Kinda off-topic but am I the only one who hopes that the "usual" third commander-slot is not saved for the boring Invasion-dragons? I'd love a new series of equal legendaries - be it dragons with similar build but different features for all I care - but make them different and more interesting.
I don't understand the dislike here. These legends are a bit simple but solid, and they enable new archetypes in Commander which is the purpose of a new legend in my mind. Sure, they aren't format-altering revolutionaries like the other previewed generals, but...
Gahiji is a strong token commander, likely stronger than Rith, the Awakener or Hazezon Tamar, or at least different. He also lets Naya dip its toes into politics, if that's a thing players want to do. While he will be somewhat overshadowed my Marath, he still has a niche to fill.
Nekusar is a very cool, if not slightly expensive, "Wheel of Pain" Commander: built-in Underworld Dreams + Howling Mine can be strong in the color of Wheel of Fortune, Liliana's Caress, and Phyrexian Tyranny, not to mention Forced Fruition. While he isn't the first Grixis commander to interact with opposing hands, he has the best ratio of cost-to-toughness and effect. His typing is highly relevant, too.
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Sufferer of EDHD
Commander - Currently Playing: RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G) RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B) WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG
Not that really excited for the Naya creature, however Nekusar has really got my mind racing. Time to bust out all my draw sevens and windfall effects! Love underworld dreams.
Like it has already been mentioned Gahiji seems like a Nobilis of War with an additional color and legendary-type strapped to it and a worse creature-body (flying 3/4 over 4/4 anyday).
It does carry more potential with multiple combat steps but it doesn't seem all that relevant.
But as it is, it's Nobilis of War plus something more -> it's allowed to say it's not interesting as it's closely been done before. That being said it doesn't make the creature any less than what it is.
Personally my Token-comm will be Ghave and will probably stay that way.
Having Marath make tokens and this guy make them buff obviously has synergy but it feels like they be stepping over each others turf.
Part of the reason I don't play EDH is that I have yet to find a general that really appeals to me. Nekusar is everything I wold want in a general and will single handedly get me to build an edh deck.
Like it has already been mentioned Gahiji seems like a Nobilis of War with an additional color and legendary-type strapped to it and a worse creature-body (flying 3/4 over 4/4 anyday).
It does carry more potential with multiple combat steps but it doesn't seem all that relevant.
But as it is, it's Nobilis of War plus something more -> it's allowed to say it's not interesting as it's closely been done before. That being said it doesn't make the creature any less than what it is.
Personally my Token-comm will be Ghave and will probably stay that way.
Having Marath make tokens and this guy make them buff obviously has synergy but it feels like they be stepping over each others turf.
Except Nobilis dosen't help your enemies kill other enemies.
He is extremely playable. And a welcome change from bland, old Rith token naya decks.
Gahiji looks more like a 'Edric' version of Fervent Charge. Personally I find that Gleam of Battle or Shared Animosity is much better than Gahiji, and both can be played in Aurelia, where double combat steps are part of the commander.
Nekusar has some great artwork, I'd play it just for that reason alone. Not digging the pose of Gahiji though. I'd expect something more regal with the title of "Honored One".
In the meantime, if it doesn't work out you aren't without hold-off and alternate win options either: Possessed Portal is deadly with anything that forces a hand redraw, and if you have an alternate draw method, just choose that one instead. I'm afraid your opponent just won't be around very long after. Descent into Madness with a little planning it turns into a slightly weaker possessed portal, but one that isn't too hard to utilize the heck out of to tear into your opponents. Chains of Mephistopheles is a different possessed portal. Probably more powerful. Zur's Weirding may work against the general strategy, but is a great alternate strategy if you have alternate draw methods and they don't. Cherry pick their best stuff out for them. Laboratory Maniac for when you deck yourself in the interin. If it's in your hand then you can just go for it. Notion Thief ends your main damage source, but also nets you a dumb hand while getting rid of everyone else's. Should also note that this results in huge hands, and can quickly grab wins if you drop Laboratory Maniac and then Whispering Madness.
Part of the reason I don't play EDH is that I have yet to find a general that really appeals to me. Nekusar is everything I wold want in a general and will single handedly get me to build an edh deck.
Welcome to the fun.
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I fear I won't have much time to play Magic these days.
I get to watch worlds develop around me.
I get to watch great leaders, terrible oppressors, and trend setters rise and fall.
Limited, Standard, Modern, everything is a different playing field I feel I can observe, but will not actually touch.
I look forward to the stories I will hear.
And more so to the ones I will watch unfold first hand.
Isn't the unknown exciting?
I am very impressed by both of these cards, but why does Nekusar have lower power for the same mana cost as Gahiji? are his abilities that much more powerful, that his power needs to be lower to keep him balanced?
Apart from that, Nekusar provides excellent card advantage for his controller and punishes his controllers opponents for drawing cards. Gahiji is similar to Edric, Spymaster of Trest and Gisela, Blade of Goldnight in that he encourages his controller's opponents to attack each other, but the controller themselves. I am not certain if I shall be able to fit these into my existing decks, but they are certainly excellent creatures, nevertheless.
Gahiji with aurellia and other multiple combat steps seems sick!!
What about Gahiji combined with Gisela? Each of them has an ability that encourages players to not attack their controllers, so I would imagine that the two of them would work very well together, also.
Is there any indication of what plane of the multiverse these creatures originate? I currently do not see anything to indicate their planes of origin, so perhaps such details are not important.
this is Nekusar and this is King Leoric nough said
The similarity is there, but they're both reminiscent of Nazgul (the way Frodo saw them while wearing The Ring). It's a good look, so why reinvent the wheel, right?
If you played diablo 3, you will even notice the throne behind Nekusar is similar to Leoric's throne during the boss fight. If this isn't a tribute to D3 it's a hell of a coincidence!
A king with a throne. What a coinkidink.
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Thanks to SpiderBoy4 @ High-Light Studio's for the awesome banner
“I once had an entire race killed just to listen to the rattling of their dried bones as I waded through them.” —Volrath
Hmm, a lich is similar to another lich, gee I wonder why, they both have long hair and have skulls instead of easily identifiable faces. Liches are going to look like just about every other lich known to mankind.
Then you might as well throw in Glistening Oil into that list, then hit with a Caress of Phyrexia for even more Poison counter shenanigans . Oh yeah, Urza's Guilt is pretty funny with Nekusar too.
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My List of Current Decks: -Modern- WMartyrProcB BBurnR -Commander-
Uh, no. Spiteful Visions makes everyone draw extra and hurts everyone.
The new general doesn't hurt you.
Man, I totally misread the card! I always enjoyed playing Spiteful Visions as it sped the game and punished blue players for their millionth card draw. Now, Nekusar is even better than I thought.
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"We're so busy watching out for what's just ahead of us that we don't take time to enjoy where we are."
-Calvin & Hobbes
Gahiji is a strong token commander, likely stronger than Rith, the Awakener or Hazezon Tamar, or at least different. He also lets Naya dip its toes into politics, if that's a thing players want to do. While he will be somewhat overshadowed my Marath, he still has a niche to fill.
Nekusar is a very cool, if not slightly expensive, "Wheel of Pain" Commander: built-in Underworld Dreams + Howling Mine can be strong in the color of Wheel of Fortune, Liliana's Caress, and Phyrexian Tyranny, not to mention Forced Fruition. While he isn't the first Grixis commander to interact with opposing hands, he has the best ratio of cost-to-toughness and effect. His typing is highly relevant, too.
RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR
WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG
GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG
GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G)
RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW
UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B)
WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG
Boston Magic: The Gathering Examiner - Please read my articles!
It does carry more potential with multiple combat steps but it doesn't seem all that relevant.
But as it is, it's Nobilis of War plus something more -> it's allowed to say it's not interesting as it's closely been done before. That being said it doesn't make the creature any less than what it is.
Personally my Token-comm will be Ghave and will probably stay that way.
Having Marath make tokens and this guy make them buff obviously has synergy but it feels like they be stepping over each others turf.
Except Nobilis dosen't help your enemies kill other enemies.
He is extremely playable. And a welcome change from bland, old Rith token naya decks.
WUBRG Reaper King - Elf Tribal WUBRG | Tribal Fun
WRG Gishath, Sun's Avatar - Dinosaur Tribal WRG | Rawr!!!
WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician - Enchantress Tactics WUG | Enchantments Focused
GBG The Gitrog Monster - Land Shenanigans GBG | Lands/Mill Focused
WBW Kambal, Consul of Life Allocation Matters WBW | Life Gain/Loss focused
UBR Kess, Dissident Mage of the Lotus UBR | Spellslinger
BGB Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons - Counters & Tokens BGB | -1/-1 counters focused
Standard
UR Control
Modern
Merfolk
Burn
Avacyn did nothing wrong!
Purify Innistrad!
#Purge
Decks
Future EDH
BRGAdun OakenshieldG[MANA]R[/MANA]B
When it escaped, the experimenters hesitated. It would cause untold havoc, yet they wished to see it in action.
Oh so we went from "boring and unplayable" to this, huh?
Okay, here you go, and your welcome!:
Teferi's Puzzlebox, Whispering Madness, Reforge the Soul , Otherworldly Atlas, Burning Inquiry, Urza's Guilt, Temporal Cascade, Barbed Shocker, Incendiary Command, Molten Psyche, Dragon Mage, Shocker, Robber Fly, Whirlpool Warrior, Winds of Change
While we are discarding and drawing you can use these to keep things extra interesting: Words of War, Words of Waste, Words of Wind, Mangara's Tome, Concecrated Sphinx, Baleful Force, any reanimation, Tomorrow, Azami's Familiar, Archmage Ascension, Parallel Thoughts, or anything with dredge.
In the meantime, if it doesn't work out you aren't without hold-off and alternate win options either:
Possessed Portal is deadly with anything that forces a hand redraw, and if you have an alternate draw method, just choose that one instead. I'm afraid your opponent just won't be around very long after.
Descent into Madness with a little planning it turns into a slightly weaker possessed portal, but one that isn't too hard to utilize the heck out of to tear into your opponents.
Chains of Mephistopheles is a different possessed portal. Probably more powerful.
Zur's Weirding may work against the general strategy, but is a great alternate strategy if you have alternate draw methods and they don't. Cherry pick their best stuff out for them.
Laboratory Maniac for when you deck yourself in the interin. If it's in your hand then you can just go for it.
Notion Thief ends your main damage source, but also nets you a dumb hand while getting rid of everyone else's. Should also note that this results in huge hands, and can quickly grab wins if you drop Laboratory Maniac and then Whispering Madness.
There's also: Spiteful Visions, Phyrexian Tyranny, Kederekt Parasite, and Underworld dreams.
Also Toil and Trouble.
Yeah he's boring.
Welcome to the fun.
I get to watch great leaders, terrible oppressors, and trend setters rise and fall.
Limited, Standard, Modern, everything is a different playing field I feel I can observe, but will not actually touch.
I look forward to the stories I will hear.
And more so to the ones I will watch unfold first hand.
Isn't the unknown exciting?
Apart from that, Nekusar provides excellent card advantage for his controller and punishes his controllers opponents for drawing cards. Gahiji is similar to Edric, Spymaster of Trest and Gisela, Blade of Goldnight in that he encourages his controller's opponents to attack each other, but the controller themselves. I am not certain if I shall be able to fit these into my existing decks, but they are certainly excellent creatures, nevertheless.
What about Gahiji combined with Gisela? Each of them has an ability that encourages players to not attack their controllers, so I would imagine that the two of them would work very well together, also.
Is there any indication of what plane of the multiverse these creatures originate? I currently do not see anything to indicate their planes of origin, so perhaps such details are not important.
“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”-Thomas Jefferson
“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of its user.”-Theodore Roosevelt
“Patriotism means to stand by one's country; it does not mean to stand by one's president.”-Theodore Roosevelt
New favorite grixis general.
The similarity is there, but they're both reminiscent of Nazgul (the way Frodo saw them while wearing The Ring). It's a good look, so why reinvent the wheel, right?
GGG [Primer] Omnath, Big Green Beatstick Machine GGG
A king with a throne. What a coinkidink.
“I once had an entire race killed just to listen to the rattling of their dried bones as I waded through them.”
—Volrath
I have to admit. That is pure evil. I love it!
GWBKarador, Necrotic Ooze SubthemeBWG
How about Grafted Exoskeleton or Corrupted Conscience? I love how many things you can use to abuse this general. Awesome card.
BGWKarador, Night of the Wood God
UBRMarchesa, The Black Rose
BRGProssh, Suicide Crew
Then you might as well throw in Glistening Oil into that list, then hit with a Caress of Phyrexia for even more Poison counter shenanigans . Oh yeah, Urza's Guilt is pretty funny with Nekusar too.
-Modern-
WMartyrProcB
BBurnR
-Commander-
Man, I totally misread the card! I always enjoyed playing Spiteful Visions as it sped the game and punished blue players for their millionth card draw. Now, Nekusar is even better than I thought.
-Calvin & Hobbes
Sig by Rivenor at miraculous recovery and Avatar by Ace5301 at five handed lizard
EDH
Ghave
Phelddagrif
Omnath
That is Evil. Adding both to the deck. Prefer the Helm for the cost but who Cares in EDH. Now I really get to rebuild my Pain deck
Decks
Future EDH
BRGAdun OakenshieldG[MANA]R[/MANA]B
When it escaped, the experimenters hesitated. It would cause untold havoc, yet they wished to see it in action.