Post by mishrasupreme on May 8, 2014 0:59:42 GMT
Thank you, Dudecore!
I'll give this fanciness when my computer charges.
So you want to play Commander?
Commander: The Rules in 30 Seconds
Commander is a format created by fans, endorsed by Wizards of the Coast. The Official Commander (aka - EDH: Elder Dragon Highlander) Rules are maintained by them on their site. We suggest you follow the link there to familiarize yourself with the format. However for those who would like to keep reading here are the basic rules:
1. Choose a legendary creature as your General.
2. The General’s 'color identity' limits the colors of cards you can play in your deck and your deck cannot generate any other color mana (it would just be colorless).
3. A Commander deck contains exactly 100 cards including the General.
4. Except for basic lands you can only have one copy of each card.
5. Commander is played with Vintage-legal cards and some number of banned cards (check this link).
6. You begin the game with 40 life.
7. Your general is always available to cast so long as you have the mana.
8. You may put your Commander back into the command zone, it will cost an additional each time you cast it from the Command Zone.
Why Play Commander?
What is it about Commander that attracts thousands of players to it? What is so much fun that cause players to switch formats (yours truly) and adopt a format designed for johnnies? The simple truth is - it's just fun.
Commander is a format designed with casual players in mind. All types of players are represented fairly - veterans with powerful cards, new players who just cracked a few packs of Magic 2013. Players with only 1 copy of Noble Hierarch that cannot afford a playset. New players are able to build as they go, able to add cards they've seen work. Players of Commander are generally a knowledgeable bunch and willing to teach newer players about all the crazy interactions that can happen. Older players are drawn for numerous reasons from being able to use old/favorite cards, not needing an expensive playset of Jace, the Mind Sculptor or just show off judge foils, alters and misprints.
Unless you have tons of disposable income, or boxes full of playsets of every card ever - you're going to be buying cards. Old cards can get very expensive, and new cards can be equally as expensive - then suffer price plummets after rotation in the fall. The constant influx of cards for Standard, then their seeming worthlessness after some time is a cycle impossible to sustain for some. Wizards of the Coast dictates what you can and cannot play in Standard format. They have their own set of conflicting interests - an Expert Expansion is designed for new players, veteran players, limited players, standard players, EDH players and Modern. With all of those cards competing for spots, Standard and Modern become formats consisting of very few actually good cards. The limited amount of good cards culminates into an arms race where everyone else you play with has to do the same thing or fall behind.
Another reason to play this format? It is something new for the playgroup to get into. No one says you have to quit standard, modern, legacy or anything else. You can still go to FNM or tournaments. It is just a cool thing to build on the side if you wanna continue using your older cards, or cards that aren't good in other formats. With Commander, any random cool rare you happen to open from a pack can go into your deck. Did you open a beautiful foil during your FNM? Throw it in. Better yet, any additional copies you may have opened can be traded away for other single cards you need or want. Cards you might have opened during draft that are otherwise bad, or a collection of Mythics that are not playable in Standard - suddenly become great cards for you to do something cool in Commander. The format breathes new life and new ways to play cards you might have given up on.
While 100 cards might seem like a bunch, hold that belief until you start building a deck - it won't seem close to being enough! Restrictions breed creativity, it is what most people enjoy about playing this game anyways. Card selection, mana curve, interactions and synergy are all in place with Commander - but the restrictions create some amazing choices.
LANDPOCALYPSE
The Big 4
These following 4 lands should be in every multi-color Commander Deck. They represent the greatest level of mana fixing with the fewest amount of consequences associated with them. They do have a premium price tag to go with it, so they might not be the greatest use of your money for the budget conscious - but they're items to acquire over time and will hold value forever. Dual lands have been with us since the creation of the game and will be a mainstay until it is finished.
The Original Duals
Badlands, Bayou, Plateau, Savannah, Scrubland, Taiga, Tropical Island, Tundra, Underground Sea and Volcanic Island.
Shock Lands
Blood Crypt, Breeding Pool, Godless Shrine, Hallowed Fountain, Overgrown Tomb, Sacred Foundry, Steam Vents, Stomping Ground, Temple Garden and Watery Grave.
Tap Lands
Clifftop Retreat, Dragonskull Summit, Drowned Catacomb, Glacial Fortress, Hinterland Harbor, Isolated Chapel, Rootbound Crag, Sulfur Falls, Sunpetal Grove and Woodland Cemetery.
Fetch Lands
Arid Mesa, Bloodstained Mire, Flooded Strand, Marsh Flats, Misty Rainforest, Polluted Delta, Scalding Tarn, Verdant Catacombs, Windswept Heath and Wooded Foothills.
Dual Lands
Wizards of the Coast has devised plenty of ways to give you your mana-fix without breaking the bank. All of these lands work perfectly well in a nice casual format like commander, where fixing mana in the early rounds isn't dire. These cards generally have draw backs, lack Basic Land types and/or come in tapped.
Filter Lands
Cascade Bluffs, Fetid Heath, Fire-Lit Thicket, Flooded Grove, Graven Cairns, Mystic Gate, Rugged Prairie, Sunken Ruins, Twilight Mire and Wooded Bastion.
Pain Lands
Adarkar Wastes, Battlefield Forge, Brushland, Caves of Koilos, Karplusan Forest, Llanowar Wastes, Shivan Reef, Sulfurous Springs, Underground River and Yavimaya Coast.
Guildgates
Azorius Guildgate, Boros Guildgate, Dimir Guildgate, Golgari Guildgate, Gruul Guildgate, Izzet Guildgate, Orzhov Guildgate, Rakdos Guildgate, Selesnya Guildgate and Simic Guildgate.
Scars Duals
Blackcleave Cliffs, Copperline Gorge, Darkslick Shores, Razorverge Thicket and Seachrome Coast.
Snow Duals
Arctic Flats, Boreal Shelf, Frost Marsh, Highland Weald and Tresserhorn Sinks.
Man Lands
Celestial Colonnade, Creeping Tar Pit, Lavaclaw Reaches, Raging Ravine and Stirring Wildwood.
Tainted Lands
Tainted Field, Tainted Isle, Tainted Peak and Tainted Wood.
Bounce Lands or Karoos
Azorius Chancery, Boros Garrison, Dimir Aqueduct, Golgari Rot Farm, Gruul Turf, Izzet Boilerworks, Orzhov Basilica, Rakdos Carnarium, Selesnya Sanctuary, Simic Growth Chamber, Coral Atoll, Dormant Volcano, Everglades, Jungle Basin and Karoo.
Bounce Lands are extremely valuable instruments in any Commander deck. These cards combine Mana-fixing and Mana-value to help put your multicolored deck over the top. It also helps to bounce back cards you may feel like reusing. (ex. Bojuka Bog, Vesuva)
Multilands
Now I am aware that I'm not including EVERY dual land or tri-land, there are simply too many to list and most are unworthy of being considered. We're talking Commander format here, and that is the focus. The following lands I feel should be in your multicolored deck.
The Tri-Lands
Crosis's Catacombs, Darigaaz's Caldera, Dromar's Cavern, Rith's Grove and Treva's Ruins.
These are the OG Tri-colored bounce lands. They are budget friendly considering what you're getting. You get some land recursion if you'd like, you get 3 colors and it doesn't come in tapped. These are must have for a 3 colored Commander.
Arcane Sanctum, Crumbling Necropolis, Jungle Shrine, Murmuring Bosk, Savage Lands and Seaside Citadel.
The shard colored Tri-colored lands from Shards of Alara are fantastic budget mana-fixing, even for five-colored decks. Maybe one day they will print a the wedge tri-lands, but until then this is the best option.
Vivid Lands
Vivid Crag, Vivid Creek, Vivid Grove, Vivid Marsh and Vivid Meadow.
Vivid Lands are borderline dual lands, but the importance of them in your deck would be to juice up Reflecting Pool and Exotic Orchard.
Rainbow Lands
City of Brass, Command Tower, Exotic Orchard, Forbidden Orchard, Gemstone Mine, Grand Coliseum, Mirrodin's Core, Reflecting Pool, Tendo Ice Bridge and Transguild Promenade
These lands produce whatever color you need, their value is obvious if you need to produce 3 or more colors. Command Tower is considered a staple for anyone, even mono-colored (because it's so cool!)
Fetchlands
Fetching lands in Commander isn't as important as other formats, but being able to play all of your spells is. Having the right tool in your deck is as irreplaceable in Magic as it is at work. I advise if you play two colors or more, add Fetchlands.
Basic Fetches
Bant Panorama, Esper Panorama, Evolving Wilds, Grixis Panorama, Jund Panorama, Naya Panorama, Terramorphic Expanse and Thawing Glaciers.
Fetch Lands
Arid Mesa, Bloodstained Mire, Flooded Strand, Marsh Flats, Misty Rainforest, Polluted Delta, Scalding Tarn, Verdant Catacombs, Windswept Heath and Wooded Foothills.
Mirage Fetches
Rocky Tar Pit, Bad River, Flood Plain, Grasslands and Mountain Valley.
Utility Lands
Cycling Lands
Barren Moor, Drifting Meadow, Forgotten Cave, Lonely Sandbar, Polluted Mire, Remote Isle, Secluded Steppe, Slippery Karst, Smoldering Crater and Tranquil Thicket.
Cycling is one of the best abilities in the game, and being printed on land makes it even more powerful. Mono colored decks shouldn't blink an eye about including these, and depending on how many colors you're running - they're a great option. You can also use these early in the game for mana, then bounce land back to your hand and cycle it later - Efficiency!!
Recursion
Academy Ruins, Emeria, the Sky Ruin, Mistveil Plains, Petrified Field, Riptide Laboratory and Volrath's Stronghold.
In Commander - Recursion is King. It is one of the reasons that Graveyard hate is so important in this format. An opponent with a Snapcaster Mage and Riptide Laboratory active can make things painful in a hurry. 100 singleton makes it extremely difficult to be effective, with recursion it just makes the format 100 legacy. Academy Ruins is required material for a deck with blue in it.
Land Destruction
Dust Bowl, Ghost Quarter, Strip Mine, Tectonic Edge and Wasteland.
Land destruction is a touchy subject. But if someone is abusing Cabal Coffers you shouldn't be concerned what anyone else is thinking. Land Destruction is useful in every format, and sometimes that pesky Maze of Ith has got to go. Strip Mine + Crucible of Worlds is frowned upon.
Man Lands
Blinkmoth Nexus, Faerie Conclave, Forbidding, Ghitu Encampment, Inkmoth Nexus, Mishra's Factory, Mutavault, Spawning Pool, Svogthos, the Restless, Treetop Village and Watchtower.
Man Lands can be very sneaky tools for you deck, your opponent sees an empty battlefield, tries to sneak some damage through and boom - activation and block. They help push you forward when you've got nothing, they're uncounterable and tend to dodge lots of removal when they turn back into lands.
Sacrifice Outlets
Grim Backwoods, High Market, Keldon Necropolis, Miren, the Moaning Well and Phyrexian Tower.
Decks built around sacrifice would do good to have these lands. The fact that they're lands, makes them uncounterable - invaluable against control decks.
Token Generators/Enablers
Gavony Township, Kjeldoran Outpost, Mosswort Bridge, Urza's Factory, Moorland Haunt, Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree and Windbrisk Heights.
Pretty self evident what these are here for. Getting value out of your cards is one of the principles of high level Magic players. Lands that create tokens to block/attack/pump creates the opportunity to play longer by extending your life total.
Brute Force
Boseiju, Who Shelters All, Gaea's Cradle, Kessig Wolf Run, Nephalia Drownyard, Rogue's Passage, Shizo, Death's Storehouse, Skarrg, the Rage Pits, Stensia Bloodhall and Winding Canyons.
Brute Force is all about pumping your creatures power/toughness, getting you the edge you need while waiting for your turn, or completely finishing the job.
Mana-Ramp
Cabal Coffers, Crypt of Agadeem, Scorched Ruins, Temple of the False God and Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth.
Increase your mana supply with more mana! These lands are great to smooth out your mana, or go for that colossal pump.
Utility
Arena, Deserted Temple, Kor Haven, Maze of Ith, Mystifying Maze, Reliquary Tower, Scrying Sheets, Soldevi Excavations, Thespian's Stage, Tolaria West and Vesuva.
STAPLES - Yeah, I've got that
List of staple cards
Every format has it, Commander is no exception. These cards right here should be your first choice after you pick commander. There are very few reasons not to include them - besides their associated costs.
Colorless staples
All is Dust
Crucible of Worlds
Duplicant
Mimic Vat
Mind's Eye
Oblivion Stone
Reliquary Tower
Sensei's Divining Top
Sol Ring
Solemn Simulacrum
Strip Mine
Temple of the False God
White staples
Austere Command
Hallowed Burial
Kor Haven
Land Tax
Path to Exile
Return to Dust
Swords to Plowshares
Blue staples
Academy Ruins
Consecrated Sphinx
Fact or Fiction
Future Sight
Mana Drain
Mystical Tutor
Rite of Replication
Black staples
Bojuka Bog
Cabal Coffers
Decree of Pain
Demonic Tutor
Necropotence
Vampiric Tutor
Volrath's Stronghold
Withered Wretch
Red staples
Anger
Chaos Warp
Insurrection
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
I don't play red, so I have no idea.
Green staples
Eternal Witness
Genesis
Mana Reflection
Seedborn Muse
Survival of the Fittest
Sylvan Library
Multicolored staples
Angel of Despair
Bant Charm
Debtors' Knell
Memory Plunder
Mirari's Wake
Vindicate
List of great cards
These cards are considered great cards, but not exactly must haves. It would really depend on the type of deck you are making, and what you are aiming to do with it.
Colorless
Akroma's Memorial
Artisan of Kozilek
Caged Sun
Deserted Temple
Dust Bowl
Extraplanar Lens
Gauntlet of Power
Gilded Lotus
High Market
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
Mana Crypt
Maze of Ith
Miren, the Moaning Well
Mystifying Maze
Scroll Rack
Skullclamp
Steel Hellkite
Thawing Glaciers
Thran Dynamo
Tormod's Crypt
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Vesuva
Wasteland
Worn Powerstone
Wurmcoil Engine
White
Akroma's Vengeance
Archon of Justice
Aven Mindcensor
Condemn
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Emeria, the Sky Ruin
Enlightened Tutor
Karmic Guide
Linvala, Keeper of Silence
Luminarch Ascension
Marshal's Anthem
Martyr's Bond
Reveillark
Reya Dawnbringer
Rout
Stonecloaker
Stoneforge Mystic
Stonehewer Giant
Sun Titan
Twilight Shepherd
Blue
Acquire
Blatant Thievery
Blue Sun's Zenith
Bribery
Capsize
Chancellor of the Spires
Commandeer
Cryptic Command
Desertion
Gather Specimens
Hinder
Lighthouse Chronologist
Mnemonic Wall
Phyrexian Metamorph
Rhystic Study
Spell Crumple
Spelljack
Sphinx of Uthuun
Trinket Mage
Vesuvan Shapeshifter
Willbender
Black
Animate Dead
Beacon of Unrest
Damnation
Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
Exsanguinate
Geth, Lord of the Vault
Imperial Seal
Massacre Wurm
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
Necromancy
Nezumi Graverobber
Nihil Spellbomb
Nirkana Revenant
Phyrexian Arena
Phyrexian Tower
Praetor's Grasp
Puppeteer Clique
Sheoldred, Whispering One
Syphon Mind
Red
Blasphemous Act
Bogardan Hellkite
Chain Reaction
Imperial Recruiter
Inferno Titan
Into the Core
Kher Keep
Lavaball Trap
Reiterate
Starstorm
Urabrask the Hidden
Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
Vicious Shadows
Warstorm Surge
Wild Ricochet
Green
Acidic Slime
Beast Within
Cultivate
Deadwood Treefolk
Doubling Season
Gaea's Cradle
Genesis Wave
Green Sun's Zenith
Kodama's Reach
Krosan Grip
Natural Order
Primal Command
Restock
Scavenging Ooze
Terastodon
Tooth and Nail
Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
Woodfall Primus
Multicolored
All Suns' Dawn
Aura Shards
Conflux
Eladamri's Call
Fracturing Gust
Havengul Lich
Izzet Chronarch
Kessig Wolf Run
Krosan Verge
Lim-Dul's Vault
Maelstrom Pulse
Mystical Teachings
Pernicious Deed
Saffi Eriksdotter
Sphinx of the Steel Wind
Spitting Image
Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
Supreme Verdict
Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree
Voidslime
The Magus Super-cycle
The Magus cycle began in Time Spiral and has appeared three times in total. They represent very powerful (and expensive) spells attached to creatures. They're in most ways worse then their reserve list counterpart, susceptible to creature removal, board sweepers, and mostly anything that kills squishy creatures. They often times cost more mana. But for players on a budget who want those big effects without paying big dollars, the Magus super-cycle is here for you.
Time Spiral: Powerful Artifacts
Magus of the Disk refers to Nevinyrral's Disk
Magus of the Candelabra refers to Candelabra of Tawnos
Magus of the Scroll refers to Cursed Scroll
Magus of the Mirror refers to Mirror Universe
Magus of the Jar refers to Memory Jar
Planar Chaos: Powerful Lands
Magus of the Tabernacle refers to The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
Magus of the Library refers to Library of Alexandria
Magus of the Arena refers to Arena
Magus of the Coffers refers to Cabal Coffers
Magus of the Bazaar refers to Bazaar of Baghdad
Future Sight: Powerful Enchantments
Magus of the Moat refers to Moat
Magus of the Vineyard refers to Eladamri's Vineyard
Magus of the Moon refers to Blood Moon
Magus of the Abyss refers to The Abyss
Magus of the Future refers to Future Sight
List of cards socially discouraged
Commander is a social, multiplayer format - with that comes its own set of interactions. The following cards tend to really bother players, and discourage interaction by locking players out, denying resources and/or swinging too far in one direction.
Decree of Annihilation
Identity Crisis
Iona, Shield of Emeria
Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
Magister Sphinx
Mindslaver
Myojin of Night's Reach
Obliterate
Sorin Markov
Time Stretch
TUTOR TIME
In a game of Commander - tutors are a driving force to any successful deck. A Tutor is a spell which searches your library for another spell. In a 100 card singleton format, finding answers then using those answers is essential.
Colorless
Citanul Flute
Eye of Ugin
Kuldotha Forgemaster
Maze's End
Myr Turbine
Planar Portal
Skyship Weatherlight
Sunforger
White
Academy Rector
Amrou Scout
Angel's Herald
Auratouched Mage
Defiant Falcon
Defiant Vanguard
Enduring Ideal
Enlightened Tutor
Golden Wish
Idyllic Tutor
Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero
Lost Auramancers
Quest for the Holy Relic
Ramosian Captain
Ramosian Commander
Ramosian Lieutenant
Ramosian Sergeant
Ramosian Sky Marshal
Ranger of Eos
Remembrance
Steelshaper Apprentice
Steelshaper's Gift
Stoneforge Mystic
Stonehewer Giant
Taj-Nar Swordsmith
Tallowisp
Three Dreams
Totem-Guide Hartebeest
Blue
Acquire
Arcum Dagsson
Artificer's Intuition
Bribery
Cunning Wish
Dichotomancy
Dizzy Spell
Drift of Phantasms
Eerie Procession
Eternal Dominion
Ethereal Usher
Fabricate
Grozoth
Higure, the Still Wind
Kaho, Minamo Historian
Knowledge Exploitation
Long-Term Plans
Merchant Scroll
Muddle the Mixture
Mystical Teachings
Mystical Tutor
Personal Tutor
Reshape
Seahunter
Sift through Sands
Sphinx Ambassador
Sphinx's Herald
Tezzeret, the Seeker
Thada Adel, Acquisitor
Tolaria West
Transmute Artifact
Trapmaker's Snare
Treasure Mage
Trinket Mage
Vedalken Æthermage
Black
Beseech the Queen
Bitterheart Witch
Blightspeaker
Bog Glider
Boggart Harbinger
Brainspoil
Bringer of the Black Dawn
Buried Alive
Cateran Brute
Cateran Enforcer
Cateran Kidnappers
Cateran Overlord
Cateran Persuaders
Cateran Slaver
Corpse Connoisseur
Corpse Harvester
Cruel Tutor
Curse of Misfortunes
Dark Supplicant
Death Wish
Demonic Collusion
Demonic Tutor
Demon's Herald
Diabolic Intent
Diabolic Revelation
Diabolic Tutor
Dimir House Guard
Dimir Machinations
Entomb
Fleshwrither
Grim Tutor
Imperial Seal
Increasing Ambition
Infernal Tutor
Insidious Dreams
Liliana Vess
Maralen of the Mornsong
Netherborn Phalanx
Night Dealings
Praetor's Grasp
Ratcatcher
Rathi Assassin
Rathi Fiend
Rathi Intimidator
Rhystic Tutor
Rune-Scarred Demon
Shred Memory
Urborg Panther
Vampiric Tutor
Red
Burning Wish
Dragon's Herald
Dragonstorm
Dwarven Recruiter
Gamble
Goblin Matron
Goblin Recruiter
Godo, Bandit Warlord
Hoarding Dragon
Homing Sliver
Imperial Hellkite
Imperial Recruiter
Moggcather
Wild Research
Zirilan of the Claw
Green
Behemoth's Herald
Birthing Pod
Brutalizer Exarch
Chord of Calling
Elvish Harbinger
Fauna Shaman
Fierce Empath
Gatecreeper Vine
Green Sun's Zenith
Hibernation's End
Kyscu Drake
Lifespinner
Living Wish
Mwonvuli Beast Tracker
Natural Order
Nesting Wurm
Pattern of Rebirth
Primal Command
Skyshroud Poacher
Skyshroud Sentinel
Summoner's Pact
Survival of the Fittest
Sylvan Primordial
Sylvan Tutor
Time of Need
Tooth and Nail
Treefolk Harbinger
Weird Harvest
Wild Pair
Wirewood Herald
Worldly Tutor
Azorius
Sovereigns of Lost Alara
Isperia the Inscrutable
Golgari
Garruk, the Veil-Cursed
Jarad's Orders
Gruul
Signal the Clans
Izzet
Firemind's Foresight
Dimir
Clutch of the Undercity
Dimir Infiltrator
Perplex
Sphinx Summoner
Selesnya
Altar of Bone
Captain Sisay
Congregation at Dawn
Eladamri's Call
Glittering Wish
Sterling Grove
Simic
Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
- Bant
Clarion Ultimatum
Supply // Demand (Demand)
Wargate
- Esper
Zur the Enchanter
- Maelstrom
Conflux
Scion of the Ur-Dragon
Sliver Overlord
I'll give this fanciness when my computer charges.
So you want to play Commander?
Commander: The Rules in 30 Seconds
Commander is a format created by fans, endorsed by Wizards of the Coast. The Official Commander (aka - EDH: Elder Dragon Highlander) Rules are maintained by them on their site. We suggest you follow the link there to familiarize yourself with the format. However for those who would like to keep reading here are the basic rules:
1. Choose a legendary creature as your General.
2. The General’s 'color identity' limits the colors of cards you can play in your deck and your deck cannot generate any other color mana (it would just be colorless).
3. A Commander deck contains exactly 100 cards including the General.
4. Except for basic lands you can only have one copy of each card.
5. Commander is played with Vintage-legal cards and some number of banned cards (check this link).
6. You begin the game with 40 life.
7. Your general is always available to cast so long as you have the mana.
8. You may put your Commander back into the command zone, it will cost an additional each time you cast it from the Command Zone.
Why Play Commander?
What is it about Commander that attracts thousands of players to it? What is so much fun that cause players to switch formats (yours truly) and adopt a format designed for johnnies? The simple truth is - it's just fun.
Commander is a format designed with casual players in mind. All types of players are represented fairly - veterans with powerful cards, new players who just cracked a few packs of Magic 2013. Players with only 1 copy of Noble Hierarch that cannot afford a playset. New players are able to build as they go, able to add cards they've seen work. Players of Commander are generally a knowledgeable bunch and willing to teach newer players about all the crazy interactions that can happen. Older players are drawn for numerous reasons from being able to use old/favorite cards, not needing an expensive playset of Jace, the Mind Sculptor or just show off judge foils, alters and misprints.
Unless you have tons of disposable income, or boxes full of playsets of every card ever - you're going to be buying cards. Old cards can get very expensive, and new cards can be equally as expensive - then suffer price plummets after rotation in the fall. The constant influx of cards for Standard, then their seeming worthlessness after some time is a cycle impossible to sustain for some. Wizards of the Coast dictates what you can and cannot play in Standard format. They have their own set of conflicting interests - an Expert Expansion is designed for new players, veteran players, limited players, standard players, EDH players and Modern. With all of those cards competing for spots, Standard and Modern become formats consisting of very few actually good cards. The limited amount of good cards culminates into an arms race where everyone else you play with has to do the same thing or fall behind.
Another reason to play this format? It is something new for the playgroup to get into. No one says you have to quit standard, modern, legacy or anything else. You can still go to FNM or tournaments. It is just a cool thing to build on the side if you wanna continue using your older cards, or cards that aren't good in other formats. With Commander, any random cool rare you happen to open from a pack can go into your deck. Did you open a beautiful foil during your FNM? Throw it in. Better yet, any additional copies you may have opened can be traded away for other single cards you need or want. Cards you might have opened during draft that are otherwise bad, or a collection of Mythics that are not playable in Standard - suddenly become great cards for you to do something cool in Commander. The format breathes new life and new ways to play cards you might have given up on.
While 100 cards might seem like a bunch, hold that belief until you start building a deck - it won't seem close to being enough! Restrictions breed creativity, it is what most people enjoy about playing this game anyways. Card selection, mana curve, interactions and synergy are all in place with Commander - but the restrictions create some amazing choices.
LANDPOCALYPSE
The Big 4
These following 4 lands should be in every multi-color Commander Deck. They represent the greatest level of mana fixing with the fewest amount of consequences associated with them. They do have a premium price tag to go with it, so they might not be the greatest use of your money for the budget conscious - but they're items to acquire over time and will hold value forever. Dual lands have been with us since the creation of the game and will be a mainstay until it is finished.
The Original Duals
Badlands, Bayou, Plateau, Savannah, Scrubland, Taiga, Tropical Island, Tundra, Underground Sea and Volcanic Island.
Shock Lands
Blood Crypt, Breeding Pool, Godless Shrine, Hallowed Fountain, Overgrown Tomb, Sacred Foundry, Steam Vents, Stomping Ground, Temple Garden and Watery Grave.
Tap Lands
Clifftop Retreat, Dragonskull Summit, Drowned Catacomb, Glacial Fortress, Hinterland Harbor, Isolated Chapel, Rootbound Crag, Sulfur Falls, Sunpetal Grove and Woodland Cemetery.
Fetch Lands
Arid Mesa, Bloodstained Mire, Flooded Strand, Marsh Flats, Misty Rainforest, Polluted Delta, Scalding Tarn, Verdant Catacombs, Windswept Heath and Wooded Foothills.
Dual Lands
Wizards of the Coast has devised plenty of ways to give you your mana-fix without breaking the bank. All of these lands work perfectly well in a nice casual format like commander, where fixing mana in the early rounds isn't dire. These cards generally have draw backs, lack Basic Land types and/or come in tapped.
Filter Lands
Cascade Bluffs, Fetid Heath, Fire-Lit Thicket, Flooded Grove, Graven Cairns, Mystic Gate, Rugged Prairie, Sunken Ruins, Twilight Mire and Wooded Bastion.
Pain Lands
Adarkar Wastes, Battlefield Forge, Brushland, Caves of Koilos, Karplusan Forest, Llanowar Wastes, Shivan Reef, Sulfurous Springs, Underground River and Yavimaya Coast.
Guildgates
Azorius Guildgate, Boros Guildgate, Dimir Guildgate, Golgari Guildgate, Gruul Guildgate, Izzet Guildgate, Orzhov Guildgate, Rakdos Guildgate, Selesnya Guildgate and Simic Guildgate.
Scars Duals
Blackcleave Cliffs, Copperline Gorge, Darkslick Shores, Razorverge Thicket and Seachrome Coast.
Snow Duals
Arctic Flats, Boreal Shelf, Frost Marsh, Highland Weald and Tresserhorn Sinks.
Man Lands
Celestial Colonnade, Creeping Tar Pit, Lavaclaw Reaches, Raging Ravine and Stirring Wildwood.
Tainted Lands
Tainted Field, Tainted Isle, Tainted Peak and Tainted Wood.
Bounce Lands or Karoos
Azorius Chancery, Boros Garrison, Dimir Aqueduct, Golgari Rot Farm, Gruul Turf, Izzet Boilerworks, Orzhov Basilica, Rakdos Carnarium, Selesnya Sanctuary, Simic Growth Chamber, Coral Atoll, Dormant Volcano, Everglades, Jungle Basin and Karoo.
Bounce Lands are extremely valuable instruments in any Commander deck. These cards combine Mana-fixing and Mana-value to help put your multicolored deck over the top. It also helps to bounce back cards you may feel like reusing. (ex. Bojuka Bog, Vesuva)
Multilands
Now I am aware that I'm not including EVERY dual land or tri-land, there are simply too many to list and most are unworthy of being considered. We're talking Commander format here, and that is the focus. The following lands I feel should be in your multicolored deck.
The Tri-Lands
Crosis's Catacombs, Darigaaz's Caldera, Dromar's Cavern, Rith's Grove and Treva's Ruins.
These are the OG Tri-colored bounce lands. They are budget friendly considering what you're getting. You get some land recursion if you'd like, you get 3 colors and it doesn't come in tapped. These are must have for a 3 colored Commander.
Arcane Sanctum, Crumbling Necropolis, Jungle Shrine, Murmuring Bosk, Savage Lands and Seaside Citadel.
The shard colored Tri-colored lands from Shards of Alara are fantastic budget mana-fixing, even for five-colored decks. Maybe one day they will print a the wedge tri-lands, but until then this is the best option.
Vivid Lands
Vivid Crag, Vivid Creek, Vivid Grove, Vivid Marsh and Vivid Meadow.
Vivid Lands are borderline dual lands, but the importance of them in your deck would be to juice up Reflecting Pool and Exotic Orchard.
Rainbow Lands
City of Brass, Command Tower, Exotic Orchard, Forbidden Orchard, Gemstone Mine, Grand Coliseum, Mirrodin's Core, Reflecting Pool, Tendo Ice Bridge and Transguild Promenade
These lands produce whatever color you need, their value is obvious if you need to produce 3 or more colors. Command Tower is considered a staple for anyone, even mono-colored (because it's so cool!)
Fetchlands
Fetching lands in Commander isn't as important as other formats, but being able to play all of your spells is. Having the right tool in your deck is as irreplaceable in Magic as it is at work. I advise if you play two colors or more, add Fetchlands.
Basic Fetches
Bant Panorama, Esper Panorama, Evolving Wilds, Grixis Panorama, Jund Panorama, Naya Panorama, Terramorphic Expanse and Thawing Glaciers.
Fetch Lands
Arid Mesa, Bloodstained Mire, Flooded Strand, Marsh Flats, Misty Rainforest, Polluted Delta, Scalding Tarn, Verdant Catacombs, Windswept Heath and Wooded Foothills.
Mirage Fetches
Rocky Tar Pit, Bad River, Flood Plain, Grasslands and Mountain Valley.
Utility Lands
Cycling Lands
Barren Moor, Drifting Meadow, Forgotten Cave, Lonely Sandbar, Polluted Mire, Remote Isle, Secluded Steppe, Slippery Karst, Smoldering Crater and Tranquil Thicket.
Cycling is one of the best abilities in the game, and being printed on land makes it even more powerful. Mono colored decks shouldn't blink an eye about including these, and depending on how many colors you're running - they're a great option. You can also use these early in the game for mana, then bounce land back to your hand and cycle it later - Efficiency!!
Recursion
Academy Ruins, Emeria, the Sky Ruin, Mistveil Plains, Petrified Field, Riptide Laboratory and Volrath's Stronghold.
In Commander - Recursion is King. It is one of the reasons that Graveyard hate is so important in this format. An opponent with a Snapcaster Mage and Riptide Laboratory active can make things painful in a hurry. 100 singleton makes it extremely difficult to be effective, with recursion it just makes the format 100 legacy. Academy Ruins is required material for a deck with blue in it.
Land Destruction
Dust Bowl, Ghost Quarter, Strip Mine, Tectonic Edge and Wasteland.
Land destruction is a touchy subject. But if someone is abusing Cabal Coffers you shouldn't be concerned what anyone else is thinking. Land Destruction is useful in every format, and sometimes that pesky Maze of Ith has got to go. Strip Mine + Crucible of Worlds is frowned upon.
Man Lands
Blinkmoth Nexus, Faerie Conclave, Forbidding, Ghitu Encampment, Inkmoth Nexus, Mishra's Factory, Mutavault, Spawning Pool, Svogthos, the Restless, Treetop Village and Watchtower.
Man Lands can be very sneaky tools for you deck, your opponent sees an empty battlefield, tries to sneak some damage through and boom - activation and block. They help push you forward when you've got nothing, they're uncounterable and tend to dodge lots of removal when they turn back into lands.
Sacrifice Outlets
Grim Backwoods, High Market, Keldon Necropolis, Miren, the Moaning Well and Phyrexian Tower.
Decks built around sacrifice would do good to have these lands. The fact that they're lands, makes them uncounterable - invaluable against control decks.
Token Generators/Enablers
Gavony Township, Kjeldoran Outpost, Mosswort Bridge, Urza's Factory, Moorland Haunt, Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree and Windbrisk Heights.
Pretty self evident what these are here for. Getting value out of your cards is one of the principles of high level Magic players. Lands that create tokens to block/attack/pump creates the opportunity to play longer by extending your life total.
Brute Force
Boseiju, Who Shelters All, Gaea's Cradle, Kessig Wolf Run, Nephalia Drownyard, Rogue's Passage, Shizo, Death's Storehouse, Skarrg, the Rage Pits, Stensia Bloodhall and Winding Canyons.
Brute Force is all about pumping your creatures power/toughness, getting you the edge you need while waiting for your turn, or completely finishing the job.
Mana-Ramp
Cabal Coffers, Crypt of Agadeem, Scorched Ruins, Temple of the False God and Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth.
Increase your mana supply with more mana! These lands are great to smooth out your mana, or go for that colossal pump.
Utility
Arena, Deserted Temple, Kor Haven, Maze of Ith, Mystifying Maze, Reliquary Tower, Scrying Sheets, Soldevi Excavations, Thespian's Stage, Tolaria West and Vesuva.
STAPLES - Yeah, I've got that
List of staple cards
Every format has it, Commander is no exception. These cards right here should be your first choice after you pick commander. There are very few reasons not to include them - besides their associated costs.
Colorless staples
All is Dust
Crucible of Worlds
Duplicant
Mimic Vat
Mind's Eye
Oblivion Stone
Reliquary Tower
Sensei's Divining Top
Sol Ring
Solemn Simulacrum
Strip Mine
Temple of the False God
White staples
Austere Command
Hallowed Burial
Kor Haven
Land Tax
Path to Exile
Return to Dust
Swords to Plowshares
Blue staples
Academy Ruins
Consecrated Sphinx
Fact or Fiction
Future Sight
Mana Drain
Mystical Tutor
Rite of Replication
Black staples
Bojuka Bog
Cabal Coffers
Decree of Pain
Demonic Tutor
Necropotence
Vampiric Tutor
Volrath's Stronghold
Withered Wretch
Red staples
Anger
Chaos Warp
Insurrection
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
I don't play red, so I have no idea.
Green staples
Eternal Witness
Genesis
Mana Reflection
Seedborn Muse
Survival of the Fittest
Sylvan Library
Multicolored staples
Angel of Despair
Bant Charm
Debtors' Knell
Memory Plunder
Mirari's Wake
Vindicate
List of great cards
These cards are considered great cards, but not exactly must haves. It would really depend on the type of deck you are making, and what you are aiming to do with it.
Colorless
Akroma's Memorial
Artisan of Kozilek
Caged Sun
Deserted Temple
Dust Bowl
Extraplanar Lens
Gauntlet of Power
Gilded Lotus
High Market
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
Mana Crypt
Maze of Ith
Miren, the Moaning Well
Mystifying Maze
Scroll Rack
Skullclamp
Steel Hellkite
Thawing Glaciers
Thran Dynamo
Tormod's Crypt
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Vesuva
Wasteland
Worn Powerstone
Wurmcoil Engine
White
Akroma's Vengeance
Archon of Justice
Aven Mindcensor
Condemn
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Emeria, the Sky Ruin
Enlightened Tutor
Karmic Guide
Linvala, Keeper of Silence
Luminarch Ascension
Marshal's Anthem
Martyr's Bond
Reveillark
Reya Dawnbringer
Rout
Stonecloaker
Stoneforge Mystic
Stonehewer Giant
Sun Titan
Twilight Shepherd
Blue
Acquire
Blatant Thievery
Blue Sun's Zenith
Bribery
Capsize
Chancellor of the Spires
Commandeer
Cryptic Command
Desertion
Gather Specimens
Hinder
Lighthouse Chronologist
Mnemonic Wall
Phyrexian Metamorph
Rhystic Study
Spell Crumple
Spelljack
Sphinx of Uthuun
Trinket Mage
Vesuvan Shapeshifter
Willbender
Black
Animate Dead
Beacon of Unrest
Damnation
Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
Exsanguinate
Geth, Lord of the Vault
Imperial Seal
Massacre Wurm
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
Necromancy
Nezumi Graverobber
Nihil Spellbomb
Nirkana Revenant
Phyrexian Arena
Phyrexian Tower
Praetor's Grasp
Puppeteer Clique
Sheoldred, Whispering One
Syphon Mind
Red
Blasphemous Act
Bogardan Hellkite
Chain Reaction
Imperial Recruiter
Inferno Titan
Into the Core
Kher Keep
Lavaball Trap
Reiterate
Starstorm
Urabrask the Hidden
Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
Vicious Shadows
Warstorm Surge
Wild Ricochet
Green
Acidic Slime
Beast Within
Cultivate
Deadwood Treefolk
Doubling Season
Gaea's Cradle
Genesis Wave
Green Sun's Zenith
Kodama's Reach
Krosan Grip
Natural Order
Primal Command
Restock
Scavenging Ooze
Terastodon
Tooth and Nail
Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
Woodfall Primus
Multicolored
All Suns' Dawn
Aura Shards
Conflux
Eladamri's Call
Fracturing Gust
Havengul Lich
Izzet Chronarch
Kessig Wolf Run
Krosan Verge
Lim-Dul's Vault
Maelstrom Pulse
Mystical Teachings
Pernicious Deed
Saffi Eriksdotter
Sphinx of the Steel Wind
Spitting Image
Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
Supreme Verdict
Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree
Voidslime
The Magus Super-cycle
The Magus cycle began in Time Spiral and has appeared three times in total. They represent very powerful (and expensive) spells attached to creatures. They're in most ways worse then their reserve list counterpart, susceptible to creature removal, board sweepers, and mostly anything that kills squishy creatures. They often times cost more mana. But for players on a budget who want those big effects without paying big dollars, the Magus super-cycle is here for you.
Time Spiral: Powerful Artifacts
Magus of the Disk refers to Nevinyrral's Disk
Magus of the Candelabra refers to Candelabra of Tawnos
Magus of the Scroll refers to Cursed Scroll
Magus of the Mirror refers to Mirror Universe
Magus of the Jar refers to Memory Jar
Planar Chaos: Powerful Lands
Magus of the Tabernacle refers to The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
Magus of the Library refers to Library of Alexandria
Magus of the Arena refers to Arena
Magus of the Coffers refers to Cabal Coffers
Magus of the Bazaar refers to Bazaar of Baghdad
Future Sight: Powerful Enchantments
Magus of the Moat refers to Moat
Magus of the Vineyard refers to Eladamri's Vineyard
Magus of the Moon refers to Blood Moon
Magus of the Abyss refers to The Abyss
Magus of the Future refers to Future Sight
List of cards socially discouraged
Commander is a social, multiplayer format - with that comes its own set of interactions. The following cards tend to really bother players, and discourage interaction by locking players out, denying resources and/or swinging too far in one direction.
Decree of Annihilation
Identity Crisis
Iona, Shield of Emeria
Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
Magister Sphinx
Mindslaver
Myojin of Night's Reach
Obliterate
Sorin Markov
Time Stretch
TUTOR TIME
In a game of Commander - tutors are a driving force to any successful deck. A Tutor is a spell which searches your library for another spell. In a 100 card singleton format, finding answers then using those answers is essential.
Colorless
Citanul Flute
Eye of Ugin
Kuldotha Forgemaster
Maze's End
Myr Turbine
Planar Portal
Skyship Weatherlight
Sunforger
White
Academy Rector
Amrou Scout
Angel's Herald
Auratouched Mage
Defiant Falcon
Defiant Vanguard
Enduring Ideal
Enlightened Tutor
Golden Wish
Idyllic Tutor
Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero
Lost Auramancers
Quest for the Holy Relic
Ramosian Captain
Ramosian Commander
Ramosian Lieutenant
Ramosian Sergeant
Ramosian Sky Marshal
Ranger of Eos
Remembrance
Steelshaper Apprentice
Steelshaper's Gift
Stoneforge Mystic
Stonehewer Giant
Taj-Nar Swordsmith
Tallowisp
Three Dreams
Totem-Guide Hartebeest
Blue
Acquire
Arcum Dagsson
Artificer's Intuition
Bribery
Cunning Wish
Dichotomancy
Dizzy Spell
Drift of Phantasms
Eerie Procession
Eternal Dominion
Ethereal Usher
Fabricate
Grozoth
Higure, the Still Wind
Kaho, Minamo Historian
Knowledge Exploitation
Long-Term Plans
Merchant Scroll
Muddle the Mixture
Mystical Teachings
Mystical Tutor
Personal Tutor
Reshape
Seahunter
Sift through Sands
Sphinx Ambassador
Sphinx's Herald
Tezzeret, the Seeker
Thada Adel, Acquisitor
Tolaria West
Transmute Artifact
Trapmaker's Snare
Treasure Mage
Trinket Mage
Vedalken Æthermage
Black
Beseech the Queen
Bitterheart Witch
Blightspeaker
Bog Glider
Boggart Harbinger
Brainspoil
Bringer of the Black Dawn
Buried Alive
Cateran Brute
Cateran Enforcer
Cateran Kidnappers
Cateran Overlord
Cateran Persuaders
Cateran Slaver
Corpse Connoisseur
Corpse Harvester
Cruel Tutor
Curse of Misfortunes
Dark Supplicant
Death Wish
Demonic Collusion
Demonic Tutor
Demon's Herald
Diabolic Intent
Diabolic Revelation
Diabolic Tutor
Dimir House Guard
Dimir Machinations
Entomb
Fleshwrither
Grim Tutor
Imperial Seal
Increasing Ambition
Infernal Tutor
Insidious Dreams
Liliana Vess
Maralen of the Mornsong
Netherborn Phalanx
Night Dealings
Praetor's Grasp
Ratcatcher
Rathi Assassin
Rathi Fiend
Rathi Intimidator
Rhystic Tutor
Rune-Scarred Demon
Shred Memory
Urborg Panther
Vampiric Tutor
Red
Burning Wish
Dragon's Herald
Dragonstorm
Dwarven Recruiter
Gamble
Goblin Matron
Goblin Recruiter
Godo, Bandit Warlord
Hoarding Dragon
Homing Sliver
Imperial Hellkite
Imperial Recruiter
Moggcather
Wild Research
Zirilan of the Claw
Green
Behemoth's Herald
Birthing Pod
Brutalizer Exarch
Chord of Calling
Elvish Harbinger
Fauna Shaman
Fierce Empath
Gatecreeper Vine
Green Sun's Zenith
Hibernation's End
Kyscu Drake
Lifespinner
Living Wish
Mwonvuli Beast Tracker
Natural Order
Nesting Wurm
Pattern of Rebirth
Primal Command
Skyshroud Poacher
Skyshroud Sentinel
Summoner's Pact
Survival of the Fittest
Sylvan Primordial
Sylvan Tutor
Time of Need
Tooth and Nail
Treefolk Harbinger
Weird Harvest
Wild Pair
Wirewood Herald
Worldly Tutor
Azorius
Sovereigns of Lost Alara
Isperia the Inscrutable
Golgari
Garruk, the Veil-Cursed
Jarad's Orders
Gruul
Signal the Clans
Izzet
Firemind's Foresight
Dimir
Clutch of the Undercity
Dimir Infiltrator
Perplex
Sphinx Summoner
Selesnya
Altar of Bone
Captain Sisay
Congregation at Dawn
Eladamri's Call
Glittering Wish
Sterling Grove
Simic
Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
- Bant
Clarion Ultimatum
Supply // Demand (Demand)
Wargate
- Esper
Zur the Enchanter
- Maelstrom
Conflux
Scion of the Ur-Dragon
Sliver Overlord
