So I'm a little taken aback that no discussion has been given over Chandra, Torch of Defiance in the EDH forums.
She's card advantage (which if you mix in with Imperial Seal, Cruel Tutor, and Liliana Vess it's a tutor that you must cast but given that you just put what you want on top of your deck I think there's a 100% certainty you wanted to cast it anyways), she's ramp which you will probably use 90% of the time when you first cast her, she's moderate creature removal (but in my Olivia Voldaren deck she's amazing plus the ramp for biting), and her ultimate is pretty solid in EDH. I think she's pretty damn amazing for mono red or any kind of creature removal themed W/U/B/G red deck (except perhaps Daretti, Scrap Savant).
I got one today because my store was selling it for a surprising $16.
In the one game where I tried it for the hell of it, well, I gave it a grade of C. Never really something bad, but I wasn't overly thrilled by how it performed.
I'm so confused about the topdeck tutor comment. She doesn't interact excitingly well with them or anything. If anything, she works best with sensei's divining top or scroll rack to ensure repeatable hits.
Overall she seems decent but not amazing. Flexibility is good, but planeswalkers tend to be bad in commander since they have to survive 2-4 enemy attack phases. Red walkers do have the bonus of going well with jokulhaups and the like, though.
I'm not entirely sure I'd play her over Outpost Siege in most multiplayer games. Like JTMS, she's a big enough target that she'll often be a fog with a bad sorcery attached to it.
My experience with walkers in EDH tells me one of 3 things needs to be true to make them really useful:
1. Doubling Season into an immediate ult.
2. Low-impact enough that they are not worth too much resource investment to kill.
3. Some sort of lockdown such as stax/prison/mld keeping them from being killed.
She's not really worth it for #1 and is a bit too good for #2. She might do well in #3 because she can give you mana, pick off threats, and give you CA.
Mono red or boros are definitely the best fit for her cause it's so hard to get card draw. I think the 4 cmc and versatility do make her good. If I had to choose I'd rather have Outpost Siege but you most likely want both. She is good enough to go in other colors if you want, but as others have stated above planeswalkers in general have a tough time in edh.
I used her in Feldon, not dissapointed for the versatility. Either I get a card, mana, or burn some commander/threat. Three things a mono red deck wants. If I get the Ult, thats a bonus.
I will put her in my Archangel Avacyn deck. I need any draw there, mana helps and the ulti will be a nice plus. Maybe I will try her also in Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
I play her in my angel stax as another cmc 4 mana rock that can off a utility creature. most of the time, a sisay's ring performs the same function, however.
Her exile ability is actually the worst of her three normal abilities. Mana ramp is really good if you have some bombs, particularly if your general costs 5-7 mana or so. If you can land her early where the mana ramp is its most useful, going up to 5 toughness usually keeps her safe, especially if you can play something with the RR she produces when she comes down. If she comes down in the midgame, the flame slash can pick off most commanders/utility creatures. Only in the lategame would I ever focus on her first ability and in that case maybe she's better than outpost siege since you at least get the card immediately. She doesn't excel at "drawing" cards, mana ramping, or killing creatures, but being a flex player in all three roles cannot be easily written off. She is a low ceiling, high floor type of card.
Monored and boros for sure will play her, mostly because monored and boros are generally terrible. She's not that great in most other archetypes but I wouldn't rule her out. I wasn't interested in her when she was $30+ and she was definitely overhyped, but she's dropping rapidly because the standard meta is so terrible for her (hi smuggler's copter), and I'll pick her up later when her price tanks further.
The card advantage and mana, both as +1, are interesting. And of course with Doubling Season she becomes just a bit OP, typical of planeswalkers.
I want to run her in Melek some time.
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Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
She's card advantage (which if you mix in with Imperial Seal, Cruel Tutor, and Liliana Vess it's a tutor that you must cast but given that you just put what you want on top of your deck I think there's a 100% certainty you wanted to cast it anyways), she's ramp which you will probably use 90% of the time when you first cast her, she's moderate creature removal (but in my Olivia Voldaren deck she's amazing plus the ramp for biting), and her ultimate is pretty solid in EDH. I think she's pretty damn amazing for mono red or any kind of creature removal themed W/U/B/G red deck (except perhaps Daretti, Scrap Savant).
In the one game where I tried it for the hell of it, well, I gave it a grade of C. Never really something bad, but I wasn't overly thrilled by how it performed.
The Unidentified Fantastic Flying Girl.
EDH
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The Gitrog Monster: Oppressive Value.
Marchesa, Marionette Master - Undying Robots
Yuriko, the Hydra Omnivore
I make dolls as a hobby.
Overall she seems decent but not amazing. Flexibility is good, but planeswalkers tend to be bad in commander since they have to survive 2-4 enemy attack phases. Red walkers do have the bonus of going well with jokulhaups and the like, though.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
My experience with walkers in EDH tells me one of 3 things needs to be true to make them really useful:
1. Doubling Season into an immediate ult.
2. Low-impact enough that they are not worth too much resource investment to kill.
3. Some sort of lockdown such as stax/prison/mld keeping them from being killed.
She's not really worth it for #1 and is a bit too good for #2. She might do well in #3 because she can give you mana, pick off threats, and give you CA.
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Monored and boros for sure will play her, mostly because monored and boros are generally terrible. She's not that great in most other archetypes but I wouldn't rule her out. I wasn't interested in her when she was $30+ and she was definitely overhyped, but she's dropping rapidly because the standard meta is so terrible for her (hi smuggler's copter), and I'll pick her up later when her price tanks further.
WUBRGProgenitus
URGMaelstrom Wanderer
WUBOloro, Ageless Ascetic
WURZedruu, the Greathearted
BRGProssh, Skyraider of Kher ($100)
GWUDerevi, Empyrial Tactician ($100)
UGKruphix, God of Horizons ($100)(retired)UTalrand, Sky Summoner (French 1v1, $100)
I want to run her in Melek some time.
On phasing:
It's basically the same as combining any "draw 1" effect with a topdeck tutor.
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Also I'm pretty sure the number of people using cruel tutor and imperial seal are rather low. I've got both and I rarely use either.
Plus it's kind of a miracle if chandra survives a turn around the table imo.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6