commander · Kamiz, Obscura Oculus
Obscura Operation (SNC).
An Esper connive and evasion deck led by Kamiz, Obscura Oculus — make one creature unblockable each attack, draw cards through connive, and steal opponents' resources with combat damage triggers.
The Commanders
Obscura Operation is an Esper Commander deck themed around the Obscura crime family of New Capenna — information brokers and manipulation specialists. The deck uses evasive creatures that trigger powerful effects on combat damage, supported by the connive mechanic that draws and filters cards whenever creatures deal damage. Kamiz makes one creature unblockable each attack, guaranteeing those combat triggers fire.
Kamiz, Obscura Oculus has a triggered ability: whenever you attack, target attacking creature with the lowest power has ward until end of turn and is unblockable this turn. Also, the creature with the greatest power among attackers you control connives X, where X is that creature's power — discard and draw X cards, then put a +1/+1 counter for each nonland discarded. Kamiz ensures your best attacker draws cards while a smaller creature slips through unblocked to trigger whatever abilities it carries.
Tivit, Seller of Secrets is the voter alternative. He's a 7/4 legendary Sphinx Advisor with flying, vigilance, and ward: counter a spell targeting Tivit or pay three life. When Tivit deals combat damage to a player, players vote for evidence or bribery: for each vote for evidence, investigate; for each bribery vote, create a Treasure. Every combat damage trigger generates free Clue tokens or Treasures — opponents choose which you get, but you always win. Tivit is also the only commander with the voting and bribery variant of this mechanic.
Key Cards
Aerial Extortionist
A New Capenna exclusive. Flying and a triggered ability: whenever Aerial Extortionist deals combat damage to a player, look at that player's hand and exile a nonland card from it until Aerial Extortionist leaves the battlefield. Flying makes it consistently connect. Each combat damage trigger steals the most impactful card from an opponent's hand. With Kamiz making it unblockable or ensuring it connects through ward, Aerial Extortionist strips your most threatening opponent's best card every turn.
Silent-Blade Oni
Ninjutsu from hand for six mana. When Silent-Blade Oni deals combat damage to a player, look at that player's hand and cast a spell from it for free without paying its mana cost. Ninjutsu an unblocked Kamiz-designated attacker into Silent-Blade Oni and you're casting the best card in an opponent's hand for free. In a four-player game, this targets the player with the most dangerous hand and deploys their most powerful spell against them or someone else.
Wrexial, the Risen Deep
Islandwalk and swampwalk — unblockable against anyone playing Islands or Swamps. When Wrexial deals combat damage to a player, cast target instant or sorcery card from that player's graveyard without paying its mana cost, then exile it. He steals the best spell in opponents' graveyards. After Blasphemous Act resolves in someone else's turn, Wrexial connecting next turn gives you a free copy. In Esper with Kamiz, Wrexial virtually always connects and almost always has a powerful graveyard target.
Thief of Sanity
Flying. Whenever Thief of Sanity deals combat damage to a player, exile the top three cards of that player's library face down. You may look at them and cast one of them. It takes opponents' future cards and gives you options from their strategy. The Kamiz unblockable designation on a low-power creature can be pivoted to Thief of Sanity — it connects to exile resources from the player with the most threatening deck.
Obscura Confluence
A five-mana instant with three modes choose three: return target creature card with mana value three or less from a graveyard to the battlefield, connive with a creature, or put target creature into its owner's library third from top. Flexible removal, recursion, and card filtering in one instant. The connive mode draws and filters cards while potentially powering up a creature. The recursion mode returns any useful three-or-less mana creature from any graveyard — including opponents'.
How to Play
Deploy Kamiz early and start swinging with evasive creatures. Use Kamiz's unblockable designation on whichever attacker has the most impactful damage trigger — Aerial Extortionist for hand disruption, Thief of Sanity for top-deck theft, or Silent-Blade Oni for free spells from opponents' hands. Tivit generates Clues and Treasures passively in the background when Kamiz can't lead the attack.
Win through accumulated advantage from repeated combat damage triggers. Aerial Extortionist empties opponents' hands over several turns. Wrexial closes games by recasting opponents' best spells. The deck is a sustained pressure and information-denial strategy — opponents can never safely play threatening spells because Kamiz's crew will steal or counter them. Close with overwhelming resource advantage rather than a single win condition.