One of the cool things MTG Foundations has done is take some interesting MTG characters and give them a new spin. For instance, Alesha, who first appeared back in Fate Reforged, is making a triumphant return. This time around, it’s on a new card called Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate.
Another MTG character to receive a reworking is none other than Zimone. Originally debuting in Strixhaven as Zimone, Quandrix Prodigy, Zimone has most recently been seen, twice no less, in Duskmourn. Swiftly following on from this reappearance, Zimone is back once again in MTG Foundations as Zimone, Paradox Sculptor.
Zimone, Paradox Sculptor looks a bit too inefficient to be a Constructed all-star, however, it has incredible potential as a Commander option. There are a multitude of ways to abuse Zimone, starting with the obvious +1/+1 counter theme.
Counters Galore
Overall, what makes Zimone so appealing is that it fills both the roles of being a +1/+1 counter distributor and payoff. Every turn cycle, you get to put +1/+1 counters on two of your creatures. Right off the bat, there are a number of ways to abuse this ability.
Cards like Hardened Scales, for example, are slam dunks alongside Zimone. Similarly, cards that Proliferate your counters, like Evolution Sage, are also excellent.
To help generate card advantage, Inspiring Call is another great inclusion in a Zimone deck. Fathom Mage is incredible as well. Even if you’re not playing many ways to Evolve it, Zimone’s ability to double the number of counters on Fathom Mage means it’s easy to go nuts.
This counter-doubling ability is absolutely insane with creatures like Walking Ballista and Hangarback Walker. Letting your payoffs grow exponentially is a great way to take over the game.
Vorel of the Hull Clade 2.0
Where things get really interesting, though, is with the fact that Zimone can double counters on artifacts as well. Just like with Vorel of the Hull Clade at the helm, there are some neat combos and synergies to be had.
For example, with access to Zimone and Magistrate’s Scepter, you can easily set up an infinite turns loop. All you need to do is get three charge counters on Magistrate’s Scepter. From there, use Zimone to double that number to six.
Now, tap Magistrate’s Scepter and remove three counters to take an extra turn. Magistrate’s Scepter still has three counters on it. So, you can double the number back to six on your extra turn and repeat this process over and over.
Another sweet artifact synergy with Zimone is The Millenium Calendar. Between activations of The Millenium Calendar and Zimone, you’ll get to the requisite 1,000 counters in no time! There’s no question that Zimone is a powerful Commander, and it opens the door for some neat interactions to boot.
