When most players think of Ant-Man, they think of shrinking down to insect size or growing into a towering giant. The Astonishing Ant-Man captures both sides of that fantasy perfectly. Every card you draw makes him larger, steadily building a stockpile of +1/+1 counters that can eventually be converted into a swarm of Insect tokens. That means the deck naturally wants to do two things: draw as many cards as possible and maximize the value of those counters once they’ve been accumulated.
Unlike many token commanders that simply flood the battlefield with creatures, Ant-Man asks you to invest in a single growing threat before cashing in that power to create an army. The result is a unique playstyle that rewards efficient card draw, counter synergies, and ways to turn a battlefield full of tiny insects into a legitimate win condition. Whether you’re looking to generate hundreds of tokens, double your counters, or simply keep the cards flowing, these are the cards that help The Astonishing Ant-Man reach his full potential.
To make Ant-Man truly astonishing, you’ll want cards that either increase your card draw, amplify your +1/+1 counters, or turn a pile of Insect tokens into a game-ending threat. Here are the cards I consider automatic inclusions.
Ant-Man, Colony Commander & Iron Man, Armored Avenger
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Colony Commander is certainly an auto-include alongside Atonishing Ant Man’s ability to add +1/+1 every card draw, that synergizes with Colony Commander so that each turn you get both +1/+1 and an insect token without using any mana.
Likewise, Iron Man, Armored Avenger, adds even more fuel to the engine. Additional +1/+1 counters from each draw step can quickly turn Ant-Man into a massive threat. More importantly, those extra counters translate directly into more Insect tokens whenever you're ready to cash them in.
Forgotten Ancient
Quite honestly, I'm surprised this card is still so inexpensive. At less than fifty cents, Forgotten Ancient might be one of the biggest bargains available for this deck.
Forgotten Ancient is certainly mandatory for such an Astonishing deck. While it costs four mana, its ability is absurd in multiplayer Commander. Every time any player casts a spell, Forgotten Ancient gains a +1/+1 counter. That means instants, sorceries, artifacts, enchantments, and creatures, all contribute to growing your Ancient.
Assuming everyone casts at least one spell each turn cycle, Forgotten Ancient can easily accumulate four or more counters before your next upkeep. Then, you can move those counters directly onto Astonishing Ant Man , setting up an even larger swarm of Insects.
Terrasymbiosis & Teferi's Ageless Insight
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Terrasymbiosis is the kind of card that turns Ant-Man from a value engine into a legitimate battlefield monster. More cards drawn means more counters, and more counters mean more tokens.
Pair it with Teferi's Ageless Insight, and things get out of hand quickly. Doubling your card draw means doubling Ant-Man's growth rate, allowing you to build an overwhelming board presence in just a few turns.
Growth Curve
At this point, your table has probably identified you as Public Enemy Number One. If they haven't, they certainly will after this card resolves.
Thanks to the latest Secrets of Strixhaven, Growth Curve allows us to double all of those carefully accumulated +1/+1 counters. What was already a respectable pile of counters suddenly becomes enough to create a truly absurd number of Insect tokens for only three mana.
Combine Chrysalis
Last but certainly not least, what could be better than commanding an army of insects? Commanding an army of flying insects.
Combine Chrysalis gives your swarm an entirely new angle of attack by turning a battlefield full of ground creatures into an airborne threat. When opponents think they've stabilized behind blockers, a sky full of flying Insects can quickly prove otherwise.
The Astonishing Ant-Man offers a surprisingly unique take on Simic-style Commander decks. Rather than simply drawing cards or creating tokens, he transforms one resource into another, letting you decide exactly when to convert a towering hero into a crawling army.
Whether you're doubling counters with Growth Curve, stockpiling value with Forgotten Ancient, or overwhelming the table with a cloud of flying Insects thanks to Combine Chrysalis, the deck offers plenty of ways to scale from a single threat into a game-ending swarm.
Of course, there are countless other cards worth considering. Parallel Lives, Doubling Season, and a variety of powerful draw engines can all help push the strategy even further. But if you're looking for a place to start, these cards should provide a solid foundation for building your own colony.
Now get out there, start drawing cards, and show your opponents why even the smallest Avenger can become the biggest threat at the table.
