Brewing With Underwhelming Commanders | Episode 27

[@dreyfus37_65]

I actually bought Taigam the same day you put out your last underwhelming commander video, but before I had watched it. So I’m pretty excited to see what you do with the deck. I ended up putting my Taigam into my Tasigur deck. It does everything I want done in that deck (putting things into and also exiling them from my graveyard) at an excellent rate

[@888Melee]

Great video! I’ve owned a Taigam deck for a couple years know and love the commander! I went with an anti-draw strategy where I play cards like Uba-Mask, Breathstealers Crypt, and Possessed Portal to punish/deny draw while I get my own card advantage from cards that “put cards in your hand” like Dig Through Time and Taigam himself.

[@emerson685]

[[Zur's Weirding]] and [[Breathstealer's Crypt]] would be awesome and brutal in Taigam. You're never effected for you draw step, while your opponents will be hemorrhaging resources.

[@grumblingtag4061]

I love picking up commanders that people don't see a clear build around and making new with cards that usually don't get to see play, commander players at my LGS usually see the same top ranking edh decks playing but when you can get a few to build some underwhelming but fun commanders and test their building skills is nice.

[@SSolemn]

These are the only edh videos I am watching lately, love underwhelming commanders and decks without a clear one to use because the idea has no support yet. I have a Farideh battlemage, Xira Arien spellslinger/magecraft, Rubinia Soulsinger flicker & steal, and now working on a Basandra Goad/gain control of creatures deck. Love your vids!

[@TheSlaughterJoker]

I didn't even know that Torgaar existed. I was doing something similar to the lifegain strategy with Erebos, God of the Dead as my commander but didn't like how it played. Felt like it was missing something. Torgaar seems to be the missing piece that I needed!

[@JJMickeyMedia]

I have both a Varis and a Taigam deck. My Varis deck is pretty much just green cards I like, with a venture sub-theme. The flash creatures/wolves strategy you brewed is very interesting though. For Taigam, I went with a 'control the board until I mill out' theme.

[@dreddbolt]

I just put Torgaar in the 99 of my Varragoth assemble and combo tutor-in-the-command-zone deck I've been brewing. I don't have the Kaldra or empires stuff yet, but I did find Triskaidekaphobia + Tree of Perdition, Bogbrew Witch + Bubbling Cauldron + Festering Newt, and a few extra janky combos. Taigam (Sidisi's Hand) went into the 98 of my Ghost of Ramirez and Tormod self-mill and zombies partner deck. Before Varis, I thought mono-green elves were dumb, but I payed attention to his creature type and found some good support cards, and I'm pleased with it. Nin (the Pain Artist) Dungeons & Dinosaurs is still short a Dungeon Descent.

[@williamfolkesson944]

Excited to see what you do with Taigam and Torgaar. Always wanted to see something on them

[@itsapope2938]

I am stoked about the real time deck building episode! Woot woot!

[@scottricks1676]

MY MAN! totally gave me a new deck idea! piggy backing off your outline for Torgaar, but using Jerren, Corrupted Bishop as my secret commander! Been toying with ideas out how to make this work.

[@Galbany4]

I've been brainstorming Torgaar for a while. my plan uses repeat saccing and casting of him(3 in a turn) then something like Gary, to further zap everyone down. Using Torgaar to restore yourself is handy, but I was hoping you'd grant more insight into mass halving of opponent's life, into mass blasting of the rest of their health. It also helps he's a big beater. Grateful to learn about carrion, though. that definitely aids my strategy! Cheers!

[@astuteanansi4935]

Zur's Weirding is another Taigam autoinclude that pretty much softlocks the game in your favor. Whenever an opponent draws, any player can say "no, I don't think I'll let you draw that". Meanwhile you're not actually drawing, so the Weirding doesn't affect you at all unless you play a draw spell. If no one has a removal option in hand already, they're probably never getting one.

[@MrJoakyfran]

Now I want to build a torgaar deck. you made something pretty interesting with him

[@andrewfornes5320]

I have made a Varis Food Chain deck around drawing/scrying for combo pieces (Food Chain & Eternal Scourge) then once I am infinite mana I exile and recast Varis to Venture infinitely. I use Dungeon of the Mad mage for scrying for the combo, then just outvalue my opponents once infinite.

[@Russian_engineer_bmstu]

I have nadahr built, a monowhite dungeon commander, focused on completing the longest one. And God is it a good deck. Quite a potent blink payoff in cz, and monowhite with a sorta draw engine.

[@TheShadow00x]

This vid has given me new ideas for my Jarad deck!!

[@oofag2030]

Torgaar + tree of perdition is a good combo, too! Pay your life down to one, give the tree your 1 life total, and then give it to others!

[@brunopintaric8997]

Sadly, Tree of Perdition's effect is exchanging its toughness with target opponent's life total so it wouldn't work that way.

[@bradradb5076]

I really really really like Torgaar and I think there may be some unexplored tech with him? I've built him every which way possible/ cheerios (zero cost creatures) Equip version. Sanguine version. Pestilence version. Even Triskaidekaphobia as it Sets to 13. There is little Cedh play but it's very combo. Newly would be Saw in half. but He just is missing something. his ramp falls off and board control also falls off. People do freak out early. Really though poison counters/toxic is more refined. If only he had a bit more of a tribal element, like zombie. he would be much better. Mono black creature based commanders just don't seem too solid. 3 hits on this guy is also commander dmg conveniently. ... So pick a random to get to 20, pick a strong opponent to hit 3 times. Recast to get 3rd opponent to 20, then recast to heal/set yourself to 20.

[@tyt0683]

I had been wanting to build around possessed portal for awhile but couldn't find a good win-con using Tomorrow, Azamis Familiar. Someone recommended Taigam and I moved forward with it. I don't play it too often, but man oh man it can be a bear for the rest of the table.

[@Depp0vom0Dienst]

very surprised why ashiok, dream render is not in your taigam deck. it literally does everything from filling your graveyard, all the way up to exiling all other's graveyards in one ability. Plus the static ability is always nice. :o

[@jerryleganker4630]

Torgaar is actually so fun, especially with new players. He can heal you, winnow down opponents, AND is an uncounterable sac outlet!

[@dmajor9982]

Oooo. I’m wonder about that torgaar deck but with Varragoth as the commander. May have to give that some thought

[@Y2kRito]

I've had a Taigam Reanimator deck for a few years now that is in desperate need of an update. So glad to see him get some attention.

[@caden8592]

Another thing you can do with a Torgaar deck is Wound Reflection / Archfiend of Despair to effectively one shot somebody if their life total is at or above 40

[@izaiahsundquist6877]

Playing against an opponent who's deck is just built entirely around Macro Cosmos sounds very fun. Yup. Very very fun... I need it.

[@necrofear331]

Varis, could make for an interesting ELF tribal commander. Several elves have flash, and getting the value off the dungeons might work out quite well within the theme. Varis has reasonable stats and key words so it is a possibility.

[@thesenate918]

Had a Torgar deck once, it was a shadow deck(all my dauthi boys) and i figured cutting peoples life totals down in half would be nice for that, but it is one of the only decks I actually ended up tearing apart

[@ryantew8116]

I think Anthousa, Setessan Hero would be a good choice for the poll. Trying to build around both the heroic ability and land creatures makes it so unique. Even if it is terrible.

[@ryantew8116]

The best I can think of is taking advantage of turning your lands into creatures with cards like Vitalize.

[@aaronpyrez1573]

The only thing that Varis doesn’t have easy access to are ways to bounce creatures back to the hand. It’s kinda the opposite issue that I’ve had with God-Eternal Oketra, who plays similarly but suffers from not having enough good Flash creatures and not many cost reducers. Hence why I upgraded to Torens, best of both worlds and both Varis & Oketra can fit in.

[@jjlynd9184]

I love your videos! Have you ever done a group hug video? I just build Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis and after playing for 10 years, its my first group hug deck. Keep doing what you do man. We love you

[@mr.mammuthusafricanavus8299]

Torgaar is great in my Meren, sacrifice a bunch of stuff get experience counters and make Torgaar cheap. I also like how Torgaar can reset your life to 20 rounded down :p

[@apjapki]

The Taigam deck is pretty cool

[@digitaldespot6154]

Also Magus of the Mirror for Torgaar, it would probably fit the sacrificing creatures theme better than Soul Conduit

[@xXDerPuppenspielerXx]

I have been brewing a Taigam Deck around self Mill and all the random keywords, that allow you to play stuff from the graveyard. Disturb, Flashback, Escape, ... I am just missing some real wincons

[@johanandersson8252]

Demo, i have a Taigam Sidisi’s hand deck and im building Varis.

[@justingemma4054]

Yes please do the deck making video!!! Can't wait

[@kakaclaymore]

I would love to see a video on how you would build a daxos of meletis deck

[@gael_le_cruel]

Very good builds, Taigam arrives just as I was tinkering with hateful blue enchants, I love it ! Just another question though : Why did you choose to save your new deck on scryfall instead of tappedout ? Are you going to use this other site instead from now on ?

[@CardboardWarriorJeppy]

I think graveyard hate stray is amazing. I do it with Umbris as the commander with less self Mill

[@RoadkillLaharl]

Just a question are you no longer adding prices to cards? It’s one aspect I loved about your videos

[@crovax1375]

I put Tainted Remedy in my Torgaar deck so he can hit or even eliminate opponent's that are below 20 life. Also Warlock class is great when it gets to level 3

[@ELFudgeOreos]

But Demo, with Tomb of Annihilation you can go for mono green burn.

[@astuteanansi4935]

That's actually a cool idea, some weird mono green flash aggro-control focused on rapidly cycling through the Tomb of Annihilation. If they pay too much life, you kill them with your creatures, if they don't, they set their board back and you kill them with your creatures. Sandfall Cell is never a problem for you because you can just pitch your wolves and Atropals into it. Ellywick is amazing in this deck because she both ventures and gives a permanent Overrun.

[@Closer2Zero]

‘Once each turn’ is such a fucking buzzkill

[@certaingloom3797]

Unspeakable Symbol for Torgaar deck. Roughly any B/x life gain strategy.

[@obadijahparks]

Carrion sacrificing nightmare. Easy win on the way.

[@Therodaas]

Can you strionic resonator the venture ability?

[@edhdeckbuilding]

you should be able to copy any triggered ability.

[@nelsikegaming]

Would Exquisite Blood really work? I don't think a life becoming half of their life total counts as losing life (because it says becoming instead of losing).

[@edhdeckbuilding]

any life change is either loss or gain.

[@Neiscience]

I, was thinking the same.... then are guy righted us =-) trogarr broken =-P

[@fabio.n4458]

Im building a Torgaar Morph deck. but its still in the works

[@reginaldfluffington5142]

Void Maw turns into a huge beater and it exile creatures that die. I want to see what he does with Toraggr

[@AoiKaze2000]

What would you do with an O-Kagachi?

[@Jeans11234567]

Dont think exquisite blood works with Torgaard, he dosent say lose life but becomes half.

[@edhdeckbuilding]

like i said to the guy above. any change in life is either loss or gain. no matter what the card says. if your life total goes down, it's "loss", if it goes up its "gain".

[@Jeans11234567]

@@edhdeckbuilding Oh i didnt realise this. Thanks for explaning :)

[@apock2474]

I personally don’t think Neheb is underwhelming, unless of course we are comparing to the other red neheb and then yeah. Kinda underwhelming

[@grumblingtag4061]

Neheb Was Such An Overwhelming Commander It Got Banished From My Play Group. I Don't Blame Them Though As I Was Planning To Do That Anyway As The Deck Played Out Like, Neheb Hits The Board, Attacks, Wheel 7 Cards, Add 7 Mana And Use It To Cast An Extra Combat Card, Repeat Until Hitting A Win Con Such As Library Of Leng, Hellkite Charger, Under World Breach, Etc. It Had Extremely Long Turns, An Extremely High Win Rate, And A Boring Strategy As It Was Playing The Exact Same Cards It Always Does And People Scooped If He Ever Attacked. I'm Tempted To Rebuild It Now But With A Different Strategy, We'll See How It Goes.

[@olafthemoose9413]

@@grumblingtag4061 you don't have to begin every word with a capital letter.

[@grumblingtag4061]

@@olafthemoose9413 Oh My Good Friend, Can't You See That I Absolutely Must

[@k_hearts3954]

Can u make a video about knights or knight deck

[@SeraphimKnight]

If you want to be an asshole (and also play on MTGO cause holy fuck that price) you can play the Chains of Mephistopheles + Anvil of Bogardan combo in a Taigam deck. If you want to be extra spicy, play Narset Parter of Veils and Hullbreacher too.

[@olafthemoose9413]

Hullbreacher got the hammer

[@SeraphimKnight]

oh damn you right, completely forgot about that... well still, Narset will do the job really.

[@mrpinguimninja]

i hate the venture mechanic, one of my biggest disappointments design-wise with wotc lately was that the espe precon deck was a ventue themed one i have a liesa deck with a similar idea to torgar, vut playing orzhov you get acess to very cool cards like axis of mortality and near death experience

[@highlander7462]

Asmodeus still doesn't seem worth using, even if it's slightly better.