Duskmourn Commander releases on September 27, and with it comes four new precons complete with Archenemy cards. Death Toll, Endless Punishment, Jump Scare!, and Miracle Worker offer 40 new cards. What are the highlights? What new cards are worth checking out?
GETTING STUCK IN THE HAUNTED HOUSE
Our new Commanders for the set feature a mix of intrepid rescuers, wily survivors, and things that go bump in the night. The Esper deck gives two great options for Esper Enchantress that aren’t Zur, with Aminatou, Veil Piercer giving a Miracles meets Enchantress build, which I think is really neat. Master of Keys is also a fun one, especially for those who enjoy Reanimator and Enchantress.
The Rakdos deck is proving the most popular and while Lord of Pain is pretty forgettable as far as Commanders go, Valgavoth is really quite cool, and pretty fun to boot. I think we’re all a bit in love with that eldritch art design, too.
The Golgari Precon is trying hard to offer something new, but I feel like Winter is a little too cute if you’re after something that hums along without too much effort. Rendmaw is more interesting to me,both conceptually and from a gameplay POV.
For once, I think they’ve done a good job at giving Simic something interesting to do in regards to landfall with Zimone. Getting to Manifest Dread and then flip a facedown permanent is both interesting and fun. The alternate Commander, Kianne, just sounds like way too much work in practice. I think I’d rather do my taxes.
We’ve got Precon Upgrade Guides for each deck, with a review of how the decks play and feel. You can find them here:
With our principle cast introduced, let’s move onto the new cards that can be found in the precons. For those who prefer picking up singles, let’s get into the nitty gritty of what’s worth a look.
DUSKMOURN COMMANDER: WHITE
Redress Fate, when cast for its Miracle cost, is actually a lot of value. Outside of decks with topdeck manipulation – or, to be honest, decks with Commanders like Aminatou – I don’t know if I’d play this before Brilliant Restoration, or if I had one, obviously a copy of Replenish.
Secret Arcade // Dusty Parlor is an interesting one. I think most often you’re dropping it as the Parlor, and then when you want to close the game, you unlock the Secret Arcade, which will buff your All that Glitters, Ancestral Mask et al. I think even ignoring the Arcade, Dusty Parlor seems worth a shot in plenty of decks.
Soaring Lightbringer is an interesting one. I think it reads worse than it plays. Giving all of your enchantment creatures flying can be incredible, especially in decks that animate enchantments – think Anikthea or decks using Starfield of Nyx. Also, those tokens come in Flying, and triggering any EtB enchantress triggers – which can equate to lots of extra cards.
DUSKMOURN COMMANDER: BLUE
Fear of Sleep Paralysis is one I am all too acquainted with. I get it like 3-4 times a year and it’s always exhausting – mainly because it makes it hard to fall asleep again after.
Speaking of exhausting, this 6/6 Nightmare will quickly tire you out when you’re facing it down. It’s particularly strong when it comes to making enchantment tokens, such as Role tokens, or the Glimmers from the previous card.
Glitch Interpreter is card draw for artifact decks that play thopters and such, but it’s asking you to pay six for the pleasure. The only way to get around this is to play cards that make face-down creatures. I still think it’s worth a look in artifact decks, but I’d want to be playing cards like Cryptic Coat already, I think. In decks built around face down? Like new Vannifar, or classic Kadena? Great little card draw piece.
I think I’d be seeing a doctor if they didn’t come from the pipes, to be honest.
They Came from the Pipes is a very niche card for exactly decks that care about face-down creatures. If you have one, you’ll want it. At a certain point, it maybe makes sense to just pick up the precon.
This card feels strong, but in practice I think it’ll be very fiddly to make work exactly how you want it to. Purely due to the extra math needed to pull it off, I’m colder, and would rather play any number of other wraths or bounce wraths.
DUSKMOURN COMMANDER: BLACK
Ancient Cellarspawn is the kind of card that has me wondering about Legacy. Getting to dome someone for 5 when you cast a Force of Will? Seems a bit good…
Back in Commanderland, this thing encourages you to go deep on free spells and cost reducers. It’s probably going to see the most play within Rakdos and Mardu decks, I believe, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it in green decks either. You know, basically any Commander that can cast for free. Looking at you, Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor, and more importantly you, K’rrik.
Cramped Vents // Access Maze is a hefty chonker of a card Mana Value wise – so maybe not one to play if you’re playing Dark Confidant, as Rooms when not in play or on the stack are equal to total mana value. For four mana to come in and delete a creature while giving you life equal to the excess? It’s a bit overcosted. Access Maze on the other hand could turn out to be pretty sweet value.
Overall, the card feels very medium to me.
Deluge of Doom is a Toxic Deluge, but limited to card types in your yard. Unlike Tarmogoyf that can build itself on other people’s card types, this is restricted to only your own graveyard. As such, I think it’s fine, but nothing to shout about. There are better wraths.
Oooo, a Kindred Enchantment. I’m always interested to see those. Demonic Covenant gives you card draw when your Demons attack. It’s a tricksy little card, as though it will contribute to being a differently named Demon for Liliana’s Contract, it will also get rid of itself eventually. You have a reasonable likelihood of it sacrificing itself before you get to two 5/5s, and potentially before you get to draw any cards.
I’m still kinda into it, though.
Into the Pit is pretty wild. There are enough black Commanders that make incidental tokens or play in aristocrats that this card is actively going to be quite good. Don’t forget – treasures, food, clues… more than enough fodder to go around.
I am a big fan of lifelink in Commander these days, and Metamorphosis Fanatic is my kind of card. It’s firstly a Cleric, and a Human, both universally good creature types. It’s also able to put a lifelink counter on what you can recur, and has the chance to be cast for just two mana if you draw it in your draw step. I think this is going to be able to claw back some games.
I’ll be testing it in Henzie.
Persistent Constrictor is a good enabler for Valgavoth decks, sure, but it’s also a great pickup for Hapatra and other -1/-1 counters decks. You’ll know if you want this or not, and that’s largely answered by whether you want to pay five mana for it.
Polluted Cistern // Dim Oubliette is only okay, I think. It’s absolutely fine as a two drop, but I struggle to find room for Oversold Cemetery these days, and that’s a card I’d say is higher impact.
This is a very fun politics card with a creepy as heck artwork. Like, honestly guys… that is a level of gross I didn’t think Wizards would go to. Five mana for three is fine, but it’s probably less good than a Ravnica at War or Council’s Judgment.
Suspended Sentence is good if you want to trigger life loss on opponents, and otherwise very medium. The game might well be over before this comes back around again.
DUSKMOURN COMMANDER: RED
Barbflare Gremlin is an interesting one. Provided you can crew or saddle with it, or get in for a free attack, you can turn on the extra mana tap. The only thing is… the tap is lava. And it burns.
Considering some players might want to dip in too? Well, I can see you getting in for some good attacks with this. Cool effect to see on a body.
Gleeful Arsonist is a card I’m pretty excited about. I could see myself playing this not only in Valgavoth, but potentially in other decks like Hofri Reanimator. It’s just a generally decent rule-setter that can stymie some of the more oppressive spellslinger, artifact and enchantress decks in your meta.
Spiked Corridor // Torture Pit gives you two solid effects that burn or slug decks enjoy. Most games you’ll play this for whatever effect you want, and then cash in the other side later on when there’s a moment free.
How much of a star is Star Athlete, exactly? Well, a three-mana 3/2 menace is pretty unimpressive, but the trigger? The trigger might be quite good, especially with damage doublers. Just keep in mind that if you double attack triggers with Isshin or Wulfgar that only one trigger will resolve if they already sacrifice the permanent for the first trigger.
DUSKMOURN COMMANDER: GREEN
I love the Where the Wild Things Are style art we’re getting for some of the Beasts in this set. Curator Beastie is a card that cares a lot about artifacts and colorless creatures. I can see it being a fun include in a casual Oviya Pashiri deck, but also, obviously, in decks that Manifest – Dread or otherwise.
Haha, Demolisher Spawn has such great artwork. It’s like some kind of fungal crocodile dinosaur thing. As for the card itself? It’s a nice overrun variant. It doesn’t grant trample, but it does come in with haste itself, and granting a respectable +4/+4 for seven mana. It’s more than playable, even if it isn’t a Craterhoof.
Heh, they finally updated Tempt with Discovery for 2024 Commander. Nobody answers the Tempt with Discovery anymore – it’s a known quantity. Disorienting Choice drives a much harder bargain. Will you exile your much desired permanent? If you don’t, the green player gets to go and grab some powerful lands…
I think this will most often get one to two lands tutored into play, with one to two problem permanents removed. Which for four mana, seems reasonable.
Experimental Lab // Staff Room is a solid option for counters decks, but at this point, we have so many solid options that it’s entirely based on flavor and what you have in your collection really.
Formless Genesis is fun as a low drop Kindred Sorcery with Changeling. I can see it finding a home in Golgari Elves, and in the Modern Horizons 3 Simic Precon, if you’re wanting to upgrade that one. I like that you can retrace it, too.
Shriekwood Devourer is another untapper for the haste decks. Xenagos, Halana and Alena, heck, even Wulfgar is going to love this one. RG decks love big power creatures so this will fit right at home in those builds.
I can’t bear to look at it.
Ahem
This is the kind of nonsense damage dealer that infuriates a table in the best possible way. If you have a high-value Commander, dropping this to eat some removal later down the line is a great way to redirect some resources.
DUSKMOURN COMMANDER: MULTICOLOR
Oh hey, it’s kind of Decimate, kind of Hull Breach, kind of Windgrace’s Judgment. But in actuality, its just Slime. Convert to Slime gives you a three for one, and if you have Delirium, you get a fonky chonky Ooze for your troubles, making it a four for one, for five mana. I actually quite like this, especially in decks that can leverage that high power token into Greater Good, or Gitrog, Ravenous Ride.
Ruh-roh! This card has big Velma and Fred energy, but there’s no Scoob in sight. Shame.
Phenomenon Investigators believes in your aristocrats deck, but doubts that it is actually the right card for a Ninjas deck.
DUSKMOURN COMMANDER: ARTIFACTS & LANDS
Who put Toy Story in my Duskmourn?!
Giggling Skitterspike has an excellent feeling on the tongue, so I commend Wizards on their wordplay there. As for the card itself, it’s a way to push excess burn damage through. It’s less easy to trigger than Brash Taunter, but also more open to shenanigans in some ways by feeding off of an attack trigger. Stick a Cranial Plating on it and go to town.
It feels weird to wrap things up with a Séance Board, because usually things start to unravel when you get one of these out, but here we are.
Séance Board feels made for aristocrats decks, Spirits decks… and Kykar decks. Come on, you’re telling me whoever designed this doesn’t have a Kykar deck?
I think this is an excellent mana rock in plenty of decks, just maybe not the precon it comes in.
END STEP
The Duskmourn precons have some sweet pickups for many strategies. Personally I think I’m going to grab the Endless Punishment precon and a couple of singles. What about you?
You can find everything you need here at Card Kingdom.
Kristen is Card Kingdom’s Head Writer and a member of the Commander Format Panel. Formerly a competitive Pokémon TCG grinder, she has been playing Magic since Shadows Over Innistrad, which in her opinion, was a great set to start with. When she’s not taking names with Equipment and Aggro strategies in Commander, she loves to play any form of Limited.