Cleon, Merry Champion

Strategy & Gameplay

This legendary red creature offers an exciting blend of aggressive tempo and card advantage potential that appeals to both constructed and Commander formats. At just two mana for a 2/2 with double strike, Cleon, Merry Champion provides an efficient body that can clock in significant damage quickly, making it an attractive option for aggressive red strategies and tempo-focused decks. The double strike keyword means this creature effectively acts as a 4-power threat in combat, allowing it to pressure opponents rapidly while remaining a low mana investment. The real power comes from the heroic ability, which triggers whenever you cast a spell that targets Cleon, exiling the top card of your library and allowing you to play that card until the end of your next turn. This creates a powerful card advantage engine that rewards you for running targeting spells like pump effects, protection spells, or even card draw spells with targeting mechanics. In aggressive red decks, this synergy encourages you to include instant-speed interaction and pump spells anyway, making the heroic trigger feel natural rather than forced. The card shines particularly in formats like Legacy and Vintage where efficient creatures with valuable mechanics are premium picks, and it offers excellent utility in Commander as a focused red commander or as a strategic inclusion in the 99 of tempo-oriented decks. For Brawl and Historic players, Cleon serves as a cost-efficient threat that generates value while pressuring the board, making it worthy consideration for anyone building around red creature-focused strategies or heroic synergies.