As a surprise bonus before the product’s full release next year, we’re getting nine new legends from The Hobbit’s Battle of Five Armies Co-op Kit in Collector Boosters. Some of these cards look like legitimately strong MTG Commanders, too, with Chief of the Wilds standing out as one of the best. Not only is this a fantastic Wolf-type Commander, but it could also support a full-on Battle deck, too.
Chief Of The Wilds MTG
Chief of the Wilds’ value is largely tied up in that second ability, which goes absolutely insane with many of Magic’s best Wolves. Cards like Hollowhenge Overlord and Silverfur Partisan can generate you a huge number of Wolf tokens, for example, buffing Chief in the process. You can also get extra value out of utility Wolves, nabbing extra ramp with Summon: Fenrir and extra graveyard hate with Cemetery Prowler.
As you play Wolves and make tokens, Chief of the Wilds will quickly grow into a massive threat thanks to its counter-gaining ability. Add in some cards to support this, like Doubling Season and Hardened Scales, and it can easily deal lethal Commander damage. You can also make great use of cards like Greater Good and Season of Gathering, given your reliable access to a huge creature.
Chief’s easy scaling also comes in handy when it comes to taking down Battles, which this Commander heavily encourages you to play. With their enters triggers doubled, Battles like Invasion of Ikoria and Invasion of Ixalan become legitimately powerful plays. Even typically mediocre Battles, like Invasion of Innistrad and Invasion of Shandalar, start to earn their slots once Chief’s in town.
With potential for both straightforward beatdown wins and a more grindy, value-based playstyle, Chief of the Wilds is a surprisingly flexible new legend. Hopefully its temporary Collector Booster exclusivity doesn’t push the price up too much, as this looks like a sweet Commander to try out.
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