"Urza, I've discovered more promising students than you and my husband have, combined. And I haven't lost a single one."
--Rayne, Academy Chancellor
Why I Built Rayne Rayne, Academy Chancellor was my first rare. I had no idea what she did at the time, because I did not yet play the game, but she was cool. Fast forward a whole lot of years, and she makes a natural choice for a Commander deck. I crammed the deck full of blue's best auras...which aren't many, to be fair. The deck kinda sucked, and I didn't want Rayne to suck, so I took it apart.
A year or so later, I built a deck around Kaho, Minamo Historian, but as I kept the deck I cast my Commander less and less, because the potential to have my best instants ripped out of my deck with no way to get them back became a huge deterrent. I decided that if I wasn't casting my Commander, it may as well be one I liked. Enter Rayne.
Why Play Rayne
Rayne is a monoblue Commander, but she is one of the least threatening ones out there. People read her and just kind of shrug, which in fact gives you the advantage you will need. More importantly, if you do end up casting Rayne, she becomes a source of virtual card advantage. If people want to pinpoint your stuff, they know you will draw cards, so often times they will not; if they do, hey, free cards!
I don't actually run any ways to enchant Rayne, but there are definitely ways you can bake that into the deck while still keeping it fairly commander-neutral.
I am kind of amazed at [...] the fact that somebody on this thread called Mind's Eye, Mirari's Wake, Decree of Pain, Desertion, AND Scroll Rack, all before they were officially spoiled. I will edit this post VERY shortly with the username of this user who deserves at least all of the cookies. Probably more cookies than that.
I am kind of amazed at [...] the fact that somebody on this thread called Mind's Eye, Mirari's Wake, Decree of Pain, Desertion, AND Scroll Rack, all before they were officially spoiled. I will edit this post VERY shortly with the username of this user who deserves at least all of the cookies. Probably more cookies than that.
I am kind of amazed at [...] the fact that somebody on this thread called Mind's Eye, Mirari's Wake, Decree of Pain, Desertion, AND Scroll Rack, all before they were officially spoiled. I will edit this post VERY shortly with the username of this user who deserves at least all of the cookies. Probably more cookies than that.
I removed Jace the Living Guildpact as he just wasn't doing as much as that slot needed to do. I may end up cutting Architect of Thought in the nearish future, as well.
I am kind of amazed at [...] the fact that somebody on this thread called Mind's Eye, Mirari's Wake, Decree of Pain, Desertion, AND Scroll Rack, all before they were officially spoiled. I will edit this post VERY shortly with the username of this user who deserves at least all of the cookies. Probably more cookies than that.
"Urza, I've discovered more promising students than you and my husband have, combined. And I haven't lost a single one."
--Rayne, Academy Chancellor
Why I Built Rayne
Rayne, Academy Chancellor was my first rare. I had no idea what she did at the time, because I did not yet play the game, but she was cool. Fast forward a whole lot of years, and she makes a natural choice for a Commander deck. I crammed the deck full of blue's best auras...which aren't many, to be fair. The deck kinda sucked, and I didn't want Rayne to suck, so I took it apart.
A year or so later, I built a deck around Kaho, Minamo Historian, but as I kept the deck I cast my Commander less and less, because the potential to have my best instants ripped out of my deck with no way to get them back became a huge deterrent. I decided that if I wasn't casting my Commander, it may as well be one I liked. Enter Rayne.
Why Play Rayne
Rayne is a monoblue Commander, but she is one of the least threatening ones out there. People read her and just kind of shrug, which in fact gives you the advantage you will need. More importantly, if you do end up casting Rayne, she becomes a source of virtual card advantage. If people want to pinpoint your stuff, they know you will draw cards, so often times they will not; if they do, hey, free cards!
I don't actually run any ways to enchant Rayne, but there are definitely ways you can bake that into the deck while still keeping it fairly commander-neutral.
Pros:
Cons:
The Deck
1 Rayne, Academy Chancellor
Creatures (18)
1 Azami, Lady of Scrolls
1 Burnished Hart
1 Consecrated Sphinx
1 Draining Whelk
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Keiga, the Tide Star
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Psychosis Crawler
1 Reef Worm
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Sphinx of Uthuun
1 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
1 Thassa, God of the Sea
1 Tidal Force
1 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
1 Voidmage Husher
Artifacts (14)
1 Caged Sun
1 Codex Shredder
1 Crystal Shard
1 Druidic Satchel
1 Elixir of Immortality
1 Library of Leng
1 Mimic Vat
1 Nevinyrral's Disk
1 Perilous Vault
1 Pristine Talisman
1 Sapphire Medallion
1 Sol Ring
1 Spine of Ish Sah
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Unstable Obelisk
1 Mind Unbound
1 Rhystic Study
Planeswalkers(9)
1 Jace, Architect of Thought
1 Jace Beleren
1 Jace, Memory Adept
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Karn Liberated
1 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
1 Teferi, Temporal Archmage
1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
Nonpermanents (19)
1 Ancestral Vision
1 Cryptic Command
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Desertion
1 Dismal Failure
1 Dissipate
1 Faerie Trickery
1 Force of Will
1 Hinder
1 Pongify
1 Psychic Spiral
1 Rapid Hybridization
1 Rite of Replication
1 Spell Crumple
1 Spelljack
1 Squelch
1 Stifle
1 Trickbind
1 Wipe Away
25 Island
1 Academy Ruins
1 Ghost Quarter
1 High Market
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Riptide Laboratory
1 Soldevi Excavations
1 Springjack Pasture
1 Strip Mine
1 Temple of the False God
1 Terrain Generator
05/20/2015
IN: Unstable Oberlisk, Thran Dynamo, Myriad Landscape, Springjack Pasture
OUT: Back to Basics, Tezzeret the Seeker, 2 Island
06/05/2015
IN: Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre, Force of Will
OUT: Curse of the Swine, Mystical Tutor
Commanders:
Basandra, Battle Seraph | Diaochan, Artful Beauty | Mayael the Anima | Nath of the Gilt Leaf | Oona, Queen of the Fae | Raksha Golden Cub | Rayne, Academy Chancellor | Roon of the Hidden Realm
(U/B)(U/B)(U/B) JUMP IN THE LINE, ROCK YOUR BODY IN TIME
(R/W)(R/W)(R/W) RISING FROM THE NEON GLOOM, SHINING LIKE A CRAZY MOON
(U/R)(R/G)(G/U) STEALIN' WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUYIN'
Commanders:
Basandra, Battle Seraph | Diaochan, Artful Beauty | Mayael the Anima | Nath of the Gilt Leaf | Oona, Queen of the Fae | Raksha Golden Cub | Rayne, Academy Chancellor | Roon of the Hidden Realm
(U/B)(U/B)(U/B) JUMP IN THE LINE, ROCK YOUR BODY IN TIME
(R/W)(R/W)(R/W) RISING FROM THE NEON GLOOM, SHINING LIKE A CRAZY MOON
(U/R)(R/G)(G/U) STEALIN' WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUYIN'
Commanders:
Basandra, Battle Seraph | Diaochan, Artful Beauty | Mayael the Anima | Nath of the Gilt Leaf | Oona, Queen of the Fae | Raksha Golden Cub | Rayne, Academy Chancellor | Roon of the Hidden Realm
Commanders:
Basandra, Battle Seraph | Diaochan, Artful Beauty | Mayael the Anima | Nath of the Gilt Leaf | Oona, Queen of the Fae | Raksha Golden Cub | Rayne, Academy Chancellor | Roon of the Hidden Realm