In the 99 Analysis - Crimson Vow | Command Zone 434 | Magic: The Gathering Commander EDH

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Show Notes:
Olivia’s wedding has quite the legendary guest list, but now it’s time for the party favors! This episode we review the new cards for your 99 from Innistrad:Crimson Vow. We’ll tell you which ones we think you will love and cherish till death do you part, and which are more likely to end in divorce!
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What We Talked About on The End Step:
Arcane (Netflix)
www.netflix.com/title/81435684
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Commander Rules and Ban List:
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0:00:00 - SHOW INTRO
0:03:33 - BEGIN MAIN TOPIC
0:04:49 - CEMETERY DESECRATOR
0:08:10 - CEMETERY GRAVEKEEPER
0:10:57 - CEMETERY ILLUMINATOR
0:13:33 - CEMETERY PROTECTOR
0:16:53 - CEMETERY PROWLER
0:20:39 - BY INVITATION ONLY
0:23:04 - FAITHBOUND JUDGE
0:26:19 - HALLOWED HAUNTING
0:28:19 - WELCOMING VAMPIRE
0:31:43 - BREATHKEEPER SERAPH
0:34:43 - STORM OF SOULS
0:40:42 - WEDDING RING
0:44:48 - HULLBREAKER HORROR
0:49:45 - WASH AWAY
0:53:29 - DEMONIC BARGAIN
1:00:36 - CHANGE OF FORTUNE
1:02:47 - MANAFORM HELLKITE
1:06:48 - OLIVIA’S ATTENDANTS
1:08:41 - RECKLESS IMPULSE
1:11:24 - CULTIVATOR COLOSSUS
1:17:26 - ALCHEMIST’S GAMBIT
1:20:51 - DIG UP
1:23:29 - KAYA, GEIST HUNTER
1:26:18 - FOREBODING STATUE
1:27:54 - ENEMY SLOWLANDS
1:28:35 - VOLDAREN ESTATE
1:30:45 - THE END STEP (ARCANE)

[@cronchable]

There's one thing you missed with the Cultivator Colossus / Abundance line. Abundance lets you put the other cards revealed this way back "in ANY order", not "in a random order". So basically, if, after putting all your lands from your library onto the battlefield, you then choose "land" once more with Abundance, you get to look at your entire deck (since it has no lands in it anymore) and then get to put those cards back in any order you choose, essentially letting you rearrange your library to be stacked exactly the way you want.

[@avradgaming3225]

thats stupid, i love it

[@LouisKing995]

Then you drop Apex devastator with all your new lands. after stacking your deck just the way you want it...and the fun begins.

[@dustinnewberry2066]

The other presenters on the team are good, but I always enjoy these more with Josh and Jimmy

[@TheGtafreak77]

Honestly, if it's not these two it's not watched by me. The other host are lower forms of side chicks lmao

[@johntraversa2153]

They just have a better camera chemistry. Been doing it for so long you'd expect nothing less.

[@poofypeanut0221]

I mean you’re not alone. And it’s not against the other members for sure. It’s just this was the original foundation of the show and the reason we all fell in love with command zone 😊 I love that they’ve brought their friends on to shine and have grown enough to hire so many people. But I definitely agree it’s nice to have our main hosts to together!

[@devan9197]

They have high synergy

[@poofypeanut0221]

@@devan9197 it seems like they both agree on things I also agree with, but then they both have opposing play styles/evaluation at times that I can agree with both of them. Or at least understand the take.

[@cronchable]

Small correction: Scultpting Steel enters the battlefield AS a copy of the artifact, so you do get the ETB effect and an opponent will get a copy if you cast the Sculpting Steel.

[@PrimeEnLightenedShadow]

While you are correct, I just wanted to note that Wedding Ring DOES have the "if it was cast" text, so it is still possible to avoid giving another ring out by having Sculpting Steel be put directly onto the battlefield.

[@seasnek7024]

Arguably the green cemetery card is better than the blue one by so much Also had really hoped we'd see review of mirrorhall mimic, uvenwald oddity, necroduality

[@zacharygill7311]

Storm of Souls in my Hofri deck is going to be nuts

[@enverdi]

Yeah I think this spell is major tech is Hofri. I think Hofri is an underrated Strix commander!

[@PatrickNanEdits]

Out of all the episodes, this one has one of the BEST midroll ads put together. Legit had me laughing harder in the office more than anyone else. Ladee Danger killed it as Hushbringer 🙌

[@tructhai7391]

Thanks dude! You sound like a cool guy to work with!

[@PatrickNanEdits]

@@tructhai7391 You too mate!

[@masterbd0505]

I literally cackled at the first midroll ad

[@alexiskoiva5919]

LeBron possibly on a future gameknights episode?

[@bradpeterson3696]

I think Fell Stinger could easily be a staple level black card…and Ophiomancer goes really well with Welcoming Vampire, especially with a sac outlet

[@captianbacon]

Ya black mulldrifter seems stapley

[@ebittn01]

Fell stinger has been a powerhouse in all of the black decks i've slotted it in

[@captianbacon]

@@ebittn01 its essentially the black version of mulldrifter and a slightly worse mulldrifter is still a solid card...

[@ebittn01]

@@captianbacon i've found its slightly better because with all of the cheap reanimate spells like persist and unearth it allows for a lot more play from the graveyard in the right decks. Especially in my willowdusk deck this is graveyard life lost/gain its a great early tutor option

[@bradpeterson3696]

@@ebittn01 I’ve also realized that if you can sac and reanimate infinitely, you can either drain or mill your opponents out sine you can target them with it too

[@nathanhasson4587]

Hey what's good guys, I just realized the video came out a minute ago, I just wanted to say thank you for all the awesome content and all the help regarding commander and getting my friends started. Much love and happy holidays Josh and Jimmy :^)

[@hiddenleaf414]

Did you guys forget Esper Sentinel when mentioning some of the best white card draw on creatures from the most recent sets?

[@meyeneetuks4680]

I was just about to say

[@elimarino9841]

My thoughts exactly.. but that card is next level.

[@SenexGaming217]

Honestly thought I’d see a few more green cards here. Glorious Sunrise, Ulvenwald Oddity/ Behemoth, and Howlback Piper seemed like they’d be worthy of a discussion.

[@andystocking5316]

I think those are more generically good. We don't need them to tell us those are good, and there aren't a ton of tricky things that can be done with them. They are obviously good, but in a straightforward manner.

[@erikohman2294]

Whats the discussion on oddity? Its big. It costs 11 mana. Feels the people who want that would know it.

[@SenexGaming217]

@@erikohman2294 Maybe it’s just me, but I do see it as a newer option for Mono Green decks to give mass haste as well as another option for mass haste for any kind of Primal Surge type of deck. I’m aware it’s expensive but it is nice as a backup/ redundancy.

[@erikohman2294]

@@SenexGaming217 hmmmm.. But after primal surge you would need to pay seven to transform it. I dont suppose its just you, but I can at least say that I dont see it.

[@SenexGaming217]

@@erikohman2294 But with Primal Surge, you also get all of your lands in your deck onto the battlefield (untapped more than likely) which would pay for that transform cost.

[@bustedwolf]

Point of contention with the Cemetery Illuminator and Prowler, they allow for a card that shares a card type with a card exiled. They're not like the others which give singular options You don't need to flicker them since they also trigger on attacks

[@TheGrifcannon22]

With Protector, if you exile Dryad Arbor or Urza's Saga you get extra value.

[@evanayer2672]

That shoutout just about made me pass out! Y'all are amazing, so happy to be a fan and see this content every week

[@theirishmanplays]

Command Zone: You shouldn't build around wedding ring Me: Has put together a deck so that I can marry everyone at the table Welp

[@faerie7dragon]

The fabled Harem Protagonist deck!

[@CheenTheCat]

It is by far my fav card out of this set! I put it in my Marchesa Politics / Aikido deck and now I can quite literally enter a political marriage lol Also, may I ask for your decklist?

[@theirishmanplays]

@@CheenTheCat I posted the idea to the creative-minds thread on the discord, I hope this helps

[@hanneloretanasse75]

Hullbreaker Horror is probably what I've been most excited for.

[@rubyseverinwhitworth9066]

It feels worth noting that the Cemetery Gatekeeper also effects your spells (I think I might have missed something)

[@Snaglbeest]

I'm pretty sure they knew that and just forgot to mention. If you're playing Zozu and Sulfuric Vortex you're hitting yourself anyways. I think that's the place they were coming from.

[@kellylogs2642]

Got 17 white decks and, shockingly, Welcoming Vampire is only in 3 so far with 2 more under consideration. The others are all either creatures to big, creatures too nonexistent, or "ma'am, this is an Arcades deck."

[@KevinCockerline]

It’s a slowwww day at work. This is just what I needed

[@rizzzou]

I completely agree with you on Dig up. I put it an Bushwhack in a lot of my green decks instead of a land especially if they are slower decks. There is also Thirsting roots if you are playing a proliferate deck.

[@joshconn8425]

You guys are mistaken about the cemetery protector. I have a rick human deck that's going to love that

[@saltberry15]

Reckless Impulse is going to be a new staple for me, because I only have red or 2 color combination red decks. It's great to finally have impulse draw for Pauper EDH in red! Galvanic Relay and Spare Supplies were my only options before it outside of my 1 Izzet Deck.

[@enverdi]

If you're playing in a meta with Prosper or Ranar or Sevinne, Wash Away helps prevent huge spells from exile/graveyard as well

[@pheonixbluere]

Cemetery illuminator exiles a card on attack as well as when it etb’s. So you don’t have to blink it to change the cards you can play from the top of your deck.

[@olivierdebilde4292]

Storm of Souls in my Extus deck with Worldgorger in the yard : Count me in !!!

[@allanhoo1854]

Hallowed Haunting - can also used Enchantment creatures - it counts too right ? :)

[@p1k4nurxp13sr]

Welcoming vampire seems bonkers in a Darien deck. I also think y’all missed a bit of analysis on Wedding Invitation, which is an excellent aggressive card that allows you to draw cards to keep pressure up, then be an anthem after you’ve established a board; flickering it also makes for an interesting deal.

[@gabriellorvan4490]

Wedding Announcement, you mean, but yeah, I agree. It was one of the cards I still have my eye on as a really underrated card.

[@tablekunsbrother6040]

Welcoming Vampire + Imperial Recruiter

[@tablekunsbrother6040]

I really need to see that combo

[@grampaw5605]

Hallowed Haunting is BROKEN with Enchanted Evening. I'm running them in a spirit tribal deck.

[@gjbobert9208]

with the sculpting steel copying wedding ring, would you actually trigger the wedding ring cast trigger? Since sculpting steel says you may have enter AS the copy meaning the moment it hits BF it is the wedding ring and you did cast it from your hand technically?

[@chudymojzesz2171]

The ting about Cultivator Colossus and Abundance combo is after you draw all lands from your deck you can name land again, and as Abundance won't find a land and it returns cards in any order, you can essentially set up your entire rest of the deck in any order you want to close up the game.

[@jonlane1105]

Idk guys. Wedding ring is my absolute favorite white card ever printed. After playing with it twice can confirm it is amazing. In reality it might not be necessarily, "strong" but it in turns a game into two headed giant very quickly and the person you partner up with often doesnt get as good a deal as you. Plus it's just fun for that exact reason. This card is nuts and I love everything about it!

[@jongailey85]

Surprised that Overcharged Amalgam wasn’t mentioned. That card seems pretty powerful as well.

[@martinwood744]

Bear in mind Cemetery Gatekeeper will punish you too when you play a land or cast a spell of the same card type, as it says "Whenever a player" not "opponent".

[@DaijDjan]

Concerning Welcoming Vampire: That "only once each turn" restriction is how white will handle these kinds of abilities in the near future according to the recent color pie article.

[@PigeonSmythe]

Manaform Hellkite works really well with Ghired’s Belligerence, particularly if you can hit a few kills from the spell. The hellkite triggers on cast then populate your big hasty token (can easily take out one player once x is 5 or 6)

[@olivierdebilde4292]

Change of Fortune with Birgi's backside "Hornfel" is good. And maybe with other discard and profit deck (Anje, Asmorano, Stefan,...). It counts all the cards you discarded this turn to refill your hand.

[@DigitalD20]

"If you have blue you do not need a Wedding Ring in your deck" Kwain disagrees.

[@dustinpulliam9262]

The art on reckless impulse is so cool

[@brandoncreek5709]

28:40 I love how they completely forgot about esper sentinel lol

[@theboyceMD]

Love Josh’s dance while describing Kaya 🥰🥰 Great episode btw, really like the analysis of cleave and MDFCs cards, as always you’re killing it 😉😉

[@LynxLord1991]

So what happens if two players play wedding ring and then all 4 player has a ring do everyone draw then do they react to the other set of rings?

[@robertbengel2689]

from all of the zombie support over these past couple of sets. I'm definitely running that souls reanimator card in white. I have a Varina, Lich Queen zombie tribal with 7 mass reanimation effects. It feels good to be on-theme for zombies but also not have to worry about board wipes

[@marithwright7940]

I got a welcoming vampire and immediately put it into my Alesha deck. It's so good!

[@beandip9824]

For the prowler could you exile 2 or more of the same card type to reduce the cost by 2 or more??? So if i exile 2 creatures would it reduce the cost by 2?

[@bustedwolf]

No, from the gatherer it's only 1 for each card type shared. However if they're like enchantment creatures and you've exiled a creature and an enchantment it will cost 2 less

[@mcruz604]

Is there a text list of all cards you guys consider good cards to be in the 99? it would be real nice if I could pull that up so I could set aside all those cards in my collections.

[@teradul2480]

I think that Cemetery Gatekeeper especially wants to exile cards with multiple types, be it Artifact lands, enchantment creatures, or anything of the sort, so you can punish even more.

[@GhostbustersExpert]

Cultivator colossus has a game breaking card combo that uses mainly 3 other cards that leads to winning the game in like 7-8 turns. I feel like people don't see it or are afraid to mention because it will push a card to get banned when everyone starts playing with it

[@RandyTheSavage5150]

does Cemetery Illuminator still follow timing restrictions for the top card? Dauthi Voidwalker does for the exiled cards so I assumed Illuminator would as well.

[@MrParagonical]

I wanted to try out Channel Fireball initially, but I had problems getting any of the seller to ship to Canada. This was attempted last month though, so I don't know if it has been rectified yet.

[@stevenincarnato4115]

I think Avabruck Caretaker is pretty big staple for green creature decks. Another solid choice was Howlpack Piper. Yes piper is specifically amazing for werewolf/wold decks but it also puts any creature onto the field for 2 mana and tapping. That could be a turn 4 blightsteel or ulamog.

[@SmoothBrainPlays]

Play cemetery desecrator with sword of hearth and home so you have ramp for black and keep reccurring ETB trigger

[@bigfhtagn]

I've seen a few others mention it but I think Fell Stinger is worth talking about. Black 3CV, 3/2 deathtouch zombie scorpion that exploits to draw 2 cards. Its kinda looking like a black Mulldrifter to me. As much as I love a Nights Whisper or Sign in Blood, I can think of a few decks im going to pull one out to make room for fell stinger. Way easier to reanimate over and over than the sorcery spells in most black decks plus creature etb/death triggers. Its probably the card Im the most excited to play with from this set.

[@ThunderfallFilms]

It’s soul-bond, guys, not “soulbound” lol

[@weirdo82]

Coming back to this video from the future, Cemetery Desecrator turns out to be awesome in my opinion as a creature that etbs and potentially defeats Battles, alongside killing Planeswalkers and creatures....

[@christianbenavides24058]

My first thought when I saw sinner's judgment was to enchant yourself and then fractured identity it

[@faerie7dragon]

Cemetery Protector is great in human decks, she is graveyard hate and token generators, much like Maja from Kaldheim. Kyler loves them both.

[@TheSmartCinema]

I played her quite often in Brawl on MTGA, and honestly, it's far stronger than what they are making it seems

[@scifoncra6376]

exiling a land and getting a 1/1 just for playing a land is very very good. Dunno why they are downplaying it so easily.

[@faerie7dragon]

@@scifoncra6376 You get the 1/1 tokens just for playing lands, no need to exile a land with Cemetery Protector, I usually go for creatures and get a 1/1 added in to all my other Humans, Kyler loves that.

[@clickplaygame2578]

in the cemetery cycle, they rotated the keywords (kind of). Green has the vigilance, Red has the first strike, Black has the Menace, White has the flash (Blue still got flying though). not that bizarre but following the color identity, the keywords were not in the color you would most obviously expect it to be.

[@screwthisin]

Love the hushbringer ad!

[@blackspaz4932]

16:47 Big Oopsie spoiling Citizen trible there from New Capenna

[@atomwyrm541]

I’m using alllll this info to put together a Ravos & Tymna deck

[@chricky]

Cemetery Desecrator can exile itself on the way out. So worst case, it's a 6 Mana -6/-6 when it dies.

[@xR4CC00Nx]

Hold up hold up. Change of fortune with Harnfell Horn of Bounty is WILD, discard your hand to Harnfell, then play change of fortune to draw your hand back? Essentially tripling your hand size.

[@Jaebird88]

Welcoming Vampire will definitely find a place in my Rhys the Redeemed deck. I'm never always enthused about Mentor of the Meek, so Vampire can be a good replacement.

[@connorlee2011]

Welcoming Vampire is VERY GOOD in Gavi as a note. Close to Autoinclude status. Easily on of the best cards in a high power deck.

[@darksora763]

I'm surprised they did not mention consuming tide. I really wonder what their take on it would have been.

[@shilohartisan]

40:22 Academy Rector is hard to abuse though because it exiles. Riftsweeper and Pull From Eternity are really the only good ways to get her back.

[@Nightken91]

Wedding Ring mixed with Tainted Remedy would be messed up since that way whenever you heal they lose life

[@Cybelenn]

Wedding ring is my go to card for about 3 of my decks

[@radikalskippy]

I got a Wedding Announcement and By Invitation Only for my Mardu Humans deck, and I'm really looking forward to playing with them!

[@shadedcorner]

So, I'd like to point out a neat little card to pair with cultivator colossus: scouting trek

[@cassiemay2397]

Welcoming vampire and keeper of the accord seem like a match made in heaven, great mono white value layering

[@erikohman2294]

I love how wash away is strong against red. Feels so very pie.

[@damo9961]

Why is it any better vs red? Counter target commander for 1 seems good against any color

[@erikohman2294]

@@damo9961 Sure is, but its more versatile against red because of all the impulsive draw they have gotten.

[@kylem41000]

Good note about prowler if you exile a werewolf with it pretty much your entire werewolf deck will be 2 cheaper, creature + werewolf, exiling a wolf would likely drop your entire deck by 2 and any changelings by 3

[@mikeygarasic5323]

Should’ve mentioned Toxrill

[@alanbeatty4314]

Sam Guay is not related to Rebecca Guay, but he was mentored by her, and cites her as an influence.

[@UninvitedGhost]

“It was pretty popular” yeah, with you! Less work, LOL

[@AdolfCritler210]

Downside to Cemetery gatekeeper, it says player not opponent so it pings you as well. New players might get gotcha'd by their own card

[@ShredAimlessly92]

I think Demonic Bargain will nicely fit in my Grixis spellslinger deck. Even if I exile the spell I wanted, I can always pull cards like Crackling Drake that look for the number of cards in the graveyard AND exile, and boom, minimum 13/13 flyer is now in my hand.

[@jacobmeagher]

A really funny combo I thought of with Kaya is to use oath of teferi plus her at 8 or more loyalty you can -2 then ult and create many more 1/1 tokens.

[@JamesSamson487]

I really like Kaya in token strategies. If it's early game, you down-tick her so you can create more tokens. If it's late game, you up-tick her so you can swing out and either deal a ton of damage or remove a ton of blockers. A good idea of what a 3-mana planeswalker should be; useful for a very particular strategy.

[@robertrobley2975]

Abyssal Persecutor

[@robertrobley2975]

Lol

[@yaboiskittlez7943]

I think Arin Hansen would agree with me on this. But Mulch is going to make waves in this set.

[@originalusername295]

What do you guys think of cemetry desecrator in Araumi, the gravetide? You get 6 triggers that way, potentially killing 6 creatures

[@jdmike06]

If a creature with Soulbond enters and you respond to the trigger it won’t fizzle the Soulbond trigger on the stack. Soulbond specifically doesn’t target so if you let the ability resolve and try to kill a creature once someone names what is being paired, you wont avoid whatever effect happens if a creature is paired. In real scenarios you’ll have a pretty good idea what someone will choose to pair with so it’s an important distinction to make if your playgroup is weird about rules interactions. Pretty much if there are 2 other creatures on the board and someone plays a Soulbond creature, you kill the one you know is bad for you, the creature entering can still pair with any other remaining creature.

[@friedpinnapple]

Definitely change of fortune for me. Ive got jeskai wheels, RBchainer, and brudicald who is pesudo wheels. Wheels are just such solid value

[@ayties5113]

My thoughts of Kaya? Play a Commander with at least White Black Green. Get Vorinclex out or any Counter Doubling effect. Then play Kaya with now 6 Loyalty. Then use her effect to Double the Tokens. Then Bounce Kaya with Felidar Guardian. Use the minus 6 to create a lots of Token. With f.e. the Green and White Warden and a Drain Effect like Sanguine Blood, you got 2 Life for every card and drain your opponents to death using the graveyards as the fodder.

[@Billy_Toler]

How would cemetery prowler work with adventure cards?

[@YourWorstTM50]

28:35 I think you meant to say Esper Sentinel here haha

[@Draven1895]

Magic has their own Pot of Desires now, nice

[@heathbasner9276]

I actually put because I needed the mana Rock foreboding statue in one of my recent builds

[@commandergamer3337]

29:33 I laughed harder than I should've. idk why that was so funny 😆

[@wesleyjudson599]

Question/Note: By Invitation Only says choose a number between 0 and 13. A number between 0 and 13 is 7.4 Also 3.1 Also 12.9 Is there a rule/ruling against picking a decimal? Or is this a chaos orb situation?

[@wirdoasymmetry]

Change of fortune and Imposing Grandeur fit perfectly in my Broborygmos enraged hehehe :B

[@dustinpulliam9262]

Kaya is pretty solid in felecia fang of silverquil. Make a ton of tokens and if she stays around next turn they all get deathtouch

[@metagrossle]

You guys are completely forgetting how Cemetery Protector is the fifth copy of Field of the Dead in a GW landfall deck.

[@dangottsacker2061]

Hullbreaker horror is great in Animar

[@hi5996]

I'd probably play wash away, the cemetery card and, i agree Arcane is amazing

[@captianbacon]

Honestly white and red both feel so much better cause of this set, chandra dressed to kill is my favorite card in the set and I like mono or 2 color decks so both its pluses are amazing. And the vampire phyrexian arena is awsome. Also the new spirit thats a ajanis primate with upside will be really fun.

[@charlesmartin6459]

I have learned a lot from your show and how to play and what cards to get it is a very enjoyable show

[@AJlock136]

Is wedding ring + Consecrated Sphinx mutual assured mill?

[@TheEarthdeity]

Kaya seems good with Treasure map or Dockside. Might be worth it if you're running one or both of those in a token deck.

[@cfrydlewicz]

Why do we need to flicker the Cemetery Illuminator? Can't we just attack with it to get more card types included?

[@alansimons1850]

Reckless impulse goes in so many of my decks. i love 2 mana draw 2's. i know is impulse+ but is still such good generic value.

[@YaBoyEdGames]

Instant prosper deck staple.