10 More Interesting Commander Deck Ideas

[@coryirvin6651]

#2 is the evolution of the group hug strat. My K&T deck turned into this, a sort of "whenever" tribal deck. I'll help the table, but whenever you do something, i'm also going to get benefit. Much less durdle town than the standard group hug strat

[@Kulreg777]

Oh, nice! Do you have a deck list?

[@Alex-vx5sv]

My False hug is Group Squeeze. It uses Kami of the Crescent moon, get everyone to draw a ton then get out Iron maiden and Viseling then copy. Bounce everything including lands and everyone just dies by their own hands.

[@Kulreg777]

@@Alex-vx5sv damn, very nice! I have a k+T deck that ive been sitting on cuz I wanna avoid group hug. It's more council/politics cards, and the advocate cycle, to give people cards back to their hands while I get a nice effect

[@Hoelywater]

drop the decklist my boy

[@ry7hym]

i still have my k&t deck laying around, have it proxied as a shrines deck, but im not sure if thats what I want it to be

[@arthurbozelli4360]

I've never heard the term "false hug" before, and I'm really happy because I have a Yurlok false hug strategy, where I want to generate so much mana for everyone that he manaburns the board while I have tons of mana sinks. It doesn't have those group slugs cards like War's Toll and such. It's just I can use mana much mor efficiently than any of you can, so you will suffer for it and I won't. It's always a rock n roll show when I play it, games get really high stakes really fast, I love it.

[@Sophtym211]

Elven warhound was a fantastic addition to my Sisters of Stone Death deck, which uses a lot of those old gorgon-esque abilities of destroying stuff blocking it combined with lures and fogs. It's an extremely slow deck, and often not viable because of it, but it's certainly unique

[@v3pic]

Might try an Atraxa level up, I've always been interested in those.

[@villageflippinidiot]

That sounds fun!

[@obadijahparks]

Imagine partners built against each other. Where homebrew rules are when one person casts their commander, the other player with that partner as their commander casts theirs for free. That would be a weird game.

[@ry7hym]

2 headed giant maybe

[@thatlamp]

I have a Kwain deck that is essentially the "false hug" strategy. It runs most every card in UW that makes players draw extra cards, but I use this to win in a number of ways. The obvious ways are labman and approach of the second sun, but I also punish people for all the extra cards with stuff like Black Vise. In fact, I've won a few games with a Black Vise down, then bouncing everyone's stuff to hand with a Cyclonic Rift on my end step. Beyond that, it also runs nearly every free counterspell in the game so I can keep the strongest players at the table from running away with the game due to all the card advantage I'm giving them. It started as a bit of a joke deck I made for Easter, but ended up being among my most powerful and consistent decks. Plus its a super fun deck to play.

[@praisetherok3299]

I love those video ever since the Sharuum trap deck! it was a really fun deck to play and those deck bring almost no salt to my table!!! Keep the great content :D

[@SeraphimKnight]

On the theme of #3, I was a bit excited with building a vehicles deck after the entire KND set was spoiled, but I found that the usual commander options (Depala, Shorikai/Kotori, Greasefang) all left out important colors to what I was trying to build. I started looking into maybe going with Partners but I generally find them really dull as commanders... And that's when it hit me, that I had a commander in the perfect color combo, with a prebuilt manabase and tons of utility that I could use already. And nobody expects you to pull out a janky vehicle strat with Breya. So I'm building a split deck!

[@LTJ]

Congrats on 30k mate!

[@Marshtial]

I have a good old Esper "creature types" deck helmed by Silas and Ardenn. Gets some pretty tasty combos and most of the colors with interesting creature type cards. Ardenn lets you slap Amorphous axe and Runed Stalactite onto opponents creatures as a backup type-changer. Also has a haakon subtheme, which turns cards like Knight of the Mists into repeatable removal and the Cavaliers into pure value Also Undead Slayer does WORK Decklist on moxfield is decks/yQt8Zj6dcUmSS_f5iN9l_g

[@alansmithee920]

19:45 wirefly hive, wait for to lose a flip, and when the destruction is on the stack, shields of velis vel

[@ich2712]

@EDH Deckbuilding I think you actually missed a point with banding. That there are actually really nice options in Mono Green or other colors which are not white. I am playing banding at a really strong duel commander table with Nylea at the helm. She is giving all creatures trample, which is key to the strategy, also she is indestructible, so she can soak up all the damage without dieng. Banding is given by Adventurers Guildhouse, so I am playing nearly only green legends (also Toski is great here, Shisato is brutal when getting in through trample) and there are a lot of land tutors in green to fetch the land. It doesnt tap for mana? Well there is Yavimaya and Urborg. The deck is actually darn strong and a heck to play with it!

[@ry7hym]

shisato + nature's will is one of my favourite combos in my snake tribal deck (helmed by Kaseto)

[@wikidclowne6891]

What I always like to remind people about banding is that it hoses trample. If an attacking creature is blocked by a banding creature than you can assign all the damage to the blocking creature instead of having any roll over to you. This is because when you assign damage with a trampler you assign damage to the blocker then any access damage can be assigned to the player. Banding gives you the choice instead of the attacker. Also it's good to remember that banding works whether or not the creature is actually in a band (but doesn't make much difference in attacking).

[@benjaminbozon1231]

Congrats for the 30k ! Well deserved. :)

[@wikidclowne6891]

Phasing and banding didn't have rules changes. They don't use the keyword phasing anymore which phases out your creature each turn, they just straight up phase things out now.

[@facelessgames94]

Inktreader nephilim would make for a hilarious polymorph deck. Run all cards that shuffle creatures into libraries. There's the white one where the controller also gets to draw cards, could make the controller deck themselves. Super fun

[@hermodnitter3902]

Banding is totally sweet, and VERY underrated. I got a Soraya the Falconer deck which plays a lot around her ability to grant banding (and she's the only commander who does that).

[@Loremaster.v]

Same!

[@syrupbender]

I have an Odric, Master Tactician deck that's similar to the "I want to be blocked" theme. Everyone builds soldier tribal with him, but creatures like Abu Ja'far, Grasping Giant, or Konda Lord of Eiganjo LOVE to be blocked. Very underrated way to play him imo.

[@atle853]

Ive been working on a Uril, the Miststalker tokens deck, plenty of cool auras you can use without wanting to attack.

[@zaclock-4228]

I have kitchentable decks around many of these ideas. I play Phelddagrif and Questing Phelddagrif as combos with False Cure and Congregate. I have a "blocking" theme deck built around Invasion Plans and Marton Stromgald (finisher) and janky cards with "being blocked" effects like Tolarian Entrancer, Brine Hag, Joven's Ferrets, Elven Warhounds and Saprazzan Heir. I have a banding deck built around Lure effects: I use banding as a tricky Lure to band Taunting Elf with Thicket Basilisk or with a must-be-blocked attacker like Multani, Maro-Sorcerer or Beast of Burden. Undead Slayer and Cristalline Sliver are amazing in my "change creature type" deck. All janky ideas, but very fun.

[@lordvojtas7524]

So inspiring video! I actually built the land fiscard theme u mentioned in zhe last video and im so happy about it!

[@hovercar00]

I've been working on a blocking matters / theft deck and a fun interaction I came across was Charisma and Noxious Field. You use one of the many abilities to permanently animate a land (not just until end of turn for max value), enchant that land creature with the above enchantments. You ping everything for 1 and then gain control of all creatures dealt damage by this creature. Congrats on your new army. Even more oppressive if you can find ways to reliably untap on other players turns.

[@jimmay8282]

That's the way I use to play Banding with Ice Age. I'd love to see an Assassin Commander deck that actually works.

[@TheManOfBlues]

For Changing Creature Types, the card Peer Pressure could be game changing for just a slight focus in wizard/merfolk tribal!

[@jolteon345]

I'm in the process of making a different spin on a false hug deck. It's a Zedruu deck that's all around making everyone draw cards....at a deadly rate. Wedding Ring, forced extra draw on draw step, draw doublers, Teferi's Puzzle Box, artifact/enchantment copying, wheels. Pretty much, once set up, it can kill a table with a single rotation. It absolutely is jank, and would survive off people wanting to draw more while having attack taxing....but it would just feel so good to win off a Wedding Ring rotation, with alternate wincons of drawing out.

[@dapperghastmeowregard]

Homestly my Partner decks are kinda like that already, I call em Pir, ft. Toothy and Trynn, ft. Silvar. For the block one, I like Thresher Beast. I run him in my banding deck to.... "gently discourage" people from blocking my bands :P. Dolmen Gate, Reconaissance, Bubble Matrix, and Gustcloak Savior are also good at protecting attackers. For Nephilim, Brightflame on Ink-Treader. You're welcome :P

[@reillocb]

False hug reminds me of "hug one guy" from commander's brew. That way when they're the last one the betrayal is simpler

[@LowinBayrod]

Banding is really good with indestructible and trample, so here's a combo : Adventurers' Guildhouse in a Nylea, Godess of the Hunt deck, with a legendary creature subtheme. All your creatures band together with your damage trampling over while all opponent's damage goes to Nylea who's indestructible. Just any Legendary creatures subtheme can benefit from those "band land" but green is probably best because you can easily search that land. So there's also Reki who's really good with legendaries and people seriously underestimate Kolvori, Godess of Kinship, all others commander with indestructible or regenerate etc...

[@thomasralston1142]

I have a fake hug deck! Its a Ruhan of the Fumori deck, and its goal is to help your opponents defeat each other, and then hope to steal the win after they do all the hard work! Aside from some more standard group hug cards, it runs things to incentivize opponents to attack each other (monarch cards, Ludevick necro-alchemist, curse of oppulence, and several pillow fort cards), and It runs a lot of red enchantments that force attacks, double all damage, and prevent blocking. The win condition is to avoid as much of the combat as possible, and then use a sneaky double strike card with Ruhan to finish someone off/get commander damage to 21. OR cast something like reigns of power to trade my ruhan for someones entire board of creatures and hit them while they have one blocker. (Also is sort of an example of a commander build non-typically. as it has very few voltron cards, and no chaos cards)

[@strahmkyle9]

I put Mist of Stagnation and a bunch of graveyard hate into my Merike deck when the card was highlighted on your previous video. It is absolutely brutal and every time I have gotten it on the field I’ve won.

[@JamesRiley-fb3lg]

I had a only one creature and it wasn't Voltron. Gail Waterdeep Prodigy with a street urchin background. It was loaded with red and blue cantrips along with steal your stuff instants and sorcery's. Fun, but it has since then become a 2 creature deck. I added gutter snipe. 😅

[@cresty]

I have a Saskia human deck built around hunting paranormal creatures (vampires, werewolves, zombies, skeletons, etc). It uses cards like Ghoulflesh to turn things into one of those creature types so my niche removal like Undead Slayer can actually deal with my opponents' creatures. Probably the most flavor-filled deck I own.

[@iamfred5723]

for the wanting my creatures to be blocked deck, don't forget about dolmen gate. Not that many people know about it but it is perfect for a deck like that

[@minu2910]

A deck I’ve been working on crafting is one where I essentially just give my pestilence demon lifelink and work around that. K’rrik would make it free to activate as I’d take 3 life per activation and gain some, but it would take multiple turns to win this way so that I don’t off my demon. Squallmonger is also a good target for lifelink as I could dump mana into it to off fliers and net me life in multiplayer. The deck is a Ikra shadiqi, Ardenn partner deck because I’m running a lot of enchantments and equipment to give lifelink and Ardenn also powers up my faux-lifelink effects like spirit link, vampiric link, and armadillo cloak. Only issue is I’m running low on cards in abzan that deal mass damage or even just ping things for cheap. Brigid is also a great include in the deck.

[@technyst]

I have a deck like that, the trick is to use [[Nesting Grounds]] to put move lifelink counters around all of your burn permanents. Nothing better than a [[Last Laugh]] or [[Armeggedon Clock]] with lifelink.

[@kawaiinekozombie1347]

On the warning creatures to be blocked strategy I’m actually working on a Gabriel angelfire deck where I’m trying to give opponents as many small creatures as possible and turn as many of their non creatures into creatures as possible so I can force them to all block Gabriel with rampage and turn all their small creatures basically into a rail gun to hit them extremely hard.

[@xdfarz]

I think the back of esika can be better for a nephelim deck so you don't have to play tutors to get your nephelims, the downside is that you can't play creatures or planeswalkers because esika will get them

[@guyinthecorner0]

Yep, commander's quarters just did this and made one of the nephilim the only creature in the deck, ensure you hit it every time

[@xdfarz]

@@guyinthecorner0 It's not exactly the same, the commander's quarters deck tutor's only Ink-Treader Nephilim Here we can get way more value out of the prismatic bridge (even tho Ink-Treader Nephilim is way more broken)

[@guyinthecorner0]

@@xdfarz I mean, it's almost exactly the same in theory. You just jam the other 4 nephilim and build around it that way, not just for one.

[@ValdisTan]

I think one of the best partner with cards is toothy and you don’t need pir

[@ry7hym]

you know what, banding actually sounds like a fun idea, I'm gonna look into it

[@DominusSphinx]

love the idea of only one creature, thinking syr gwyn. can use the reconfigure creatures so i have creatures until she comes out, she has vigilance automatically to help me block, she will easily draw me a card each turn, free equip costs, use pillowfort like ghostly prison and crawl space to help deal with the lack of blockers, also can use entangler and iona's blessing to make syr gwyn function as multiple blockers, expecially if i give her indestrutible, noble heritage also looks nice, bit of pillowfort while also giving syr gwyn counters,

[@prob094]

Great ideas! I have also been messing around with the Bushi Tenderfoot as a commander (not legal, but come on, these flip cards should all be commanders) and had the same idea to use banding! Clearly your wacky deck-building influence is rubbing off on me haha. Keep it up : )

[@joedominguez8064]

I had an Ink Treader Nephilim insurrection deck with all the show and tell effects in it, it was a blast. Help everyone to play their best things and then Act of Treason my own Nephilim to steal everyone's board for a turn, fun stuff

[@samueljackson8492]

So, I did build a nephilim tribal deck, except I used karona, false god as my commander to seem a little more group slug until I could pull of my combo of casting a kicked rites of replication and a distortion strike or artful dodge plus maybe a might of the nephilim for a complete over kill on all my opponents

[@Hitmonchampion]

Going off of #1 I have actually thought about doing this. The "Partner with" commanders always seemed like interesting designs. Most of them are just generic enough on there own to where its feasible you could make a deck with just one, but would be made better with the partner. The only one who breaks the mold is Haldan, who is useless without his dog....maybe there is a message behind that one. The other ones though, I've thought about a few times. I was recently thinking of building Regina without Krav, being just a mono-white token lifegain deck. Also, after you said Osgir Landfall for #3, I immediately went over to Scryfall to see if I could actually make that work. And after looking...probably not.

[@DeandaGe]

For your I hate your graveyard idea, as an additional thing to make sure the graveyards don't fill, "patron of the vein" (not 100% on the name) is a vampire with the effect that opponents' creatures that die get exiled instead and your creature gets a +1/+1 counter

[@Shadowstar108]

I actually built a Brallen deck that worked around discard and ran cards like Goblin Lore (along with its Portal Variant, Control of the Court). It was fun, but never won any games. I might revisit it since we got a lot of new tech like Containment Construct and Conspiracy Theorist.

[@Jordan.T2y107]

I built a mono black Krav, the Unredeemed deck. Obviously an aristocrat style and it was a fun deck and he was pretty strong on his own in just black

[@mathmagician5990]

I had a Krav tribal demons deck I have a Seizen deck with all the group draw in it that takes advantage of whenever, if ever, they have to discard

[@EspherMercury]

re: #7... I've built several decks using Esika (Prismatic Bridge) with a single non-legendary creature as my faux Commander - that + some ways to shuffle it back into the library/protect it has made for some fun engines. Does give you 5c, too, so you could go wide with "only one creature"-type effects.

[@logangant7732]

15:00 inferno of the star mounts would be cool with this idea

[@lukedeal5150]

I thought a couple months ago about making a band deck. Again like you said it's a very confusing thing. If your planing to attack with a band. If you want them to fly, you need them both to have flying. At least this is what i found while talking to a judge, please add comments or idea's. All i was looking into was a flying/trample/first strike band deck.

[@michaelatbarnett]

I had a kitchen table Lone Revenant deck back in the day, so would love to see a black or Dimir "Lone Wolf" deck!

[@jonwagner6220]

Great stuff as always bro, I think I’m going to build a couple of them.

[@emperorpoffzocampf]

I appreciate these videos. Congrats on 30k. I know it is losing in the poll, but would love to see your False hug deck in Black/White.

[@alexmacgregor5265]

Another thing with banding is sometimes your opponent just won't block any creatures in a band just so they don't have to deal with the rulings.

[@zaclock-4228]

My Phelddy deck is definitely not group hug. It's based around taking advantage of the activated abiities with effects like Kavu Predator, soul sisters, Suture Priest and Dingus Staff. My favourite card in the deck is Eye of Singularity (kills hippos tokens instantly when I create them). My playgroup is so suspicious of me giving them hippos that they coordinate to chump attack each other to get rid of them.

[@howamewsing7311]

Seizan is one of my favorite False Hug deck and I think it really puts in some work sometimes

[@JessBritvec]

I have a Jund Lure deck, but having blue would be cool too, theres lots of evasion and straight up unblockable creatures to deal damage in blue, but I would be afraid they would take over the “please block me,” cards if I built it that way. In my Jund deck I use Coalhauler Swine/Brash Taunter/Stuffy Doll/Ill-Tempered Loner/Blazing Sunsteel as well as creatures like good ole Thicket Basilisk to put Lure effects on, and give my commander (Wasitora Nekoru Queen) double strike. I originally built it as a Neyith deck, but wanted menace if I didn’t have Lure effects in hand. Neyith can get expensive if you have to pay for more than one creature each turn, so black tends to help. If you do build it as a Gruul deck though, Neheb the Eternal and other Afflict creatures are pretty good with Lure.

[@Pookm2]

Hi rules lawyer here. When you make a "band" of creatures using "banding" ability, you can only have a maximum of one creature without banding in a band no matter how many creatures with banding are in the band. You said that you can have one creature without banding for each creature with banding. You're welcome, have a great day!

[@gdice0156]

I'm going to build nephiliem tribal, going for prismatic bridge as the commander should be a blast

[@sheldonadams2847]

Nemesis Mask is a colorless Lure effect. Dolmen Gate protects your creatures

[@ninshjok]

I had a gorgon deck which like creatures to be blocked, I was planning on rebuilding it, did know that dogo existed!

[@Thessik73]

I've long been a fan of banding, and might just have to try that.

[@Silently_Games]

Lure and Teeka’s Dragon is one of my favorite combos

[@MstrCorrin]

Oloro Soldier Tribal is something Im kicking around currently

[@mortycremwatch]

Want to build the Elven Warhound deck just so I can call it Block Me, Amadeus

[@mortycremwatch]

Dolmen Gate is a great way to protect your attacking creatures btw. And Asceticism and Broken Fall/Molting Skin are repeatable regeneration effects

[@mathmagician5990]

My buddy built Demonlord Belzenlok with all those lifelink/only-one-creature enchantments

[@hotboxhappy]

I run a truly tribal Nephilim deck but only has five creatures in a total being all the Nephilim with Prismatic Bridges the commander to guarantee I get one of them out every turn after I cast my commander it's a really fun deck that usually when I sit down with the people get pissed off

[@landphil7535]

Jon Suarez of SCG made a mono-white banding deck for Commander VS. It actually seemed kinda sweet.

[@MultiDAXDAX]

I love this videos!! great work! I've been thinking around a nephilim tribal for a long time, it seems hard tu pull it off in a consistent way, gonna be junky deck ahha

[@tbonifiedable]

The block my creatures and banding sound fun 🤩

[@WARRIORofSAURON]

I love your ideas! especially the Morophon - Nephilim hit me, cause I have a Morophon - Bringer deck. And sadly you need to play all 5 colors in order to fit just 1 Bringer...

[@sheldonadams2847]

If Moropgon is your Nephilim commander, use Uncage the Menagerie to find four of your Nephilims

[@kovala]

Holy crap, I literally just finished building a Phelddagif deck that is not a hug deck, and I love it. What are the odds?

[@Erimioa]

Hm, because I have 4/5 Nephilims and an unused morophon, I think I would try to build that idea. Thank you

[@theRANDOMmanta]

I’ve actually been brewing up an Ukkima deck with just Ukkima and not his partner. The deck is focused around blink and life gain

[@danielprivate8038]

Banding I think that has some nasty potential

[@reillocb]

Some commanders I've built with different themes than the norm are elfless ghalta, all humans grumgully, - 2/-2 shirei, Buyback WU taigam, and shapeshifter tribal volrath

[@edhdeckbuilding]

i gotta say grumgully humans is brave.

[@reillocb]

@@edhdeckbuilding the secret sauce is humans that etb non human tokens! Knights are technically nonhuman

[@grumblingtag4061]

My Jared Carthalion True Heir Deck Is Based Around Forcing People To Block Jared With Everything And In Turn Putting Alot Of Counters On Him. Alternatively Forcing Another Creature To Be Blocked Makes Jared Unblockable To Grab Monarch And Voltron Cards Like Basilisks Collar To Give Deathtouch Makes My Creatures Mini Board Wipes.

[@AllThisIveDoneForYou]

Gor Muldrak dosnt work b/c of prot form salamanders. it seems like a really fun build but there would need to be another commander

[@haruh2504]

I have a banding commander deck for juggarnauts, commander sensei golden tail, train them witb bushido and run wild with banding

[@slightgraph89]

I mean I've seen a couple ziatora (don't know how to spell) decks where they're always shooting and casting more with treasures, pretty oppressive if done right

[@eM3lLiSe]

Where can I find a list of your recommended cards? Is it available on your Patreon?

[@marioodoni1266]

Werry coop ideas I made a King Macar monoblack vehicle decks and it etort deck pritty salty😂 fun version. Thanx for the inspiration

[@Malibooyahhh]

Congrats man

[@nervosuu]

I just realized you’re about to hit 40K

[@Thiago86127]

A few ideas, NO COUNTERS ATRAXA, NO CREATURES CHULANE

[@thelunchlady8276]

I have a false hug Kwain deck. I load up everyone with cards by putting out massive card draw. Then I clone my Psychosis Crawler multiple times.

[@josht9518]

Spy Kit + Wordmail? I'd allow it.

[@austinchuilli3652]

I'm turning my uro build into an only one creature that creature is thassas oracle the goal is to get oracle on bottom of the library and then win with cards like oath of druids it's a very complicated and obvious line as every way to cut my deck takes 2 turns so it'll be a fair version

[@crilleedara]

Trying to fix banding, huh? Well if anyone would do that it sure'd be you, Demo! Also, I've actually been considering an Ukkima-deck without Cazur (where I go All-out voltron and put No other creatures in the deck)!

[@edhdeckbuilding]

i actually really like the idea of just ukkima. try number it with #7

[@elmothejunkie]

I have a vadrik deck, and he's my "only 1 creature" deck

[@PandaGaming-wp9fc]

The Partner without idea wouldnt you just not take the partner to make ur deck 98 card and not 99 for better odds?

[@humbledgaming382]

Please create a mox field account to post some of your awesome decks on for people to use for inspiration.

[@drock7333]

I have a Maelstrom Wanderer deck that neither take's extra turns or extra combat steps. It's a take control deck.

[@lordodin92]

Also for the nephilim deck just use prismatic bridge and have no other creatures

[@FelinGreenleaf]

And here I thought I was the only one to think of Ayesha Banding

[@lordodin92]

If it makes you feel better I made a Jinnie fey combo deck that doesn't go agro

[@RockZerr]

man im always so confused that the nephilim are not legendary. i think its like the 3rd time i think about making a commander deck of one of them only to realize they are not legendary

[@Mtglilypads]

I have a ink trader deck but esika is the commander to find him

[@fumblehawk5661]

I built a Bringer tribal deck once lol