Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate preview season kicked off with a bang on Weekly MTG as Blake Rasmussn, Corey Bowen, and Brandy Camel showed off a plethora of cards coming in the next draftable Commander set.
It wouldn’t be a Commander set if it wasn’t stuffed full of legendary creatures, so feast your eyes on some of the new legends making an appearance in Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate.
Legendary Creatures
The last four creatures listed mention backgrounds, a new type of legendary enchantments. Check out the five backgrounds previewed on stream.
Backgrounds
Backgrounds function similar to the partner mechanic, in that they start in your Command Zone and define your deck’s color identity. Backgrounds will cost two more generic mana each time you cast them from the Command Zone and help when drafting so players can find two colors or more to build a deck reliably. Faceless One makes sure that players won’t struggle to find enough legends and colors for a functional limited deck.
Notable Characters
The whole set couldn’t be legends, so check out more characters coming to MTG from D&D, starting with Elminster! The initiative is also introduced along with the Undercity dungeon.
More Previews By Color
If all of those cards weren’t enough to satiate you, swaths of cards by color were previewed to give a glimpse of what the limited format will look like.
Reprints
Reprints are making a return with new D&D-themed art. Bramble Sovereign first appeared in Battlebond while the others shown below are Commander staples.
Commander Deck Face Cards
The full Commander decks won’t be previewed for until the end of the month, but the Weekly MTG stream gave us a tease with the front-facing legends from the decks.
Community Previews
Tasha, the Witch Queen
Whenever you cast a spell you don’t own, create a 3/3 black Demon creature token.
+1: Draw a card. For each opponent, exile up to one target instant or sorcery card from that player’s graveyard and put a page counter on it.
-3: You may cast a spell from among cards in exile with page counters on them without paying its mana cost.
Tasha, the Witch Queen can be your commander.
Jon Irenicus, Shattered One
At the beginning of your end step, target opponent gains control of up to one target creature you control. Put two +1/+1 counters on it and tap it. It’s goaded for the rest of the game and it gains “This creature can’t be sacrificed.”
Whenever a creature you own but don’t control attacks, you draw a card.
Guild Artisan
Commander creatures you control have “Whenever this creature attacks a player, if no other opponent has more life than that player, create two Treasure tokens.”
Safana, Calimport Killer
Menace
At the beginning of your end step, if you have the initiative, create a Treasure token. If you’ve completed a dungeon, create three of those tokens instead.
Choose a Background.
Shameless Charlatan
Commander creatures you own have “2U: This creature becomes a copy of another target creature.”
Monster Manual
Zoological Study 2G, Sorcery – Adventure
Mill five cards, then return a creature card milled this way to your hand.
Monster Manual 3G, Artifact
1G, T: You may put a creature card from your hand onto the battlefield.
Wilson, Refined Grizzly and Master Chef
This spell can’t be countered.
Vigilance, reach, trample, ward 2
Choose a Background
Commander creatures you own have “This creature enters the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it” and “Other creatures you control enter the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on them.”
Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate is scheduled to release on June 10. View our official preview gallery.