In MTG Commander, some types of cards are far better than others. From ridiculous activated abilities to powerful tutors, it’s easy for some Commander staples to get out of control without something to stop them. Fortunately, if you’re looking to stop some of Commander’s most common strategies, these budget artifacts can help.
MTG Mindlock Orb
Mindlock Orb has a simple effect that’s far more deadly than it looks at first glance. For starters, the card shuts down problematic tutors like Demonic Tutor and Gamble, which prevents many game changers from running away with the game.
In addition, however, Mindlock Orb also shuts down many of the most commonly played cards in Commander. Cultivate effects, Natural Order, and even Evolving Wilds all function by searching the library, essentially allowing Mindlock Orb to shut down most forms of green ramp. This also has the odd bonus effect of making some popular removal options, like Assassin’s Trophy and Path to Exile, even more effective than normal.
If you’re feeling extra spiteful, you can even lock card draw down with Mindlock Orb. Using this card with Maralen of the Mornsong or Mornsong Aria essentially means no one can draw cards, but Impulse draw still works, giving you an angle to get around the lock.
The only trouble with Mindlock Orb is that few decks will be able to play it without being affected themselves. That said, with some careful deckbuilding, this $0.50 card can win you a disgusting number of Commander games.
MTG The Pandorica
Given the nature of the Command Zone, removing a Commander for extended periods can be quite difficult. We recently discussed a whole series of different cards you can use to keep Commanders removed for longer period of times, but The Pandorica is arguably even better than many of these.
The mana investment is a bit high, but due to Phasing Out a permanent for an extended period of time, The Pandorica can act as a permanent prison for an opponent’s Commander. The card won’t be changing zones, so your opponent will never have an opportunity to put it back in the Command Zone.
While The Pandorica does take more mana to use than cards like Oubliette, it’s not limited to just shutting down creatures. Turning off popular non-creature Commanders like Hearthhull, the Worldseed, The Prismatic Bridge, and Daretti, Scrap Savant is a rather unique charm that this artifact offers. Considering all of these applications, it’s quite shocking that this artifact only sees play in 6000 decks according to EDHREC.
Ultimately, The Pandorica will always be able to turn off the nastiest card at your Commander table. While best used on Commanders, this $0.15 artifact will always perform.
MTG Damping Matrix
Many of Commander’s nastiest artifacts can be stopped with Damping Matrix. The One Ring, one of the most commonly seen Game Changers on any Commander board, has its best aspects turned off by this card. The card similarly stops equip abilities, stopping any Voltron decks cold. This has a splash effect on cards commonly played in all kinds of different decks like Lightning Greaves and Swiftfoot Boots. The artifact can do all this while leaving mana rocks untouched, allowing you to play your Sol Ring without concern.
Damping Matrix is also capable of turning off activated abilities of creatures, affecting popular Commanders like Krenko, Mob Boss, Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow and Kenrith, Returned King. Of course, this will also affect your own cards, which means this $0.50 artifact won’t fit in every Commander deck.
Notably, if you do want to shut down mana abilities of artifacts and creatures, there are options to do that. Cursed Totem can stop mana dorks in their tracks, while Stony Silence is impartial to all activated abilities of artifacts.
MTG Grinning Totem
The mana investment required by Grinning Totem is expensive, but this artifact is capable of shutting down any MTG Commander deck, so long as you know the right card to pick. Searching your opponent’s library to grab a card from it can be absolutely devastating, but there are some downsides to this bizarre Totem.
Unlike many effects that steal your opponent’s cards, Grinning Totem forces you to cast the stolen spell with the proper colors. You also need to cast your stolen card quickly, as Grinning Totem will place the stolen card back in the graveyard on your next upkeep. That said, casting a Blasphemous Act or stealing a Thassa’s Oracle can totally blow your opponents out.
Even with these downsides in place, Grinning Totem can routinely find the perfect card for any situation, so long as you know which opponent to target. This card also sees an extremely low amount of play, only appearing in 1200 Commander decks according to EDHREC. Thanks to being relatively unknown, this $0.30 artifact can both surprise an opponent and ruin their day.
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