Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Cleon in the Spotlight: Ramp for a Red Hero
Cleon, Merry Champion is the kind of commander that wants you to lean into the drama—double strike, heroic triggers, and a flavor that screams "let's dance 'round the funeral pyres of our foes!" 🧙♂️🔥 This legendary Human Soldier from Foundations Jumpstart (j25) brings a nimble tempo to red-dominant tables, where a well-timed spell targeting Cleon can turn a modest board state into an avalanche of value. With a mana cost of {2}{R}, Cleon is affordable enough to lift off early, and his heroic ability rewards you for audacious spellcasting by exiling the top card of your library—a card you may cast until the end of your next turn. That single line of text creates a wonderfully active dynamic: you can chain plays off the top of your library, fueling not just your board but your sinking thrill for risk and reward. ⚔️
To truly maximize Cleon's potential, you want to accelerate your mana and smooth your draws so you can keep pressing the board while your opponents wobble under pressure. Ramp in red-heavy Commander isn't just about "more mana"—it's about tempo, resilience, and the ability to pivot into heroic plays at a moment's notice. Red ramp can feel spicy: cheap rituals that spike your mana, artifacts that untap the engine, or colorless powerhouses that skip the rough edges of mana bases. When Cleon is on the battlefield, every extra mana means another spell to target him and trigger his heroic sequence, which in turn can unlock even more options from the top of your library. 🧨
“Let us dance 'round the funeral pyres of our foes!” — Cleon’s flavor paints a picture of the chase and the charge. Each heroic trigger is a spark that invites you to light more fires on the table.
Here are some top ramp picks that consistently pair well with Cleon, delivering the kind of explosiveness that makes red decks sing in multi-player games. I’ve included a mix of traditional mana accelerants, cost-reducing staples for red, and some clever enablers that complement Cleon’s Heroic line of play. Each option serves not just raw mana, but the tempo and strategic flexibility that Cleon demands. 🧙♂️🎲
Sol Ring
Sol Ring is the quintessential red-friendly accelerator: a burst of colorless mana that can suddenly fling you ahead of the curve. Even in red-heavy lines, Sol Ring lets you cast Cleon a turn earlier than you’d otherwise expect and then follow up with a succession of targeted spells to keep the pressure high. In a Cleon-centric shell, every extra mana can mean a second or third projection of double-strike violence, and that leap can swing Commander games with a single well-timed swing. Triple-dipping on tempo never goes out of style. 💎
Mana Crypt
Mana Crypt is notorious for generating fast starts when luck cooperates, and it rewards aggressive openings that Cleon loves. The potential for a quick two-mana advantage on turns 1–2 translates into an explosive early cast window for Cleon, followed by more heroic triggers as you cast more targeting spells. The downside risk is real, but in a well-constructed Cleon deck, the payoff is a thunderclap that sends opponents scrambling to stabilize. ⚡
Mana Vault
Mana Vault is another classic colorless mana engine that can ramp you into Cleon and the supporting crew before the board fully forms. It’s a high-capacity enabler that fits neatly into commander decks that want to push a fast, aggressive game plan. When Cleon appears with double strike and a heap of untapped options behind him, the resulting tempo swing can be decisive, even if the Vault comes with a little caution about timing. 🔒💥
Lotus Petal
Lotus Petal is a compact burst of mana that gives you explosive starts and helps you hit those crucial moments when Cleon needs to land a spell to trigger Heroic. It’s especially potent in a deck that wants to keep tempo high and avoid getting bogged down by mana issues. And because Cleon’s ability often fuels you to play extra spells from exile, having colorless acceleration that doesn’t overcommit your mana base feels like a sleek, reliable option. 🎨
Ruby Medallion
Ruby Medallion is a beloved red-specific bargain: red spells cost 1 less to cast. That single mana-saving effect compounds beautifully with Cleon’s deck’s focus on cast-heavy interactions and Heroic triggers. When you’re zooming through spells targeting Cleon, that price drop can be the difference between a clean double-punch or a stumble mid-combat. It’s a compact, economical way to accelerate your turn-before-last threats into a true blitz. 🔥
Seething Song
Seething Song is a classic finisher in red ramp strategies, providing a sudden surge of red mana to fuel a surprise chain of plays around Cleon. The card invites you to imagine explosive turns where you cast multiple targeting spells, each triggering Cleon’s Heroic ability while you ride a growing wave of exile-played cards from the top of your library. It’s the kind of dramatic tempo swing that red loves, especially with a double-striking commander leading the charge. 🎲
Desperate Ritual
Desperate Ritual is a lean, efficient ramp spell that fuels your initial gas—the kind of early game push that lets Cleon land quickly and begin flashing that double strike. In a dedicated red deck, these cheap rituals translate into a more aggressive opening hand and more opportunities to target Cleon before opponents can react. It’s the quiet workhorse that quietly powers the biggest crosses you’ll cross later in the game. 🗡️
Cleon’s design also rewards thoughtful deck-building beyond raw power. Cards that help you look at or manipulate the top of your library—like Sensei’s Divining Top or Scroll Rack—can magnify the value of Cleon’s Heroic ability. When you exile the top card and then immediately play it, you’re not just gaining tempo—you’re curating inevitability, turning each spell into a potential engine piece. And of course, having reliable ramp means you can keep marching toward those heroic moments without stumbling on mana. 🧙♂️
Practical cross-promotional note
While you’re planning your Cleon build, you might also appreciate staying organized at the table. A MagSafe Card Holder (the product we’re featuring) offers a chic, portable way to keep tokens, dice, and small cards within easy reach—so you can focus on the top-deck magic and the literal dance of your next turn. For fans who love both the game and the craft of tabletop gear, it’s a handy companion for many long sessions of Commander chaos. 🔥
To explore this setup further, consider visiting our partner outlets and keeping a keen eye on deck lists that lean into heroic triggers and red tempo. And if you’re curious about more ideas across the broader MTG landscape, the five network articles linked below offer a spectrum of design insights, digital design tips, and practical how-tos that Monty Hall would approve of in terms of clever drafting and clever play. 🧠
More from our network
- https://blog.digital-vault.xyz/blog/post/stunning-reversal-how-bold-mtg-design-risks-paid-off/
- https://blog.digital-vault.xyz/blog/post/create-beautiful-digital-paper-designs-with-free-tools/
- https://blog.digital-vault.xyz/blog/post/using-machine-learning-for-ampryn-tactician-deck-optimization/
- https://crypto-acolytes.xyz/blog/post/starbase-hires-cameron-county-to-police-streets-and-jail-offenders/
- https://crypto-acolytes.xyz/blog/post/solana-smart-contract-deployment-a-step-by-step-guide/
Ready to take Cleon to a new level? Check out the MagSafe Card Holder and keep your board ready for action, then dive back into your next heroic cascade. May your turns be swift and your exiled cards bountiful. 🧙♂️💎⚔️