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Dimir Machinations and the Best Dimir Commanders to Pair with This Effect

Dimir Machinations is a sly little gem from the Ravenna block—etched in blue-black, it wears the Dimir watermark with pride. For a spell that costs a modest {2}{B} but carries a surprisingly flexible Transmute anchor, the card offers two distinct kinds of value in a Commander gamescape: library manipulation and a built-in tutor. Look at the top three cards of target player's library, exile any number of those cards, and then put the rest back in any order. That’s menace you can wield without sprinting into the red zone. And when you pay Transmute for {1}{B}{B}, you search your library for a card with the same mana value as this spell, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle. Transmute is basically a stealthy tutor that can fetch a 3-mana gem to keep your hand full and your plans messy in a good way 🧙‍♂️🔥.

In Commander, Dimir’s playbook is all about information control, tempo, and graveyard shenanigans. You’re not just tugging cards from the top of your opponents’ libraries; you’re shaping what lands in graveyards, what your own deck can fetch, and what later turns look like. The combination of a targeted look at an opponent’s library with the option to exile selectively lets you prune threats, stall engines, and set up lethal finales. It’s a control spell that doubles as a toolbox, and that’s exactly the kind of versatility Dimir players crave when drafting a commander lineup that can weather both early pressure and late-game push 👀💎.

Pairing 1: Lazav, Dimir Mastermind — shadowy symmetry in redevelopment

First up is Lazav, Dimir Mastermind, a classic Dimir commander whose whole character is built around information, deception, and opportunistic plays. Pairing Dimir Machinations with Lazav brings the sense of a master thief who can morph to mirror any menacing creature you glimpse in your opponents’ libraries. Exiling key cards with the Dimir Machinations spell helps you sculpt the late-game threats Lazav might copy, while the Transmute option can fetch a three-mana play that either accelerates your plan or answers a threatening board state. The synergy feels like a carefully choreographed heist: you peek, you exile what matters, and Lazav lands to steal the moment on the battlefield 🧙‍♂️⚔️.

Pairing 2: Gonti, Lord of Luxury — the shadowy curator of stolen knowledge

Gonti has always thrived on turning opponents’ tools into your own advantage. When you stack Dimir Machinations into a Gonti shell, the act of peeking at top decks and selectively exiling cards dovetails with Gonti’s theme of stealing and reusing what others discard. The exile effect can feed Gonti’s own desire to pull powerful answers from opponents’ libraries, while Transmute can fetch a crucial 3-mana spell that keeps the tempo in your favor. It’s not just deck-building; it’s a calculated social engineering exercise, where information becomes your currency and every exiled card is a potential play next turn 🧭💼.

Pairing 3: The Scarab God — graveyard density and recursive inevitability

The Scarab God is a staple in Dimir-inflected lists that lean into graveyard resilience and eventual inevitability. Dimir Machinations fuels this plan by thinning an opponent’s library while refilling your own graveyard with relevant targets. Exiling the right cards can speed up the process of filling the tomb with threats and enablers, which The Scarab God can later reanimate for value or convert into a swarm of zombies that keeps your opponent’s heads spinning. The plus side: you maintain pressure even when the board state looks grim, because the graveyard becomes a second hand of tools, not a collection of dead dreams 🎨🧟‍♂️.

Pairing 4: Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow — tempo, ninjutsu, and surprise draws

Yuriko decks love card advantage, tempo, and an ability to surprise opponents with big payoffs for minimal effort. Dimir Machinations complements Yuriko’s dynamic by shaping what sits atop opponents’ libraries and by providing a discreet tutor path to fetch a three-mana gem that can power your next big turn. Exiling specific cards can also influence what shuffles back into the deck, affecting Yuriko’s ninjutsu triggers and the reliability of your combat window. It’s not flashy in the moment, but it’s the quiet engine that makes late-game Yuriko plays sing with tempo and precision 🥷💥.

Pairing 5: Szadek, Lord of Secrets — milling with a master’s edge

Szadek’s legacy as a Dimir control commander invites a patient, milling-forward approach. Dimir Machinations fits neatly into Szadek’s wheelhouse: you peer into the library, exile what you can neutralize, and then leverage Szadek’s own game plan to capitalize on the information you’ve curated. The Transmute option adds a reliable route to fetch a value card that can stabilize or close out the match. It’s the cerebral style of play—the kind of deck that wins by knowing exactly what your opponents have and denying them access to it, one shuffled library at a time 🧙‍♂️💬.

At its heart, Dimir Machinations is a study in controlled disruption. Its rarity as an uncommon sorcery reflects how often a well-timed exile can tilt the table in your favor, especially when your commander's toolkit already leans toward control and resource denial. The Ravinca: City of Guilds set is long in the memory of fans who cut their teeth on early draft nights, and this card captures that old-school misdirection with modern polish. The Transmute clause invites a little homebrew experimentation—fetch a supportive three-mana spell, or even pull another copy of Dimir Machinations to chain results. The flavor of Dimir, after all, is “shadow, plan, and repeat,” and this card gives you all three in handy measures 🧩🎯.

Two quick practical tips for making the most of this spell in a commander table: first, pick your exile targets with care. Exiling a few key answers or threats can dramatically shape who is favored in the next few turns. second, think through your Transmute fetches ahead of time. A well-chosen three-mana spell can be the bridge between stall and victory, a hedge against mass removal, or a reliable draw engine late in the game. And as with all Dimir tactics, keep a touch of flair in your discussing of the top cards—after all, the art of misdirection is a cerebral sport, and you’re invited to play 🎲🧠.

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