At the beginning of your end step, if a creature died under your control this turn, the Ring tempts you.
Whenever the Ring tempts you, target opponent reveals cards from the top of their library until they reveal a land card. Put that card onto the battlefield tapped under your control and the rest into their graveyard.
Sméagol turns creature deaths into incremental advantage by tempting the Ring every turn you sacrifice or trade a creature, stealing lands off opponents' libraries while milling them. Build around a steady supply of expendable creatures and aristocrats payoffs, ramping on stolen duals/utility lands while grinding the table down. You win slowly through value, then convert your board and resource edge into lethal swings or a sacrifice-based combo finish.
Reliable, repeatable ramp and theft every end step as long as something dies
Steals opponents' best lands (duals, fetches, utility) while filling their graveyards
Cheap 3-mana commander that synergizes with token, aristocrats, and reanimator shells
Your Ring-bearer progression grants evasion, protection, and extra value
Needs a creature to die each turn or the trigger whiffs entirely
Slow, incremental engine that can be outpaced by fast combo decks
Stolen lands enter tapped, delaying their impact
Heavy reliance on the commander; gets punished by repeated removal and graveyard hate fuels nothing for you
Converts dying tokens into cards, keeping the death engine and your hand fueled.
Add fast mana (Sol Ring, signets) and efficient free sac outlets to ensure a death every turn from turn one. Layer in repeatable token engines and recursion (Reassembling Skeleton, Gravecrawler) so you never miss a trigger, plus aristocrats drains for inevitability. Top end with tutors like Diabolic Intent and protection for Sméagol to keep the engine online against removal-heavy tables.
Legendary Creature — Halfling Horror
