The Spiciest Wilds of Eldraine Commanders | The Command Zone 557 | MTG EDH Magic

[@commandcast]

Which commanders do you think are the most interesting Commanders in the set? Are you planning on building any of the Commanders we talked about today? What are the hot pieces of tech that we missed?

[@Hudson_TheDog]

I have no idea because I haven’t really seen the set but I am going to the pre-release tomorrow so that will be fun so I can get a look at the cards and I feel for them

[@commandcast]

@@Hudson_TheDog Enjoy the Prerelease! We'll be prereleasing this weekend as well!

[@Hudson_TheDog]

@@commandcastnice have fun 😊

[@nikkiglitch]

Ever since she was spoiled ive been doing nothing but brewing Agatha she's SO fun and funky

[@robertospina2253]

@commandcast what about a curses-themed Eriette?

[@nemanjazivic4379]

I gotta say, Rachel you made the command zone techs a lot more interesting. To me it feels like the podcasts with commander techs have usually had generic card suggestions, the most powerful but also the most common. It feels like you've added more unique and interesting choices for commanders overall which is quite fun to listen to and it gets the creative juices flowing :)

[@isaakhyde8327]

Agreed. And she seems more invested in things too, at least to me. Jimmy didn't really feel like he wanted to be here to me- or at least that he didn't want to be talking about these particular cards.

[@RobertoBlanco232]

I really wish Eriette was Esper for cards like Willbreaker, Vesuvan Duplimancy, the fun (bad) blue Auras (can even play the Mind Control cards!) and the curse roles that blue has in WOE - casting Asinine Antics would feel so so good

[@CZdamenlenz]

Esper is Bestper

[@grizzlyreaper7477]

Meh, she's not really a blue playstayle. You're literally saying it's too bad she's not Sen Triplets... That's the deck you described.

[@shrimpboatgames8002]

If you love Vesuvan Duplimancy, then consider making your commader Zur, Eternal Schemer as the commander!

[@Jason-ji2zx]

I think Eriette wants you to stack your deck with evasion and "Protection from " type auras that you wouldn't normally run due to limited utility. Still probably under powered, but thematic.

[@Matyld]

Would she have been she would have take Aminatou's place commanding my curse deck... Instead she'll join the 99

[@Jack-of-Hearts-]

Eriette has sooooo many cool options! Curses, recurrable auras, auras that retarget! I built her so that when she comes down she’s a bomb that’ll drain the table for a ton !

[@theabrandt6177]

Agatha is one of the commanders I was most excited for when she got spoiled! May be my first gruul deck. Really looking forward to slamming down pretty much whatever I draw. A million hydras with hydra broodmaster, burnout with bhaal's invoker, massively buffed creatures with wildheart invoker, cheap indestructible creatures with soul of new phyrexia, an entire board of 8/8 lands with silvanus's invoker....it just keeps going! Even just transforming vorinclex for GG seems hilarious.

[@hotdachsbun]

Ever opening should have a song. I forgot how much i missed it until Josh and Jimmy did it again this past month. Great channel.

[@thezacdaniel5409]

Rachel you’re the most esteemed and I require you on every command zone podcast. In fact, you’re all I need.

[@MattyIce2496]

Well, I’m throwing Agatha into my Kenrith deck ASAP

[@ivettea.192]

So happy to see you talk about Eriette! I'm also working on her as a commander, and I've come to the same conclusion that I want her to be a more pillowforty/political deck because it's way too risky to bet everything on the "bad" auras strategy: so I've decided to put a number of creatures in the deck that either help me with the life gain/drain, drawing cards or that encourage people to attack someone else (I've finally managed to put Regna and Krav into a deck, yay!). I also wanted to have creatures to reuse the lifegain aspect of Eriette's ability and play Celestine. The card Not Dead After All is a great protection piece that also creates an Aura (and it has flavour over 9000 because Eriette's in there). As for the auras part: I felt it important to put auras that don't render the creature completely useless but that either prevent the creature from blocking or activating its abilities (like Demotion) or that can bounce themselves or can be played from the graveyard (aside from the ones you mentioned, I've included: Skyblade's boon, Conviction and Nurgle's Rot). I very much like Spellbook Vendor in the deck because it can generate auras every turn (and it takes only 1 card slot). I like the idea of playing Meticulous Excavation because it allows me to replay my auras and change targets if necessary (although you can only activate it during your own turn, and it's a bit mana intensive). I'm not too sold on the idea of playing curses with her because it will make you a bigger threat for your opponents (and because I don't particularly enjoy playing with them). Loved the episode!

[@EmperorNorton668]

Rachel's little "Thank the team!" dance is precious.

[@wildman274]

I am building Beluna, and the way I'm looking to build her is to use the fact that we aren't always going to hit well on the spell side, so we put in some eternal witness style effects to bring things back that we mill. We can also use the mill to get things like Wonder or Anger in the grave to get their effects going. I'm not sure how powerful it's going to end up being, but I am excited to give it a try and find out!

[@generalofhel2093]

I build an Eriette deck and honestly i just ignored the first part of her ability. I do have auras that go on opponent's creatures (mosty goad effects or negative effects such as darksteel mutation) but they will never come back to hit me harder because one of my auras are on their creatures. I also put in curses that go on the opponent's themselves that are hard to remove. My wincon isn't even really the drain from Eriette it's more putting a bunch of auras on my creatures and killing through combat. If Eriette drains them in the process it's just a net positive. Although I did include a ton of protection auras and recursion in order to keep the value going.

[@kitcobb6046]

I’m honestly so surprised and disappointed that CZ didn’t say ANYTHING about Curses with Eriette, which seem like they’d be quite on theme and harder auras to remove, enabling her second ability more.

[@jamesevalentine]

I love my Kaima deck which is the gruul Eriette. Prioritized all auras that you get back when it goes to grave, cantrips on ETB, or has an activated ability to return to hand. That last one is great to trigger enchantress draw effects. Feel like goad is less annoying than life drain here

[@walterwiffles7384]

Brenard (also find the extra r strange) is basically the Muffin Man. So I will need to build a deck around him sooner than later :D

[@Aryst4r]

For eriette you have alot of cantripping or returning low cost aura's, yes mostly use those that buff your opp creatures, then you can still use smth like All that glitters on your commander or creatures and swing big. ofcourse this commander draws attention because it pings every end of your turn, but arent all commanders prone to removal? just play defensive aura's with flash aswell, or use sigarda's aid. nothing is foolproof anyway.

[@neco-arc]

6:05 it reads “other creatures”. So it wouldn’t buff her own power.

[@commandcast]

Good catch!

[@leonardoromanelli209]

One thing about Agatha that i am surprised didn't get mentioned. She gets NAUGHTY with land untappers like seedborn muse, awakening and wilderness reclamation. Creature abilities are mostly instant speed. Untappers like those give agatha the ability to basically play more turns than everybody else at the table, since abilities is where you want to spend most of your mana lategame anyway.

[@ntr.fuhrer]

It’s common sense bro just like how basalt monolith is common sense infinite colourless it’s another zirda whoopty doo

[@brandoncreek5709]

​@immanuelbucar3289 I mean it's only infinite if you can turn it into a creature. Not impossible to do but it's a little more than "common sense"

[@em688]

I think the biggest missed piece of tech in Beluna is Song of Creation. Store a bunch of mediocre creatures on adventure and then turn them all in to draw2s with free ramp every turn to keep churning out more, and build in the heavy flashback/Lier/Underworld Breach theme to play from the yard.

[@stephenbradford8524]

If you've got a way to give Syr Ginger haste repeatedly, she can be her own sac outlet. That's the avenue I'm most interested in exploring.

[@ericdundas9768]

I just realized the goose mother makes half X foods because the golden egg costs 2, and it sacs foods similar to the egg's effect of drawing cards

[@jasonbelkengren1855]

So Eriette, you know what are auras? Curses, and they can't simply be sacrificed. Like you said, the first part is a bit of a trap.

[@sandor4678]

I'm loving the thumbnails lately, these are absolute fire 🔥

[@lenny-822]

obsessed with the way Rachel says "Bhaal's Invoker" 😆

[@violetto3219]

BALLS invoker

[@adambuckley7687]

For Eriette you guys didn't mention that player Enchantments are also Auras which will trigger her second ability as well

[@matthewcross7654]

For Eriette, if you're up against something like a token deck where you just can't enchant enough of your opponents things, a very nice combo is Doomwake Giant and Screams from Within. Screams from Within can also exploit other Constellation triggers by targeting small creatures and having multiple etb's

[@Superangeldemongirl]

I'm pretty excited for Brenard and making a cookie army!

[@heroneoss]

I’m a tad bit sad they didn’t bring up that Eriette works pretty well with curses, since they’re usually the cards that want to be removed first. I think it’d be a perfect subtheme in the deck

[@nimmer4749]

I think they missed the mark a bit with Eriette in general. Not all of the auras on the field need to be put on your opponents' stuff, they acknowledge that, but then they don't talk about it at all really. Randomly turning Eriette into a big beater with invulnerability and Kaya's Ghostform on it is not hard to do with the card. Where's the Ethereal Armor + All That Glitters + Kaya's Ghostform + Timely Ward talk?

[@heroneoss]

@@nimmer4749 agreed, I have a really solid list that I’m really doing well with and it uses lots of “attack me=bad for you” type cards like no mercy or hissing miasma, obviously the typical exquisite blood combos work also, and wound reflection is a really big finisher for the deck..just plenty of good options that didn’t seem to be covered too deeply. Credit where it’s due tho they did a bunch of cards in one video

[@MrMalorian]

I think the best build for Eriette is prison effects: enchanting opponents so they can't attack. Then add the vows and impetus cards. This way killing your commander still doesn't allow them to attack you.

[@Soulus101]

I threw a Kellan build together last night. I think it's a different take on Koll/Bruenor, and in fact most of my cards for it were pilfered from Zurgo, but I'm looking forward to playing it. The hardest part is that it's part Voltron-part go-wide, but actually I think it'll work quite well. I actually struggled making cuts from the 90 or so cards I had (still no home for Dancing Sword!).

[@Z-S-H]

Agatha of the Vile Cauldron has to be my favorite so I agree with Rachel, I dont know if I will build a deck around her but I look forward to watching the next game knights to see her played and how the deck was brewed!

[@SuperCred1t]

I need to make Eriette work lol. My group is super casual so Im hoping I can get her to work out

[@danielgoldberg2129]

I’m still trying to build a Lulu Vehicles deck from one of your earlier videos, but I guess I’ll watch this one too. Lol😂

[@Myagic]

I need to watch that video I love that idea!

[@DrSneelex]

You can see jimmy having flashbacks from feast of fiction when he starts talking about eggs

[@rwmj_7569]

For Eriette card draw you could use role tokens and Ardenn. Move any number of your roles to one creature and all, but one drop off and you get that many cards.

[@Z-S-H]

For Beluna Grandsquall by running a few fetches and Crucible of Worlds you could find it and play it then be able to play any lands you mill which would greatly increase the percentage of usable cards that you would mill upping that percentage, also if you put in cards with flashback or other ways of playing from graveyard then you would also be able to play those which would increase your percentage. It would absolutely take some deck building and tweaking but this is a totally usable commander in my opinion in a mill/graveyard matters deck, the adventure cards you include going to your hand is really only half of the equation in my opinion.

[@MythicRuns]

PS there are 7 heads on the Goose Mother Hydra ;-) Sorry could not resist. But however another AMAZING episode, thanks for all you do guys and gals

[@grizzlyreaper7477]

People keep saying Agatha can increase her own power. She can't. She says "Other Creatures." RTFC 😂

[@drakko95]

I like Korvold the most, since I've loved the original, but he easily gets hated out by most people, almost to an unnecessary degree. The new one still does the Korvold thing, but at least it's a more fair version of his effect. I can't wait to build him!

[@steve8846]

buffing your opponents creatures is the real gem of Eriette. "who wants this cloak of mists? ok attack this other player."

[@commandergamer3337]

I would love seeing a pod with kibler and Duke. That pod would be a firework show

[@elysium2793]

There's actually 7 heads in that Goose Mother, there's 1 head facing the other side. Maybe I'm the only one noticing that.

[@CUATROMORCE]

maybe you are the only one. maybe you are special. maybe they are coming for you. beware the goose hydra

[@samuelsanders1701]

Love this type of video!

[@aaron4208]

When it comes to Eriette there are only a select few auras that either benefit you (that your have room for), that only negatively impact your opponents, or that entice your opponents to attack each other rather then you (even when your commander is stuck in the command zone). With that in mind it seems like a far better idea to focus the deck around curses. Curses will not trigger Eriette's first ability but they will affect the drain ability as they are still auras. They also have the added benefits of being harder to remove because they are not attached to creatures, and they are still detrimental to your opponents when your commder is not on the battlefield. Ghostly Prison effects will do a fine job of keeping creatures off of your back when run along side the auras that you want to attach to your opponents creatures. A few additional drain affects that amplify Eriette's draining should help you to close out the game if you can slow your opponents down for long enough. This type of build will not change the fact that Eriette will still be a big removal target, but it will change the relative value of removing her when compared to other threats.

[@chamaohug0]

For an adventure commander deck, I'm thinking about Extus as the commander, its not from this set and not many support in these colors, but it will let you pick a creature with adventure from your graveyard every time you cast an adventure.

[@grizzlyreaper7477]

Why is everyone putting bad Auras in Eriette? Put in good ones that make your opponents best things awesome. They're less likely to use a sac outlet on the thing. Then just run some good protection for your commander and done.

[@eriksonsmyth2819]

I feel like curses should have been mentioned with Eriette

[@blackchaos5275]

I like Eriette I feel like not getting the card draw isn’t really that big of a deal considering you could buff her yourself with auras like an all that glitters but the main thing is that’s commander damage so much value

[@spellbreakerunbound]

Speaking of XXG Monstrous, Agatha goes crazy with Hydra Broodmaster, that cost reduction to make a ton of huge dudes is quite solid.

[@nimmer4749]

I think you guys missed the mark with Eriette a bit. The top part of the card is tricky to build around, you're right, but that's why it's important to focus on keeping Eriette on the board. With colors like black and white, it's REALLY easy to tutor protection auras for Eriette! And even then, it's best to build hybrid auras; some go on your own creatures, and some go on your opponents. Some matches you might rarely enchant your opponents, others you might only enchant them. But the deck absolutely wants tutors and also to be filled with cards like Kaya's Ghostform, Timely Ward, Gift of Immortality, Shielded by Faith, Minions' Return. You guys gotta get back in the lab with Eriette, you're too tunnel focused on the first part of the card.

[@xKiKKoMaNx]

Soothsaying is probably the perfect card for the Temur adventures deck. End of opponent's turn activate soothsaying dig as deep as you can and rearrange to your advantage.

[@matejpasteka7693]

Agatha likes Shaman of Forgotten Ways... Pump her up, use shaman's ability and smash!

[@Chaoslorden]

Beluna has green in it. I'd thin the deck like crazy with spells that searches for lands. That ups your percentage alot. Plan will be ramp ramp ramp, thin the deck, then start adventuring like a crazy person.

[@Doofindork]

I love Agatha, because I love reducing the costs of activated abilities. I am however playing her as a one of the 99 in a Kenrith deck instead. 5-color activated ability tribal!

[@atlasrises4]

It was Agatha all along!

[@crazman36]

Wow Agatha is a crazy card for King Kenrith decks, another training ground/Zirda/biomancer

[@nikkiglitch]

agatha is extremely fun ive been having trouble building my first gruul deck with svella, but now i can play more my style while ALSO getting to play one of my favorite gruul cards. she's so cool and there's alot of funky complex combos you can do between her and her cauldron its sooooo fun (Pili-Pala is gonna be nuts with them both)

[@brandoncreek5709]

I love how versatile she is. I'm gonna be leaning away from the combos for the most part but the fact that activated abilities can do pretty much anything is dope. I had an old Halana and Alena deck but I'm definitely making the swap!

[@Aaackermann]

In our Playgroup Gravepact and Dictate of Erebos were the only cards we instantly and with passion banned.

[@olivierdebilde4292]

I dunno why but Eriette looks like a challenge I wanna take. Definitely looks tricky to build with the billion of auras down there. But something like impetus and so on for a start. Why not... Definitely not high power but sounds like a fun casual deck.

[@jacobbrj]

I just thought of this, but with brenard, ginger sculptor in play--what if you animate a land and sac that land to let's say, ashnod's altar? Do you get another land? What if you animated a fetch land with a tatiyova, or a ondu rising? I think this can be a sick way to double up fetch lands or horizon lands (if it works).

[@lucaslozinski6502]

I feel like Korvold doesn’t necessarily require you to sacrifice weird permanents. You can just discard those cards conveniently with a convenient red card draw spell. Sac-ing creatures is way easier so making a bunch of tokens and sac-ing them to viscera seer or Ashnods altar and casting him for the extra 1 or 2 mana is way easier. Edit: typo

[@anfurnestanton9116]

I feel like beluna grandsquall could potentially fit well into a 4 or 5 colour adventure deck as a part of the 99. That way you're only using the best adventure spells.

[@grampaw5605]

I'm psyched about building Imodane which makes it possible to build a viable mono-red burn deck in EDH.

[@ingolf82]

Beluna looks very fun... but I don't know if it will be as good as Gorion, wise mentor? you gain red and lose white + Gorion doubles up on all your adventure spells. for the goosemother, you honestly just need to cast tooth and nail and you win the game. cast tooth and nail, fetch Peregrine drake and deadeye navigator, now you have invite mana, you cast goose mother for X = 1 billion and then you cast cyberdrive awakener to turn all of them into 4/4s and kill the table, assuming you have an haste enabler out.

[@cell9962]

I'm with you 100% Rachel, birds are terrifying and in the immortal words of Stephen Green "Geese are of satan".

[@malachifreedman3975]

Where is Ich-Tekik under Brenard?

[@Kat13196]

I’m really not sure about it but I’m eyeing Brenard as a possible include for my chulane deck just because he tends to eat removal so immediately making a cookie chulane when that happens could be amazing, it’d be so funny to me to combo with a food version of my commander 😂

[@masondrool]

Really interested in building Agatha! Looking into building her as a secret commander in Rocco to get access to solve great white cards. Mirror Entity is great synergy and Mite Overseer can spawn phyrexian mites at instant speed for 0 mana and 2 life once Agatha's at 3 power!

[@canoli62]

I think you guys are WAY too tunnel-visiony with Eriette. Her first ability is just gravy - its not the part you should be building around - its a trap because removing your commander makes all those cards buffing other players creatures hurt you. This is an Orzhov enchantress commander that gives you a payoff for auras (because it would be too powerful if it included all enchantments). These auras don't have to be enchanting an opponent's creature. They can enchant you and they can enchant opponents. Curses work. Enchantment based reanimation like Animate dead and Dance of the Dead works. Auras that punish tapping lands work. One fun way mess with lands is to play auras that animate opponents lands. They become creatures (so can't attack you) and when they die they remove opponent mana base. Auras that protect Eriette work... Blessing of Leeches for example. You can also use aura based spot removal like on thin ice. All of it works. More importantly, your support cards only care about enchantments - so you turn on your card draw, cost reduction, etc. based on enchantments, and Auras work for that. I haven't sat down and built this deck, but I think it could be VERY powerful. The trick will be finding the right balance.

[@mayconalex6580]

Agatha in a kenrith turn artifacts into creatures deck seems great

[@MM-lv4iv]

A note for Eriette...Curses are Auras...

[@michaellamotte8689]

Wouldn’t Bernard make the food golems 4/4s? Since the copies will be both good and golems?

[@bunkmastab]

Ok, but seriously, what did Josh do in the time loop?!

[@quelanathecrow]

to clarify, Brenard only works for golems and not Gollums, right? ^.^ thanks for all the great videos!!

[@hefas842]

One equipment you slept on for Kellan, Fae blooded. Inquisitor's flail, it doubles damage dealt and taken by that creature, cost two to drop and to equip and heres the fun part use something like golem skin gauntlet or thran powersuit with inquisitors flail and you sit with a 4/2 double strike, double damage that means 16 commander damage with two equipments every equipment you equip from there is 4 additional damage so you can quickly power kellan up to be leathal and the "takes twice as much damage isn't that scary in combat since you usually kill all the opponents blockers during first strike damage phase, add trample and deathtouch and kellan is a boardwipe, i should know i destroyed my opponents board state with one swing beacuse kellan had reached 52 damage per attack round and two attack rounds per turn

[@coldwinterknight318]

Eriette isn't a challenging build. Just ignore the first ability and build around the second. Pillow fort and protection up and drain the table. GG

[@Nicole-go8ps]

This! Eriette is not hard to build and most definitely one of the best commanders in this set. I absolutely love her

[@cheeseandchill3345]

For beluna : Imagine it says "for each card you have in an adventure"

[@JasonOshinko]

That's much less clear than what the card actually says.

[@me12345635]

I love Soul of New Phyrexia for Agatha. Make her a 4/4 & it's 1 mana to make your permanents indestructible at instant speed.

[@brandoncreek5709]

Thought the same thing. Being repeatable is also insane

[@DJFomorian]

Using Liquimetal Torque to turn something into an artefact, then sac it so it reduces the cost by 2 is the same than "tapping" the Torque for the colorless mana : I don't see that as a way to cheat Korvold sooner.

[@thetux459]

Curious to see their thoughts on Agatha. I have been working on a build of her based around auras and "Invokers", but I have goldfished it yet.

[@duriasgiles1214]

That picture of the bird with multiple legs is mama holding her babies

[@cexbagel]

There’s Agatha!

[@Helixcards]

It was Agatha all along

[@glowingmonster]

The new korvold with treasures is gonna be great.

[@Glornie]

agatha decks really should run the enchanment that gives all your creatures riot and uncounterable. it buffs agatha and gives the option of giving haste to appropriate creatures.

[@nobodyworthy897]

Kind of sad that yall didn't touch on a curses theme for Eriette. I think she shines brightest with them, and they are so flavorful with her as a character. (Imo)

[@frozentyphoon2049]

No curses for eriette?

[@The_Metalcrafter]

I need a gameknights where it’s birds vs bears 😂

[@Flyboy245]

I love how the discussion around korvold is “look how good he’ll be if you play all these expensive cards!” . Fetches and jeweled lotus?? Only $400 to make this deck good! 😂

[@javanwallace5501]

For Agatha, why isn’t Xenagos mentioned? Is that not a polite card to use?

[@commandcast]

Xenagos is perfectly polite. It's a way to double her power, but it's only after your combat phase. It's better to have Agatha's power buffed all the time so you can use your activated abilities at instant speed.

[@xTobsecretx]

I might just make the agatha + titania’s song + grim/ basalt monolith meme come true.

[@cn-hd2xj]

So then could you just use Agatha to transform the compleated cards just using health the turn they come down?

[@BoardGameHype]

Bhaal’s Invoker 😂 you could tell Rachel felt a little uncomfy saying that.

[@gabrielkircher2966]

you could build an Eriette deck with a curse theme

[@Ukibakurai]

I like how Agatha makes her own ability cost less as well so she can make a game close real quick if you get her to power 4. Make that ability just cost RG

[@brandoncreek5709]

It's a nice progression to the win too. Buff her big, make a bunch of mana and develop your board and once you have her big enough and with enough mana, swing for game. Almost a build your own craterhoof

[@AvatarKira]

Could be worth it to add copy sorcery spells in Kellan, especially Fury Storm

[@lucasfelipe486]

was it calculated as the chance to draw 3 cards ou to draw AT LEAST 3 cards with Beluna?

[@commandcast]

We calculated drawing 3 or more cards.

[@Aaroc200]

Eriette: Mesa Enchantress will draw you a bunch of cards, and gain you a bunch of life. Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts is another way to disincentivize being attacked, and further, drawing removal from your commander, maybe, because she has vigilance and protection from creatures. If you gave her one of those things that "This creature gets bigger for each enchantment you control," she could be an unblockable wincon. Raffine's Guidance? can be cast from your graveyard (aura, creature gets +1/+1) Orzhov Advokist? Allow your opponents creatures to get bigger, and they can't attack you. And of Course, Sphere of Safety; Ghostly Prison on crack. Of course, Stab Wound is also a "fun" include Just an idea of things to add to her deck.

[@ThorstenBilke]

Agatha + Raised by Giants nice

[@jaywinner328]

New Korvold is going to end up dying on the first cast before drawing any cards and it'll take forever to cast him again.

[@WeatherWeasel66]

Weeks and Wong have spoken! (and Weeks is a fair sight an improvement over Josh lol, just kiddin' bud :) )