Magic has been around for long enough to spin off hundreds of unique mechanics, each with its own unique advantages, dedicated support cards and memorable payoffs. But when you throw them all together in the grand melting pot that is Commander, a few mechanics clearly stand out from the pack. They offer versatile deck building options, consistent performance in different …
5 Underrated Commander Cards From Judgment
Last week, I took a look at 5 Underrated Commander Cards from Torment. As I discussed there, Torment is a strange set because of its huge emphasis on a single color – Black. The set also deemphasized Black’s enemy colors – Green and White. They did the opposite in the very next set. Judgment emphasizes Green and White, while deemphasizing …
Aggro is Really Good in Commander Right Now
Aggro is enjoying something of a renaissance in Commander right now. Thanks to numerous changes to how people build and play, and a myriad of new pushed cards, it’s never been a better time to turn creatures sideways. Kristen digs in to find out why – and whether the new Voja is a little too pushed. I’ve always been one …
Commander Archetype Inspection: Group Hug
Recently, I’ve used this blog to examine some of Commander’s most powerful and fearsome strategies. Building your deck around mechanics like treasure, cascade, or looting unlocks lines of play which are so good, they’re almost unfair. But isn’t that the natural conclusion of the multiplayer metagame? How do you win a fair fight when you effectively have to beat three …
The Boros Card Advantage & Ramp Engine
It’s easy to get jealous of colors like green when you’re playing white in Commander. But really, white is one of the best colors at ramping, and when added to red for Boros? You get access to some excellent advantage engines. Kristen takes us through the Boros Toolbox. Boros has long been maligned as one of the weakest color pairs …
5 Underrated Commander Cards From Torment
Torment has a really strange set gimmick – it is a set that emphasizes Black more than the other colors. They went pretty far in fulfilling this theme, too. There are more Black cards than normal, and fewer cards from Black’s enemy colors — White and Green. The set has 40 Black cards, 28 Blue cards, 28 Red cards, and …
Science! Fallout Commander Precon Upgrade Guide
Fallout is the newest Universes Beyond set, and it releases with four new Commander decks. Science! Is the Jeskai artifacts precon that focuses on the Energy mechanic. Energy was last supported in Kaladesh block, so how does the mechanic shape up with a dedicated Commander and new cards? Science! New Fallout Commanders The face Commander of Science! is Dr. Madison …
The Definitive Review of the New Fallout Commander Cards
Four new Commander decks hit on March 8th, with Universes Beyond: Fallout joining the UB roster. What will you discover in the Wild Wasteland? Kristen sits down to review the offerings. Fallout is a game I loved playing. Fallout 3, specifically. I put so many hours into that game. The sense of foreboding and discovery was an intoxicating combination, and …
Mutant Menace Upgrade Guide
Mutant Menace, one of the new Universes Beyond: Fallout Commander decks, is a Blue-Black-Green deck that features one of the most popular deck themes, but with a twist. This is a counters deck, but not +1/+1 counters or anything like that; we’re working with the brand-new Rad counters! The Wasteland of Fallout is an irradiated caricature of America, and one …
Hail, Caesar Upgrade Guide
The big design challenge for Universes Beyond: Fallout is how to adapt such a sprawling, storied franchise into just four Commander precons. Wizards seems to have based each deck on one of the Wasteland’s largest and most recognizable factions, and then added other characters and references from the games which share a similar ideology. The Hail, Caesar precon deck is, …