Thanks to Commander’s singleton nature, tutors not only infringe on the format’s spirit, but they also increase the consistency of fast combos to an unfair degree. Thanks to this, tutors often rule over games of Commander, making otherwise fringe hate pieces like Stranglehold way better than they look.
MTG Stranglehold
Recently highlighted by Robert Red Beard MTG, Stranglehold‘s one-sided search shuts down all the overpowered Demonic and Vampiric Tutors of the world, while letting you use your own. The enchantment also hits everything from Evolving Wilds-style Fetch Lands to green players trying to ramp with Cultivate.
If these applications weren’t enough, Stranglehold can even be used offensively, removing the downsides of popular cards like Path to Exile, Erode, and Assassin’s Trophy. Thanks to being one-sided, too, it can easily break symmetrical effects like Scheming Symmetry and Wishclaw Talisman, making them far better than normal.
While less impactful, Stranglehold’s extra turn clause is quite strong too, stopping popular cards like Time Warp and Commanders like Medomai the Ageless. It also powers up a few individual cards, like Eon Frolicker, who essentially Fogs you from a player, and Perch Protection, whose Gift mechanic can be ignored.
Locking the Opponent Out
While niche, Stranglehold can completely shut down your opponents thanks to a few locks. Combine this card with Maralen of the Mornsong or Mornsong Aria, for example, and your opponents won’t be able to draw cards for the rest of the game. You, however, will get a free tutor every turn, making winning trivial.
Alternatively, with Hive Mind and Eternal Dominion, your opponents won’t be able to cast any spells instead. So long as you can function under the Dominion, this can win the game on its own, but you can otherwise counter your own copy of the spell.
Even if you aren’t using these locks, Stranglehold is a fantastic stax piece that’s easily playable in any red deck. While it is slightly expensive, at around $7.20, it’s well worth that price given its compelling potential.
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