Tag: magic-the-gathering

Best of Commander Masters – Multicoloured!

Hello! Welcome to my set review of Commander Masters, where I will pick five cards of each colour and discuss my favourite cards from them.

Given that the set also comes out with a set of preconstructed Commander decks, I’ll also be covering my favourite new cards from there in another article.

This is also a reprint set which means that this is mostly going to be picking cards for what they’ve already shown they can do. The monetary value of the cards is nice, but will not likely be the biggest factor in my selections. Because they’re reprints, we know that the cost might course correct and some cards will only be lower for a little bit, so be sure to snap up singles at  threekingsloot.com.

Without further ado, here are my favourite multicoloured (aka Gold) cards!

      1. The Scarab God

Trust me when I say this: if you have any desire to play Dimir colours in your decks whatsoever and you’ve got a flex slot, pop in The Scarab God there and you will be pleased.

The ability to Eternalize a creature in any graveyard for four mana at instant speed is so powerful and flexible and if you don’t NEED to do it, you can do it at the end step before your turn. You snag a creature for value, then you get a scry from it and ding your opponents. It’s also difficult to kill. You can sacrifice it or let it eat removal spells, The Scarab God just keeps coming back.

As a commander, I think this might be a better Zombie commander than Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver, but flavourfully, Big Willy is the right choice.

2. The Ur-Dragon

Eminence can be very cool, but on The Ur-Dragon, it’s busted. Starting your game with part of a Herald’s Horn active from the command zone broadcasts to the table that you’re about to play six drops way early.

What’s more is when you get this big guy into play, you likely get a ton of cards and a free permanent to play on attack. With a massive creature like this and Dragons being some of Magic‘s most powerful creatures, this commander is one that you can play but people will come at you for – and with good reason.

I had this deck put together years ago and it was so fun to play. A total blast. I recommend it highly if you’re even a little on the fence.

3. Zacama, Primal Calamity

When people talk about Timmy Magic, I think this qualifies as a huge peak. A 9/9 for nine that untaps all your lands and gives you versatile abilities is a gorgeous sight to behold.

Zacama, Primal Calamity is often paired with Temur Sabertooth and a way to be mana positive (maybe one of your lands is a Gaea’s Cradle or Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx), bouncing the Calamity to hand and recasting for infinite. But what do you do with all that mana? You use your Mycosynth Lattice and start sniping every permanent your opponents control, including their lands. You deal enough damage to Brash Taunter to end the game. You bank on your Warstorm Surge or – for paper cut wins – Impact Tremors.

Zacama also just gets in for lots of damage and blocks like a champ. You’ve got to love seeing this downshifted to rare. With Ixalan around the corner, Dinosaur decks are going to want this and it’ll be nice that the Big Z isn’t $20 anymore.

4. Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow

If Eminence is a dicey mechanic, Commander ninjutsu is downright criminal. Bypassing the commander tax much like Derevi, Empyrial Tactician but with a way better payoff, Yuriko is cemented in the top tier of cEDH commanders.

Using a bevy of unblockable one drops to get in so she can swap out, Yuriko is best known for coming with a Sensei’s Divining Top to make sure her Temporal Trespass is the card revealed to hit your opponents for lots of life loss. Not to mention Yuriko triggers off of each Ninja dealing combat damage, and did I mention each of your opponents loses life equal to mana value? It’s one of the most busted commanders and elicits groans at tables worldwide.

5. Morophon, the Boundless

Morophon is one of the coolest cards and the new alt art version is nuts. There’s a new commander in the Slivers deck that lets you have a creature type matters deck of any kind but make no mistake, Morophon is the original one meant to be that guy. Being a changeling, all typal effects and bonus affect it, and the creature type cost reduction is a blast to work with in deck building, asking you to favour cards with more pips so that you can get as much value as you can. Do you want to build a Zombie deck that can play Varina, Lich Queen and Deadapult? Morophon’s ready for the command zone.

Honourable Mentions

• Akiri, Fearless Voyager – Notable downshift!
• Ariel, Knight of Windgrace – Not notable downshift!
• Experiment Kraj – A Timmy build-your-own-engine commander that’s a lot of fun when you realize how many cards have +1/+1 counters going on.
• Gisela, Blade of Goldnight – An absolute bomb. A finisher, an enabler, an angel. She does it all.
• Hamza, Guardian of Arashin – Hamza is very cool and deserves to see more decks.
• Hanna, Ship’s Navigator – Hanna has gotten really slow over the years, but she still remains an amazing stax commander.
• Judith, the Scourge Diva – Great downshift here. She’s really strong but the nontoken clause does make her eligible for uncommon.
• Karador, Ghost Chieftain – A boogieman of old. We would quake in fear of the Abzan graveyard deck and frankly we still should, even when he’s a support card in the 99.
• Kykar, Wind’s Fury – Spellslinger decks know and love Kykar.
• Maelstrom Wanderer – Downshifted to rare! Double cascade and everything has haste is great value for eight mana. There’s a reason this Wanderer is popular.
• Meren of Clan Nel Toth – She’s slow but efficient and can lead to grindy games. She’s a toolbox commander and I have a lot of nostalgia for her.
• Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist – This card is a blow out every time I’ve seen it but I’ve never wanted to build it.
• Mizzix of the Izmagnus – Another boogieman! Mizzix is the deck that players would groan at most when they saw her hit the table back in 2015-16.
• Nekusar, the Mindrazer – Same as Mizzix but 2013-15.
• Queen Marchesa – Long may she reign but downshifted at rare. She’s usually a good stuff Mardu deck, but I love seeing the political versions of her.
• Sek’Kuar, Deathkeeper – First reprint in many years. Underpowered but fun Jund commander who finally gets their own tokens printed this set!
• Sidisi, Brood Tyrant – If you’ve never seen a Sidisi, Brood Tyrant deck go off, I implore you to check out Rachel Weeks play hers.
• Taigam, Sidisi’s Hand – I’ve always liked this guy but nobody else does and he’s admittedly a little underwhelming… but there’s something about him.
• Tatyova, Benthic Druid – THE ART OF THE ALTERNATIVE VERSION IS GORGEOUS!
• Teysa Karlov – Wasn’t she JUST reprinted?
• Xantcha, Sleeper Agent – Please take the time to get to know Michael Celani’s work. He’s the best deck builder I know and you should see this Xantcha article: https://commandersherald.com/commander-masters-preview-xantcha-sleeper-agent/
• Zilortha, Strength Incarnate – Finally in non-Godzilla art form!

That does it for multicolour! Tune in next time for Commander deck reviews!

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Best of Commander Masters – Artifacts, Lands, and Colourless!

Hello! Welcome to my set review of Commander Masters, where I will pick five cards of each colour and discuss my favourite cards from them. Yes, there will be and artifact and lands review as well as a multicoloured review.

This is also a reprint set which means that this is mostly going to be picking cards for what they’ve already shown they can do. The monetary value of the cards is nice, but will not likely be the biggest factor in my selections. Because they’re reprints, we know that the cost might course correct and some cards will only be lower for a little bit, so be sure to snap up singles at threekingsloot.com.

Without further ado, here are my favourite Artifact, Colourless, and Land cards! Much like red, there were a lot of cards I’d love to include in the top five, but I wanted some variety, and maybe talk about some cards you may not see so often.

1. The Medallions (Pearl, Sapphire, Jet, Ruby, and Emerald Medallion)

Finally.

These cards are a long time coming. Medallions belong in mono coloured decks, two coloured decks, hell even three coloured decks that favour a particular colour. They trim down on initial cost and commander tax and that’s the floor. I run a Ruby Medallion in Prosper, Tome-Bound and with it out, I get so much more value out of my commander. Wrenn’s Resolve and Reckless Impulse effectively cost zero mana with Prosper and Medallion out. Add Birgi, God of Storytelling to the mix and it’s a roller coaster.

2. Enemy Bond Lands (Spectator Seating, Undergrowth Stadium, Training Center, Vault of Champions, and Rejuvenating Springs)

The Battlebond lands were a game changer when they were first printed, and when the cycle was completed in Commander Legends, players all over celebrated. Then they lamented their continued climb over $15 USD – $25 USD for some. Now we’re looking at them printed again and it’s beautiful. Get your copies for all your decks. As a matter of fact, I highly recommend  getting one of each!

3. Jeweled Lotus

You ever wanted to speed run your commander out?

Nothing feels more like cheating than when I drop a turn one Prosper, Tome-Bound. There are so many commanders that get enabled by this card whether more on the fair side in making a really expensive commander cost less for the first time or the more broken side by making your powerful commander come out three turns early.

Jeweled Lotus is expensive and will continue to be expensive. It is a Dockside Extortionist level of power on a card that goes in every deck.

4. Sword of the Animist

For some players, Sword of the Animist is their reason for playing any basic lands at all.

If you’ve got a deck where creatures swing at all, you’ll want to put this legendary blade in their hands to makes sure you snowball into your resources. Not much to say, it’s strong!

5. Ashnod’s Altar

Ashnod’s Altar is one of my favourite cards of all time. My favourite is Phyrexian Altar, a card inspired by this one. An instant speed, free sacrifice ability that is a mana ability and therefore cannot be responded to – I’m in heaven.

I’m an aristocrats player through and through. This card is an absolute must have for any player looking to dance with the graveyard.

Honourable Mentions

• Kozilek, the Great Distortion – Very strong, very cool, very annoying. Turning every spell in your hand into a pitch Counterspell is brutal.
• Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger – Throw this into your extra combat decks.
• Arcane Signet – Gavin admitted this was a mistake but it is a staple and while they are now cheap, they also used to be $10. If they ever stop printing these, you’ll need to know you’ve got a stockpile.
• Boompile – Speaking of piles, this is the most fun board wipe. If you want to add a little suspense and whimsy to your destruction, give this a whirl.
• Champion’s Helm – Voltron decks and decks that need to protect their commander at all costs will be happy to see this more affordable.
• Chromatic Lantern – Smooth out your mana with this. Any deck with three or more colours should run this, no matter how many people online say otherwise.
• Extraplanar Lens – Snow-covered lands in mono coloured decks are the way to take the most advantage of this without your opponents getting a piece of the value pie.
• Fellwar Stone – Another great rock that gets above $2 that you need for your collection.
• Hammer of Nazahn – One of the absolute best pieces of Equipment ever printed in the history of Magic.
• Idol of Oblivion – Got a token deck? Here’s your extra card per cycle!
• The Immortal Sun – The Immortal Sun is just the most gravy card as long as you don’t play planeswalkers. All your spells get discounted by one, you get an extra draw per turn, you get an anthem, and then on top of it you stall out planeswalkers? GG, what’s the next game.
• Inspiring Statuary – Turn your Clues and Foods into mana rocks for nonartifact spells. Very powerful and frankly, underrated.
• Sol Ring – THE Commander staple. Period.
• Thran Dynamo – Four mana for three extra mana a turn is a great rate.
• Command Tower – Okay also THE Commander staple.
• Reliquary Tower – No max hand size is overrated but sometimes you just wanna play Soramaro, First to Dream type creatures.

That does it for Colourless, Artifacts, and Lands! Tune in next time for Allied colours and Shards (or Wedges, I never remember which are which).

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Best of Commander Masters – Green!

Hello! Welcome to my set review of Commander Masters, where I will pick five cards of each colour and discuss my favourite cards from them. Yes, there will be and artifact and lands review as well as a multicoloured review.

This is also a reprint set which means that this is mostly going to be picking cards for what they’ve already shown they can do. The monetary value of the cards is nice, but will not likely be the biggest factor in my selections. Because they’re reprints, we know that the cost might course correct and some cards will only be lower for a little bit, so be sure to snap up singles at threekingsloot.com.

Without further ado, here are my favourite Green cards! Much like red, there were a lot of cards I’d love to include in the top five, but I wanted some variety and maybe talk about some cards you may not see so often.

1. Craterhoof Behemoth

That said, I will begin with one of the most famous green Magic cards ever printed. It’s so impactful, I’ve mentioned it in most of the previous articles in this series of reviews.

Ever since Avacyn Restored, Hoof has been a menace. That said, Craterhoof Behemoth does one thing exceptionally well and that is ending games. When Craterhoof enters the battlefield filled with creatures, unless a Fog has been played, most players start extending their hands for a handshake and a good game.

Hoof is perpetually expensive. There are printings that dip it’s value for a tiny bit, but then eventually it goes back up. Really keep your eye on this one at mtgstocks.com to find the right time to buy, because you will need to buy one if you ever build a green deck. I promise!

2. The Great Henge

Speaking of green staples, The Great Henge was a $90 card before being reprinted in the LOTR set. It’s going to be back up there in a few years unless it’s reprinted again. TGH comes down way sooner than turn nine. It helps you cast more creatures so you can draw more cards. It also provides you with +1/+1 counters to remove in your Tayam, Luminous Enigma decks.

The Great Henge is incredible in any deck that has enough nontoken creatures to enter the battlefield, whether that’s from casting, reanimating, or blinking. Your hand will be full!

3. Ohran Frostfang

If you love attacking and you are in green, there’s no reason not to slam Ohran Frostfang into your deck. Think of it: Toski, Bearer of Secrets is played so much because of this effect. He’s also indestructible which is huge, but a lot of attacks don’t get through because there’s nothing disincentivizing blocking. Enter Ohran Frostfang, granting deathtouch to your entire attacking board, meaning your opponents either let you draw a card or lose their creature.

I’ve mentioned my Grand Warlord Radha deck before and when I tell you cards like this make the deck hum, I mean it ROARS when something like Frostfang is hanging out.

4. Azusa, Lost but Seeking

Azusa is, frankly, absurd. Being able to play three lands a turn is absolutely messed up. Obviously, this belongs in a landfall deck, but I would urge anybody with green in their commander’s identity to play Azusa for the simple fact that if you play Azusa and you have card draw going (you are in green, after all), you can have a silly curve.

Play Azusa on turn three and enough lands in hand, you’re up to five. Next turn takes you to eight lands in play with and that can make a world of different in a deck like Damia, Sage of Stone or Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty or Gilanra, Caller of Wirewood + partner.

I have been waiting for another reprint as an excuse to test Azusa in my Mike, the Dungeon Master and Will the Wise deck and I bet that it’ll be amazing.

5. Finale of Devastation

Tutoring a creature to play is inherently powerful. Green Sun’s Zenith does it for green creatures and basically acts like any creature in your deck.

Finale of Devastation lets you search your library AND your graveyard to get any kind of creature into play. And to boot, if you paid 10 or more into X, you get a board wipe pump effect and haste to hopefully put the nail in the coffin of the game. Hell, you’re probably going to go find Craterhoof Behemoth if I had to guess! Go and get it from your graveyard from when it got countered last turn, why don’t ya!

This card is very powerful and a reprint is well worth it and welcome.

Honourable Mentions

• Arachnogenesis – Reprinted just in time for your Shelob, Child of Ungoliant decks to have already bought a copy or maybe to finally get a copy.
• Doubling Season – A true staple of the format. A bit of a win more card, but Doubling Season is Parallel Lives/Mondrak, Glory Dominus/Anointed Procession with extra counters stapled onto it. It’s also scary so be ready for it to be removed or not even get resolved.
• Heroic Intervention – Speaking of protecting your Doubling Season. Heroic Intervention is a necessity when playing green. Unless you don’t mind stuff dying, Heroic Intervention is board wipe repellent.
• Kodama’s Reach – A classic ramp spell that sometimes hits $2. Get your copies if you don’t already have them.
• Obscuring Haze – This cycle was (audience joins in:) A MISTAKE! It also is a ONE-SIDED Fog effect. This can be absolutely devastating if an opponent was banking on combat.
• Regal Behemoth – I personally would run Mana Reflection or Mirari’s Wake, but introducing the monarch is pretty sweet.
• Sakiko, Mother of Summer – It’s about time we saw this card again. Sakiko has always been really cool and rewards you with mana based on the amount of damage done. Grand Warlord Radha is pleased!
• Selvala, Heart of the Wilds – One of the best mana dorks of all time. Yes, she requires a tall creature, but green has a lot of those. I almost forget she has card draw on her.
• Skyshroud Claim – One of the best ramp spells ever. The new art is nice, but I will always love the Mercadian Masques art because it is burned into my brain.
• Song of the Dryads – This card was excellent removal, but where it shines is as a tool to enchant one of your permanents so it dodges removal or is now eligible for combos it wasn’t previously like with Deserted Temple, for example.
• Stonehoof Chieftain – A bonkers top end piece but Hoof is better for sure.
• Tooth and Nail – Hey! Remember Tooth and Nail? Get your two card combo and end the game already!
• Wayward Swordtooth – Landfall decks have lamented this becoming a $10 card in the last years and it’s very nice to know it won’t be up there anymore.

That does it for Green! Tune in next time for Colourless/Artifact/Lands!

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Best of Commander Masters – Red!

Hello! Welcome to my set review of Commander Masters, where I will pick five cards of each colour and discuss my favourite cards from them. Yes, there will be and artifact and lands review as well as a multicoloured review.

This is also a reprint set which means that this is mostly going to be picking cards for what they’ve already shown they can do. The monetary value of the cards is nice, but will not likely be the biggest factor in my selections. Because they’re reprints, we know that the cost might course correct and some cards will only be lower for a little bit, so be sure to snap up singles at  threekingsloot.com.

Without further ado, here are my favourite Red cards! This was actually the hardest colour to pick only five from so far. I love so many of these cards and they’re all bombs!

1. Deflecting Swat

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: This cycle was a mistake.

The ability to chose new targets for any spell or ability, that’s spicy. I thought we had it figured out with Bolt Bend and that’d be it, but no, we got ourselves and even better version.

Deflecting Swat is free if you cast your commander. What permanent are you most likely trying to protect? That’s right, your commander. Maybe an opponent casts an Eldrazi Conscription, you can also TAKE THAT AWAY FROM THEM! There’s a lot more work to this card that you can really squeeze out of it. It requires so little to be so powerful.

2. Vandalblast

An uncommon worthy of the top five, Vandalblast is ever important in the current meta consisting of more and more artifact tokens that generate value, particularly Treasures.

It’s debilitating against colours that depend on mana rocks and in a massive way against artifact decks. A silver bullet in a golden gun.

3. Neheb, the Eternal

Neheb has been one of the absolute coolest red creatures since its printing in Hour of Devastation. Fire off Pyrohemia for five mana, get 15 mana post-combat? Ouch!

Neheb is fantastic as a commander, but as a support creature, he’s also a massive asset. Saskia the Unyielding decks, Magus Lucea Kane decks, Zaffai, Thunder Conductor – they all benefit whenever Neheb is in play. On board, the guy is just a tank. This reprint will lower prices for a little bit but I don’t expect that to stay. I think Neheb is cool enough to maintain his price point as it is.

4. Magus of the Wheel

Ostensibly, this is a bulk rare, but I demand that you respect it. Disrupting your opponents’ plan is huge. Wheeling when a potential ally can help is huge. Fuelling your graveyard or discarding zero cards for seven new ones, they’re all good things.

On top of that, Magus of the Wheel only sacrifices himself, he can be reanimated and he doesn’t get exiled upon resolution. You can keep him coming.

5. Grenzo, Havoc Raiser

Grenzo is one of the most fun creatures to put in any creature swarm strategy. You get to goad creatures out of the way and you get to steal cards from their decks! If you don’t cast that spell, it’s just exiled. So while it’s combat damage based and you’re extremely unlikely to mill an opponent out, it’s still as effective as a Sire of Stagnation getting rid of potentially game winning cards.

Grenzo as a commander is a token leader. Make more and more tokens and attack. That’s why I put him in my Grand Warlord Radha deck. Not only does he get cards, but Radha provides the mana to cast all that you take. He’s low to the ground and can change the course of the game while also making sure that no game is the same! It’s full of variance and variety.

Honourable Mentions

• Ashling the Pilgrim – One of the most fun decks I’ve played against was called Ticking Time Bomb and it was Ashling in the command zone, 80 mountains and the rest were just rituals. The idea was play Ashling and dare your opponents to set off the bomb. So fun.
• Balefire Dragon – I have fond memories of casting this with a haste enabler and just ruining my opponent’s day with a well timed slap from this dragon. Everything they control gets hit for six and if it’s got double strike, it’d be surprising if anything sticks around.
• Daretti, Scrap Savant – Daretti is a great artifact commander, artifact deck role player, and honestly, if you’ve got enough artifacts to make the other two abilities work, the first one allows you to sculpt your graveyard for reanimation!
• Disrupt Decorum – This has been outclassed by Taunt From the Rampart but it remains one of the most fun things you can do to a board.
• Divergent Transformations – Red polymorph card that’s best used on your own tokens. Play this in your Jaxis, the Troublemaker decks, trust me.
• Fiery Confluence – Not the flashiest of the Confluence cycle, but it allows for some really precise plays. Rakdos, Lord of Riots just smashes the B button though.
• Godo, Bandit Warlord – Helm of the Host infinite combo from the command zone. Woo! Did you have fun?
• Heartless Hidetsugu – Lol give him lifelink.
• Insurrection – The early days of Commander, this was the boogie man. I still is responsible for feel bad endings because if you spend the whole game doing nothing and top deck an Insurrection to win the game, it was just a clock ticking to eight mana.
• Krenko, Mob Boss – The classic Goblin king. Untap, tap, untap, tap, untap…
• Nesting Dragon – This card is underrated for pillowfort decks or decks that need a bit of a guard up or rattlesnake effect. It plays really well in my Grand Warlord Radha deck, that’s for sure.
• Purphoros, God of the Forge – The new Goblin king. Whenever you see a Goblin deck, back in the day, it was Krenko or Purphoros. Now new Krenko and Muxus have entered the pantheon but Purphy and Krenko both remain top of the list.
• Savage Beating – Excellent scarcity reprint. Super expensive card and it plays like a red Craterhoof Behemoth. Well chosen, expect this to fall for a while.
• Scourge of the Throne – Dragon decks love this guy and for good reason.
• Star of Extinction – One of the funniest board wipes ever printed. Brash Taunters love it.
• Storm-Kiln Artist – On par with Pitiless Plunderer for one of the most insane mana producing uncommon of recent memory.
• Tempt with Vengeance – A fun mini game that nobody wants to play. Aristocrats decks want this.
• Treasure Nabber – Now that this is finally going to be mass printed, you can expect players to be sharing some mana rocks more.

That does it for Red! Tune in next time for Green!

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Best of Commander Masters – Black!

Hello! Welcome to my set review of Commander Masters, where I will pick five cards of each colour and discuss my favourite cards from them. Yes, there will be and artifact and lands review as well as a multicoloured review.

This is also a reprint set which means that this is mostly going to be picking cards for what they’ve already shown they can do. The monetary value of the cards is nice, but will not likely be the biggest factor in my selections. Because they’re reprints, we know that the cost might course correct and some cards will only be lower for a little bit so be sure to snap up singles at  threekingsloot.com.

Without further ado, here are my favourite Black cards!

1. Demonic Tutor

Demonic Tutor is back again. A solid mythic inclusion in the set.

I really dislike tutor effects but they’re necessary for cEDH and, in the casual circles, they allow for decks with secret commanders. I’m happy to see this back again for those who want it!

Truly not much to say about this card! It’s from the first set of the game. It’s an A+.

2. Mikaeus, the Unhallowed

Half of the Mike n Trike combo with Triskelion (now better with Walking Ballista), Mikaeus, the Unhallowed makes my heart sing as an aristocrats player. I love graveyard strategies, I love getting to double dip on my creatures entering the battlefield and dying. Of course, this can’t be in a Human focused deck, but anywhere you have a high density of non-Human creatures,  you can slap the in and give your opponents a hard time.

Unsurprisingly, this card is a house in Ghave, Guru of Spores and with Retribution of the Ancients.

3. Twilight Prophet

When Twilight Prophet first came out, I could not believe it. It was Bob (aka Dark Confidant) but your opponents take the life loss instead? That’s insane. Anybody who lets this live a turn cycle will feel some pain, especially if you’ve got a Sensei’s Divining Top.

Keen Duelist is likelier to stick around than Bob or Twilight Prophet, but Prophet is a Vampire and that will be relevant in our return to Ixalan.

4. Kindred Dominance

If you’ve got a deck that focuses on a creature type, you’re gonna want a board wipe that spares your creatures. Crux of Fate exists for Dragons, but Kindred Dominance exists for Clerics, Krakens, Wizards, and Avatars… among others – I mean, everything!

This card got expensive since its printing in C17. It’s a wonderful thing to behold, seeing it in this set. I hope its first reprint will make it more affordable to support creature types that need it.

5. Archfiend of Despair

Did you know this was $50 USD before this reprint was announced?

This card is a F-I-N-I-S-H-E-R, darling! This is a flying 6/6 Demon with Wound Reflection stapled to it and it also prevents your opponents from gaining life. Talk about putting pressure on life totals. Plop this into a Saskia the Unyielding or give it encore in an Araumi of the Dead Tide and close out the game.

Honourable Mentions

• Bloodchief Ascension – This card is a long time coming. Mindcrank goes infinite with this once the Ascension is online. Excellent inclusion in mill and discard decks.
• Chainer, Dementia Master – We just got this card reprinted in Dominaria Remastered and honestly, I’m including it here because only months ago this was almost $10 and now it’s 50 cents. What a time to be alive. What an incredible card, truly. I really love this creature.
• Curtains’ Call – Four mana for instant speed kill two creatures is pretty good rate. There’s no caveat like on Malicious Affliction either!
• Deadly Rollick – This cycle was a mistake, it’s too powerful. Get this card.
• Decree of Pain – Modal board wipe and if you’ve got the mana, you’ll draw so many cards. In terms of board wipes, I wish this one saw more play and it hopefully will.
• Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder – It’s nice to see Endrek Sahr get some respect and a bit of a handsome glow up. This card is an aristocrats dream! Just make sure you’ve got a free sacrifice outlet to keep your Thrull count down.
• Exsanguinate – Classic game ender, new art!
• Grave Pact – The new art pieces for this card are incredible, though for one extra mana, gaining Flash with Dictate of Erebos makes me favour that instead.
• Imp’s Mischief – This card is so much fun, I can’t wait to jam it in a bunch of decks.
• Rankle, Master of Pranks – This card is more fun than you think it is… every time.
• Razaketh, the Foulblooded – Sacrifice a creature, pay two life, sure that’s enough for a Demonic Tutor! This card is nuts. I don’t play it, of course, but my god, that’s so powerful. Turn your creatures into any cards in your deck.
• Rune-Scarred Demon – Speaking of getting any card in your deck, seven mana for a 6/6 flyer that enters to give you any card you need? And it’s on a body you can blink? Aminatou, the Fate Shifter can’t lose!
• Sower of Discord – Araumi of the Dead Tide is picking up some spicy reprints!
• Toxic Deluge – One of the most efficient board wipes in the format.

That does it for Black! Tune in next time for Red!

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Best of Commander Masters – Blue!

Hello! Welcome to my set review of Commander Masters, where I will pick five cards of each colour and discuss my favourite cards from them. Yes, there will be and artifact and lands review as well as a multicoloured review.

This is also a reprint set which means that this is mostly going to be picking cards for what they’ve already shown they can do. The monetary value of the cards is nice, but will not likely be the biggest factor in my selections. Because they’re reprints, we know that the cost might course correct and some cards will only be lower for a little bit, so be sure to snap up singles at threekingsloot.com.

Without further ado, here are my favourite Blue cards!

1. Fierce Guardianship

Surprising absolutely no one, I have chosen another one of the “free if you control your commander” cycle cards.

Fierce Guardianship is so good it reached $80 before being announced as a reprint and I have a feeling it’s going right back up there. This card will be seen more. Before, it was expensive because of its power and scarcity together. Now, it’ll be more accessible and more people will find themselves trying to get it or including it if they do get it.

This cycle is a mistake but they are undoubtably powerful. This is one of the best counter spells ever printed. It’s only for Commander of course, but damn it’s crazy. Tap out to bait a big powerful spell only to counter it for free? You nasty! These won’t get that cheap so pick them up.

2. Faerie Artisans

This is one of my favourite blue creatures ever printed. If I had to make a top ten blue creatures, this would probably make the top five.

Commander has gotten to the point where enters-the-battlefield effects are dominating and extremely powerful. With Faerie Artisans in play, you get those from your opponents’ nontoken creatures entering too. It’s like Aboleth Spawn with a token body. I love this card for token doubling strategies, artifact strategies, and clone strategies. I run Faerie Artisans to great effect in my The Ever-Changing ‘Dane deck where I sometimes get to upgrade my commander out of the blue.

3. Urza, Lord High Artificer

This is a kill on sight commander. Urza, Lord High Artificer is one of the most powerful creatures out there. Artifact synergies or not, even getting to activate that Mind’s Desire ability on him can be backbreaking and game winning.

This card is a powerhouse in every single artifact deck and if you see him at the helm, I hope you packed a bunch of artifact hate because Urza’s about to go off. Urza turns all your Myr tokens into Silver Myr and all your Treasures, Clues, and Foods into Sky Diamonds. Lots of mana to activate that other ability!

4. Sun Quan, Lord of Wu

This card is one of those white whale cards for me and I am so excited to see it reprinted and that a foil will be affordable.

Sun Quan, Lord of Wu is basically blue’s Craterhoof Behemoth. It’s a creature that comes down and immediately makes combat a huge swing. This basically reads “give your creatures unblockable” and that means Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow will love it and so will any deck that doesn’t have a Hoof to throw down for a big hit. Hell, this is just amazing in a Voltron strategy and better than Hoof if you’re going tall instead of wide!

5. Cyclonic Rift

Of course I have to put one of the most annoying cards in the top five. Much like Smothering Tithe, Cyclonic Rift is a card in EDH that elicits groans at the table. More so if you’re not winning right after casting it. The versatility is easy to ignore because you go from one permanent to probably 30 for five more mana… but it’s there. Don’t forget it!

If you do play Cyclonic Rift, be sure you have a win condition coming or you’re disrupting one because the table will turn on you otherwise.

Honourable Mentions

• Azami, Lady of Scrolls – Azami gets an amazing alt art treatment in this set, but Jack Hughes’ work in the Secret Lair is untouchable.
• Body Double – People sleep on this card. One of the best Clones in the game. They’ve been uncommon for a while and I promise you there’s always a good enough target. Play it more!
• Bribery – Last set seen? In 8th Edition. It’s a long time coming to get Bribery back in a set. I recommend you keep this to your own playgroup because if you get a deck you don’t know to rifle through, you’re going to take too much time picking a creature.
• Capture of Jingzhou – Portal Three Kingdoms’ Time Warp effect is finally reprinted and this WILL come down. It was scarce before now, it’ll only be in the decks of annoying people who take extra turns (me, my Zaffai deck doesn’t need friends).
• Commandeer – This used to be a huge deal in my playgroup and in Ux decks, I can see it making a splash now that more people know.
• Day’s Undoing – Don’t put this in your wheels deck, Nekusar, it doesn’t do what you want it to.
• Mystic Confluence – The best of its cycle. It’s never dead, there’s always something to do with it.
• Personal Tutor – Portal uncommon upshifted to rare. When they previewed this, I thought it was a new card so I was like “oh wow, a Masters set that’s lots of reprints with SOME new cards? Interesting.” But nope, here’s your scarcity hit. Sorcery speed and it doesn’t even hit instants? Mystical Tutor at home.
• Spellseeker – cEDH staple getting a reprint upshifted to mythic for the draft format. I’ve never liked tutors much, but it’s good to get this out there more so people can hang with the more competitive metas out there.
• Stormsurge Kraken – I was shocked by how expensive this got. I’m glad I sold mine when I did because this isn’t going to be up there for a while. It’s an INCREDIBLE Kraken for sea creatures decks for sure. Runo, get your boy!
• Teferi, Temporal Archmage – Is big Teferi still a cEDH deck? The Chain Veil and Teferi are one of the most notorious combos in the whole format. He’s exceptionally powerful, but people know better than to let him live. Try him in your Planeswalker precons!
• Torrential Gearhulk – Big fan of the big metal Snapcaster Mage. It’s an artifact so you can Goblin Welder it back into play for a surprise Scrap Mastery. It’s very solid and if the format slows down a little, it’ll be back on top.

That does it for Blue! Tune in next time for Black!

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Best of Commander Masters – White!

Hello! Welcome to my set review of Commander Masters, where I will pick five cards of each colour and discuss my favourite cards from them. Yes, there will be and artifact and lands review as well as a multicoloured review.

Given that the set also comes out with a set of preconstructed Commander decks, I’ll also be covering my favourite cards from there in another article.

This is also a reprint set which means that this is mostly going to be picking cards for what they’ve already shown they can do. The monetary value of the cards is nice, but will not likely be the biggest factor in my selections. Because they’re reprints, we know that the cost might course correct and some cards will only be lower for a little, bit so be sure to snap up singles at  threekingsloot.com

Without further ado, here are my favourite White cards!

1. Flawless Maneuver

Flawless Maneuver is part of a cycle of cards that I would most definitely call a mistake. The free if you control a commander cards are wild. You don’t even need to control your own commander! You can even get the discount if you control an opponent’s commander.

I digress. The point of this is that the cards were all deemed great upon release (except the green one which is also great) and they remain solid inclusions in any list that makes use of their commander.

Flawless Maneuver is basically a free Unbreakable Formation if you have a commander under your control and that’s pretty solid. Formation also grants a bonus if cast in your main phase, but Maneuver keeps your stuff safe from a board wipe while potentially telegraphing that you don’t have the mana to pay to save your board (which is the problem with these cards by the way). Every one of these in the cycle is worth having at least once of. Enjoy!

2. Avacyn, Angel of Hope

It’s weird to say Avacyn’s been overdue for a reprint when we just saw her in Double Masters in 2020, but if you see how much she costs you would be surprised to hear she’s been reprinted at all.

Currently at approximately $50 USD, this card has never been printed at lower than mythic rarity and for good reason: a draft environment with more than one Avacyn? I’d flip a table.

Avacyn is an incredible card that sees play in decks that need their stuff protected. While she doesn’t help against the Farewells of the world, she does still get around damage-based board wipes and destruction wipes. For all of your permanents, no less! I run Avacyn in one deck at the moment and it is absolutely busted because of the price tag. The deck? Sevinne, the Chronoclasm’s Brash Taunter theme deck where everything takes damage to deal damage. Make a Spiteful Sliver indestructible and copy a Star of Extinction out of the graveyard – why yes, I think I will!

3. Grand Abolisher

Grand Abolisher has not been reprinted in a meaningful way ever. It was in the Commander 2014 monowhite deck, then in 2017 it was in the Archenemy box set, then finally a Secret Lair. Not once has Grand Abolisher returned to being cracked in boosters since its release in Magic 2012… until now!

Grand Abolisher is a lightning rod for a potent removal spell and is ultimately a cone of safety for your turn. You get to do your shenanigans problem-free. This sees cEDH play and should probably see play in your decks if you’re up against instant speed players or opponents who want to react on your turn. I know when I see a Grand Abolisher come down, I need to think about whether I want to sacrifice creatures to an Ashnod’s Altar on this turn or not. Excellent pick up that I expect to see come down to $15 at least.

4. Loyal Retainers

Am I salty for picking up a copy of this literally two weeks before this was announced with such gorgeous art? Yes. Especially because this is a Portal Three Kingdoms card that has only been reprinted twice and – get this – the reprints barely count. Previously to Commander Masters, Loyal Retainers were in Commander’s Arsenal from 2012 and they were also in Amonkhet Invocations.

With so many legendary cards in Commander and lots of them loving the graveyard, Loyal Retainers will finally get a chance to be tested in a ton of decks. It’s timing is restricted, but that won’t stop a combo player looking to make a loop. This will drop in price considerably but is worth keeping an eye on.

5. Smothering Tithe

This card warps games. It has been upshifted to mythic from rare. It was once included in a preconstructed deck from the set it debuted in.

Smothering Tithe is a card I love to play but hate to play against. It is insanely powerful and will continue to be so until it is banned (which maybe it should be). If you don’t have one for your collection, pick one or two up because thanks to this set it might go down a couple of bucks, but don’t get too hopeful… the mythic rarity will prevent it from meaningful reduction.

Honourable Mentions

• Alms Collector – Great in the face of lots of burst draw, but not so much against incremental draw (Rhystic Study). It’s worth it in Cat or Cleric decks or depending on your meta.
• Angelic Field Marshal – This card is pretty great in go wide decks that want their commander in play. Just in general. But it is an Angel, making this a pretty penny.
• Cartographer’s Hawk – This design has always felt like an uncommon to me and it feels right to see it downshifted.
• Darksteel Mutation – With a new enchantress commander coming, I think the sis a solid inclusion in enchantment based lists. Put it on a creature your opponents need. Maybe that Muldrotha player doesn’t have a sacrifice outlet, why don’t you hose ‘em!
• Heliod, Sun-Crowned – Heliod, Sun-Crowned is part of an infinite combo with Walking Ballista and if you’ve got life gain or +1/+1 counter synergies, I beg you to give Heliod a try in your deck, it’ll be so good.
• Land Tax – Land Tax isn’t nearly as good as it used to be. It’s alright and when you play it on turn one in a pod against a green player and you have ways to bounce lands back to hand to keep going under the threshold required, you can draw lands like crazy. But I’ve personally started removing it from decks.
• Mangara, the Diplomat – White has become one of the most powerful colours in Commander and cards like this are why. Yes, the card draw is out of your control, but players do things anyway. Either you get a card or they don’t do something that’ll hurt you, it’s win-win.
• Nahiri, the Lithomancer – This seems like a fun commander! I was surprised to see it’s $10, but will be surprised if it ever gets there again.
• Puresteel Paladin – Equipment deck all-star. An absolute unit in those decks. Draws cards and bypasses equip costs. A must-play in Equipment decks that can afford to.
• Sevinne’s Reclamation – This is one of white’s more recent staple cards. It’s ramp and recursion. Cosmic Intervention and Brought Back are great, but that window is a tougher requirement. Sevinne’s Reclamation’s utility makes this an easy pick up and include in any white and permanent based decks.
• Steelshaper’s Gift – The upshift from uncommon to rare makes sense in draft environment, but this is a tutor for Equipment. So you know where to put it.
• Sublime Exhalation – In “regular” pods, this will be 3W most of the time. If you have a habit of playing in like five or eight player games (WHY!), then this is pretty bonkers. Blasphemous Act is also great for it but hey this is interesting design. The problem is it gets worse if a player is eliminated.
• Wrath of God – Wrath of God aka Wrath aka the basis for that style of card. A classic. It’s got gorgeous art and will always cost four mana unlike some cards (see above).
• Zetalpa, Primal Dawn – I am so fed up of seeing this damn Dinosaur over and over again in my Commander products. We get it, it’s good and closes games out. But this could have been something else!

Tune in next time for Blue!

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A Seat at the Table – Riders of Rohan Upgrade!

Hello and welcome to A Seat at the Table, the column where I pick a commander and talk about what I’d include in the 99. This week, I’m taking a look at the Riders of Rohan preconstructed Commander deck from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set. A Human typal deck with a lot of overlap with the Ikoria Jirina Kudro deck.

Let’s take a look at five cards to put in and five cards to take out in this new A Seat at the Table sub-series. If you like this, please let me know and I’ll do the other precons, too!

Let’s begin with the decklists. All the precons can be found here: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/the-lord-of-the-rings-tales-of-middle-earth-commander-decklists

I don’t want to bloat the article too much, but I will say there are some dope reprints in this one: Combat Celebrant, Path to Exile, Swords to Plowshares, Supreme Verdict, Talisman of Progress, Thought Vessel, Herald’s Horn, Door of Destinies, Vanquisher’s Banner, Shared Animosity, Clifftop Retreat, and Glacial Fortress! Look at these reprints!

For this precon, there are two eligible commanders. Which one will we build around? Let’s take a look at them.

The face commander is Eowyn, Shieldmaiden, a legendary 5/4 Human Knight for 2URW and a whole lot of value!

“First Strike  

At the beginning of combat on your turn, if another Human entered the battlefield under your control this turn, create two 2/2 red Human Knight creature tokens with trample and haste. Then if you control six or more Humans, draw a card.”  

A token swarm with card draw in the command zone and she’s a beater to boot. Who else we got?

Aragorn, King of Gondor is a 4/4 legendary Human Nobel for 1URW with a textbox that says aggro is back on the table!

“Vigilance, lifelink  

When Aragorn, King of Gondor enters the battlefield, you become the monarch. 

Whenever Aragorn attacks, up to one target creature can’t block this turn. If you’re the monarch, creatures can’t block this turn.” 

Unbelievable. No blocking! Monarch! Vigilance and lifelink!

(Here’s what happens when the Ring tempts you: https://scryfall.com/card/tltr/H13/the-ring-the-ring-tempts-you)  

This deck is going to be a Jeskai Human typal deck with a monarch subtheme. Let’s make some cuts. There are only 12 monarch cards and I think I’d prefer to lean into the Human theme with Aragorn as a finisher.

Time to pick five cards to put in and five to remove. When it comes to precon deck upgrades, there are quite a few cards you can remove without worrying. I’ll cut five and give brief reasons and then talk about what to add.

Cuts

1. Gimli of the Glittering Caves
   I’m starting controversial. Gimli is not a Human, doesn’t forward your game plan, you don’t have enough legends to justify keeping him in here. Does he make two Treasures when he hits an opponent? Yes. That’s amazing, but it doesn’t synergize with the deck and he won’t shine as well in this deck as in other decks, I promise. If Aragorn were the commander, maybe better!
2. Earthquake
   You’re a creature deck, so board wipes aren’t really what you want but if you have to have one, you should pick one that hits flying creatures too. Especially since your deck isn’t filled with them either.
3. Sunset Revelry
   In this deck, this is likely only going to be a card draw, but that’s basically like cycling this card. I’d rather a more consistent draw source.
4. Banishing Light
   This effect is available on human creatures or just better like Brutal Cathar or Grasp of Fate.
5. Dearly Departed
   You need this in your graveyard and you don’t have discard effects like crazy in this deck and then you need to cast your Human creatures for an extra +1/+1. If you really want this, play an anthem. Flowering of the White Tree just came out and is one of the most pushed anthem effects ever printed.

New Additions

Warning – There are a lot more cards I want to include in this deck and would love to recommend more than just five so here you go!  

1. Flawless Maneuver
   You’ve got a creature deck and you’re going to need to protect them from a board wipe. This is the best protection besides a Counterspell. Pick it up if you can. Fingers crossed it’s reprinted in Commander Masters. You can run Selfless Spirit too if you’ve got Sun Titan or anything to bring it back.

2. Kessig Malcontents
   A finisher on a Human body. Do you like Eomer, King of Rohan? Here’s something similar for less mana, basically. You have Gilraen, Dunedain Protector in the deck and I have more recommendations for you to keep snapping the Malcontents into your opponents’ faces.

3. Haste enablers
   You want to attack and do it right away. Crashing Drawbridge is super flavourful and comes down early. Rising of the Day is a Fervor with a little extra zest. Urabrask the Hidden makes sure your opponents are delayed on their blockers.

4. Copies
   Even with as man legends as you’ve got, a healthy amount of them have ETB abilities. Molten Echoes lets you double dip and make tokens, giving you more bodies for Eowyn to draw you a card. Mirage Phalanx is another sleeper I enjoy just like Mirror-Style Master. If you’ve got Cathars’ Crusade, your board is doubled up every combat. Copy your ETB effects with Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines or the more affordable artifact Panharmonicon. Don’t forget Strionic Resonator for your non-ETB triggered abilities too.

5. Kindred Discovery / Mana Echoes
   Kindred Discovery naming Humans is a good way to make sure your hand is stacked, but be careful not to deck yourself out! You draw for ETB and attack! Greed is good! On that same tip, Mana Echoes is a little pricey, but worth the inclusion. Play a Raise the Alarm and get four colourless mana and two creatures? That’s just counting the creatures you made and only on your board! You can count your opponents’ creatures too when yours enter and we already know that Humans are by far the most common creature type.

6. Blink
   Nahiri’s Resolve and Brago, King Eternal are cards I would slap into this deck if you’re going heavier into ETB effects, but Brago blinks your artifacts and mana effects for the same turn. Nahiri’s Resolve keeps your creatures safe from sorcery speed board wipes your opponents might have. All in all, these cards rip and deserve your attention.

That does it for this edition of A Seat at the Table. Let me know what you think @mikecarrozza!

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