Breya, Etherium Shaper

Legendary Artifact Creature — Human

When this enters the battlefield, create two 1/1 blue Thopter artifact creature tokens with flying.

{2}, Sacrifice two artifacts: Choose one —

• This deals 3 damage to target player or planeswalker.
• Target creature gets -4/-4 until end of turn.
• You gain 5 life.

Combos

• Breya, Etherium Shaper + Eldrazi Displacer + Mana Echoes
• Ashnod's Altar + Breya, Etherium Shaper + Eldrazi Displacer
• Breya, Etherium Shaper + Eldrazi Displacer + Krark-Clan Ironworks
• Breya, Etherium Shaper + Rings of Brighthearth

Tokens

• Thopter 1/1 U

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Freeform	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Historic Brawl	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (50)

trippy_mcfly on Cumly Cube

2 months ago

Introducing Cumly Cube 1.3! Two years ago, Cumly Cube was updated to Cumly Cube 1.2, creating a balanced cube and wonderful play experience for all involved. Despite these changes, there remained some minor flaws in the card pool. I am now pleased to announce that, after extensive research and design, Cumly Cube has reached a final form. No card is too powerful. No card is too weak. Synergy is abundant. Both the draft and play experiences are dynamic, exciting, and new. There will be no more major updates to Cumly Cube 1.

120 cards have been removed, and 120 cards have been added. Here are the changes, provided with brief justifications:

REMOVED:

ARTIFACT

1. Everflowing Chalice: mana rocks should cost 3 or have a drawback
2. Glass of the Guildpact: too weak
3. Heraldic Banner: encouraged mono-colored decks
4. Illuminated Folio: too weak
5. Jayemdae Tome: too weak
6. Loreseeker's Stone: too weak
7. Mind Stone: mana rocks should cost 3 or have a drawback
8. Null Rod: too much of a hate card
9. Pithing Needle: too powerful with Urza's Saga
10. Pyromancer's Goggles: too narrow
11. Retrofitter Foundry: too powerful with Urza's Saga

CREATURE

1. Bomat Courier: too powerful against slow starts
2. Deathpact Angel: creates a Cleric token, not a supported creature type
3. Dimir Cutpurse: too powerful
4. Elves of Deep Shadow: too obvious of a choice as a cumly
5. Golos, Tireless Pilgrim: too powerful
6. Hostage Taker: too powerful
7. Kalamax, the Stormsire: too powerful
8. Loyal Retainers: too obvious of a choice as a cumly
9. Monastery Mentor: too powerful
10. Moonveil Dragon: pumping the team makes for anticlimactic endings
11. Murktide Regent: we’ve seen enough of this card already in other formats
12. Ornithopter of Paradise: too obvious of a choice as a cumly
13. Phantom Tiger: too weak
14. Risen Reef: too powerful
15. Shadrix Silverquill: creates Inkling tokens, not a supported creature type
16. Tatyova, Benthic Druid: too powerful
17. Thraben Inspector: we’ve seen enough of this card already in other formats
18. Toxrill, the Corrosive: creates Slug tokens, not a supported creature type

ENCHANTMENT

1. Alpha Authority: hexproof makes for less interesting games
2. Favorable Winds: too weak
3. Offspring's Revenge: too narrow
4. Pernicious Deed: too powerful of a board wipe
5. Rally the Ranks: too weak
6. Song of Freyalise: too typical a card for green

LAND (types are grouped together in this list)

1. Tolarian Academy: too powerful
2. Arid Mesa: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
3. Bloodstained Mire: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
4. Flooded Strand: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
5. Marsh Flats: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
6. Misty Rainforest: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
7. Polluted Delta: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
8. Scalding Tarn: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
9. Verdant Catacombs: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
10. Windswept Heath: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
11. Wooded Foothills: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
12. Badlands: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
13. Bayou: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
14. Plateau: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
15. Savannah: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
16. Scrubland: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
17. Taiga: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
18. Tropical Island: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
19. Tundra: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
20. Underground Sea: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
21. Volcanic Island: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
22. Hissing Quagmire: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
23. Lavaclaw Reaches: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
24. Lumbering Falls: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
25. Shambling Vent: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
26. Needle Spires: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
27. Raging Ravine: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
28. Stirring Wildwood: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
29. Wandering Fumarole: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting

INSTANT

1. Abnormal Endurance: too typical a card for black
2. Aerial Predation: too narrow
3. Alchemist's Gift: too weak
4. Arbor Armament: too weak
5. Autumn's Veil: too narrow
6. Betrayal of Flesh: too weak
7. Bladebrand: too typical a card for black
8. Brainstorm: we’ve seen enough of this card already in other formats
9. Cathartic Pyre: too much utility for an instant
10. Comet Storm: one-sided board wipes need to be focused on creature type
11. Consider: too typical a card for blue
12. Crippling Chill: too typical a card for blue
13. Crush: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
14. Dawn Charm: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better
15. Dive Down: hexproof makes for less interesting games
16. Divine Offering: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
17. Dragon's Fire: too typical a card for red
18. Electrify: too typical a card for red
19. Fell the Pheasant: too narrow
20. Gainsay: too narrow
21. Gut Shot: too weak
22. Heroic Intervention: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better
23. Hold the Line: too narrow
24. Into the Core: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
25. Lash of Thorns: too weak
26. Make Your Mark: too weak
27. Opt: too typical a card for blue
28. Overload: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
29. Pitfall Trap: too narrow
30. Repulse: too typical a card for blue
31. Scrap: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
32. Seedtime: too narrow
33. Shatter: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
34. Smash: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
35. Smashing Success: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
36. Smite: too narrow
37. Turn to Frog: turns a creature into a Frog, not a supported creature type
38. Unsummon: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better

SORCERY

1. Blasphemous Act: too typical a card for red
2. Chart a Course: too much utility
3. Cleansing Wildfire: too much utility
4. Cultivate: too typical a card for green
5. Disentomb: too typical a card for black
6. From the Ashes: too narrow
7. Funeral Rites: too much utility
8. Gitaxian Probe: too typical a card for blue
9. Necromantic Summons: too typical a card for black
10. Nighthaze: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better
11. Persist: too typical a card for black
12. Pirate's Prize: too much utility
13. Ponder: too much utility
14. Reanimate: too typical a card for black
15. Recover: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better
16. Serum Visions: too typical a card for blue
17. Spitting Earth: too typical a card for red
18. Thoughtcast: too typical a card for blue

ADDED:

ARTIFACT

1. Coat of Arms: encourages building around creature types
2. Patchwork Banner: encourages building around creature types

CREATURE

1. Arahbo, the First Fang: supports the Avatar and Cat creature types
2. Avatar of the Resolute: supports the Avatar creature type
3. Autonomous Assembler: supports the Assembly-worker creature type
4. Bag End Porter: supports the Dwarf creature type
5. Breya, Etherium Shaper: supports the Human and Thopter creature types
6. Captain Storm, Cosmium Raider: supports the Human and Pirate creature types
7. Captivating Unicorn: supports the Unicorn creature type and supports enchantment decks
8. Centaur Battlemaster: supports the Centaur creature type and functions as a strong payoff for prowess decks
9. Chronicler of Heroes: supports the Centaur creature type
10. Conclave Cavalier: supports the Centaur and Elf creature types
11. Conclave Mentor: supports the Centaur creature type
12. Crosis, the Purger: supports the Dragon creature type
13. Fear of Exposure: supports the Nightmare creature type and supports enchantment decks
14. Ghostly Changeling: supports all creature synergy decks
15. Gimli of the Glittering Caves: supports the Dwarf creature type
16. Glissa Sunseeker: supports the Elf creature type
17. Graveshifter: supports all creature synergy decks
18. Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea: supports the Elf creature type
19. Haunt of the Dead Marshes: supports the Elf and Nightmare creature types
20. He Who Hungers: supports the Spirit creature type
21. Heedless One: supports the Avatar and Elf creature types
22. Jungle Creeper: supports the Elemental creature type
23. Jungle Delver: supports the Merfolk creature type
24. Kataki, War's Wage: supports the Spirit creature type and functions as artifact hate
25. Keiga, the Tide Star: supports the Dragon and Spirit creature types
26. Kiora's Follower: supports the Merfolk creature type
27. Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca: supports the Merfolk creature type
28. Lagonna-Band Trailblazer: supports the Centaur creature type
29. Marwyn, the Nurturer: supports the Elf creature type
30. Master Skald: supports the Dwarf creature type
31. Mine Layer: supports the Dwarf creature type
32. Neighborhood Guardian: supports the Unicorn creature type
33. Promised Kannushi: supports the Human and Spirit creature types
34. Realmwalker: supports all creature synergy decks
35. Reveka, Wizard Savant: supports the Dwarf creature type
36. Seraphic Steed: supports the Angel and Unicorn creature types
37. Soul of Zendikar: supports the Avatar and Beast creature types
38. Steadfast Unicorn: supports the Unicorn creature type
39. Stingmoggie: supports the Elemental creature type and functions as artifact hate
40. Sygg, River Cutthroat: supports the Merfolk creature type
41. Vineshaper Mystic: supports the Merfolk creature type
42. Wistful Selkie: supports the Merfolk creature type
43. Yargle and Multani: supports the Elemental and Spirit creature types
44. Zacama, Primal Calamity: supports the Dinosaur creature type

ENCHANTMENT

1. Aura of Silence: functions as artifact and enchantment hate
2. Aura ShardsGC: functions as artifact and enchantment hate
3. Blessed Sanctuary: supports the Unicorn creature type
4. Corrosion: functions as artifact hate
5. Embargo: interesting prison piece for stasis decks
6. Font of Fortunes: card advantage at a fair price for Cumly Cube
7. Gate to Phyrexia: functions as artifact hate and supports the niche but possible sacrifice deck
8. Impending Disaster: a useful piece for aggressive decks or niche graveyard decks
9. Shared Animosity: supports all creature synergy decks

LAND (types are grouped together in this list)

1. Drowned Catacomb: completing the full set of check lands
2. Glacial Fortress: completing the full set of check lands
3. Hinterland Harbor: completing the full set of check lands
4. Sulfur Falls: completing the full set of check lands
5. Cascade Bluffs: completing the full set of filter lands
6. Graven Cairns: completing the full set of filter lands
7. Mystic Gate: completing the full set of filter lands
8. Sunken Ruins: completing the full set of filter lands
9. Wooded Bastion: completing the full set of filter lands
10. Darkwater Catacombs: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
11. Desolate Mire: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
12. Ferrous Lake: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
13. Fire-Lit Thicket: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
14. Flooded Grove: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
15. Overflowing Basin: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
16. Skycloud Expanse: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
17. Sunscorched Divide: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
18. Viridescent Bog: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands

INSTANT

1. Accelerate: supports prowess decks
2. And They Shall Know No Fear: supports all creature synergy decks
3. Artifact Mutation: functions as artifact hate and supports the Saproling creature type
4. Bandage: supports prowess decks and is also funny
5. Brokers Charm: charms are an important part of Cumly Cube
6. Charge Through: supports prowess decks
7. Cremate: supports prowess decks
8. Mirrodin Avenged: supports prowess decks
9. Poison the Blade: supports prowess decks and offers deathtouch in green instead of its typical color, black
10. Pressure Point: supportsli prowess decks and offers tapping in white instead of its typical color, blue
11. Steady Progress: supports prowess decks as well as slower proliferate decks
12. Sugar Rush: supports prowess decks and offers power boost in black instead of its typical color, red
13. Treacherous Greed: supports the niche but possible sacrifice deck
14. Turf Wound: a strange tempo card that fits the ethos of Cumly Cube
15. Warriors' Lesson: supports prowess decks and might end up as green Ancestral Recall

SORCERY

1. Altar of Bone: supports the niche but possible sacrifice deck
2. Aphetto Dredging: supports all creature synergy decks
3. Apocalypse: total game resets are an important part of Cumly Cube, because you end up playing more Cumly Cube!
4. Ashen Powder: a more situational and odd piece for reanimator decks
5. Blood for Bones: a more situational and odd piece for reanimator decks
6. Breath of Life: offers reanimation in white instead of its typical color, black
7. Broken Bond: functions as artifact and enchantment hate yet also ramps
8. Channel the Suns: a strange yet useful mana-fixer. Out with fetch lands, in with sorcery WUBRG!
9. Cloak of Feathers: supports prowess decks
10. Crippling Fear: supports all creature synergy decks
11. False Dawn: supports prowess decks and might offer mana-fixing in niche situations? Even if this card is pretty useless, it screams Cumly Cube
12. Grim Tutor: tutoring is a small part of Cumly Cube but very important in the right decks
13. Growth Spasm: offers ramp, mana-fixing, and supports the Eldrazi creature type
14. Hymn of Rebirth: offers reanimation in green and white instead of its typical color, black
15. Ice Storm: land destruction is a small part of Cumly Cube but a necessary balance, and not usually in green
16. Jace's Triumph: there are Jace planeswalkers in Cumly Cube
17. Mana Vapors: a strange tempo card that fits the ethos of Cumly Cube
18. Many Partings: offers mana-fixing and food
19. Migratory Route: offers mana-fixing and supports the Bird creature type
20. Obzedat's Aid: offers reanimation in black and white
21. Ordered Migration: supports the Bird creature type
22. Raise the Palisade: supports all creature synergy decks
23. Resourceful Return: a more situational and odd piece for black graveyard decks and artifact decks
24. Ribbons of Night: offers direct damage in black instead of its typical color, red
25. Rise of the Witch-king: a more situational and odd piece for reanimator decks
26. Riveteers Confluence: similar to a charm
27. Safewright Quest: offers slight mana-fixing in green and white
28. Solve the Equation: tutoring is a small part of Cumly Cube but very important in the right decks
29. Sweep the Skies: supports the Thopter creature type
30. Temporal Machinations: supports artifact decks
31. Unnatural Restoration: supports proliferate decks
32. Urborg Repossession: a more situational and odd piece for black graveyard decks

legendofa on What commanders do you want …

2 years ago

What's the mana value of this thread? I'm about to Reanimate it. I'd like to see more four-color stuff. Unlife mentioned this earlier, but I'd like to expand on the thought.

Four-color cards are especially hard to design and make meaningful, per Mark Rosewater. I'm willing to grant that. Right now, though, I'm trying to line out a Curse deck that uses Lynde, Cheerful Tormentor and Eriette of the Charmed Apple. Breya, Etherium Shaper, has absolutely no synergy, and the best partner options, in my opinion, are just kind of generically useful.

(I know Go-Shintai of Life's Origin is an option, but I don't see {G} having a deep role in this deck, and it feels a little too "five-color good stuff" for me. It's off-theme and is offering stuff I'm not sure this deck concept wants or needs.)

There could be a {U}{B}{R}{G} graveyard commander, or a {B}{R}{G}{W} damage over time commander. Maybe I'm just being demanding, but I feel like outside of the two Atraxas and {R}{G}{W}{U}'s wealth of options (so two color sets out of five), there's just not any worthwhile choices for brewing four-color decks with cards that work well together but happen to not overlap in color identity.

multimedia on Deck Crisis

3 years ago

Hey, you have the Invent Superiority precon? Breya, Etherium Shaper can be a powerful and casual/fun deck on a budget. My Breya deck isn't even $200, Breya Goddess of Etherium (Budget). It wins with an infinite combo using Breya as the wincon and there's plenty of other fun interactions.

Jurien on Artifact Commander Pre-Cons Merged

3 years ago

Hey there multimedia, thanks for the suggestions and I really appreciate it! That was well-detailed and gave me a lot of insight, wondering why I didn't consider those in the first place. Maybe I was too focused in the idea of Artifact Tribal or some sort but with lesser value in return.

I was really considering Armory Automaton since I find it really cool to "steal" equipments from any players and make him bigger. Yeah, I've also thought that those can be sacrificed later on but I guess that's not the case since there's no "gain control" which I totally forgot about.

I just made this deck list for fun since there have been a lot of commander pre-cons lately and felt like it would be cool to combine each one of them with the same theme. I also really like Artifacts and well, Breya, Etherium Shaper of course! heh

Anyways, thanks again and I'm glad you appreciate it. Peace!

RNR_Gaming on New secret lair Alert!

3 years ago

Anyways with that whole kickstarter thing going on I noticed that the professor hasn't made a video so in case anyone was wondering

Some regular guys non-foil/foil

Void Winnower - 16.07/20.46

Vengevine - 10.71/12.95

Collector Ouphe - 5.63/33.07

Goblin Settler - 48.71/N/a

Non foil: 81.12 Foil: 115.19

Foil: B / non-foil: C+

There's a good bit of value with this secret lair. Goblin settlers getting its' first foil printing is definitely noteworthy. Also, if you're into the Adventure Time art style you'll like be picking this up anyways.

Showcase: Streets of New Capenna

Atraxa, Praetors' Voice - 30.77/35.53

Breya, Etherium Shaper - 7.98/9.84

Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder - N/A/8.84

Non-foil: 47.59 foil: 54.21

Non-foil - D foil: C-

This grade pains me because I REALLY think the art on these is beautiful and they'll likely include a Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis in the same style as a bonus card but putting personal preferance and speculation aside the value just is not here.

Special Guest: Matt Jukes Foil Edition

Glacial Fortress - 3.71/11.25

Drowned Catacomb - 7.28/17.46

Dragonskull Summit - 3.79/6.96

Rootbound Crag - 3.81/6.55

Sunpetal Grove - 3.89/5.96

Non-foil: 22.48 foil: 48.18

Non-foil - F foil - D-

The value in these really speaks for itself.

Artist Series: Magali Villeneuve

Mother of Runes - 4.91/Varies

Death's Shadow - 6.12/10.19

Elvish Mystic - .45/9.97

Forest - N/A

Non-foil - 11.48 Foil: N/A

Non-foil - F Foil - D-

The biggest thing out of this lair is the foil Mother of Runes the prices fluctuates so much with the older foils it's hard to set an exact price to obtain a foil one; if we look at the previous secret lairs those versions of Mother of Runes are sitting at about 6-10 a piece.

Artist Series: Sidharth Chaturvedi

Concordant Crossroads - 46.87/N/A

Nomad Outpost - 1.06/5.74

Ghost Quarter - 1.12/16.90

Island - N/A

Non-foil: 49.05 foil: 69.51

Non-foil: D- foil: C

Essentially this lair is being carried by the fact that Concordant Crossroads only has 1 printing and has never had a foil printing. If you need one or would like to get a foil one knows your chance but outside of that its just some bulky cards with nice art.

Artist Series: Wayne Reynolds

Sram, Senior Edificer - .25/6.09

Torbran, Thane of Red Fell - .95/1.89

Depala, Pilot Exemplar - .23/1.65

Balthor the Defiled - 10.95/59.61

Non-foil: 12.38 Foil: 69.24

Non-foil - F Foil - C

This lair is also being carried by 1 card that has only 1 printing the rest is bulk.

Finally! Left-Handed Magic Cards

Sisay, Weatherlight Captain - .98/6.02

Empress Galina - 18.31/206.82

Geralf's Messenger - 9.89/34.48

Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh - .26/.41

Garruk, Caller of Beasts - 8.20/23.41

Non-foil: 37.64 foil; 271.14

Non-foil - C Foil: A

While Empress Galina is definitely the chase card out of this; it still has value in the other slots too outside of Roger - but even Roger is still highly playable.

Anyways, after doing all the math and putting this all together I appreciate the professor doing this and compiling it a video format. Also, which secret lairs if any are you planning to get?

Mana_Mythic_Legendary on Pursuing Perfection, Part 13: Izzet …

3 years ago

According to an old myth, a king once posed his advisors an awkward problem: how to prove whether a crown was pure gold. The guy who figured it out was stumped until he took a bath. As he sank into the water he noticed his body was displacing it, and in a moment of epiphany he realized this was a method to check the crown. Evidently, this was such a stimulating realization that he jumped clean out of the bathhouse and took off down the street, buck-ass nude and shouting “I’ve got it!”

You’ve probably heard this story, and know the point I’m making: the Izzet League, Guild of Engineers and Magewrights, can best be described as a pack of over-caffeinated nerds hell-bent on chasing moments just like that. Coincidentally, this parallels the experience many magic players pursue in a given match. While you can have those moments doing anything, if you’re looking to thematically mimic Archimedes at the moment of streaking epiphany, preferably laying aside public indecency, Izzet the place to be. Today, we’re discussing commanders tied to three prevailing Blue-Red themes: Storm, Chance, and Gunslinging. As always, please bear in mind that our focus here is not necessarily competitive but rather on thematic, archetypical commanders.

Storm

I don’t necessarily mean the keyword, though Thousand-Year Storm is admittedly a favorite: I mean instants and sorceries as an overall theme. Bear with me on this: If I were to assign a card type to each color…

White: Enchantments

Blue: Instants

Black: Creatures

Red: Sorceries

Green: Lands

Understand that my suggestion here isn’t that any color has the best of the associated card type, but rather that each card type is among the color’s primary thematic interactions. Green has the closest relationship with lands, Black kills/resurrects/abuses creatures, etc. Sorceries, being generally cruder but also more powerful than instants, tie in thematically with Red, which is cruder and... not more powerful, but definitely more direct than Blue, a subtle and minimalist color.

Izzet, then, has a primary interaction with both instants and sorceries, focusing on non-permanent spells in order to capture the thematic essence of spellcraft. If you want to rock the hell out of the game by wizarding it up, I have some commanders for you to Ponder!

Simple, potent, and tasty. A copy of any given spell is welcome, and firing from the hip off the top deck is quite thematic, quasi-literally throwing ideas at your opponents, technically before you even have them.

This is very pretty art, and while maybe not the best choice for slamming down massive X drops, for raining down a pile of cantrips Veyran’s your best friend. Who would say no to getting bigger whenever you cast a spell AND doubling both the card’s own effect and that of any accompanying triggers, like Archmage Emeritus, Aria of Flame, and Firemind's Research? With a potential for solid command damage AND a great doubling effect, this is a fantastic commander.

Or, if you think cantrips are for wusses, Vadrik is probably more your speed. Power him up with, say, the Runechanter's Pike, wheel a few times, and unleash all manner of insanities by slamming down a hideously overpowered Banefire or Blue Sun's Zenith. Heck, go for broke and play Epic Experiment while having Thousand-Year Storm out as well. If anyone’s still alive after your thirty-minute turn, they’ll probably have lost all will to go on anyway.

Chance

Just as this is the pairing of inspiration, Izzet is also about boom-bust gameplay. There’s an element of chaos to it, yes, but rather than inflicting lunacy on everyone Izzet also has the potential to ride a private brainwave straight across the finish line, whether in control or not. Sometimes your plan will go off like an atom bomb. Sometimes it will fizzle, wheeze, and grind to a sad little halt. Regardless, that type of gameplay will be a LOT of fun.

and

I did promise to talk about a coin deck back in the Red article. Okaun is potentially (unreasonably) large, Zndrsplt occasionally supportive. Seeing them together is worrisome: three lucky tosses and Whispersilk Cloak or something like will kill an opponent, and it’s not unlikely. Add Krark's Thumb and you’ll probably overstock your hand, break a thousand P/T on a single creature, and strike a blow for gamblers everywhere. Bring mana rocks, bring evasion, and above all… bring Fling.

Wheeling is a mechanic that clearly illustrates chaos in magic, both for good and for bad. Doing it every time you cast a spell? Glorious. No plans. No guarantees. Just making like a leaf on the wind. Any win you get out of this commander is EARNED.

Nekusar, the Mindrazer, the sphinx-that-shall-not-be-named, or Smothering Tithe ruining the local meta? Have I got a solution for you! Jump across that fuzzy line of lunacy Izzet players so love to skip along and never draw a card again. This is neat, completely sidestepping a fundamental mechanic of the game. Throw in a few permanents that draw at instant speed, wizards are good like that, and tot up options as needed. I am very, very excited to see decks built around this.

Gunslinging

This is wordplay at its worst, and I apologize. Again, I don’t necessarily mean commanders that ping you to death. Rather, I mean commanders that are trigger-happy on the draw, or vice versa. The act of drawing is, in metaphorical terms, new ideas coming to you over the course of your wizardly duel, and ideas are very much in the provenance of Izzet. It’s only appropriate that a few commanders in this pairing either reward you for having lots of ideas or ensure you have lots of them. Obligatory mention of buggy rewards from The Locust God and Kindred Discovery goes here.

And, of course, this is where Wattles the Wizened himself comes into the conversation, being exactly what the theme sounds like. Draw cards, give him deathtouch, and torch the board. Go for broke on this moldy old cheese and attach Ophidian Eye. It’s not exactly creative, but it’s certainly effective. You know, compared to Jhoira of the Ghitu this is practically calm, but people don’t really respond to her that way. I’d like to profess ignorance as to why that might be, but having built several artifact combo decks I really can’t. She’s a solid choice, not that offensive in and of herself, and I recommend her to anyone not willing to go full Breya, Etherium Shaper. This is one I wouldn’t immediately recommend to anyone angling to compete, insomuch as one can in a casual format. However, as the literal god of insight and inspiration (and smiting Zeus-style), he’s thematically perfect. Depending on what you draw, you either get another card or a Lightning Bolt. On an indestructible, sometime 6/5 creature, that’s pretty nice. If your deck is of a caliber where it doesn’t depend on its commander, this is a very innocuous choice that’s going to mislead a lot of people and yet still get you a lot of utility.

And, for my personal favorite… She tried to replace my Okaun/Zndrsplt deck. She tried, and failed, but I still have a great deal of affection for her. This is a commander made to wheel all day who has the color access to nearly every instance of that mechanic. Fill that graveyard with ephemeral goodness, sprinkle a few evasion cantrips for flavor, and tag opponents HARD with a sweet old lady. Then bake them cookies, just to rub it in. Seriously, someone teach their grandmother magic and have her play Rielle. You’ll break the internet.

That's it for this round. Thoughts and questions are welcome. I hope you enjoyed it, and will come back soon for an old favorite, Golgari!

Orzhov

Simic

Selesnya

Gruul

Rakdos

Dimir

Azorius

Green, with links to the other mono-colors

PhotogenicParasympathetic on Best commanders to introduce new …

4 years ago

I usually give them my Omnath, Locus of Rage deck. It's pretty simple - play lands, play Omnath, play lands, win. But there are also more complex decisions they can make as they start to get a grasp on how the game is played. My Neheb, the Eternal deck is a step above in complexity, but the basic strategy is still easy to grasp - hit things, get mana, hit things harder; that's normally what I play against newer players (since it's also a deck that I can "go easy" on them with, by just... not hitting as hard as possible every time). Then, once they've seen it in action a few times, it's pretty easy to be a logical "next step" kind of deck for them to pilot.

Then I throw them in the deep end with my tutorless Breya, Etherium Shaper eggs deck.

obZen- on What are the best defensive …

4 years ago

Breya, Etherium Shaper