Summary
Commander is one of those formats that always benefits from a newMagic: The Gatheringset and with the release of Bloomburrow, you get plenty of fantastic new cards to experiment with.
If you’re looking for a few cards to upgrade your decks with, you’re going to want to give these cards a second look. Whether you’re looking for some great removal options or to go absolutely wild with tokens, here are the cards you’re going to want to keep an eye on.
10Fell
Single Target Removal Is Good
There’s a bit of a stigma in Commander about single target removal spells and make no mistake, there is a place for them. Fell might be one of the best ones around. Fell destroys any creature, short and sweet. You don’t need to worry about them being nonblack, or nonartifact, or any other stipulation. It just has to be a creature.
The only thing holding it back is that it is at sorcery speed, but if you’re determined enough you won’t let that stop you.
9Patchwork Banner
Kindred Decks Have Their Mana Rock
This little mama rock pulls double duty in Bloomburrow, and will likely slot right into any typal deck. When Patchwork Banner enters the battlefield, you get to pick a creature type.
Those creatures get a permanent +1/+1 buff with the banner in play, which is pretty darn good for a three-mana mana rock. The three mana slot is pretty tight, especially for mana accelerants, but this one seems like a shoe-in for any deck that cares about creature types.
8Stormcatch Mentor
Izzet Otters Poppin’ Off
There’s been a few of these two mana Izzet creatures that make your spells come at a discount, but Stormcatch Mentor might be the best among them.
For just two mana you get a somewhat underpowered 1/1 Otter Wizard, but those lower stats come with a bonus two abilities. The Otter has haste, so you can start poking damage in the same turn it comes down, and with prowess, it’ll rarely stay at the 1/1 state. Especially since it also makes your instant and sorcery spells cost one generic mana less to cast, making this little fella a triple threat.
7Innkeeper’s Talent
Keep The Tavern Warm
An exceptionally strong class enchantment, Innkeeper’s Talent comes down quickly at just two mana, and works to make your creatures bigger and bigger each turn. At its base level, this Talent puts a +1/+1 counter on a creature you control at the start of your combat.
Then for one mana you can being it to level 2, which gives your permanents with counters ward 1, making them more difficult to remove. And finally, at max level this Talent turns into a counter doubler, letting you puttwice as many counters on permanents or players anytime you do.
6Three Tree City
Three Trees, One Creature Type
Making tons of mana for cheap is essential in Commander and Three Tree City, you have a perfect land for any kindred-based deck. When this land comes into play you pick a creature type.
you’re able to then pay two mana and tap it to add mana of one color equal to the number of creatures you control of the chosen type. If you have 10 Squirrels out, you are netting 8 mana for activating the land, which is a pretty darn good land.
5Maha, Its Feathers Night
Enemy Creatures, Toughness One
Maha feels like a Magic card from a bygone age. It’s a five-mana 6/5 with flying and trample with a fairly strong ward effect. The real power, however, comes from its static ability.
With Maha out, all your opponent’s creatures have a base toughness of just one. Maha basically lets all your creatures trade with your opponents, but also sets up some devastating plays. If you have any spells that reduce your opponent’s toughness by at least one point you can set up a perpetual board wipe where your opponents will never stick a creature again.
4Dragonhawk, Fate’s Temptest
One Of Bloomburrow’s Only Dragons
One of the many Calamities that plague Bloomburrow, Dragonhawk, Fate’s Tempest is a beast. When it comes into play or when you attack with it, you get to exile the top X cards of your library equal to the number of creatures you control with power four or more.
Those cards are available for you to play until your next end step. If you don’t play those cards, you get to deal two damage to each opponent for each card still in exile. That damage will rack up quickly, and even if you end up playing everything you exiled, you put yourself ahead several cards.
3Dawn’s Truce
Bring On The Egg
There are several cards nowwith the ability to let you dodge all sorts of board wipes, removal, and game-ending scenarios, and if you’ve been on the hunt for another, Dawn’s Truce might just fill the spot.
This protection spell has some versatility with it. If you just need to dodge a few targeted removal spells, you can cast it normally. If you need protection from a board wipe, you can gift an opponent a card, giving them a free draw while keeping your permanents safe.
2Ral, Crackling Wit
Planeswalker Turned Otter
Ral seems like one of those planeswalkers that will spiral out of control if left alone. To be fair, most planeswalkers are a huge problem if they’re allowed to tick up counters, but Ral seems to be particularly problematic for your opponents.
Casting noncreature spells gives Ral, Crackling Wit loyalty counters, and with a high density of cantrips and protective spells, you can safely keep Ral safe until you hit his ultimate ability, which costs a huge ten loyalty. Once you hit that threshold you get a permanent emblem that gives your instant and sorcery spells storm, which can quickly tip a game in your favor.`
1For The Common Good
Oops All Tokens
A fascinating rare from Bloomhaven, For the Common Goodmakes token copies of one of your token cards, so long as you have plenty of mana available. You get to make X tokens of a token you already control, so long as you pay twice X when you cast this spell.
But the token value doesn’t stop there. You also get to give all your tokens indestructible until your next turn, all but guaranteeing you’ll keep them safe through most any board wipe. You also gain a life for each of your tokens, helping you sustain yourself through any oncoming attacks.
