Boros is getting better, no really!
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on Jan. 3, 2019, 2:29 p.m. by Aristocards
With all the hubbub about Commanders like Muldrotha, Meren and Atraxa, I've recently decided to give some serious attention to Boros. I've been tuning a burn deck using Anya, Merciless Angel as the Commander and it's a ton of fun.
I made a YouTube video where I give context as to the overall strategy and the card choices: Anya Video Deck Tech
Here's the full decklist: Anya - Watch the World Burn (on a budget)
My question to all of you is: do you see Boros becoming more viable as time goes on?
So long as Wizards is focused on Boros as an aggressive colour combination, I do not foresee Boros "competing with Simic" or any other two-colour option.
First, Aggro is not the best strategy in Commander (or any multiplayer game). It's much easier to combo off and win on the spot than slowly whittle down your opponents' life totals. Likewise, Burn, a subsection of Aggro, is fairly difficult, and there are better burn commanders in Mono-red than in Boros.
Second, Boros does not have great card draw, which harms its potential for combo. Further, while White has some enchantment/artifact tutors, it can't compete with Black's aggressive tutors like Vampiric Tutor or Demonic Tutor.
Third, Boros lacks aggressive ramp, making it difficult to play bombs in a timely manner.
Finally, Red has a number of fun, aggressive commanders, but none that are all that great from a competitive standpoint.
Taken all together, and Boros just doesn't currently have the tools it needs, and current trends do not seem to indicate that changing.
What Boros needs is for Wizards to realize Red and White do not have to be aggressive--in fact, they're some of the best resource denial colours in the game. Between Red's land destruction, Blood Moon, Aven Mindcensor, etc. Red/White has the potential to be an extremely strong Stax colour combination. Yes, Red and White might not be great at card draw, ramp, or tutoring, but being great at something is not the only way to excel--preventing other people from succeeding can be just as viable an option.
January 3, 2019 3:16 p.m.
DrukenReaps says... #4
I've seen some solid boros decks here and there. It is definitely getting better but cdkime is right. Boros needs a couple real kick in the pants commanders that are every bit as pushed as Najeela, the Blade-Blossom is...
Your links are not working for me so here are working links for curious people:
January 3, 2019 5:32 p.m.
ZendikariWol says... #5
I see where you're coming from here, cdkime. Sometimes I forget not all playgroups ban combo!
January 3, 2019 9:14 p.m.
It would take some restrictive card choices for boros to be good in commander, you can win in some playgroups where aggressive commanders is rare, but quite quickly a playgroup will learn to assess your threats or they will learn if they stop your first push to win you likely won't have the card advantage to recover.
Now commander often isn't all about winning, but enjoying varying cool combinations of big spells. does boros do anything that isn't just being aggressive or trying to prison or stax down the board? Both are extremely linear in thought and one I've observed first hand as the worst experience for the opponent (I do love Possibility Storm Curse of Exhaustion lockdowns). So not only is boros' power level in card advantage low, but the playstyle is also either boring or actively hated by most of the commander community... but man now I want to theory craft how many oppressive boardstates I can make with w/r now, like Storm Cauldron + Manabarbs + the effects that have people take dmg from landfall... it'd even get around some edh league's rule of no land destruction or combos, hmm.
January 4, 2019 6:05 a.m.
ZendikariWol says... #7
Sounds like you wanna build Zo-Zu the Punisher, Demarge. You monster.
January 4, 2019 8:33 a.m.
cdkime is onto something with his deception of Boros. Resources denial is key in big mana formats like EDH and decks that can do that to their opponents while remaining untouched do well. This is why Rubblehulk is so great. Destroy their stuff, make it hurt, and use stuff like Furnace of Rath or Gisela, Blade of Goldnight to amplify the effects.
January 4, 2019 9 a.m.
ZendikariWol says... #9
I love my group hug deck; its only wincon is surprise Rubblehulk. It can only knock off one player per game, but that's kinda the point.
January 4, 2019 9:25 a.m.
I dunno. We need a real solid set of red and white goyfs.
(R/W) Trample, Haste, Myriad
Phyrexian W: shroud and indestructible until end of turn.
20/20
A few of those and we're good
ZendikariWol says... #2
Boros is one of the best color combos out there for commander. Got plenty of removal, tons of beefy creatures, a strong tribe (soldiers, obviously, though giants are there too ig), and a dangerous guild attached to it for all my fellow vorthoses(?) out there.
Yes, I see Boros getting stronger in the future, likely competing with Simic for strongest two-color combo.
January 3, 2019 2:50 p.m.