Which Praetor Is Most Powerful? | March of the Machine | The Command Zone 526 | EDH Commander MTG

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Show Notes:
Good guys? Sure, they’re nice. But this episode isn’t for them. This one’s for the bad guys! Today we’re tackling the meanest of the mean from March of the Machine with the Phyrexian praetors! We’ll go over all five new praetor cards, covering both the front and back sides of these uniquely designed, powerful new legends. We’ll bring you the low-down on all the synergies and strategies you’ll need to lead a Phyrexian invasion all your own!
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Timestamps :
00:00:00 - Intro
00:03:43 - The Praetors
00:04:13 - Elesh Norn
00:21:05 - Jin Gitaxias
00:42:39 - Sheoldred
01:01:14 - Urabrask
01:16:10 - Vorinclex
01:29:49 - Which Praetor is the Most Powerful
01:30:52 - Outro
#magicthegathering #mtg #commander #mtgcommander #edh #podcast #commandzone

[@commandcast]

What do you think of the new Praetors from March of the Machine? Are you planning on building any of them? Are there any synergies or combos that we missed?

[@taode.]

Urabrask burn in standard - exquisite

[@seanburwell6535]

Elesh norn token weenie *chefs kiss*

[@calebjohnson5452]

Its disgusting how much people are sleeping on Vorinclex. Green has ways to ramp insanely quick, stack the deck with specific creatures on top and play multiple lands per turn making him the easiest to flip. Vorinclex wins how green always wins. Build your board, minipulate for stompy frog. Win the game on the flip with stompy frog. Its first lore trigger, litterally wins the game. Yes it's simple, which is why I dislike green, but it is a tried and true method that works more often than not.

[@garettallen4963]

​@Caleb Johnson I agree. I feel that vorinclex in commander is among the best. It is so easy to end up with a board that cannot be answered.

[@whiiteout9444]

I put all I could in an Atraxa incubate deck

[@nik700]

Finally is time for Urabrask to shine!

[@ROMANTIKILLER2]

Glad this time his card is not underpowered compared to the rest of the bunch: while his New Capenna version isn't bad in a vacuum, he couldn't compare to the powerful second versions of the other praetors.

[@broganmccanna3008]

Urabrask is a Guttersnipe+Birgi combo

[@Mattador666]

I was very excited to see Urabrask finally getting some love. He’s going straight into my Eruth storm deck.

[@jakebrodowski9]

I think in a pure spells matter shell Urarbask is strong but in most other regular decks any of the other praetors will go in Mostdecks and be better. Vorinclex seems meh at first but for Commander he is pretty awesome as it says search for 2 forests. So he can be a color fixing card and if you are two or more colors being able to fetch the right lands helps a lot. Also feel like with cards like Skelvs hive and so many white token generators Elesh Norn is gonna be really easy to flip also worth noting that you can have Mondrak and double all your tokens and then you just go wide as hell. That being said I'm adding Urabrask to my Torelf deck as like 90 percent of the non land cards are sorceries and instants.

[@nik700]

@@jakebrodowski9 Urabrask is a build around, sure, but at its worst is still better than Vorinclex, 5 mana get two lands to your hand is way too expensive, and its other effects are a little win-more for me. Urabrask is two pieces of a known combo put together, while every effect of Vorinclex can be achieved by more efficient/cheaper cards

[@LadyTsunade777]

Biggest points on Urabrask you missed: The Great Work's third ability is _until end of turn_ but he still flips back to his front immediately, so you get the mana refund and may even re-flip him that same turn, so you _do want to be flipping him._ Also, the last ability of The Great Work lets you cast instants and sorceries from _any player's_ graveyard not just your own. Do note it doesn't let you spend mana as though it was any color, but its second ability gives you three Treasures for this. (as well as all the other Treasure makers in Red, or colorless mana rocks that tap for any color) IMO it's Urabrask > Sheoldred > Elesh Norn > Jin-Gitaxias >>> Vorinclex Jin and Vorinclex transform abilities are just a bit too hard to hit reliably, and Vorinclex is practically not even worth transforming with how weak all his saga abilities are. Vorinclex also has the worst front side, being just a big body with trample.

[@Armageddone12]

100% agree with this comment. Really missed the mark on Urabrask. No mention of Arcane Bombardment, Mizzix Mastery or Rod of Wonder was a big miss.

[@xerralordfemboy3663]

Jin is stronger then elesh norn but both close and pretty good sheoldred slower so I would say urabrask then jin the elesh then sheoldred then big green boi last unfortunately

[@LadyTsunade777]

@@xerralordfemboy3663 Jin is totally 4th place. His transformation ability requires 7+ cards in hand, which is rather unlikely to happen unless you're specifically holding up cards to go for it, meaning you've weakened your board state on purpose for several turns. Not even his inherent card draw ability helps, since while it turns your cmc 3+ cards into cantrips, you're still losing hand size to playing lands or small cmc cards. His saga's first ability does nothing to help your board state, and the last ability also encourages dumping your hand. While Omniscience for a turn is undeniably strong, dumping your hand makes it even more unlikely you'll transform him a second time. Elesh and Sheoldred both have far easier transformation triggers, and their sagas both reverse the board state in your favor. Elesh gets you 10/10 across 5 bodies immediately (or more if you've got other incubators), buffs your board with stats and double strike, then wipes the board of non-artifacts. While Sheoldred removes creatures with her front and first chapter, rips 3 cards from your opponents' hands, then Rise of the Dark Realms and Edicts.

[@spencersloane1870]

I put sheoldred in my dimir mill deck and she does work

[@LordPyro0]

@LadyTsunade777 I built all five and ran them all up until 2 weeks ago. I think youre spot on, however, playing them Urabrask Sheoldred/Jin Elesh-norn Vorinclex I found sheoldred and jin to have the same consistencies but urabrask, that motherfucker always does work no matter what! I use the flipping and throne of geth to help protect until my next turn!

[@Rook_BT]

I actually love how the new Praetors dont have a title in their name. It goes pretty well within the terms of the story. It shows that they have become such an immense threat that they don't need a fancy title for you to know they've all grown strong enough that even hearing their name sends shivers down your spine.

[@Mansonfan510]

Cringe

[@StretchyPlays]

I like it a lot too. I imagine they did it partly to simplify the total card name with their backside, so it isn't "Elesh Norn, Mother of the Machine // The Argent Etchings." Not that they haven't had wordy double sided cards, but seeing how many iterations we have of the Praetors now, it makes sense that their "title" is just their saga side here.

[@bowleeeeddddd]

Yeah so strong two get killed by random red shirts in the lore 😂

[@Rook_BT]

I know my overstating it a bit,but you know what I mean.

[@primykins106]

I like what you're saying. They have a lot more of a "We're strictly here for business" vibe than their previous renditions

[@ROMANTIKILLER2]

Such interesting design and powerful cards for these iconic villains, which I'm sure that will be treated as major threats in the official lore!

[@faerie7dragon]

WDYM? They all die to removal.

[@mikepetrangelo5396]

​@Cure Seraph but if you stifle the third lore counter effect these are just going to be dead commanders

[@rodrigooneto1116]

@@faerie7dragon oooo my seems youre new to the game😂

[@faerie7dragon]

@@rodrigooneto1116 I have been playing since Invasion.

[@ROMANTIKILLER2]

@@faerie7dragon and according to the story, also to combat with 2/2 token 😂

[@destinyhero]

One thing I think you guys didn't mention with Urabrask was his 3rd saga effect is until end of turn so he flips back to the creature side and now you have 4 graveyards of gas to work with.

[@jasoncuriale8613]

And because it’s until end of turn it’s super easy to cast 3 spells, then flip him over again, continuing the great work

[@Bob-nc5hz]

On the other hand, it just says you can cast instant and sorceries from any graveyard. Critically missing is "you may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast them", meaning given you're mono-red you probably are limited to your own graveyard which looks to be the crew's assumption. The alternative requires replacing offensive pieces by mana filters, which are either expensive (chromatic orrery) or at a 2:1 ratio (prismite, signpost scarecrow, ...)

[@Xxl3luntxX]

​@Bob The sagas level 2 helps with mana fixing. Red also has the best treasure generators in the game, so assembling the win by the time urabrask reaches level 3 should be a non issue

[@Bob-nc5hz]

@@Xxl3luntxX while it is that, it's mostly via creatures, the number of red treasure-generating instants and sorceries is really low, and even more so cheap ones. And using non-spellslinging treasure generators would be competing with the spellslinging support. Plus the great work exiles, so you don't get unlimited recursion of your instants and sorceries, which means you need a heavier density of them.

[@Xxl3luntxX]

@@Bob-nc5hz my dude, every competitive spellslinger deck in existence runs dockside and storm kiln artist. Also, exiling the card from the graveyard after casting is normal. Kess, Past in Flames, and snapcaster mage all have the same effect but they're highly played because it's a valuable effect. The only card that doesn't exile after casting is underworld breach, and that card is on par with thassas for being the worst thing to happen to edh.

[@savannahlion3081]

URABRASK is comming back strong ! 🤘🦁🤘

[@DeBumbleZ]

I love how I started designing a homebrew D&D campaign months ago based entirely on Phyrexia taking over Mirrodin and that entire struggle. And now with all these new Phyrexian card sets I have so much more material to work with! Amazing stuff, absolutely love the aesthetic of all of it!

[@shirokomorebi2944]

So jealous of your players lol im sure your story is far more compelling than the chapters on march of the machines and all the praetors dying unsatisfying deaths

[@sertaki]

MtG story makes for some great material for D&D. And you can really run wild if you use it for a campaign where the players don't actually know MtG lore! "So, we will be playing in a sci-fi flavored setting with metal everywhere. It's a cool metal world!" Early adventures lead them to find out all the ancient lore around The Mirarri and what happened in original Mirrodin block, then find out about Karn and Phyrexia - suddenly making them realize that all this weird oil stuff in the early levels actually is some really sinister Chekov's gun stuff setting up for an invasion which ends in the high-level conflict of trying to fruitlessly defend Mirrodin from the takeover. And the actual endgame ends up them basically doing the whole search for the Sylex on Dominaria, a flashback segment to the Brothers' War and ultimately MOM (focused on Mirrodin), just with a different ending, unless one of the players wants to take Wrenn's part :D ... But I can see a pile of alternative takes that don't just adapt the story 1:1 in most areas.

[@AaronTorresTV]

We need to talk hahahahahahhaha I was about to do the same!

[@xx-cj6ew]

"I play 14 non-lands from my hand as The Great Synthesis 3rd ability triggers." "I cast Time Stop"

[@cprior4584]

Urabrask be looking wild in Ghyrson Starn's 99. Very exciting.

[@Aldo7Aces]

Torbran also increases the damage of any of the instants or sorceries you cast themselves as well, whereas the 'ping' creatures only deal damage to enemy players. Also, Torbran buffs the pingers themselves! He's underrated going off of what they said about him in this video.

[@theimmortalleanwalker1307]

I think something that’s overlooked is that resolving vorinclex fetches the mana needed to pay commander tax to cast it

[@robinsgryer6237]

Yeah but you still have to play them Doesn't put them straight into the field

[@BoucherRaphael]

​@Robins GRYER To be fair, if he's your Commander, you'll have multiple ways to play additional lands a turn, so it won't be much of an hindrance to have them drop in your hand. Plus the fact that they don't need to be basic forests is also a plus which alleviates the "to hand" clause, and like OP said, gets you the lands to pay for its future Command tax🤘!

[@michaelhanson8224]

​@@robinsgryer6237 Yes because green is lacking ways to play multiple lands per turn.

[@ThisIsACommanderChannel]

I'll be running in the 99 of a few of my decks, but I won't be building any decks around these as the Commander. I will be building a deck around Rona and self ping. Very excited!

[@evanmiller7993]

I liked this episode, but the thing I think they have missed is how fast the sagas actually are. You get the first chapter immediately, the second chapter next turn, then turn 3 you get the creature side back plus its saga ultimate. The creature side was only missing for a turn. It's nitpicking, but it's important to remember. An example: For Urabrask, if you started storming and someone makes a move to stop you and you have no great way to start the chain again, flipping him before your turn ends means you can hold back or be selective next turn, then get that ultimate and start the storm the time it comes back to you. You took 1 turn off, not 3. This matters if the creature side isn't helpful continuously. Elesh Norn feels like it's a bad feeling to flip her cause her effect is just as good on all turns in the turn cycle. But Sheoldred? After you cast her, she's just a meat wall unless you flip her or bounce her between graveyard and board. Vorinclex? After you get the forests, when you flip him, you can start getting value again, and when he becomes a creature again, more ramp. Jin is somewhere between. You have benefits on every turn, but it's a lot of mana per spell just to get a card. So you can refill a lot off one draw spell or cycle some cards with that incidental card draw, but it's not as impactful as EN's effect. Flipping him to get that burst of cards and saga ultimate feels good. It's the saga side I'm most excited for, and what I'm building any of them to.

[@KonwTheTrut]

Staff of completion helps you skip stage 2 so you can essentially cast from graveyards the next turn.

[@theunease5541]

First thing I thought upon seeing them all revealed is "FINALLY URABRASK ISN'T BLATANTLY UNDERWHELMING IN COMPARISON TO THE REST OF THE CYCLE". Haven't watched the episode yet, but honestly he seems like one of the stronger ones in this cycle, maybe not the best, but you could make a good argument for him being the best for sure.

[@sertaki]

I think OG Urabrask is a pretty good card, it's just not as absolutely game-warping as the other four were. Which honestly, is a good thing. You end up getting a pretty strong effect while impacting your enemies' ability to be aggressive in return, without painting the huge target on your back that comes with plopping down OG Vorinclex or Jin-Gitaxias.

[@leegentges3221]

Pulled 3 praetors from MoM, Kenrith, and the invasion tree, so a 5 color praetor Kenrith commander deck is bound to happen

[@stainawarjar]

I'm gonna run all the praetors except the Urabrasks in my Atraxa deck. It's too cool not to. One day I'll get that Realmbreaker ability off!

[@ALadCalledPruitt]

That new Omnath has 5-color Phyrexian tribal looking pretty tasty tbh

[@0darkhero0]

I've been waiting for this one! Phyrexia served so much with their spectacular aesthetic

[@thelightkitsune9475]

As someone who likes blue but only getting into commander recently. I like that Jin card. (Though I like the progress tyrant more as a commander) although it definitely is going to be a deck that’s just used maybe once in a while and not your main deck when playing casually with friends. 😅

[@12jacobmar]

By how the storyline ended, none of them 😂

[@ROMANTIKILLER2]

... and then all Phyrexian collectively slipped on a banana peels straight to their demise, thanks to the power of the heroes' plot armour.

[@faerie7dragon]

Might I remind you both that Yawgmoth was defeated by a Rainbow Laser? Phyrexians are too powerful and have to lose unless you want every set to be about infect.

[@sertaki]

@@ROMANTIKILLER2 Sheoldred got killed by Elesh Norn because of politics. I think that was quite fitting, especially happening to the black Praetor who was already overseeing a bunch of back-stabby wannebe Praetor nobles.

[@runeofzod]

@56:00 Mogi's Marauder is a black devotion card that grants haste and intimidate equal to black devotion. It's also an ETB trigger to boot, on a creature, so the Sheoldred-saga can also grab it back from the grave. Hoping there's a Praetor vs Praetor episode!

[@poofypeanut0221]

I’m so sad I don’t get to play this set (and I’m hide after it) like a good 85% of this AT LEAST would slot into decks on mine instantly because I enjoy the effects so much. It was like, the perfect end set for me between mechanics, archetypes characters, lore..I love it all. I considered even messaging wizards somehow and just being selfish and ask “uh hey, since I’m like dying and stuff, can I just have one of each from the set, commander decks, and set booster singles please??” 😂😅 Thanks as always to the command zone. Many years of enjoyment has been had here.

[@oracrest]

Ebon Praetor, of course.

[@calebbrown1068]

Sheoldred is a lovely card to target with a lot of the same flicker effects that like to be played with Negan, Cold-Blooded. Negan's been getting a lot of awesome tools lately.

[@chaosbuster1275]

Something I will note about Vorinclex is that you can put those lands into play with something like Lanowar Scout or Walking Atlas.

[@SnowFoxWithAGasMask]

Urabrask is a nightmare in a Gyrson starn spellslinger deck.

[@kylarcheng1346]

The best part about gush in gin gitaxias is because you can have 2 cards in hand, one of them being gush, and isntant speed, 0 mana, get up to 7 cards (assuming you do this on endstep and draw for turn)

[@wr9ith]

Y’all think gitaxias eldrazi would be a thing? I could see that being FUN

[@Steven-rb7ph]

Mogis's Marauder is a good way to give your team haste when mass reanimating in mono black.

[@rosethorn_48]

btw black market on sheoldrd is soooo goood, you can activate sheoldred and contagion engine so much easier

[@kylesavage4525]

I'm disappointed that u didn't even mention about giving infect to Urabrask. That was my first thought when i saw the card.

[@user-fu4qu9pu8l]

thats a great episode right there. Top Notch

[@arridueldes5638]

As you said, Norn and Mondrak is going to be amazing I would say Having pulled two copies of it in my prerelease kit last night I can say that Jin is in fact ridiculous and that ward 2 puts in a lot of work when people are panicked seeing it unexpectedly Sheoldred is a menace, literally and figuratively, in commander it will be strong, in limited and standard the True Scriptures is almost a game ender without even getting to chapter 3 Urabrask looks like a very spicy piece for the 99 of Magnus the Red, will definitely be trying to get one. Good call on Storm-kiln Artist, magecraft triggering off copies as well works very nicely with things like the Bonus Round. Also buyback spells can be good for a deck like this I would say, when you are getting essentially three mana a cast you can probably afford to pay the extra cost to really storm off. Vorinclex's condition being "have eight mana" to flip makes sense with his whole thing being 'unchecked nature without sentient thought' I don't see him being used as a commander much, but Golgari decks should get some use out of it

[@jasonmcjennett4158]

Awesome video bro your a genuine sude keep up the work im subscribed

[@obadijahparks]

I don't know which praetor I like more... but as a mono black player, I may have to fall back into my comfort zone until I have experience with them on the table.

[@highshelf]

With all the proliferate now, Jin gitaxias is gonna be so fun

[@MazZleScars]

Yeah I'm making a proliferate deck and jin gitaxias will be very good. 👍

[@EpicGamerz01]

Jin-Gitaxias is going directly into my Jacob Hauken Eldrazi Tribal deck. Mostly as a card draw engine, but he also lets me rebuy my cast triggers on the squiddy bois which seems pretty strong

[@sayonarajames5165]

Haven't finished the video yet (still watching) but I wanted to leave this incase it's not mentioned, Birgi says any spell, not just instant and sorcery, I think that is pretty different (especially when playing 0 mana rocks, Moxes, Mana crypt etc), not sure how much that will make the decks different, but it's worth noting. But HYPED for Urabrask to not be the worst one for once! (might even be the best)

[@jstrobel3620]

I just commented the same thing lol

[@urface2x]

A Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx would do wonders in all of the builds.

[@PostprandialTorpor]

Re: Urabrask: no Grafted exoskeleton? (Transforming to great work doesn’t cause sac because exile and return makes it a new permanent). A little clunky but pinging poison counters is huge!

[@PokecChef954]

I love this set so much like everyone else but I do hope the cards regain value somewhere down the road.

[@StretchyPlays]

Agree that Jin is probably the strongest, followed by Urabrask(finally!) and its close between Elesh or Sheoldred next. Elesh is probably better as a commander, because in a dedicated go wide strategy, she is very easy to flip and he saga is devastating. Outside of a token deck, it is hard to have three creatures to want to sac, so she might not slot into as many decks as the others, but when she is good, she is very good.

[@noehonegger4624]

after playing with them a bit urabrask vastly outperforms all of them

[@StretchyPlays]

@@noehonegger4624 Yea his front side is easily the best, this saga is also insane in a deck built around it. Jin feels like the most "powerful" but is quite a bit harder to flip.

[@Loxorius]

Nemesis mask's effect is also on Breaker of Armies, for those interested.

[@chadsamuels6512]

A couple of thoughts about the blue Prater when you have the omniscient as long as you leave seven cards in hand you can just flip him again right away as for using the creatures who want a plans when they enter the battlefield unless you are proliferating that omniscience cast happens on your draw step so you must use the Mana right away if you're tapping lands in response to the cast trigger in order to get the untap and Mana

[@egoish6762]

Sagas get their "after the draw phase" counter at the start of the precombat main phase, so anything you tap for mana and float will be available until you move to combat.

[@MollymaukTealeaf-et3vg]

I'm looking forward to trying Vorinclex as a fight tribal commander for flavor w's

[@HarryW83]

Urabrask is Perfect for my Dragons Approach Deck. Might Even try him as Commander there

[@BstFrmThEst]

Use Infiltration Lens with the all creatures blocking!

[@yaboibolas197]

As much as I love the command zone I would like to see at least one episode focused on lore and what the members think of our favorite commander cards and how they are in the lore.

[@monslafayette]

For Elesh Norn, the new flicker effect Scroll Shift can also blink an enchantment at instant speed, and it cantrips, if Flicker of Fate is the way you want to go

[@robinsgryer6237]

Wouldn't flickering Argent Etchings just make it ETB as Elsh Norn effectively negating the 3 mana and 3 creature investment ?

[@monslafayette]

At around nineteen minutes they discuss flickering the saga after blocks/before damage to surprisingly cost a blocking opponent a bunch of damage off her front face. I agree that it makes the flip sacc/mana investment less impactful, but if you include Flicker of Fate to add that element of surprise, Scroll Shift would do the same.

[@GiftOfKnowledge-np9vg]

Personally speaking, if I play Urabrask, I’ll probably try to make the best out of both sides of him instead of just as Birgi+. Because I like to make the most out of cards than just focus on one ideal aspect, if that makes sense. So I’m playing Treasure generators, I’m playing that Volt Charge thing, and I’m in general preparing for when I don’t have the Birgi+burn effect. Which, realistically speaking, will only be every other turn. If you can reach the end of the Great Work, you can flip it again and restart it at the end of the turn. And then you’ll get the damage wipe, which I think could have some real potential against going-wide decks. I know this might not be the best way to play Urabrask, might be for casual tables, but I think it’d be the more fun way to play. Certainly more fun to play/watch the second time, like you suggested would the the problem just focusing on the front side.

[@snakeman830]

I would suggest including Mycosynth Lattice and/or Chromatic Orrery to ensure mana color is irrelevant for that chapter 3.

[@spencersloane1870]

The back side isn't legendary so you can use Mirage Mirror to copy the saga on your upkeep, get the lore counter at precombat main, and then copy the first ability. Now that you've got a lore counter on Mirage Mirror you can copy any saga after the precombat main and get the first or second chapter of it depending on how many lore counters you have. If you get to three though you will have to sacrifice.

[@quayo90]

Urabrask will be the Back up in my Blanka Deck 🔥

[@blackriderbob8053]

i would say out of the 5 sheoldred is the best one for the 99

[@lua5673]

An early Dark Deal seems really good for Sheoldred.

[@jlaw131985]

“Vorinclex just isn’t as powerful” *Agatha and her Cauldron have entered chat* And yeah, Sheoldred was a beast lol.

[@blazetrinity9462]

I will try putting infect on Urabrask, but there's not many options for that in Mono R. Also, adding a bloodmoon and boil probably won't hurt either Lol.

[@ToliG123]

Urubrask doesn't replace Bergi. She triggers off red ANYTHING. Lots of creatures I run with her making situations I can't imagine being caused without them.

[@LowUpsideCJ]

I agree it's the least powerful but I do like how directly Vorinclex synergizes with the other Vorinclexes (mana doubling and counter doubling). The others have some level of synergy but I think Vorinclex specifically wants both his other forms in the deck

[@theboller4154]

I completely agree. With the 2 other Vorinclex on the battlefield, Chapter II would be broken

[@chrismarlow9585]

Josh: Jin Gitaxias is so powerful, probably the strongest! (Goes on for 15 minutes about how awesome it is). Josh on how to win with it: Uhhh, Thassa's oracle? I guess if you don't want to do that you can omniscience big Krakens into play. Jin Gitaxias may be strong if you get all the pieces together and build your entire deck around looping it, but blue really lets it down with any fun win conditions. The mass bounce even stops you sticking any creatures. It seems very very blue to me! Lots of stuff you can do which ultimately breaks it, but all the fun is in the deck building and not the actual playing or winning.

[@TheWaffleRadio]

The only thing I feel was under-discussed about Birgi/Urabrask--Birgi is all *spells* while Urabrask is only inst/sorc. Which, idk if Birgi decks are often just pure spellslinger anyway. But it does cut down on the cards you can use to trigger Urabrask compared to Birgi. Not enough to make it a bad card--it's great. But it's spellslinger only where Birgi can be used to enable all kinds of different things. If you did switch a Birgi deck's commander, you might find that there are some non-bos that weren't immediately apparent.

[@ethanpascoe1540]

AMAZING COMMANDER: I think as a commander Urabrask is for sure the best. Since he flips immediately after getting to chapter 3 you get all his front face value while chapter 3 is active. GREAT COMMANDERS: I think I would go Sheoldred as the second best. Sure it may be a slower deck, but it is a great control deck even without flipping. I think on a similar level to Sheoldred is Elesh Norn. I worry about how much you can interact with the board, but the card carries strong effects. VERY GOOD COMMANDER: Slightly weaker than those two is Jin. I just think transforming it is going to be hard to do consistently without weaken your own board state intentionally. But if you do transform that will likely be game. BAD COMMANDER: The worst is Vorinclex and it isn't close. He just doesn't do enough in my opinion at way too high a cost.

[@michaelhanson8224]

Vorn build: Azusa/Dryad/... Sage that proliferates Flip over. Play two lands. Boom?

[@troyboy2328]

Ima make a deck with all the praetors with god of the tree as commander :)

[@ramenkingcruz]

You can totally have a table with two legs. Heck, even with one thick one!

[@hdel389]

Please redo a phyrexian special episode of game knights with the new praetors We need it

[@ZonardCity]

Do you play "Enter the Infinite" with Jin ?

[@markdziamski4859]

Question about incubator tokens and Anointed Procession. You’re doubling the incubator token but I don’t think you are doubling the effect that puts the counters on them right? Because I’m not doubling the Incubate 2 ability. I’m just doubling the tokens and counters don’t carry over.

[@JordanPridgen]

Good question! If you double the tokens as they're made it actually works fine. The new tokens still enter with the +1/+1 counters on them because the same effect is still creating them, it's just making twice as many. So things like Mondrak and Anointed Procession do work. Now if you somehow copy those tokens, the copies don't come in with any counters on them so you have to be careful with that.

[@markdziamski4859]

@@JordanPridgen Awesome. Thank you.

[@adrianovieirademelo9775]

Vorinclex is absolutely insane. A masterpiece. Those comments though 😂😂😂😂

[@jegosi17]

JLK's favorite commander from this set...is it Elenda and Azor?

[@scottnito2640]

You should do the next game nights episode using decks with 4 of the praetors

[@salamanteri_]

Norn is kinda gross if you have a proliferate card on the battlefield, you can give the second chapter buff to your team, proliferate and blow your opponents stuff up with chapter three, attack for 40 damage with the tokens that just got bigger thanks to proliferate, sac three of the tokens for Norn to flip it back to saga, get five more tokens, and repeat the whole thing next turn.

[@spearhead2054]

I think pointing out in one or two sentences, how each of them would fare in the 99 and what type of deck would want those, would've been nice.

[@gerudo4sale861]

The problem with sheoldred is that its easier to play Rise of The Dark Realms with general mill cards and tutors and ramp them mill, play, transform AND using the strategies they talk about

[@imanujakku]

These to me feel a lot like the meld cards where while you are trying to complete the quest etali, Heliod, omnath and thalia and the gitrog are busy actually winning the game lol. Maybe im wrong but the rare commander in the set seem bananas compared to the praetors. In the 99 i could see all the praetors being great but im just not seeing the same power in them in the command zone.

[@TheCrowing14321]

Bergi Storm is a cEDH build. Im pretty sure Urabrask is just gonna replace her lmao.

[@jojohn3830]

I'm building 5 color praetor tribal!!

[@Genesiszzzz]

Elesh Norn and token angels/soldiers tokens sounds fun time to get brewing.

[@curtisheintz2405]

I’ve been seeing a lot of token spam decks built around her but it kinda seems a lot like a nombo since she literally will board wipe all those tokens if they aren’t phyrexians. But then again I might be really good I’d have to see it played

[@Genesiszzzz]

@@curtisheintz2405 Mask wood nexus an similar cards fixes wipe issues tho might have to choose soldiers or angel tokens because of slots available.

[@joshuavaz2925]

What deck do elesh norn come in

[@seandowney2338]

Man, throw my red boi in a feather deck

[@superdantheminecraftman8905]

I really feel like the Great Evolution should have a Birthing Pod chapter instead of the mill one. Like maybe you sacrifice any number of creatures, then birthing pod for each of them.

[@kareth117]

Ok, hear me out... If the lore counter goes on the saga immediately after the draw step, doesn't that mean Jin-Gitaxias' Omniscience moment is... instant speed? Between the draw step and the first main phase, right? Because it stipulates that the card then exile and flip, that means the creature is on the battlefield as main phase one begins and the moment of omniscience is over. PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong, lol. I just wanna make sure I get that right before I build a whole deck around this guy and my pod laughs me out of the living room lol.

[@mcfructix7688]

For me totally Urabrask. This card will be play All Time. The rest are insane in commander its a tie for me

[@alicesaxon601]

Jin>Elesh Norn>Urabrask>Sheoldred>Vorinclex. Soon as I saw Jin-Gitaxias during the previews for the set I had a feeling he would be the most powerful. Blue often has the potential for being the most powerful anyway so its fitting. Elesh Norn definitely looked impressive in token decks, even in the 99. Urabrask finally has a card that I want build around, as his other two versions never wowed me.

[@alejandroguerrieri2924]

Jin is meh....very restricted and he does nothing when coming in btf...sheoldred is indeed the best of all with an ETB trigger that can be abused and her saga practically guarantees you a win.

[@yodabuddy2112]

People who want to flip these into sagas need to be aware of stifle effects. If the last lore counter is placed and the ability is countered, it will be sacrificed due to the last counter being placed on them.

[@MrRomanrin]

CAN WE SEE THEM PLAY THIS DECKS ??? at least 4 with all those cool cards IN A COMMAND ZONE COMMAND GAME ??? come on!

[@CC-hx3tf]

When are the next game knights episodes dropping???

[@superdantheminecraftman8905]

If you can give the dino that untaps lands indestructible, you can kill every creature at instant speed with The Grand Evolution's third chapter.

[@andresperez7476]

Mondrak and this norn go together 🌋🌏🌎

[@Buchaus]

Vigor and Cacophodon would actually be a nonbo, the Vigor would prevent the damage so Enrage wouldn't trigger

[@TheKillerman3333]

calling it now, incubate in paper is going to suck alot not only do you need to keep track of the tokens, you need to also keep track of the number of counters and which ones have been flipped or not. that is like 3 things to track from one ability.

[@spellmastersguild]

Sheoldred all the way!

[@jaym294]

Honestly, i'd run Vorinclex in my Neyith just for that fight ability alone

[@ingolf82]

in my opinion, I think Urabrask is the most powerful, which is odd, because isn't he like... the weakest of them? I do like Vorinclex and Urbrask the best. Jin-Gitaxias is crazy.. that 3. lore counter and you have "enter the infinite in your hand, you draw your whole deck, put an island back, then cast Thassa's oracle and you win and they cannot stop you because you have your whole deck in your hand can cast all your counterspells for free. on second though, maybe Jin-gitaxias is the most powerful, but I really like Urbrask. I find myself just putting crashing drawbridge into almost all my decks now, it's so good. I think I would play Sheoldred as mono black mill and then just steal everything they mill, with something like Tergrid in the 99. the thing with Urabrask is that, I don't think you even want to flip it, unless you need a boardwipe of all their small elves or what ever. urabrask is just way more powerful on the front side. Vorinclex is by far the weakest. boy.. this set really lives up to what Josh and Jimmy wanted. Green sucks, Red and white are really good. at least this cycle of cards. I think, if I had alot of money to throw around, I would build all of these but Vorinclex and simply have them as decks that play against each other. so I could bring them with me to my game night and say "hey, lets have a praetor battle, pick one". I would clearly leave out Vorinclex because it's very meh!

[@Infamouscritter]

Just run altar of the brood and urza’s saga to get it quicker for sheoldred

[@jjanjell]

How does Urabrask deal with big flying creatures?

[@snakeman830]

Go off before they become a problem?

[@highshelf]

Praetor game Knights part 2 on extra turns

[@claygillman9351]

There are a lot of times that you guys are referencing removing a lore counter to retrigger the first chapter of the saga. Would you have to do that on your opponent's turn? Because you douldn't respond to the Lore Counter being added after your draw step. Doesn't the saga's chapter only trigger when a lore counter is added?

[@sidchicken2308]

Volt Charge is a reprint.

[@EraseMan531]

It's ironic to put boots on a draw bridge

[@DylanKurbel]

Stifle is about to get stronger!

[@CKarasu13]

I actually run Nimble Obstructionist in my medium power blue decks because abilities have become kinda crazy over the past few years. Whirlwind Denial is another card I look to for that.

[@DylanKurbel]

@@CKarasu13 Whirlwind denial is awesome! Nimble Obstructionist is cool too for the cantrip

[@egoish6762]

Norn feels like the strongest in the 99 with whites newfound power, especially as an overrun for tokens but don't think she'll be great in the command zone. Jinny-G's 3rd chapter is pretty strong but it felt like a stretch discussing options with him, probably stick him in the 99 of super friends and hope to use him to cast 3-4 walkers. Sheoldred feels pretty potent, i do think a deck built around her as commander could be pretty strong but she does a lot of things people don't like, she'll go in the 99 of Tergrid for games where people don't mind stax. Urabrask seems like the most build-around-able in some kind of mono red storm list, looks like the all around strongest of this cycle for a change. Vorinclex seems pretty meh compared to his older versions.