How to Keep Commander Less Explosive

How to Keep Commander Less Explosive

Tom AndersonCommander, Strategy

The Commander format has one really fundamental problem: it’s explosive. And it’s only getting worse as time ticks on. I don’t just mean that the community discourse is liable to blow up at the slightest provocation (although, true). I mean that multiplayer Magic, especially with the card pool and ruleset present in this format, naturally trends toward explosive play patterns …

The Best Commander Cards from Phyrexia All Will Be One Precons

The Best Commander Cards from Phyrexia: All Will Be One Precons

Kristen GregoryCommander

Phyrexia: All Will Be One is right around the corner. It’s exciting to visit New Phyrexia again, and this visit also brings us two Commander precons. Whether you’re into Rebellion Rising’s Boros Equipment or the Corrupting Influence of an Abzan Toxic deck, these are two great choices for new and experienced players alike.  But what are the best cards to …

Flavor Check, Phyrexia All Will Be One

Flavor Check: Phyrexia: All Will Be One

Jason KrellCommander, Design, Standard

As Magic players, most of us primarily care about how the game actually plays. However, so much more goes into a set than the cards themselves — from worldbuilding, to characters and the places they intersect. Often, these qualities outside of gameplay are called flavor, and they help sets taste different even if they are similar in some ways to …

Why is Flash Banned in Commander?

Why is Flash Banned in Commander?

Jacob LacknerCommander

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 competitive format with tournament data to back up banning certain cards, some players are unsure why certain offenders end up on the list. Today, we’re going to take a look at …

How to Play Your Seat in Casual Commander

How to Play Your Seat in Casual Commander

Kristen GregoryCommander, Strategy

Kristen lends a few thoughts on how to navigate a game of casual Commander based on what seat you’re in. I’ve been thinking, lately, about how useful data can be when reviewing games of Commander. A lot of theory and observations on the format skew toward subjectivity and anecdote, and as we all know, that’s not the most reliable type …

How 'Hipster' are your Commander Decks?

How ‘Hipster’ are your Commander Decks?

Chris CornejoCommander

Recently, I got tagged in a post on Twitter. Magic Data Science developed a tool over at EDHRec that allows players to see the “Hipster Quotient” of their Commander decks. Hipster Quotient is defined as “the sum of the proportion of all recorded EDH decks in which its constituent cards (excluding basic lands) appear.” In other words, how original is your …

Old Commander Cards that Have aged well

Old Commander Cards That Have Aged Well in 2023

Kristen GregoryCommander

It’s easy to focus on the power and speed creep of Commander. While there are many great new gems, some old Commander cards age like a fine wine. Kristen has some picks worth revisiting.  Most Magic articles look forward — to new sets, new cards and new decks. Yet, Commander is an eternal format, and as such, it has a …

Why Is Hullbreacher Banned in Commander?

Jacob LacknerCommander

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 competitive format with tournament data to back up banning certain cards, some players are unsure why certain offenders end up on the list. Today, we’re going to take a look at …

Phyrexia All Will Be One Predictions

Phyrexia: All Will Be One Predictions

Chris CornejoCommander, Standard

Phyrexia: All Will Be One is looming on the horizon, and before we get too far along into the story coming out and preview season starting in earnest, I need to make some predictions! We have our two mainstay categories: mechanical predictions and storyline predictions, as usual. But let’s kick off with something concrete that’s a little unique to this …