My Opinion on New Partners

Commander (EDH) forum

Posted on Nov. 15, 2020, 10:23 a.m. by Reznorboy

So, I've been wanting to build a deck or two using the new Partner Commanders from Commander Legends since they got spoiled. I may add to this list later.

I'm going to write the 6 Commander pairings (that include at least 1 card from the new set) that I think will be most likely to be meta-relevant, and some of my reasoning why I think so. I will try to avoid repeats. If you have a different opinion, I would be happy to hear it (in a respectful manner).

  1. Thrasios, Triton Hero and Livio, Oathsworn Sentinel

Basically, together these two form an almost purely better version of Roon of the Hidden Realm, which at one point was determined cEDH. Self-explanatory.

  1. Esior, Wardwing Familiar and Tymna the Weaver

Being able to easily put out a flying creature with Tymna who also protects both of them seems pretty good.

  1. Toggo, Goblin Weaponsmith and Kodama of the East Tree

When both of them are out, literally any permanent that enters your battlefield allows you to dump all of the lands from your hand onto the field. Combining this with wheels and shuffling effects allows for some fast comboing to be done.

  1. Falthis, Shadowcat Familiar and Jeska, Thrice Reborn

This allows you to essentially kill 3 creatures per turn for very little cost, as well as do decent quantities of Commander Damage in the late game, again, for a low cost.

  1. Krark, the Thumbless and Sakashima of a Thousand Faces

Once both are out, chances are that almost every instant and sorcery you cast will effectively come back to you virtually for free. If you make copies, even more value ensues.

  1. Gilanra, Caller of Wirewood and Halana, Kessig Ranger

I imagine a Protean Hulk deck becoming of this with a stompy/attrition back up plan. Halana would use her ability to whittle down opponents' creatures, and Gilanra producing mana, and eventually cards, with untap effects, using Gilanra and green creature tutors to eventually get out Protean Hulk and kill Hulk using Halana. (Though Hulk lines don't win the game in Mono-Green, they definitely don't hurt.)

This was originally going to be 10 pairings, but I only felt that these 6 were worth mentioning. If you can convince me that one is worth noting, I will add it.

Looking through all the legendaries, these are powerful and/or fun combination I found:

Eligeth, Crossroads Augur + Siani, Eye of the Storm: Play all the small blue flyers and attack. This seems similar to Edric, but it can also just use cantrips such as Opt as a draw 2 for . Seems pretty cool.

Dargo, the Shipwrecker + Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar: Killing one opponent with your voltron often results in being a prime target after that. If you manage These two properly, killing one or two additional opponents in your voltron turn seems totally doable.

Falthis, Shadowcat Familiar + Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh: Giving that little kobold even more keywords seems great. This might be a pretty fun voltron Kombination.

November 15, 2020 12:59 p.m.

Reznorboy says... #3

I don't think that any of the ones you mentioned would be of a high enough power level. Voltron without any protection and expensive, limited card draw just doesn't do well in cEDH.

November 15, 2020 1:09 p.m.

Considering you didn't exactly mention you're speaking of cEDH, I stand by my post. I think these will be cool commander pairings, at least at Non-competetive EDH. Propably not great for cEDH, that's true.

November 15, 2020 1:35 p.m.

Reznorboy says... #5

I just want to reiterate that the post says "that I think will be most likely to be meta-relevant".

November 15, 2020 1:58 p.m.

ZendikariWol says... #6

I don't think Thrasion/Livio is going to be at all relevant. Five mana to blink a creature is just way, way too much, and walking up the curve, it never becomes reasonable. Maybe 9 mana to blink 3 creatures? Still way too little value, I don't care what the three creatures are.

The last one strikes me as odd too. I thought Protean Hulk died after the Flash ban.

November 15, 2020 2:29 p.m.

Reznorboy: In retrospect, this makes perfect sense. However, for someone who is by no means involved into cEDH, this isn't obvious.

I'll stop holding the hostage now ;) Have fun with the diskussion.

November 15, 2020 2:59 p.m.

Reznorboy says... #8

ZendikariWol

I don't think that any of these are guaranteed to become meta sluggers either. However, I'm trying to pick out the better options.

When the set was originally coming out, I, and probably many others, thought that this set was going to turn EDH on its head with a slew of powerful new cards. With all of the cards spoiled, I definitely do not think that is the case.

I think that with time, at least a couple decks will rise to power from this set, but, it's difficult to predict. I could be anywhere from totally wrong to totally right, but I'll probably be somewhere in between.

November 15, 2020 3:10 p.m.

GhostChieftain says... #9

Imo you missed a few big pairings.

Malcolm/tana

-turbo pirates Eldritch Evolution type effects into the Glint-Horn Buccaneer+ malcolm combo potentially with a kiki backup in case of opposition thief

Rograhk/silas renn and krark/silas renn

-storm or potentially opus thief builds. Rograhk is great for spells requiring a sac like Culling the Weak

Malcolm/tymna

-defacto esper build for cedh imo. Likely as a hatebears type deck

Of the ones you said, the only one I actually 100% agree with is krark/sakashima. The others I imagine are fringe at best.

November 15, 2020 4:58 p.m.

Reznorboy says... #10

GhostChieftain

I generally disagree, though Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator and Tymna the Weaver is good, I think that Esior, Wardwing Familiar is still better. I believe that the amount of protection for Esior's cost outweighs Malcolm's mana generation.

As for Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh (and Silas), if you only plan to sacrifice Rograkh exactly once the entire game, and can still find enough value in that one, singular sacrifice to warrant him over the other red partners, then yes.

Dargo, the Shipwrecker is just better if you plan on repeated sacrifice, and he's already not good.

Also, for Krark, the Thumbless, since he only applies to instants/sorceries anyway, pairing him with an Artifact themed commander is not going to synergize at all.

Lastly, Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator and Glint-Horn Buccaneer is not a combo that does anything significant. (Definitely not worth tutoring for, at the very least.)

November 15, 2020 6:01 p.m.

Malcolm glinthorn literally wins the game. Move to combat, glinthorn discard to draw and deal 1 to each player, malcolm makes 3 treasures, sac 2 treasures for mana to use glinthorn again, rinse and repeat. It is damage equal to the amount of cards in deck do all players, plus 1 mana per activation to keep up mana vs interaction.

As for krark/silas, artifact mana such as lotus petal is a big part of storm as well. I will admit though, that silas is mostly in this pair for his colors to go along with krark.

Rogahk is great for turboing out bigger spells. You can also just save him in cz until you are attempting a win for additional stormcount. Heard pongo played this pairing to great effect.

November 15, 2020 7:33 p.m.

JANKYARD_DOG says... #12

Siani, Eye of the Storm + Alharu, Solemn Ritualist could make for an interesting flying token blink deck. Whether or not its competitive or pure jank is another question entirely.

November 15, 2020 9:35 p.m.

ZendikariWol says... #13

Actually, Dargo, the Shipwrecker gives you infinite etb and death triggers with Phyrexian Altar or Pitiless Plunderer and a free sac outlet, and infinite mana with Food Chain, assuming you've sacrificed some stuff this turn.

November 16, 2020 2:35 a.m.

Azdranax says... #14

I feel like Malcolm and Vial Smasher makes for an even stronger partner combo option - Plus black over green seems more on-brand for pirates.

November 16, 2020 3:22 p.m.

Malcolm vial smasher is also great because of how Curiosity works with vial smasher as well as with glinthorn. I have a personal leaning toward green, but you are likely right that the grixis malcolm shell may be a bit better. Temur shell would be more all in with a yisan line jammed in for more ways of searching and grixis would probably be more similar to the current "curious control"/"4c rashimi" decks.

November 16, 2020 3:36 p.m.

Reznorboy says... #16

I'll admit that I must have misread Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator (I thought he only made treasures when combat damage was dealt).

Anyway, Dargo, the Shipwrecker is probably better than I originally thought.

I guess if anyone would like to comment what they think a list of the best partner pairings would be, and some explanation, I'd reconsider my stance.

November 16, 2020 4:44 p.m.

I've already taken a shot at a Dargo-Ikra deck, where Ikra is more for colors however I don't think its very great. I think that one of the most intriguing generals though is Jeska, Thrice Reborn a Dargo-Jeska deck could be interesting with jeska being a win condition in the command zone; however, it may just be a worse Godo though.

On the more casual side I think your Toggo-Kodama of the East has some wheels, with wheels. Making a more controlling deck with Field of the Dead and Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle as win conditions and winning with wheel after wheel where either creating a token or putting a land into play will put 3-4 lands into play triggering the Field or Valakut.

Since Nadier, Agent of the Duskenel goes infinite with Food Chain I am thinking of a Tana-Nadier food chain deck because I'm not a fan of Korvold, but Korvold is probably just better.

November 16, 2020 6:52 p.m.

pskinn01 says... #18

A food chain deck featuring Thrasios and Nadier, Agent of the Duskenel might be good.

November 16, 2020 9:36 p.m.

ZendikariWol says... #19

Could someone explain the combo for me? The way I see it, you can get 9 mana every time you Food Chain loop Nadier. You can sac it and get your mana back four times.

Clearly I'm misunderstanding something, but that makes sense- it's 1 in the morning where I'm at!

November 17, 2020 2:16 a.m.

pskinn01 says... #20

The first time you foodchain Nadier, you get 7 mana and 3 tokens. Then you foodchain 1 token to recast Nadier. Then with Nadier still on the field you food chain the two tokens giving Nadier 2 +1/+1 counters and 2 mana. Then you foodchain Nadier and have 9 mana and 5 tokens. Repeat as needed.

November 17, 2020 9:36 a.m.

ZendikariWol says... #21

Oh, I missed the "equal to his power" and just read "create 3 1/1."

November 17, 2020 5:51 p.m.

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