The 7 Most Underplayed Commanders (And Their Decks)

These are the most underplayed, underutilized commanders in the entire format!
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[@nonames6179]

It's called a yoked ox because of the yoke attached to the back of its neck. A yoke is the piece that attaches to an animal that is then tied to a carriage or plow, allowing them to pull it.

[@ix8750]

Ah I remember Yoke of the damned from back in the Conflux set is what made me originally inquire about the meaning/origins that word.

[@danielgoldberg2129]

And the Ox is wearing a yoke in the artwork on the card. 😅

[@hitbycars]

I have the dingus staff in my collection. No idea where it came from, but there's also the Dingus Egg. I hope we get an Unset with Dingus as a legend.

[@BadDrummerCarl]

My friend has a midrange Tocasia deck and it's surprising how strong it can be. Intruder Alarm makes it pretty crazy too. There's a great card called Thoughtbound Phantasm which gets +1/+1 every time you surveil (not just itself)

[@Jupue]

Oh no, we broke intruder alarm 😂

[@rings-cn1yn]

Great video, I like anything where passionate people riff on a subject they know a lot about, not everything needs to be a set review or a top 10 list. Loved this vid, keep it up nerds.

[@arthursombra]

Would love to see more commanders explored like this

[@jimstewart4929]

I play tocasia pretty religiously at my LGS, and let me tell you, it's juggling a lot of plates but looks really cool doing it. A token generator and/or enhanced surveillance lets you mill 15-20 cards before an untapper, so you can threaten a thassa's oracle or an interesting win con. My usual go-to is brilliant restoration

[@kijakakimf4039]

E. Honda is an all star in my Dhalsim deck. The two of them together creates surprisingly strong board states. Pure Street Fighter goodness.

[@pauldyson8098]

Honestly, I tried to make Temmet work a few years ago but gave up. But you guys are spot on: there's now enough tech for Temmet to be good. I officially have too many Azorius decks . . .

[@jokerES2]

It's difficult because the Commander really emphasizes a single evasive combat damage and tokens generally don't go tall in Azorius. I think it's best as one of those commanders that you use as a piece you sometimes cast from the command zone. Sneaking a few damage through each turn is nice, but you need the constant token production from the rest of the deck to stay in the game.

[@Landus000]

Yoked OX - the yoke is the wooden cross beam around its neck used for having it pull and plow

[@charliemarlow647]

An incredible include for Daryl is Aether Flash, dealing 2 damage to each creature when it enters. Means the three zombies automatically die straight away and means you can hold Daryl up to make your opponents think twice about casting any creature with 4 or less toughness!

[@SeekerOf7ruth]

Yeah, both Blex and Temmut are extremely unassuming commanders that are capable of some powerful shenanigans nowadays. Really happy to see them get some time in the spotlight. Edit: Coincidentally I've been debating whether to go with Alrund or Syr Elenora for a mono-blue commander, so I'm really happy to see her get some spotlight as well.

[@Unch0sen1]

Saw the tweet about William and love that you gave him a shout out!

[@JinnPixel]

Thanks for the E Honda tech. He's my fave char on Mortal Kombat

[@coolbeans6148]

Mortal kombat!?

[@timburke7959]

I love that E. Honda is from street fighter but the mortal combat thing went through the whole segment lol😅 dont know if that was an intentional "bit" but it was hilarious either way

[@tonyt5383]

E. Honda is from Street Fighter

[@freakfreak12345]

I have a Tocasia deck! She's amazing. I love playing her so much, and she's great for getting combo artifacts out.

[@ryancahill728]

Can’t wait to meet you guys in at CommandFest, Orlando. I was stoked to see you guys on the roster!

[@christopherfields6146]

I love this style of video ! Your work just gets better and better keep it up and thank you !!!

[@ElmoTheRed]

I feel so old. Yoke Ox means buff. LOL The yoke is the part that is on its back/neck.

[@thatoneguy3840]

Guessing Maelstrom Wanderer at No.1. Not because I'll be right, but to spread Maelstrom Awareness!

[@JamesELLYale]

I've been a huge Maelstrom Wanderer stan since 2013-2014, but they've been powercrept so hard by new Etali. The haste is a plus for Maesltrom Wanderer, but upgrading from a 3 for 1 to a 5 for 1 is a huge difference. You can even hit stuff that costs MORE THAN 8 and because it still casts, the Eldrazi titans are fair game. It's so sad. 😭

[@juliantucker5695]

I for one would like to welcome our new maelstrom overlords!

[@thatoneguy3840]

@@JamesELLYale Personally I think Maelstrom is more fun to build around. The mana limit is good to avoid cards like Treasure Cruise, Dig Through Time and Blasphemous Act, and giving your creatures haste is really undervalued imo. Stuff like Old Gnawbone or Klauth that you want attacking ASAP and are perfect cmc 7 for cascade, or mana like Selvala, Somberwald Sage or Orcish Lumberjack which turns them into immediate ramp. Also, not only does blue offer a lot more in general in control, it also lets you reccur Maelstrom with cards such as Suspend and Release to the Wind, or have fun interactions while Maelstrom is on the stack with Reinterpret or Plasm Capture.

[@thatoneguy3840]

@@JamesELLYale haha, sorry didn't mean to go off at you or anything, you can't stop me talking about this guy once I start

[@JamesELLYale]

@@thatoneguy3840 You're preaching to the choir. I likely won't build Etali, and my first commander love was Riku so Temur is at the core of my love for commander. My only claim is that it's sad that Maelstrom used to be such a unique buildaround commander that did such a big, dumb, stompy thing, and they printed a bigger, dumber, stompier version of it. Now Maelstrom Wanderer has to be the thinking man's Etali.

[@FarCough145]

Dingus is used in Australia as a more lighthearted word for idiot. “Good one ya dingus”

[@nilsjonsson4446]

Awesome video! Very interesting commanders I never would have found otherwise! 🤩

[@TheOneJameYT]

"French vanilla, come on it has flying!" had me rolling 😂

[@jerryloiselle8507]

Do more videos like that ! I like that format where you take commanders not played and show core pieces for the deck + how you would build it

[@Jessmanguydude]

dingus, something you cant or dont want to name specifically

[@g33kaholic24]

I'm gonna be honest, if you did more videos like this I would bing them. This has to be my favorite video type from you guys :)

[@guidomista2570]

I was literally looking at Daryl the day before this came outt, TWD cards finally getting in-universe variants in Eldraine is def gonna make them blow up a little.

[@ethanofamerica6518]

Yoked in the name of yoked ox refers to the thing strapped to its back

[@pyroaprilblader13]

In texas and anywhere in the south its a stick you wrapp with cloth dip in alcohol or some flame inducer that is used to burn certain catapilar infeatations and all the silk they leave in trees and shrubs and other such foliage.

[@Adjacent_2]

Starcream is a hilarious typo, sounds like a dessert

[@zacburgess5318]

Dang! Been working on a syr elenora deck to just be as obscure as possible with mono- blue voltron but now everyone else is going to have one. On the other hand, thanks for the good ideas though. Keep up the good work nerds.

[@danielgoldberg2129]

I run Karlach, Fury of Avernus, partnered with Popular Entertainer as an Extra Combat deck and it hits hard. 12 decks, Rank #2677. The partner works as a pillow fort so you don’t get hit with a big crack-back. I’ve had people just scoop to Besmirch because they know I’m going to smash them 2 or 3 times in the face with their own huge creature. Getting 3 attacks per round is pretty common. Anyway, it’s a lot of fun!😊

[@Sinistra359]

I have a Temmet living weapons theme deck. It's really fun to play lol.

[@ChaoticKatana]

Listen to the Nerds accidentally explaining why nobody plays Syr Elenora in the command zone at 36:00 and provide a much better alternative. Alrund another option

[@burnsboy101]

If only you understood the point of this video

[@Jonzin4BeatzNYC]

I actually started brewing a Temmet deck during Amonkhet block because that's when I first fabled into commander. I worked on it lazy dazzy for like 2 years but never actually finished it.

[@jerf482]

You should make a video on how to build popular commanders uniquely!

[@Sidday]

i really liked the ouch from oracle of mul daya 😂 cheers william!!

[@jordigasulla7523]

My tocasia deck is one of my favorites, actually pretty good and unique. You mentioned most of the allstars but i want to highlight Sunstrike Leggionnaire it untaps itself really easily and you could even use it as a finisher for emmara combos, decking yourself to win with Thoracle

[@marcoottina654]

2:55 Tocasia could be brought back (in the deck!) with Riftsweeper because it shuffles an exiled face-up card into the library! :D gonna make it "infinite" :D 34:50 just put Atemsis, All Seing and let her hitting an opponent: if you have six or more cards with different mana value, that opponent LOSES the game! :D (and has 2U, TAP: Draw two, discard one."

[@wesbogenreif1701]

I had a Temmet deck for awhile before I downsized. He was fun as heck bc no1 knew what to expect bc they never played against him before.

[@jonathantavitian7283]

You guys post this just as I decided to start a new deck 😋😋

[@NitpickingNerds]

Who is your commander?

[@MasonSheffield]

Ummm, Beezy, do you have pink eye or is it just the light?

[@brendylove4285]

I have a Tocadia bant reanimator deck that smackkkkkks. Always a big surprise to my opponents. Pretty much every spell in the deck can either be cast from the graveyard or want to be reanimated

[@megabran6288]

I am one of the few that have a syr elenora deck and it is pretty fun. Thanks for the upgrade ideas boys

[@jonathanpuccetti9258]

yoke noun 1. a wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to the plow or cart that they are to pull.

[@jonathanpuccetti9258]

The yoke is the thing on its neck.

[@insertname5195]

yeah that part of the video was funny

[@mikgenta]

The backside joke was so funny

[@nzephier]

I like the series where you take popular commanders but do them with different strategies. For example, I made a kykar spellslinger deck where approach of the 2nd sun is the win con

[@muninn92]

The thing on it's neck is called a yoke.

[@GorfWoodstock]

Just noticed Post Malone is their highest tier of Patron lol.

[@mibbzx1493]

Of course he would 😂 if not him then probably cassius marsh if he was a patreon

[@avatarofpapermagic]

Love and appreciate you Joe and Beezy!

[@NitpickingNerds]

[@zackfro]

I have been looking at Starscream and wanting to build it. Thank you for the inspiration

[@Leftists_are_Losers]

Fallowsage screams “Crew” for artifact vehicles to me …

[@Khaion]

I just noticed that if you give Starscream double strike on the jet side, you can give the monarchy away on first strike damage, and get it back on normal combat damage

[@NitpickingNerds]

That's awesome!

[@Phe0nix1986]

I lost track on how many things were great about this video. The whole lot. Nice one NN’s.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Thanks so much!

[@emileriksen2481]

29:54 its refering to the YOKE the ox is carrying....

[@jhook6865]

Even the nerds acknowledge their Tribal Chief!

[@TirelessGod]

With that card draw deck, it's be pretty spicy to add Peer into the Abyss as you lost half your life, but you can then dish out a ton of damage.

[@kevinhulvey7018]

"Yea, just like episode (X) where Daryl accidentally hates everyone." 🤣

[@SRMC23]

Funnily enough Blex was one of the first legendaries in Magic Arena to catch my attention after Beledross Witherbloom. In fact, Pest tribal is probably my favorite archetype for jank. I tried to make a Brawl deck for Blex for that matter at some point but honestly, i think he works better in Constructed play with more Pest generating cards.

[@dameonpigeon2736]

My friend has a timmet deck that is super old, so a lot of these cars you mentioned are gonna be good upgrades for it

[@patrickboswell4399]

to Elenor you can do corrupted conscience instead of double strike and infect someone out with only 10 cards in hand and it can also be an expense pseudo removal spell when you steal someone elses creature

[@benroberts1052]

Thanks for reigniting my passion for temmet

[@coryledwitch6492]

When you have both, we go with Autocracy!

[@Spinoguy03]

I had been together with my now wife for 3 years, then broke up for 3 years, then got back together and had a lot of intimate conversations about what we wanted going forward and that if we wanted to continue this relationship, then we needed to be willing to work for it. Now we've been married for almost 2 years and have our first child on the way. I couldn't be happier with how much we both changed and both stepped up in order to make things work.

[@jperry253]

Cool video concept. Keep up the unique content nerds.

[@davidhower7095]

I've had my eye on Temmet for a while now... I'm just not very good at deckbuilding so it's been tough to get off the ground without just netdecking

[@mufasafalldown8401]

I don't know but is it the friends we made along the way?

[@joym3357]

scaretiller + fetch lands is kinda nuts ngl you can get crazy ramp going if you have like 2 scartillers and a few fetchlands in your graveyard

[@timbombadil4046]

Apparently dingus is dutch rooted and means generic object closest to "thingy", but is essentially a widget, doodad, gadget, etc... So not derogatory in origin.

[@matthewanderson3261]

This comment is also dedicated to William. Way to get in there and play a game with the Nerds. The best I could do was awkwardly request a Cherries autograph (which i cherish).

[@funkyanglerfish2653]

I was already planning on making mono blue draw but with kami of the Cresent moon and howling mine type effects so this works

[@girishsimmonds474]

Yolk means union or to join. Similar origin to Yoga. A canoe also has a yolk, like a plow.

[@atlasrises4]

Oh I love Tocasia! Almost nothing to do with artifacts like y'all said, just value from tapping and surveilling

[@BobbyBev95]

Starscream is such a house. I have it in my Gix deck and it ends games quickly

[@thekerglinberger8951]

Pretty sure dingus is the word you use when you forget the name of what you're actually trying to say. Dingus: used to refer to something one cannot or does not wish to name specifically. (taken from google)

[@taa347]

I'm here for the cat, but I guess I'll stay for the entertainment and info

[@bernalilentejas7599]

According to google a "dingus" is a name for something whose (actual) name is unknown or forgotten

[@rubitheiv]

E Honda is from street fighter.....

[@Guukoh]

Hear me out, one of these times, they’ll go through the guess for the moxfield ad and then IMMEDIATELY do the Moxfield ad. You heard it here first.

[@evanczthehunter57]

Hm. I might actually be interested in both Tocasia and Syr Elenora. Both seem fun.

[@energetek661]

Lets go Amber!!

[@joshuarem5905]

For blex, depending on your build, desecrated tomb mighy be interesting. If your more graveyard based

[@igolark]

I ve made a super cool super unique deck with a commander that has under 400/500 decks. I m sure noone ever thought about this type of deck. I would like to share it. I m talking about seleina dark angel

[@user-gp9hr8xv9m]

Definitely building a Tymet deck now

[@erikohman2294]

Blex wants the swarmyard! Love that card :D

[@MrMac873]

I think E. Honda and Elspeth make for a wonderful pair. They look so cute together.

[@mr.mammuthusafricanavus8299]

E. Honda and Syr Elenora are great in my Council of Four deck :P

[@christianjohnson4328]

How does one search least played commanders on EDHREC?

[@potatoweaver4116]

Temmet was actually my first commander deck

[@ThePsycheWard]

e honda is from street fight lol, its funny cherries said it but never stopped beezy from saying mortal kombat

[@starslayer18]

Honestly I would love to see He Who Hungers or the mechanic soulshift get some more love I love the idea of this deck.

[@astuteanansi4935]

He Who Hungers, to me, is one of these commanders that are in the unfortunate position of being janky and unwieldy, but at the same time painting a massive target on your back because they just scream "I am unfun to play against, kill me before I am allowed to go off". Maybe the best way to play him is as the trump card of an Iname Death Aspect combo deck where you dump your entire library into the yard, generate a million mana with Songs of the Damned or Agadeem, reanimate everything, and then use He Who Hungers with the remaining mana to tear everyone's answers away from them.

[@maroonjoker9666]

I think Daryl’s flavour is that hes always trying to fight off hoards of zombies and his thing is like killing zombies with his crossbow

[@alexismezianeportes8227]

One of you have the tocasia decklist ?

[@b-den5019]

Did bro say E Honda from Mortal Kombat

[@ziamarashi5962]

I come for the EDH advice, I stay for the pro-wrestling references

[@sinnaro13]

Been a while since I've tried the Moxfield guess, so I'm gonna go with 25:21

[@alexlangan4843]

A dingus is a turkey or a donkey's backside. It's also an insult used at absent minded people.

[@bejita7831]

How on earth have you made it feel fun to try and guess the Moxfield ad? It's so silly. 17:43

[@NitpickingNerds]

YOU ARE WRONG

[@diegoperezsommariva2509]

Tocasia is really looking interesting.

[@jameslevine4284]

I imagine for the Elenora deck, "Jousting Lance" isn't playable?