What strange old commanders do you love?
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on Dec. 24, 2021, 4:31 a.m. by Idoneity
One of my very favourite things to do in a game of commander is to bash people with the antiquated. If they are to dree anything I impose, it shall be crouse and deadly. Brewing old legends, such as Hakim, Halfdane, and Yomiji, is a splendid reminder that the power creep of recent years cannot topple creativity.
Thus I must enquire, what weird wizened whoozies seem to have fun effects that just have not been replicated before? What have you done with them? And, to that end, what interesting stories are acquainted with these ravagers of the old?
Sometimes I like to run Master of the Hunt or Pixie Queen as rule 0 commanders of my green deck. From a power level, everyone is always okay with them, for sure : ) But I do get the odd game where I beat in with a ton of banding wolves, and that feels great.
December 24, 2021 7:44 a.m.
Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant Flip. Supplanted in recent years, for sure, and mono-white too boot, but I love running a derpy "can't be killed [except it really can]" deck from a time when flip cards had creative restrictions.
December 24, 2021 8:47 a.m.
griffstick says... #6
I like Kagemaro, First to Suffer because it creates this mini game within the game where you opponents see the board wipe in the command zone and when it's in play, it's just a simple to activate. Your opponents are checking how many cards are in your hand. Your opponents are trying to play around the board wipe or force you to use it when they want to. Definitely one of my favorite old weird ones for me. Maybe it's not weird enough so I've got another one. Michiko Konda, Truth Seeker is unique. I like that her ability kinda plays the same way as the above mentioned card but she is more defensive. She is also not really a build around cmdr but that's OK. I tend to build her as angle tribal with lots of protection and recursion and lifegain and indestructible things going on. She's fun because your opponents will not attack you until she is gone.
Huh funny that they are both from the same set. Ironic
December 24, 2021 11:42 a.m.
This is no surprise but Balthor the Defiled is my all time favorite commander. That mass reanimation is just so splashy and fun to use, especially when it’s all forgotten old-school jank crawling out of the graveyard :)
December 24, 2021 2:34 p.m.
Taniwha makes a mean blue control deck when you can leverage a Sunder or Worldslayer without having to worry about your own lands. I don't know if it's old, but I love playing the first legendary creature I ever owned, Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon.
December 24, 2021 5:22 p.m.
TypicalTimmy says... #9
I've been itching to build a Gwendlyn Di Corci tapdance deck.
...unintentional adult pun was unintentionally adult
December 24, 2021 6:43 p.m.
FormOverFunction says... #10
My haunted house deck has Princess Lucrezia at the helm. She’s not particularly... effective... but definitely accurately conveys the deck’s intentions; spooky, awkward, and light-hearted. If I were more energetic tonight I might have started a thread on “what does your commander tell your opponents?” Kind of a fun mental exercise. Be safe and well, all.
December 25, 2021 12:15 a.m.
Gallowbraid, of course, hence why I built a deck for him to call home. He has a little brother that flies whose name I can never remember, but I saw Gallowbraid first, so of course I'm partial.
And I like Karona, False God too. Kinda unique, interesting, potentially dangerous, definitely janky. It's got all the stuff I like about Magic. In fact, she may be a more fun/better commander for a chaos deck I've been wanting to rebuild, instead of using Obeka, Brute Chronologist. Hmm. Yeah.
Thanks for asking! Good talk! =D
December 25, 2021 2:49 a.m.
Gattison, I believe you are thinking of Morinfen. I actually have him in the Balthor deck I referenced above; he has some absolutely incredible art! :)
December 25, 2021 2:58 a.m.
seshiro_of_the_orochi says... #13
My first commander deck I built from the scratch and also the first to win a game with was Toshiro Umezawa. It's mono- spellslinger/control. The way I built it back then had a little voltron aspect to it, but that's just me. I currently don't have it assembled because I'm in the process of finishing Marrow-Gnawer, who is another very cool commander. Nobody sees the kombo kill with Thornbite Staff coming.
December 25, 2021 3:36 a.m.
seshiro_of_the_orochi says... #14
FormOverFunction: Feel free to start that thread. Colour me interested!
December 25, 2021 3:38 a.m.
I always wanted to make a build with Rasputin Dreamweaver flickering, big mana and eldrazi craziness - if only he wasn't so damn expensive...
December 25, 2021 2:31 p.m.
My Multani, Maro-Sorcerer deck is one of my favorites. His power/toughness is equal to the number of cards in all player's hands. Group hug for a few turns to help everyone draw lots of cards, throw down Akroma's Memorial or Crashing Drawbridge or something, and then BOOM. Multani is a 25/25 for and is swinging at someone's face. Combine this with Return of the Wildspeaker or something similar to basically double his power!
He is on the Reserved List, though, which sucks. :(
December 26, 2021 8:59 p.m.
griffstick says... #18
My Multani deck is sweet. Please check it out KBK7101
December 26, 2021 11:06 p.m. Edited.
I have! It was of great inspiration when I was building mine!
December 27, 2021 9:52 a.m.
libraryjoy says... #20
The oldest commander I've built and kept around is Asmira, Holy Avenger. It's probably due for a budget-y update as some of the cards are increasing in price and could probably be replaced with new cards (updates logged were just for editing description). We Who Are Going to Die Salute You - Asmira EDH and Asmira, Holy Avenger Budget Human EDH. At one time I had Kangee, Aerie Keeper, but no longer have a list for it.
I've built quite a few Kamigawa legends as well, including recently Patron of the Moon, Yomiji, Who Bars the Way, Celestial Kirin, and Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant Flip
December 28, 2021 3:46 p.m.
libraryjoy says... #21
I would love to build Hazezon Tamar, but would definitely have to proxy him.
plakjekaas says... #2
The oldest commander I built is Kumano, Master Yamabushi which is basically a burn deck with a few useful equipment for deathtouch and other on-damage effects. It's a mono red deck that tries to win without combat, even included Ensnaring Bridge and Glacial Chasm to make sure I don't die with the lack of creatures in the 99. That, and the secret commander who is also a 5drop from Kamigawa, Heartless Hidetsugu, great with lifelink and damage-doublers, but "for some reason" gets hated out of the game real fast when you put him in the command zone.
Double your mana, your damage, kill everthing you can and don't die. Then Fiery Confluence everyone in the face for 24 damage or something. Sick burn :P
December 24, 2021 6:14 a.m.