Rachel’s Personal Commander Decks | The Command Zone 535 | Magic The Gathering Deckbuilding MTG EDH

[@commandcast]

What do you think? Did Rachel surprise you with anything? Any decks you want to build now? Any hot tech you think she should add to her decks? Do you want to see this episode for other members of the team?

[@waldenmanalo3322]

videos for ladee and jimmy’s too pls!

[@calebbrown1068]

ALL of the members! I always seem to really enjoy Jordan’s decks. Would be cool to see him talk about them!

[@cowman22ish]

I would love to see what other people are rocking! It also shines a light on some cards that don't often make appearances but are still useful in certain decks!

[@reaper-of-aces]

My Draconic destruction deck and my brothers vampiric bloodline deck

[@doomlock6673]

I would love to see decks from other members. I have to agree with the Rakdos and Sidisi rankings. I have them too, and they are awesome! Kessig Cagebreakers in Sidisi is fun.

[@insainraven9875]

I want one of these for everyone at the Command zone (please?)

[@Aostabec]

Seconded

[@Connor-kh8sh]

Thirded

[@weedragonauts4729]

fourthed

[@buckshot9135]

That would be awesome!

[@michaelxydas2420]

Fifthed

[@rings-cn1yn]

80 minutes of Rachel talking commander, just hook it into my veins!!!

[@maidenless_tarnished]

Calm down Barney But yes agreed😂

[@MrJustintreat]

​@@lunarlight3131 are you the boyfriend because you keep posting that to people's comments. It might surprise you, but people can have plutonic opinions about someone. Shocking i know

[@voltcorp]

@@lunarlight3131 it's quite sexist to assume people would only be interested in her content because of some parasocial crush. do you also point out to commenters mentioning Jimmy that he's married?

[@GoneMorbid]

​@Bruiser Hammerfist I think you hit the nail on the head hahaha, he got embarrassed into silence once he got called out 😂 Lunar is sensitiveeee

[@eliamagri7413]

@@MrJustintreat its platonic bro. not plutonic. just to avoid you future funny situations.

[@lore_lite_]

i just appreciate that she’s like “yeah this is just a cute lil guy. he’s a funky lil dude. he’s just a weirdo fella. he isn’t the most effective in this deck but i’d rather die than take him out of the decklist.” i respect that mentality SO much 😂

[@matthewzagorski347]

For those who are relying entirely on how she describes a card, I sure have no clue what anything she's talking about does. I cannot listen in commute, it's video only.

[@insainraven9875]

Nah man that’s how commander is just meant to be

[@aesir112]

Wow! Rachel carrying an entire podcast and maintaining an interesting topic is so so so impressive ❤❤

[@VraskaTheScene]

I could watch Rachel do anything she is literally my favorite person who does magic!

[@murlocmasher3368]

@@lunarlight3131 pretty sure they meant that as a fan, you the one making it weird

[@emilysmith2965]

This just in: women are people, and interest in the smart things they do doesn’t have to be sexy interest. Film at 11.

[@jakelarntz]

I want everyone in the Command Zone to do one of these. This was lovely.

[@okanut]

Awesome! I like the idea of having cornerstones ready to talk about to show what the deck is about.

[@tantordoe5958]

Rachael has successfully taken over- Love to see it!

[@tannerwirth6719]

Rachel has been such a great addition to The Command Zone.

[@DigitamaHatch]

She’s lovable.

[@zadocr675]

I really like this tier list isnt solely about power; it tracks every metric that's important to Rachel. How often it gets played, how fun it is, etc.

[@emilysmith2965]

Yeah, honestly this aspect of the format is missing from a lot of deck techs or deck overviews. “This deck is a weird power level.” “This is a weird little guy but I’m never cutting it.” “I like putting googly eyes on Jar of Eyeballs and you can’t stop me.” These are IMPORTANT THINGS!

[@PiquantPan]

I knew a lot of the "Rachel Classics" like Octavia, G. Prizzy, Rograkh & Akroma and (of course) Phelddagrif, but damn some of these are just so incredibly galaxy brain that I was inspired to revisit some of my weird personal classics. Germ Tribal Temmet and Saga Tayam are both incredibly cool concepts, just goes to show that for every Atraxa or Kaalia or Kenrith player, there's somebody playing the weirdest shit you've ever heard of.

[@hanschristopherson8056]

I think when we all start playing commander we see that one person with like 25 decks and you’re like how is that even possible and then the longer you play the closer you get to ending up with double digit decks

[@BusinessSkrub]

My friends and I have been playing casual 60-card kitchen table magic for almost a decade, we each have between 20-50 decks 😅

[@mbarker_lng]

If you like to build decks like I do, you'll get to 25 in a hurry, with a perpetual 3-5 more "under construction".

[@SasoriRules2011]

I'm currently at 32 with 2 in the works. Been playing 5 ish years so, yup, easy number to hit.

[@1996BlueMan]

I'm keep myself at hard limit of 6 decks. 3 cEDH and 3 casual. I don't understand how people can optimize 10+ decks at a time lol

[@SasoriRules2011]

@1996BlueMan It's not easy. And I think 6 or 7 of those are out of box precons, so not played too often. Wish I had time and money to cedh a deck or two.

[@Jjdude101]

Rachel you are one of my favorite MTG personalities. I love your style of play and deck building. You’ve been an inspiration for me as both player and brewer ever since you first came to Game Knights!

[@commandcast]

Wow, thank you!

[@martonferenci]

Greetings human welcome to the Rachel Zone! Big kudos - she is super smart and a big inspiration! (also you can get a sneak peek of other cards displayed next to the cornerstones 😊)

[@TalkingBalrog]

I loved seeing the oddball cards that you refuse to let go. Whenever I get advice about my decks I always get perplexed looks for some random card like Brain in a Jar and I'm always like, "That's the LAST card I would cut from that deck."

[@coryirvin6651]

In a sea of content where the decks are as tuned as possible, it's always refreshing to see someone where a key to their deckbuilding is it being fun/goofy. Keep EDH weird. Thanks for sharing your decks, Rachel.

[@Lezi156]

The pure and heartfelt enthusiasm you bring on every time is the best.

[@TB317]

Everytime you guys mention all of the decks you have I'm always curious about them and Rachel especially builds decks and uses pet cards and techs I really enjoy! Seeing Bottle gnomes and Mirrorweave both shouted out (I love these cards and hardly EVER see them elsewhere in the wild) was a treat.

[@jeswinpaul503]

I would definetly love to see more of these videos, particularly focusing on deckbuilding philosophy. You have me inspired to start building my own decks.

[@JJMickeyMedia]

Yes I would like to see this for other members of The Command Zone team. Rachel's Octavia deck has been on my 'to build' list for some time now

[@TippettRugby]

This was awesome! Love the format of how every deck was broken down by plans, cornerstones, and a weirdo. Perfect way to digest all these decks!

[@diSTUD013]

I LOVE this type of content!!! You could tell that Rachel was genuinely happy talking about herself and her decks. I love hearing about people's journey through this awesome format, I love to see how people express themselves through their decks! Sometimes, I just lay my commanders out in front of me and think about past games or awesome cards I put in them! Even if you net deck all of your decks, doesn't mean you don't have pet cards or different tastes or found some cool combo or interaction. THIS is why people play Commander; to express ourselves and spend time with people that want to do the same!!

[@chadswenson8519]

Rachel's personal style of deckbuilding and what she wants out of commander as a game format for her... just makes sense. One of the more cerebral and likable takes. I second the motion that more commandzone staff should do this type of episode.

[@Deathkeeper43]

"Usually when I get a commander altered its because I've had them for a long time and I love them" REBUILD BORBORYGMOS YOU COWARD

[@cliffjam]

I think my favorite feature in this episode is how Rachel tell us honestly where her decks have weaknesses. Even when the weakness is related to playgroups or fun for others.

[@seanfriel146]

After being a long time listener of The Command Sphere and The Command Zone, it’s super exciting to get to see Rachel doing so well here!

[@gregorypeterson732]

These way too in depth about specific individual's personal decks are my jam. Thanks for sharing Rachel!

[@tommygilfert]

Just had to pop over from the podcasts app to say a great big yes please to more of this. Jimmy and Josh are must do’s and everyone on the staff would be awesome too. Hearing people talk about their own decks is like the best part of content and it should be explored way more! Rachel is the best decision the command zone could have ever made. Side note: As a primary audio listener, reading off at least the commander would go a long way🙏

[@Zinfero]

This was actually a lot of fun to watch. Seeing someone explain the madness of their deck building is really entertaining and of course, Rachel's passion shines through as she talks about each deck.

[@tommieboi707]

Its my day off and i wanted to catch a movie but didnt know what to watch. This popped up on my recommended and it is exactly what i wanted! Hour and a half of rachel weeks talking magic! And its free! Thanks!

[@jasonhouse8194]

The decks you play always felt like the perfect Commander experience. Out of the entire cast, your decks are the only ones I knew I would enjoy playing. The decks you highly rated, I also highly rated. I hope that this video will lead to people building more decks like yours. 😊

[@GnawlyRat]

Rachel, have you tried wonder in your sidisi, brood tyrant deck ? When it’s in your graveyard and you control an island, it gives all your creatures flying.

[@hermodnitter3902]

Great video, Rachel is just amazing. I particularly like that she also builds some of the earlier, supercool commanders from the 90's :)

[@magicpesto]

Rachel, I ripped apart my Phelddagrif deck shortly after reading your primer. I realized I couldn't achieve your level of perfection. And I did this graciously. I don't want to play the deck if you made the masterpiece you did. I'll focus on others, and there are plenty others. Thank you for being such a positive and creative force for Magic. I don't really dig EDH all that much, but your vibes help me cope when I just want to be with my friends.

[@origaminosferatu3357]

Rachel, you're absolutely my deck-building spirit animal. Weird toolboxy commanders that have various ways of winning and plenty of jank is my favourite way to play.

[@denisevnbrdw]

I like how Rachel gets so enthusiastic talking about her stuff and got so many different kinds of decks. 🥺👍 And here I am, with a few Randoms and then my werewolves, wolves and blood tokens. 😂

[@joshuarush5762]

Definitely need one of these for each member of the Command Cast, and some of the recurring friends of the Zone...

[@Thessik73]

Great episode. Would totally like to see everyone do a show like this. It's nice to see someone else enjoys the same part of Magic that I do (figuring out how to win with the fun tools you brought).

[@maruhto3508]

I love the pride with which you present your wierdos! Shows passion for magic and love for the deck! I also have this conversation every once in a while "Why is X in your deck?" -"Because its freaking awesome!"

[@SamaelOtter]

Rachel has been such a delightful addition to regular content. Her deckbuilding style and attitude towards play really mirrors my own as of late. I'm enjoying how much she adds to conversations here!

[@locus0fmana]

I’m a huge fan of Rachel’s deckbuilding and playstyle, so this was awesome to see. It’s the spice like Mirrorweave targetting a Germ token that inspires me to keep searching for new synergies for my own decks, even after playing the game for well over a decade. Thanks for giving us a tour through your toolkit Rachel!

[@masonmendoza8474]

I just love Rachel, anything she does and says is like sweet musings to my ears, definitely need her in more videos. Thank you Rachel!

[@justinanderson2631]

One thing I love about Hazezon is that the tokens he creates are Red, White, and green. PERFECT for convoke shenanigans

[@danielgoldberg2129]

I like how so many cornerstone pieces are common cards. Sure, there are pricey cards sprinkled through the decks, but still it’s nice to see commons filling strategic rolls.😊

[@TheRandomeDud3]

This was a fun episode to watch. Having played against Rachel's Lord Windgrace deck, it was fun to listen to the review and brought back those awesome memories that I have. I would agree with others that I would love to have a series where other members go through their deck: Mr Infect, Murph, Jake Boss, Ladee Danger etc. We want them all

[@Anaklasis1]

I actually really enjoyed this. It was a nice change of pace and it was cool to get an honest review about stuff. We've all built those decks that seemed cool at first but they just end up pulled apart or collecting dust. I'd like to see much more of this type of thing.

[@themagicofmtg]

I love hearing the thoughts behind the deck designs. Each deck has a theme or plan. Thank you for sharing those!

[@Wildonion1]

I love this kind of content. It gives me a sense of how I can approach building decks and it is fun to see how everyone plays the game--especially with a diverse bunch of decks like in this episode!

[@mikecarrozza91]

Oh wow thanks for the shout out Rachel 😊

[@chortlesinthecorner]

Getting back into building/playing paper MtG since breaking at the pandemic and found this to be super helpful. Lots of cool cards I had no clue about. Also, none were decks that I have or am looking to build, so it was cool to see the game from a different perspective.

[@vexor7]

Such an awesome video, love Rachel and her style. Would love to see one of these for their other members of the team. Keep up the great work guys

[@EmoAdam0312]

Yes! I love seeing people decks.. it really fun seeing how their favorite commanders really tell you about a person's personality... it would be awesome to get a episode for each main player at the CZ!!

[@mdoughty]

command zone, please give this queen a chance to play her powerful decks! no-edit, high power rachel and friends gameplay series on patreon?? monthly brew battles episode of extra turns?? the people deserve some showstopper games with these badass decks and rachel deserves to play them🙏🏻

[@simonwalker602]

I miss the commander sphere so much man. Holy moly

[@docbrookeontwitch]

I have always loved watching Rachel play on CZ (and other channels) because she brings such interesting decks. This was a great episode concept, and I'd love to see it for more team members!

[@TheGreatBryan25]

Very cool to hear about all your different decks. I'm 100% here for a similar video from everyone.

[@MentalCrusader]

This is a great idea for a new format! You could even invite guests to have them present and break down their decks as well!

[@ubermusli]

This was amazing. It felt like an episode of the commander sphere, in all of the best ways! Rachel, you're a deck builder of my own heart. Here's to keeping the funky little dudes in our decks 🍻

[@rosslundjgj]

It is quite something to do a solo podcast like this and keep the energy up there and be entertaining for that long. I'm bought into stocks of Rachel now.

[@flipperjones509]

This was awesome! I'd love to see more of these. I love Rachel's deck building style.

[@mateotrimboli1232]

I've said time and time again. Rachel is one of the best EDH deck builders I've ever seen. She builds so cool and powerful decks.

[@servillo8723]

First of all, this absolutely needs to be done for every member of The Command Zone. Most of the time we only get to see decks built to hype up the new set or precons, so getting more of an insight into personal decks is always a huge plus. Second, Rachel clearly gets us creature-based Commander players. Of my eight active decks, only one isn't based around winning via the combat step. Even my spellslinger deck is actually based around Prowess! Commander may have morphed into a game more around combos, but some of us consider it a win when we get to slug our opponent's across the face for some obscene damage.

[@JomAnimatie]

Yo awesome video Rachel! Love seeing a more personal approach to MTG from you guys. Also love the showcases off your alters. This little alter artist is proud of himself :D

[@ezrabartsch1505]

This is a slam dunk. Rachel’s decks are always interesting, I love seeing behind the scenes, and it’s always great to see some women representing the best game ever made. Well done, Command Zone. Thanks a million, Rachel!

[@nanoacido5174]

My favourite video from the channel. Rachel probably the best person for this. But I would love to see this from every member of the channel

[@calump.7394]

I’m so glad to finally see Mind Bomb used! I got one a while back and was struck by how weird it was but never really figured out how to use it

[@ShredAimlessly92]

I’d love more of these. It’s great seeing person deck tech videos that aren’t hyper optimized, sometimes I just wanna pull inspiration from the jank others come up with!

[@DerDarkfire1]

Top ten videos on this channel instantly. Which is insane, considering the competition. But I really lile Rachel. And the format of this video is sooo great. You got to learn a lot about new decks and play styles. Love it!

[@uncannynerdyguy]

Love it! Love Rachel's breakdown of things! Would love to see what other Command Zone peeps have!

[@mrjelis2390]

Thank you so much for this episode It was such a great watch! Seeing all of Rachel's deck was really fun.

[@antoniofelipesanchesgomes1032]

It was a long one, but i had to watch it all (took me stoping and going back) but tottally worth-it. It's nice to see that more people like the sillyness in decks!

[@Cal-fr9mw]

Yes every command zone member needs to do this

[@irishroker02301]

I was thrilled to see a bunch of the weirdos you picked were cards I also run and have a soft spot for! I'd love to see this format of video for other people at the command zone!

[@lokifeyson]

Thanks for sharing always love hearing people's stories about cards and explain their decks

[@emilysmith2965]

“Four Cornerstones and a Weirdo” is pretty sweet advice! I’ll definitely be building all my decks this way going forward!

[@user-et3xn2jm1u]

I've been thinking about a Search for Blex deck for so long, couldn't believe I'd never seen one before. All the Blex decks I saw were focused on the front end instead of the 4-mana Draw 5 (!!!) that you can cast repeatedly (!!!). So this gives me a lot of inspiration. I don't think I'd take it in the monoblack direction but that one and many others were super awesome to see.

[@lebebop9931]

I just sleeved up deck 54. Always happy to see fellow hoarders.

[@tntsantana57]

It was fun to hear you talk about Hazezon!!! You signed mine at McMinneapolis and we had a little chat. Thanks again and keep up all the great content! 😊

[@joebrandt6400]

This video was great and after watching it yesterday I suddenly found myself tinkering with a couple decks I hadn’t finished but was initially really excited about

[@Cursedsama]

I'm glad to see you give your decks names, that's the best part

[@sabomusicllc8165]

I’ve learned I have a lot in common with Rachel! We build in similar ways; from winning through figuring it out on the fly and running few tutors, to the choice of commanders!

[@InefableCH]

Temmet is VERY fun to build and play. Give a try

[@SasoriRules2011]

I loved this. It gives a peek into the mind of the cast. Definitely wouldn't mind more from others at the command zone. Probably Josh, Ashlyn or Murph.

[@S0ilStudios]

I have a Miirym Dragon's Approach deck and Mind Bomb is an inspired inclusion. I'm so excited to include that card in another one of my decks!

[@PokeMagicDon_and_son]

I finally found use for my Thran Turbine 🤩 pulled it as a child, traded for it when I restarted MtG and never knew what to do since.. Thx Rachel!

[@BirdmanG07]

Archidekt is cool, I recommend using it!

[@JaceHubbard]

Love the Decks Rachel. I've actually been trying to build my own Dihada for a long time now ever since you played it on Game Knights. Still trying but I hope to complete it one day 😎

[@brandonw.7438]

It’s so cool the see this pop up right after the Extra Turns where she played the Dragons Approach deck

[@nilsjonsson4446]

Awesome video. Also great to consider the longevity of decks and why they will last or not, rather than how smooth or powerful they play

[@nasecoo]

Carrying a podcast by yourself-- Rachel is super talented, both at Magic and at podcasting! Hope to see her on another Games Knight soon

[@draytonyork4811]

This episode was great! I'm definitely interested in Tayam Sagas. Such a cool idea! I'd also LOVE to see this from more people on the team. Such a fun little video!

[@DannysPlaylist224]

It'd be superr interesting to see the cast members decks ! Like Craig's infect decks or Jimmy's red decks, it'd be a great treat to listen to them

[@continuumediting7105]

This video was very entertaining, not only did it give us more insight on how you think when making decks, it also probably helped a lot of people realize how they like their decks For example, I have built many decks that I'll take apart within a week because I didn't like how they played and I had no idea why. But right at the end whenever you said you tend to like decks that aren't linear it clicked and I realized most of the high-powered decks that i have taken apart weren't fun because they did the same exact thing every single time it was like playing solitaire. I also like what you had to say about putting up a fight, I hate the combo-ish stormy decks that just win out of nowhere cause there was no struggle.

[@Aelyro]

I rly love your Dynaheir, Invoker Adept deck that you played on Elder Dragon Hijinks it's so much fun to pilot.

[@secretdev1559]

Love the phelddagrif deck! Built the Octavia awhile back and it was really a blast! Psychic possession is definitely a pseudo staple in my blue decks

[@12jacobmar]

It's definitely different, but in a good way. I'm a big johnny brewer myself and seeing Rachel's decks gave me alot of fun ideas. 😊

[@patricksaville8672]

Wow our Galazeth decks are very similar! Love the content Rachel! You are a superb addition to the team!

[@rubengerritsen6868]

god I'm so happy Rachel is a host now, amazing personality and super knowledgeable

[@Ragnaroc90]

Was definitely interesting going through Rachels decks. Also I can vouch for indeed I used the app last year when I needed out of a job that had become toxic and didn't pay enough. Withing few days I had multiple interviews set up.