The Best Cards (In the 99) from Modern Horizons 3 | The Command Zone 616 | MTG Magic Commander

[@devfatdevshredded8792]

COMMAND ZONEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! DROP THE TRICKY TERRAIN PRECON UPGRADE GUIDE, AND MY LIFE IS YOURSSSS.

[@ianraymond9924]

Was just going to ask what is going on with that!

[@toxik_yeet4229]

On goddddd

[@LordKazake443]

at this point i don’t think it’s coming, there are other videos on upgrading the deck on youtube with good suggestions

[@burnsboy101]

@@LordKazake443not from any of the people I watch

[@IVI4V3R1CK]

For real! I've been waiting for that episode. Really curious to see what direction they lean into.

[@alexjunge5826]

The flavour of Emrakul 3 still dying to me saccing 12 squirrels to Chatterfang makes me feel real fuzzy inside.

[@styfen]

Squirrel Girl can't be beaten.

[@haydenbryan6244]

@@styfen Super excited to get to combine chatterfang with the new squirrel commander in Bloomburrow.

[@dangottsacker2061]

The Emrakul player is definitely taking all your squirrels. How are you removing Emrakul?

[@jdgarrison9913]

Remember kids, play Reliquary Tower AFTER Necrodominance.

[@xaxscratchxax926]

Why after? Wouldn't it work beforehand?

[@jdgarrison9913]

@@xaxscratchxax926 If you play Reliquary Tower, and THEN play Necrodominance, Necrodominance overrides Reliquary Tower, and you still have a max hand size of 5.

[@xaxscratchxax926]

@@jdgarrison9913 so why doesn't it work that way after? I didn't realize the order mattered for something like that.

[@thecrimsonfkr2818]

​@@xaxscratchxax926 both apply continuous effects modifying hand size. With two identical effects, we apply them in order, that order being when they entered the battle field. Necro would set your hand size to 5, then the tower would set it to unlimited.

[@numorean3285]

But the wording is: you have no maximum hand size. In my head that would supersede having a maximum hand size of 5. It just negates. I may very well be wrong.

[@hellehundt1]

One note on the card Final Act. Because you resolve modes in order, you can boardwipe and then exile graveyards which does result in everything you killed getting exiled. (as long as they weren't indestructible)

[@RBGolbat]

Although unlike Farewell, every death triggers will activate.

[@taylort643]

Also you aren’t forced to exile the graveyard if you want to load it up. Seems better than they’re giving it credit for

[@lovedead564]

@@taylort643 they know its good, but they don't want the price to go up lol. If they say it's bad then people wont want it, making the price drop.

[@taylort643]

@@lovedead564 yep that makes total sense. Especially since they called other cards good. They must be ok with price hikes only on those specifically.

[@lovedead564]

@@taylort643 prob because they pulled more of those cards and want the price to go up on them lol

[@jlaw131985]

Flare of Cultivation is really silly if you sac a creature that had an etb effect that gives you an extra land. Very quick and protected ramp.

[@CKarasu13]

Elvish Pioneer and Arboreal Grazer are 1 drops that super accelerate you with the green flare. Turn 2 and you have 4 mana.

[@jlaw131985]

And it is so well protected mana ramp…it could be brutal

[@davidstar2686]

​@@CKarasu13 shame it's not an instant like the others. But I prefer the 1 drop that on death gives everyone 2 lands.

[@bigmunch6992]

I’ve got a mill heavy lands deck so seeing I could flare of cultivation my world shaper when my graveyard was nice and full really made my heart happy.

[@Pinfeldorf]

Or Veteran Explorer ​@@CKarasu13

[@yukito2383]

Also Some Blink Effect allow Ulamog give itself 10 Counters since it sees itself in exile because the wording is "Enters with" not "When this enters the battlefield"

[@the_r4ts]

Not just some, every single blink effect does this ("blink" means exile and return)

[@brandondavis6952]

how can ulamog see itself on the board and in exile at the same time?

[@EnmaMusicProduction]

​@@brandondavis6952his ability is a replacement effect. Ulamog is still in exile before it hits the field once blinked and it sees itself in exile so it gets 10 +1/+1 counters

[@EnmaMusicProduction]

​@@brandondavis6952Its 3rd ability is a replacement effect so if Defiler gets blinked it sees itself in exile before it hits the battlefield therefore is the highest cmc spell in exile before it ETBs

[@coffeestain3239]

Regarding 3lamog, played him as my commander in a paper game last weekend. Exiled over 150 cards, annihilated 36 permanents, 24 of which was with one swing. I asked for feedback from the table (regular playgroup) and they were all fine with it, it's not a deck I play regularly, only high power games, we were all having a laugh. It also made me want therapy as I enjoyed making someone sacrifice 24 permanents with one attack trigger far too much.

[@jtorrico92]

I did kind of the same thing, except it was the Forsaken Monument Basalt Monolith combo with Echoes of Eternity and Ulalek on the table so I just kept paying the Ulalek/Echoes Trigger and exiled everybody's libraries lol

[@BenGutturals616]

How do you play with him as your commander if he technically doesn't have colorless pip in his mana cost?

[@GorbashKazdar]

I think folks are really missing the idea sacrifice target for Flare of Cultivation - your own commander that's been hit by Kenrith's Transformation. Especially since they just printed another version in MH3. I don't think that really changes the evaluation of the card, it's still a corner case, but that's the real upside to it.

[@LiberatorGalore]

From what I’ve seen in the last 2 weeks of CEDH at my Local game store, the cards that make the most impact have been the “Flares” specifically the green and blue ones, and that Drake that acts like a gilded drake but can be seen as removal if you can’t pay the Energy.

[@Chucklepuffs]

What creatures are the saccing to the green flare? That’s what I think holds it back, typically green has dorks on the field and I wouldn’t want to sacrifice those lol

[@leninade20]

@@Chucklepuffs Unless you're doing Elfball things or need it to chump, I would happily cash in any Llanowar Elf for two lands. The ideal creatures though are Elvish Pioneer and Aboreal Grazer.

[@dom6637]

@@Chucklepuffs Why not? Use the dork to play a spell, sacrifice the dork for getting an extra land drop that turn and getting a land for next turn. It's what I've been doing and it's real good.

[@Chucklepuffs]

@@dom6637 I get that but idk, I’d rather casts Cultivate on turn 2 and keep my dork around. I think it’s gonna come down to personal preference? I just don’t know that man 1 and 2 drops that i would want to sacrifice to this 🤔

[@dom6637]

​@@Chucklepuffs It sounds not that amazing but give it a go you might surprise yourself. At the end of the day, the dorks are just there to help us curve, by getting value from them, they're just vulnerable lands. Keep in mind, I'm not talking about casting the dork then instantly saccing it, although you can do that if you want to I guess. I'm saying, play the dork, next turn play a land, play a 3 drop turn 2 (which could be your standard cultivate if you want btw) then get rid of the now used dork for the free cultivate. You've now ramped super hard, guaranteed yourself a land drop which can't be understated since commander players typically undervalue consistent land drops vs ramping and you're now playing 6 drops by turn 3 while still actually being able to commit something useful on the board. It's quite nice tempo.

[@durandalbbcom]

Great episode! These are my favorite of each new set. I have an idea for content: what if after you finished the upgrade guides for each precon deck, you then did an extra turns episode where you play the upgraded precons against each other? Keep up the awesome work!

[@regnarissad]

Dreamtide Whale is absolutely amazing, I got it in my prerelease, and even though I played Abzan modified, I splashed blue exclusively for the whale (easier due to the landscapes) and it won multiple games for me. 7/5 for 3 is just insane

[@UnreasonableOpinions]

I have never seen the Whale die to vanishing in five games it got played, either getting targeted for removal or swept up in a wipe. It might as well not have vanishing.

[@bkyang624]

Arena of Glory went right into my Kaalia deck :)

[@jamesdavidson6976]

Thank you 🎉

[@Manny_lol]

Surprised to see no mention of Spymaster's Vault on here. Its the black land in the same cycle as Shifting Woodlands that has (Black)(tap): Target creature connives X, where X is the number of creatures that died this turn. I think this straight up replaces Castle Locthwain in black decks, since most of your turns youre probably killing or sacrificing something. I activated it after a board wipe last friday and it was the single best activation i made that game

[@shayneweyker]

Black utility lands have to work harder to be good because simply playing more swamps to power up coffers in mono-black decks is already attractive. I'd still play Spymaster's Vault with an indestructible commander because of destruction/damage board wipes and commander damage turning the land on. For sacrifice-themed decks it's just OK unless you play the voltron/scarifice where it's excellent. Kresh the Bloodbraided and Prossh just got their new best friend.

[@jlaw131985]

I think the funniest thing to do with the new Emrakul is to Aven Interrupter your own. You get the cast trigger and then you also don’t have to worry about the leaves the battlefield trigger. Also, you then have a plotted Emrakul.

[@juicedupjunkie2324]

😮 we did it boys! For 15 mana we have completed the full circlejurk

[@jlaw131985]

@@juicedupjunkie2324 I mean, you really gotta cheat, but yes.

[@another_jesus1867]

One-lamog, Two-lamog, Half-lamog, based on the cast trigger one and two targets and half the deck

[@drewschapow719]

French has the answer for us! 1. Un-lamog 2. Deux-lamog 3. Trois-lamog (Or just say “New-lamog” for the newest one to keep the oo sound going)

[@TheyCallMeDio]

Old-lamog New-lamog Newer-lamog

[@zyrese]

Oldlamog, twolamog and Newlamog

[@dougfile6644]

Ulamog, 2-lamog, Newlamog

[@jlaw131985]

@@drewschapow719 saying twah-lamog would make me feel like I was about to be beaten with a baguette.

[@jasa4079]

There's honestly no better feeling than using amphibian downpour on your opponent's psychic frogs. I turned my opponents frogs into frogs! Also Final Act specifically ends the Meren player.

[@Fabysmally]

Where is ocelot pride? Best white creature in mh3

[@QuizzzTimezzz]

To your question which commander wants 20 or more creatures with Power 4 or more, my Runadi Behemoth Caller deck runs 26 creatures with power 4 or greater 😁

[@maxbodifee3263]

Yeah there are plenty of deck that run 20+ big boys. My Mayael had over 30 but she got scrapped for Atla and now I only play ~10. And win most games instead of lose them all 😅

[@theaeskey2502]

Someone used an invert polarity against me in a game on arena and I damn near lost my mind. Totally underrated this card but it’s powerful for sure.

[@velonti4866]

First thought that came to mind for Arena of Glory was putting it in my Obeka, Splitter of Seconds deck.

[@tamska]

The whale is insane engine, since it can be triggered by all players per turn. So potential 4 triggers per round. In poison deck it is extremely powerful

[@chronoatog5650]

Cthonian Nightmare I can see having so many enablers, doesn't even have to be infinite mana with dock side. Just re-occurring something like E.Witness its all fun and games til the board is being spammed with farewell every turn.

[@E793]

Ripples of Undeath is my favorite card! It feels so good every time I get it.

[@hanschristopherson8056]

Amphian downpour is interesting in brudiclad because it creates tokens that you control so it’s removal until you try to win

[@frozentyphoon2049]

It'd be interesting to see a podcast where you put cards into the "tier" or power level you feel like it belongs. For instance, jeweled lotus, the one ring, mana crypt at 9 or 10, etc.

[@t.yop9]

They really think Flare of Cultivation is bad? JLK: "Why sac a creature when you can just cast your cultivation?". I mean...you could say this about any alternative cost spell...why do you think they're good? You can use your mana dork to cast a ramp spell, then get another free ramp with Flare of Cultivation. Now you're a turn ahead. You're welcome.

[@Setzer]

If you sacrifice a mana dork to cultivate, you're still net even on your mana production.

[@SAWNERDDDSE]

i know right, “why pay 0 mana when i can pay 3?” is absolutely not an argument i expected to hear from somebody i presume to be a decent player

[@ashole6226]

You guys are wild, for saying Kodama’s Reach and Cultivate aren’t cutting it anymore. They are still super reliable ramp.

[@IsaacTreat]

If you blink Ulamog, it comesback with 10 counters.

[@Saphire_Throated_Carpenter_Ant]

I guess I'm not good enough with the rules to understand that interaction, but I know I have been waiting to cast it until I have an emrakul in exile to my ugins labyrinth. 20/20, annihilator 13!

[@jakecasson4504]

Ulamog sees itself as the highest mana value in exile (unless you have a higher costed spell in exile) then it would enter with 10. Very cool

[@MintyMagicMTG]

How? It's not in exile while it ETBs. It can't be on the battlefield and in exile at the same time.

[@IsaacTreat]

Because of the text "enters with", it sees itself in exile. 400.6.If an object would move from one zone to another, determine what event is moving the object. If the object is moving to a public zone and its owner will be able to look at it in that zone, its owner looks at it to see if it has any abilities that would affect the move. If the object is moving to the battlefield, each other player who will be able to look at it in that zone does so. Then any appropriate replacement effects, whether they come from that object or from elsewhere, are applied to that event. If any effects or rules try to do two or more contradictory or mutually exclusive things to a particular object, that object’s controller-or its owner if it has no controller-chooses which effect to apply, and what that effect does. (Note that multiple instances of the same thing may be mutually exclusive; for example, two simultaneous “destroy” effects.) Then the event moves the object.

[@chasebecicka232]

Or Minic Vat him, hasty Ulamog's that always come in with 10.

[@Psibound]

adding the whale with the someone who can clone the whale. So you can double proliferate every turn or more.

[@ilovedemian12974]

Emrakul can actually be really good in mono blue as well considering all the artifacts in decks like urza!

[@Rizso1]

Flare of duplication is the best flare of the cycle imo. Its very flexible unlike flare of denial it furthers your gameplan. necrodominance is 10/10 for cedh, necrodominance has already sloted in. Necro combo is very hot now. necro + borne and final fortune.

[@fiercedeavora]

The Goodlamog, the badlamug, and the uglyamog.

[@matthiasmoser6096]

Good one!!! XD

[@maxbodifee3263]

Except they are all ugly 😄

[@abhi.shook.52]

uglamog?

[@Theycallmelilmike]

Dewey-lamog Malcolm-lamog Reese-lamog

[@UnimooseProductions]

Love the beginning section where you guys cover strong and simple cards that you don't have to go too in depth with. Would like to see this kind of thing for cards that are good in specific decks like zombies, elves, etc in regular sets. It's quick, easy, and informative.

[@lovedead564]

flare of cultivation is good with scute swarm, once you start swarming up. you just kill the main scute and just make more scutes.

[@ryanjohnson3153]

As a predominantly Naya player, I take offense to your assessment of Flare of cultivation. I promise you, Voja loves this card. Ward makes it so that board wipes are almost always lurking somewhere. As a green player if you rely too much on your mana dorks you get severely punished with a board wipe. This ensures that you can change your mana dork into permanent ramp as early as turn 1. You guarantee WRG on turn 2 so that turn 3 Voja is likely out and ready to play.

[@tonarinookami]

I liked how Rachel count the "green, green, green, green, green, green" around 34:00 unlike the "colorless, colorless, colorless, colorless, colorless, colorless" right before that.

[@colinbrown74]

I will say that, at least on EDHRec, Cultivate is still the most used Green card.

[@pascalsimioli6777]

Yeah which is why people play it even more... Which is why it's the most played on edh rec... Which is why people play it even more... Risen and repeat. People don't know why they play what the play.

[@comlitbeta7532]

​@@pascalsimioli6777 "everyone is stupid except me"

[@sambrown9475]

One two and three lamog is an insanely funny naming imma steal that and Midlamog 😂

[@bc6292]

Everyone out here thirsty for that tricky terrain precon upgrade... I included Bilbo's Ring in my upgrade. Lets you get in free attacks with Omo and equips for one. It's also a perfect turn 4 followup to Omo.

[@AStormbl3ssed]

1-lamog 2-lamog red-lamog blue-lamog

[@sahjhan1]

KZbin had a "Translate to English" option on this comment. Apparently "lamog" is "soft" in tagalog.

[@AStormbl3ssed]

@@sahjhan1that’s fantastic

[@jperry253]

Josh not realizing Flare of Denial was printed into a set called Modern Horizons 3 is adorable.

[@jacobtrahan1993]

Amphibian downpour is the new all star in my Tatsunari deck. Everybody frogs!

[@Chucklepuffs]

Stole my opponents 2 cost commander and paid the energy, bounced it back to my hand with sink into stupor that i drew the following turn then stole another 3 cost commander and paid to keep it. They weren’t too happy 😅

[@olivierdebilde4292]

I just wanna say out loud how much I appreciate how much Josh gives importance to Rachel's opinion about everything and it is definitely a very smart move. The Command Zone rocks !

[@shayneweyker]

Necrodominance also calls back to Necrologia, and instant that can *only* be played in your step and lets you draw x cards and lose x life.

[@JMDSlayer]

The opening convo earned my like. Amazing content 👍

[@superawesomemegawin1]

Sorry guys, Cthonian Nightmare DOES NOT go infinite on it's own with Dockside. Sacrificing the creature (DE) is part of the cost, so you first activate the ability, declare target in graveyard and then costs are paid. You need a 3rd card (a creature in graveyard that is 3mv or less) to begin the loop as long as dockside nets 4 treasures.

[@andrewpeli9019]

Yes… they said this.

[@ingolf82]

Fanatic of Rhonas is an auto-include in Raggadragga decks, he has 4 power and this becoMes a 3/6 with Raggadragga out. The answer to your question Josh when reviewing this card is "Selvala wants powerful creatures" and she herself is small. Correction Josh: Final act CAN exile everything, because the abilities on the card resolve in order: destroy all creatures, then planeswalkers, then battles and THEN it exiles all of them and then players lose energy/experience/poison counters. it doesn't hit artfacts or enchantments though, but that is black's weakness after all. I tried fitting Flare of denial into my high power temur pirates deck, it just has no place there. outside of Malcolm, my commander, I have 1 blue creature, which is Siren stormtamer and that already does what this does for 1 mana. all I want is protection from removal spells, I don't care to counter anything else and Siren stormtamer does that job.

[@Skdrgn0]

New Emrakul looses to a simple land: Homeward Path

[@mr.nakamura9088]

Suspiciously not included in the MH3 Commander decks but likely coming to a secret lair just as demand creeps that price up.

[@TelesphoreArt]

I absolutely love your content and team and all your past work. You helped me get into magic and feel confident. Now that I’m not lost in the sea of “what’s that?” I want to share a request that could hopefully help your content even more. Please make cut down episodes or other videos with this same info for those of us who don’t have the time for 2 hour episodes! It would be rad to even have a website where we could read and reference your selections. Thanks!

[@ardillero]

One of my favourites right now is Springheart Nantuko

[@smashemany2920]

drop land play arboreal grazer drop another land flare cultivation 4 land turn 2

[@Rouricht]

I love that Talon Gates of Madara is a gate. You can find it with Maze's End! :D

[@maxbodifee3263]

Flare of Cultivation is perfect in golgari decks such as Savra, Meren, Mazirek. You don't run it to pay the mana for it or straight up replace cultivate. It is a 30$ card

[@PapaBlach]

You should play commander with the odd1sout.

[@tonyho3450]

where is the omo deck tech >:( u still havent done taht one yet T_T

[@Pookielove1123]

Literally every time they post I'm upset that it isn't the Omo deck tech!

[@pintlemounted]

@@Pookielove1123same!

[@jonathanbradley4639]

I've also been wondering this

[@jlaw131985]

Admittedly, that one is really complex

[@maxbodifee3263]

It is an awfull design. But you can build it as Kindred tribal and run all the lords and anthem like cards

[@kamakazi339]

Y'all are way too low on the green flair and way too high on the red one imo

[@weirdo82]

I will add that Emrakul's ability to take all creatures target play controls is a *cast trigger.* So if you, or anyone else tries to counter it, *you won't have to sacrifice your creatures,* as Emrakul never entered the battlefield, so thus *can't leave the battlefield!*

[@CKarasu13]

Countering new Emrakul is really bad. You still get the trigger and you don't have to worry about her death trigger.

[@weirdo82]

@@CKarasu13 For your opponents to counter, sure, I see it as a pretty bad move. However, I also see it as a neat trick to counter her yourself.

[@vitskicks2297]

29:27 just so you know you have to have a valid target in your graveyard to activate cthonian nightmare, you can’t just have 0 creatures in the graveyard and loop a creature you have on the battlefield by sacrificing it

[@adamlay7317]

wow was just thinking about when this would come out

[@TheQSwizzle]

Your editing / video ides are truly top notch stuff

[@kingaceface]

Hey, what if I fork a removal spell....could it kill Emrakul? It wasn't "cast" that turn....hmmmm

[@harleybaker4684]

My favorite card of the set is for sure the soul trader. And it is 100% because I’m a Chatterfang player lol. Even without a payoff, “pay a life add 1 mana” is insanely powerful and helps you curve perfectly into any payoff in hand. Its types are also all amazing and will definitely be the reason why it finds just so many homes. Its just such a versatile card

[@dylanglenn]

My vote for the name for the new Ulamog is Neo-Newlamog xD Thanks for the video! It was super fun to watch and there are a bunch of cards you brought up that I hadn't caught on to yet.

[@ethanball8027]

With Amphibian Downpour you overlooked the fact that the storm count is increased by opponents as well. So if my opponent casts 2 spells on their turn you can cast Amphibian Downpour and take out their 3 best creatures.

[@mymarshlands]

they did mention that

[@justinvamp15]

The talk of recurring nightmare made we want a Command Zone episode of no-ban commander so badly!

[@BriggsMullen]

For Null Elemental Blast in a green deck: I didn't consider to put a Wastes in for my basic fetches. In my Gruul landfall deck, I've got a handful of lands that tap for colorless - I'll have to see if I have enough sources and maybe pick up a Wastes.

[@juand9989]

Chthonian Nightmare is a powerful car yet fair. Recurring nightmare has a very important issue, after resolving there is no window of opportunity for you to kill it, as the return to hand is part of the cost. With the new Chthonian Nightmare there is an etb trigger (generate energy) and the activation is sorcery speed, so we can interact with it. It has a lot of combo potential, so it's for the competitive games.

[@Deedotcharles]

Played Ripples of Undeath in Anikthea at locals tonight, man that card is good

[@balloonduelist5640]

Talon Gates of Madara Is such a good card I was playing in a high power game with friends where I was on Rograkh Thrasios and an opponent had just resolved a grand abolisher. (I couldnt counter it because I only had an offer you cant refuse in hand.) then they cast a torment of hailfire where x was equal to 15. I proceeded to use the ability of talon gates of mandara put it into play and phase out the grand abolisher I then proceeded to use the offer you cant refuse to counter the torment while it was still on the stack. litteraly saving the game for myself and then won on my next turn.

[@spacewizard3433]

Ulamog, the Defiler is in my Bristly Bill deck.

[@JamesSamson487]

Dude…

[@xMitchxRecklessx]

Emrakul can do some cool things though. You gain control of another players creatures on the CAST trigger. You could cast it and counter it yourself, that way he doesn’t hit the field, and if he doesn’t hit the field he doesn’t leave the field, and if he doesn’t leave the field you just get to keep all their stuff!

[@Robophill]

Since Chthonian Nightmare says "Return target creature", the target needs to be legal when you announce the activation of the ability. If there is no target, you can't activate the ability. Same as how a spell needs you to specify targets before costs are paid. So unfortunately doesn't go infinite with dockside and such without additional help.

[@jttownsend3576]

Amphibian Downpour is so good in spellslinger decks because of the flash. Yes, it isn’t an instant or sorcery, but those decks get storm counts which is relevant.

[@XiyukiKuro]

the one thing you missed with ulamog is if you blink him he counts himself for 10

[@dom6637]

How? He can't etb and be in exile for his own ability.

[@Sckizixx]

@@dom6637 because it's not an etb but as it enters.

[@rdirizarry1]

It’s a replacement effect and uses last known info so it sees itself in exile before entering the battlefield.

[@Aaroc200]

Oh!. Oh my, I just got an idea for my Ayara, Asshole of the Realm deck. Currently, I reanimate things with her after she flips and try to make sure I can sacrifice them before EOT (my typical targets are edict creatures). It might actually be fun to have Ulamog in her deck, l get big expensive targets get exiled (Like Abhorrent Overlord), then start reanimating him and giving him Annihilator 7. Speaking of Ayara, she's probably looking forward to Ripples of Undeath and Flare of Malice. Chthonian Nightmare isn't high on her list, but could be. I would serve as a sac outlet, at least, as long as I have small creatures in her graveyard, which she usually doesn't..

[@alanevans5353]

Null Elemental Blast is definitely playable in any color, I think it doesn't get kicked out of a deck until you're running Dimir or Azorius, but even then one mana to destroy a permanent or counter a spell is a very good rate.

[@christianbarrera2489]

They going thru my whole inner dialogue on those flare spells. Spooky

[@inkarozu2309]

Ok, you sold me on Talon Gates of Madara. Sowing Mycospawn is my pick for best card. Sure its 4 mana, but it is search any land into play untapped, and its on a cast trigger! If its later game and you have 6 mana, you also remove your opponent's strongest land. Which is again on a cast trigger!

[@Jo_Der_Punk]

With Ulamog it counts the number of +1 counters for its Annihilatior, so if you can increase this with prolifrate/ doubling season/divergent Evolution suddenly they need to sac alot of permanents

[@jackwright7879]

The Talon Gates of Madara are part of how Bolas escaped the Mending during Time Spiral. So it's abilities are super weird in isolation, but it kind of does exactly what it did in the lore. Which is cool.

[@alexmarinescu1506]

I have ordered and received Dreamtide Whale. If you wouldn't have mentioned it, I had no idea it was a 7/5

[@JoshKurien]

About the final act, it is Particularly good against specifically the doctor who deck with all the time counters because it removes all the suspension counters on cheated out creatures. But that is the only specific scenario i can think of where this is better

[@minine6508]

1:04:40 i think y'all should do a podcast episode on Soul Shatters and the like. Sheoldred's Edict, Pick your Poison, etc. I've found to be using them a LOT more than defaulting to the standard suite of removal in commander. I just think paying maybe 1 or 2 extra mana to 3 for 1 my opponents is nutso value

[@crawdaddy2004]

42:22 What people forget is that anything that is destroyed by Final Act and put into a graveyard (so not things like Progenitus) will be exiled if you choose to exile all graveyards.

[@johnbarrie447]

I came close to trading away my Invert Polarity because I didn't read it closely enough, glad I didn't get around to it now that I actually know all the text on it. It'll be a rare actually good card in my Nassari deck.

[@al8188]

Man, the rules committee pointing out that "Recurring Nightmare: The Gathering" would make for extremely stale, repetitive games and that this would be an undesirable outcome is not them legislating what you're allowed to have fun with. Especially in an era of pickup games at an LGS where kitchen table magic is subordinate to Commander as the driving force for products the continued insistence that "oh, we shouldn't be making judgments about whats fun for others" should take precedence over managing obvious problems looks increasingly bogus. Maybe Recurring Nightmare guy loves the time he is having with that one trick deck, but there are 3 other players at the table. Going "yeah, it would be wack if the entire game revolved around this one card every time it hit the board" is absolutely a normal statement to make.

[@DrRoflcopter43]

Arixmethes is a commander that has tons of creatures with power 4 or greater in it, but itself "technically" isn't a creature with power 4 or greater, since it's just a land for a while haha

[@Lazydino59]

I really hope chthonian nightmare catches a ban. Average CMC is too low these days the energy requirement feels not limiting enough at 3, and its so easy to combo with AND only 2 mana. There are a significant number of situations where chthonian is straight up better than recurring based on CMC alone. Turn 6-9 is 3 chthonian vs 2 recurring.

[@zweis]

Going by that logic every single card more powerful than Chthonian Nightmare should also be banned right? Dockside, Underworld Breach, Demonic Tutor, Rhystic Study, Smothering Tithe, and The Great Henge all have to go. Free counter magic, most of the free Commander cycle, all fast mana (including Sol Ring), Mystic Ramora, land ramp that comes in untapped, and anything which can win the game with a multitude of A+B combos like Thoracle, Protean Hulk, Dualcaster Mage, and Food Chain. If you truly believe bans should be based on how powerful a card is make sure you advocate for all those being banned before Cthonian Nightmare

[@Lazydino59]

@@zweis correct, cards more powerful than it should be banned. Incorrect, most of the cards you listed are not as good (some are, like dockside). Just because you don’t like a lot of strong cards doesn’t mean they’re ban-worthy you really just wrote a whole essay saying nothing of value except “I don’t like A B C D”

[@zweis]

@@Lazydino59 1) I enjoy playing with and against powerful cards that's why I play EDH and cEDH. 2) Every single card (or list of cards for the win conditions) I've listed is an auto include in cEDH. Chthonian Nightmare isn't an auto include making it a worse card by definition. 3) The problem with Recurring Nightmare isn't the power, the card actually isn't very good. Outside of the power 8 there isn't a single banned card that's better than Sol Ring, Mana Crypt, Rhystic Study, or Dockside. The reason why Recurring Nightmare is banned is because it can't be interacted with outside of the stack.

[@imarecknyou]

@@zweis Regarding it's banned status, the same can be said about planeswalker spells, since priority will be given to you if the spell is not countered on the stack. And even then you can always stifle the ability once it's activated; there are plenty "counter activated ability" cards. Anyway, what known combo is so efficient that makes Recurring Nightmare still banned in commander if I may ask? And are any of them faster than Thassa's Consultation combo?

[@zweis]

@@imarecknyou Planeswalker spells don't bounce themselves to hand as activation cost you goon. THINK MARK

[@alexandrebourque599]

I see Flare of Cultivation going very well with Viridian Emissary

[@NGPhotoVideo-Youtube]

Rachel talked a lot about Ripples of Undeath because it's the only thing out there. And I do like the card a lot - I've added it to my 2 black graveyard decks. But why does no one seem to play Out of The Tombs. Though it does not contain the text that allows you to pay 1 and put one of the cards into your hand, it will mill a LOT as the game goes if you get it down early (which is when you want to play mill pieces anyway).

[@JimmyInc]

Loving Defilermog with Mimeoplasm shenanigans, it will see itself in exile so that's 10 counters guaranteed plus whatever other big power thing you choose

[@timothygerbig875]

Emrakul in Kinnan seems pretty good, because Kinnan already goes infinite with Basalt Monolith.

[@biiill5259]

The thing about emrakul having that 6 colorless madness. Remember that colorless nana is far more common as a secondary source than colored mana. Soul ring is 2. Mana crypt is 2. +2 pain lands and boom you have 6 colorless. If you don’t want mana crypt you can use worn powerstone

[@ethanboyd2981]

To answer your question "what commander would run 20+ creatures power 4 or greater that isn't 4 or greater itself?" My Svella, Ice Shaper deck has 27 creatures power 4 or greater and is itself a 2/4.

[@makingnoises2327]

With Fanatic of Rhonas, you can mill it over, then eternalize it as a 4 mana 4/4 that taps for GGGG, which is still solid.

[@Omaly360]

I think the Flare cycle are a step in the right direction for free spells. They seem to have one of the steepest "free" costs compared to the others.

[@KyleRollandMarceau]

Im surprised, no mention of the flip-walkers? Tamiyo and Ral seem pretty darn strong