5 Underrated Commander Cards From Theros

Duskmourn: House of Horrors preview season is almost upon us. From what we’ve seen so far, it appears to be an Enchantment-heavy set, even featuring Enchantment creatures – something that we usually only see on the plane of Theros.

This led me to start thinking about original Theros. Overall, it’s been a highly successful set when it comes to just about any format. There are cards from Theros impacting all of Magic’s 60-card formats. And that’s true of Commander too. 

The set features heavily played cards like the super efficient counterspell Swan Song, the Scry dual land cycle, and mono-colored deck staple Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx. So Commander players are very used to seeing cards from Theros 

However, that doesn’t mean all cards in Theros have gotten a fair shake. There are several cards in the set that I think deserve more serious consideration in Commander.

UNDERRATED COMMANDER: MEDOMAI, THE AGELESS

Taking an extra turn is simply one of the most powerful effects in all of Magic. This is because you simultaneously give yourself more resources and more combat, while taking those things away from your opponent. It’s an effect that simultaneously ramps your mana, draws you more cards, gives you an extra combo step, and generates a ton of tempo.

So, having a Commander who can generate an extra turn is pretty incredible. And also very unique. In fact, Medomai is the only Commander-legal legendary creature who can do it.

Medomai does have some problems though. Chief among these are the fact that it’s a dismal 6-mana 4/4 flier. That really matters here not only because Medomai isn’t particularly difficult to kill, but also because Medomai has to get in for a hit for you to get that extra turn. Medomai also can’t attack during extra turns, but that’s a good thing because it’d be pretty busted if you could keep taking those extra turns.

Still, I think those downsides are worth the extreme upside offered by Medomai. I think the most interesting way to build Medomai is to go really hard on taking extra turns. These days there are more than enough ways to do that in Blue. 

All those extra turns make any type of card that triggers during each of your turns far more potent, since you’re going to be taking so many more turns than you usually would.

Then, the cherry on top for a Medomai deck is to find a way around that pesky last sentence – “Medomai, the Ageless can’t attack during extra turns.” Because, if you can do that, you can just take infinite turns – provided Medomai can get in for a hit.

It’s a little tricky to pull off. Cloning Medomai the usual way isn’t going to work, since that clone will have the exact same text box as Medomai, so they can’t attack during extra turns either. However, there is one card that let you get around this. 

Phantom Steed can exile Medomai, and then when it attacks it creates a tapped and attacking Medomai token. Because the token is already put into play attacking, it gets around the effect that is meant to keep players from being able to take as many turns as they want. So, Medomai gets in for the hit on every one of those extra turns, and the game is over. The Steed even has Flash, so you can kind of go off out of nowhere.

So, if you build a Medomai deck, it’s generally a good idea to have access to this combo and a few ways to tutor it up. And you should keep an eye out for future effects in Blue-White that can create attacking tokens copies!

MELETIS CHARLATAN

While copying instants or sorceries is far from unique, the way Meletis Charlatan goes about it is. This is because instead of just giving you control over the copy, the Charlatan can also copy your opponent’s spells and still let them control them.

This is particularly interesting if you’re in a group hug style deck, as you can negotiate whether or not to copy an opposing spell. As long as your opponent isn’t planning on turning that spell on you, copying your opponents’ spells can benefit you in big ways. 

TYMARET, THE MURDER KING

Despite being a legendary creature, Tymaret doesn’t make for a great Commander. This is because a lot of his value comes from being in the graveyard. There are also just simply better Commanders out there if you’re interested in sacrificing things.

However, Tymaret deserves some serious consideration if you happen to be playing one of those Commanders. While his abilities are a little pricey, being able to turn expendable bodies into a Shock that hits your opponent, or getting Tymaret back from the graveyard is pretty solid. The fact he can come back from the ‘yard simultaneously makes him a good sacrifice outlet and good sacrifice fodder, too.

So, if you’re using a Commander who can generate even more value when you sacrifice stuff – like Korvold or Juri – Tymaret can really thrive.

REAPER OF THE WILDS

Reaper of the Wilds looked like an insane card back in 2013, with many players heralding it as the second coming of Spiritmonger. While it didn’t quite live up to that billing, especially in 60-card formats, the Reaper does offer some nice stats and a slew of useful abilities.

Those varied abilities can make the Reaper a worthwhile card in more than one type of deck too. If you’re interested in augmenting creatures with counters, a ⅘ that can gain hexproof is a pretty good place to put all of those buffs. If you’re interested in sacrificing things, a creature that scries every time you do that is a great way to make sure you can keep the value train rolling. And if you’re interested in fight and bite effects, a creature that can gain death touch is quite formidable.

CHAINED TO THE ROCKS

Ever wish you could run more copies of Swords to Plowshares? Well, if you’re playing a Boros deck – you kind of can.

Obviously, Chained to the Rocks is significantly worse than the best spot removal spell of all time, but even a bad impression of Swords to Plowshares makes for a really powerful card. It just doesn’t get much more efficient than exiling a creature for a single White mana.

The set up is certainly real. You can’t play Chained to the Rocks in just any White deck. And to consistently have a Mountain to put it on, you probably need to be straight up Red-White and not run too many other colors. But if you are a Red-White deck, Chained to the Rocks should be in it. Full stop.

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I hope this article introduced you to a few of the lesser-known cards from Theros. If you think there are any underrated cards I left out, let me know over on X.