You wouldn’t be wrong in claiming that Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder and Tymna the Weaver don’t have a lot of direct synergy as partner Commanders. For all their lack of direct synergy however, they both care a lot about evasion. It’s on this fundamental commonality that I built the basis of my list.
In essence, Bruse wants to smash and Tymna wants to grab. An unlikely pair of robbers just looking for the right tools to do their job.
The easiest point to explain. Bruse Tarl is our win-con and Tymna provides gas, both need to connect. Bruse wins by either Voltroning up himself and smashing hard or granting his bonus to a creature like Soltari Guerrillas equipped with a Quietus Spike.
When’s the best time to pull a big heist? When your target least expects it and is least prepared. Normally Gemstone Caverns is a pretty bad card in a multiplayer game because the card disadvantage isn’t worth the extra speed.
In our case, this disadvantage is almost erased. Partner Commanders mean you effectively start every game with 10 cards to each of your opponents 9. With a faster start, it’s fairly easy to consistently see a turn 2 Tymna followed by a Turn 3 Bruse. Playing Tymna one turn earlier means it is highly likely you recoup the card disadvantage next turn and the earlier start means Bruse is pushing damage through as fast as possible.
Hall of the Bandit Lord in the starting hand can also lead to faster starts and highlights a small sub-theme in the list. I run all the haste lands I can, as post board wipe is another opportune time to capitalise and push through combat damage for both Commanders.
3) Other sub-themes:
To circumvent Commander tax issues, we run reanimation cards like Phyrexian Reclamation and Dawn of the Dead. Both Commanders have lifelink, so popping either Commander from the graveyard to hand with Reclamation is trivial and the haste lands ensure we can swing immediately.
Both Commanders also appreciate multiple combat steps, but only those that provide an additional main phase e.g. World at War. These allow Bruse to hit hard and Tymna to double dip on her draw ability.
My current list is 95 cards. Not because I couldn’t put together a 100 card list, but because I want to leave the opportunity for people to suggest cards without having to make cuts. Cut suggestions are welcome too of course!
The card you are missing from this list is Hatred. It's even on theme, since this list should get a metric tonne of life.
I am hoping to try this deck out this Wednesday (if the other players are fine with me proxying the generals for now) and I will see how much life the deck realistically gains. I have been meaning to pick up a Hatred anyway (just to have) but I never did as I never had a deck I really wanted to put it in. Maybe this is the deck. I will see what happens with the first couple play-throughs.
You only need to pay 8 life with Hatred to one shot people, provided Bruse uses his ability on himself or Ikra. If you connect, you gain back 22 life with Bruse and 36 life with Ikra.
Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder might be boring from a R/W design perspective, but he is probably the fastest Voltron Commander ever printed. Just pair him with Tymna the Weaver and you get a insanely fast, resilient, and grunty list.
In regards to this, I don't think that focusing two players at once is usually a good move. You have to spread your resources too thin, leave yourself open to overextension, and make all of the players at the table know you're coming for them. What you're suggesting also requires a fair level of setup. Moreover, entombing a mediocre evasion type creature is much worse than entombing and then reanimating the Iona's and Elesh Norns of the world.
I think a better pairing here would be anything else that provides some level of CA without the stipulation of attacking. The other Orzhov legend allows you to still run the great black draw spells, and maybe get some creatures back. Also a mild anthem is relevant when you're double striking. Both Izzet legends allow you to draw some cards, run countermagic, and plenty of draw spells. Hell, even the Rakdos guy is at least fun and flavorful. I think all four of those options are better than stipulating that you hit multiple players at a time and spread yourself too thin.
No no, you misunderstand.
Tymna the Weaver, at minimum, is a Phyrexian Arena in the Command Zone for a Voltron list. Voltron lists attack and deal combat damage. That's how they win...
Running Filth (and Urborg) with Tymna the Weaver, just means cards like Lingering Souls are drawing you more cards... Saying I should be entombing Iona, Shield of Emeria instead of Filth is like saying I shouldn't play Voltron and at all, because Combo is more efficient. I'm not playing a list that wants to win via Iona, I'm playing a Voltron list that wants to win by Commander damage...
The whole having two Commanders attack thing is a option, not some sort of mandate I set down. Bruse will always be the more efficient Voltron attacker and should be focused on almost exclusively, but that doesn't mean if for whatever reason you smashed someone for 7 with a Lashwrithe equipped Tymna, that you cannot then just blink, attack or recast Bruse and grant her doublestrike instead to finish the job next turn herself.
If I add Ancient Tomb to all the fast mana, you are running 8 cards that can consistently allow a turn 2 Bruse or Tymna, followed by a turn 3 Bruse or Tymna. That is lighting quick Voltron speeds.
I've played Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas for a long time. Getting her down consistently turn 3 and attacking turn 4 is awesome for a Voltron list. Potentially a whole turn earlier for Bruse? Amazing.
Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder might be boring from a R/W design perspective, but he is probably the fastest Voltron Commander ever printed. Just pair him with Tymna the Weaver and you get a insanely fast, resilient, and grunty list.
3) Instant speed Entomb for cards like Glory and Filth. Both are so sick with both Commanders.
4) Cards like Phyrexian Reclamation to bypass Commander tax. The life cost is irrelevant.
5) Hall of the Bandit Lord life payment is also irrelevant. Not only are you bypassing Commander tax with recursion, but red has access to Slayers' Stronghold, Hanweir Battlements & Flamekin Village. At this point, you don't care about sorcery speed removal anymore because you just put Bruse back on the battlefield via recursion with haste the next turn...
6) Urborg + Coffers as just another way to make Commander Tax irrelevant.
8) As a Voltron list, you have two Commanders. Tymna can carry the above Lashwrithe and focus on one opponent, while Bruse another. Commander damage doesn't stack, but Bruse transfers doublestrike to Tymna too.
Bruse is so strong. I think the above is fantastic, but he is also amazing with Reyhan, Last of the Abzan (think scavenge) and Silas Renn, Seeker Adept (almost for colours alone, but Silas himself will do work too, deathtouch is a good keyword with certain equipment to clear defenders) as well.
Sword of Body and Mind Trepanation Blade Fathom Feeder is a little rattlesnake.
Helps dig for fat for your processors.
Because this isn't an ideal/optimal decklist for the commander I doubt you get much help here, mostly spikes comment here.
Decklist seems alright, got ramp, draw power, tutors. Wrexial, The Risen Deep if you find a time walk while extracting....smack em, play the walk, process into grave for the next hit.
The best I can say is playtest it, write down here what works and what doesn't. Hopefully some others can see what your trying to do/set up. Write down the experience with the deck and how it performs.
Really appreciate the response, I have an updated decklist to post (though I am making more revisions now) and some playtesting feedback to share as well.
Shame that different lists don't get much attention around here anymore.
I've thought more on the direction I'd like to take this list. Namely, early-mid game I'd like it to function as a strong control list while slowly assembling the pieces I need to imprint whatever amazing bomb I can onto Lazav as a finisher. So any help in that direction on what sections of the list I could cut out and what I could do to beef up the early and mid game a bit would be fantastic.
Every time I've thought of building Lazav, I disliked the idea and randomness of mill strategies and really just wanted to Grinning Totem my opponent's best creature and get on with things.
With the printing of cards like Wasteland Strangler in conjunction with cards like Extract we can really up the ante on the stealing the opponent's best bomb, giving it hexproof and beating face strategy.
So far I think I have a good core to the list, but it is definitely lacking refinement and direction. I can't pin down why yet either... It kind of wants to be a theft deck, and it kind of wants to be a control deck that buys time until I can assemble Lazav + extract effect + processor combo, but everything feels a bit off.
It doesn't necessarily need to be a rule, but it should probably be something that is discussed as a group preference prior to starting any game. Part of advocating and maintaning a preference for the social contract aspect of Commander is you know, talking to the people you play with about how you like to play the game...
That said, if it was a rule, those of you screaming "well it can't be, people should be allowed to pick up their cards and leave anytime!" can also be rational and realise that no sane person is going to hold you hostage to a card game if you have to leave for an emergency.
So basically, in both scenarios, as long as you are playing with human(e) beings, the outcome or change either way is sort of benign.
Don't like tactical scooping? Ask if any given game you play allows it and decide to play before the match starts. Don't ask and start the game? Don't complain.
Often leave games of Commander part way through for emergencies? Apologise to your opponents and leave. Visit a Voodoo Doctor and get checked for any family curses.
Do the above and you don't even need to have the discussion about whether or not its tactical scooping or spite scooping. Just play to your groups preference.
Saying that, the polls speak for themselves though, and I am firmly in the spite scooping camp. I don't see spite scooping as a legitimate tactic outside of rules lawyering. Commander would be a very different format if we followed every rule as written. That's just my preference though.
I'll quote the post I made on the official forum to this space because it would be irresponsible and hypocritical of me to continue just sitting down and accepting change that doesn't really impact me, but I can visibility see a problem with as a whole. There is no need to speak about any card specifically at all in this case, it's bigger then that IMO.
This... hmm. I'm not a fan.
1) Banned.
2) Banned as a Commander.
I don't see the complexity here at all.
I'm usually open to change, but this is actually a bit of a slippery slope for me.
You've now effectively added a extra banning criteria on any card printed with the ability to be a Commander.
The upcoming Commander Planeswalkers are unlikely to be problematic this round, but I'm certain at some point 1 printed will be. As a result of the current changes, playing what could be a perfectly fair and interesting card in the 99 ceases to exist as a possibility.
The point of my concern is that there are 555 Legendary Creatures and 2445 Creatures to choose from in all of Magic, all of which do similar or different things to each other. Losing a few of these as "collateral" for changes in simplification is something I do completely understand.
It really seems sad however that all newly printed cards need to be scrutinized now simply because they are printed with the ability to be used as a Commander, instead of being evaluated first for its ability to be used as a Commander, and then secondly for its ability to exist within the much larger and wider ecosystem that all other cards interact in.
TLDR; Add my very strong vote to the "do not like" camp. This looks like a simplification change because the cards it impacted aren't a major (or popular) dilemma, yet, but when it does become a dilemma (and I'm certain it will be), this "simplification" rule will actually end up looking rigid and unnecessarily restrictive IMO.
EDIT: Gods for instance could have easily ridden that very fine line between being OK as 99, but not OK as a Commander.
Flash Surrak in, untap, play a land, swing for 7 and leave 2 mana open for the counter magic needed to blank your opponents spot removal or wrath.
Yes, he is less flashy (err...) then the other RUG Commanders - but that's a good thing. He may promote 'good stuff', but as mentioned by others, current RUG Commanders tell you how to structure your list right on the card and their reputation gets ahead of them in many metas.
The can't be countered clause for your other creatures means you can avoid most counterspell wars to push a creature through and save all those counterspells for removal.
Card's like Negate, Swan Song, and even Envelop are really descent. You don't need Remove Soul necessarily because your creatures should outclass on the battlefield.
Haste enablers, Basilisk Collar, Bow of Nylea to leverage the trample granting ability. Giving trample to a uncounterable Terastodon is really good for actually winning the game in the red zone.
Surrak is a beatstick among beatsticks. Hinder? Spell Crumple? No thanks, I'll just be punching you in the face instead. Shame he doesn't have trample himself, but how much more beef and anti-counterspell goodness could you really pack into five mana?
Technically each Khan sort-of hates on the higher CMC Khan above it, it is just that Sidisi and Anafenza are the only ones close to playability anyways. Sidisi makes 2/2 tokens to block Zurgo all day, and Narset can't attack into or block Zurgo.
Narset can always attack into Zurgo, because Zurgo can never block Narset. Read Zurgo again. True, she can't comfortly block him however.
Anafenza should have had her first ability combined together with Ivorytusk Fortress' ability IMO. Way more flavourful. Khan leads the attack on clans enemies, but ensures strong defenders are always left behind to defend the homeland and their people.
Ivorytusk could then have been:
Outlast
Damage dealt to creatures you control is dealt to Ivorytusk Fortress instead.
^ e.g. a mobile fortress that troops use to defend themselves with and would work amazingly well with my re-jigged Khan...
Oh well, totally get that Anafenza was pushed for constructed instead.
You wouldn’t be wrong in claiming that Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder and Tymna the Weaver don’t have a lot of direct synergy as partner Commanders. For all their lack of direct synergy however, they both care a lot about evasion. It’s on this fundamental commonality that I built the basis of my list.
In essence, Bruse wants to smash and Tymna wants to grab. An unlikely pair of robbers just looking for the right tools to do their job.
The decks goals are:
1) Evasion. Evasion and more evasion.
Hallmark cards are:
Key to the City
Dauthi Embrace
Spirit en-Dal
Explanation:
The easiest point to explain. Bruse Tarl is our win-con and Tymna provides gas, both need to connect. Bruse wins by either Voltroning up himself and smashing hard or granting his bonus to a creature like Soltari Guerrillas equipped with a Quietus Spike.
2) Lightning fast starts.
Hallmark cards are:
Mox Diamond
Gemstone Caverns
Hall of the Bandit Lord
Explanation:
When’s the best time to pull a big heist? When your target least expects it and is least prepared. Normally Gemstone Caverns is a pretty bad card in a multiplayer game because the card disadvantage isn’t worth the extra speed.
In our case, this disadvantage is almost erased. Partner Commanders mean you effectively start every game with 10 cards to each of your opponents 9. With a faster start, it’s fairly easy to consistently see a turn 2 Tymna followed by a Turn 3 Bruse. Playing Tymna one turn earlier means it is highly likely you recoup the card disadvantage next turn and the earlier start means Bruse is pushing damage through as fast as possible.
Hall of the Bandit Lord in the starting hand can also lead to faster starts and highlights a small sub-theme in the list. I run all the haste lands I can, as post board wipe is another opportune time to capitalise and push through combat damage for both Commanders.
3) Other sub-themes:
To circumvent Commander tax issues, we run reanimation cards like Phyrexian Reclamation and Dawn of the Dead. Both Commanders have lifelink, so popping either Commander from the graveyard to hand with Reclamation is trivial and the haste lands ensure we can swing immediately.
Both Commanders also appreciate multiple combat steps, but only those that provide an additional main phase e.g. World at War. These allow Bruse to hit hard and Tymna to double dip on her draw ability.
My current list is 95 cards. Not because I couldn’t put together a 100 card list, but because I want to leave the opportunity for people to suggest cards without having to make cuts. Cut suggestions are welcome too of course!
Onto the list:
1 Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder
1 Tymna the Weaver
Buffs & Evasion:
1 Key to the City
1 Boros Charm
1 Dauthi Embrace
1 Fallen Ideal
1 Spirit en-Dal
1 Quietus Spike
1 Champion's Helm
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of War and Peace
1 Anger
1 Iroas, God of Victory
1 Filth
1 Lashwrithe
1 Nightmare Lash
1 Scytheclaw
1 Hatred
1 Glory
1 Herald of Torment
1 Celestial Archon
Combat steps:
1 Relentless Assault
1 World at War
1 Waves of Aggression
Disruption:
1 Vandalblast
1 Rakdos Charm
1 Stronghold Rats
1 Soltari Visionary
1 Vindicate
1 Anguished Unmaking
1 Soltari Guerrillas
1 Utter End
1 Order // Chaos
1 Merciless Eviction
1 Austere Command
1 Phyrexian Reclamation
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Malevolent Awakening
1 Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed
1 Dawn of the Dead
Tutors:
1 Entomb
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Dimir House Guard
1 Sidisi, Undead Vizier
1 Godo, Bandit Warlord
Ramp:
1 Chrome Mox
1 Mox Diamond
1 Mox Opal
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Rakdos Signet
1 Boros Signet
1 Orzhov Signet
Lands:
1 Command Tower
1 Badlands
1 Plateau
1 Scrubland
1 Blood Crypt
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Godless Shrine
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Arid Mesa
1 Marsh Flats
1 Graven Cairns
1 Rugged Prairie
1 Fetid Heath
1 Smoldering Marsh
1 Battlefield Forge
1 Caves of Koilos
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Flamekin Village
1 Mistveil Plains
1 Phyrexian Tower
1 Gemstone Caverns
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Vault of the Archangel
1 Slayers' Stronghold
1 Hanweir Battlements
1 Hall of the Bandit Lord
1 Rogue's Passage
1 Strip Mine
1 Command Beacon
1 Homeward Path
3 Swamp
2 Plains
2 Mountain
Cards I'm considering:
Eidolons provide buffs to Bruse and bodies for equipment/Tymna if Bruse dies and are easily recurred and re-used.
Notable Eidolons are:
Draw and recursion:
All quality cards. Vulturous Aven is gross with Dawn of the Dead and is a evasive body. Flamerush Rider provies multiple attacking bodies and works surprisingly well with Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder.
Removal
Removal with bodies.
Planeswalkers:
Body producers:
Protection:
RW Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas
You only need to pay 8 life with Hatred to one shot people, provided Bruse uses his ability on himself or Ikra. If you connect, you gain back 22 life with Bruse and 36 life with Ikra.
Trust me, you run enough life gain.
RW Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas
No no, you misunderstand.
Tymna the Weaver, at minimum, is a Phyrexian Arena in the Command Zone for a Voltron list. Voltron lists attack and deal combat damage. That's how they win...
Running Filth (and Urborg) with Tymna the Weaver, just means cards like Lingering Souls are drawing you more cards... Saying I should be entombing Iona, Shield of Emeria instead of Filth is like saying I shouldn't play Voltron and at all, because Combo is more efficient. I'm not playing a list that wants to win via Iona, I'm playing a Voltron list that wants to win by Commander damage...
The whole having two Commanders attack thing is a option, not some sort of mandate I set down. Bruse will always be the more efficient Voltron attacker and should be focused on almost exclusively, but that doesn't mean if for whatever reason you smashed someone for 7 with a Lashwrithe equipped Tymna, that you cannot then just blink, attack or recast Bruse and grant her doublestrike instead to finish the job next turn herself.
If I add Ancient Tomb to all the fast mana, you are running 8 cards that can consistently allow a turn 2 Bruse or Tymna, followed by a turn 3 Bruse or Tymna. That is lighting quick Voltron speeds.
I've played Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas for a long time. Getting her down consistently turn 3 and attacking turn 4 is awesome for a Voltron list. Potentially a whole turn earlier for Bruse? Amazing.
RW Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas
1) Hatred
2) The ability to run Mana Crypt, Sol Ring, Mana Vault, Mox Diamond, Chrome Mox, Mox Opal and Gemstone Caverns for a very high chance of a turn 2 & 3 Commander play in any order you wish. A opening 10 card hand and Tymna the Weaver means the card disadvantage is recuperated lightning quick.
3) Instant speed Entomb for cards like Glory and Filth. Both are so sick with both Commanders.
4) Cards like Phyrexian Reclamation to bypass Commander tax. The life cost is irrelevant.
5) Hall of the Bandit Lord life payment is also irrelevant. Not only are you bypassing Commander tax with recursion, but red has access to Slayers' Stronghold, Hanweir Battlements & Flamekin Village. At this point, you don't care about sorcery speed removal anymore because you just put Bruse back on the battlefield via recursion with haste the next turn...
6) Urborg + Coffers as just another way to make Commander Tax irrelevant.
7) Lashwrithe + Nightmare Lash.
8) As a Voltron list, you have two Commanders. Tymna can carry the above Lashwrithe and focus on one opponent, while Bruse another. Commander damage doesn't stack, but Bruse transfers doublestrike to Tymna too.
Bruse is so strong. I think the above is fantastic, but he is also amazing with Reyhan, Last of the Abzan (think scavenge) and Silas Renn, Seeker Adept (almost for colours alone, but Silas himself will do work too, deathtouch is a good keyword with certain equipment to clear defenders) as well.
RW Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas
RW Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas
Really appreciate the response, I have an updated decklist to post (though I am making more revisions now) and some playtesting feedback to share as well.
Shame that different lists don't get much attention around here anymore.
RW Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas
I've thought more on the direction I'd like to take this list. Namely, early-mid game I'd like it to function as a strong control list while slowly assembling the pieces I need to imprint whatever amazing bomb I can onto Lazav as a finisher. So any help in that direction on what sections of the list I could cut out and what I could do to beef up the early and mid game a bit would be fantastic.
RW Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas
With the printing of cards like Wasteland Strangler in conjunction with cards like Extract we can really up the ante on the stealing the opponent's best bomb, giving it hexproof and beating face strategy.
So far I think I have a good core to the list, but it is definitely lacking refinement and direction. I can't pin down why yet either... It kind of wants to be a theft deck, and it kind of wants to be a control deck that buys time until I can assemble Lazav + extract effect + processor combo, but everything feels a bit off.
Help wanted for sure.
1 Lazav, Dimir Mastermind
Extract:
1 Extract
1 Rootwater Thief
1 Praetor's Grasp
1 Sadistic Sacrament
1 Grinning Totem
1 Jester's Cap
1 Bribery
1 Nightmare Incursion
Processors:
1 Wasteland Strangler
1 Cryptic Cruiser
1 Murk Strider
1 Ulamog's Nullifier
1 Ulamog's Reclaimer
1 Oracle of Dust
1 Blight Herder
Bounce:
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Crystal Shard
1 Erratic Portal
1 River's Grasp
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
1 Cryptic Command
1 Mystic Confluence
Discard:
1 Seer's Vision
1 Nightmare Void
1 Distended Mindbender
Draw & Recursion:
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Notion Thief
1 Sire of Stagnation
1 Muddle the Mixture
1 Counterspell
1 Mana Drain
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Damnation
1 Noxious Gearhulk
1 Duplicant
1 Life's Finale
1 Deadly Tempest
Graveyard hate:
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Planar Void
1 Shred Memory
1 Agent of Erebos
Copy & Theft:
1 Memory Plunder
1 Body Double
1 Spelltwine
1 Diluvian Primordial
1 Chancellor of the Spires
Tutors:
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Dark Petition
1 Rune-Scarred Demon
Ramp:
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Dimir Signet
1 Talisman of Dominance
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Chromatic Lantern
1 Coalition Relic
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Command Tower
1 Underground Sea
1 Watery Grave
1 Sunken Hollow
1 Polluted Delta
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Flooded Strand
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Tainted Isle
1 Sunken Ruins
1 Darkwater Catacombs
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Tolaria West
1 Rogue's Passage
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Dust Bowl
1 Strip Mine
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Myriad Landscape
8 Island
8 Swamp
RW Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas
That said, if it was a rule, those of you screaming "well it can't be, people should be allowed to pick up their cards and leave anytime!" can also be rational and realise that no sane person is going to hold you hostage to a card game if you have to leave for an emergency.
So basically, in both scenarios, as long as you are playing with human(e) beings, the outcome or change either way is sort of benign.
Don't like tactical scooping? Ask if any given game you play allows it and decide to play before the match starts. Don't ask and start the game? Don't complain.
Often leave games of Commander part way through for emergencies? Apologise to your opponents and leave. Visit a Voodoo Doctor and get checked for any family curses.
Do the above and you don't even need to have the discussion about whether or not its tactical scooping or spite scooping. Just play to your groups preference.
Saying that, the polls speak for themselves though, and I am firmly in the spite scooping camp. I don't see spite scooping as a legitimate tactic outside of rules lawyering. Commander would be a very different format if we followed every rule as written. That's just my preference though.
RW Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas
RW Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas
It takes 5 to cast Surrak minimum and he has flash.
It only takes a Kessig Wolf Run or Skarrg, the Rage Pits to get him to the 7/7 needed for a 3 turn clock.
Flash Surrak in, untap, play a land, swing for 7 and leave 2 mana open for the counter magic needed to blank your opponents spot removal or wrath.
Yes, he is less flashy (err...) then the other RUG Commanders - but that's a good thing. He may promote 'good stuff', but as mentioned by others, current RUG Commanders tell you how to structure your list right on the card and their reputation gets ahead of them in many metas.
He's no less or more interesting then what Jenara, Asura of War is for Bant, in contrast to Roon of the Hidden Realm.
The can't be countered clause for your other creatures means you can avoid most counterspell wars to push a creature through and save all those counterspells for removal.
Card's like Negate, Swan Song, and even Envelop are really descent. You don't need Remove Soul necessarily because your creatures should outclass on the battlefield.
Haste enablers, Basilisk Collar, Bow of Nylea to leverage the trample granting ability. Giving trample to a uncounterable Terastodon is really good for actually winning the game in the red zone.
RW Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas
Feed. The. Beef.
I am very pleased today.
RW Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas
RW Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas
Narset can always attack into Zurgo, because Zurgo can never block Narset. Read Zurgo again. True, she can't comfortly block him however.
RW Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas
Ivorytusk could then have been:
Outlast
Damage dealt to creatures you control is dealt to Ivorytusk Fortress instead.
^ e.g. a mobile fortress that troops use to defend themselves with and would work amazingly well with my re-jigged Khan...
Oh well, totally get that Anafenza was pushed for constructed instead.
RW Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas