In the coming months, there is a lot to look forward to in the world of MTG. Kicking things off, in just a few days, MTG Fallout officially releases. Only a little over a month later, Outlaws of Thunder Junction cards will make their way into Standard. From there, the arrival of Modern Horizons III in June is sure to bring drastic changes to the Modern format and beyond.
Beyond just the arrival of a multitude of different MTG sets, there are also plenty of events to take part in. Just recently, an intriguing draft-style event featuring Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate booster packs was announced. Taking place May 17-19, this event will allow players from all over the U.S. and Canada to celebrate Dungeons and Dragons’ 50th anniversary.
Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate drafts were a lot of fun when the set was released back in 2022. As such, it’s nice to see this throwback getting the attention it deserves. However, there’s a bit more to the event than just your ordinary draft.
Unique Event Structure
Any WPN store in the U.S. and Canada is eligible to run this 50th anniversary event. In order to do so successfully, stores will need to order the requisite products from a distributor. Stores will receive four new oversized Dungeon cards (we will go into more detail about this in the next section) to support four Commander pods, as well as the necessary packs to give players for drafting. Notably, stores can receive one collector booster box of Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate free of charge in the process.
These collector booster packs serve a specific purpose in the draft. Rather than immediately cracking regular packs of Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate, each player will start by opening a collector booster. These cards will all be added to a player’s card pool right off the bat! Afterwards, players will begin drafting with three normal packs each. Notably, each player selects two cards at a time.
Once the draft is concluded, players are able to build 60-card Commander decks from the cards in their pools. Just like with traditional games of Commander, you get to make use of a legend to be your general that begins in the Command Zone. For additional information on rules specific to Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate drafts, take a look here.
Read More: Broken Ixalan Commander Staple Soars past $30
A New Dungeon?
Once players are ready to begin, they can play their Commander games just like they would during a normal Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate draft. Except, there is one major change being implemented for this event, and it has to do with Venturing into the Dungeon. The oversized Dungeon cards that each store receives aren’t actually for The Undercity or any other Dungeon from previous sets.
Instead, the Dungeon provided is entirely new! Known as Baldur’s Gate Wilderness, this is by far the biggest Dungeon available to date. As expected, the rewards for reaching the end can completely swing a game in your favor. Getting to give your opponents’ Creatures -5/-5, for example, may end up doing a great Plague Wind impression.
Much like The Undercity, the first section of Baldur’s Gate Wilderness allows you to search your library for a basic Land and put it into your hand. While not overly powerful, this helps make sure you can continue to hit your Land drops and not fall behind. It also can help make it easier to find all of your colors, especially if you’re playing a three-color Commander.
Beyond cards that reference Venturing into the Dungeon, players can also go into this Dungeon when they cast their Commanders for the first time. This is an easy way to get the train rolling.
Read More: Wizards of the Coast Implies Major Upcoming MTG Bans
Clarity Regarding Legality
What remains a bit unclear based on the description of the event at this point, though, is exactly where this Dungeon can be utilized. Given Baldur’s Gate’s focus around the Initiative which normally requires Venturing specifically to The Undercity, it would make sense that the Baldur’s Gate Wilderness Dungeon simply serves as a replacement Dungeon for this event. However, if this Dungeon is confirmed to be legal in formats like Commander, there are some pretty cool things you can do to maximize it.
Rather quickly, players realized that this Dungeon finally allows combos centered around Acererak the Arclich. Acererak is a very powerful card with plenty of combo potential. For instance, alongside Rooftop Storm, you can continuously cast Acererak for free, Venture into the Dungeon, then return it to your hand.
Typically, in these situations, the player casting Acererak will Venture into Lost Mine of Phandelver over and over to keep draining the opponent. The issue is that, because you are forced to draw a card by completing the Dungeon, you run the risk of losing via decking before your opponents lose all of their remaining life. With this new Dungeon, you can force your opponents to lose life all the same thanks to the Gauntlet of Shar room. This time, though, you can infinitely Venture here at will, making the combo kill more reliable!
Ultimately, players seem rather hyped for the new Dungeon, so this situation is certainly worth monitoring. We hope to get some clarity in the near future. Either way, this event seems really cool, and the new Dungeon is a super cool inclusion.
Read More: Turn Two Combo Kill Crushes MTG Timeless Tournament!
