Assist is a multiplayer mechanic that lets other players help you cast your spells. Might sound a little odd, but for now, here’s how it works. Assist is a static ability that changes the steps of casting the spell – specifically, when you get to the part where you pay costs. You then choose another player, and then before you …
We love a good equipment Commander deck, and choosing the right gear for it is one thing — but what about the right support options? What are the best cards that synergize with equipment? Kristen has some suggestions that’ll really whet your stones. Equipment is great. It buffs your creatures, it’s flavorful and it sticks around for another creature to …
Since the release of The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth, Modern has received a few powerful, new options. Those include The One Ring, Orcish Bowmasters and cards that line up well against those cards, with players trying to gain an edge before Modern settles into its new metagame. I’ve been playing a lot of Modern to try and …
It’s very easy to reach for the classics: Swords to Plowshares, Anguished Unmaking, Toxic Deluge — but what do you take beyond those, or as a budget alternative? Let’s dig in to how to pick synergistic removal for Commander and not screw yourself over at the same time. It’s about the time of year again, and I don’t mean the …
With so much to explore in Modern thanks to The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, it has been about a month since I last wrote about Pioneer. In that time, a lot has happened, and there are some Pioneer decks you need to know about that might have an impact on any upcoming Regional Championship Qualifiers. Boros Pia …
While Commander’s grassroots origins make it different from many other Magic formats, it still has a ban list like the rest of them. However, since Commander is not a format with tons of tournament data to back up banning certain cards, some players are unsure why certain offenders end up on the list. And since we’re just a few weeks …
Commander Masters previews are starting, which means it’s time to get a few predictions for the multiplayer-focused set in under the wire! Given the nature of the set and the four Precon decks that are coming with it, here’s how this is going to work: I’ll make one prediction centered around each of the four separate Precon decks, and then …
Riot appears on creatures and is a static ability that gives you a choice: you may have the creature enter the battlefield with either haste or a +1/+1 counter. And as far as rules go, that’s about it! But there are some notes to help you out: Riot worked rather well, allowing some flexibility in your game plan depending on …
It’s super frustrating to have your Commander removed over and over again, especially when it’s key to your deck’s strategy. Why not choose a Commander that’s hard to remove? Kristen shares her thoughts on what makes these resilient Commanders so popular. The best games of Commander are the ones with a healthy amount of interaction. That said, people don’t tend …
Tales of Middle-earth proved how well Magic can adapt itself to capture the identity of other blockbuster media products through its design. As with the Warhammer 40,000 Commander decks last year, Wizards of the Coast bet a lot on their ability to draw in new and returning players from among fans of the source material. It’s a confident move; Magic …
