staples: counter and remove threats, grind opponents out of cards via discard/wheels, and close with a value engine or combo. Early turns set up ramp and interaction, the midgame strips hands and stabilizes the board, and the late game converts card advantage into a lethal finisher.

Key Cards

• Megrim — Turns every discard you force (yours or wheels) into direct damage, giving the discard theme an actual win path.
• Liliana's Caress — Stacks with Megrim to punish opponents for the discard you generate across the table.
• Windfall — Mass discard that triggers your punisher enchantments and refills your own hand.
• Bottomless Pit — Repeatable random discard that mirrors and supports Nebuchadnezzar's effect without tapping him.
• Notion Thief — Punishes wheels and opponent draw while you cycle hands, generating massive card advantage.
• Rhystic Study — Premier UB card-advantage engine to fuel a grindy control game.

Upgrade Path

Stop relying on the commander's ability and treat him as a Dimir control shell: add fast mana (Mana Crypt, Dark Ritual), premium interaction (Mana Drain, Cyclonic Rift, Toxic Deluge), and a tight win package such as Torment of Hailfire or a Mindcrank/Bruvac mill engine. If you want to honor the discard theme, build it as a coherent punisher subtheme with Megrim effects and wheels rather than the slow tapped ability, and lean on tutors to assemble your finisher reliably.