Thanks to Commander’s grindy nature, the best ways to create value in the format are different from two-player Magic. Instead of cards that generate immediate value on their own, exponential value tends to do a lot more work here. Repeatable copy effects, like Gogo, Master of Mimicry are a great example of this. While Gogo doesn’t do anything on his own, he can create an absolutely ridiculous amount of value when enabled.
MTG Gogo, Master of Mimicry
Gogo, Master of Mimicry is essentially a supercharged Strionic Resonator on a stick. While most ability-copying cards are limited to copying effects once, Gogo can copy an ability any number of times, so long as you have the mana to spend. Thanks to this, the card immediately plays well alongside cost reducers like Training Grounds and Biomancer’s Familiar, essentially allowing Gogo to get extra ability copies for free. Similarly, Omen Hawker and The Enigma Jewel can function as a ramp for Gogo’s copying shenanigans.
Since Gogo can copy both activated and triggered abilities, the applications this card has are endless. He shockingly works as mono-blue ramp, for example, when copying the effects of cards like Evolving Wilds, Fabled Passage, or Dreamscape Artist. Alternatively, you can also use Gogo to copy powerful creature abilities like Agent of Treachery‘s entry trigger, stealing multiple permanents at once. If you want to go all out, copying the ability of Myojin of Cryptic Dreams can swarm the board with permanents, creating an instant board state.
Interestingly, since Gogo can copy any activated or triggered ability, effects that tax opponents can often by some of the best things to copy. Some extra Rhystic Study or Smothering Tithe triggers, for example, can create a ton of value when your opponents are low on mana. Wandering Archaic may be the best of these, offering multiple copies of your opponent’s spells if they can’t pay the mana. Even if you aren’t copying these effects, all three of these cards are just insanely efficient in Commander.
Going Infinite
While powerful entry and activated abilities are fantastic with Gogo, abilities that can untap your Commander can lead to easy infinite loops. Unstoppable Plan and Gogo, for example, can create infinite nonland untaps on your End Phase, provided you’re untapping at least two mana in the process. Sol Ring fits the bill here, with additional mana rocks making infinite mana. Similar combos are available alongside an activated untapping effect like Ioreth of the Healing House or Fatestitcher and Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher.
Outside of untap effects, Gogo, Master of Mimicry can also create two-card infinite turns combos with Magistrate’s Scepter. This does require some setup, since you’ll need to start with three Charge Counters on Magistrate’s Scepter. That said, once ready, with six mana available, Gogo can copy Magistrate’s Scepter’s extra turn trigger three times, granting you four extra turns. Use your first three turns refilling the counters on Scepter, and the fourth to copy the extra turn trigger all over again. Gogo can do something similar with Magosi, the Waterveil, but you’ll need at least three extra turns, and your land drop available on the copy turn to pull this off.
While Gogo creates a fair share of infinite combos in the Command Zone, he also creates two-card combos with other Commanders. Copy Etrata, the Silencer‘s ability twice, for example, and you’ll knock out an opponent with just one attack. The Fifth Doctor, on the other hand, can make all of their creatures infinitely big with Gogo, so long as you have one that can tap for two mana. Overall, there’s dozens of combos you can pull off with Gogo, but the ones here are the most efficient.
A Card Capable of Anything
While Gogo, Master of Mimicry is a one-trick pony, you can repurpose it to do almost anything with the right abilities available. Considering this, Gogo’s low play rate in the Command Zone is quite shocking, with only 2593 decks built around him according to EDHREC. The same cannot be said for Gogo in the 99, however, as it sees play in over 30,000 decks. Frankly, considering that Gogo can go in any deck that uses abilities at all, he still seems underplayed at this number.
For how flexible Gogo can be, the card doesn’t cost a ton of money to pick up, either. While $3.80 isn’t a super budget MTG card, it’s still a fantastic price for a card like this. Considering that reprinting this card might be troublesome, Gogo could easily become a super-expensive card in the future.
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