Pako, Arcane Retriever
Partner with Haldan, Avid Arcanist Haste Whenever Pako attacks, exile the top card of each player's library and put a fetch counter on each of them. Put a +1/+1 counter on Pako for each noncreature card exiled this way.
How Pako decks play in EDH
Pako, Arcane Retriever is a Gruul commander in red and green costing 3RG, and its legendary creature - elemental dog line shapes the whole deck around it. It cares about +1/+1 counters, so counter-doubling effects and creatures that grow on their own carry the deck. The card rewards attacking, so the deck is built to keep creatures pointed at opponents rather than sitting back. The cards below are the ones Pako, Arcane Retriever decks actually play most often, grouped by the job they do.
Most-played cards
20 cards · about $20.95Play rates from EDHREC. Prices from Scryfall, refreshed daily.
Card draw (1)
Removal (2)
Creatures (10)
Synergy & payoffs (6)
Lands (1)
Build the full 100
Grimoire generates a complete, Commander-legal Pako, Arcane Retriever decklist with a written strategy, a full mana base and live prices — from the whole card pool, or only from cards you already own.
Start with PakoPako deck questions
What colours can I use in a Pako, Arcane Retriever deck?
Pako, Arcane Retriever has a Gruul colour identity, so every card in the deck must be red and green or colourless. That includes mana symbols in rules text, not just casting cost.
What are the best cards for Pako, Arcane Retriever?
The cards played most often in Pako, Arcane Retriever decks include Desert Were-Worm, Hobbit Hole, Equilibrium Adept. The full list of staples above is grouped by the job each card does, so you can see the deck's skeleton rather than just a pile of names.
How much does a Pako, Arcane Retriever deck cost?
The 20 most-played cards shown above come to roughly $20.95 at current market prices. A complete 100-card build costs more, and Grimoire can generate a budget version instead if you set a price ceiling.
Can I build a Pako, Arcane Retriever deck from cards I already own?
Yes. Import your collection into Grimoire and choose "my cards" when you build. The generator will only use cards you actually own, and the Missing Cards page shows what you would need to buy to finish any list.