commander · Dogmeat, Ever Loyal
Scrappy Survivors (PIP).
A Naya junk-and-auras voltron deck led by Dogmeat, Ever Loyal — mill the top of your library into the graveyard to generate Junk tokens, equip and enchant Dogmeat to grow him into a lethal threat, and recur powerful cards from the bin.
The Commanders
Scrappy Survivors is a Naya Commander deck from the Fallout crossover themed around equipment, auras, and the Junk token mechanic. Dogmeat generates Junk tokens — a new Fallout artifact token that you can sacrifice to mill three cards and gain 3 life, then return a card exiled this way to your hand. The deck builds toward an equipped and enchanted Dogmeat as a voltron threat while generating recurring card advantage from Junk's mill-and-return ability.
Dogmeat, Ever Loyal mills the top card of your library when he attacks, and if it's an equipment or aura, you get to attach it to him for free. He generates Junk tokens that recur specific cards from your library. The combination of free equipment attachment on attack and Junk-based library navigation makes Dogmeat a unique voltron commander — he builds himself up each attack while also providing graveyard recursion for the best auras and equipment.
Key Cards
Mantle of the Ancients
Returns all equipment and auras from your graveyard to attached to one creature. Mantle of the Ancients enchants a creature and at the same time attaches every equipment and aura from your graveyard onto that creature for free. In a deck that mills its own library through Junk tokens and Dogmeat's attack triggers, the graveyard fills with equipment and auras. Casting Mantle when you have six pieces in the graveyard creates a single creature with everything attached — often hitting lethal power in one spell.
Strong Back
A new Fallout card with extremely high synergy. Strong Back is an aura or equipment that pairs with Dogmeat's ability — it's specifically designed to be found through his mill trigger and attached for free. With 85% inclusion in Dogmeat decks, it's the most reliable early setup piece the deck has. The card provides a power boost and enables the voltron strategy while also being exactly the type of card Dogmeat milling wants to find.
Heroic Intervention
Two-mana instant that gives all your permanents hexproof and indestructible until end of turn. This is the most important protection card in the deck. Voltron strategies are vulnerable to board wipes and targeted removal — a Wrath of God with Dogmeat fully equipped ends the game plan. Heroic Intervention counters both at instant speed for two mana. Keep two mana open whenever Dogmeat is attacking — the table will try to answer him, and Heroic Intervention is the reason that plan fails.
All That Glitters
A one-mana aura that gives the enchanted creature +1/+1 for each artifact and enchantment you control. In a deck full of equipment, auras, and Junk artifact tokens, All That Glitters frequently gives Dogmeat +8/+8 or more. Combined with Mantle of the Ancients attaching the whole graveyard to one creature, All That Glitters counts every piece of attached equipment and aura separately. A creature wearing six pieces of equipment with All That Glitters in play is easily a 15/15 or larger.
Swiftfoot Boots
Haste and hexproof on an equipment for one mana. Swiftfoot Boots gives the equipped creature hexproof and haste — meaning Dogmeat attacks the turn he enters and can't be targeted by removal. This is the most efficient protection piece in the equipment suite. Dogmeat with Swiftfoot Boots is immediately threatening on cast, mills a card on attack, and can't be answered with targeted removal. It's the first thing to attach when building up Dogmeat's kit.
Preston Garvey, Minuteman
An alternate commander and major token generator. Preston Garvey generates Human Soldier tokens when you cast spells with mana value equal to the number of creatures you control. He creates wide board presence that the deck's equipment-sharing abilities can leverage — equipment that buffs multiple creatures becomes much more valuable with a full board of Humans. In pods where the voltron line is under pressure, Preston provides an alternate game plan of going wide with a token army.
How to Play
Turn one: mana rock or ramp. Turn two: Swiftfoot Boots or another cheap equipment. Turn three: Dogmeat. Turn four: attack with Dogmeat — mill a card, hopefully land a free equipment or aura from the mill trigger. From turn four onward, Dogmeat attacks every turn, mills every turn, and attaches free equipment every turn. The junk tokens he generates provide targeted card recovery from your library.
The mid-game goal is assembling eight or more power on Dogmeat with evasion or protection. All That Glitters multiplies your artifact and enchantment count into raw power. Mantle of the Ancients is the bomb — cast it when you have six-plus pieces in the graveyard to stack Dogmeat with everything at once. Win through 21 commander damage, typically accomplished within four to five attacks once Dogmeat is fully equipped. Heroic Intervention protects the final swing from sweepers.