A Commander I like to play with is Sapling of Colfenor. She's not as game altering as Doran is, but being Indestructible in addition to drawing you cards sometimes when you swing with her are both great advantages she has over her Lorwyn kin. Not to mention that if you want Doran's ability, you can get it via Assault Formation.
Yea, I played Sapling for a while. There are a lot of Treefolks that have higher toughness, so from that point on it's a point of finding the good ones. Deadwood Treefolk is a big one. You'll also want Soul of the Harvest and Primordial Sage to give you some drawpower. Aside from that, focus on BG Goodstuff, preferably cards that don't have power over their toughness (Though it doesn't hurt if you have to take 1 or so.)
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My Commander decks:
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
I know Prossh, Skyraider of Kher is the Jund Hotness, but I'm surprised Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper doesn't get played as much. The dude combos just as hard as Prossh and comes with some very good Anti-Wrath tech on him.
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Oath of the Gatewatch; the set that caused the competitive community to freak out over Basic Lands.
I know Prossh, Skyraider of Kher is the Jund Hotness, but I'm surprised Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper doesn't get played as much. The dude combos just as hard as Prossh and comes with some very good Anti-Wrath tech on him.
Oooh, now that's got potential. A couple of sacrifice outlets, maybe some undying creatures and Lyzolda to get damage and card draw from sacrificing the resulting multi-color tokens?
I know Prossh, Skyraider of Kher is the Jund Hotness, but I'm surprised Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper doesn't get played as much. The dude combos just as hard as Prossh and comes with some very good Anti-Wrath tech on him.
Oooh, now that's got potential. A couple of sacrifice outlets, maybe some undying creatures and Lyzolda to get damage and card draw from sacrificing the resulting multi-color tokens?
Might have to think about doing this one...
Sek'kuar makes for a pretty decent Commander in an Ashnod's Altar/Nim Deathmantle combo shell. I had him together for a while, things like Bloodghast + Perilous Forays is great. Skullclamp, Jar of Eyeballs, tons of ways to sacrifice or benefit for sacrificing. And Sek'kuar is a great Commander in that he isn't necessary for the deck to work, but he pretty much doubles any of the stuff you're doing if he happens to be out. Makin' me nostalgic over here.
Xira Arien is an underused Commander I've always wanted to put together as an Assault Loam deck. My buddy already plays Child so I was looking for other Commanders that fit that shell.
Any of the lesser-known Theros gods would make for cool Commanders. Keranos and Pharika have always grabbed my attention.
Brion Stoutarm is pretty much the only Commander in an under-used color combination that isn't designed for token aggro or weenies.
Verdeloth the Ancient is another good one; our group just got owned by it recently. it just ramps hard, puts a couple of anthem effects, and casts with a crazy high number of kicker, and if we kill it, the guy just recasts it for a slightly lower kicker (though that might've just been a dumb play on our part). in fact, i think verdeloth could be more powerful than omnath in terms of pure ramp strategy generals.
Verdeloth the Ancient is another good one; our group just got owned by it recently. it just ramps hard, puts a couple of anthem effects, and casts with a crazy high number of kicker, and if we kill it, the guy just recasts it for a slightly lower kicker (though that might've just been a dumb play on our part). in fact, i think verdeloth could be more powerful than omnath in terms of pure ramp strategy generals.
I know Prossh, Skyraider of Kher is the Jund Hotness, but I'm surprised Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper doesn't get played as much. The dude combos just as hard as Prossh and comes with some very good Anti-Wrath tech on him.
I used to play Sek'Kuar for a time and thought he was pretty enjoyable. Obliterate with him and some dudes out is pretty much a "Suck on this" moment provided you know its a good time to actually use it. Giving your creatures a form of persist gives his deck a bit more resilience.
Verdeloth the Ancient is another good one; our group just got owned by it recently. it just ramps hard, puts a couple of anthem effects, and casts with a crazy high number of kicker, and if we kill it, the guy just recasts it for a slightly lower kicker (though that might've just been a dumb play on our part). in fact, i think verdeloth could be more powerful than omnath in terms of pure ramp strategy generals.
theres a lot of funny things you could do with verdeloth without going completely broke. i think the biggest upside to him is that if your opponents think that you're becoming a threat to the table, they're gonna instinctively kill verdeloth, forgetting you can just essentially recast him with the crazy amounts of mana you have and effectively double your tokens.
I run Tymaret the Murder King, and am consistently surprising people with the utility and efficiency of the card - don't let the scale fool you, he has a tremendous amount of utility, and he never really has to go back to the command zone.
[card]
Ephara, God of the Polis[/card] is one of the best control commanders available, IMO. doesn't take a lot of effort to draw with her at least once every turn cycle. Chainer Dementia master is criminally underplayed in my experience. read those abilities again. just, holy ****. wort the raidmother has the potential to be as oppressive and effective as Riku in the right build. I honestly think she's in contention for the most powerful RG commander available, and yet i've never seen anyone other than me run her either as general or in the 99. sad.
All of the rules allow for your general to be moved to the command zone when he gets put into a place that would be tough to get him back from, GY, Exile, etc. I am sure one day the rules will change and include tuck effects.
I think Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero deserves a shout out. Monowhite is pretty hard to build around and at my LGS I'm the only one who consistently plays her (another guy built her and took her apart shortly). She's not easy to pilot, you need intimate knowledge of your deck and need to know how to make less than great rebels excel at their tasks, but once you do, she can be brutal. You can run some really wonky combos with her since you can tutor for another piece of the combo with Lin Sivvi.
She's fun and unique, she's monowhite and pilots like monoblue, and there's some so immensely interesting about having roundabout ways of dealing with almost every situation on the board.
I know there are plenty of great mono-black generals out there, but I am surprised hardly anyone runs Commander Greven Il-vec. Never going to be as powerful as Xiahou Dun, the one-eyed or Chainer, dementia master, but he should still see some love. He is the face of Hatred, and has the title Commander in his name. He plays a great mix of voltron/control/sac for profit that makes mono-black awesom. He is also just in the power sweet spot where you can build him to the max in a mid-power meta without being too overbearing, good "spirit of EDH" type general.
I run Tymaret, the Murder King, and am consistently surprising people with the utility and efficiency of the card - don't let the scale fool you, he has a tremendous amount of utility, and he never really has to go back to the command zone. Chainer Dementia master is criminally underplayed in my experience. read those abilities again. just, holy ****. wort the raidmother has the potential to be as oppressive and effective as Riku in the right build. I honestly think she's in contention for the most powerful RG commander available, and yet i've never seen anyone other than me run her either as general or in the 99. sad.
I don't think Chainer is under-rated (though it may be because I play him, and my group is well acquainted with him), he's an insane powerhouse, and everyone at the table knows he's a threat. He's almost the go-to reanimation general. However, Balthor, the defiledis quite criminally underplayed. He's pretty much the entire Xiahou Dun+Living death combo, in your command zone. His explosive potential and his combo potential are both highly underestimated.
Wort is actually more explosive than Riku, due to not having the reliance on the extra mana cost for the copy effects. This allows her to really power out spells just a little bit faster than Riku.
I think Chainer is more underplayed than underrated. All but the newest EDH players I know know about him and agree he's really good, but I've never actually seen a Chainer deck...
My Intet, the Dreamer deck that focuses on top card of my deck and play huge spells for cheap. In light of other Temur commanders I prefer a dragon who can pew pew counterspells on her and protect herself, and occasionally manipulate the time via Time Stretch, Time Stop, and Turnabout for cheap. My friends call her 'Time Lord Intet' because of the deck. (And occasionally cried out, "She activated her trap card!!!")
I think Chainer is more underplayed than underrated. All but the newest EDH players I know know about him and agree he's really good, but I've never actually seen a Chainer deck...
There's one at my LGS. It's pretty damn scary.
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My Commander decks:
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
Chainer is beast and can easily replace Mikaeus at the helm of any Mono-black deck. People are just turned off by his 3-life hit for ability activation (it does add up). Before I blew up my Mono-B for Tasigur I had been running Mikaeus for years, then, because of the hate, tried Chainer... then got hated on even more. I could build a board more safely with Mikaeus in the 99, then tutor for him when it was time to go out.
It's funny that the majority of commanders listed are ones I've seen in action, but only a few years ago... then they fell off.
Personally, I think that the Pheros Gods are criminally underplayed.
I've built Atheros, but took it apart due to it not fitting my playstyle. I'd like to try Iroas, but don't have him, and will probably build Tymaret or Mogis because I love building decks and forgot about those two.
What would some underrated cards be that have good synergy with Sapling of Colfenor? Maybe in more of a control build?
UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
There's also Ashenmoore Liege for Da Beats.
Pity he doesn't make Zombie tokens for Gravecrawler.
Sek'kuar makes for a pretty decent Commander in an Ashnod's Altar/Nim Deathmantle combo shell. I had him together for a while, things like Bloodghast + Perilous Forays is great. Skullclamp, Jar of Eyeballs, tons of ways to sacrifice or benefit for sacrificing. And Sek'kuar is a great Commander in that he isn't necessary for the deck to work, but he pretty much doubles any of the stuff you're doing if he happens to be out. Makin' me nostalgic over here.
Xira Arien is an underused Commander I've always wanted to put together as an Assault Loam deck. My buddy already plays Child so I was looking for other Commanders that fit that shell.
Any of the lesser-known Theros gods would make for cool Commanders. Keranos and Pharika have always grabbed my attention.
Brion Stoutarm is pretty much the only Commander in an under-used color combination that isn't designed for token aggro or weenies.
Draft my Peasant Cube.
the guy's an army in a can, but on steroids.
Legacy - Solidarity - mono U aggro - burn - Imperial Painter - Strawberry Shortcake - Bluuzards - bom
This seems actually very powerful. With Overrun and Triumph of the Hordes effects it can be a very deadly deck. Are there other haste enablers aside from Akroma's Memorial and Winding Canyons?
UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
I used to play Sek'Kuar for a time and thought he was pretty enjoyable. Obliterate with him and some dudes out is pretty much a "Suck on this" moment provided you know its a good time to actually use it. Giving your creatures a form of persist gives his deck a bit more resilience.
Concordant Crossroads, Vedalken Orrery, Yeva, Nature's Herald.
Retired EDH - Tibor and Lumia | [PR]Nemata |Ramirez dePietro | [C]Edric | Riku | Jenara | Lazav | Heliod | Daxos | Roon | Kozilek
UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
as previously mentioned, and some not mentioned:
haste enablers: Concordant Crossroads, Vedalken Orrery, Yeva, Nature's Herald,
powering through damage: overrun, triumph of the hordes, eldrazi monument, akroma's memorial
ramp: essentially anything that you'd normally have in an omnath ramp deck (doubling cube, mana reflection and friends), possibly plus things like Sakiko, Mother of Summer.
sac outlets: ashnod's altar, carnage altar
other useful things: doubling season, mycoloth, parallel lives, primal vigor
theres a lot of funny things you could do with verdeloth without going completely broke. i think the biggest upside to him is that if your opponents think that you're becoming a threat to the table, they're gonna instinctively kill verdeloth, forgetting you can just essentially recast him with the crazy amounts of mana you have and effectively double your tokens.
Legacy - Solidarity - mono U aggro - burn - Imperial Painter - Strawberry Shortcake - Bluuzards - bom
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Ephara, God of the Polis[/card] is one of the best control commanders available, IMO. doesn't take a lot of effort to draw with her at least once every turn cycle.
Chainer Dementia master is criminally underplayed in my experience. read those abilities again. just, holy ****.
wort the raidmother has the potential to be as oppressive and effective as Riku in the right build. I honestly think she's in contention for the most powerful RG commander available, and yet i've never seen anyone other than me run her either as general or in the 99. sad.
Beastmaster Ascension
Currently I run Phyrexian Processor + Children of Korlis, Distorting Lens + Lawbringer/Lightbringer, and I'm testing Valor Made Real + Defiant Vanguard.
She's fun and unique, she's monowhite and pilots like monoblue, and there's some so immensely interesting about having roundabout ways of dealing with almost every situation on the board.
UGUPrime Speaker Seamonster RampUGU
WUGDerevi Does NothingWUG
RRRFeldon's Lovely LadiesRRR
Tymaret is hilarious with Necromancer's Stockpile.
I don't think Chainer is under-rated (though it may be because I play him, and my group is well acquainted with him), he's an insane powerhouse, and everyone at the table knows he's a threat. He's almost the go-to reanimation general. However, Balthor, the defiled is quite criminally underplayed. He's pretty much the entire Xiahou Dun+Living death combo, in your command zone. His explosive potential and his combo potential are both highly underestimated.
Wort is actually more explosive than Riku, due to not having the reliance on the extra mana cost for the copy effects. This allows her to really power out spells just a little bit faster than Riku.
Retired EDH - Tibor and Lumia | [PR]Nemata |Ramirez dePietro | [C]Edric | Riku | Jenara | Lazav | Heliod | Daxos | Roon | Kozilek
Ertai, the Corrupted - so my tribal wizards could be three color
Kumano, Master Yamabushi - repeatable damage is good
Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant - made far better by the rules, and quite silly at the helm of my Vigilance deck
Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker - oh, the sad faces from mill
Rubinia Soulsinger - KLEPTOMANIA!
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
There's one at my LGS. It's pretty damn scary.
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
GSelvala, Heart of the Wilds Inf Combo/FattiesG
GWSaffi Eriksdotter Inf ComboGW
BLiliana, Heretical Healer StaxB
RKiki-Jikki, Inf Combo/ETB AbuseR
It's funny that the majority of commanders listed are ones I've seen in action, but only a few years ago... then they fell off.
Personally, I think that the Pheros Gods are criminally underplayed.
I've built Atheros, but took it apart due to it not fitting my playstyle. I'd like to try Iroas, but don't have him, and will probably build Tymaret or Mogis because I love building decks and forgot about those two.
very underplayed
[center][color=Blue]
Edric Spy and die
Azami the lady of the draw
Naya Zoo
Past decks
Orloro
sharuum the hegemond
Mono black control
splinter twin