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Commander Nexus
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  3. Doctor Octopus, Master Planner

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Doctor Octopus, Master Planner

Doctor Octopus, Master Planner

Legendary Creature — Human Scientist Villain

Doctor Octopus wants a deck that is built around one creature type, like Elves or Dragons. It also works in a deck built around Humans, Scientists or Villains.

  • Mana cost5 genericblueblack
  • Blue, Black ()
  • Power / toughness4 / 8
  • RarityMythic

Other Villains you control get +2/+2.

Your maximum hand size is eight.

At the beginning of your end step, if you have fewer than eight cards in hand, draw cards equal to the difference.

Build a deck with Doctor Octopus Find it in the app

Archetypes
Themes

Cards That Fit Doctor Octopus, Master Planner

Picked for what they do in Doctor Octopus's deck. When two cards do the same job, the one with the lower comes first. All of them fit Doctor Octopus's color identity.Mana ValueThe total amount of mana a card costs, all added up. A card costing two generic and one green has a mana value of three. Wizards renamed this from "converted mana cost" in 2021, so older cards and articles may still use the old name.Sol RingOpen the full glossary

plan6

The 6 Cards

plan6

The 6 Cards

Rulings for Doctor Octopus, Master Planner

explain how Doctor Octopus works in tricky situations. They come from Wizards of the Coast, the company that makes Magic.RulingThe official answer to how a card works in a tricky situation. Most rulings are written by Wizards of the Coast, the company that makes Magic, and a few are notes from Scryfall, the card database Magic players use. A ruling explains a card. It does not change what the card says.Open the full glossary

Wizards of the Coast 19 Sep 2025

If multiple effects modify your hand size, apply them in timestamp order. For example, if you put Spellbook (an artifact that says you have no maximum hand size) onto the battlefield and then put Doctor Octopus, Master Planner onto the battlefield, your maximum hand size will be eight. However, if those permanents entered in the opposite order, you would have no maximum hand size.

Wizards of the Coast 19 Sep 2025

The number of cards you ultimately draw may be affected by replacement effects. For example, if you have six cards in hand as Doctor Octopus's last ability resolves, and you also control Thought Reflection (an enchantment that says "If you would draw a card, draw two cards instead"), you'll end up drawing four cards.

Wizards of the Coast 19 Sep 2025

Your maximum hand size is checked only during the cleanup step of your turn. At any other time, you may have any number of cards in hand.

3 rulings, all written by Wizards of the Coast. Read the originals on Gatherer ↗

Similar Commanders

Commanders that share the most with Doctor Octopus, and what they share.

Color identityEvery color of mana symbol on a card, in its cost and in its rules text. Your commander's color identity sets the limit for your whole deck: every other card has to fit inside it. A deck led by a green and white commander cannot play a card with any blue in its color identity.Open the full glossaryUBPlayers write colors as letters: U for blue, B for black. Blue is U because B was already taken by black.Typal/KindredTypal decks are built around one creature type, like Elves, Dragons or Zombies, with cards that make that type stronger. The type is printed after the dash on the card's type line, and the strategy is also called kindred or tribal.Open the Typal/Kindred pageTypal PayoffRewards you for playing lots of one kind of creature. That includes "lords" that make every other Goblin or Merfolk you control bigger, and cards that ask you to choose a creature type and then pay you off for it. A creature type is the word on the middle line of the card, like Goblin, Elf or Zombie.Open the Typal Payoff pageStatic BuffGives creatures a lasting bonus to power and toughness while it remains on the battlefield, rather than a boost that wears off at end of turn. Garruk's Uprising, Patchwork BannerOpen the Static Buff pageDrawDraws you extra cards. More cards means more choices every turn, and in a 100-card deck it is the main way to find the pieces you need. Rhystic Study, SkullclampOpen the Draw pageVillainsVillains are mostly black creatures, including the supervillains of Magic's Marvel cards.Open the Villains page