The Commander format is all about celebrating your favorite cards, with special rules to ensure your chosen commander plays a major role in every game. But what if the card you really want to build around isn’t an eligible Commander choice? Or if it’s an older legendary creature whose rules weren’t designed to work within the special context of the …
5 Underrated Commander Cards From Portal Three Kingdoms
Portal: Three Kingdoms has a very interesting back story. When it was released in 1999, it was intended to be an introductory product for Asian markets. In other words, it was meant to introduce people to Magic with a simplified version of the game. In fact, for a long time it was considered separate from Magic proper, with cards from …
The Best White Card Draw Spells in Commander
White has plenty of card draw options in Commander nowadays. But what are the best ways to draw cards when you’re in Mono White? Kristen shares the best white card draw spells in Commander. White used to struggle with card draw, it’s true. But thanks to a good few years of excellent designs, white now has plenty of options to …
Enjoying Companions in Commander, Part 2
Though much maligned in Constructed, the companion mechanic from Ikoria offers Commander players a unique opportunity to both customize and empower their deckbuilding. In return for meeting the right deckbuilding restrictions, we can add a powerful extra card to our command zone – ranging from an extra ramp piece to potential win condition. We explored the Commander potential of the …
5 Underrated Commander Cards from Mirage
Mirage is an important set for Commander players. Impressively, it features 9 cards that appear in 5% or more of the EDHRec decks they are eligible for. Its most notable contributions to the format do one of two things that are highly desirable in the format – tutor, or ramp your mana. The powerful tutor trio of Enlightened, Mystical, and …
Outlaws of Thunder Junction Early Look
Modern Magic has been more expansive in its themes and settings; where in the early days every plane was some variant of a high-fantasy vaguely medieval world, things have opened up in recent years. From Gothic and Victorian Horror, Sherlock Holmes/Agatha Christie-style locked-room murder mystery, to technologically advanced Cyberpunk, the main story of Magic encompasses a lot more than it …
7 “Bad” Commander Cards That Are Secretly Underrated
Kristen has a selection of “bad” Commander cards that have gotten better with time. Trends come and go in Commander, and sometimes cards that were considered “unplayable” or “bad EV” get their moment in the spotlight once more. These cards are pretty underrated. When you’ve played Commander a while, it’s easy to follow time-honored heuristics when choosing cards for decks, …
Commander Archetype Inspection: Lands
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 …