Joy lies at the center of the Commander format. Here, the rules are meant to be fiddled with and bent. No two playgroups are alike, and the same goes for decks, local game stores, metagames, you name it. In Commander, anything is possible. That’s why, even though Mystery Booster playtest cards say “TEST CARD – Not for constructed play” at the bottom, they have a home in the command zone.
Mystery Booster 2 boosters recently debuted at Gen Con and will be made available at future MagicCons and Festivals in a Box. From Gavin’s Unknown Event playtest pieces to these sleek beauties that pop up in Mystery Booster 2 boosters, there is no shortage of cool commanders to choose from. Which of these commanders are right for you?
Chea, Friend to Maybe Too Many
Chea is a force to be reckoned with. I should know. I brewed a deck around her on stream, and it packs a wallop.
Chea pulls an Outlaws of Thunder Junction and gives a handful of creatures an umbrella kindredship. Instead of them being called outlaws, they’re called familiars! Chea gives familiars (and cards with “familiar” in the name) flash, but her most powerful ability lies in her mana ability. She creates green mana and makes your opponents lose life equal to the number of familiars you control.
A deck like this wants to be full of familiars, but also untap effects. Magewright’s Stone, Thousand-Year Elixir, and Patriar’s Seal are Chea’s best friends. She also needs mana sinks, so why not toss in a few pieces like White Sun’s Zenith or Torment of Hailfire? My favorite piece of the deck has to be Wound Reflection. Why not make people lose twice as much life? There is so much power in Chea. Give her a chance! She’s always looking for friends.
Hish of the Snake Cult
Not only is Hish super-cute, but Hish finally makes Nagas and Serpents into Snakes! Kindred players rejoice! I know some of y’all were dying for these errata to happen, and while it may be in a playtest card, at least it’s somewhere. Hish also gives your Snakes daunt, deathtouch, and poisonous 2. Move over, Kaseto, Orochi Archmage, Hish is here to take over the Snake kindred throne!
While this deck is desperate for Snakes, there is much more to add to a list. Serpents like Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait and Koma, Cosmos Serpent are nightmare pieces that now fit right into the legless lizard deck. Don’t forget that proliferation pieces are key, so Unnatural Restoration, Karn’s Bastion, and Contentious Plan are welcome sights. Cover of Darkness was also reprinted, which makes your Snakes basically unblockable. While kindred decks aren’t exactly my thing, I feel there is something exciting about Hish that makes me want to pull some of the pieces out of retirement.
Narod, the Beige Flower
This flower has thorns! It’s Narod, the Beige Flower. Rather than caring about big butts like Arcades, the Strategist or Doran, the Siege Tower, Narod has each creature deal combat damage equal to its mana value rather than its power. I think this is a fun twist on the archetype, especially since it has felt limited in the past.
Narod wants you to run costly creatures. Shadow of Mortality, Draco, Icebreaker Kraken, and Hypnox are nightmare pieces I want to see in a deck like this. There’s something so ridiculous about them that they make me feel giddy. Worried about affording these expensive spells? Simply play Aminatou’s Augury; K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth; or Dream Halls. Esper decks aren’t typically my style, but the quirk of this deck makes me question my taste.
Oddric, Lunar Marquis
Odric, Lunarch Marshal is dead and boring. Let’s play Oddric, Lunar Marquis instead! This mono-black baddie is a fun twist on the keyword Odric we’ve come to know and love. Rather than caring about keywords like deathtouch or flying, this one cares about keywords that really matter, like flanking, horsemanship, and banding!
Say what you want, but I prefer the keywords of past Oddric. This deck is desperate for you to look through your old rare binder and locate Avatar of Woe; Geth, Lord of the Vault; and Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed. Despite focusing on the keywords, this deck ultimately wants black good stuff and fast. Slap a K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth and a Bolas’s Citadel in here for maximum value. You gotta grease the wheels somehow!
Wowzer, the Aspirational
Have you ever wanted to play Coalition Victory, only to be crushed by the fact that it’s banned in Commander? Worry not, darling deckbuilder, because Wowzer, the Aspirational is here to make your dreams a reality. While Coalition Victory is a bit easier to achieve in Commander, Wowzer makes you jump through hoops, winning you the game if you have an energy, a Blood, a Clue, a Food, a Map, a Powerstone, and a Treasure, are the monarch, and have the city’s blessing and the initiative.
Commander is all about running the weird things that don’t have a place elsewhere, and Wowzer is that personified. I love how the deck also requires colorless and snow mana, really hammering in how hard it is to achieve this victory. I am immediately drawn to decks like this, and it makes me want to see if victory really is achievable with Wowzer at the helm. A deck with him requires… literally everything and anything. My mind is teeming with ideas on how to kick a brew like this into motion. It might be my next brew on stream!
Test Your Play
I always want to encourage Commander players to brew outside their comfort zone and explore the flexible aspects of the format. While these cards are not for Constructed play, I find them to be perfect for Commander. You can get wild with these brews and push the limits of your playgroup… plus, these cards come in packs with white-bordered cards, and I think that is kind of amazing.
Are there any playtest commanders that caught your eye? Do you plan on brewing your own list? Happy exploring, deckbuilders.
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