Anyone know any good tempo commanders? To extrapolate on that, what I am really looking for is a commander that can be built with lots of cheap-to-cast counterspells to stall the game after getting down some threats (and use wheel effects to refill the hand). I don't really mind if the deck is more control than tempo, but I do want a list that can fling a plethora of cheap counterspells at opposing threats. Also I don't want to spend too much, but I'm sure I can find a budget way to build just about any deck.
Commanders I'm currently considering are Ojutai Voltron and Talrand. I think Ojutai would have to be a bit slower, although he is a very resilient beater when given vigilance. Talrand might be what I want, but I don't know much about how he actually pans out, and am a little worried that he will fold to board wipes too easily.
Talrand is an army in a can. He's great for budget (I run a pauper build where he's the only non-common), and you can counter most board wipes. The best part is he turns every counterspell into a flying body, which actually give you a wincon while stopping your opponents.
Sygg, River Cutthroat can be a fine Tempo Commander; with just a single equipment or fellow hard-to-block creature it lets you put on the pressure, gain political advantage, and keep your hand nice and full. Edric, Spymaster of Trest does similarly. You COULD build Adeliz, the Cinder Wind in this way although of course she rewards a more go-wide, aggressive strategy.
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I'll vouch for Talrand, Sky Summoner - I was able to build him cheap with basically any fun cheap (mana and $-wise) blue instants and sorceries I wanted. He can actually be built very tempo since almost everything you'd do with him is on other players' turns like at end step bouncing their permanents that they just played, tapping down creatures, or other things. I remember countering like 4 boar wipes in a row because I was getting insane with the 2/2 flyers, Reliquary Tower, and Bident of Thassa, Kindred Discovery, and Coastal Piracy, but I later learned of a nice card called Teferi's Veil. The drakes I'd attack with don't have vigilance, so they're not sticking around to block anyway, and the Veil ensured that even if I couldn't counter a board wipe, I wasn't set too far back as all my tokens would be protected until my turn anyway. I threw in Soul of New Phyrexia as a way to defend against wipes without countering them as well. An early unanswerable Overburden was back-breaking for opposing creature-based decks (I only ran 6 non-token creatures). I took the deck apart before I could try it out, but I was starting to think about something like Cast Through Time and to double-up on making 2/2 drakes, not to mention all the free casting value.
As long as the table isn't out to get you from the start, and thus keep using removal on Talrand faster than you can counter it or protect him, then he gets pretty fun and is a win-condition on his own just for playing cheap fun spells.
I ended up making a fun hand-tribal (hands prominently or at least moderately featured in each non-land card art) with Taigam, Ojutai Master, and he can definitely be made into a solid cross of control and tempo by taking advantage of his built-in rebound ability and his "you can't counter my spells" clause too, although, admittedly, counterspells don't exactly jive with him since you don't typically cast those in your post-combat main phase, but I'll suggest looking into him if you wanted something a little less commonly played/built than Talrand. Plus, you can include Talrand in a Taigam, OM deck (as I do).
Edric, Spymaster of Trest is basically the epitome of what you're looking for, I think. Play a bunch of stupid Flying Men and then sit on counter magic for the rest of the game with a constantly full hand.
I think rape and could be fun as the only creature (Or one of the only creatures. Maybe toss in saladhima so you get 2 drakes per spell. Clever inperso at or can copy many things. .maybe your meta has token doubles. Copy that. Same with copy enchantme t if you are again playing against swarm decks.
Universal pumps are great. Along with akroma's memorial.
I can't think of much else really. I would build.talrand as a spellslinger deck. If you have omniscience, a way to fill your hand sufficiently will do wonders. The memorial will Give you haste.
Kindred discovery is also a must as each drake that is created and that tracks will net You more cards.
If 1v1 then I'd have to vote for nin, the pain artist. The deck is typically heavy control and your win-con can be something like vedalken shackles. Save nin till you can protect her, whir of invention out your shackles to theft the opponents creatures, which you can then nin-draw and/or use to kill the opponents with.
If multiplayer then check out breya, etherium shaper. The colors give you everything but green ramp spells. The commander comes with back-up and is a toolbox of answers, and can also be a win-con with a few cards easily tutorable with the colors.
Talrand, Sky Summoner - Seems like he would be more of a control deck, but has the upside of still being able to run a panoply of counterspells. I was searching around a bit and found that Polymorph synergies can be built with him, while being less boring and repetitive than Jalira.
Baral, Chief of COmpliance - He would go in a very similar deck to Talrand, and the cheapening effect on a 2-drop commander is amazing, but he isn't his own win-condition. I could stand building this with a polymorph package, but I want a more repetitive and harder-to-disrupt win condition without running boring staple ones (i.e. Rites of Replication)
Sygg, River Cutthroat - I like this guy, but all he provides is card advantage, and you have to run some unblockable effects/creatures that won't synergize with the rest of the deck unless you go all in on the sabateur themes ("deal combat damage to a player" triggers), which there are better commanders for.
Edric, Spymaster of Trest - As summurized by Impossible, He's just "Play a bunch of stupid Flying Men and then sit on counter magic for the rest of the game with a constantly full hand." This isn't a bad strategy, but as far as I'm concerned it's boring as hell and un-creative.
Brago, King Eternal - I like Brago, I think a deck built around him would be able to keep down threats well and maintain card advantage. It can also be incredibly cheap (I mean $15-$20 with the staples I already own), so I could just throw it together sometime. My only big problem is that the deck is quite dependent on him, and it doesn't seem there are many ways to build him creatively.
Taigam, Ojutai Master - I just hate this guy. I can't stand Jeleva-style decks that just copy big splashy blue spells, and this guy has no built-in evasion to ensure his survival through combat.
Gashnaw, I have no idea what that's supposed to say... I'm guessing your phone's autocorrect got in the way of your message...
Breya, Etherium Shaper - She is an amazing artifact and/or combo commander, I'd just prefer building Sidri, Galvanic Genius, as I am currently in the process of trying to force my self to play at least one deck that at least pretends to be creature based
Other ones I found on the web:
Lazav, Dimir Mastermind - He has built in hexproof and doesn't need any support to at least be somewhat functional. He works well with wheels (I've always wanted to build a deck full of wheels that isn't all discard/draw synergies), which leads me to think that a reanimation deck isn't too far from viable. Run 10-12 wheel and mill effects total, 10-12 reanimation effects (that fetch from your yard or opponents'), and then fill the rest in with ETB creatures from my midrange Toshiro Umezawa reanimator deck. Seems a bit convoluted, but you get to reanimate/copy both your opponents' creatures and yours, while Lazav himself fits perfectly in without being essential to the deck function. (I do currently play both Toshiro and Chainer, Dementia Master reanimator decks though, so I probably won't build this too soon.)
Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder - This guy is not normally built as a tempo commander, but anosou came up with this awesome Yidris deck themed around creatures dealing combat damage to players, which both synergizes with Yidris while not requiring him. Downside is no counterspells, but it could be fun (and I don't like my current Yidris deck).
Commanders I'm currently considering are Ojutai Voltron and Talrand. I think Ojutai would have to be a bit slower, although he is a very resilient beater when given vigilance. Talrand might be what I want, but I don't know much about how he actually pans out, and am a little worried that he will fold to board wipes too easily.
Thank you in advance for any responses!
BChainer Sac-Based ControlB
UWOjutai Control/VoltronWU
2023 Average Peasant Cube|and Discussion
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(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'
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)
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*Ok, I know you said budget, but that doesn't necessarily preclude you from having a Snapcaster laying around.
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As long as the table isn't out to get you from the start, and thus keep using removal on Talrand faster than you can counter it or protect him, then he gets pretty fun and is a win-condition on his own just for playing cheap fun spells.
I ended up making a fun hand-tribal (hands prominently or at least moderately featured in each non-land card art) with Taigam, Ojutai Master, and he can definitely be made into a solid cross of control and tempo by taking advantage of his built-in rebound ability and his "you can't counter my spells" clause too, although, admittedly, counterspells don't exactly jive with him since you don't typically cast those in your post-combat main phase, but I'll suggest looking into him if you wanted something a little less commonly played/built than Talrand. Plus, you can include Talrand in a Taigam, OM deck (as I do).
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Universal pumps are great. Along with akroma's memorial.
I can't think of much else really. I would build.talrand as a spellslinger deck. If you have omniscience, a way to fill your hand sufficiently will do wonders. The memorial will Give you haste.
Kindred discovery is also a must as each drake that is created and that tracks will net You more cards.
UB Vela the Night-Clad BUDecklist
WBG Ghave, Guru of Spores GBW
WUBRGThe Ur-DragonWUBRGDecklist
(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'
If 1v1 then I'd have to vote for nin, the pain artist. The deck is typically heavy control and your win-con can be something like vedalken shackles. Save nin till you can protect her, whir of invention out your shackles to theft the opponents creatures, which you can then nin-draw and/or use to kill the opponents with.
If multiplayer then check out breya, etherium shaper. The colors give you everything but green ramp spells. The commander comes with back-up and is a toolbox of answers, and can also be a win-con with a few cards easily tutorable with the colors.
Links to my most current deck lists;
Primary EDH; Rakka Mar Token Perfection, Crosis Mnemonic Betrayal, Cromat Villainous, Judith Gravestorm, Rakdos Empty Storm, Exava Artifacts, Bant Trash, & Fumiko Voltron!
EDH kept at home; Ruzzian Isset & Rakdos LoR!
EDH (nostalgic/pimp/retired) in storage;
Latulla Burns, Akroma Smash, Jeska Voltron, Rakdos Storm, Bladewing Darghans, Lyzolda Worldgorger, Xantcha Steals your Heart, Jori Storm, Wydwen Permission, Gwendlyn Paradox, Jeleva Warps, & Sigarda Brick!
Legacy Showanimator and High Tide!
Talrand, Sky Summoner - Seems like he would be more of a control deck, but has the upside of still being able to run a panoply of counterspells. I was searching around a bit and found that Polymorph synergies can be built with him, while being less boring and repetitive than Jalira.
Baral, Chief of COmpliance - He would go in a very similar deck to Talrand, and the cheapening effect on a 2-drop commander is amazing, but he isn't his own win-condition. I could stand building this with a polymorph package, but I want a more repetitive and harder-to-disrupt win condition without running boring staple ones (i.e. Rites of Replication)
Sygg, River Cutthroat - I like this guy, but all he provides is card advantage, and you have to run some unblockable effects/creatures that won't synergize with the rest of the deck unless you go all in on the sabateur themes ("deal combat damage to a player" triggers), which there are better commanders for.
Edric, Spymaster of Trest - As summurized by Impossible, He's just "Play a bunch of stupid Flying Men and then sit on counter magic for the rest of the game with a constantly full hand." This isn't a bad strategy, but as far as I'm concerned it's boring as hell and un-creative.
Brago, King Eternal - I like Brago, I think a deck built around him would be able to keep down threats well and maintain card advantage. It can also be incredibly cheap (I mean $15-$20 with the staples I already own), so I could just throw it together sometime. My only big problem is that the deck is quite dependent on him, and it doesn't seem there are many ways to build him creatively.
Taigam, Ojutai Master - I just hate this guy. I can't stand Jeleva-style decks that just copy big splashy blue spells, and this guy has no built-in evasion to ensure his survival through combat.
Gashnaw, I have no idea what that's supposed to say... I'm guessing your phone's autocorrect got in the way of your message...
Breya, Etherium Shaper - She is an amazing artifact and/or combo commander, I'd just prefer building Sidri, Galvanic Genius, as I am currently in the process of trying to force my self to play at least one deck that at least pretends to be creature based
Other ones I found on the web:
Lazav, Dimir Mastermind - He has built in hexproof and doesn't need any support to at least be somewhat functional. He works well with wheels (I've always wanted to build a deck full of wheels that isn't all discard/draw synergies), which leads me to think that a reanimation deck isn't too far from viable. Run 10-12 wheel and mill effects total, 10-12 reanimation effects (that fetch from your yard or opponents'), and then fill the rest in with ETB creatures from my midrange Toshiro Umezawa reanimator deck. Seems a bit convoluted, but you get to reanimate/copy both your opponents' creatures and yours, while Lazav himself fits perfectly in without being essential to the deck function. (I do currently play both Toshiro and Chainer, Dementia Master reanimator decks though, so I probably won't build this too soon.)
Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder - This guy is not normally built as a tempo commander, but anosou came up with this awesome Yidris deck themed around creatures dealing combat damage to players, which both synergizes with Yidris while not requiring him. Downside is no counterspells, but it could be fun (and I don't like my current Yidris deck).
BChainer Sac-Based ControlB
UWOjutai Control/VoltronWU