Among the many unique commanders introduced to Magic: The Gathering,Ivy, Gleeful Spellthiefstands out as a deceptively powerful and creative build-around option. With a simple yet potent ability, Ivy encourages players to explore spellslinger and aura-focused strategies in ways that feel fresh and interactive. As a Simic (blue and green) commander, she opens up diverse synergies related to targeting spells, clones, and combat tricks, all while rewarding careful planning and clever spellcasting. Understanding how Ivy operates, what cards complement her design, and how to build a synergistic deck around her are essential for players looking to maximize her potential.
Who is Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief?
Ivy, Gleeful Spellthiefis a legendary Faerie Rogue creature from the setDominaria United. She costs justGUto cast and brings incredible value for her cost with the following ability:
Whenever a player casts a spell that targets only a single creature other than Ivy, you may copy that spell. The copy targets Ivy.
This wording creates fascinating gameplay interactions. Any time a player casts a one-target spell whether that player is you or someone else you can copy it for free, provided Ivy isn’t the original target. She effectively doubles your targeted spells, offering massive value and rapid board development in the right deck.
Card Stats
- Mana Cost: GU
- Card Type: Legendary Creature Faerie Rogue
- Power/Toughness: 2/1
- Keywords: Flying
- Set: Dominaria United
Why Ivy is Unique
Ivy’s copy mechanic is tied specifically to one-target spells, creating unusual gameplay possibilities. Unlike traditional spellslinger decks that rely heavily on casting instants and sorceries for burn or card draw, Ivy leans into clone effects, enchantments, and buffs. Every time you target another creature, Ivy benefits without you needing to pay more mana or cards.
What Makes Ivy Powerful
- Automatic Spell Duplication: Getting free copies of spells is efficient and explosive.
- Synergy with Auras and Mutate: These types of spells can create even more powerful results when duplicated.
- Flash and Instant-Speed Interaction: Ivy’s ability works well at instant speed, enabling combat tricks and disruption.
- Resilient to Removal: She’s cheap to recast and can often outvalue removal by building an overwhelming board quickly.
Unlike commanders that require a steep investment to get rolling, Ivy can hit the battlefield early and start generating value almost immediately.
Core Strategy and Game Plan
An Ivy deck thrives on casting low-cost spells that target creatures especially your own. Your primary goal is to accumulate value by duplicating beneficial spells and turning Ivy into a significant threat without needing to directly invest resources into her. By spreading auras, mutations, or buffs across your board, you make Ivy a mirror of your most impactful creatures.
Main Objectives
- Keep Ivy on the field: Recasting her is cheap, but keeping her alive unlocks exponential value.
- Play target-based spells: Load up on instants, sorceries, auras, and mutate creatures that focus on single targets.
- Duplicate effects: Use Ivy’s triggered ability to copy spells for free every turn.
- Go wide or go tall: You can create multiple powerful creatures or stack buffs onto Ivy for lethal damage.
Best Cards for Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief
Building an optimized Ivy deck involves choosing cards that make the most of her spell-copying ability. These include protection spells, pump effects, enchantments, and mutate creatures that transform Ivy into a double threat.
Top Target Spells
- Slip Out the Back: Phases out a creature for protection, and Ivy gets the benefit too.
- Curiosity: Draws cards on damage copy it to get double draw engines.
- Snake Umbra: Buffs and card draw in one package, copied to Ivy for value.
- Simic Charm: Versatile spell that buffs or protects, with Ivy gaining all benefits.
- Vines of Vastwood: Disruption and protection that triggers Ivy’s copy ability when used on another target.
Powerful Creatures and Mutate Cards
- Parcelbeast: Great mutate target with card advantage baked in.
- Sawtusk Demolisher: Mutate synergy that copies over to Ivy, giving you a second trigger.
- Sea-Dasher Octopus: Grants card draw on combat damage, easy mutate target.
- Cold-Eyed Selkie: Scales well with buffs and draws a huge number of cards when unblocked.
Mutate is particularly powerful with Ivy, as the copied mutate creates another fully mutated Ivy, resulting in overwhelming board presence quickly.
Interaction and Defense
Ivy’s low toughness makes her vulnerable to damage-based removal and board wipes. Including protective spells and countermeasures is essential to keep her safe and ensure the value engine continues running.
Protection and Counterspells
- Spellskite: Redirects dangerous spells away from Ivy.
- Heroic Intervention: Protects your entire board from destruction or targeted removal.
- Counterspell / Swan Song: Cheap and effective ways to prevent mass removal or problematic enchantments.
- Asceticism: Grants hexproof and regeneration to all your creatures.
Being in green and blue gives you access to one of the best combinations for protecting your board while also maintaining tempo and card draw.
Advanced Play Tips
To fully capitalize on Ivy’s strengths, smart play and timing are key. Knowing when to cast your spells, how to bait removal, and how to sequence your threats will determine how successful your deck is in competitive settings.
Tips for Success
- Use flash strategically: Many key spells in the deck are instants, so wait until your opponent commits before reacting.
- Choose mutate order carefully: Decide whether Ivy or the other creature becomes the base to protect against bounce or exile effects.
- Target creatures other than Ivy: Always cast targeting spells on another creature first to trigger the copy ability.
- Don’t overcommit: Board wipes are dangerous; keep a few tricks in hand to rebuild quickly.
Sometimes, just having Ivy on the board and mana up is enough to make opponents hesitate. Use that to your advantage in both politics and combat.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Every commander has its pros and cons. Ivy excels in versatility and spell value but requires careful planning to avoid setbacks from removal-heavy opponents.
Strengths
- Free spell copies with little investment
- Strong synergy with mutate, auras, and pump spells
- Early-game tempo and pressure
- Built-in flying for evasion
Weaknesses
- Vulnerable to board wipes and exile effects
- Can be slow to recover if Ivy is removed repeatedly
- Reliant on creatures and spells working together
Ivy, Gleeful Spellthiefis a dynamic and rewarding commander that shines in spell-heavy, interactive decks. Her ability to copy any one-target spell for free adds immense value and allows creative deckbuilding around clone effects, auras, and mutate synergies. With proper protection and the right card combinations, Ivy decks can overwhelm the board with mirrored threats and flexible interactions. Whether you’re playing casual games or tuning for higher-power Commander pods, Ivy offers a unique Simic experience that rewards precision, timing, and clever spellcasting.
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