My Guide to a Magic: The Gathering Scooby-Doo Themed Commander Deck

I may be alone on this, but does anyone just spend hours on Etsy looking at novelty deck boxes, finding one that you like, but then to justify the purchase you come up with an entire Commander deck to fit the theme? Just me?

That’s exactly how this deck came to be. I saw a deck box made to look like the iconic Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo and knew I had to have it. The challenge was to reverse-engineer a deck that feels like a Saturday morning cartoon mystery.

The first mystery to solve was which Magic mechanic could capture the essence of a group of meddling kids solving crimes? The answer was the Investigate keyword. The pairing of Investigate with the creation of Clue tokens ties it perfectly to the mystery genre.

Each Cluetoken is an artifact you can sacrifice for two mana to draw a card. This gameplay loop, performing an action, getting a clue, and cashing it in for more information, was the perfect mechanical representation of the Scooby Doo formula. 

Key Roles and Synergies

The perfect leader for this investigative team is Morska, Undersea Sleuth, a Legendary Creature from Murders at Karlov Manor. Morska is a complete package in the Bant colors (Green, White, and Blue).

She removes your maximum hand size, gives you a free Clue token at the start of your turn, and grows into a massive threat by getting +1/+1 counters whenever you draw your second card each turn.

The Bant color identity is also crucial, giving the deck access to Green’s mana ramp, Blue’s card draw and counterspells, and White’s efficient removal like Swords to Plowshares.

The rest of the deck is filled with cards that support the core mission which is to create as many clues as possible. Consistent generators like Tireless Tracker provide a steady stream of clues just for playing lands, while enchantments like Thorough Investigation reward you for attacking. These cards form the backbone of the engine.

Generating clues is only half the battle; the deck needs a way to convert that advantage into a victory. The most direct synergy is with cards that, like Morska, reward you for drawing your second card each turn.

This draw-two brigade forms a powerful core. Cards like Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse create creature tokens when the condition is met, allowing you to build a wide army simply by executing your game plan.

A crucial byproduct of investigating is that it floods the board with artifact tokens, opening up a powerful artifacts-matter subtheme. This creates strategic depth, allowing you to pivot if one plan is disrupted.  

The Gameplay Blueprint

The early game is about preparation, using Green’s powerful ramp spells like Cultivate to build a solid mana foundation. The goal is to cast Morska with enough mana left over to immediately start cracking clues.

The mid-game is where the investigation begins. With Morska on the battlefield, the core loop takes over. The most potent strategy is to play reactively. Morska’s ability triggers whenever you draw your second card each turn, not just your own.

By waiting until an opponent’s end step to sacrifice a Clue, you can grow Morska at instant speed while keeping your mana open to represent interaction like a counterspell.

This Reactive Growth tempo is incredibly powerful, forcing opponents to play more cautiously while you snowball your advantage.

The deck has several paths to victory. The most direct is Commander Damage, as Morska can easily become large enough to eliminate a player in a single attack.

Alternatively, the army of tokens you’ve built can swarm the board. Finally, the artifact subtheme provides another angle, turning your board of clues into a formidable fighting force.

The Verdict

This deck is a resounding success, finding its home in the mid-to-high power casual space. It’s a highly synergistic and resilient engine that can hold its own at most tables.

Its greatest strength is its consistency; the free Clue from Morska each turn means the deck is always advancing its game plan.

Beyond its power, the deck is an absolute blast to play, offering a high degree of player agency and meaningful decisions each turn.

Ultimately, the deck succeeds because it feels like an episode of Scooby Doo. The gameplay loop of investigating, finding clues, and using that knowledge to win perfectly mirrors the show’s narrative. It’s a successful fusion of theme and mechanics, and the perfect home for a very special Mystery Machine deck box. Good job, me.