<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imprisoned in the Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Imprisoned in the Moon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.ryanleeart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ryan Alexander Lee</a></em></p>
<p>There's just so much exciting stuff coming down the pipeline in the back half of 2025. <em>Edge of Eternities </em>is literally <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/edge-of-eternities-rules-update-vehicles-can-be-commanders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">changing the rules of Commander</a> with its introduction of legendary Spacecrafts. <em>Spider-Man </em>is already coming in September and if the fervor surrounding <em>Final Fantasy</em> is anything to go off of, the discourse surrounding that set is going to be absolutely bonkers.</p>
<p>But the thing I can't stop looking forward to is the <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em> (ATLA) release in November. <em>Avatar</em> is a tremendous show that I love dearly, and from the preview of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avatar Aang" href="#" target="_blank">Avatar Aang</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/magiccon-las-vegas-preview-panel-edge-of-eternities-and-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Wizards of the Coast</em> showed at MagicCon: Las Vegas</a>, it seems that they're really taking the property and running with it in some incredible ways.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Avatar Aang"></div></div>
<p>I wouldn't expect anything less from the franchise. The new <em>Avatar Legends</em> roleplaying game is excellent. And <em>The Legend of Korra: Pro-Bending Arena</em> is a board game whose years-long stranglehold over my friend group is as well-earned as it is hard to explain.</p>
<p>Clearly they don't just hand out the license to anyone willing to pay up for it. ATLA produces exclusively high-quality gaming tie-ins, which has ratcheted up my hype for the set past the point that I can keep quiet about it any longer.</p>
<p>To that end, here are some cards I'd love to see reprinted within the <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em> set. I've listed them here from easiest direct translation to stretches so wild that I would be not only shocked, but also appalled, to see them put into the set.</p>
<p><strong>WARNING: Avatar spoilers abound below</strong></p>
<h2>Direct Translation Reprints for <em>Avatar</em></h2>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imprisoned in the Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Imprisoned in the Moon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Imprisoned in the Moon"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Tenth Doctor" href="#" target="_blank">I&#039;m sorry, I&#039;m so sorry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to start us here. But it's the absolutely the first card I thought of to be put into this set. It's just right there.</p>
<p>Obviously Yue, Sokka's love interest from the end of Season 1, becoming a moon spirit is a sledgehammer to the feelings of any person, young or old, who watches <em>Avatar</em>. Their relationship is well written, and her departure from Sokka's life at the end of the season is one of the most heartbreaking moments of the series.</p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/BB8CGkJTESo?si=EoCtsdNdsYRZRuSu&amp;t=188" target="_blank" rel="noopener">And then he tries to tell Zuko about it</a>.</p>
<p>That moment took on a life of its own, becoming one of the show's most enduring memes. It's also an excellent go-to response when someone tells you about work, friend, or commander pod drama. It expresses solidarity while also encouraging them to lighten up.</p>
<p>This card was first printed in <em>Eldritch Moon</em> back in 2016, and every one of its nine printings since has used the original art by Ryan Alexander Lee (except for a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imprisoned in the Moon|sld|1102" href="#" target="_blank">Secret Lair printing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>). A new version, perhaps an update to the original by the man himself featuring Sokka and Zuko pondering the moon together, would be extremely choice and a fun easter egg for the set.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deflecting Palm" href="#" target="_blank">Deflecting Palm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deflecting Palm"></div></div>
<p>This card is excellent and doesn't see nearly enough play. A dramatic, last-second Deflecting Palm is one of the absolute best ways to turn the tides in a Commander game. By and large, people just don't see it coming. But it's a perfect marriage of the mantras of white and red to say "Actually, no. And in fact, goodbye."</p>
<p>In a world of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ms. Bumbleflower" href="#" target="_blank">Bumbleflowers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jumbo Cactuar" href="#" target="_blank">Cactaurs</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cori-Steel Cutter" href="#" target="_blank">whatever they have going on in Standard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it's good to have that extra bit of protection in your back pocket.</p>
<p>Deflecting Palm was first printed in <em>Khans of Tarkir</em> back in 2014. Tarkir sets have a lot of fun Monk-based and Elemental cards, which translate well into this set, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a few of them receive reprints.</p>
<p>This one specifically would be a perfect excuse to pay tribute through new art (this card has used its original art by Eric Deschamps in each of its three printings) to <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/TheLastAirbender/comments/ya0jbw/this_shot_of_aang_deflecting_the_explosion_with/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the more visually impressive moments in the show</a>.</p>
<p>Aang's fight with Combusion Man is the cherry on top of an already iconic episode (<em>The Beach</em>), and it's filled with impressive moments. But this one, where the show slows down time to allow us to appreciate Aang airbending around the explosive shot as it detonates, sending Aang flying and leaving Combustion Man in the blast radius, is simply top notch.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sylvan Library" href="#" target="_blank">Sylvan Library</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sylvan Library"></div></div>
<p>Sylvan Library is obviously very strong, but it does give the player an interesting choice to make. It provides you with knowledge and the potential for power, if you're willing to risk your life for it. Which is exactly the plot of one of my favorite episodes of <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em>. And as luck would have it, that episode is called <em>The Library</em>.</p>
<p>It's a memorable episode for the beautifully drawn architecture of the hidden library, as well as its Studio Ghibli-esque guardian. It's also an extremely important episode to the narrative of the entire series, as it leads Team Avatar to the discovery that firebenders lose their bending ability during a lunar eclipse.</p>
<p>The card's mechanics are a perfect match to the story of the episode, as the gang nearly loses their lives as the cost for gaining that information.</p>
<p>Sylvan Library has seen a fair number of printings, including in Secret Lairs, since its debut way back in <em>Legends</em> in 1994. But putting it into this set would be a good chase card while also allowing many players to play with a card they might well have never encountered otherwise.</p>
<p>And it would be an excellent excuse to use the gorgeous design of the Library, adorned internally with stone carvings of its ominous librarian, in the card's art.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thespian&#039;s Stage" href="#" target="_blank">Thespian&#039;s Stage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thespian&#039;s Stage"></div></div>
<p>There simply isn't much to say about this one. If there's not an Ember Island Players version of Thespian's Stage, I don't know why this set even got made.</p>
<p>Even just as a <em>Magic</em> card, Thespian's Stage is very interesting. The ability to permanently copy a target land only goes up in value as the power of your pod increases. Is someone running a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx" href="#" target="_blank">Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? Congratulations, you are too. Did someone just lay down a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Depths" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Depths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? Please welcome to the stage Miss <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marit Lage" href="#" target="_blank">Marit Lage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>And paying homage to the Ember Island Players is an absolute no brainer. It's one of the best episodes of the show, and honestly, more shows should employ an episode where the characters watch a heavily propagandized version of their own adventures.</p>
<p>Can you imagine Frodo cowering in the corner of the mezzanine as a crowd of orcs ferociously boos his portrayal in "Small Coward Won't Give Ring Back" at the Mordor Lyric Opera House?</p>
<h2>Renamed Cards</h2>
<p>Some cards will require renaming to allow them to fit the set, as has been done in some past Universes Beyond products, as well as in many Secret Lairs. Though this makes me less confident in their inclusion, some of these opportunities are simply too good for them to pass up.</p>
<h3>Cabbage Merchant as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sakura-Tribe Elder" href="#" target="_blank">Sakura-Tribe Elder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sakura-Tribe Elder"></div></div>
<p><em>Magic's</em> favorite punching bag, meet <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em>'s favorite punching bag.</p>
<p>The Cabbage Merchant needs to make an appearance in this set. There's simply no way he won't. He's perhaps one of the greatest unnamed characters in television history. But what card could possibly encapsulate his frequent misfortune at the hands of any bender or large animal in a 20 mile radius? It has to be Sakura-Tribe Elder.</p>
<p>It's an absolutely iconic card to match with an iconic character. And at least this time when his cabbages get destroyed, you'll be able to recoup a basic land for your trouble.</p>
<h3>Secret Tunnel as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Escape Tunnel" href="#" target="_blank">Escape Tunnel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Escape Tunnel"></div></div>
<p>Do you want to count us in or shall I? Ok. One... Two... Three...</p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/4-GiYP_4qc0?si=qF8IINgspAmpPQOG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SECRET TUNNEL! SECRET TUNNEL! THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS!!!</a></p>
<p>It's an earworm even after all these years. If you walk past a band that's playing in the hallway of a nerdy convention four times, they'll be playing Secret Tunnel at least two of those times. And honestly, it's still always welcome.</p>
<p>I've never seen Escape Tunnel played. Even in Landfall decks, including my own, where this would be a welcome inclusion, I've never seen it touch the table. So it would be nice to give this overlooked card some love (despite the fact that you could sacrifice it to make Jumbo Cactuar unblockable, which is something every <em>Magic</em> player has to be wary of for the rest of time now).</p>
<h3>Zuko, The Blue Spirit as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fugitive Codebreaker" href="#" target="_blank">Fugitive Codebreaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fugitive Codebreaker"></div></div>
<p>There will surely be a Zuko card in this set, and it will undoubtedly be entirely new, very cool, and interact with the new firebending mechanic in some way. But I want a version of Zuko that plays homage to his alter ego, The Blue Spirit.</p>
<p>There aren't many cards with the disguise mechanic which still see play in any meaningful way. But, assuming that firebending will involve some amount of mono-red spellslinging (which, c'mon, is waterbending wet?), this card would be a great way to refill your hand and to provide some immediate threat with its inclusion of prowess and haste.</p>
<h2>Honorable Mention/They Should Not Do This</h2>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Propaganda" href="#" target="_blank">Propaganda</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, But in Green, Featuring Ba Sing Se</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Propaganda"></div></div>
<p>They absolutely shouldn't do this. Propaganda is already a troublesome enough card when it's only playable in blue decks. Giving another color access to this deterrent could turn Commander games into staring contests.</p>
<p>However, giving me the ability to turn to a player and ask, "Can you pay the <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>? Then there is no war in Ba Sing Se." would make it all worthwhile.</p>


Reprints We Want To See in the Upcoming Avatar Magic Set

<p style="text-align: right;"><em>MagicCon | Image courtesy of Wizards of the Coast/ReedPop</em></p>
<p>Welcome back to <em>How To Be New</em>, where I give advice for new Commander players by a new Commander player. But I'll be honest, I'm not sure how long I'll be able to carry that tag. Because I did pull an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Lord High Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Lord High Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at a prerelease and it feels like a real turning point. It calls to me to do crimes I never would have even considered when I was first learning to play Commander. But now I've seen the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hullbreaker Horror" href="#" target="_blank">Hullbreaker Horror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and I'm... well... I'm afraid I won't be able to look away...</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Urza, Lord High Artificer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hullbreaker Horror"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Malevolent Whispers"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>So, You Wanna Go to MagicCon?</h2>
<p>MagicCon is in Las Vegas this weekend. As a <em>Magic</em> player, you might reasonably want to go. But as a new player, I'm sure you probably have some unanswered questions: What can I expect at a MagicCon? Will people play Commander with me? What's the percentage chance that someone will see me misplay, yell, "Hey! They're too <em>new</em> to be here!" and then a group of 30-80 people will lift me up, carry me outside, and dump me onto the street?</p>
<p>These are all extremely natural questions for you to have. They're all questions I had before my first MagicCon earlier this year. So let me share my story and some friendly advice to help answer these questions and more.</p>
<p>Some time around last December, I became aware that MagicCon would be taking place in February in Chicago. I happen to live in Chicago, so I had a relatively low barrier to entry. But still, it felt like such a big leap.</p>
<p>I've been going to board game conventions for years without any worry, but one specifically for <em>Magic</em>? Would they expect me to know things about <em>Magic</em>? Would they expect me to be <em>good</em> at it??</p>
<p>These questions plagued me. I was still going to FLGS Commander Nights mostly, and at that time didn't really have a regular rotation of players I liked to play with, so I didn't have any friends I could ask about it. Information online was somewhat scant.</p>
<p>But eventually the temptation of a "free" Collector Booster of <em>Aetherdrift</em> was enough for me to buy a weekend pass (Collector Boosters have always seemed too expensive to justify buying them on their own, which makes them a perfect incentive to buy a $150 convention ticket).</p>
<p>So, on that extremely cold Friday in February I made the trek down to the McCormick Place Convention Center. Over my weekend there, I got answers to many of my questions. Let me pass those answers along to you, so you can focus on more important questions like, "I shouldn't get a <em>Final Fantasy</em> Collector Booster... right?" and "What if I just cut like one or two lands from this deck?"</p>
<h2>What Is There to Do at Magiccon?</h2>
<p>There are quite a few things to do at MagicCon, to be sure. There are panels, events, and probably some other things too. But mostly what I spent my time doing was playing Commander at the free play tables. There's an ocean of free play tables with different sections allocated to different play experiences (casual vs. competitive, for example).</p>
<p>They also have volunteers there to connect people with open games, so you can just see one of them and they'll broadcast to the area to find you a table with an opening. It's really an excellent setting, and they do amazing work for the number of people who are playing there.</p>
<p>As with all public <em>Magic</em> experiences, your mileage will vary based on the other players in your pod. If you have any friends to go with, that's certainly helpful, but not required. And if you're not meshing with your pod, just leave the table after your game, go somewhere to have a snack or a drink, and then come back and find a new pod to play with.</p>
<p>"There's plenty of fish in the sea" has never been more true in a Commander setting than it is here.</p>
<h2>Ok, Cool. Is There Anything Else to Do?</h2>
<p>I'll be honest with you, based on my first experience, it seems like by and large the answer is no.</p>
<p>I spent a little time wandering the show floor. But if you've been to the show floor at other gaming conventions, like Gen Con or Origins, you'll get a very different vibe at MagicCon.</p>
<p>Since there's only one game here, there's not row after row of booths demoing different games. Instead, there's a few vendors you might expect, like Dragon Shield and Ultra PRO selling relatively expensive sleeves, deck boxes, playmats, etc.</p>
<p>There are also some areas set up by different card dealers, setting appointments to buy and sell cards from people who seem to be serious collectors.</p>
<p>Those places felt literally above my paygrade, and even when I did work myself up to try and sell a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> I'd picked up to get a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the usual trick of standing around and looking like you'd like to speak with someone didn't work.</p>
<p>It very much seemed like they had more important business to conduct than to give their time for my meager trade offer, so I ended up just leaving.</p>
<p>I will give a quick aside to say that a local arcade had brought a few of the brand new <em>Dungeons and Dragons</em> pinball machines to the show floor for folks to play. And seeing as pinball is another one of my nerdy vices of choice (look for the initials SKA on a pinball machine near you) I did spend some time on those.</p>
<p>But I wouldn't expect that to be a regular feature.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Expropriate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Split Decision"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Valeyard"></div></div>
<p>There's also a huge line for official show merch. This is true seemingly at all times of day and on every day of the con. I can't imagine wanting any of the things they were selling bad enough to brave that queue. Especially when I could head downstairs and drop <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Expropriate" href="#" target="_blank">Expropriate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on a table of unsuspecting strangers, and then copy it, so that I end up taking 15 turns in a row.<strong>*</strong></p>
<p>I also want to say that if meeting artists and getting their cards signed is your jam, this is very much the place for you. There are also some meet and greets and the chance to say hi to some of your favorite content creators. Unfortunately, Spice8Rack didn't attend this one, so I couldn't get them to sign my newly acquired <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Grenade" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Grenade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Maybe next time.</p>
<p><strong>*</strong>It was this incident, and the bad vibes that came after it, that finally made me take <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Expropriate" href="#" target="_blank">Expropriate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> out of my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Valeyard" href="#" target="_blank">The Valeyard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck. I simply couldn't be trusted with that sort of power.<strong>**</strong></p>
<p><strong>**</strong>Ok, but also, those guys definitely could've, and should've, just conceded. Plus, then one of those guys got out a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toxrill, the Corrosive" href="#" target="_blank">Toxrill</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck, so you tell me who the real villain is here.</p>
<h2>You Mentioned Events Before. Should I Try to Do Those?</h2>
<p>Yes! The other thing I spent most of my time on was events. There are all sorts of events running through the weekend. And above all else, my best advice is to look for events that seem like the most fun to you. Because the odds are that you'll meet people at those events who are the most like you. And people who are alike are more likely to get along.</p>
<p>Overall, low pressure events seem to bring in the most friendly, easygoing players. For example, the two events I participated in were a Precon Chaos event and an event put on by Brian David Gilbert and Ify Nwadiwe (with special guest Ally Beardsley!) with a light D&amp;D/Umm, Actually theming.</p>
<p>The PreCon Chaos event was first. They sit you at a table, have people come by and drop off a random PreCon for you to open, sleeve, and play with. And that's it! No deckbuilding, no hard decisions, only vibes!</p>
<p>And the vibes were amazing at those tables. Nobody had their ego hinging on how they did in this event. Everyone got the same number of prize tickets (tickets you'll get from events which you can turn into any number of packs and other merch). It was all just for fun.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brash Taunter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sidisi, Brood Tyrant"></div></div>
<p>It didn't hurt that I got the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser" href="#" target="_blank">Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> precon and immediately fell in love (turns out I'm a sucker for roleplaying the act of accusing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sliver Queen" href="#" target="_blank">Sliver Queen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> of a heinous murder, and also am head over heels for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brash Taunter" href="#" target="_blank">Brash Taunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, one of my favorite lil bois in all of <em>Magic</em>).</p>
<p>One of the last events of the weekend was the Umm, Actually event, and it was packed with my kind of nerds.</p>
<p>I put together a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidisi, Brood Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Sidisi, Brood Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck and had a wonderful time. There was one other player who removed my Commander somewhere around five or six times in a single game, which I didn't love. But I did knock him out of the game in retaliation, which honestly felt great.</p>
<p>Another great thing about these events is that the people at your table can easily turn into people to start pods with in the play area later in the weekend. Just strike up a little conversation around the table and suddenly you're planning to meet up at the tables around lunchtime tomorrow to compare <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/landfall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Landfall decks</a>.</p>
<p>And if you're lucky, those people will then turn into friends who you play with outside of the con! It's like combo-ing off, but with human companionship. And I highly recommend it.</p>
<h2>Will I Have Fun?</h2>
<p>Well, it sort of depends on you. MagicCon isn't going to be spoon fed to you. You'll have to take an effort to find a game for yourself, to sign up for events you'll enjoy, to hopefully make new friends. But these things are absolutely achievable. And if you enjoy playing <em>Magic</em>, you can very easily find yourself having a blast at MagicCon. I know I did.</p>
<p>Lastly, I did want to shout out the excellent people from EDHREC who I got to meet up with at MagicCon. They're extremely kind people. I even lucked into an in-person <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/mike-carrozza" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Am I the Bolas</a> when I was playing a game with Mike where I happened to knock a stranger out of the game relatively early and they got fairly salty about it (and it even turned out that I wasn't the Bolas in the situation, which was a huge relief).</p>
<p>If you get the chance to meet any of them at a MagicCon, absolutely take it. They're uniformly wonderful.</p>
<h2>Any Last Tips?</h2>
<p>Yes, I do have a few. In no particular order.</p>
<ul>
<li>Bring a waterbottle. In Chicago, the water coolers were somewhat few and far between, and often empty, so you'll want to stock up when you see an opportunity.</li>
<li>Bring snacks. They're welcome around any Commander table. And as their owner, by extension, you'll be welcomed too.</li>
<li>Don't bring all of your decks. Go with fewer than you'd bring to your regular Commander night. That backpack gets heavy as you lug it around all day. Do yourself a favor and drop a couple fringe decks. You can bring them tomorrow if you really want.</li>
<li>Have Rule Zero conversations. You're playing with strangers. Talk about the things your deck can do.</li>
<li>Leave extra space in your bag for decks, cards, and merch you'll acquire throughout the weekend.</li>
<li>Go to MagicCon. Just go for it. You'll be happy that you did.</li>
</ul>


How To Be New at MagicCon

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Planet&#039;s Heir" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth, Planet&#039;s Heir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/magali_villeneuve/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Magali Villeneuve</a></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Welcome to <em>Roman Begs Anybody Else To Build a Bracket One Deck - Deck Tech Edition</em>. If you’re looking for the more “competitive” version of this deck, it will be coming later. But first, please, bear with me a moment and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1PPoIAOO2Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener">consider the following</a>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Obviously the new <em>Final Fantasy</em> <em>Magic: the Gathering</em> set has a ton of very, very powerful cards. It has <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jumbo Cactuar" href="#" target="_blank">a creature which can attack for ten thousand</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It has </span><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sin, Spira&#039;s Punishment" href="#" target="_blank">Sin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who you <span style="font-weight: 400;">only have to read once to know that it will be used with pure criminal intent. Heck, just the spoiler release of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vivi Ornitier" href="#" target="_blank">Vivi Ornitier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> caused upward of 50 reported hospitalizations. These cards are busted. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This means that but a single question remains about this set: Which card is the most fun? And to answer that, I present to you <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Planet’s Heir" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth, Planet’s Heir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sephiroth, Planet’s Heir"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I missed the <em>Final Fantasy</em> games as a kid, so I know Sephiroth from two things. First, the incredible moment where he torpedoes 500 feet down from the sky to put a sword straight through Aerith. It’s a moment so iconic that they had him <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJo25Dtglbo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recreate it with Mario when they introduced him in <em>Smash</em></a>. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The second is his wonderful cameo in <em>Kingdom Hearts</em> where he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPjbwSH5Bps" target="_blank" rel="noopener">serves as a harsh reminder of the consequences of curiosity</a>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Given that the <em>Kingdom Hearts</em> version of this deck would require the inclusion of upwards of 50 <em>Lorcana</em> cards, we’ll stick with the first moment when looking to idolize Sephiroth with his own Bracket 1 deck. And to pay homage to that glorious moment, we’ll play it out again, and again, and again, in a deck I’ve lovingly titled<em> Oops, All Sephiroths.</em></span></p>
<h2>What Does Sephiroth, Planet’s Heir do?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Planet’s Heir" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth, Planet’s Heir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, has two main abilities. The first pays wonderful tribute to that moment of terminal velocity swordplay. When he enters, creatures your opponents control get -2/-2 until end of turn. Eat that, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Sephiroth is a one-man board wipe for tokens and mana dorks. When he enters he really resets the playing field.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">His second ability is what really sends him to the moon. Whenever a creature an opponent controls dies, he gets a +1/+1 counter. And given that he already has vigilance, this makes him a pretty tough customer to deal with. Especially if he has a deck to back him up that's loaded with removal. A deck very much like <em>Oops, All Sephiroths</em>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But not just any removal. The one thing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Planet&#039;s Heir" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth, Planet&#039;s Heir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> loses thematically, especially as a commander, is the suddenness of that moment. Everybody sees him up there, waiting to descend and wreak mass destruction. Where’s the surprise? The drama? This deck seeks to rectify this injustice.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">How do we do this? By making as many Sephiroths as we can. Not copies of Sephiroth, mind you. But creatures that come in suddenly and remove opposing creatures. But do they come in on our turn? Absolutely not! We're going to do our damage in cutscenes. Well, the closest thing <em>Magic</em> has to cutscenes: our opponents' turns. To that end, we’re giving everything flash.</span></p>
<h2>Key Cards for Sephiroth, Planet’s Heir</h2>
<h3>Flash: The 500-Foot Divebomb of <em>Magic: the Gathering</em></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vedalken Orrery"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Quicksilver Amulet"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Leyline of Anticipation"></div></div></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These three beauties are going to help us bring out our creatures anytime. This is necessary to create removal at the height of drama, as is the Sephiroth way. There are only a few such cards in the deck, but your first mulligan is free, so don’t be afraid to search for them - especially that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leyline of Anticipation" href="#" target="_blank">Leyline of Anticipation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. And don’t be afraid to mulligan down to six, five, even four for them, as reckless, insane risk taking in the pursuit of power is very much the Sephiroth way!</span></p>
<p>You'll also find a couple of other helpers in this regard, notably <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="High Fae Trickster" href="#" target="_blank">High Fae Trickster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for as long as you can keep them on the board. I've also included <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emergence Zone" href="#" target="_blank">Emergence Zone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Borne Upon a Wind" href="#" target="_blank">Borne Upon a Wind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for some single-turn Sephirothing if you don't have access to these other tools. If you happen to have a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Winding Canyons" href="#" target="_blank">Winding Canyons</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> sitting around in your collection, this is certainly a use for it. But when I'm designing for Bracket 1, I use cards worth over $5 very sparingly, and never over $10, so the canyons didn't make the cut.</p>
<h3>It's Just Sephiroths, All The Way Down</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Big Game Hunter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Black Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Meteor Golem"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Behold: These are our Sephiroths. Bring them in with drama. With panache. These will come in to immediately remove opposing creatures, threats or no, all in service of powering up Sephiroth himself. For additional fun, I’d encourage you to use “Sephiroth” as a verb when playing these. For example, “I’m going to play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Big Game Hunter" href="#" target="_blank">Big Game Hunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to Sephiroth your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brion Stoutarm" href="#" target="_blank">Brion Stoutarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.” And for extra credit, have a button on your phone to play the “Sephiroth” sting from One Winged Angel whenever you do. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking of which, based on some research, it seems that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meteor Golem" href="#" target="_blank">Meteor Golem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fairly solid thematic and mechanical inclusion to this deck. Let me know in the comments if there are other thematic inclusions you'd make. As this is a Bracket 1 deck, thematic inclusions are just as important, if not more so, than actual mechanical cohesion.</span></p>
<h3>You Haven't Even Seen My Final Form</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flatline"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Massacre Girl"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These two are nasty combo pieces with Sephiroth. If you can play a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flatline" href="#" target="_blank">Flatline</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> before bringing in Sephiroth, he’ll get almost everything in one go (except for that troublesome <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ms. Bumbleflower" href="#" target="_blank">Ms. Bumbleflower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with 80 +1/+1 counters, Sephiroth’s eternal nemesis). This means that if you have your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swiftfoot Boots" href="#" target="_blank">Swiftfoot Boots</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on the board, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Planet&#039;s Heir" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth, Planet&#039;s Heir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> may be able to Sephiroth a whole player out of the game, which just feels correct.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Massacre Girl" href="#" target="_blank">Massacre Girl</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is also a fun combo, as she’ll progressively blow things up around the board, but Sephiroth’s +1/+1 counter for each death should help him outpace the coming storm. This is another one where I'd have to rely on MTG Arena triggers to keep me in line, but please get in the comments and let me know if I'm wrong.</span></p>
<h2>How Does Oops, All Sephiroths Win?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Well, as with all Bracket 1 gameplay, you win by having the silliest, most fun time at the table. But in terms of winning by the actual rules of <em>Magic</em>, you do have some options.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your first option is, of course, winning by commander damage. It’s relatively easy to get <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Planet’s Heir" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth, Planet’s Heir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> up to the point where he’ll be swinging for 21. And in a deck with so much removal, it'll be hard for many opponents to keep up enough blockers to stop you.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But you can also make use of the cards above, as well as board wipes like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="In Garruk’s Wake" href="#" target="_blank">In Garruk’s Wake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toxic Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Toxic Deluge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to ensure that he’s both strong enough to swing for lethal and unhindered by pesky blockers.</span></p>
<h2>Oops, All Sephiroths Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Oops, All Sephiroths" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Sephiroth, Planet&#039;s Heir
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Audacious Thief
*1 Big Game Hunter
*1 Black Dragon
*1 Blood Artist
*1 Callidus Assassin
*1 Cavalier of Night
*1 Dread Cacodemon
*1 Dread Presence
*1 Farbog Boneflinger
*1 Harvester of Souls
*1 High Fae Trickster
*1 High-Society Hunter
*1 Kagemaro, First to Suffer
*1 Keening Banshee
*1 Malakir Cullblade
*1 Massacre Girl
*1 Massacre Girl, Known Killer
*1 Massacre Wurm
*1 Meteor Golem
*1 Morbid Opportunist
*1 Mulldrifter
*1 Nekrataal
*1 Nightshade Assassin
*1 Noxious Gearhulk
*1 Overseer of the Damned
*1 Ravenous Chupacabra
*1 Shriekmaw
*1 Silumgar Assassin
*1 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
*1 Tidal Barracuda
*1 Vincent Valentine // Galian Beast
*1 Zenos yae Galvus // Shinryu, Transcendent Rival
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Dimir Locket
*1 Dimir Signet
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Quicksilver Amulet
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Talisman of Dominance
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Vedalken Orrery
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Leyline of Anticipation
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Ambition&#039;s Cost
*1 Foreboding Fruit
*1 In Garruk&#039;s Wake
*1 Ponder
*1 Risky Shortcut
*1 Toxic Deluge
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Borne Upon a Wind
*1 Consider
*1 Flatline
*1 Go for the Throat
*1 Locust Spray
*1 Murder
*1 Mystic Confluence
*1 Quick Study
*1 Sephiroth&#039;s Intervention
*1 Tragic Slip
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Choked Estuary
*1 Command Tower
*1 Drowned Catacomb
*1 Emergence Zone
*10 Island
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Shipwreck Marsh
*1 Sunken Hollow
*17 Swamp
*1 Tainted Isle
*1 Temple of Deceit
*1 Temple of the False God
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Some Final Thoughts For Sephiroth, Planet's Heir</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Look, this is a bad guy deck. It has a lot of removal, and that can make for an unfun time for others at the table. My advice: delight in it. Make yourself the villain. Call that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Muldrotha, the Gravetide" href="#" target="_blank">Muldrotha, the Gravetide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> an “Inferior Dullard.” Decide that things with swords are primary targets. Break out a villainous laugh if you must. If this causes everyone else to turn against you and overcome you in the end, excellent; you played your role well. The joy of this deck isn’t in the outcome, it’s in the experience.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Also, feel free to make this deck your own! Use whatever you have on hand. Put in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Butch DeLoria, Tunnel Snake" href="#" target="_blank">Butch DeLoria, Tunnel Snake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> if you want to. See if your friends will let you run <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Nipton Lottery" href="#" target="_blank">The Nipton Lottery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> outside of color (a must-include in every Bracket 1 deck in my book), just to see if you can use it pre-combat, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIQ8laL0yQk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oliver Swanick</a> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Planet’s Heir" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth, Planet’s Heir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and swing for lethal in the funniest way possible. Just get out there and have fun with it. It’s what Sephiroth would want*.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">*Disclaimer: I can’t stress this enough, I really don’t know Sephiroth very well. </span></p>


Sephiroth, Planet's Heir - Final Fantasy Bracket 1 Commander Deck

I Won a Commander Game With Exodia - A Love Letter to Bracket 1

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flubs, the Fool" href="#" target="_blank">Flubs, the Fool</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.adamrex.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Rex</a></em></p>
<p>Hello, and welcome to <em>How To Be New</em>, the series where I give advice to new players, from a new player. If you’re here because you’ve never played <em>Magic</em> before but you saw the new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tifa, Martial Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Tifa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> card and now find yourself in the middle of a 15-hour <em>Magic</em> researching fugue state, go get some sleep! For the rest of you, welcome in. Today we're talking about how to cut cards from your Commander deck when you have more than 100.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flubs, the Fool"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Laboratory Maniac"></div></div>
<hr />
<p>Ok, so, let me start with an anecdote. My friend, very graciously, gave me a copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flubs, the Fool" href="#" target="_blank">Flubs, the Fool</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> when he found out I was getting into Commander. He was right to do so. I fell in love instantly. All the fun of playing <em>Magic</em> without all the confusion of having to make decisions?? That sort of thing’s perfect for a guy like me.</p>
<p>So I went into my collection that weekend. I have a lot of random bulk from various other dalliances with <em>Magic</em> in my past, including a full collection of the <em>Fallout</em> precons, so I had a lot to work through. Obviously I wanted things that would support <em>landfall</em>, since Flubs let me play extra lands. I also decided I wanted to do +1/+1 counters, since I saw that recommended for Flubs decks somewhere online. And obviously I wanted some things to help play cards from exile, since that synergizes very well with Flubs’ card draw ability.</p>
<p>By the time I got all of my candidates together, I was at over 200 cards. Not including lands. In what was going to be a <em>landfall</em> deck.</p>
<p>At least a couple of these had to go.</p>
<p>But which ones? How could I bear to cut any of my new friends? I had read every single one of these cards and imagined the dream scenario in which they would single-handedly win me the game. Now how could I possibly be expected to relegate some, or even most of them, back into the disorganized maelstrom which roils inside the big white box next to my desk? It’s scary in there. It’s certainly not the kind of place for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lily Bowen, Raging Grandma" href="#" target="_blank">Lily Bowen, Raging Grandma</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. As my elder, she deserves my respect.</p>
<p>I ran into this constantly when I was beginning my Commander journey. There’s just so many fun <em>Magic</em> cards which can support all kinds of different plans. But you need to sit down at the table with just 100 of them. Here’s how I learned to do that.</p>
<h2>Step 1: Start With a Guide</h2>
<p>There are so many excellent guides out there for how to set up your Commander deck. They’re fantastically helpful when determining how many lands to run, how much removal, how many mana artifacts, etc. So which one should you choose?</p>
<p>There’s an extremely easy answer: any of them. Absolutely any of them will be fine. These are great places to start when building your deck, but will absolutely differ from deck to deck and from player to player. So just find one to look at and start setting your deck up using those numbers. For this guide, we’ll be using this one that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSNV6224cHg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Command Zone</a> recently put together. Do I agree with every part of it? No. And that’s why it’s a perfect place to start.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-150362" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template-300x141.png" alt="" width="753" height="354" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template-300x141.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template-1024x483.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template-768x362.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template-1536x724.png 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template.png 1910w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 753px) 100vw, 753px" /></a></p>
<h2>Step 2: Add the Lands</h2>
<p>This guide wants you to run 38 lands. I’ve heard many other players say that's a great target number. It will absolutely ensure that from your opening draw, you should have enough lands to not miss any land drops and be able to do all of the wonderful things you want your deck to do.</p>
<h2>Step 3: Don’t Touch The Lands</h2>
<p>Set those lands far away. Face down. Don’t look at them. Have your partner or roommate hide them from you if need be. Don’t touch those things. Consider them a foundational cornerstone of your deck. Put a post it note on your desk with “38” written on it so you don’t forget the number and move on to the rest of the guide. You’re going to want a good read on how the cards in your deck play together, and in order to do that, you’ll have to actually play them. So just go with a little more mana than you think you might need, at least for your first couple of games.</p>
<h2>Step 4: Fill In the Rest of the Guide</h2>
<p>Go through and, to the best of your collection's ability, follow the guide you’re using to the letter. Do exactly what it instructs you to do. As you’re going through, do you feel like 10 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">mana rocks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are too much for your three-cost commander? Are you building a group hug deck and feel like maybe 18 disruption cards will sort of counteract what you’re trying to do at the table? Good. Those are useful feelings to have. Keep those with you as you fill out the nonland cards in your deck to the specifications in your guide of choice.</p>
<h2>Step 5: One In, One Out</h2>
<p>Now that you’ve got a sense for your whole deck, start to make some of those changes you were leaning towards before. But do it on a one in, one out basis. You can cut one card to swap in one other card. When you start to do this in sweeping moves or go too fast you’ll start to lose count, and soon you’ll find yourself deep in the dregs of everyone’s least favorite deckbuilding activity: counting through a big stack of cards (and then having it come up different when you do it again). Slow and steady wins the race here.</p>
<p>Take into consideration what you want in your deck. Personally, the “Plan Cards,” as they’re listed here, are my favorite part of EDH deckbuilding, and I have a really hard time keeping those down to just 30. So I’ll usually cut some disruption, and possibly some ramp, to fit in some of those cards that bring me joy every time I draw them. And what’s more, at this point, <em>I don't know</em> what’s going to be good yet! So I’m going to include everything I might want to try out and deal with the consequences later.</p>
<h2>Step 6: Cut a Couple Lands, as a Treat</h2>
<p>Look, 38 lands sounds really great, but I almost always go a little lower. If you’re playing, for example, Boros (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) or like to live dangerously (Izzet, <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>), you can definitely cut a few. You’ve been very good so far, you deserve a little bit of self care. After all, if you draw dry in a game, you’ll have nobody to blame but yourself!</p>
<h2>Step 7: Play The Deck</h2>
<p>The <em>most</em> important step in this process is actually going to the game store and trying the deck out! Getting it out on the table is the only way you’ll be able to evaluate which cards should stay or go. It’s sometimes useful even to goldfish it (this is stolen advice from Am I The Bolas, and it means dealing yourself a hand and playing by yourself on your own table, just to see how things might shake out in a real game), maybe even more than once.</p>
<p>One other thing I like to do is take a small sideboard with a few cards you wanted to include but didn’t make the cut. Swap them in between games for some cards which seemed underwhelming in the first game. Continue to tinker like this to your heart’s content and <a href="https://youtu.be/Sr2PlqXw03Y?si=3Jcg5s9i36vT5hbJ&amp;t=11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">baby, you got a Commander deck going!</a></p>
<hr />
<p>To close the loop, as we fast forward to about six months from the day where I had to cut about 150 cards for my 100 card Flubs deck, I’d wager that maybe seven or eight of those cards are still there. It’s now a deck I call “Doctor Flubsenstein’s Monster” which seeks to reunite Flubs with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Laboratory Maniac" href="#" target="_blank">his creator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and win by playing through the rest of the deck. It no longer places +1/+1 counters. It deals some with playing cards from exile. Honestly, even most of the <em>landfall</em> triggers have fallen out. This deck isn't concerned with things like damage or combat. Now it’s a timeless tale about mankind’s yearning for the one thing that cannot be produced in a lab: love.</p>
<p>But you don’t get to tell a whimsical sci-fi tale of tragedy, yearning, and man’s reach exceeding his grasp if you don’t get those 100 cards to the table. So use a guide, try it out, and rework the deck if it isn’t working. Whenever the process gets tiring, start over with a different deck idea.</p>
<p>Congratulations, you’re now a Commander player.</p>


New Player Guide - How to Cut Cards From Your Commander Decks

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Call the Spirit Dragons" href="#" target="_blank">Call the Spirit Dragons</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/liiga" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Liiga Smilshkalne</a></h6>
<p>Hello, and welcome to <em>How To Be New</em>, where I give a new player's perspective on how to start playing Commander before the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jumbo Cactuar" href="#" target="_blank">cactus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes everyone quit.</p>
<p>As this series makes the jump from Commander's Herald to EDHREC proper, this week's article addresses both new <em>and</em> veteran players, and it concerns my biggest, most persistent frustration since beginning my journey into Commander last October.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Abzan Ascendancy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jeskai Ascendancy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mardu Ascendancy"></div></div>
<p>Okay, so <em>Tarkir: Dragonstorm</em> has just come out. The new set takes place on the plane of Tarkir, a place where a lot of things have happened in <em>Magic</em>'s history. For instance, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Spice8Rack/featured" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spice8Rack</a>, one of my favorite <em>MTG</em> YouTubers, has a <a href="https://youtu.be/dAksq3bCjLY?feature=shared" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four-hour-long video about Tarkir</a>. Now, Spice has been known to run long, but their videos usually (and by "usually" I mean "always") end up much shorter than that.</p>
<p>Suffice it to say that Tarkir is an important place for <em>Magic</em> players. From what I gleaned from Spice's video (which I had open on my second monitor as I grinded daily <em>MTG Arena</em> quests), a lot of the things in Tarkir have to do with five Clans. Each of these Clans are associated with a combination of three of <em>Magic</em>'s five colors of mana, and the names of these Clans, first introduced in 2014, are still used as shorthand by many <em>Magic</em> players when describing these combinations of colors.</p>
<p>This is a mistake.</p>
<p>For you, a new player who still groups your lands in a way that feels inefficient but that you don't know how to improve upon, these color combination names are absolute gibberish, and why wouldn't they be?! The other five three-color combos were named in a <em>different</em> set in 2008! And the ten two-color combos were named all the way back in 2005, when planeswalkers were still just a glint in Mark Rosewater's eye.</p>
<p>Between all of those, that's 20 unhinged words to have to learn, plus the four four-color combo names (you thankfully don't hear them as much, and honestly, just based on word count alone, those I actually am fine with abbreviating). That's too much information to be expected to learn, especially considering you're supposed to learn it alongside at least one 100-card (without repeats!) deck, plus the most frequent cards played by other players, plus so many different mechanics. It's like studying for the ACT, but somehow more useful.</p>
<p>Any veteran players reading may be surprised to hear this, but please do hear these words: the color combination names are the hardest thing to learn as a new player, especially because very often they're said casually in conversation without an actual card on hand that one could actually look at for reference. By the time your brain has processed the sounds you've made into an unfamiliar word which you find yourself unable to derive further meaning from, the conversation has long moved on. It's truly like hearing another language. Or the word "nonplussed." It's a conversational stun counter for new players.</p>
<p>To tell you the truth, the two-color pairings are much more palatable for me. Maybe it's because they're just so well-written to convey the general vibe of the pairing they represent. Across the board they have a real <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouba/kiki_effect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bouba/Kiki</a> thing going on. Izzet sounds like the aggressive chaos of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. Boros sounds warm but regal in a very <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> sort of way. Golgari (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) sounds like the exact noise Swamp Thing would make. They're perfect.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Boros Charm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rakdos Charm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Simic Charm"></div></div>
<p>As a newer player, those two-color names will be some of the first things you pick up. You'll definitely learn the name for the color identity of your first couple of decks. But past that, you might as well make flash cards. Or just ignore them until you pick them up through osmosis... which I assume must happen at some point? Unless every veteran Commander player actually did make flash cards... which, I mean, I wouldn't put it past them. I firmly believe that if <em>Wizards</em> released a card which required the player to recite a Shakespearean soliloquy for three free mana, we'd all know "To be, or not to be" as well as we know "Do you pay the one?"</p>
<p>So I say all of this, not just to provide you a warm, comforting blanket over your shoulders after you've gone numb at hearing the word "Jund" one too many times, but because <em>Tarkir: Dragonstorm</em> is here, and with it, an unprecedented chance to internalize some of these color combinations. Because I've been playing Commander for six months now, and "just picking them up as I go along" has not been cutting it.</p>
<p>Check out your local game store for any leftover prerelease kits. There are five different kinds, each of which relate to one of the three-color Clans in Tarkir. Each box will contain an extra pack of cards specific to the color combination you've selected, and given that I can identify Temur (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) since I play a commander in that color combination; I should know Grixis <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, which accounts for two of my Commander decks, but it simply doesn't stick in my brain; I guess "Temur" is more fun, and I can associate it more closely with my boi <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flubs, the Fool" href="#" target="_blank">Flubs, the Fool</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> than I can associate "Grixis" with these two <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Valeyard" href="#" target="_blank">absolute</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Don Andres, the Renegade" href="#" target="_blank">bastards</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) maybe this will help you get one or two of these crazy combo names down.</p>
<p>So keep faith, friends. You may not know all these gibberish color words, but as long as you're learning to say "<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>" with a confident yet conciliatory tone, then your Commander education is coming along just fine.</p>


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