The Watcher in the Water
Color Identity
Details
Mana Value
5
Special Set
Universes Beyond
Popularity
#925
of 3,381 commanders · via EDHREC
Card Text
Legendary Creature — Kraken
The Watcher in the Water enters tapped with nine stun counters on it. (If a permanent with a stun counter would become untapped, remove one from it instead.)
Whenever you draw a card during an opponent's turn, create a 1/1 blue Tentacle creature token.
Whenever a Tentacle you control dies, untap up to one target Kraken and put a stun counter on up to one target nonland permanent.
9/9
Playstyle
Control · Steady · Heavy interaction · Wins by combat
- Aggression
- 2 of 5
- Speed
- 1 of 5
- Interaction
- 3 of 5
- Combat
- 4 of 5
- Engine
- 4 of 5
- Complexity
- 4 of 5
Strategy Guides
Tokens Strategy Guide
Token decks are for players who want one card to become many bodies and then decide whether those bodies attack, block, draw cards, or fuel another engine. This strategy wants to flood the battlefield with creatures, using token commanders, repeatable generators, and anthem effects, to win through a go wide attack or by converting the swarm into damage, drain, or mana. Tokens is different from Aristocrats because making bodies comes first, from Counters because it grows wide instead of tall, and from Voltron because it spreads pressure across many creatures. The best token decks EDH players build reward patience against sweepers and careful timing on the finishing turn.
Learn more about tokens strategies
Card Draw Strategy Guide
Card Draw decks are for players who want a full hand to be the engine, the protection, and eventually the win condition. This strategy wants to draw extra cards every turn, using card draw commanders, repeatable engines, wheels, and draw payoffs, to win through card advantage EDH plans such as damage triggers, stocked interaction, or superior late-game resources. Unlike Control, it is not only answering threats, and unlike Spellslinger it cares about the draw event more than the spell cast. The best card draw commanders either refill you directly or convert each extra card into pressure.
Learn more about card draw strategies
Control Strategy Guide
Control decks are for players who enjoy deciding which threats matter, spending answers carefully, and winning after the table has slowed down. This strategy wants to stabilize the game, using control commanders, counterspells, removal, sweepers, and card-draw engines, to win through a protected finisher, planeswalker, combo finish, or long-term card advantage. Unlike Stax, Control answers threats on the stack or battlefield instead of locking everyone out of resources. The best control decks EDH players build accept that multiplayer control cannot counter everything, so they lean on sweepers and engines that trade across several opponents.
Learn more about control strategies
Combo Strategy Guide
Combo decks are for players who enjoy finding a narrow line, protecting it, and ending the game with specific cards working together. This strategy wants to assemble combo commanders, tutors, draw, and compact two-card or three-card packages, using infinite combos or deterministic loops, to win in one decisive moment. Unlike Spellslinger it is not paid for every spell cast, unlike Storm it does not need a long chain turn, and unlike Big Mana it does not rely on casting one enormous payoff. The best combo decks EDH players build balance speed with enough interaction to survive the table's disruption.
Learn more about combo strategies
Appears in These Collections
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