10 Cards You Should Be Putting In Your Commander Decks | Episode 12

[@chefpaddie3771]

I love it when people in the comments point out better options. Just means they don't understand how Demo likes to play. For example: yes, Moldervine Reclamation and Korvold are better than Dragon's Appeasement. However, they are removal magnets that put a target on your back, whereas Dragon's Appeasement looks like a card your opponents won't remove because it might lock you out. Remember, don't make yourself the threat at the table. If you can easily think of how bad some of these cards are, especially permanents, then your opponents will, too, giving them a longer lifespan and greater upside if your opponents underestimate their value.

[@Suppaichu]

Yeah, though if i see you playing that card my new objective in the game is locking you out with it xD

[@gabrielkopp9248]

@@chefpaddie3771 there’s validity to that argument, however it only lasts up until a certain point. If your overall card quality is low enough you will just never be able to “turn the corner” in mid-to-late game and actually secure the win. Yes, you can avoid some attention by playing clunky cards, but you have to be able to hit the gas and start doing powerful things at some point. The very strategy that makes you not a threat early on also undercuts your ability to have a finishing state. Of course players are welcome to build at whatever power level they want, but I would argue that 90+ percent of players will get quickly disinterested in their decks if they aren’t accomplishing an effective gameplan in a reasonable amount of time

[@Kryptnyt]

It is just a more expensive card that does the same thing as other cards do but with an additional drawback. If you want this card in your deck it's because you want more redundancy for the effect. I wouldn't tell someone to take Grizzly Bears out of their deck to put Grey Ogre in just so that they won't be targeted! Dragon Appeasement is just as likely to do the same stuff Korvald and Moldervine Reclamation do, or Fecundity, if you want to take risks. It still makes you a target. It just costs more to play it. Wanna be a target a turn later? Sandbag your engine for a turn rather than making yourself pay more mana for it. To be fair to Appeasement, it skips your draw step, too- you can turn that into an advantage, by, uh, "look at me not take this 1 damage from my Mana Vault!" Okay, maybe that's not so great. Moldervine can be negated by Leyline of the Void things and Appeasement gets around that, so that's cool.

[@will-ht3mc]

Yeah, his decks are bad on purpose lol

[@stefanwilhelm6046]

​@@will-ht3mcHi there, person on the internet. Did you played a game against Demo already? I just ask, cause I guess you confused "bad" with "niche"... But that's just my opinion.

[@turtle_stew_Lukas]

Dreams of the Dead is even absurder in a flicker deck! You can flicker the revived creature, and it will actually return to the battlefield, as by the card rulings: "If [an exile effect] later returns the creature card to the battlefield (as Oblivion Ring or Flickerwisp might, for example), the creature card will return to the battlefield as a new object with no relation to its previous existence." One of the strongest cards in my Esper flicker deck.

[@Kryptnyt]

Dragon appeasement's flavortext always makes me chuckle, the idea of some avens doing some kind of discovery channel expedition watching goblins is very cute

[@aldotrioksidi]

Funny thing about +2/+2 counters or any other non-standard stat affecting counters are that they're not negated by standard stat affecting counters. For example, a creature with a +2/+2 counter on it gets two -1/-1 counters, both stay on it and they don't cancel out each other.

[@edhdeckbuilding]

i just checked, there's actually 8 cards that use +2/+2 counters.

[@aldotrioksidi]

@@edhdeckbuilding Same applies to the weird ones like +1/+0, +0/+1, +2/+1 counters and so on

[@dariocampanella7992]

Also proliferate them seem nice

[@ArtGuyCharlie]

I love the Dragon Throne, but the main deck I have it in might be the most obvious home for it: Greensleeves, Maro-Sorcerer. For those unaware, Greensleeves is a 3GG */* whose power and toughness are equal to the number of lands you control and she makes a 3/3 badger token on landfall. So make a ton of badgers and boost them all by the number of lands you control in your landfall deck. The repeatability aspect of the throne usually doesn’t come into play.

[@EvertfromNederland]

Your last sentence is the reason I took it out of my green deck. It's just an expensive and cumbersome overrun effect. But the way Demo talked about it makes me want to put it in some random deck like he said where my commander never attacks. Pretty neat.

[@erichumphrey1786]

I have a mention for your next video..."drain power". Really catches players off guard!

[@stefanwilhelm6046]

Uuuh, thats a fancy one, even if your opponents can tap his lands in response and you gain nothing, do you?

[@crawdaddy1234]

Something I think you should have mentioned about Dreams of the Dead in a blinking deck, if you blink or flicker a creature that says “if this would leave the battlefield, exile it instead,” it will come back without that clause.

[@jagteq]

Also will remove the cumulative upkeep, of course. I assumed that’s where he was going with that suggestion.

[@crawdaddy1234]

@@jagteq Also true

[@adrunkcaliburn457]

Fairly certain this isn’t the case. If you blink the creature, it leaves and the replacement effect would happen

[@OverlyCriticalAnime]

​@@adrunkcaliburn457If a creature returned to the battlefield with Dreams of the Dead would leave the battlefield for any reason, it's exiled instead - unless the spell or ability that's causing the creature to leave the battlefield is actually trying to exile it! In that case, it succeeds at exiling it. If it later returns the creature card to the battlefield (as Oblivion Ring or Flickerwisp might, for example), the creature card will return to the battlefield as a new object with no relation to its previous existence. From gatherer

[@crawdaddy1234]

@@adrunkcaliburn457 Nope, because it exiles as part of the effect (e.g., Ephemerate), it fulfills the “exile it” requirement. Therefore, it does actually come back into play.

[@BingChiller227]

It’s a good day when demo uploads!

[@dariocampanella7992]

We eating good today

[@jasonritner9662]

The dragon throne of tarkir has been making its way into more of my go wide decks. It's pretty spectacular in my Aeve/Slime Against Humanity Ooze tribal. Who needs a Craterhoof when you have that 😂 (Now to figure out how to tutor out my Thrumming Stone as early as possible in mono-green)

[@Syncopiia]

Dragon Throne of Tarkir works great for Bane Lord of Darkness. He usually sits back as a value engine with 5 power that almost never matters. You can give your whole board +5/+5 and it also makes Bane's death trigger more threatening cause you can cheat out even bigger creatures.

[@gustaferikmoland704]

love this series! don't think i've seen one episode without atleast one card i run got dreamhalls in arna kennerud, dreams of the dead in nevinyrral and putting drafnas restoration in storm force of nature

[@connorl0204]

There’s actually a budding attempt at making a cedh tiamat dreamhalls deck floating around the community right now. It hasnt gotten much traction yet though

[@mateuszjezierski7460]

Wow, one of the best videos in the series, so many great cards! I especially like this blue reanimator enchantment:)

[@carstenjorgensen2607]

Another interesting thing about Do or Die. If you aren't sure what there deck is trying to accomplish, and they are running creatures with odd abilities, you can separate the piles to have them indirectly give you info, by telling you which pile is more important to them.

[@sunsfssb7699]

Now my girlfriend and I are thinking about putting Dream Halls in either her Esper Master of Keys deck or in my Jeskai Enchantment deck. We both play Omniscience and Replenish. She even runs Peer into the Abyss, which is perfect with Dream Halls. Also Aura of Silence or Seal of Cleansing to get rid of Dream Halls quickly after you got a giant Replenish.

[@angryfyce]

I run Dragon Throne of Tarkir in my mono red voltron deck. People don't ever expect my small handful of 3/3 tokens to suddenly become 13/13 monsters.

[@markt43]

Dream Halls is amazing in a Lavinia, Azorius Renegade commander deck. Commander text: Each opponent can't cast noncreature spells with converted mana cost greater than the number of lands that player controls. Whenever an opponent casts a spell, if no mana was spent to cast it, counter that spell.

[@K9hollow]

Drafnas restoration in an isperia deck would be so sick… u could potentially setup like 5+ future turns of knowing what cards to name in their hand so that u can tutor every turn!

[@punkypinko2965]

Dragon Throne of Tarkir 4:05 looks interesting. Ideally, that could work in my Hamza deck. My wincon is combat damage from big creatures with overruns and trample. Hamza is a 5/5, could be even bigger because he might have +1/+1 counters on him, and I don't always attack with him, since he might not have trample. My only hesitations are 1) the mana cost, 4 to cast and 3 to equip then another 2 for the ability; and 2) Hamza is not usually a big target but this equipment would definitely make him a target, I think. And I don't have a lot of protection for him, since he's not really a target usually. Interesting pick, though. I would like to try it out. I like that it's repeatable and gives trample.

[@davwad2]

I'm putting the entire abzan cycle of dragon's whatever in my Karador deck since I'm planning to mill to fill my yard. Thanks for the reminder I need to add Throne to my Ferrous Rokiric deck.

[@casually_lurking]

The "Dragon" aura cycle is amazing overall. High cost commanders are just SO good with any of them.

[@CardboardWarriorJeppy]

Dream Halls is my favorite card! I use it as a combo piece in my Islands matter deck.

[@MaskOfXano]

Dragonthrone of Tarkir is one of my "Wincards" in my Ovika Deck. I easily can create 20+ hasty goblins in that Deck, than give them all +6/+6 and trample. This sometimes wins the game out of nowhere. I love that card. Real cheap too...

[@isaactirrell7866]

Got this artifact in my Jarad golgari deck. Put it on Jarad with a graveyard of bodies, then sac my huge creatures for the win

[@theRANDOMmanta]

For Dubious Challenge you could also run it in a steal strategy or a blink strategy. Roon of the Hidden Realm, for example, can use its ability to exile the creature the opponent took with Dubious Challenge. And with stealing, your opponent will obviously want to take the bigger/higher value creature like Craterhoof Behemoth. So, you let them have it and then use one of the many red steal cards to steal it and use it for yourself.

[@nephilimninjaofnibiru2907]

Druids Repository is cool never saw that before. Stasis plus a vigilance creature pays for Stasis at upkeep.

[@XJBG1001X]

The last card you mentioned goes wonderfully in a Bello, bard of brambles deck! You're most likely drawing cards already, so the extra mana to cast them would be phenomenal

[@undergroundhead5]

New drinking game: take a shot every time Demo says "in the format"/"in the commander format"

[@Grimmfairytail]

🚑

[@Kaybee3104]

I'd love a video on non-izzet spellslinger decks. My favs are "Noyan Dar", "Toshiro Umezawa," "Katilda and Lier", and "Hidetsugu" to name a few.

[@Kripkee]

In a blink theme couldn't you blink the cumulative upkeep off the creature?

[@jacquesdespadas]

Druid’s Repository is a house! Great for combat tricks or to store mana, not just for second main phase. I haven’t used it in a while, but I should probably think about putting it in Yenna or Anikthea.

[@chummer2060]

Dragon Throne of Tarkir is one of my favorite budget craterhoof picks. It's a lot of mana, but only 1 more than the hoof. I put it in Ovika, Enigma Goliath. The look on peoples faces is always a hoot. That's a lot of 7/7 hasty goblins.

[@antoinethiaucourt1515]

Great video, I play do or die in my Celestial Toymaker deck and I love giving the opponent awful choices

[@ge_hoff4181]

I got one for yeah,"Spring Cleaning." Does what you need it too and sometimes more.🤙

[@Just-a-Canuck]

Cycling dragon wings when using a 6+ mana commander is a genius move!

[@Ironbird1776]

Dream halls has been a banger in so many of my decks.

[@bluesight_]

Drafna's Restoration is one of my favorite cards. Pauper legal; there's a great dimir or izzet eggs deck you can make with it. It's not part of the reserved list, since it's just a common card. (which is also the reason it's cheap)

[@ethanvetter7289]

Do or Die in Zevlor would be really fun actually. Separate each opponents creatures? sounds great to me

[@shmackydoo]

I love every one of these, they are sick. Imagaine proliferating that +2/+2 counter

[@alexanderficken9354]

dreams of the dead also in a blink deck doesnt kill your creatures if you blink them after reanimating

[@wehavemagnums]

I've really been wanting to make Drafna's Restorstion work in a Flubs cheerios build

[@DarkJusticeMetal]

Shoutouts to Dream Halls completely turning the game on its head

[@M1cromanag3r]

Dream Halls with Library of Leng could make for some interesting interactions

[@bluesight_]

oooooh yes

[@hiygamer]

I don't think that would actually work. Library of Leng's effect cares about effects that make you discard, but Dream Halls lets you discard as an alternate cost to cast a spell. Unfortunately, that means it won't trigger the Library because paying a cost isn't an effect.

[@M1cromanag3r]

@hiygamer oh shi.. good catch. I forgot that bit about Library. Dang, my memory is failing me 😅

[@hiygamer]

@M1cromanag3r Library is one of those cards that annoys me because it's so much harder to make full use of than it appears at first glance. So many of the things you immediately want to pair that ability with just don't work how you'd like them to.

[@M1cromanag3r]

@hiygamer definitely. Magic is a lot of fun but it can definitely get confusing at times when all it takes is a one word difference to completely change how a card functions. I see a LOT of this with red decks using impulse mechanics and missing the fact that some of them say "may PLAY until end of turn" vs "may CAST until end of turn", and realize too late they are gonna lose that much needed land drop on a "may CAST" impulse spell.

[@ivolopez-felix5270]

I still run druid's repository in a couple decks. I think it's really good in aggro or any green and other color where you will be swinging

[@jaydenshelley2818]

Something I'd love to hear your thoughts on - which commanders make the best commanders for secret comander? Rocco or Isperia come to mind as options but would be interested to hear your thoughts on others worth running

[@bigdawg6471]

Love the Dreams of the Dead mention !!!

[@Ktjnn]

Had to put Dragon Throne in my Kibo deck when I built it, so the prince has a throne to sit on, obviously.

[@OniTreefolk]

Need to mention Gleam of Authority. Stumbled on it the other day.

[@Ironbird1776]

Druids Repository in my Grand Warlord Rhada deck. It's one of the best cards in my deck

[@enricobrasil]

Dragon Throne of Tarkir goes well with The Ancient One, Lord of Tresserhorn and The Mindskinner Power 8 and 10 for 4 mana or less.

[@UpgradeBob]

Do or die is 10000% going into my mono black all jank deck

[@MrJpurvis620]

Always right after I submit my card order...😆 definitely picking up some of these gems.

[@zer0c0ol-95]

Druids repository is an all star in my Faldorn deck. Bring out the wolves!

[@SixTwoFive625]

Drafna's Restoration is actually not on the reserved list. Probably the only reason it's less than a dollar. It'll definitely spike up in price if it ever makes it on it since its actually a pretty decent card.

[@ThePhoenixPaladin]

Dragon throne of tarkir is a big mana investment, but I do like it in any deck running lord of extinction, one of my favorite cards

[@marvin5342]

I really like drafnas restauration in my edward kenway deck I can either recurr my vehicles or I can use it to steal an artifact from an opponents graveyard , same for misinformation

[@simonchi5372]

Dubious challenge together with trostani seems like a fun deck idea.

[@thefacebehindthemask7007]

Druid's Repository wins games!!! Love that card!!!!!

[@JeffBoes-m4s]

Drafna's Restoration in a mill deck: only good if you are not planning to mill any more cards for a while. Otherwise, you've just reloaded that player's library with some mill fodder and delayed by a turn or two mllling them out!

[@dannybeane2069]

Not sure if you did Dreams of the Dead off my suggestion, but still feel seen regardless; thanks.

[@ClederCoelho]

I use Dwarven Armory in my The Lady of Otaria deck. It's incredible!!!

[@dapperpotatoes8473]

Restoration to just stop someone from drawing anything other than ramp during late game would be brutal.

[@grantmurdock7385]

I think I need to put Do or Die in my Davros deck. Be on brand with the villainous choices.

[@fishinfromscratch5484]

The Dragon throne is the golden pig of my ghalta deck. It makes a rather potent bunch of mana dorks.

[@Unlimitedsigmaow]

Love this series

[@ryanariola2574]

Good vid bro. I've never seen or heard any of these cards. 🤙🤙

[@carstenjorgensen2607]

Drafna's Restoration plus Mycosynth Latice = put all permanent cards from a graveyard ontop of their owners library... mess with a self-mill player, and you can make their draws ordered in a way to make life that much more difficult.

[@MintyMagicMTG]

I played with a guy who used Dream Halls in a 3 color deck without realizing it affected everyone. He passed to a mono red Purphoros player. We promptly lost 😂 That was like a 15 min game

[@TheSmartCinema]

For the Dragon Throne, I really tried to make it work in some of my decks, but the cost is just getting closer and closer to unplayable with how fast the format is getting. 4 mana to cast, 3 to equip, 2 to activate, that's NINE mana for an overrun effect. Even in colors like mono-blue I'd say there are way too many better 9 mana wincons in any go-wide deck you could think of

[@unimaginative_artist]

Sunken Field is legit insane its a counter spell on a land its saved my life more times than I can count same thing with cosmic rebirth example I have returned a solitude to my hand discarded a white card convoked it in and exiled a game winning attack thats not even the first time I have done that either…

[@unimaginative_artist]

Druids Repository was huge in Najeela

[@Naykid391]

Do or Die lets you target yourself. Seems almost modal in a Meren of Clan Nel Toth deck. Missing a sac outlet? No problem! Get a ton of experience counters for 2 mana!

[@MortonFMurphy]

I run Dream Halls in Marvo in case I get stuck with a hand full of 8 drops and no other way to fudge them out

[@SyanideBox]

Najeela + Druids Repository = Infinite combat steps long as you swing with 5 creatures.

[@danny_gone_south]

Isn't moldervine reclamation just a better dragon appeasement? I guess if someone is preventing creatures from dying by exiling them...

[@Hadrioc]

That is not how you use Dream ofthe Dead in a Blink deck. You BLINK the creature, than it is permanently on in play. Read the card in the gatherer, it doesn't get permanently exiled and it comes back as a different object, without the upkeep cost.

[@ForFreedom7]

Very Impressive. 👍👍

[@mtggodzilla7308]

I love this series. 👍

[@koboldqueen3055]

This a great example of why the reserve list shouldn't exist. I believe its if you remove the top 50 cards the average value of a reserve list card becomes something like 1.50$

[@larryc4106]

Dragon thrones of tarkir is really really funny with serra avatar.

[@jonnyxzert]

I run hedron matrix(gives equipped creature +x/+x where x is its mana cost) with dragon throne of tarkir in my palladia-mors the ruiner(6 cost naya)to give everything +12/+12

[@granite_4576]

The whole Dragon-aura cycle is really good. The unfortunate thing is most commanders these days are cheap bombs.

[@platurt9595]

These videos are always kinda bittersweet. They seem like cool cards and I'd love to play them but there's just no way if you have 3 opponents trying to turbo their engine out.

[@daytimecloudsurfer]

Sounds kinda boring

[@platurt9595]

@@daytimecloudsurfer yeah its boring as fuck, might aswell quit tbh

[@johnrinka2904]

Whoa I need dragon appeasement in my Xira the golden sting aristocrat deck

[@jessierandolph2054]

I have the dragon throne in my ruric thar so i dont have to attack with him.

[@Phonk-vo4oi]

Hey Demo what’s with the second channel? Honestly had flashbacks to The Quartering and that tyre fire. Hope you’re doing ok, redesigned my Dennick deck with all the new cards, kinda hoping they do some in-universe alternatives for some of the things, it’s odd having Dennick with LOTR, Fallout and Dr Who cards. Honestly I might just proxy them into something more Innistrad/Ravnica inspired.

[@ellimist359]

I use Dragon Throne of Tarkir in my Toxrill deck

[@dutroka]

Dragon Throne of tarkir .. crown of gondor... Use this in krav an regna

[@Layjus123]

I love dream halls. I call it the YuGiOh card because it makes all cards cost nothing to play.

[@dariocampanella7992]

Yes dragon throne of takir works great in the okaun deck. I write it down because is becoming almost a meme

[@chadstevemichaelmichaels4605]

My friend plays dream halls. He gets maybe a solid 1 free spell off it before it's gone cuz fk that.

[@nathanwilliams9158]

Drafna’s Restauration is not on the reserved list. I don’t think any commons are on the reserved list. Fun card though.

[@CzarKingRex]

I used to love Dragon Throne until I realized it was 9 mana to do the thing...

[@Screcy]

2:30 Me: Ok I use Evolving wilds.

[@brendans1983]

Drafna's Restoration is not on the Reserved List, thats why its a dollar 👍

[@tylerstegman6846]

I run drafnas restoration in my breya eggs edh and in pauper eggs

[@zefereater4741]

8:11 i actually have these two in a deck lol

[@arseniipetrov5536]

I play Dreams of the Dead in mono blue Blind Seer and just hack the white and black to blue.

[@gabrielkopp9248]

5:13 “it’s worth it” to give a team of drakes +2/+2 and trample for the low low cost of a 4 mana commander, several instants and sorceries to build that board of drakes, then 4 mana to cast Dragon Throne of Tarkir, then 3 mana to equip it, then two mana to activate it. Nope, sorry, it’s not, full stop

[@chefpaddie3771]

I like how the first two parts of what you call the "cost" are just the way you play a Talrand deck. The "cost" is more like playing it for four while still holding up mana, equipping it for three while still holding up mana, then activating it for two every turn. All the while protecting that board against three opponents for three turns. The cost is steep, but the payoff is legit if you play it right.

[@jessedotson5998]

Fantastic in casual game! Your worrying about winning too much

[@jamesloder8652]

​@@jessedotson5998 *you're

[@jamesloder8652]

Totally agree with you-- as he's talking about it, I'm looking at it and thinking "wow, this card is terrible" 4 mana followed by 3 mana followed by 2 mana is just insane

[@nicolasstaudt5714]

Dragon throne is a total of 7 mana just to cast and equip. Then 2 to activate. That's quite a lot. I think the card sucks.

[@chadstevemichaelmichaels4605]

I don't like eating eggs and I don't like hotdogs. They don't taste good at all.

[@Bongus_Bubogus]

Dragon Throne of Tarkir…costs a total of 9 mana for a do nothing until you paid the other required costs to accomplish anything of 1: Getting the big creature out and equipped without dying to this televised play and 2: Then also getting a large board out. It’s a very bad card, unless you are going for low power even on a budget throwing in something like Graaz would do you better. For specifically game-ending effects, striking out of nowhere is more important than the installment costs that if anything allow your opponents to plan when to kill either the main creature or the artifact, which I may remind you are the two most vulnerable card types.

[@MrJpurvis620]

Still a very powerful effect. I slap this on my Arcades and then all my walls plus commander are doing some serious damage. Yes it is a big mana investment, but can easily paid for/spread out over two turns which is totally fine in casual.

[@Koios90]

I agree that it is a pretty high cost, but you need to read the card again because it does give trample. I have it in a Chishiro deck, and while it's not the best card by far... It does help you win fast with a decent board of tokens and/or other modified creatures.

[@Bongus_Bubogus]

@@Koios90 I did miss the trample, but that’s the only thing I’ve forgotten. That just goes to show how rare the trigger goes off in actual games. In the last decade, out of around 70~80+ times across many players and decks I’ve seen it played at even very casual settings (though most have phased it out in the last few years due to every color getting better wincons) when I do my touring of the USA, it’s only won twice. Locally, I don’t see it. If you are able to play against dead fish for opponents, then most cards like this will work fine too 👍 and in that case play anything it doesn’t have to be this card in particular.

[@blackhorrorghost]

I was thinking of adding Dreams of the Dead to my Araumi deck, but I'm always on the fence about adding non creature cards in there. On the other hand, it might be a good engine if Araumi gets removed repeatedly