Captivating Crew

Creature — Human Pirate

{3}{R}: Gain control of target creature an opponent controls until end of turn. Untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn. Activate this ability only at any time you could cast a sorcery.

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
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Historic Brawl	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Modern Beyond Horizons	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (47)

Last_Laugh on Oops! All female! Marchesa

6 months ago

Nice deck but I do have a few suggestions for you.

Theft:

Gisa, Glorious Resurrector is far and away the best theft option available to Marchesa.

Captivating Crew is a repeatable theft effect.

Seize the Spotlight will rarely steal creatures... but that means you draw 3 cards essentially for free.

Alternate +1+1 Counter Sources:

Thran Vigil only works on your turn but this thing puts in some serious work if you're aggressively sac'ing stuff. Be aware that your final creature re-entering can't target itself so you need 2+ creatures re-entering for this card to do anything.

Vigean Graftmage looks underwhelming but it can come down before and immediately protect Marchesa and/or it's 2 free sacs per turn (itself + 1 other) to abuse etb's or death triggers (High Society Hunter, Grim Haruspex, Sower of Temptation, etc.)

I guess Spark Double goes here. This card seriously feels custom made for Marchesa. It either copies Marchesa for double Dethrone or it abuses your best etb/death triggers every turn thanks to that automatic +1+1 counter.

Anduril, Narsil Reforged is a bit pricier, but it lets you attack away from the Throne while still getting counters on attack. Drana, Liberator of Malakir is an acceptable alternative thanks to first strike getting those counters before regular combat damage but you do have to get through to an opponent.

Card Draw: Danny Pink is an absolute powerhouse here.

Anyways, let me know if you're picking up what I'm putting down or if you need help suggesting cuts. Feel free to check out my Marchesa list. It's etb/death trigger abuse and I've had the deck built for roughly 10 years now so I'm pretty familiar with all Marchesa's archetypes. Upvotes on any of my decks are appreciated. Every Masochist Needs a Marchesa to Love Them

SufferFromEDHD on NICOL DON

8 months ago

Seize the Spotlight your commander in spell form

Gruesome Encore/Treacherous Urge black Threaten effects

Spelljack big countersteal

Commandeer free big countersteal

Slave of Bolas running the big guy but not running the effect that fits the deck

Overtaker = blue reusable Threaten on a stick

Dominating Vampire = Threaten effect plus shares a tribe with commander

Captivating Crew = reusable Threaten on a stick plus shares a tribe with commander

Beguiler of Wills this effect is permanent

DemonDragonJ on Fires of Purgatory

2 years ago

I have replaced Captivating Crew with Commissar Severina Raine, which reduced this deck's average converted mana cost from 3.97 to 3.95, because the crew's ability was simply too expensive to be reliable, whereas Raine's activated ability is far less expensive, and her triggered ability shall work with the combat sub-theme that this deck has.

Caerwyn on Captivating Crew or Commissar Severina …

2 years ago

I think you are dead on the money about Captivating Crew - the card costs four mana, which is generally when things start to feel a bit expensive to cast, made worse by a high activation cost.

Commissar Severina Raine is a solid card in a creature heavy deck that provides repeatable card draw. From a strict game stance, she is the better card, though she really belongs more in a token deck and doesn’t seem to be too synergistic with your Commander.

I should note that there is one non-game consideration to be taken into account. Severina Raine is explicitly designed to invoke Nazi imagery (her cap style and insignia thereon are designed to emulate Nazi symbolism) as she is basically part of the Space Nazis faction in Warhammer 40k. There are some folks who feel rather uncomfortable seeing such imagery in the game - I think most folks would be fine with the card, but you should consider your playgroup or LGS’ temperament before adding a controversial, not-overly-synergistic card.

DemonDragonJ on Captivating Crew or Commissar Severina …

2 years ago

I currently have a copy of Captivating Crew in my Tariel, Reckoner of Souls EDH deck, and they certainly work with the deck's main theme, but their ability is very expensive, and they do not do much, outside of that ability, so I am contemplating replacing them with another creature, and I am considering Commissar Severina Raine for that role, as she is less expensive, for both initial casting and activating her ability, she provides an additional sacrifice outlet, and her first ability fits into the combat sub-theme that this deck has. I would lose the ability to take control of my opponent's creatures, but that ability can be used only at any time that I could cast a sorcery, whereas Raine's ability can be used at any time, at all.

What does everyone else say about this? Should I replace Captivating Crew with Commissar Severina Raine?

DrukenReaps on Your Cheap Obscure Overperformers?

2 years ago

I only quickly perused EDHrec but pretty sure none of the following came up on the pages of the commanders I use them with. Each has done some impressive work at my table. I used sorting by Card Kingdom price on this website to find sub $2.

In Olivia, Crimson Bride I have Shifting Shadow. Since Olivia's attack reanimates Shifting Shadow ends up just giving me free creatures at effectively no cost to me. In a way it actually fuels the deck's plan.

In Ayara, First of Locthwain I have Aetherworks Marvel and Mimic Vat. This deck just loves getting more and more creatures into play. Both of the artifacts assist in doing that over and over again. Sometimes Aetherworks even drops in Plague of Vermin too, a finisher in that deck.

In Mairsil, the Pretender I have Captivating Crew, Chandra, Flamecaller, and Xathrid Gorgon. Seems to be a rare cheap commander to begin with... lol. Xathrid typically turns commanders off, highly effective card against the likes of Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind and Zacama, Primal Calamity. Chandra does an amazing job of filling up my graveyard. Every turn a new hand +1. Captivating Crew lets me "borrow" some pretty sweet attackers and other effects, there are instant versions of this effect but not on a stick to my knowledge. 1 or 2 activations often opens someone up to attacks too.

Strangelove on The Black Rose Grand Theft

2 years ago

Heyo happy to chime in! +1 m8

-allThreaten effects in favor of payoffs like Mob Rule, etc... or sticks like Big Game Hunter, Evil Twin, etc. Once you hit any of these you'll be doing the same thing (from your opponents' POV): soft-locking the board.

-1 Primordial Mist

+1 Sultai Emissary

+6-10 Dusk Legion Zealot, draw, ETC ...I feel like these are MVP and lend to an aristocrats style.

-1 Curse of Stalked Prey... too conditional in the late game

-1 Captivating Crew... too much mana

+1 Vigean Graftmage, or anything that can put counters on Marchesa

+1 Plaguecrafter, etc... these are oppressive engines

With a lot more draw + lower cmc removal/ removal-sticks this will slap!

builderboy7 on How does Najal interact with …

2 years ago

It's a funny thought experiment with cards like Najal, the Storm Runner with abilities that can be activated only anytime you could cast a sorcery like on the card Captivating Crew. The thought experiment becomes whether or not you could activate a card like Captivating Crew during an opponent's turn at instant speed?

I ask this because you could technically cast a sorcery during your opponent's turn. would that mean you could also activate the ability anytime since you could cast a sorcery at any time?

I know the likely answer is that you cannot activate Captivating Crew's ability during an opponent's turn but it just seemed like funny wording to me.