How do you Guys Feel about Custom Commanders?
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on Dec. 24, 2020, 8:44 a.m. by Sultai_Sir
I've always wanted to build a 5-color Tribal Tribal deck, but there's really no commander to facilitate this, so I designed my own:
Crosheim, Uniter of the Nine Realms WUBRG
Creature Elf Warrior
Other creatures you control are all creature types. The same is true for creature cards you own that aren't on the battlefield.
3/4
I would test this out with a playgroup, but the thing is, I don't have one. So I wanted to see what you guys thought of it. I don't want to sink a lot of money and time into a commander I'm not allowed to play, but at the same time, I don't want not play the deck, because I think I'd love it. So what are your opinions on custom commanders?
seshiro_of_the_orochi says... #4
One thing regarding the wording: It should have to be "creature cards you own that aren't on the battlefield." Also, I'm not sure if it has to be "creature spells you control" or "creature spells you cast".
Besides this, that is a great card, and Mitch from commander's Quartiers would love this. I actually like that it is a 3/4. This stat line isn't too small, but it's neither too big.
December 24, 2020 9:25 a.m.
Sultai_Sir says... #5
Not really. With Morophon, you build around one specific tribe. With Crosheim, you build around them all. It'd be a great inclusion in the deck, though.
December 24, 2020 9:25 a.m.
Sultai_Sir says... #6
Hey, seshiro_of_the_orochi, thanks for the input! I'm a big fan of Mitch, I make most of my IRL decks on a strict budget (or proxies), and I've been following his custom commander series. Print these cards, WotC!
December 24, 2020 9:27 a.m.
Sultai_Sir says... #7
I'll also fix the wording. I was using the wording from Arcane Adaptation.
December 24, 2020 9:27 a.m.
seshiro_of_the_orochi says... #8
Sounds like the correct choice. Thanks for all these upvotes btw.
December 24, 2020 9:39 a.m.
If you want more feedback regarding the design: I'd personally have them be a Shapeshifter with "Creatures you control have Changeling." and then you may or may not include "The same is true for creature spells you control and creature cards you own that aren't on the battlefield.".
Not including it would make the Commander slightly less strong, but in a way that I think would be helpful and minimize confusion. Creatures would still trigger ETB effects for their tribes, but you couldn't do those "reveal a dragon" or whatever effects, which isn't that bad of a downside for simplifying a card.
I think it's especially important to keep a card simple if it's a card no one else is ever going to have heard of (which will always be true for a custom card) and you'll need to explain it every game.
Also you seem to be going for a Kaldheim theme and Kaldheim's changelings are humanoids with Shapeshifter, so that would make more sense than an Elf, I think.
December 24, 2020 9:59 a.m.
Sultai_Sir says... #11
Hey, ellie-is, thanks for the input! I tried to sneak a little Kaldheim spice into the design, it's shaping up to be a really cool set, so I'm glad you noticed. I wasn't actually going for a changeling theme, I was thinking of someone who brings everyone together against some sort of evil (cough vorinclex spoiler cough), instead of a shapeshifter. I'm also using the wording of Arcane Adaptation, I liked the idea of everything being everything, instead of just what you control.
December 24, 2020 10:08 a.m.
I see! Then, what if instead of changing creature types (which implies the creatures themselves are changing) it did something along the lines of "If an effect or ability would affect a creature type, it affects all creatures instead"? The wording might need some work, but it'd definitely convey the idea of everyone being brought together and going through the same things, but without changing their essence.
December 24, 2020 11:58 a.m.
Sultai_Sir says... #13
Hey, ellie-is, that's a great idea! You're totally right, that shows the togetherness without changing who we are. Thanks so much!
December 24, 2020 12:09 p.m.
plakjekaas says... #15
It's a cool idea, but bustedly abusable if you'd try. Making everything a sliver for example is problematic. Vanquisher's Banner is insane with this. Turntimber Ranger goes infinite with itself. Crux of Fate will be silly. Flamekin Harbinger becomes Worldly Tutor. Gilt-Leaf Archdruid... Those cards are powerful because you need to impose restrictions on your deck to make them effective, but this commander removes all those restrictions entirely. It honestly breaks the game. However, depending how you would build the deck, everything could fall apart if your opponents can keep your commander off the table. You'd be stuck with a bunch of tribal lords without other members of the effected tribes. Very all or nothing.
For a less busted but more balanced and still powerful, similar idea without the need for a custom commander, you could check out this episode of MtGGoldfish' commander clash where the Ur-Dragon deck is a deck that plays a lot of changelings and a lot of seemingly random tribal synergies. The deck is build so, that your creatures mostly already have all creature types, so that you wouldn't need this effect from your commander.
December 24, 2020 2:30 p.m.
DarkMagician says... #16
Conspiracy on a stick with a reasonable draw back (being WUBRG) and decent stats, i like it. While i like the idea of custom commanders the idea hits a snag in that most people (as evidenced by the many broken customs that surface all the time) don't know how to balance a card.
December 24, 2020 8:59 p.m.
Also, if you're unsure about the power level of your commander, it's safer to err on the lower side! An OP commander is more likely to get people complaining that it's not a legit card than one that's incredibly fair or overcosted for its effect. You have an effect that can lead to 1-card infinite combos with the commander out, so the hardest it is for you to cast them, or the easiest it is for people to interact with it, the better.
So maybe reduce its toughness so it's more easily removed, or increase the mana cost to make it harder to cast spells in the same turn, and so on... But again, this is all subjective and will depend on the power level of the group you're playing with and what they expect!
You might even try making two versions of the same card - one that makes you happy, and one that's nerfed down in case anyone thinks the first one is unfair. Show both to the group and ask which one they think is fairer for you to run alongside their decks.
December 25, 2020 8:25 a.m.
I both like and dislike the idea.
I dislike it because there's no shortage of options in commander nowadays. Even for 5-color. Even for 5-color tribal. And because custom cards very often are unbalanced (even tho real cards are as well).
But also I like it because I could create a lot of custom cards! Maybe it would be cool for a single game where everybody creates their own commander.
Mine would be:
(insert name here), Prismatic Hero - 2W Legendary Creature - Human Warrior (3/3)
When you cast this card, create a legendary artifact equipment token called Prismatic Blade. It has Hexproof, Indestructible, "Equipped creature gets +10/+10" and "Equip: WUBRG".
(Note that the commander has no other abilities other than creating the token, the token does not enter equipped, and it does not provide keywords to equipped creature. So I think it's fairly balanced. I even think I could give First Strike to the commander itself, maybe.)
smackjack says... #2
EDH is a very casual format, i know my playgroup wouldnt mind custom commanders at all. Fun way to spice things up with something new. Just make sure things are balanced :)
December 24, 2020 9 a.m.