Any spicy Commander Legends brews incoming?

[Serenade]

You could Donate the Arcane Adaptation, right?

[Candlemane]

Honestly my choices are probably the boring ones everyone will try. Top of my list are Obeka, Nevinyrral and Yurlok. Maybe Jared.

Obeka would be probably be a semi stealing deck combined with some encore plays, but this one in particular is definitely going to be the hardest because I don't play extra turn spells because they are the devil. I also just love the art.

Nevy I want to make into a weird blink deck because of his ability, and I dislike having Aminatou as my commander because she's a planeswalker. This one has hit a few snags because things also have to die so finding the balance has proved a bit hard.

Yurlok is probably going to be something I call Group Shrug. I wont stop you from playing anything with stax piecces. I'll even help you draw cards, give mana, and recur your stuff. All at a price. This will be the easiest to balance I think, and I have some experience with this strategy already. I don't like calling this slug because it doesn't outright punish people for playing the game, so cards like Manabarbs wouldn't be in the deck. There are deals to be made, but the costs are static instead of implied.

Jared interests me a little, but I don't know if I'm going to build it. I think Monarch and Goad make a great combination, but I don't know if there is enough there to make it work.

I don't and never have liked partners, so I'm not really looking at those to lead any decks.

[toctheyounger]

Re: Gor Muldrak, Amphinologist - one amusing idea I had for him was Arcane Adaptation + Ashling the Pilgrim / Pestilence Demon effects. Unfortunately, Simic doesn't have a lot of 'this creature deals damage to everything' effects. I guess Squallmonger? Hmmmm....

Still though, certainly a hilarious card.

It's a nice thought, but Squallmonger won't work, as Hexproof won't stop the Monger (yes, that is it's creature type even on Oracle text) from damaging your stuff too. Even if Gor provided protection because the abillity doesn't target it would still flatten all your stuff too. There's always Heroic Intervention I guess.

Gor does provide protection, which does prevent damage. If you turn Squallmonger / Ashling / etc into a Salamander with Arcane Adaptation, then they won't damage you or themselves. That would allow you to burn your opponents out (and shoot down all of their flying creatures) with Squallmonger, while you don't take any damage due to having protection from it.

Oh, I'm an idiot. I keep getting the wording wrong on these new ones, I was confusing this with Nevinyrral, Urborg Tyrant. That would actually work really nicely.

[toctheyounger]

You could Donate the Arcane Adaptation, right?

Sure - I'd need a ruling on whether that changes which player's creatures become salamanders though.

The other option is just to run Unnatural Selection and similar.

Obeka would be probably be a semi stealing deck combined with some encore plays, but this one in particular is definitely going to be the hardest because I don't play extra turn spells because they are the devil. I also just love the art.

I'd thought about making this one a sort of control/political deck. Have her always available to offer the option of a hard nope to potential allies, or if you're feeling really nasty impose a whole lot of nasty conditions on the board that are tough to play around, and offer for people to either fight through them or end their turn and cut their losses.

I'd really only thought of it conceptually, I have no idea what it would look like, but theft/extra turns.dec have been done, right? I like a bit of control and politics is fun.

[Hawk]

For sure, Nath of the Gilt-Leaf will be replaced by some combination of the new partners - it's definitely Numa, Joraga Chieftain for the green contribution but I can't decide between Nadier, Agent of the Duskenel or Miara, Thorn of the Glade for the black half of the partnership. Either way, the deck will lose its wheel-y discard engine and focus more on token generation.

I have similar tastes to @Guardman apparently, since after that I'm also intrigued by...

- Pirate Tribal starring Malcolm Keen-Eyed Navigator and Breeches, Brazen Plunderer as a low-to-the-ground aggro deck that steals your opponents stuff as its "endgame"/top-end.
- Archelos, Lagoon Mystic is one where I'm really really tempted to replace Gitrog Frog with him as a landfall commander. Archelos Lands would be able to build to several possible "infinites": Perilous Forays + any "landfall: make a dude" effects pulls all your basic-ish lands out of your library and makes for that mana triggers, while Patron of the Moon + a ravnica bounceland + Archelos makes for infinite mana and infinite landfall triggers. Sakura-Tribe Scout /Walking Atlas /Budoka Gardener // Dokai, Weaver of Life / Skyshroud Ranger + Retreat to Coralhelm + bounceland + Archelos does the same.
- Rebbec, Architect of Ascension is one of my favorite lore characters, so I'm also intrigued by building around her and someone like Armix, Filigree Thrasher or Silas Renn, Seeker Adept.
- Finally, I find Araumi of the Dead Tide spicy as all get-out as a self-mill commander. I'm particularly interested in using her to triple up on interesting and cheap death/EtB/attack triggers. In particular, you can end up shooting far ahead and ramping into some sick reanimation by ending up "mana positive" off of cards like Gleaming Barrier or Priest of Gix.

Another thing I'm interested in is the idea of partners as a free "card in hand". For instance, rather than some sort of synergy, what if I just want to make some ludicrous aggro deck around Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh and then just add Akroma, Vision of Ixidor as a free "at the start of the game, draw your finisher" card that also allows my color identity to be Boros for swords and disenchants and tutors and stuff? I don't know if I'll do that especially since Rograkh loves Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist so much for letting him magnetize Colossus Hammer but it's an interesting way to approach deckbuilding that this set gives us.

[toctheyounger]

Finally, I find Araumi of the Dead Tide spicy as all get-out as a self-mill commander. I'm particularly interested in using her to triple up on interesting and cheap death/EtB/attack triggers. In particular, you can end up shooting far ahead and ramping into some sick reanimation by ending up "mana positive" off of cards like Gleaming Barrier or Priest of Gix.

I really like her too. I think encore could be pretty bonkers to be honest. Like, a real easy wincon (and I know its been done) is Gray Merchant of Asphodel. 3 immediate copies and 21 life drain/63 life gain is a HUGE tempo swing, and that's just with those tokens and Araumi of the Dead Tide in play. She could do crazy things with stuff like Myr Battlesphere and Precursor Golem too.

[Candlemane]

Obeka would be probably be a semi stealing deck combined with some encore plays, but this one in particular is definitely going to be the hardest because I don't play extra turn spells because they are the devil. I also just love the art.

I'd thought about making this one a sort of control/political deck. Have her always available to offer the option of a hard nope to potential allies, or if you're feeling really nasty impose a whole lot of nasty conditions on the board that are tough to play around, and offer for people to either fight through them or end their turn and cut their losses.

I'd really only thought of it conceptually, I have no idea what it would look like, but theft/extra turns.dec have been done, right? I like a bit of control and politics is fun.

Probably. I always wanted a stealing or "i'm playing your deck" deck, though more along the lines of clones and copies. As far as Obeka goes, she really doesn't bring anything to the strategy other than stopping, potentially, some shenanigans. People I've encountered generally don't like when you steal their stuff, but I bet they hate people taking a bunch of extra turns more. Problem is Obeka will have that issue where some people build it to be the turns deck, while other do more fair things, I guess you could say. I've had to abandon many decks because of that problem, Feather being my last.

Still, I'd probably try it out. If it doesn't work there's always Beckett I suppose, though it doesn't really include any of my fave stupid cards like Sphinx Ambassador / Agent of Treachery / Conquering Manticore, etc.

[toctheyounger]

Obeka would be probably be a semi stealing deck combined with some encore plays, but this one in particular is definitely going to be the hardest because I don't play extra turn spells because they are the devil. I also just love the art.

I'd thought about making this one a sort of control/political deck. Have her always available to offer the option of a hard nope to potential allies, or if you're feeling really nasty impose a whole lot of nasty conditions on the board that are tough to play around, and offer for people to either fight through them or end their turn and cut their losses.

I'd really only thought of it conceptually, I have no idea what it would look like, but theft/extra turns.dec have been done, right? I like a bit of control and politics is fun.

Probably. I always wanted a stealing or "i'm playing your deck" deck, though more along the lines of clones and copies. As far as Obeka goes, she really doesn't bring anything to the strategy other than stopping, potentially, some shenanigans. People I've encountered generally don't like when you steal their stuff, but I bet they hate people taking a bunch of extra turns more. Problem is Obeka will have that issue where some people build it to be the turns deck, while other do more fair things, I guess you could say. I've had to abandon many decks because of that problem, Feather being my last.

Still, I'd probably try it out. If it doesn't work there's always Beckett I suppose, though it doesn't really include any of my fave stupid cards like Sphinx Ambassador / Agent of Treachery / Conquering Manticore, etc.

I'm facing down the same issue with Blim, Comedic Genius. There's going to be a ton of people trying out a 'Bad Santa' build, and I'll be the guy going 'no, seriously guys, this is not THAT deck' before anyone decides they want to give me a fair shake at playing a full game. I want a political tempo deck with it, not feels bad presents.

If that doesn't work out I've been eyeing up Belbe, Corrupted Observer too. I'll find something to build.

[Rasputin101]

I feel like I'm the only person on the planet excited for Lathiel, the Bounteous Dawn!
Its proving tricky to get the right balance of soul warden effects, general lifelinkers and cards like Aetherflux Reservoir to abuse that life total.

I like the interaction of Mycoid Shepherd and pretty much any sac outlet!

[toctheyounger]

I feel like I'm the only person on the planet excited for Lathiel, the Bounteous Dawn!
Its proving tricky to get the right balance of soul warden effects, general lifelinkers and cards like Aetherflux Reservoir to abuse that life total.

I like the interaction of Mycoid Shepherd and pretty much any sac outlet!

It looks like an interesting choice. And fwiw I've heard no one else as excited as I am for Blim, Comedic Genius or Belbe, Corrupted Observer, so sometimes it's nice to have a nice deck.

There's some nice out of the way options for life gain in things like Ajani's Welcome, Authority of the Consuls and a super corner case of Children of Korlis. I feel like you just need enough triggers that if more or less anything happens you gain life, and then have something to use it with. The death star is obviously the best choice, I'm afraid I have no other suggestions outside of it for those colours. If you were in Abzan you'd be golden.

[materpillar]

It looks like an interesting choice. And fwiw I've heard no one else as excited as I am for Blim, Comedic Genius or Belbe, Corrupted Observer, so sometimes it's nice to have a nice deck.

Belbe, Corrupted Observer looks really neat. If I was going to build a golgari deck I'm interested in throwing down Pharika, God of Affliction.

I just built a Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait deck this morning that I'm really excited to try out. I know he's getting a lot of valid criticism about him being fairly boring designwise.
However, I've wanted to use Leviathan and Jokulmorder + Akroma's Memorial as a deck's finisher for a long time now. I built a Master Transmuter+Birthing Pod artifacts matter shell around those cards. Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait is the on-leviathan theme glue to get me up to the ridiculous amount of lands required for the deck to actually be somewhat functional.

[toctheyounger]

I just built a Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait deck this morning that I'm really excited to try out. I know he's getting a lot of valid criticism about him being fairly boring designwise.
However, I've wanted to use Leviathan and Jokulmorder + Akroma's Memorial as a deck's finisher for a long time now. I built a Master Transmuter+Birthing Pod artifacts matter shell around those cards. Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait is the on-leviathan theme glue to get me up to the ridiculous amount of lands required for the deck to actually be somewhat functional.

Oh yeah, it's perfect for that. Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle is cool and all, but aside from combo potential doesn't really have what it takes for a sea monster tribal, where Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait definitely does. I don't wanna yuck anyone else's yum, I just get a little bitter that ug gets all the extra land and land=draw effects (on the same card no less). Surely there's other color combinations that could could justify these mechanics.

[materpillar]

I just built a Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait deck this morning that I'm really excited to try out. I know he's getting a lot of valid criticism about him being fairly boring designwise.
However, I've wanted to use Leviathan and Jokulmorder + Akroma's Memorial as a deck's finisher for a long time now. I built a Master Transmuter+Birthing Pod artifacts matter shell around those cards. Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait is the on-leviathan theme glue to get me up to the ridiculous amount of lands required for the deck to actually be somewhat functional.

Oh yeah, it's perfect for that. Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle is cool and all, but aside from combo potential doesn't really have what it takes for a sea monster tribal, where Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait definitely does. I don't wanna yuck anyone else's yum, I just get a little bitter that ug gets all the extra land and land=draw effects (on the same card no less). Surely there's other color combinations that could could justify these mechanics.

Oh for sure Aesi is not an interestingly designed card at all. Honestly, the vast majority of the reason I'm building him is because the art is pretty baller. I was looking for an excuse to build a lower-power deck and he is that excuse which is fairly ironic since he's such a bland goodstuffy ball which usually facilitates an increase in power.

I just through up a decklist too if you're vaguely curious about my first draft at all.

[Rasputin101]

I feel like I'm the only person on the planet excited for Lathiel, the Bounteous Dawn!
Its proving tricky to get the right balance of soul warden effects, general lifelinkers and cards like Aetherflux Reservoir to abuse that life total.

I like the interaction of Mycoid Shepherd and pretty much any sac outlet!

It looks like an interesting choice. And fwiw I've heard no one else as excited as I am for Blim, Comedic Genius or Belbe, Corrupted Observer, so sometimes it's nice to have a nice deck.

There's some nice out of the way options for life gain in things like Ajani's Welcome, Authority of the Consuls and a super corner case of Children of Korlis. I feel like you just need enough triggers that if more or less anything happens you gain life, and then have something to use it with. The death star is obviously the best choice, I'm afraid I have no other suggestions outside of it for those colours. If you were in Abzan you'd be golden.

Thanks for the advice.
Yeah, adding black would make a pretty suffient life abuse deck but.... I really want that unicorn!
I'm going to try and build in what is effectively an 'if a player scratches their nose you gain 1 life' situation, then start compounding the +1 counters with buffed lifelinkers.
Maybe I'm in magical christmas land, who knows!

The only thing I would think to do with Blim, Comedic Genius would be to throw out a Threaten effect, repeatable if possible, then start handing out your opponents stuff as your own!
He's pretty niche!

[toctheyounger]

The only thing I would think to do with Blim, Comedic Genius would be to throw out a Threaten effect, repeatable if possible, then start handing out your opponents stuff as your own!
He's pretty niche!

He is pretty niche, and I think that's what I like right? So like the internet is rife with 'bad Santa' builds with like Demonic Pact and all, but that just gets you taken out really quick, people hate playing against that stuff. To me the best idea is to give away things that do the same thing no matter who controls them. Font of Mythos, Night of Souls' Betrayal, Genesis Chamber, stuff that ETBs and then is vanilla, and then running a whole lot of goad effects so that I'm left alone as much as I can be. It might work. I'm excited to try nonetheless.

[able archer]

I just built a Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait deck this morning that I'm really excited to try out. I know he's getting a lot of valid criticism about him being fairly boring designwise.
However, I've wanted to use Leviathan and Jokulmorder + Akroma's Memorial as a deck's finisher for a long time now. I built a Master Transmuter+Birthing Pod artifacts matter shell around those cards. Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait is the on-leviathan theme glue to get me up to the ridiculous amount of lands required for the deck to actually be somewhat functional.

Oh yeah, it's perfect for that. Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle is cool and all, but aside from combo potential doesn't really have what it takes for a sea monster tribal, where Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait definitely does. I don't wanna yuck anyone else's yum, I just get a little bitter that ug gets all the extra land and land=draw effects (on the same card no less). Surely there's other color combinations that could could justify these mechanics.

Oh for sure Aesi is not an interestingly designed card at all. Honestly, the vast majority of the reason I'm building him is because the art is pretty baller. I was looking for an excuse to build a lower-power deck and he is that excuse which is fairly ironic since he's such a bland goodstuffy ball which usually facilitates an increase in power.

I just through up a decklist too if you're vaguely curious about my first draft at all.

viewtopic.php?f=35&t=31481&p=111584#p111584

I just posted my Thrasios, Triton Hero + Gilanra, Caller of Wirewood draft, if you want another consideration for leaders for your deck. The fact that both contribute draw and ramp has made the deck both fast and buttery smooth in testing.

[Mookie]

Averna, the Chaos Bloom first draft here. Very spicy, probably also terrible. Should probably go even more all-in, but filling out the decklist is pretty tricky. Hmmmm....

[Mimicvat]

Nobody has mentioned Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder + Jeska, Thrice Reborn yet. 6x damage to one of your creatures each turn. Brusey boi can get to 18 commander in one go, but unfortunately not 21. So make any random creature with like five or six power one shot people who have taken chip damage, or any 7 damage creature one shot from full life.

I just had to make it, so seeing how it goes. I think we have enough colorless draw, wheels etc for a Boros Deck that isn't dedicated to card advantage to get by.

[toctheyounger]

Nobody has mentioned Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder + Jeska, Thrice Reborn yet. 6x damage to one of your creatures each turn. Brusey boi can get to 18 commander in one go, but unfortunately not 21. So make any random creature with like five or six power one shot people who have taken chip damage, or any 7 damage creature one shot from full life.

I just had to make it, so seeing how it goes. I think we have enough colorless draw, wheels etc for a Boros Deck that isn't dedicated to card advantage to get by.

I do like Jeska, Thrice Reborn - definitely a lieutenant, and a different walker that seems less game-warping. I'd be interested to grab a copy and see what she can do.

[Mimicvat]

Jeska is easily my favorite of the bunch, followed by Sakashima and then the rest are quite a bit behind that. Love this set, the partners are a little weak perhaps but balance out when you consider the options.

I'm wondering, have a Derevi deck that my playgroup hates on. Its evasive dudes, Piracy effects, and Concerted Effort. The players dislike it because pretty much anything helmed by Derevi is automatically pure evil! Could Akroma, Vision of Ixidor + Siani, Eye of the Storm fill this niche without being led by %$#%? Siani for "attacks generate value" and Akroma as a form of Concerted Effort and a big anthem in the command zone (for 7 mana?!!)

[kirkusjones]

Brewing up a Kodama of the East Tree and Toggo, Goblin Weaponsmith combo lands build. Run some Seismic Assault style effects, Surly Badgersaur...Should be dumb and fun.

[TheAmericanSpirit]

The more I think about it, I really want to make Livio/Alena work as a boros ETB thing. The trick seems to be that Alena's mana generation is a payoff, not a guarantee, so one would need to front Livio a fat stack of mana before his partner starts reimbursing. Maybe ball lightnings, spark troopers, etc? I dunno, but I'm curious.

[toctheyounger]

Brewing up a Kodama of the East Tree and Toggo, Goblin Weaponsmith combo lands build. Run some Seismic Assault style effects, Surly Badgersaur...Should be dumb and fun.

Seems good. There's so many options for lands.dec these days which is cool. Really does challenge the whole concept of lands being sacrosanct in the format, which I'm ok with.

Apropos of nothing, Toggo, Goblin Weaponsmith reminds me heavily of Gothmog from the last LOTR film.

The more I think about it, I really want to make Livio/Alena work as a boros ETB thing. The trick seems to be that Alena's mana generation is a payoff, not a guarantee, so one would need to front Livio a fat stack of mana before his partner starts reimbursing. Maybe ball lightnings, spark troopers, etc? I dunno, but I'm curious.

This could work quite well. I really like Livio, Oathsworn Sentinel in general, and these two seem to blend in an interesting way; Alena can help pay for Livio's first ability (somewhat) and Livio can help Alena make lots of mana. You could even get into blink shenanigans to make it payoff outside of your turn as well with like Felidar Guardian, Conjurer's Closet and some haste enablers.

The whole payoff/reward thing is a bit weird, so you probably do want low costed high power creatures and you're probably on the right track for that. Ancient Stone Idol can be cheap too, and I'd be interested to know how Malignus interacts with blink on the stack. I presume it's 0 when not in play but if not it could be a bomb play.

[JovialJovian]

I have built a pairing of Malcolm Keen-Eyed Navigator with Sakashima of a Thousand Faces, and a number of additional ways to get copies of Malcolm. The treasures start snowballing quite fast, to the point that I'm not entirely sure what I should try ramping into in mono blue. I had a game with 25 treasures on the board and a multiplying squadron of Malcolms, and yeah I won, but I feel like I should have won faster with that much mana.

[toctheyounger]

I have built a pairing of Malcolm Keen-Eyed Navigator with Sakashima of a Thousand Faces, and a number of additional ways to get copies of Malcolm. The treasures start snowballing quite fast, to the point that I'm not entirely sure what I should try ramping into in mono blue. I had a game with 25 treasures on the board and a multiplying squadron of Malcolms, and yeah I won, but I feel like I should have won faster with that much mana.

Feels like maybe a play into number of artifacts matter build? Win with Mirrodin Besieged or just pump your treasures into X-spells like Blue Sun's Zenith etc? I guess you could go one step further with Laboratory Maniac et al (sigh).

Or you could go March of the Machines / Tezzeret the Seeker alpha strike for something a little more original.