I live for those gotcha moments in commander, the moments where people quite literally jump out of their seats, cry out, and cover their mouths in excitement and shock. They’re the moments that make stream numbers skyrocket and make for clippable content on YouTube and TikTok. Some of my favorite moments like these are born out of Fogs. When one thinks of a fog, they think of well, Fog, and of course the titular Spore Frog, but there is more to fogging than just green cards. Fog effects come in many colors and forms, and it just so happens that my five favorite Fogs are a bit unconventional and also reside in unconventional colors.
Darkness
Let’s start with a classic — Darkness. I first came upon Darkness at my first LGS job. I was sorting through and grading the shop’s stock when I came upon the black Fog. I was enthralled. The art was gooey, grotesque, and reminded me of a cross between Hexxus and a Xenomorph. It was also the first time I had encountered a piece of flavor text that came from old literature. I offhandedly picked it up and thought nothing of it…until I built my Phage the Untouchable deck. This spell came to me when I needed it most. I had swung lethal on two of my opponents and had 0 blockers remaining. My final opponent had lethal on me and all I had out was a Bolas’ Citadel and a prayer. Right as they swung for the win, I looked on top of my library and almost screamed. There it was…Darkness. I cast it from the top of my library. Both my opponents and chat erupted in disbelief. I had won the game all because of a funky little off-color Fog I thought was neat.
Batwing Brume
Next up, we have a fog I have yet to find a home for, but enamored with nonetheless. Batwing Brume is one of those nifty hybrid mana spells that does more as you sink more colors into it. If you pay white, it prevents all combat damage. If you pay black, each player loses 1 life for each attacking creature they control. You get both if you pay both colors. What has me enthralled with this spell is how low the mana cost is versus how high the payoff is. It is so easy to cast this and simply knock a player’s life total down by half. Commander games have bigger boards and even more creatures than the average format which turns this Fog into tons of tiny knife stabs.
Inkshield
I knew I had to get my hands on this card the moment it was cast against me on stream. I swung out for some ridiculous number (I think while playing my Locust God deck) and was absolutely sure I was going to win. I won’t lie…I was cocky. The smile practically melted from my face when my opponent cast an Inkshield for a grand total of 135 Inklings. Needless to say, but I was screwed. Inkshield is such a fantastic spell because it’s an absolute game ender – turning the tides instantaneously. It’s almost like a weird Cyclonic Rift. Just when you think you’re on top of the world, the rug gets pulled from underneath you and the person who cast the spell is the clear victor. I have yet to cast this illustrious spell, but it just hasn’t been in the cards for me… yet.
Selfless Squire
I won’t lie, I’m always a bit hesitant when it comes to Fogs stapled to creatures. I can’t really explain why, but it feels so much more brittle to me than an instant. That being said, there is nothing delicate about Selfless Squire. In fact, I had my butt handed to me by this creature on stream the other night. I swung for overkill with my Faeries (smugness clear on my face) and only one untapped blocker, but then a Selfless Squire flashed in and I was a goner. The more damage one tries to deal, the bigger this body gets and wow is it intense. What’s even more exciting, is that this spell was recently reprinted in The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Commander precons, making it a budget snag for your commander deck.
Comeuppance
Finally, we have my favorite Fog of all time — Comeuppance. I refuse to shut up about this spell. If Comeuppance has zero fans, I am dead. This fog is the ultimate gotcha out of all gotchas. It prevents all damage that would be dealt to you and planeswalkers you control, but that’s not the best part. What makes this my all-star Fog, is that it’s like a lightning rod for damage. It redirects it to the source dealing it, regardless of if it’s a creature or non-creature source. It’s like packing a shield that also turns into a bazooka. It clears boards, lowers life totals, or practically decimates them. It is the ultimate fog that has a special place in my heart. I run it in every white deck I own and you should too.
Fogs are often few and far in between in games of Commander and yet, they create some of the most jaw dropping plays you could ever imagine. Fogs aren’t limited to just green, and nowadays they do a lot more than just prevent combat damage. They create tokens, make people lose life, deal damage, and more! I’m really starting to enjoy exploring unconventional versions of iconic Magic spells. Let me know your favorite unconventional Fogs and if any of yours match with mine.
Happy Fogging, deckbuilders!
