The benefits of a hard to remove commander

The Benefits of a Hard to Remove Commander

Kristen GregoryCommander

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 …

Streamlining Text-Heavy New Commanders

Streamlining Text-Heavy New Commanders

Tom AndersonCommander

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

The Age of Haymakers is Over in Commander

Kristen GregoryCommander, Strategy

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 …

The five best aggro decks in Modern

The Five Best Aggro Decks in Modern

Michael RappModern

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. …

Top Combat Tricks for Every Situation in Commander

The Top Combat Tricks for Every Situation in Commander

Tom AndersonCommander

What makes a particular combat trick special? Must it create a blowout or just maximize the efficiency these cards are known for? Or is a great combat trick one that exceeds our expectations, generating additional resources or utility beyond its combat application? These questions make it difficult to identify the best combat tricks in Commander. One thing you notice trying …