Part of the beauty of EDH is that there are so many unique legendary creatures for players to build around. Every year, tons of new Commanders get printed, which only opens the door for more fun shenanigans to be had.
As newer designs tend to get the most hype, it’s natural for older cards to get forgotten. That makes it all the more enjoyable when you can surprise newer players with a Commander sleeper they didn’t know existed. One interesting Commander option that’s fallen under the radar is a mono-white Legend from Betrayers of Kamigawa that has tons of combo potential.
MTG Yomiji, Who Bars the Way
On its own, Yomiji, Who Bars the Way isn’t the most exciting card. After all, it’s a seven-mana creature with no enters ability or built-in protection. The payoff you get is also symmetrical, which can make it harder to meaningfully interact with opposing Commanders. That being said, the upside this card provides with the right support is massive.
The goal with Yomiji at the helm is to fill your deck with all sorts of legendary cards. In the creature section, cards like Lieutenant Kirtar or Boromir, Warden of the Tower that can be sacrificed for value and repeatedly recur with Yomiji are strong inclusions. Similarly, repeatedly cracking artifacts such as Hylda’s Crown of Winter can generate a boatload of card advantage over the course of a game. As you continue to draw cards and build out a board, bombs like Urza’s Ruinous Blast should put you firmly in the driver’s seat.
To help prevent your opponents from taking advantage of Yomiji’s ability, it’s in your best interest to utilize some forms of graveyard hate. Stone of Erech is undoubtedly the best of the bunch, consistently exiling opposing legendary creatures when they die and being a recursive card draw engine on top of that.
Combo Potential
Where things start to get really interesting is when you can pull off infinite combos on the turn Yomiji comes down. One of the simplest combos available pairs Yomiji with Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate. With Yomiji in play and Omarthis in hand, you’re free to cast and recur Omarthis an infinite number of times. From there, numerous other win conditions, including Oketra’s Monument or Altar of the Brood, should get the job done.
Notably, pulling off similar multi-card combos with Phyrexian Altar and any one-mana legend isn’t difficult. If that legend is the new Momo, Playful Pet, you can use its triggered ability to make all your other threats infinitely large.
Besides using creature sacrifice outlets, you can always go the artifact route and pair Krark-Clan Ironworks with any colorless legendary artifact that costs two or less mana. If the artifact costs one or less mana, you’ll net infinite colorless mana in the process. Alternatively, Grinding Station threatens to Mill each opponent out in conjunction with a zero-mana legendary artifact like Mox Opal.
Despite all of these combos, there are barely over 200 decks utilizing Yomiji, Who Bars the Way at the helm according to EDHREC. As a result, even with no reprints to speak of, this rare’s average market value sits under $2 on TCGplayer. If you’re looking for a unique mono-white combo Commander to fill that void in your collection, consider giving Yomiji a shot.
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