The Best Cards (In the 99) from Doctor Who | The Command Zone 569 | MTG EDH Magic Gathering

[@commandcast]

Are you a Doctor Who fan? Does this set live up to your imagination? What new cards slot perfectly into your existing commander decks? What do you think the most powerful card for the 99 is?

[@logu0004]

You guys were absolutely right about the cybermen but if you're running Marchesa the black rose with modular creatures.....🤯

[@gregorycafiero9688]

Absolutely love the set as a fan of mtg and Dr who, the top down design, the design in general, and there's some amazing new commanders as well. It's hard to pick the strongest cards because every deck has some serious bombs.

[@EmperorNorton668]

I got to cast Nanogene Conversion in my Magnus deck for the first time a couple of days ago and it's nuts. Quantum Misalignment is really good there too. One card I am surprised nobody is talking about is Traverse Eternity. Seems like a solid draw spell to me if you have an expensive commander, similar to Stinging Study.

[@commandcast]

Traverse Eternity is super solid. We didn't mention it because there is a similar card already: Rush of Knowledge. @@EmperorNorton668

[@reggierustia7422]

curious about the interaction between cyberman conversion and cards like tergrid...

[@BoToChris]

01:23:45 Not quite right. "702.102d As a fused split spell resolves, the controller of the spell follows the instructions of the left half and then follows the instructions of the right half." Fused, Gallifrey Falls // No More is one spell that deals the damage, and then phases out the creatures. The phased out creatures can't die from having damage marked on them as a state-based action, then at the clean-up step, the damage is cleared.

[@hannahvickery4683]

I know this post is a year old but for context, this matters with Donna in the Dr Who set specifically, as her ability will still trigger (where it wouldn't if they phased out and never took the damage)

[@tomcourtney4206]

I want to play "Everything Lives" solely because in my play group, most of us would 100% just dedicate our game to King-making the person who saved and kept us touching cards. Like, if I'm about to die and someone goes "hey, if I save you, will you make sure to help me win?" I'd say yes and follow through every time xD. Better to play a kingmaker than have to stop playing

[@BrootalMetalBanjo]

The Cybermen Patrol and Cybermen Squadron work great in the Necron deck. Necrons pump out the 2/2 artifact creatures, combined with Skorpekh Lord, all Necron tokens are 3/2s with Menace, Myriad, and Afflict 3.

[@35reich]

Decklist? 🙏

[@Dragon_Fyre]

@@35reichJust take any Imotekh the Stormlord deck list from EDHREC and swap in these 2 cards.

[@ryanquinn1257]

Squadron is one of my FAVORITE cards of the set. 7 colorless often isn’t 7 colorless in cost with foundry inspector like effects discounting colorless. It gets silly with Davros clones I have. I try to get a non lengendary copy then myriad it or other evil things like the gearhulks.

[@MentalCrusader]

I also added them, but haven't played since

[@Dragon_Fyre]

@@ryanquinn1257 Mono black has several ways to build up a lot of mana, so 7 mana as a closing wincon is rarely an issue; Afflict 3 is useful too but I think the Cybermen squadron is unquestionably the MVP.

[@starblissed]

Displaced Dinos is interesting in Samwise Gamgee, as Sam makes a food token whenever a nontoken creature enters, so you're looking at two 7/7s for 7 mana. It's not great, but it is some tech. Goes really good with Academy Manufactor.

[@thefacebehindthemask7007]

The new Ultra Pro sleeves "are super sturdy and have been put thru the paces" *The Professor has entered the chat. "We'll see about that!"

[@MirrorAshes]

I bust out laughing every time the commercial with Rachel doing Agatha comes on.. so good 😂

[@ThegreatMizuti777]

Not sure how using Deflecting Swat on Settle the Wreckage is back-breaking. Any player other than the original target couldn't possibly have any attacking creatures at the same time, so it would actually do literally nothing at all, right? (At least it stops the original threat, which is still good though)

[@mikepetrangelo5396]

It is backbreaking for the player who just thought that they were safe. If I swat the wreckage to a non attacking player, they are still a legal target, but nothing is able to happen to their creatures, so my attack goes through with my board in tact.

[@charliemarlow647]

Rachel - I'm totally with you on your view about cards that completely shut down certain strategies ("hate" cards like Rest in Peace) vs. cards that interact with those strategies (e.g. Bojuka Bog). Hate cards are some of the only cards that I don't like seeing in casual commander because of the way they warp the game's dynamic by taking somebody out of the game, and the negative experience it gives that person and, by extension, the rest of the group. Interaction, even cards like Farewell, is great and interesting; hate should be reserved for high power games only, in my opinion.

[@mibbzx1493]

Agreed

[@valt3rnative]

The Flux is great, really glad it's so cheap, I already got a playset of it. Brazen Cannonade is also a really good impulse draw one but went up in price quite quick. I have won many games with the "2 damage to each opponent" effect of it by sacrificing my board after an all-out attack.

[@hiddenleaf414]

2:04:50 Weird rules interaction but newly worded cards like Grasp of Fate don't track where the card being brought back comes from. So someone can choose to put their commander in the command zone and if Grasp of Fate gets destroyed before they cast their commander again they get their commander back. It was different from older cards like Fiend Hunter where it states "return the exiled card".

[@aurorahrndt]

19:23 Confession Dial is probably the card I’m most exited about because it brings my Linessa, Zephyr Mage deck one step closer to being a functional deck lol.

[@agarcn6704]

Surprised you guys didn't mention cybermen squadron with The Master Multiplied. You can keep the tokens around and the myraid will stack with them and cause an unending horde if you include some haste effects with extra combats.

[@cockman8437]

its cause the master multiplied by itself is just nuts. He already has myriad, so with haste and extra combats the game might just be over

[@agarcn6704]

Thats very true. I had a fairly unoptimized list and he was pretty crazy.

[@amithemuffinman]

it's because Master Multiplied isn't an artifact creature, and Cybermen Squadron cares about artifact creatures

[@lenny-822]

I'm running Gallifrey Falls/No More as a sort of "Teferi's Protection at home" in a Mardu cascade deck I'm putting together. I don't want to accidentally cascade into a TefPro or an Everybody Lives when I'm trying to go off, so the total CMC of 9 (when not on the stack) is a big plus.

[@normative]

Flood of Mars might be pretty solid in Shorikai. Your commander's not a creature except when it's crewed (presumably on your turn), and the rest of the time it's pumping out tokens that you can turn into more Floods of Mars. Ditto Optimus Prime, which cares about your creatures hitting players in order to convert Optimus, and then puts counters on your creatures, or Soundwave, which pumps out tokens you can turn into Floods, which then let you cast from your opponents' yard when they hit. Both can be kept non-creature on your opponents' turns, as long as you have a sac outlet for Optimus or a spell to copy for Soundwave.

[@fatcatsgoneblack]

Its also a zombie which makes it great in zombie token tribal. Extra good if you're playing Wilhelt because you can upgrade your decayed zombies.

[@Thessik73]

The first play I thought of after putting Displaced Dinosaurs into play is "attack with Old Gnawbone." Voila, dino army in one turn.

[@menoyou2760]

I immediately put it into my Gyome deck. While it is slow, the deck has green ramp and typically I'll get one free dino nug the same turn I cast it. Two 7/7s for 7 mana isn't bad and it just gets better from there if nobody can kill the main Dino

[@forloss3]

Your Gallifrey Falls No More explanation was off. It gets cast as one card when fused. The left happens first with damage on the creatures, then the phasing happens. Your creatures get the damage but they phase out before state kills them. So, if you gave it lifelink you would gain the life from your creatures that aren't going to die.

[@leonardomadona]

Nanogene conversion for Zaxara is very good. You will be giving a lot of mana dorks to your opponents if you choose to copy zaxara, but you get positive on mana and create so much more tokens per spell. You also have the flexibity of copying a hydra, cleaning the board except for your hydras

[@Teeleer]

I won a game with Nanogene conversion, after a board wipe I had Dinosaurs on a spaceship since it was suspended, got a few 2/2 flyers, had Dinosaurs on a spaceship come in, casted nanogene conversion. My opponent had a big-ish creature, it became a 7/7, but since I had copies of the same thing with a lord effect, I was able to trample over, keeping my board while destroying theirs since if they didn't block it was lethal damage.

[@_somerandomguyontheinternet_]

22:00 No, you can’t cast it again, because it counts as a different card each time. That is, until the Doctor Who Alchemy comes out and makes it so the creature “perpetually gains escape.” 🙃

[@commandcast]

Yep! We figured it out eventually. Haha

[@mibbzx1493]

Please no alchemy in paper

[@jameseddleman6944]

"no one really plays with Progenitor mimic." My first cmdr ever was Yasova, to this day I still have it, and I won most of my games with Progenitor mimic to the point where my play group kept removal up just for it. At least I still keep the copies with that one, even if they remove the original, no extra cards to make it work either.

[@psy_p]

12:10 Sure enchant an artifact so the enchantment is easier to remove and the lost mana investment is bigger. Totally don't enchant a basic land that is imune to Ghost Quarter and the budget part of it's family... 22:30 That is correct. The card will have changed zones 3 times once it is back in the graveyard.

[@christophermorrison9344]

As soon as I saw auton soldier, I slotted a spot for it in reaper king and I as soon as I saw it on your list I was like "I hope they mention it with RK and to see you guys agree has made my day!!!

[@TheUnknownMercinary]

This Doctor Who set is great! Ive built so many decks online already, so many great combos within the set. And the reprints are dirt cheap right now. Favorite card is River Song. No searching or scrying allowed!

[@loganderhund606]

01:51:29 Where I defenitly sea The Flood of Mars would be in a Captain N'gathrod deck. It is a horror and can be unblockable, so you get to mill your opponents. And if you just hit mana creatures, or creatures you cannot use, just turn them into more Floods and repeat the cycle. Defenitly a strong card to consider, if you don't go the maddening cacophony/traumatize route.

[@nikopakalen7342]

I think everybody lives works in decks where it has commander protection as main use / as the relevant cards to replace/compare. Commander protection is usually one mana and this card has so many great upsides.

[@mayisfairandbalanced6001]

Auton soldier seems insane in Evelyn, every attack exile the top 8 cards of everyones library with a collection counter and you can cast 4 cards from exile that turn if the myriad copies don’t die in combat

[@LordCyfarwydd]

Using Nanogene Conversion to turn everything into Flood of Mars until end of turn is an awesome combo if you can take out all 3 opponents at once out of the blue.

[@kamuishr3]

“Displaced dinosaur makes dinosaur nuggets” that made me giggle far more than it should

[@ryansprenkle6356]

I think Josh really undervalued pressure that a board full of afflict can put on someone.

[@RobertTheSmall]

Glad to hear Rachel repping how powerful Liara Portyr is again, she heavily inspired my Liara Portyr deck into being in existence so it's good to see

[@UmoLoco]

Deck list?

[@xazz]

I love Rachel doing Agatha in the ads because she sounds a bit like a drunk witch and I'm so here for it. Agatha sippin' some of her own brews huh lol

[@hannahvickery4683]

The second Approach isn't a cast trigger - I don't know where this idea came from, but I've heard it a few times. There is no "when you cast..." it's just telling you what to do when the card resolves.

[@breathofire1449]

I bought Weeping Angel the moment I saw it and it took me about five seconds to figure out it'd go great in my Breya artifact deck. It's so busted without that first triggered ability and I figured out I can just flicker, Master Transmuter, etc. to negate that downside.

[@buddhathegod]

I feel the Sonic Screwdriver analysis is off, like the same thing you said that you felt about Umazewa's Jitte that "they're just small effects that seem a bit bad", but when you stack all of it on ONE card those small effects really add up. Early in the game it's a mana rock (even though it's an expensive one), and late in the game it can be a game-ender. Especially in the paradox power deck it's pretty wild, I play Ryan Sinclair coupled with my commander and letting him go through to either make sure he survives to get his attack trigger or go in unopposed when you've stacked +1/+1 counters on him is so good. But on top of that, it's a deck that's pretty intense on mana colors, so having "one mana of any color" is really good as well. The fact that it has some small nitty interactions like Scry makes it so that I can slightly increase my chances of Ryan Sinclair hitting something correctly, or, if I have Bigger on the Inside out on the battlefield, that now can tap twice, get a cascade, cascade going and trigger all my paradox abilities twice.

[@GC-zs9nc]

59:41 A counterspell will beat the second Approach, as the second Approach spell won't resolve, so its effect won't resolve neither. It just doesn't matter whether the first Approach had resolved or not. I don't know if there was a mistake, or maybe I didn't understand what you said? (English isn't my native tongue ^^)

[@royal-wolf]

With Displaced Dinosaurs, its pre-order was so high because of the memes of turning your food into Dinonuggets

[@MikhailHudon_ZerithFarron]

surprised on Impending Flux they forgot about the Suspend theme in the set. If you time it right you can pay three when all your stuff just walks in

[@justinhoudeshell4031]

They also only refer to casting from exile it just cares about now from had

[@webbc99]

Everything Comes to Dust is great with Slivers, especially Sliver Gravemother. You can encore 1 mana slivers to help pay the cost more easily as well.

[@arandombard1197]

Everybody Lives is Angel's Grace packaged with a less good heroic intervention. I think that packaged flexibility combined with the 2 mana cost makes it good.

[@AnotherMoMmtg]

If I had a recording of the lobby for every time I have resolved a winter orb. I have turn one sol ring into a winter orb. But that's usually when you die because player removal becomes a thing when you play winter orb turn one or any turn for that matter.

[@quintessentiald]

The Agatha Factor commercial is one of my favs

[@Skydragonace]

I'm mostly going to use flood of mars in my wilhelt deck, turning those decayed zombies into much better zombies that can eventually become decayed guys later on. I see this as a fantastic way to lose the token tag and occasionally use it as removal. However, if it spreads exponentially to all decks... so be it. Haha

[@fajenthygia5760]

Auton Soldier is another way to turn Rebbec into an artifact that protects itself. Auto-include for Rebbec/Silas, which has been on Extra Turns

[@jegosi17]

Nanogene Conversion + Ovika, Enigma Galiath seems like a solid combo.

[@maxbodifee3263]

Can confirm! A lot of great blue spells for Ovika in this set and red spells for my Faldorn deck

[@random9101112]

While it is certainly not the most powerful card, The Flood of Mars slots perfectly into my Kros, Defense Contractor deck. It puts a counter on that I wouldn't mind proliferating, it removes, taps, and goads whatever creature I want, and as a bonus, if I also have Willbreaker out, I also get to steal said creature. It's niche, but I love it and I'm eager to see the possibilities.

[@MrFelblood]

31:50 I'm still trying to figure out how to work with cyberman patrol. I know there's a really sweet thopter/ninja deck in here somewhere, where opponents either eat the afflict damage or risk getting a ninja dropped on their face, but it's hard to know what to cut. *How did Kamigawa go all cyberpunk, and we only got 3 cyborg ninjas?* 1:55:00 Actually, how do we feel about Flood of Mars + Ninjas? Ninjas love unblockable token attackers, and If anything important to me gets flooded, it just has to attack a player, and I can bounce it with a ninjutsu trigger and get my card back.

[@webbc99]

Nanogene conversion also pretty nuts for slivers if you can use the ones that buff all of the other slivers... use someone else's board to buff yours so you can take someone out.

[@RishavPOV]

I think we can all agree, Josh needs to link up with Rachel’s hairstylist; get you some color in them tips Josh.

[@red_spect3r833]

So I definitely think that Everybody Lives is worth playing in cEDH. I have put it in lists, it just really wants you to pay attention and weed out what your opponents may have as you CAN open up your opponent to letting them activate their Ad Nauseum with no downsides.

[@gregorycafiero9688]

Shutting down a thoracle win is brilliant.

[@red_spect3r833]

@@gregorycafiero9688 Oh, it definitely is as every time that player is unable to come back from it.

[@themagicofmtg]

That pronunciation of Sakashima though...

[@doomofthedestiny8065]

Flesh duplicate also can be exteneded past 3 turn with time travel AND proliferation

[@GngrViking]

Displaced dinosaur could be a fun piece in the new pantlaza pre on from Lost caverns of Ixalan.

[@Astrosmaniac311]

31:58 cyberman patrol is perfect for any vehicles decks

[@flipevent]

Flesh Duplicate is just an awesome card I think. Most decks will probably use it. Everything else seems to be a one-off and/or build-around type of card. Which is not bad by itself.

[@jeppekjr4618]

Surprised you guys didn’t mention mirrorweave when talking about Nanogene conversion

[@nikopakalen7342]

Sunforger can get and cast either side of gallifrey falls// no more making it likely toolbox include for the wrath.

[@danny1111105]

Clues don't tap to sacrifice! I swear its some weird mandela effect that they don't. 12:40

[@famousstranger8468]

I have tokens that say tap 🤔

[@pedrobrito2158]

Displaced dinosaurs is amazing in a saga deck, could even be another win condition.

[@elWhiteNinja1]

Everybody lives plus shadowspear. Sounds like fun

[@T_Peazy]

Bigger on the inside isn't a mana ability because it targets. So its.... tricky. But it's still good.

[@theunknown879]

“Typal” is bleck. Side from that awesome!

[@buddhathegod]

Isn't Trial of a Timelord ruling incorrect? I think that's how it used to work with the old commander rules, but the current one is "If your commander would be put into your LIBRARY, hand, graveyard or exile from ANYWHERE, you may return it to your command zone instead". Trial of a Timelord has put your commander in exile, and when it resolves, if the vote passes, it will try to put your commander from exile into your library, meaning you should have the option to return it to the command zone?

[@mikes9767]

when the trial of the time lord moves the card from exile to the library wouldn't that be a zone change? If so you should be able to put the commander back into the command zone as a replacement rather than having it shuffled in.

[@ericbielitz4940]

I'm surprised you overlooked "Dalek Drone" 5 mana to kill any creature, deal 5 damage to its controller's face, and then you have a 3/3 artifact creature with flying AND menace (one of only 8 creatures in all of Magic with both abilities)! The absolute cost is high, but you get so much for your mana with that card.

[@Jan-oh3in]

If you time death in heaven and play a board wipe before triggering the last chapter it can be a wincon

[@doomofthedestiny8065]

Had a thought on how to make decaying timeloop more worthwhile. There are at least two cards that double your draws, and while I can't recall any i would be surprised if there werent any that add one or two... even just plus 1 means you break even which would be worth it, but double, whoosh.... better have your lab man or lab jace at the ready.

[@Naim_less]

I might stick Auton in my Mishra, Burnished One deck. Gives me another way to copy another thing, and I already run ways to end the turn...

[@yoyokoi]

For me, my best card from Dr Who is "Ensnared by the mara", this card has so much value.

[@alten1]

In a Maelstrom Wanderer deck could you have auton soilder come in as a copy of maelstrom wanderer and still get the cascade triggers?

[@codypietsch3592]

Confession dial looks like it could go in my recycle henzie deck

[@stefanhuber7357]

No one has been talking about The Cyber-Controller as a commander and I have been one-shotting tables with it. Idk where/what I am missing haha

[@palinkay]

everybody lives is also a great counter to thasa's oracle and demonic consultation

[@danlong3050]

If the card gains an effect until end of turn, then the card is going to have that effect until end of turn regardless of what zones it moves in and out of. Confession Dial gives the CARD the effect, not the creature.

[@marioriverasantana7565]

If your commander is exile and then sent to the bottom of the library, you can't choose to sent it to the command zone?

[@themunchexlax3217]

I would say I'm biased due to me playing it in a more dedicated or even tribal list, Cyberman Patrol is super sweet in The Cyber Controller! Milling and creating the 2/2 (3/3 from the pump!) Cybermen is powerful en masse, afflict 3 makes them nearly unblockable in my experience so far!

[@ryansprenkle6356]

Yeah I REALLY think Josh undervalued the pressure that afflict can put on someone, especially en masse

[@jackmurray475]

Everybody lives is a great save to an alpha strike. Someone plays craterhoof and turns sideways it could be backbreaking.

[@cole10002002]

Cyberman patrol: Graaz Juggernauts love this guy

[@zramirez5471]

1:45:57 why wouldn't you cast nanogene conversion when you only have a couple crappy creatures and something with horrendous upkeep so it doesn't hurt you but all the other creatures die on their players turn?

[@KevinEwing-o6n]

I'm playing Cyberman patrol with phyrexian mites - either take a poison counter or block afflict 3 but either way I'm swinging because little dude can't block

[@Ruinred]

I like to cast nanogene conversion on my eowyn. So many 2/2 haste tramples and draw cards comeinto play

[@Ryan-xy8ps]

If I have The Flood of Mars in Wilhelt, will targeting Decayed Zombies with the flood remove their Decayed status? Or is Decayed retained when they become a copy of the Flood of Mars?

[@commandcast]

It becomes a copy of The Flood of Mars, so it no longer has Decayed.

[@user-tx2mu3cr2o]

Just to be 100% exile to library is changing zones right? So if a commander gets voted guilty on trial of a time lord, they can just send it to the command zone of the vote doesn't go their way?

[@commandcast]

You're correct! We totally forgot that the final chapter puts them on the bottom rather than keeping them exiled.

[@NickLyttle]

I like Everything comes to Dust in like Jinnie Fay; use Jinnie or don't (elf druid), but keep all of your cats/dogs.

[@mets_wc]

Shop the one in the s-smart we want 😂. Even with a reduction in SKUs if they can't fix standard and re-inflate the secondary market I'm not sure how the whole ecosystem survives.

[@kylecurtis1130]

I gladly play Progenitor Mimic, and my play glad seems to always underestimate it:)

[@jasperfuhs4988]

12:47 Correction: clue tokens don't need to be tapped for their ability!!!

[@soratonin6972]

Rules Question: Doctors companion refers to a Doctor card but has to be a time lord doctor not just doctor, so with Everything Comes to Dust, if i tap a Time Lord Doctor does that kill stuff like River Song, Changelings, Rassilion and such even though they have part of the typing (time lord but not "doctor")

[@commandcast]

As long as they share one or more creature type with a convoked creature, Everything Comes to Dust won't exile them.

[@soratonin6972]

@@commandcast But i guess the question is, what is the type line split? is it Time, Lord, Doctor, or something else?

[@JasonOshinko]

@@soratonin6972 Time Lord is the only two-word creature type.

[@famousstranger8468]

How does cyberman patrol work with menace constructs made by Urza?

[@davwad2]

I want to see what happens when Ghyrson Starn gets a Nanogene Conversion and I ping my opponents for 1.

[@nik700]

Impending Flux seems like a worst version of Let the Galaxy Burn from the UBR 40K precon, but if you're heavily in a "cast from exile" deck maybe is worth a slot. Edit: LIARA PORTYR IS SOOOOOO GOOD!!

[@matthewjanack1124]

I get your comments on genesis of the daleks but actually play it it’s super powerful

[@wowomah6194]

Seems to me that Sonic Screwdriver really is a card in the vein of Halo Fountain but...if you're a player with a lot of white in your deck you're probably better off running Halo Fountain UNLESS you really need that unblockable creature effect. EDIT: Oh woops, didn't realize it said untap target ARTIFACT. That's totally different.

[@wrymthem]

I managed to save myself from dying to mill and kill my opponent with commander damage with Everybody Lives! and the satisfaction I got from that makes it an autoinclude for me in any deck with white LOL

[@Montyandrew45]

Cyber Conversion was great. I shutdown someone's Aragon commander haha

[@charlesmartin6459]

You could use no more to phase out one of your creatures that is being targeted for removal

[@joepiedepoepie1234]

Everybody lives is not actually that good I found out. But it's SO MUCH FUN.

[@origaming_plays573]

Regarding Weeping Angel, let's say someone attacks me with their commander, I flash in a Weeping Angel and block their commander with it, wouldn't my opponent get a choice of whether their commander goes to the command zone or gets shuffled, since it is moving zones (from the battlefield to the library)?

[@mikepetrangelo5396]

It would shuffle into the library and then go to CZ. Realistically, you just add it to the command zone and shuffle.

[@trevorwilliams5144]

I play with progenitor mimic. I don’t mind you saying it’s over costed, but you don’t have to laugh at the idea that someone would play it.

[@TinyWiener]

1:23:13 WHEN u EVER had NOT over 150 cards xD