It’s very easy to reach for the classics: Swords to Plowshares, Anguished Unmaking, Toxic Deluge — but what do you take beyond those, or as a budget alternative? Let’s dig in to how to pick synergistic removal for Commander and not screw yourself over at the same time. It’s about the time of year again, and I don’t mean the …
The Benefits of a Hard to Remove Commander
It’s super frustrating to have your Commander removed over and over again, especially when it’s key to your deck’s strategy. Why not choose a Commander that’s hard to remove? Kristen shares her thoughts on what makes these resilient Commanders so popular. The best games of Commander are the ones with a healthy amount of interaction. That said, people don’t tend …
Regional Championship Prep: Modern
The next Regional Championship Qualifier season begins in just a month or so and will use the Modern format for the first time. While many are still competing in Pioneer, it’s important to start looking ahead. Modern is also a format that many haven’t touched, so figuring out which deck to buy can be an incredibly daunting decision given the …
Why aren’t you playing a Fog in Your Commander Deck?
When you think of Fog effects, you think Turbofog. You think grindy, dull games. But do Fogs have a bad reputation and should you be playing one in Commander? Kristen has the lowdown. When you think of Magic, one of the core elements that comes to mind is combat. It’s where most of the decisions are made, and it’s where …
How to get the Most Out of White Removal in Commander
White is the color with some of the best removal. There are so many options that sometimes it’s challenging finding the one that’s right for your deck. Kristen takes us through how to pick the white removal that works for you in Commander. The premier white removal spells are Swords to Plowshares and Path to Exile. For some reason, debate …
Streamlining Text-Heavy New Commanders
Have you noticed popular commanders are getting more mechanically complex every year? Recent sets have set records for the amount of rules text on cards, but it’s definitely most apparent on the legendary creatures leading our Commander decks. WHY SO LOQUACIOUS? The trend is driven both by general power creep and an even more insistent push for novelty. In 2023, …
The Age of Haymakers is Over in Commander
Kristen delivers an edict: haymakers are so last year in Commander. If you’re brewing these days, you want to focus on synergy. There are few things cooler than resolving a big, expensive creature. There’s a reason some of the most popular decks in Magic are Dragons, Angels and all things green and tramply. The splashiest creatures in Commander are commonly …
Standard Tier List: March 2023
We are one week away from the last round of regional championships for this cycle. Standard has taken many twists and turns throughout the past months, yet every single week players would say Grixis is the best, most adaptable deck for whatever is going on. Then a new deck would appear, seemingly out of nowhere, to challenge that dynamic and …
Stop Wasting Removal and Play Blockers in Commander
Commander players love firing off removal, but removal has a finite supply. Kristen is here this week to argue that there’s a simple solution: playing more blockers. Most points of contention in a game of Commander center around what to do with removal. “Why did you target X, instead of Y?” “If you didn’t remove, X, you would have had …
The Five Best Aggro Decks in Modern
Aggression has always been a common play style in Modern, but it has outgrown hyper-linear decks that “try to kill your opponent as fast as possible without interacting” — decks like Burn. That’s why you won’t see the famous archetype on this list of the best Aggro decks in Modern despite the fact that it’s still around and seeing play. …