Table of Contents
Doom, the classic 1993 game, has been run on many different devices, including but not limited to a toaster, an ATM machine, and even a pregnancy test.
Wait, wrong Doom. This is Magic Doom.
So...
https://scryfall.com/card/wth/66/doomsday
Nope. That's still wrong. This is modern Magic.
Ah, we are talking about Doom Prevails, the newest Commander deck released as part of the Marvel Super Heroes set. For any good superhero, you need a villain, and this is where Doom Prevails steps up. The deck is packed with all the villains you can shake [[The Thing]] at.
In case you have spent all your money investing in your Secret Lair or on your next super weapon, this upgrade guide is on a budget. So, there is no need to rob a bank for a payday.
I am going to give you 10 upgrades for less than £10, or at least that's the aim. The last few upgrade blogs I have written have seen serious price spikes on some of the cards listed, so you will want to be fast and grab these while they are cold.
The Commanders
The Face Commander
Every good superhero needs a super villain to fight, so we have [[Doctor Doom, King of Latveria]].
https://scryfall.com/card/msc/6/doctor-doom-king-of-latveria
This is a slow-burn commander, aiming to gain incremental advantage over multiple turns.
The first ability gets maximum value out of the Connive that the second ability grants. Normally, Connive only gives you a benefit when you discard a nonland card, putting a +1/+1 counter on the creature. However, Doctor Doom also gets value from lands being discarded.
Ideally, you want to discard lands one at a time to get maximum value. Doctor Doom doesn't care how many lands are discarded at the same time. As long as one of them is a land, you only get one trigger.
Unfortunately, you can't play [[The Gitrog Monster]] in this deck, otherwise that turns into a great loop with [[Dakmor Salvage]].
The Alt Commander
The alternative commander is [[Loki, the Deceiver]].
https://scryfall.com/card/msc/86/loki-the-deceiver
At first, I thought Loki was similar to [[The Master, Multiplied]], but he isn't. They both work with tokens and help get around the "legend rule", but that's about as far as it goes.
That being said, [[The Master, Multiplied]] does go well in the deck if you want to use Loki as the commander, as it stops the required sacrifice at the end of combat.
Loki is more of a kindred deck, caring about Villains. This is quite limiting, as currently the only other set with Villains was the Spider-Man set. In these blogs, though, I focus on the face commander, which is [[Doctor Doom, King of Latveria]], so this isn't an issue.
That being said, let's get into the upgrades.
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Budget Upgrades
Upgrade 1
IN: Green Goblin, Nemesis
https://scryfall.com/card/spe/23/green-goblin-nemesis
My first addition is a Green Goblin. You will see more of this character later, but spoilers.
This particular one is [[Green Goblin, Nemesis]]. It gets bigger when you discard cards, which is what [[Doctor Doom, King of Latveria]] already wants to do. It also gives additional benefits when you discard a land, creating a tapped Treasure and making each opponent lose 2 life.
Green Goblin, Nemesis is just extra value for doing what you already want to be doing.
OUT: Island
https://scryfall.com/card/msh/290/island
This is my standard trim of a land. I have gone with [[Island]], as this is the lowest pip density.
As I have explained in other blogs, 36 lands is what I usually trim down to. You still have an 88% chance of having 4 lands on turn 4 if you account for a mulligan, which is what we need to get [[Doctor Doom, King of Latveria]] out on curve.
That also isn't accounting for any mana rock cast on earlier turns either.
Upgrade 2
IN: Frantic Search
https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/632/frantic-search
My next addition is [[Frantic Search]]. This is "free" looting, as it untaps three lands when it resolves.
As you discard cards, it also enables all the Madness and Mayhem abilities. Unfortunately, Mayhem still applies timing restrictions, so you can't have a surprise creature unless the timing works.
OUT: Damocles Base, Sword of Kang
https://scryfall.com/card/msc/42/damocles-base-sword-of-kang
I really like the art on [[Damocles Base, Sword of Kang]], but mechanically it is average.
Being a Vehicle means you need to crew it, taking one of your other creatures out of combat in order to attack with it. It also has a villainous choice, where both options aren't good for your opponent, but they will always pick the best one for them.
That means you lose some control. If they have a bad creature, they just sacrifice that. Otherwise, they will simply let you draw the cards.
Upgrade 3
IN: Archfiend of Ifnir
https://scryfall.com/card/ecc/70/archfiend-of-ifnir
I am adding [[Archfiend of Ifnir]]. Archfiend can act as a board wipe.
With how much Conniving you do in Doom Prevails, you are discarding a lot of cards. This means you can keep stacking -1/-1 counters. Better still, because they are counters, you don't need to do it all in one turn.
This can be done over multiple turns, which fits perfectly with the deck's slow value game plan.
OUT: Tri-Sentinel, Act of Vengeance
https://scryfall.com/card/msc/115/tri-sentinel-act-of-vengeance
I am swapping out a different removal creature: [[Tri-Sentinel, Act of Vengeance]].
As I have already cut a land, it makes sense to reduce the number of top-end cards. [[Archfiend of Ifnir]] is also far superior.
Tri-Sentinel only does its removal when it enters. So, you only get it once, or twice since it has Unearth, but it only deals 3 damage and is limited to one target per player.
That is very different from Archfiend, which can keep removing and shrinking creatures over the course of the game.
Upgrade 4
IN: Captain Howler, Sea Scourge
https://scryfall.com/card/dft/194/captain-howler-sea-scourge
So you can discard cards, but what is the payoff?
How about [[Captain Howler, Sea Scourge]]. This pulls double duty, buffing your creatures for discarding cards while also drawing cards to replace them.
If the creature connects with a player, you get to draw a card. As Connive is net zero, this is pure card advantage.
Captain Howler also buffs for each card discarded. So, if you discard multiple cards, the creature gets +2/+0 for each discarded card.
OUT: Killmonger, Ruthless Usurper
https://scryfall.com/card/msc/53/killmonger-ruthless-usurper
[[Killmonger, Ruthless Usurper]] has an ability that feels a little out of place in this deck.
Killmonger cares about artifacts, whereas Doom Prevails is built around discard and Connive. While Killmonger does get a buff for each artifact the defending player controls and has trample, making it easier to connect, your opponent still gets a choice in what to sacrifice.
That means the worst artifact is gone. It doesn't even specify nontoken, so a random Treasure can be sacrificed instead.
This has also seen a day zero errata. Wizards missed a few words off the first triggered ability. Where Killmonger gains +X/+0, it is only until end of turn, but Wizards missed this from the printed text.
Upgrade 5 + 6
IN: Magmakin Artillerist + Faith of the Devoted
https://scryfall.com/card/dft/137/magmakin-artillerist
https://scryfall.com/card/c19/112/faith-of-the-devoted
My next two picks are [[Magmakin Artillerist]] and [[Faith of the Devoted]]. Both are payoffs, adding to the slow damage that [[Doctor Doom, King of Latveria]] already does.
They deal extra damage whenever you discard a card, so it doesn't matter what you discard. If it is a land, your opponents take 3. If it is a nonland card, you deal 1 damage and then get your +1/+1 counters.
[[Magmakin Artillerist]] just does this, but it is more fragile because it is a creature.
[[Faith of the Devoted]] costs 1 each time you want to use it, but it is an enchantment, so it is harder to remove. It also makes each opponent lose 2 life and gains you 2 life, so the extra cost is worth it.
It is also a may ability, so you don't have to pay if you don't want to. You will just miss out on the extra life loss.
OUT: Stilt-Man, Towering Terror + Kang Dynasty
https://scryfall.com/card/msc/61/stilt-man-towering-terror
[[Stilt-Man, Towering Terror]] is another card that feels a little out of place in the deck.
It does work, as it triggers for any Villain and steals a nonland, noncreature permanent. That is also part of the problem, though. Some decks don't play many of these, so sometimes you just aren't stealing anything.
The other issue is the added clause: "This permanent can't be sacrificed." So you can't even use sacrifice cards to permanently remove what you have stolen.
You do get it for another turn, though, so your opponents can't just tap their [[Sol Ring]] and fully deny the effect.
https://scryfall.com/card/msc/35/kang-dynasty
While [[Kang Dynasty]] is neat in concept, I feel like your opponents will just make a deal to stop the damage to a player, denying you the card draw.
The final chapter can be powerful, but it is only for one creature and it is also two turns away. This massively telegraphs what you are trying to do, just like a villain monologuing rather than getting on with the plan.
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Upgrade 7
IN: Chainer, Nightmare Adept
https://scryfall.com/card/mh2/289/chainer-nightmare-adept
[[Doctor Doom, King of Latveria]] doesn't actually care where the land is discarded from for the effect. So, with [[Chainer, Nightmare Adept]], you can pitch lands and deal a lot of damage in the process.
Chainer is limited to once per turn because you get to cast a creature from the graveyard, but it also gives haste to any creature you already want to cast.
You can pitch an extra land to trigger Doctor Doom, then replay a previous creature if it was killed or discarded. The creature doesn't even come with a finality counter, which newer reanimation effects tend to do.
So, if that creature dies, you can just do it again in a future turn.
OUT: Endless Ranks of HYDRA
https://scryfall.com/card/msc/43/endless-ranks-of-hydra
I like the concept of [[Endless Ranks of HYDRA]]. You can discard it to Connive, then attack with [[Doctor Doom, King of Latveria]] and return it.
The main problem is trying to get rid of Endless Ranks of HYDRA after you have played it. You can only return it from the graveyard, so you really want this in a deck that sacrifices permanents.
That is because this makes four permanents for four mana, three of which are creatures.
Upgrade 8 + 9 + 10
IN: Green Goblin, Revenant + Oskar, Rubbish Reclaimer + Norman Osborn // Green Goblin
https://scryfall.com/card/spm/130/green-goblin-revenant
https://scryfall.com/card/ncc/77/oskar-rubbish-reclaimer
https://scryfall.com/card/spm/39/norman-osborn-green-goblin
I have grouped my final three cards together, as they are all card advantage engines as well as creatures.
We have [[Green Goblin, Revenant]], [[Oskar, Rubbish Reclaimer]] and [[Norman Osborn // Green Goblin]].
[[Green Goblin, Revenant]] is the simplest. It redraws when it attacks for each card discarded this turn. Importantly, this happens after [[Doctor Doom, King of Latveria]]'s Connive ability, so you will get to draw from that too.
[[Oskar, Rubbish Reclaimer]] and [[Norman Osborn // Green Goblin]] both give advantage in a slightly different way, by letting you replay discarded cards.
[[Oskar, Rubbish Reclaimer]] gets a discount himself, potentially costing only {U}{B}. Then, you can cast any nonland cards you discard.
While you can only cast those discarded cards as the ability resolves, it does let you get around timing restrictions. So, say you had an instant-speed way to discard cards for free, maybe [[Frantic Search]]. You could then have surprise spells on your opponent's turns, whether that is a blowout sorcery or a sudden blocker.
The final card I want to add is [[Norman Osborn // Green Goblin]]. These are both the same card, as it is a modal transforming card. That basically means you can cast either half, and the front side, Norman Osborn, has a way to transform into the back side by paying {1}{U}{B}{R}.
While Norman helps with the discard plan by being an unblockable creature that also Connives on damage, it is the [[Green Goblin]] side that I mostly want.
The static Goblin Formula ability allows you to cast cards from your graveyard by granting them Mayhem. So, you can cast any discarded card that turn.
While timing restrictions still apply with Mayhem, Green Goblin makes up for this by discounting any spell cast from a graveyard by {2}.
OUT: Kang Prime + Madame Hydra + Titania, Proud Pummeler
https://scryfall.com/card/msc/85/kang-prime
[[Kang Prime]] is the first cut for these cards.
Kang doesn't fit the theme at all. It is card advantage by giving you free cards on entering or attacking, but it doesn't go with the discard theme.
It also delays them by two turns, meaning all the cards are highly telegraphed. If you hit a counterspell, it is useless.
I much prefer any of the three cards I have added over [[Kang Prime]] for card advantage.
https://scryfall.com/card/msh/221/madame-hydra
[[Madame Hydra]] is my next cut. This is getting dropped due to power level.
Getting a 2/1 Villain for casting Villains is nice, but Madame Hydra herself is 4 mana for a 2/3. That is a very poor stats-to-mana-cost ratio.
The ability doesn't make up for it in Doom Prevails. We care less about having a board full of creatures and more about wanting high-impact Villains to support the slow grind of the opponent's life total.
[[Madame Hydra]] just isn't that.
https://scryfall.com/card/msc/62/titania-proud-pummeler
My final cut is [[Titania, Proud Pummeler]].
Four mana for a 3/3 first strike that minimally grows to a 4/4 isn't the worst. The main draw is giving all your other creatures melee, so you can get a +3/+3 buff.
As I have just said, and as we have removed some of the token generation, this isn't what the current build wants.
If you swap to a more token-heavy strategy, maybe using [[Loki, the Deceiver]] as your commander, then this card becomes more interesting. Although, this doesn't directly work with Loki, as melee is an attack trigger. When Loki puts the token in tapped and attacking, it will miss this.
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Non-budget Upgrades
While this is a budget upgrade guide, there are a few non-budget cards worth keeping an eye on if you want to push the deck further.
https://scryfall.com/card/c19/15/bone-miser
https://scryfall.com/card/tmt/89/cool-but-rude
https://scryfall.com/card/c20/57/surly-badgersaur
https://scryfall.com/card/dft/237/monument-to-endurance
https://scryfall.com/card/msh/64/leader-super-genius
https://scryfall.com/card/m20/141/glint-horn-buccaneer
https://scryfall.com/card/afc/81/curator-of-mysteries
https://scryfall.com/card/dft/80/cryptcaller-chariot
https://scryfall.com/card/iko/203/rielle-the-everwise
https://scryfall.com/card/mh3/199/psychic-frog
Final Thoughts
I think Doom Prevails misses the mark.
Don't get me wrong, the deck is solid. It functions well. But I think, as a design space, Wizards could have done more.
This is just another kindred deck. You could change Villain for any other creature type and it would essentially be the same.
I would have preferred to see them lean more into being a super villain. There is already precedent for this in Magic: The Gathering. Archenemy is a format, though not a well-supported one. It is multiplayer and played many against one, which is balanced by giving the archenemy Schemes.
While this would be massively overpowered to implement directly, Wizards could have used far less powerful effects. They have even released a new enchantment subtype in the main set: Plans.
This could have been expanded in this precon, with Doctor Doom and the other super villains setting various plans in motion. If you succeed with the plans, you get a big payoff. Or maybe you have a way to scrap, or sacrifice, the plan to get a minor benefit while setting up another.
Sagas could have been another way to show a plan being put into motion. Even Battles could have been used, depicting an epic showdown between the heroes trying to hold off the Villains from taking some prize. The Battle could be a secure location, and the flip side could be the stolen goods.
But that isn't what we have, so I will stop now.
Doom Prevails has a similar problem to Avengers Assemble! in terms of the creature type not being supported as much. All the same, we are likely to see some support in future sets, with Villain being an easier type to attach to a creature. A Hero has way more connotations than just being an evil person.
Thanks for sticking with me and reading to the end. If you want to pick up Doom Prevails, booster boxes, commander decks or any other Magic: The Gathering product, you can do that right here at Gathering Games.
PS. All the card prices were under budget at the time of writing, but the dynamic price might have changed since.
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