Dominaria Remastered features staple Commander cards for competitive and casual alike, and some truly breathtaking new artwork — all packaged in an enticing draft environment. Kristen has the Commander highlights to consider.
You Wanna Be a Master of Magic?
There are some effects considered to be among the most powerful in all of Magic, and free spells probably top the list. They’re what allow you to run cheap interaction in Keruga companion decks. They’re a way to have something in your back pocket, even when the opponent thinks they’ve bested you.
Force of Will, the free spell that started it all, is back in DMR. It’s available with two, stunning artworks which I find it really quite hard to pick between — and for good reason since they’re painted by two of the best in the industry. Force of Will may cost and life and a card from hand (and maybe the opportunity to call your deck super casual), but it’s a classic for a reason. If you’re a fan of high powered Commander or cEDH, you’ll be wanting a copy of this spell. A reprint has been sorely needed.
Sylvan Library has always been a popular card at both casual and competitive tables, and it’s easy to see why. We review new cards here at Card Kingdom quite frequently, but for the benefit of newer players, it’s good to go over just why some older cards are so powerful.
Getting up to three cards in each draw step is, at face value, powerful. What takes it over the edge is that Sylvan Library lets you put two cards back that you’ve drawn this turn. That means stacking card draw in your upkeep before Library can lead to way more options of what to put back with Sylvan Library’s resolution.
It’s sneaky, and it’s powerful. You should be absolutely doing it if you play this card.
Which you should…
Card’s gas.
Speaking of powerful card draw enchantments played in both cEDH and casual tables, it’s everyone’s favorite fish to feed: Mystic Remora. With the prevalence of cheap mana rocks, rituals and lower mana curves in casual Commander, Remora is well worth a look.
It’s another essential blue piece, as far as I’m concerned. Jesper Eising’s art is also really great. The color palette just works with the old border.
Simply Enchanting
DMR is filled with seriously fun little enchantments. If you haven’t played with them before due to availability, then it’s a great thing to see them reprinted.
Exploration is a mainstay of Landfall decks, whether you’re in Jund, Simic, Naya, Mono Green or anything in between. Oversold Cemetery is a little less played, but I believe probably underplayed. It’s free recursion for having a modest sized yard, and you can’t ignore the fact that free is a great price.
If you’re on the prowl for more impactful options, then check out some ways to cheat creatures into play. Sneak Attack should be played in way more decks than it is. All you really need to make it good is some mass reanimation. Between Living Death, Thrilling Encore, Rise of the Dark Realms and Cosmic Intervention, you really should be thinking about abusing this thing more.
Hunting Grounds is news even to me, and I play and think about a lot of Commander. It’s a slightly more predictable Lurking Predators, in a sense. Honestly, running them together sounds like a really good time.
Art of the Year?
The art might be one of the most appealing things about this remaster set. Some of it just… well, let’s look at some.
Chainer, Dementia Master is the original Chainer, and offers pretty decent repeatable reanimation for some mana and life. He’s a solid mono black option in the zone, but an even more impressive creature in the 99 alongside Balthor the Defiled and big mana generators.
Kev Walker’s art is enthralling. The soft glow of the arch in the background evokes a spooky moon, and the overall mood of the piece is one of hazy, dreamy anxiety. Perfect for Chainer.
RK Post’s Worldgorger Dragon says “hold my beer.” Seriously, it’s not a competition, but each borderless artwork treatment in DMR competes for your attention.
Worldgorger is played a bit less than it used to be, but it’s still at the heart of plenty of combos for decks like Anje Falknerath. Tell me this art doesn’t make you want to find a deck for it?
It’s not just the full art treatments that look great. Anna Steinbauer’s Elvish Spirit Guide channels Galadriel, and I’m here for it. I really hope we see some of Anna’s work in the upcoming Lord of the Rings set.
The Price is Right
And I don’t just mean the draft booster prices in that subheader — because those are pretty attractive considering the reprint quality of the set. There’s a price for attacking in Commander, and No Mercy wants to put it out there.
It’s not a threat, but just a consequence. Anyone who has thought about building political decks like Queen Marchesa has considered this gem of a card, but it’s been pretty hard to get hold of until a good reprint.
Last Chance is two mana for an extra turn, which is, again, a great price. It’s a great option for Goblins or mono red Dragons to close a game, but it’s also usable in combos, too. Grixis, Rakdos and Red decks that use cards like Kiki-Jiki might want to take a second look.
Reducing the cost of spells is always good, and Urza’s Incubator is one of the better tools for tribes that tend to skew high on the curve. It’s sturdier than Starnheim Aspirant and works well alongside Herald of Slaanesh. Have a look at your curve, and mana costs, and it just might be right for you.
Helm of Awakening is a storm piece for artifact decks, true. You can absolutely do silly things with Sensei’s Divining Top with it — that much we know. But it has other uses, too. I like using it in Liesa, Shroud of Dusk as a way to encourage people to cast spells and, therefore, lose 2 life.
Let Me Teach You Something About Commander
If there’s one thing I can mentor you on in Commander, it’s that tutors aren’t necessarily bad for casual decks. I would argue that tutors existing actually develops a healthier metagame, because being able to tutor for answers or ways out of puzzles means those same puzzles and effects are way more reasonable to play against.
There’s also something to be said for using tutors as consistency pieces rather than to assemble a linear gameplan. We’ve all used Demonic Tutor to get a land, after all. Right?
Well, even if you haven’t, you can at least agree that reprinting this set of tutors is pretty stellar. They look cool in the old border with new art, too.
Original Baddies
Ever since the Modern Horizons bad boys hit the scene, there’s been a deluge of players wanting to get their hands on them for various formats. Though The Brothers’ War brought us some sweet alternate looks at Urza, the original MH copy is still in a league of its own.
And don’t even get me started on Yawgmoth. Any deck even tangentially interested in a sacrifice outlet wants to jam with it. I never seem to have enough copies for the decks I want to build.
They aren’t the only Dominarians to get a glow up, though. Lyra Dawnbringer is looking downright radiant in this borderless art. She remains one of the best tribal Angel cards, and this artwork is exciting even for someone who already owns foils of this new-era Baneslayer Angel.
One of My Favorite Cards
Dominaria Remastered has a fine selection of Commander playables, and even if you’re just looking for more budget-conscious staples, there’s a lot to choose from. Sevinne’s Reclamation is one of my favorite white cards that I’m always happy to draw, play, or discard, and getting more copies at good prices from a reprint set is perfect.
What are you looking to slide into your Commander decks from Dominaria Remastered? Let me know on Twitter.
Kristen is Card Kingdom’s Head Writer, and member of the Commander Advisory Group. 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.