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By: Leviathan, Mike Morales
Jun 07 2013 10:09am
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So Mirrodin was a while ago.  An artifact themed block, this was also the block that introduced equipment.  There's a lot to digest here, but I wanted to cover 2 mechanics first.

Sunburst doesn't seem like it'd be that great in an artifact themed block, but it's here.  Really the only sunburst card that ever needs to be mentioned is Etched Oracle, and even that guy doesn't really see play anymore.  Most of the sunburst cards aren't really worth the mana put into them.

Modular is an artifact creature ability that I'm a little bit surprised I don't see people using more often.  Especially with proliferate being a thing now, putting +1/+1 counters onto things isn't bad, and being able to keep those counters around is good too.  Combine with stuff like Death's Presence to have even more fun.

With that out of the way, let's get on with the review!  Remember, this is an overview for Commander only.  Check it out.

LEGENDS

bosh, iron golem

Bosh, Iron GolemBosh has obviously seen play since he became "playable" and officially recognized as a Commander, but I have rarely seen him used.  He's basically a mono-Red artifact guy, who can actually beat down when necessary.  Throwing a Spine of Ish Sah at people is nothing to sneeze at, but somewhat mana intensive.  He would be better if Red had additional abilities to get artifacts from the graveyard into play, but I guess Red can't be good at everything.  Still, he can be a fun guy to build around if you like.  Plus you get style points.

Although he's a big bruiser who can toss artifacts, he isn't likely to be played as a creature in someone's deck.  Most artifact decks are typically Esper control deck.  While it might be fun to use Bosh to toss Sharuum at someone, it's not technically legal.  Therefore you really have to think outside the box to want to use him.  But he's so high on the curve I wouldn't really expect to see him used

glissa sunseeker

Glissa Sunseeker - The original Glissa, unfortunately she's mono-Green, and there are a ton of mono-Green Commanders out there that are just more powerful.  Of course, you could use her along with stuff that turns cards into artifacts, a la Liquimetal Coating or Mishra's Groundbreaker to start blowing a bunch of stuff up.  But it seems like a bunch of work for minimal reward.  Still, you'd get cool points for trying.  I would probably also include untapping stuff like Thousand-Year Elixir and the like.  I don't think that I've ever seen her used as a Commander yet.

She could actually be a pretty decent creature in that she can act like a Viashino Heretic for mono-Green.  I've seen her used in Captain Sisay decks, and I've used her in my Reki, the History of Kamigawa deck.  All you need is a lot of Green mana.  Still, you gotta remember that you need the exact amount of mana in order for her ability to work properly.  Otherwise you tap her and nothing happens.

memnarch

Memnarch - Not recommended for the faint of heart, Memnarch is one of those Commanders that brings automatic hate to the table.  This is because most of the time, people who play Memnarch have at least one of the numerous methods to make infinite mana to steal all the permanents on the table.  Sure, it's possible to play a "fair" version of the deck, but even if you do make such a deck you're still announcing to the table that "once I have enough mana I'm gonna steal your best stuff."  If you don't mind playing against the entire table, though, Memnarch is pretty powerful.

I've used him as a regular dude in my decks in the past, particularly an Esper control deck.  He is good at doing what he does, although his ability does take a bunch of mana to use.  Also, just playing him will bring instant hate.  But if you want another form of theft in your deck he's pretty good.

raksha golden cub

Raksha Golden Cub - So when Commander first became available online, I used to see Raksha every once in a while.  Giving your dudes a boost and double strike seems cool, right?  But Raksha just costs so much.  On top of that, most of the cats available aren't all that great, although they've certainly improved over the past couple years.  Still, if you want to make a lot of cats Kemba, Kha Regent is just an easier way to go.

I guess he could be good in a Kemba deck.  Still, his mana cost is so high, True Conviction might be better.  Sorry big guy.

slobad, goblin tinkerer

Slobad, Goblin Tinkerer - Slobad is pretty unassuming at first.  I guess you could go with a control build, where you blow up a bunch of stuff with cards like Obliterate and Jokulhaups while making your important artifacts indestructible.  However, you would be completely boned to Aura Shards and similar effects.  I know there was a guy running around a while back who had some sort of combo version of Slobad, but I really don't remember how it worked.  Help in the comments would be great.

If you're running an artifact heavy deck that uses Red, Slobad is awesome.  I put him in my Godo deck and he was great at protecting equipment that I liked.  I'm sure he would be great in other decks with lots of artifacts as well.  He's not much of an offensive threat, but he can still hold a Sword when needed.

CREATURES

Bringer of the Black Dawn Bringer of the Blue Dawn Bringer of the Green Dawn Bringer of the Red Dawn Bringer of the White Dawn
Bringer of the Black Dawn, Bringer of the Blue Dawn, Bringer of the Green Dawn, Bringer of the Red Dawn, Bringer of the White Dawn

So obviously the Bringers can't go into anything except for 5 color decks, but some are better than others.  The Black and the Blue ones are the best.  Being able to Demonic Tutor every turn is pretty awesome, and extra card draw is always nice.  The remaining 3 are pretty deck specific.  Playing a lot of artifacts?  Go with the White Bringer.  Have a couple sacrifice outlets, or just like stealing things?  Pick the Red Bringer.  Bringer of the Green Dawn is the least impressive of the group, considering the numerous ways that Green can make decent sized tokens.

ageless entity Ageless Entity - There are plenty of life gain decks out there, and this guy could get out of control big in the right deck.  However, Ajani's Pridemate is usually better, since he's in a color that specifically has tons of life gain and he's cheaper to cast.  But you never see the Pridemate, so I'm guessing you'll never see the Entity either.

arcbound reclaimer Arcbound Reclaimer - I know I was bitching about the lack of Red artifact recursion, but there is a card like this at least.  Sure, it'll cost you a draw step.  But sometimes you really want to get your Sword of Fire and Ice back into play.  And if you have a way to proliferate you can continue to use his ability on a value artifact like Solemn Simulacrum.  Worthy inclusion in artifact heavy decks.

auriok champion Auriok Champion - I used to see her all the time.  Don't forget that she has 2 relevant protection abilities!

copperhoof vorrac Copperhoof Vorrac - I always wanted to play with this guy, but he never makes the cut.  Since mana burn is no longer around, people can tap out to make him smaller.  However, if you're playing a bunch of reactionary control decks they like to keep their mana untapped.  Big Vorrac!  No trample makes him sad though.

darksteel colossus Darksteel Colossus - The original big nasty, unfortunately he has fallen out of flavor.  He's still good, just not as flashy as his contemporaries.  Not as "cool" as Ulamog, not as "hip" as Blightsteel.  Got off my lawn you darn kids!

darksteel gargoyle Darksteel Gargoyle - An indestructible flier is a pretty good road block if you ever really need one.  Still, for 9 mana you want something that packs a little more punch.

duplicant Duplicant - Everyone gets the ability to cast Swords to Plowshares!  With a body to boot!  Really annoying with blink effects, but even still it's a great way to deal with annoying creatures that can keep coming back.  Commander staple.

etched oracle Etched Oracle - Another old card that used to be in a lot of 5 color decks, I can't remember the last time I saw this guy played.  Sad times.

eternal witness Eternal Witness - Now this card is one that sees a ton of play, and for good reason.  The ability to get any card back from your graveyard is great, and the fact that you can bounce or replay her through a variety of methods just makes her that much better.  Commander staple.

fangren firstborn Fangren Firstborn - With the Simic guild coming back strong, it's time to look at other interesting ways to get +1/+1 counters on your dudes.  The Firstborn seems like a great fit for aggressive Simic decks.  Although he has a low toughness, it shouldn't be that hard to make him big enough to survive in combat.

fatespinner Fatespinner - If you ever want to make a table upset with a seemingly innocuous card, try Fatespinner.  Although it gives your opponents the choice of which of their phases they lose, having to make that choice, especially with any deck that wins via combat damage, is pretty brutal.  It's a nice bit of control, but be prepared for the hate.

joiner adept Joiner Adept - Before Chromatic Lantern and Prismatic Omen came around this was a nice little bit of color fixing for 5 color decks.  If you're really worried about making sure you have the right colors in play you should add her, along with the other two.

leonin abunas Leonin Abunas - Great at protecting your artifacts, and doesn't need Metalcraft like Indomitable Archangel.  Should have been  in my Jor Kadeen deck list, a clear oversight on my part.

leonin shikari Leonin Shikari - If you're going full artifact voltron, it's nice to be able to equip at instant speed.

living hive Living Hive - Before being completely outclassed by Avenger of Zendikar, this used to be one of my favorite token producers.  Can still pack a punch and get some decent tokens if you let it.

magma giant Magma Giant - Pyroclasm on a big body.  Good for clearing the weenies out.

megatog Megatog - I've always wanted to play with this big guy, but just couldn't find the room.  I guess he'd be good in a Bosh deck, since he fulfills a similar purpose.  Can get big pretty quick.

mephidross vampire Mephidross Vampire - Before people used to Tooth and Nail for Kiki-jiki and Pestermite, they used to grab Mephidross Vampire and Triskelion.  Still, even without the Trike it isn't a horrible creature if your deck likes +1/+1 counters.  I used it in my Skullbriar deck and had pretty good success.

molder slug Molder Slug - In a deck design with few to no artifacts, this guy can be pretty potent.

mycosynth golem Mycosynth Golem - Artifact creatures love this guy.  Great in Karn decks.

pentavus Pentavus - Although it costs a lot, it's good with counter doublers like Doubling Season.  Not as good as (Triskelivus) though.

plated slagwurm Plated Slagwurm - Shroud isn't nearly as good as Hexproof, which decreases his playability.  However, I think he would be pretty good as a target for The Mimeoplasm.  Find a way to give him trample, like Brawn.

platinum angel Platinum Angel - Being unable to lose means that you can do some goofy stuff, aside from, you know, not losing.  Your life total can go below 0, which is neat.  You can cast Phage from the Command zone.  There's additional uses that I'm not thinking of as well.  The only issue is that she costs a lot and is pretty vulnerable to removal.  Another old card that I haven't seen in years.

pristine angel Pristine Angel - Protection from all colors is pretty sweet, and the fact that it comes with pseudo-vigilance makes her a nice blocker.  Plus the art is cool.

quicksilver elemental Quicksilver Elemental - This is a goofy sort of Experiment Kraj that I'm a little surprised I haven't seen used yet.  Ideally it would go in a 5 color deck so that you can use any activated ability with a mana cost associated with it, but 3 color decks would probably work just as well.  Stealing activated abilities sounds fun to me.

razormane masticore Razormane Masticore - Being able to Lightning Bolt stuff isn't horrible.  If you use him with Squee, Goblin Nabob or something that returns cards to your hand, you should be set to go.  Still, not nearly as good as something like Inferno Titan, which is similar.  Might even go into a graveyard based deck like The Mimeoplasm.

reiver demon Reiver Demon - Nice Wrath effect for mono-Black decks.  Don't forget that he actually has to be cast to wipe stuff out.

silent arbiter Silent Arbiter - If your whole deck is based around Commander damage, like a lot of voltron decks, this seems like a great way to go.  Only one creature attacking and blocking?  That's a good way to get damage through.

relentless rats Relentless Rats - It's been a while since I've seen someone try these guys.  I assume they're possible, given enough draw spells.  I did hear about one cool piece of tech that I promised not to make public, so if you're interested email me.

rustmouth ogre Rustmouth Ogre - Sort of a worse Hellkite Tyrant, but not bad if you like blowing up artifacts.

solemn simulacrum Solemn Simulacrum - Commander staple.   The new art is way better though.

sundering titan Sundering Titan - BANNED

taj-nar swordsmith Taj-Nar Swordsmith - I like this card because it puts the equipment you're looking for directly into play. 

thought courier Thought Courier - Good at sifting through your deck and filling your graveyard.

tornado elemental Tornado Elemental - There was a time when many of the most played Commanders were actually dragons.  This was a good way to clear the sky of fliers, and have a guy that gets damage through.  Again, I haven't seen it in years.

trinket mage Trinket Mage - There are so many good targets for this guy, from Sol Ring to artifact lands to Skullclamp.  If you're playing Blue you need to consider him.  Commander staple.

triskelion Triskelion - I already talked about the Mephidross Vampire combo, but the other one the Trike goes with is Mikaeus, the Unhallowed.  Whenever you see Dark Mike played as a Commander, you have to expect the Trike can be in there to combo kill the whole table.

vedalken archmage Vedalken Archmage - Cheap card draw for Esper based artifact decks.

viridian zealot Viridian Zealot - Cheaper artifact and enchantment destruction than Indrik Stomphowler that can get around Torpor Orb.  Also an elf.  I've used it a couple times in the past, and he's been good.

vulshok battlemaster Vulshok Battlemaster - Seems a tad expensive at first, but in a voltron deck can come out guns blazing.  Also, stealing opponents' equipment is awesome.  Beating someone with their own Argentum Armor?  Priceless.

woebearer Woebearer - Ok, so Ink-Eyes is technically better since you don't have to re-cast the creature you reanimate.  But this guy has built in evasion, is a zombie, and can get stuff from your own graveyard.  Not bad.

EQUIPMENT

Helm of Kaldra Shield of Kaldra Sword of Kaldra
Helm of Kaldra, Shield of Kaldra, Sword of Kaldra

Making Kaldra is pretty fun, and something that you just don't see that often anymore.  But it's not the easiest thing to do, and on top of that with the power creep for creatures that has been going on Kaldra isn't as impressive as he used to be.  The individual pieces aren't bad, if a little bit overcosted.  I do occasionally see Shield of Kaldra played just because it's another Darksteel Plate, albeit more expensive.  The Helm isn't bad, mainly for its ability to grant haste.

cranial plating Cranial Plating - Kind of overlooked recently, still a great card in artifact themed Esper decks.  Being able to equip at instant speed is something a lot of people forget about.

empyrial plate Empyrial Plate - If you like playing with any of the Maro Commanders from Kamigawa, seems like a natural fit.  Any deck that maintains a decent hand size won't mind this.  Prime Speaker likes it as well.

fireshrieker Fireshrieker - Double strike is awesome.  It's even more awesome with trampling Commanders.

heartseeker Heartseeker - Old school form of creature removal, it's just outclassed now by modern cards.  Still, worth knowing about for colors that have a hard time dealing with creatures like Blue and Green.

lightning greaves Lightning Greaves - Haste is great.  Shroud is great.  Commander staple.

loxodon warhammer Loxodon Warhammer - Almost every deck needs at least one form of life gain, to come from behind in the late game.  This is probably the most reliable way to do so in a creature based deck.  Plus, it forces damage through.  Great for beefy Commanders.   Another staple.

mask of memory Mask of Memory - If you can't afford Sword of Fire and Ice the Mask is a low cost replacement.  You get to draw cards, which is nice, and fill up the graveyard if you have some reanimation.  Not a bad piece of equipment.

scythe of the wretched Scythe of the Wretched - I used this in my Tibor and Lumia deck.  It obviously needs some pretty specific situations to be useful, but it is pretty nice to be able to steal opponents' creatures that you kill off sometimes.

skullclamp Skullclamp - 2 cards for a dead critter?  Sign me up!  Commander staple.

slagwurm armor Slagwurm Armor - If a piece of equipment is better suited for a Doran deck, I can't think of one.

spellbinder Spellbinder - This isn't a bad card and I'm surprised I haven't seen it played.  If you have a bunch of little dudes that are hard to block, plus you're playing with Sunforger or something, you can give this one a shot.

sword of fire and ice Sword of Fire and Ice - Two relevant protection abilities, damage and card draw?  Sounds like the perfect package to me!  Commander staple.

sword of light and shadow Sword of Light and Shadow - The other Sword's little brother, for some reason this one isn't popular.  But if you're creature is equipped, it can dodge most forms of removal.  And creature recursion is pretty fun.  I would also consider this a Commander staple.

viridian longbow Viridian Longbow - People like to use this with deathtouch stuff, particularly Dark Glissa.

whispersilk cloak Whispersilk Cloak - Good if you want a way to protect your Commander and make sure to get damage through.   Greaves is cheaper to cast and equip though.

worldslayer Worldslayer - Some people like to use this with indestructible Commanders, like Konda and Sapling of Colfenor.  Don't be one of those people.

ARTIFACTS, ENCHANTMENTS AND LANDS

(tmb=atlar of shadows) Altar of Shadows - I used to see this get played, but I don't anymore.  It sort of combines Black Market with creature kill.  Unfortunately it takes a lot of mana to get going.  Still, it's a nice threat to have in play.

blinkmoth nexus Blinkmoth Nexus - A flying Mishra's Factory, unfortunately it's been surpassed by Inkmoth Nexus.

blinkmoth urn Blinkmoth Urn - Great in Karn decks and Esper based artifact decks.

confusion in the ranks Confusion in the Ranks - Man, this card is annoying.  If you make a ton of tokens you can steal everything on the table.

crucible of worlds Crucible of Worlds - Obviously a good card.  Sure, with Azusa it can get pretty nuts and you can Strip Mine the entire table.  But most of the time people are just going to use it to crack fetch lands repeatedly.  Or even just get back specialty lands that get blown up.  Great card.

crystal shard Crystal Shard - Great if you have value creatures with "enters the battlefield" abilities like Acidic Slime, but can also catch someone who tapped out to cast something by surprise.

damping matrix Damping Matrix - There are a ton of Commanders out there with activated abilities, and this just shuts them down.  Also prevents equipment from being attached and mess of other activated abilities.  Good times.

darksteel forge Darksteel Forge - The main reason to play Return to Dust and Revoke Existence.  This is almost always bad news for people when it hits play.

darksteel ingot Darksteel Ingot - A great form of mana help and accel specifically because it is indestructible.  Should go in most 3 color non-Green decks, and can even go into Green decks as well.

door to nothingness Door to Nothingness - It's nice to be able to kill an annoying opponent by tapping some mana.  It's pretty expensive though, and can only take care of one player.

doubling cube Doubling Cube - You need to have a decent amount of mana to really get the most out of this.  But if you put it in an Omnath deck, you can make a ton of mana.  Not as good as Mana Reflection or anything like that, but not bad either.

endless whispers Endless Whispers - Just goofiness.  I don't like giving people my creatures even after they die.

extraplanar lens Extraplanar Lens - An early mana doubler.  Not quite as good because if it gets blown up you "lose" that land.  If you do use this, you should try and use Snow lands. 

farsight mask Farsight Mask - Not a horrible method of card draw.  Doesn't require any sort of activation or mana, like Mind's Eye.  However you don't really know if you are going to draw cards from it, or when.  I do like that it doesn't have to be creature damage, though.

gate to the aether Gate to the Aether - Sometimes you don't want to cast your spells, you just want to put them into play.  Sort of like Braids, Conjurer Adept.  Seen in group hug decks.

geth's grimoire Geth's Grimoire - There are a few discard strategies out there, specifically Nath of the Gilt-Leaf decks, but also other stuff as well that forces card draw and discard with Wheel of Fortune stuff.  If you want to specifically add card draw to these decks this is a good option.

gemstone array Gemstone Array - Sometimes people want to create massive amounts of mana that they can't keep, and this isn't a bad way to store it.  I've heard about people using it in Omnath decks, but I don't think I've seen it played more than a few times.

gilded lotus Gilded Lotus - Good for decks that really need a bunch of mana.  You basically want to play it if you need to hit 8 mana faster.  It's not a bad artifact, but it is pretty deck specific.

krark's thumb Krark's Thumb - For the people that love coin flip decks this is a must have.  Keep in mind that it is legendary, so you can't copy  it to get more than 2 coin flips.  That'd just be nuts.

krark-clan ironworks Krark-Clan Ironworks - I know there are some goofy infinite combo shenanigans with this card, and that's about all it's used for.  If you see this played, watch out.

march of the machines March of the Machines - It's been a while since I've seen this used, but most of the time it goes hand in hand with Mycosynth Lattice to destroy everyone's lands.  Not usually fun.

mesmeric orb Mesmeric Orb - For those times when you really, really want to start milling people.  I assume The Mimeoplasm and Wrexial, the Risen Deep wouldn't mind this.  However, it's sort of a double edged sword.  A lot of people have graveyard dependent decks.  So if you go up against a Karador deck, all you'll be doing is helping them. 

mind's eye Mind's Eye - Card draw for people who don't play Blue.  It's a little mana intensive, but in the late game if it stays in play you can accumulate a bunch of cards.

mindslaver Mindslaver - Maybe it's just me, but I really hate this card.  Well, I should clarify:  I hate when I'm targeted by this card.  I know that it has it's uses.  But it is so annoying I don't think I've ever played with it.

mirrodin's core Mirrodin's Core - Cheap multi-colored mana fixing.  It's slow, but it gets the job done.

mycosynth lattice Mycosynth Lattice - Another card that screams "watch out!" when you see it played.  There are a bunch of goofy ways that this can be abused.

oblivion stone Oblivion Stone - For when you want to blow everything up and leave nothing behind.  Of course, sometimes people do get to put a fate counter on something they want to protect, but you always have to worry about Krosan Grip if you try this.  Commander staple.

panoptic mirror Panoptic Mirror - Banned!

proteus staff Proteus Staff - A fun way to tuck Commanders, you never know what you're going to get from it!  And don't forget that you can only use this ability at sorcery speed.  You can even use it on your own stuff too if you have a useless token or something.

quicksilver fountain Quicksilver Fountain - I've seen this used a couple of times, and it's good with islandwalking Commanders like Thada Adel.  It is an interesting form or mana disruption as well, but if you play it early you're going to have a lot of very annoyed opponents.  Unless they're playing mono-Blue I guess.

rule of law Rule of Law - A nice way to slow things down if you need it.  Ethersworn Canonist is usually better though.

salvaging station Salvaging Station - Usually a combo piece, with something like Goblin Bombardment to go along with it.

screams from within Screams from Within - I used this in my Ramses Overdark deck, and it was really good at killing a bunch of little tokens.  The problem is that a lot of times those tokens aren't all that little.

sculpting steel Sculpting Steel - There's almost always a beneficial artifact in play.  Plus, there are a ton of artifact heavy decks that would love another copy of a Sword or something.

serum tank Serum Tank - I've had a few mono-Red artifact decks made in the past, and Serum Tank wasn't horrible card draw.  It comes out a turn quicker than Jayemdae Tome and costs less to activate.  Something to consider.

shared fate Shared Fate -  Super duper goofy.  But I've seen it used to good effect, with a bunch of targeted card draw, as well as "everyone draw 7" type careds.

soul foundry Soul Foundry - This is a card that I wished I could see more of.  Admittedly, before you get your first creature, you have to pay that that creature's mana cost plus 4.  But imagine putting Stoneforge Mystic under it in an equipment deck.  Or Imperial Recruiter under it.  Or a token maker like Beetleback Chief?  The trick is to find a cheap value creature to put under it.  Qasali PridemageNecrotic SliverEtherium Sculptor?  I think this is seriously under played. 

spawning pit Spawning Pit - Decent colorless sacrifice outlet.

sun droplet Sun Droplet - Old school Commander card that used to see tons of play years ago, but no one uses anymore.  Just sort of out classed.

synod sanctum Synod Sanctum - This card is cheap to cast, and can protect stuff from being blown up.  Note that you can stick just about any permanent under it.  Then bring things back later on.  Zirilan of the Claw would like this, or anything with an "enters the battlefield" effect.

tower of fortunes Tower of Fortunes - There are a cycle of Towers out there, but this is the only one that ever sees play.  Obviously it costs a lot of mana, but for those decks out there that lack cards draw, such as mono-White and mono-Red, sometimes you have to go to extreme measure to dig deeper into your deck.  Sure,  it's 12 mana to draw your first 4 cards, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

vedalken orrery Vedalken Orrery - Some people really don't like to press F6.  This is for those people.

vedalken shackles Vedalken Shackles - Stealing other people's dudes is what Blue does best.  This one is repeatable as well.

wayfarer's bauble Wayfarer's Bauble - There are plenty of non-Green deck color combinations out there.  When you find that you really want some early mana, the Bauble can help you out.  Of course, it's not the best late game draw, but neither is Farseek.  And it's much easier to recur if necessary.

well of lost dreams Well of Lost Dreams - Life gain decks don't usually play Blue, and are therefore looking for easy ways to draw cards.  Bingo!  Just dip into the Well to refill your hand.

INSTANTS AND SORCERIES

Beacon of Creation Beacon of Destruction Beacon of Immortality Beacon of Tomorrows Beacon of Unrest
Beacon of CreationBeacon of Destruction, Beacon of Immortality, Beacon of Tomorrows, Beacon of Unrest

Each of the Beacons brings something powerful to the table, except maybe the Red one.  Getting a mess of tokens, doubling your life total, getting an extra turn (albeit at a higher cost than usual) are all pretty good.  Beacon of Unrest is a little bit different because it can grab a creature or an artifact, which can come in handy if you want your Caged Sun back or something.  I know a lot of people don't like playing against Beacon of Immortality, but that's what Commander damage is for! 

acquire Acquire - Almost every deck has artifacts in it, and most of them are good.  There are the occasional outliers that really only pack something like Sol Ring, but for the most part this is pretty much almost as good as Bribery.

aether snap Aether Snap - There are a lot of planeswalkers and tokens running around out there, but that still doesn't make this card playable.  However, if you run a bunch of persist and undying creatures, along with stuff like Dark Depths, it may be playable.

all suns' dawn All Suns' Dawn - Awesome recursion for 5 color decks, and even 3 color decks.  In my recent Progenitus deck it was always at least 4 cards, and that was only because I had so few Red cards in my deck.

barter in blood Barter in Blood - Innocent Blood times 2.  Great creature control, especially against voltron Commanders.

death cloud Death Cloud - I've only seen this used once in Commander, but if you really want to tick people off this isn't a bad way to go about doing it.

fabricate Fabricate - Sometimes you just want that specific artifact.  Sure, there's Trinket Mage and Treasure Mage, but if you don't want to worry about restrictions this is a great card for you.

grab the reins Grab the Reins - This is rarely played without being entwined.  A good way of dealing with indestructible creatures.  With big enough dudes being stolen this can really bring the pain.

mana geyser Mana Geyser - I've seen this card lead to boat loads of mana for the people that use it.  Unfortunately I've never had it work out all that well for me.  Still, I'm gonna give it another shot soon.

night's whisper Night's Whisper - Cheap, one shot draw 2 effect for Black.

one dozen eyes One Dozen Eyes - This is a pet card of mine that I've used in the past, with the ability to make an army all in one card.  I like that it makes one big dude, plus a bunch of little ones. Good times.

promise of power Promise of Power - A fun card draw spell that can also be a creature, it's pretty much the best of both worlds.  Of course, entwining it costs 9 mana, but to draw 5 cards and make a 9/9 flier?  So worth it.

reap and sow Reap and Sow - A little bit expensive for what it does considering Mwonvuli Acid-Moss is available.  Still, not a horrible card.

reshape Reshape - Solid artifact tutor.  It's not Tinker, but then again, what is?

retaliate Retaliate - I can see this used in Darien, King of Kjeldor decks.  You kind of want to take damage so that you can amass a token army, but you might as well hurt people for doing it as well.

roar of reclamation Roar of Reclamation - Replenish for artifacts, it almost never sees play due to its excessive mana cost and the fact that Open the Vaults is similar.  Still, worth knowing about.

rude awakening Rude Awakening - I've seen this used as an Early Harvest, and I've seen it entwined for an Alpha strike, but I've never seen it used just to animate lands.  Strange, right?

savage beating Savage Beating - I really love this card.  It's pretty much everything you want out of a Red card wrapped up into one tidy package.  Double strike and an extra attack step?  Yes please!

second sunrise Second Sunrise - If you try and combo with Second Sunrise, I'm not really sure this is the right format for you.  If you just want to use it as a one-time goofy recursion effect after someone wipes the board, that's much better.

shunt Shunt - Everyone forgets about Shunt, likely because of the existence of

soulscour Soulscour - Rarely played, maybe because it costs so much and leads to concessions.  Still, it's worth knowing about if you're playing an artifact heavy deck.

steelshaper's gift Steelshaper's Gift - If you have an equipment heavy deck, this is a nice one shot tutor for you.

sylvan scrying Sylvan Scrying - Although Crop Rotation can search up a land and put it into play, Sylvan Scrying doesn't require you to sacrifice a land.

tears of rage Tears of Rage - I found this card when I was looking through everything in the block and I'm kind of surprised I haven't seen it before.  In a deck that can make a bunch of dudes, this can be an alpha strike enabler.  It's basically a one shot Marton Stromgald.  I'm guessing that the fact that you have to sacrifice the guys is a turn off, but if you have things to do with them in your second main phase, like feeding them to Thromok the Insatiable, it'll all work out in the end.

temporal cascade Temporal Cascade -  Another Timetwister variant.  The mana cost is a little rough though.

thirst for knowledge Thirst for Knowledge - The original Compulsive Research.

tooth and nail Tooth and Nail - There are sooooo many 2 card combos out there that it's not even worth mentioning them.  The trick is not breaking this thing.

trash for treasure Trash for Treasure - Basically a one shot Goblin Welder.  Great in artifact heavy decks.

CONCLUSION

All right, wow, that was way longer than I thought it would be.  There's a ton of good stuff in this block, so I'm going to try and keep the staples list short.  Here it is:

Honestly, I probably could have added another 10 cards to this list.  There are a ton of cards that are good, but not quite good enough to make this list, like Grab the Reins, Night's Whisper, Vedalken Orrery, etc.  Still, this should give you an idea of cards that are played a lot.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane.  Until next time!

BONUS GAME PLAY VIDEOS

Almost a year ago I build a Ruhan of the Fomori deck, which you can find HERE.  If you watch that game play video, it obviously sucked.  I aimed to rectify that, and took it back out for a spin recently.  Enjoy!

Leviathan, aka Tarasco on MTGO
mrmorale32 at yahoo dot com

CONQUEROR & COMMANDER ARCHIVE

5 Comments

Couple things. Forgot to by Leviathan at Fri, 06/07/2013 - 12:05
Leviathan's picture

Couple things.

Forgot to provide a link to the Ruhan list: http://puremtgo.com/articles/conqueror-commander-vol-xciii-ruhan-fomori

Also, a fun Slobad list by Doctor Anime http://puremtgo.com/articles/budget-commander-slobad-goblin-tinkerer

Things are getting busy for me recently, might have to take a week or two off. But I will be back!

Reap and Sow by laughinman at Fri, 06/07/2013 - 17:32
laughinman's picture
5

Solid artivle, as alwayss, buuuut:

Reap and Sow searches you any land, not just basics and what makes us forget Shunt?

You're right about Reap and by Leviathan at Sat, 06/08/2013 - 22:43
Leviathan's picture

You're right about Reap and Sow, that is pretty nice. As for Shunt, I don't think I've ever seen it played. And there were a ton of cards listed in this block. Shunt just didn't make the cut. Thanks for bringing it up tho.

Shunted by Elbinac at Sun, 06/09/2013 - 01:35
Elbinac's picture

Most skip Shunt for Wild Ricochet I believe.
Same as they tend to skip Fork and Reverberate.
Though Reiterate sees a fair bit of play.

Oh, didn't realize that I by Leviathan at Sun, 06/09/2013 - 10:15
Leviathan's picture

Oh, didn't realize that I actually started a card description that I didn't finish. Thanks for picking up the slack!