So I got a hold of some battlebond cards this weekend, and I’m going to aim to sometime this week upload my current list with changes after Dominaria and Battlebond. But to keep debate moving forward, we have a new Walker!
Vivien Reid
3GG
{+1} Look at the top four cards of your library. You may reveal a creature or a land from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
{-3} Destroy target artifact, enchantment, or creature with flying.
{-8} You get an emblem with “Creatures you conrtrol get +2/+2 and have vigilance, trample, and indestructible.
Starting loyalty of 5.
I think she looks interesting. Not big on the plus, but I think the minus is cool Utility and the Ulti makes our tokens truly monsterous. Tempting, not sure if I’ll play her yet, but if she doesn’t make it here she’ll fit nicely in my Atraxa infect/proliferate-matters mini-Superfriends deck.
Hold onto your hats ladies and gentlemen, Arena Rector has just been spoiled.
Arena Rector
3W
Creature - Human Cleric
When Arena Rector dies, you may exile it. If you do, search your library for a planeswalker card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.
1/2
Yeah, interesting spoilers. I have an issue with the confusion that the Partner with reminder text will cause (it's not readily apparent that they actually partner in the command zone due to the new non-commander functionality that they added), but I like the actual cards.
And yes, Pir, imaginative Rascal is good. It increases how many loyalty counters they enter with, how many they add when using plus effects, and how many you get when you proliferate. Plus, it's only three mana, which curves nicely. I think I'll have to try it out.
Activating abilities of a planeswalker adds or reduces loyalty counters as a part of paying an activation cost. Pir, Imaginative Rascal can't add an additional loyalty counter to a planeswalker when you use their adding ability.
But his wording is different from Doubling Seasons’ which says if an effect would place counters, place double the amount. Pir, Imaginative Rascal says if one or more counters would be placed, place that many plus one of each of those kinds of counters instead. It doesn’t say effect, meaning it doesn’t care that adding counters to a walker through its ability is part of a cost, all it cares about is counters are being added.
On another note, the Partner Can-Be-Your-Commander Walkers in Battlebond seem super interesting: Rowan Kenrith and Will Kenrith.
Rowan Kenrith
4RR
Legendary Planeswalker - Rowan, Mythic Rare
+2: During target player's next turn, each creature that player controls attacks if able.
-2: Rowan Kenrith deals 3 damage to each tapped creature target player controls.
-8: Target player gets an emblem with "Whenever you activate an ability that isn't a mana ability, copy it. You may choose new targets for the copy."
Partner with Will Kenrith
Rowan Kenrith can be your commander.
Loyalty: 4
Will Kenrith
4UU
Legendary Planeswalker - Will, Mythic Rare
+2: Until your next turn, up to two target creatures each have base power and toughness 0/3 and lose all abilities.
-2: Target player draws two cards. Until your next turn, instant, sorcery and planeswalker spells that player casts cost 2 less to cast.
-8: Target player gets an emblem with "Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, copy it. You may choose new targets for the copy."
Partner with Rowan Kenrith
Will Kenrith can be your commander.
Loyalty: 4
Kinda like the idea of Emblems that for one copy abilities almost like a Rings of Brighthearth emblem and for the other copy instants and sorceries. Actually all of Will’s abilities seem pretty relevant, and in some cases Rowan’s can clear boards if you have a way to protect your walkers, some cool cards here. Also, if I understand the “Partners with X” mechanic correctly, playing one of these walkers lets you search the other, that seems like nice value.
Pir, Imaginative Rascal
Legendary Creature - Human
Partner with Toothy, Imaginary Friend (When this creature enters the battlefield, target player may put Toothy into their hand drom their library, then shuffle.)
If one or more counters would be put on a permanent your team controls, that many plus one of each of those kinds of counters are put on that permanent instead.
I think he is interesting for Superfriends. Not as a commander, but in the 99. I don’t know about running Toothy, but Pir’s ability acts as a second Oath of Gideon, but by its wording would also double when a Walker uses a +1 ability, and that seems pretty strong.
She gives you, your walkers, and creatures/tokens hexproof and has the ability to buff all our tokens. Not sure I’ll play her yet, but I’d say she’s worth considering.
Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain - Whenever you cast a historic spell, draw a card. (Artifacts, legendaries, and Sagas are historic.)
I think the new Jhoira is worth considering. Would act like a second copy of Reki, with the added benefit of giving us a draw with artifacts like our ramp artifacts, contagion artifacts, rings of brighthearth, etc. in addition to our walkers and commander.
Not me. I love silver-bordered and plan to do an Un-Cube and maybe a Baron Von Count deck, but I don't particularly like any of those cards you mentioned. I absolutely hate the design for Urza - I want a self-contained joke, not something where I have to worry about my phone's connection and battery just to play Magic. Everythingmajig feels overcosted in every variation. Rules Lawyer has a legit use in superfriends, as it keeps planeswalkers alive with 0 loyalty, but I don't really want to cram one joke card into a serious deck. If I'm doing jokes, I'm going all in.
That's fair. I want to try a few of them, since in my opinion Unstable cards are very close to black bordered cards in my opinion, kinda like another future sight, and most of them aren't too silly. I read somewhere there are releasing an offline way to play Urza, Academy Headmaster, I think in the form of a pdf, since there are 20 possible abilities for each loyalty ability, so if you were worried about your phone's connection or battery, one could just print the pdf and bring a 20-sided die (this is my plan *note, I do agree it is annoying to have to worry about phone OR pdf, but it still seems like a fun way to sometimes get under-costed walker abilities and ultimates* ). Rules Lawyer will be fun to try and see how quickly I can break it, and I see the proliferate Everythingmajig version as a third Contagion Engine like card, a little overcosted yeah and nowhere near as powerful as the Engine, but one with the additional abilities to steal counters from other walkers, creatures, etc. as well as placing +1/+1 counters to buff tokens or as a political motion in a game.
I’m already adding Rules Lawyer and Fowl Play to my Atraxa superfriends deck. I may also add By Gnome Means as a way to produce cheap chump blockers which can also be used to give any walker that extra counter to go ultimate.
I hadn't thought of By Gnome Means, that might be worth considering. Why Fowl Play? Is it just for the silliness, or is there an interaction I am missing with the card? lol
Yeah, with your manabase, I think you're safe without Krosan Verge. Alchemist's Refuge could even make Ramos better, allowing you to drop him at end of opponent's turn, go to your turn and play stuff for counters, then cash in for more mana to play even more in one big, explosive turn.
You know for some reason I had it in my head that it was non-creature not non-land, even though I think its in my Animar deck lol. So I am taking your advice, cutting Krosan Verge for Alchemist's Refuge. I updated my post above with my new current decklist, thanks for the help!
Very nice list. How has Ramos been working for you? I'm interested in the ability and consider Ramos one of the best three commanders for this deck, but I worry about durability. Does he survive long enough to start paying out mana?
Also, have you tried Alchemist's Refuge? I can't say enough about this card. Instant speed wraths, end of turn Doubling Season followed by multiple planeswalkers the next turn, etc.
I'm still trying to figure out which cards to acquire/add with the latest update. My "there can be only two" rule is out the window, Reki is joining the party (possibly bringing along legendary spells like Oaths), and I still need a copy of the God-Pharaoh and the new Vraska. It'll be interesting to see how much changes.
So far Ramos has been quite good. First time playing him dropped him turn 7, and then next turn dropped Doubling Season and a two color walker, Daretti I think and immediately got a ton of mana to drop a few more walkers to Ulti. Another game he was killed immediately because another in our group has an aggressive Ramos non-walker build. I feel like overall the Queen is the safer pick because she can spit out blockers, but she is also hated too so there's that. Ramos seems to be high risk, high reward. Due to doubling season, getting his ability off in one turn isn't difficult, and if you do, he's a huge power play for you. I tend to not leave him out for long, and only try to play him if I can get the mana same turn or one turn later at the latest.
I could certainly see the benefit of Alchemist's Refuge, do you think it would be worth cutting Krosan Verge and losing a bit of mana consistency for that powerful effect? I mean I do have 10 fetches so it may be worth it. It would also remove the only land in my deck that unconditionally enters the battlefield tapped. Hmmm.
I got super lucky at the midnight pre-release and got Vraska as my promo, so I am going to put her in for Inexorable Tide and leave Daretti in for now until I can get another copy of Reki for Superfriends.
As another note, I'd highly recommend trying Teferi's Protection. Being able to completely remove yourself and your board from the game for a turn can be a blowout, especially if you are about to Ulti a key walker or something important of ours is about to go boom.
Out of curiosity, Sliver Queen and Ramos aside, who do you see as the third good potential commander?
Thought I'd post again after a long time with my current version of my build of the Deck. I switched to Ramos because his ability could be very useful and I wanted to give him a try(and honestly I have a rule where the commander of one of my decks cannot be in the 99 of another of my decks, and I wanted my Sliver Queen to go back into my Sliver tribal deck and rarely used her anyways :P). He has really cool doubling season synergies that could allow for nice bursts of mana too so that's nice.
I think of the new stuff, I am leaning to cutting out the new Daretti, putting him in another artifact centered deck of mine, and replacing him with the new Vraska.
Like you, I've also been rethinking which walkers are in this deck, since now the Planeswalker rule is gone and have multiple with the same name is no longer the handicap it used to be. Like you, the new legendary rule really makes me want to run Reki, the History of Kamigawa, and I think I may finally replace Inexorable tide for him, not sure. I am still a tad weary about him just because of the number of board wipes this deck places may stop him from doing much, but I can certainly see many games where the card advantage is just insane.
Once again thanks so much to FunkyDragon for the primer that helped me build this deck, it is easily my favorite of my edh decks, and I adore playing it. Let me know any comments or suggestions you have, Thanks!
Daretti, Ingenious Iconoclast 1RB
+1: Put a 1/1 colorless Construct artifact creature token with defender onto the battlefield.
-1: You may sacrifice an artifact. If you do, destroy target artifact or creature.
-6: Choose target artifact card in a graveyard or artifact on the battlefield. Put three tokens that are copies of it onto the battlefield.
Starting Loyalty: 3
Seems pretty good. It is relatively cheap and protects itself and provides removal. While not the perfect fit, it's justifiable, leaving the the real question to be what artifacts do we run that would justify the ultimate.
I first want to note that the ultimate allows us to make 3 copies of an artifact in any graveyard or that anyone controls, so I am sure we could find something worthwhile in a game, not to mention things like the Contagion artifacts or mana rocks, or rings of blighthearth that are in our deck. I will definitely be trying him out, now to figure out what to cut haha.
On the note of new walkers, I am curious what the opinions are of our new walker friend: Kaya, Ghost Assassin 2WB
0: Exile Kaya, Ghost Assassin or up to one target creature. Return that card to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of your next upkeep. You lose 2 life.
-1: Each opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
-2: Each opponent discards a card and you draw a card.
Starting Loyalty: 5
I think she has some potential in our deck, remove a threat until our next turn, bounce back creatures like Solemn or Wood Elves that give us lands, or reset her loyalty seems pretty good, especially with Teferi's emblem. Her two minuses also have pretty decent potential, swings in life and card advantage seem like good things. What do you guys think of her? Worth trying?
I can't imagine ever cutting Sudden Spoiling from my build, because it has so many uses, but I am with you on cutting Spike Weaver - I just cut it to make room for Oath of Liliana. In theory, and even in practice, it can be great, but sometimes it's just too slow or it eats removal. It's one of the cards I am least sad to see go.
You make a good point about Sudden Spoiling, but I wanted to try it since the last few times I've used it, its been nothing other then a split second fog. If I don't like Deploy, I'll probably be switching it back in and leave Weaver out.
And now it's time for Battle of the Sorins!
I have obtained a copy of Sorin, Grim Nemesis, and I need to decide which two Sorins will reign supreme. As I've mentioned before, I no longer allow more than two versions of the same walker in my deck because with more I often had dead cards in hand or had to lose an existing walker. Sorin Markov - With a triple colored mana requirement, he is the hardest to cast. His plus ability is somewhat underwhelming, even if lifegain is sometimes welcome. But the ability to drop someone instantly to 10 life is insanely powerful and just gets better with Rings of Brighthearth. It's rare that he pulls his ultimate, but it can be a gamebreaker when he does. Sorin, Grim Nemesis - Six mana is a bit high, but only two of it is color-specific. His plus is amazing, combining card draw with a potential wincon. I can't imagine using the middle ability very often, but it could be useful in some cases. The ultimate is fairly good, popping out an entire army with built-in lifelink, but they are fairly weak and could easily be swept away before doing anything. There's some definite synergy with Doubling Season. Sorin, Lord of Innistrad - Four mana makes this more appealing to cast. A plus that protects your walkers and potentially gains life is nice. The emblem is nice, too, and makes your tokens more threatening. The ultimate is also nice, allowing you to reset your own walkers or steal the biggest threats (creature or walker) on the board.
So, which two do you think are the best overall?
As for your Sorin battle, I recommend you cut Sorin Markov. His drop to 10 is amazing, especially with rings, but triple in one color REALLY hurts (partially why I am not running Garruk, Primal Hunter), and just dropping one to 10 if you don't have the rings makes you a target that you may not be able to come back from, as it doesn't advance your board state at all. I also only allow two of the same walker, and Sorin, Lord of Innistrad has won me games. Being able to reset an Ugin, or something else with a silly ult with doubling season is just bonkers, and being able to steal an opponent's walker to ulti is amazing. Like it was previously said, Grim Nemesis is insane. His plus is card draw plus often damage and his ult has nice synergy with Doubling Season.
Vivien Reid
3GG
{+1} Look at the top four cards of your library. You may reveal a creature or a land from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
{-3} Destroy target artifact, enchantment, or creature with flying.
{-8} You get an emblem with “Creatures you conrtrol get +2/+2 and have vigilance, trample, and indestructible.
Starting loyalty of 5.
I think she looks interesting. Not big on the plus, but I think the minus is cool Utility and the Ulti makes our tokens truly monsterous. Tempting, not sure if I’ll play her yet, but if she doesn’t make it here she’ll fit nicely in my Atraxa infect/proliferate-matters mini-Superfriends deck.
Arena Rector
3W
Creature - Human Cleric
When Arena Rector dies, you may exile it. If you do, search your library for a planeswalker card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.
1/2
Damn what a card for our deck!
But his wording is different from Doubling Seasons’ which says if an effect would place counters, place double the amount. Pir, Imaginative Rascal says if one or more counters would be placed, place that many plus one of each of those kinds of counters instead. It doesn’t say effect, meaning it doesn’t care that adding counters to a walker through its ability is part of a cost, all it cares about is counters are being added.
On another note, the Partner Can-Be-Your-Commander Walkers in Battlebond seem super interesting:
Rowan Kenrith and Will Kenrith.
Rowan Kenrith
4RR
Legendary Planeswalker - Rowan, Mythic Rare
+2: During target player's next turn, each creature that player controls attacks if able.
-2: Rowan Kenrith deals 3 damage to each tapped creature target player controls.
-8: Target player gets an emblem with "Whenever you activate an ability that isn't a mana ability, copy it. You may choose new targets for the copy."
Partner with Will Kenrith
Rowan Kenrith can be your commander.
Loyalty: 4
Will Kenrith
4UU
Legendary Planeswalker - Will, Mythic Rare
+2: Until your next turn, up to two target creatures each have base power and toughness 0/3 and lose all abilities.
-2: Target player draws two cards. Until your next turn, instant, sorcery and planeswalker spells that player casts cost 2 less to cast.
-8: Target player gets an emblem with "Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, copy it. You may choose new targets for the copy."
Partner with Rowan Kenrith
Will Kenrith can be your commander.
Loyalty: 4
Kinda like the idea of Emblems that for one copy abilities almost like a Rings of Brighthearth emblem and for the other copy instants and sorceries. Actually all of Will’s abilities seem pretty relevant, and in some cases Rowan’s can clear boards if you have a way to protect your walkers, some cool cards here. Also, if I understand the “Partners with X” mechanic correctly, playing one of these walkers lets you search the other, that seems like nice value.
Pir, Imaginative Rascal
Legendary Creature - Human
Partner with Toothy, Imaginary Friend (When this creature enters the battlefield, target player may put Toothy into their hand drom their library, then shuffle.)
If one or more counters would be put on a permanent your team controls, that many plus one of each of those kinds of counters are put on that permanent instead.
I think he is interesting for Superfriends. Not as a commander, but in the 99. I don’t know about running Toothy, but Pir’s ability acts as a second Oath of Gideon, but by its wording would also double when a Walker uses a +1 ability, and that seems pretty strong.
She gives you, your walkers, and creatures/tokens hexproof and has the ability to buff all our tokens. Not sure I’ll play her yet, but I’d say she’s worth considering.
I think the new Jhoira is worth considering. Would act like a second copy of Reki, with the added benefit of giving us a draw with artifacts like our ramp artifacts, contagion artifacts, rings of brighthearth, etc. in addition to our walkers and commander.
Turns out it is true, they put out an article about it. I see a number of cards that will make me re-arrange the deck a bit.
Ah fair enough, hadn't even thought of it in the same vein lol.
That's fair. I want to try a few of them, since in my opinion Unstable cards are very close to black bordered cards in my opinion, kinda like another future sight, and most of them aren't too silly. I read somewhere there are releasing an offline way to play Urza, Academy Headmaster, I think in the form of a pdf, since there are 20 possible abilities for each loyalty ability, so if you were worried about your phone's connection or battery, one could just print the pdf and bring a 20-sided die (this is my plan
I hadn't thought of By Gnome Means, that might be worth considering. Why Fowl Play? Is it just for the silliness, or is there an interaction I am missing with the card? lol
You know for some reason I had it in my head that it was non-creature not non-land, even though I think its in my Animar deck lol. So I am taking your advice, cutting Krosan Verge for Alchemist's Refuge. I updated my post above with my new current decklist, thanks for the help!
So far Ramos has been quite good. First time playing him dropped him turn 7, and then next turn dropped Doubling Season and a two color walker, Daretti I think and immediately got a ton of mana to drop a few more walkers to Ulti. Another game he was killed immediately because another in our group has an aggressive Ramos non-walker build. I feel like overall the Queen is the safer pick because she can spit out blockers, but she is also hated too so there's that. Ramos seems to be high risk, high reward. Due to doubling season, getting his ability off in one turn isn't difficult, and if you do, he's a huge power play for you. I tend to not leave him out for long, and only try to play him if I can get the mana same turn or one turn later at the latest.
I could certainly see the benefit of Alchemist's Refuge, do you think it would be worth cutting Krosan Verge and losing a bit of mana consistency for that powerful effect? I mean I do have 10 fetches so it may be worth it. It would also remove the only land in my deck that unconditionally enters the battlefield tapped. Hmmm.
I got super lucky at the midnight pre-release and got Vraska as my promo, so I am going to put her in for Inexorable Tide and leave Daretti in for now until I can get another copy of Reki for Superfriends.
As another note, I'd highly recommend trying Teferi's Protection. Being able to completely remove yourself and your board from the game for a turn can be a blowout, especially if you are about to Ulti a key walker or something important of ours is about to go boom.
Out of curiosity, Sliver Queen and Ramos aside, who do you see as the third good potential commander?
I think of the new stuff, I am leaning to cutting out the new Daretti, putting him in another artifact centered deck of mine, and replacing him with the new Vraska.
Like you, I've also been rethinking which walkers are in this deck, since now the Planeswalker rule is gone and have multiple with the same name is no longer the handicap it used to be. Like you, the new legendary rule really makes me want to run Reki, the History of Kamigawa, and I think I may finally replace Inexorable tide for him, not sure. I am still a tad weary about him just because of the number of board wipes this deck places may stop him from doing much, but I can certainly see many games where the card advantage is just insane.
Once again thanks so much to FunkyDragon for the primer that helped me build this deck, it is easily my favorite of my edh decks, and I adore playing it. Let me know any comments or suggestions you have, Thanks!
1x Ramos, Dragon Engine
Land (39)
1x Alchemist's Refuge
1x Arid Mesa
1x Blood Crypt
1x Bloodstained Mire
1x Breeding Pool
1x Canopy Vista
1x Cinder Glade
1x Command Tower
1x Flooded Strand
1x Forest
1x Forest
1x Godless Shrine
1x Hallowed Fountain
1x Island
1x Island
1x Marsh Flats
1x Misty Rainforest
1x Mountain
1x Mountain
1x Overgrown Tomb
1x Plains
1x Plains
1x Polluted Delta
1x Prairie Stream
1x Reliquary Tower
1x Sacred Foundry
1x Scalding Tarn
1x Smoldering Marsh
1x Steam Vents
1x Stomping Ground
1x Sunken Hollow
1x Swamp
1x Swamp
1x Temple Garden
1x Temple of the False God
1x Verdant Catacombs
1x Watery Grave
1x Windswept Heath
1x Wooded Foothills
1x Ajani Steadfast
1x Chandra, Torch of Defiance
1x Dovin Baan
1x Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1x Elspeth, Sun's Champion
1x Garruk, Apex Predator
1x Jace, Architect of Thought
1x Jace, Unraveler of Secrets
1x Kiora, the Crashing Wave
1x Liliana Vess
1x Liliana, the Last Hope
1x Narset Transcendent
1x Nissa, Vital Force
1x Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
1x Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh
1x Ob Nixilis Reignited
1x Ral Zarek
1x Sorin, Grim Nemesis
1x Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
1x Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
1x Tamiyo, Field Researcher
1x Teferi, Temporal Archmage
1x Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
1x Venser, the Sojourner
1x Vraska the Unseen
1x Vraska, Relic Seeker
Artifact (8)
1x Chromatic Lantern
1x Contagion Clasp
1x Contagion Engine
1x Gilded Lotus
1x Rings of Brighthearth
1x Sensei's Divining Top
1x Sol Ring
1x The Chain Veil
1x Cyclonic Rift
1x Evacuation
1x Teferi's Protection
Enchantment (9)
1x Aura Shards
1x Doubling Season
1x Humility
1x Maelstrom Nexus
1x Mirari's Wake
1x Oath of Gideon
1x Rhystic Study
1x Sterling Grove
Sorcery (6)
1x Black Sun's Zenith
1x Decree of Pain
1x Demonic Tutor
1x Hallowed Burial
1x Supreme Verdict
1x Terminus
Creature (9)
1x Academy Rector
1x Clever Impersonator
1x Deepglow Skate
1x Eternal Witness
1x Farhaven Elf
1x Reki, the History of Kamigawa
1x Sakura-Tribe Elder
1x Solemn Simulacrum
1x Wood Elves
I first want to note that the ultimate allows us to make 3 copies of an artifact in any graveyard or that anyone controls, so I am sure we could find something worthwhile in a game, not to mention things like the Contagion artifacts or mana rocks, or rings of blighthearth that are in our deck. I will definitely be trying him out, now to figure out what to cut haha.
On the note of new walkers, I am curious what the opinions are of our new walker friend:
Kaya, Ghost Assassin
2WB
0: Exile Kaya, Ghost Assassin or up to one target creature. Return that card to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of your next upkeep. You lose 2 life.
-1: Each opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
-2: Each opponent discards a card and you draw a card.
Starting Loyalty: 5
I think she has some potential in our deck, remove a threat until our next turn, bounce back creatures like Solemn or Wood Elves that give us lands, or reset her loyalty seems pretty good, especially with Teferi's emblem. Her two minuses also have pretty decent potential, swings in life and card advantage seem like good things. What do you guys think of her? Worth trying?
You make a good point about Sudden Spoiling, but I wanted to try it since the last few times I've used it, its been nothing other then a split second fog. If I don't like Deploy, I'll probably be switching it back in and leave Weaver out.
As for your Sorin battle, I recommend you cut Sorin Markov. His drop to 10 is amazing, especially with rings, but triple in one color REALLY hurts (partially why I am not running Garruk, Primal Hunter), and just dropping one to 10 if you don't have the rings makes you a target that you may not be able to come back from, as it doesn't advance your board state at all. I also only allow two of the same walker, and Sorin, Lord of Innistrad has won me games. Being able to reset an Ugin, or something else with a silly ult with doubling season is just bonkers, and being able to steal an opponent's walker to ulti is amazing. Like it was previously said, Grim Nemesis is insane. His plus is card draw plus often damage and his ult has nice synergy with Doubling Season.