Most new Magic sets have a few standout cards that look like a shoe-in for existing cEDH decks. The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, though, not only has some really interesting cards that not only can easily be slotted into existing decks, but may alter the commander landscape just a bit thanks to one card in particular.
Bird is the Word
The current cEDH meta is one of intense interaction. If you have four players all keeping either a five or six card hand, you are looking at something like four to eight pieces of interaction among the table. That means, on average, it’s extremely unlikely that anyone is going to “just win” in the next few turns.
What is much more likely is that everyone is going to play a creature or two that are allowed to resolve and not die on the spot. Many popular commanders fall into this category, and it’s part of the reason that cards like
Tymna The Weaver
Tymna The Weaver
Lifelink
At the beginning of each of your postcombat main phases, you may pay X life, where X is the number of opponents that were dealt combat damage this turn. If you do, draw X cards.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
and
Thrasios, Triton Hero
Thrasios, Triton Hero
{4}: Scry 1, then reveal the top card of your library. If it's a land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped. Otherwise, draw a card.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
are so popular. Sure, they give you access to colors, but they also cost very little mana and are generally allowed to exist because they don’t threaten to immediately end a game.
In flies
Francisco, Fowl Marauder
Francisco, Fowl Marauder
Flying
Francisco can't block.
Whenever one or more Pirates you control deal damage to a player, Francisco explores.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
. Look, it can’t block! It has a damage trigger that only works on Pirates, and since it has zero power, it can’t even trigger itself! Surely this creature is allowed to live, and that is why it’s going to see play.
The current “best deck” which has won many different events lately is
Tymna The Weaver
Tymna The Weaver
Lifelink
At the beginning of each of your postcombat main phases, you may pay X life, where X is the number of opponents that were dealt combat damage this turn. If you do, draw X cards.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
paired with
Kraum, Ludevic’s Opus
Kraum, Ludevic’s Opus
Flying, haste
Whenever an opponent casts their second spell each turn, draw a card.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
. So, you can partner Francisco with Kraum for a Grixis deck as just one open option.
Another popular suggestion is Francisco with
Akiri, Line Slinger
Akiri, Line Slinger
First strike, vigilance
Akiri gets +1/+0 for each artifact you control.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
. Because this deck typically runs auras and equipment, it’s quite easy to present both Francisco and Akiri as exceedingly low mana threats that will generate value while pressuring the board. The lack of blue is always a concern, but non-blue decks do show up and can win, especially in a meta where small creatures are allowed to exist.
However, the most likely pairing is Francisco with
Malcolm, Keen Eyed Navigator
Malcolm, Keen Eyed Navigator
Flying
Whenever one or more Pirates you control deal damage to your opponents, you create a Treasure token for each opponent dealt damage. (It's an artifact with "{T}, Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.")
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
. This team gives you a flying value engine that can easily happen on turn three in 100% of your games. It might not seem like it, but generating a
Treasure
Treasure
Trample
and exploring every turn is enough value to put you ahead at a high interaction table. Malcom keeps your options open every turn while also growing from explore triggers and ramping from treasure. While you’re in only two colors, they are the best two with
Demonic Consultation
Demonic Consultation
Choose a card name. Exile the top six cards of your library, then reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a card with the chosen name. Put that card into your hand and exile all other cards revealed this way.
and
Thassa’s Oracle
Thassa’s Oracle
When this creature enters, look at the top X cards of your library, where X is your devotion to blue. Put up to one of them on top of your library and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order. If X is greater than or equal to the number of cards in your library, you win the game. (Each {U} in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to blue.)
available as the absolute most efficient win con in the format, alongside all the best free counter spells.
It’s not terribly rare for decks to sneak in cards like
Combat Research
Combat Research
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, draw a card."
As long as enchanted creature is legendary, it gets +1/+1 and has ward {1}. (Whenever enchanted creature becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player pays {1}.)
or
Curious Obsession
Curious Obsession
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you may draw a card."
At the beginning of your end step, if you didn't attack with a creature this turn, sacrifice this Aura.
when you have a cheap, evasive body that virtually guarantees free card draw. Francisco works extremely well with these cards, and I would be surprised if the bird does not show up in lists that include these cards.
The Magic Word
In a long line of
Silence
Silence
Your opponents can't cast spells this turn.
effects,
Permission Denied
Permission Denied
Counter target noncreature spell. Your opponents can't cast noncreature spells this turn.
is a slightly harder to cast
Negate
Negate
Counter target noncreature spell.
with a tremendous upside. There’s a little bit more to unravel as well.
Many commonly played cards like
Deflecting Swat
Deflecting Swat
If you control a commander, you may cast this spell without paying its mana cost.
You may choose new targets for target spell or ability.
don’t exactly stop Permission Denied, as the secondary effect still stops all your opponents from casting more non-creature spells anyways. For this reason, you are sure to see this card integrated into many competitive white/blue decks right away.
No More Words
Certainly
Grand Abolisher
Grand Abolisher
During your turn, your opponents can't cast spells or activate abilities of artifacts, creatures, or enchantments.
sees piles of play, and this is a three mana version that can be tutored with multiple effects like
Green Sun’s Zenith
Green Sun’s Zenith
Search your library for a green creature card with mana value X or less, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle. Shuffle Green Sun's Zenith into its owner's library.
. But that’s not all.
This thing is also a Warrior, so it’s an easy include in the very popular
Najeela, the Blade-Blossom
Najeela, the Blade-Blossom
Whenever a Warrior attacks, you may have its controller create a 1/1 white Warrior creature token that's tapped and attacking.
{W}{U}{B}{R}{G}: Untap all attacking creatures. They gain trample, lifelink, and haste until end of turn. After this phase, there is an additional combat phase. Activate only during combat.
. Will it see play outside of Najeela though? Certainly in any deck that already runs Abolisher or
Ranger-Captain of Eos
Ranger-Captain of Eos
When this creature enters, you may search your library for a creature card with mana value 1 or less, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.
Sacrifice this creature: Your opponents can't cast noncreature spells this turn.
. Kutzil is a potential add if the secondary effect is relevant at all.
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Stax Lite
It seems like
Dauntless Dismantler
Dauntless Dismantler
Artifacts your opponents control enter tapped.
{X}{X}{W}, Sacrifice this creature: Destroy each artifact with mana value X.
is getting a lot of hype and
Charismatic Conqueror
Charismatic Conqueror
Vigilance
Whenever an artifact or creature an opponent controls enters untapped, they may tap that permanent. If they don't, you create a 1/1 white Vampire creature token with lifelink.
is getting none. Let me try to sell you on the Vampire just a bit.
Giving your opponent a choice means they can make the wrong one. This works on both artifacts and creatures, so it’s a much wider application. Generating a 1/1 lets you gain value from
Skullclamp
Skullclamp
Equipped creature gets +1/-1.
Whenever equipped creature dies, draw two cards.
Equip {1}
,
Ashnod’s Altar
Ashnod’s Altar
Sacrifice a creature: Add {C}{C}.
and any good ETB or graveyard triggers. The table can use the Conqueror to gang up on another player. To me, those are compelling reasons to consider it.
Finally, Dismantler is a virtual three mana, not two, because the main point of the card is blowing up those tapped
Treasure
Treasure
Trample
tokens before they can be used, and you cannot do that at strictly two mana. I think the Conqueror actually has a lot going for it and time will tell if either card sees play.
An Obvious Include
This card is popping up on everyone’s radar and for good reason, it’s solid as heck! What strikes me is that another card existed long before,
Nimble Obstructionist
Nimble Obstructionist
Flash
Flying
Cycling {2}{U} ({2}{U}, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
When you cycle this card, counter target activated or triggered ability you don't control.
, which is comparable. They each have their strengths and weaknesses, but a
Stifle
Stifle
Counter target activated or triggered ability. (Mana abilities can't be targeted.)
that cannot be countered without special interaction strikes me as a bit better than one that can, so how are people going to be convinced to play the Tidebinder when they wouldn’t play the Bird?
Well, for starters you get a 3/2 beater on top of the deal, not instead of, as is the case with Obstructionist. Furthermore, one of the best strategies in Commander at large is to keep something in play but useless rather than remove it. Thus,
Tishana’s Tidebinder
Tishana’s Tidebinder
Flash
When this creature enters, counter up to one target activated or triggered ability. If an ability of an artifact, creature, or planeswalker is countered this way, that permanent loses all abilities for as long as this creature remains on the battlefield. (Mana abilities can't be targeted.)
offers a juicy payoff when it works.
So, that is what it comes down to, a safer piece of interaction or a riskier one with a bigger potential reward. It’s not a stretch to convince a table that letting your Merfolk resolve to stop a
Tymna the Weaver
Tymna the Weaver
Lifelink
At the beginning of each of your postcombat main phases, you may pay X life, where X is the number of opponents that were dealt combat damage this turn. If you do, draw X cards.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
from ever going off is the right play.
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Dark Horse Vote
At an affordable twenty cents,
Kellan, Daring Traveler
Kellan, Daring Traveler
Whenever Kellan attacks, reveal the top card of your library. If it's a creature card with mana value 3 or less, put it into your hand. Otherwise, you may put it into your graveyard.
is ultra budget. But is this card not good?
The Adventure side is going to be one green mana make three to four
Map
Map
{1}, {T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Target creature you control explores. Activate only as a sorcery. (Reveal the top card of your library. Put that card into your hand if it's a land. Otherwise, put a +1/+1 counter on that creature, then put the card back or put it into your graveyard.)
tokens. Generating that many permanents for one mana seems extremely good and can be used for all sorts of plays. A card like
Krark-Clan Ironworks
Krark-Clan Ironworks
Sacrifice an artifact: Add {C}{C}.
would love turning one green mana into eight colorless, for example.
Then, you get a 2/3 for two that can draw you a card when you attack. Of course, you can quite easily stack your deck thanks to your Maps. For sheer value, I think it’s hard to ask for more from a card. Keep in mind that both white and green love token doubling!
A Good Mix
The Lost Caverns of Ixalan has a variety of cards that could see play at all levels and in multiple formats. cEDH has incredibly strict requirements for cards to be even considered “playable,” but event after event proves that the format is more open than it would first appear.
From as recent as Wilds of Eldraine, we are seeing cards like
Talion, the Kindly Lord
Talion, the Kindly Lord
Flying
As Talion enters, choose a number between 1 and 10.
Whenever an opponent casts a spell with mana value, power, or toughness equal to the chosen number, that player loses 2 life and you draw a card.
make multiple strong appearances and even win an event. The cEDH meta is shifting faster than ever, and new cards are absolutely making an impact.
Don’t only follow the trends, though, try new cards out! Local metas vary widely, and what may make sense at one shop does not work at all elsewhere. As always, if players are reacting to what you are doing, you are doing it right!
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