According to EDHREC, Isshin, Two Heavens as One, is the most popular Commander from Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. And no other Commander from the set comes close to the amount of decks people submitted for the red, white, and black Samurai.
**There are many ways to build an Isshin Commander deck and there are a lot of cool cards to talk about. But this article will address what Isshin gained from Streets of New Capenna and Battle for Baldur’s Gate, Magic’s two latest sets. If you’re interested in a full Commander deck guide for Isshin, check out this article.
Isshin, Two Heavens As One
Magic players love doubling effects, especially when it comes to Commander, and Isshin has a pretty unique one. He’s basically the attack version of Panharmonicon. But Isshin actually doubles everyone’s attack triggers, opponents included, opening up for some interesting political dynamics with cards like Curse of Opulence.
Rabble Rousing
It’s extremely easy to satisfy Rabble Rousing’s hideaway condition with Isshin, allowing you to freely cast whatever card you found on the top of your library when you played the enchantment. But that’s the cherry on top when this card is in your Isshin deck.
The real reason to play this card with Isshin is the endless horde of citizens it produces. With Isshin in play, if you attack with 5 creatures, Rabble Rousing will make 10 attacking Citizens. On your next combat step, Rabble Rousing will turn your 15 total creatures (assuming all survived) into 45. 45 will turn to 135 the turn after that. And you’ll easily win the game in a few turns.
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Indulge // Excess
Indulge is basically one instance of Rabble Rousing’s effect and will make a bunch of 1/1 Citizen tokens. Then, after you’ve attacked for the turn, you can play Excess for its aftermath cost and make a ton of Treasure tokens.
Life of the Party
Here’s where things get political. When Life of the Party enters play, each of your opponents makes a goaded copy of it. Your opponents must attack each other with those copies, and when they do, Isshin will double their attack triggers.
Read More: Is This Baldur’s Gate Mechanic Just a Better Version of MTG’s Monarch?
Spellbinding Soprano
If you play out Spellbinding Soprano normally, it provides a steady cost reduction to your instants and sorceries, and those costs are double reduced if you have Isshin in play.
But if you play Soprano for its encore cost, the four Soprano triggers will double to eight because of Isshin, and for the rest of the turn, your instants and sorceries will be close to free.
Firbolg Flutist
Myriad is one of the best abilities in Commander and it’s twice as good with Isshin, Two Heavens as One. In a typical four-person Commander game, when a creature with myriad attacks a player, you’ll make two copies of that creature attacking your other opponents. But with Isshin, you’ll make four copies.
I wrote an entire article on Firbolg Flutist and the various Commanders it plays well with which you can check out here.
Duke Ulder Ravengard
As I just stated with Firgbolg Flutists, myriad is a crazy ability with or without Isshin doubling its attack trigger. Well, Duke Ulder Ravengard gives myriad to one of your creatures each turn. This is a big buff to all Isshin decks.
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