Over the years, Magic has invented a multitude of mechanics to build decks around, each with its own unique advantages, dedicated support cards and memorable payoffs. But when all of those archetypes are thrown together into the grand melting pot of Commander, a few top-tier choices stand out. They offer versatile deck building options, consistent performance across different areas of ... Read More...

Static effects that stay in effect for the remainder of the game are pretty rare in Magic. But one such card has been revealed in the early preview for Duskmourn: House of Horrors.  If Screaming Nemesis is dealt damage it deals that much damage to any other target and your opponent can’t gain life for the rest of the game. ... Read More...

Protection spells come in many varieties, with nuanced differences between them. How do you choose which one is best for your deck? Kristen has some tips to share. Ah, protection spells. The favored  tool of those who run creature heavy combat decks to protect from boardwipes, and a great option in the toolbox of combo decks too. They can protect ... Read More...

The Gift mechanic debuted in Bloomburrow. Whether it was gifting a tapped fish or gifting a card, the options for interesting decision points on ostensibly modal cards is a nice way of repackaging Kicker. But is it balanced? And for what formats?  THE GIFTS OF BLOOMBURROW Today I want to determine the most “costly” of the gift effects, and then ... Read More...

Standard is in a chaotic place right now. Even if Bloomburrow had zero cards in it, it still would have been the most impactful set since 2022 – purely because it triggered the first proper rotation of the 3-year Standard era. Many of the cards and decks which had calcified in place at the top of the metagame are now ... Read More...

Duskmourn: House of Horror preview season is just around the corner. This modern horror-inspired plane is going to be perfect for the spookiest season of them all. I thought that also meant this would be a good time to take a look at underrated Commander cards from Magic’s first visit to the gothic horror-inspired plane – Innistrad. Overall, Innistrad has ... Read More...

It’s easy to get salty when playing Commander if you let yourself. While there are plenty of cards that everyone can agree are hyper salt-inducing, Kristen argues that some cards that make opponents salty aren’t actually that bad – and may even be good for the format.  In Commander in 2024, the format has never been faster. Still, playing hatebears ... Read More...