Let’s Brew: Mavren Fein, Dusk Apostle

Aaron DurbinCommander

Somewhere in Ixalan’s never-ending, Neverland-esque Pirate-Dinosaur skirmish, our imagination, childhood, and hearts were smitten with the possibilities of some of the most refreshing designs to date. And boy, they didn’t disappoint! While most have been taken with the overabundance of new creature types, the biggest win for me is a long-standing theory I’ve held about creatures and the color pie: …

Let’s Brew: Taigam, Sidisi’s Hand

Aaron DurbinCommander

Some say we should save the best for last. I don’t know if we’ve done that, but I can definitely say, without a doubt, that we’ve saved the strangest. With Inalla and Mairsill keeping most brewers busy, our last installment of Let’s Brew for Commander 2017 has taken a dip away from the new-hotness holding everyone’s attention to do something …

Let’s Brew: O-Kagachi

Aaron DurbinCommander

Welcome back to Let’s Brew: a weekly deckbuilding mini-series exploring legendary creatures from Commander 2017. We’ve already given Nazahn some toys to play with and assembled a legion of Licia’s soldiers, and today, we’re going to build a home for one of C17’s most colorful legends: O-Kagachi, Vengeful Kami. WHY O-KAGACHI? Any one reason will do, but we have a …

Let’s Brew: Licia, Sanguine Tribune

Aaron DurbinCommander

Of the many places we begin when we build decks, one of my favorites is inspiring artwork. As a writer and storyteller, the ability to understand, appreciate, and communicate what is compelling has become very important to me, and its influence is paramount in most of my favorite deck designs. As Magic has grown in popularity, we have become increasingly …

Let’s Brew: Nazahn, Revered Bladesmith

Aaron DurbinCommander

Deckbuilding, for me, is a struggle between crafting both great gameplay and compelling narrative. Having built upwards of 200 different decks, this task can be frustrating, as it is not just about being creative, but also about doing something different – something that will not only surprise and challenge my friends, but also to keep me wanting to improve on …

Card Kingdom Commanders: Frank’s Marrow-Gnawer

Aaron DurbinCommander

What makes a great deck? What makes a deck someone’s favorite? The answer is narrative. Of all the things that make Magic magic, it is the stories we create that establish connections. Loving the cards we play and playing the game we love isn’t just about how good the cards are or how well we play; it is our force, …

Judge’s Tower: It’s Just A Phase

Chris CornejoCommander

(Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in August 2017, in the lead-up to the release of Commander 2017. It has been updated on July 7, 2020 to reference the newest card with phasing — Teferi, Master of Time — released in Core Set 2021.) Core Set 2021 just released (which, incidentally, you can order here), and players are already …

Just Plains Value

Aaron DurbinCommander

Over the years, one of the things I’ve heard a lot is that Mono-White is “just a support color,” or “not good enough” to hang in Commander – a format where Green, Blue, and Black have taken over with game-breaking card advantage. However, things seem to be looking up, as the last two years of Magic releases have provided Mono-White decks …

Hour of Promising Commander Cards

Aaron DurbinCommander

With new gods, a God-Pharaoh, old demons, and Crucible of Worlds on a stick, Commander is getting a handful of fresh, powerful spells when Hour of Devastation drops on Friday. While it’s easy to chase the new hotness, it’s also never too early to start speculating about sleeper cards. Here’s my shortlist of Commander cards that are flying slightly under …

Card Kingdom Commanders: Adam’s Zhuge Jin

Aaron DurbinCommander

Welcome back to another edition of Card Kingdom Commanders, the series that gives you an exclusive look at the many decks and faces you’ll find behind the scenes at Card Kingdom and Mox Boarding House. This week, I’ll be telling you a little bit more about one of my fellow CK Blog writers. MEET ADAM KLESH Adam works upstairs with …