Wan Shi Tong, LibrarianWan Shi Tong, Librarian | Art by Ryota Murayama

Avatar: The Last Airbender is the latest in a soon-to-be-long line of Standard-legal Universes Beyond products to grace Magic players with its presence. Luckily, it seems to be well-designed in many ways and - like Lord of the Rings and even Final Fantasy before it - draws from a source that feels adjacent to the flavor that many have come to know and love for their cards.

Regardless of the flavor, however, Universe Beyond sets, Standard-legal or not, seem to come with a bit of extra power level sauce in their make-up and that makes it more interesting than normal to look at for Competitive Commander applications.

cEDH is on a bit of a dry spell in getting new staples from premier sets, but Avatar looks to break the mold. This is by no means an extensive deep dive, but I’m definitely going to give a look to the stand-out must-plays and a few that are more speculative picks from me as well. Let me know the more niche ones that slot into your favorite Commander in the comments!

Blue

Wan Shi Tong, LibrarianWan Shi Tong, Librarian

Move over Archivist of OghmaArchivist of Oghma, there’s a new game in town. Wan Shi Tong, LibrarianWan Shi Tong, Librarian does everything one could imagine wanting in a midrange blue card. Flying and vigilance are a solid set of keywords, even if many cEDH pilots aren’t looking to the combat step that often.

Flash, just like with Archivist of Oghma, lets Wan Shi Tong be cast at the opportune moment when it will trigger immediately. The cost lets any extra mana available be sunk into it to both immediately draw some cards and grow his size, a la Hydroid KrasisHydroid Krasis.

Of course the most relevant part is the triggered ability which gives a card and grows Wan Shi Tong every time an opponent searches their library. Tutors, fetch lands, you name it, cEDH pilots love to search their libraries. I find myself continually comparing this card to other strong cards, and yet it does what those cards do put together, and made better as well.

While Archivist has, on average, fallen out of favor in most midrange soup decks, throwing its ability onto a blue card which has a bevy of additional upsides makes this a no-brainer playable - especially in decks that are three colors or fewer.

Red

Redirect LightningRedirect Lightning

Fresh off the Game Changers list, Deflecting SwatDeflecting Swat has long been one of the definitive pieces of interaction to consider during cEDH games. It’s free and is effectively a counterspell, moving removal around, stymying Force of WillForce of Will and other premium pieces with ease.

While it may be the easiest comparison to Redirect LightningRedirect Lightning, I think more appropriate comparisons are other relatively recent redirect printings, such as Untimely MalfunctionUntimely Malfunction, Return the FavorReturn the Favor, and Bolt BendBolt Bend, all of which have spent dedicated time in cEDH decks. Each are uniquely playable in their own way, with Bolt Bend being the most obvious parallel thanks to its ability to cost only with its cost reduction online (usually from a Commander, similar to Deflecting Swat).

Decks that have been able to pay a single mana for Bolt Bend have usually been happy about it. Everyone loves to play Deflecting Swat, even if it isn’t always free. Redirect Lightning seems like the perfect medium, almost always costing on pure mana considerations, with five life being almost an afterthought in many games.

Is it slightly worse than Deflecting Swat? Obviously, on both cost axis and its inability to stymie multi-target spells, particularly Fire CovenantFire Covenant and Mindbreak TrapMindbreak Trap. But, between the constant need for a little more premium interaction - especially in non-blue lists - and the continually falling playrate of those multi-target spells, Redirect Lightning strikes me as yet another instant playable for swaths of EDH competitors.

I’m just mad Etali gets even better, as usual. Kidding. More non-blue interaction is an instant thumbs up from me. I love diversity!

The Last Agni KaiThe Last Agni Kai

Everybody who plays Magic knows that rituals are powerful. Paying mana and getting back more mana is an exchange worth the card a pilot goes down in return. In cEDH, they're so beloved that the lowly Rite of FlameRite of Flame still sees common play in four- and five-color decks, just to go plus-one on mana (or sometimes a little more).

The Last Agni Kai is the most intriguing type of ritual: one that asks you to jump through a hoop. A relatively undemanding one at that, and it rewards you greatly. Heck, it even doubles as a removal spell.

The decks that automatically jump out to me that would be interested in it are Dargo, Ob Nixilis, and Vivi. The first two are obvious - they’re huge creatures that could always benefit from more red mana. Vivi, on the other hand, isn’t always big - but if he is, Agni Kai represents an effective doubling of mana in order to continue or kick off a storm turn.

This will rightfully initially miss the radar of many cEDH players, specifically because it isn’t that useful for the most popular ritual-laden deck, Etali, Primal ConquerorEtali, Primal Conqueror. But, as more niche applications become apparent for its mana generation (and lowkey Drannith MagistrateDrannith Magistrate-killing removal potential), I’ll expect to see it more, not less, as we move away from Avatar’s prerelease weekend.

Green

Elemental TeachingsElemental Teachings

It’s Gaea's CradleGaea's Cradle’s world, and we’re all living in it. Elemental Teachings is an interesting varietal on Realms UnchartedRealms Uncharted that, in return for two more mana, puts the remaining cards directly onto the battlefield rather than into the caster’s hand.

This is obviously a large difference. Getting lands into play, if they’re not cheated in, is a laborious process. Is that advantage worth two extra mana over Realms Uncharted though? Or is the ability unique enough to want two bespoke ones in a deck? Five mana is a ton to spend in a cEDH deck, especially in a post-Mana CryptMana Crypt world. But it’s a good card to keep an eye on.

With one more land-copying effect, a pile could be created that nets a Gaea's Cradle in play every time. Or, if a deck already plays the likes of Will of the SultaiWill of the Sultai (looking at you, Lumra and Wandering Minstrel), there is at least an easy way to get lands back from the graveyard into play as well.

My main hangup here is definitely the cost, but it remains to be seen if the extra mana is worth the squeeze. I look forward to seeing what people smarter than me do with this card.

The Cabbage MerchantThe Cabbage Merchant

The Cabbage MerchantThe Cabbage Merchant is, unironically, one of the strongest arguments to play green in cEDH that has been presented to players in a long, long time. I’ve seen it discussed as green Smothering TitheSmothering Tithe, and while that’s close I think that… It’s better.

It’s cheaper. Players cast non-creature spells more often than they draw cards. Every two non-creature spells cast is another mana of any color for the hoard. The mana producing potential sticks around for as long as The Cabbage Merchant does, rather than being a one-time use like a Treasure token. Every time his controller’s permanents are untapped (Seedborn MuseSeedborn Muse, anyone?) his mana production refreshes.

He fits into existent decks, with the likes of Sisay and Kinnan specifically jumping to mind. It’s worth noting, since Cabbage Merchant makes the mana, not the tapped Food tokens, Kinnan doesn’t boost the mana production, but I think it clears the bar for play in the deck anyways.

The most fascinating part of this card to me is that, without any outside help from opponents having something like a Rhystic StudyRhystic Study, The Cabbage Merchant continues to pump out mana in response to an opponent trying to win the game, trying to stop a win, or just plain trying to advance their game plan in any direction.

The vast majority of spells cast in a cEDH game are non-creature, putting the ceiling on The Cabbage Merchant into the stratosphere. Is the floor low as well? Sure. It’s a three-drop (a little pricey) which is only a 2/2 and dies to a swift breeze. But the ceiling is simply too high to ignore. I’d even play the dang card in Najeela.

Multi-Colored

Fire Lord AzulaFire Lord Azula

Another set with a cool, albeit slow, Grixis commander. I’ve included Fire Lord Azula on the list here not because I think she will break through, but because I think people will give her a shot.

Having to attack to get maximum effect is a roadblock. Four mana is a roadblock. Outclassed by other Grixis commanders for sure, but together with an effect that gives sorceries flash (allowing them to be cast at instant speed) there feels like there could be some gas in the tank. An easy comparison feels, to me, like a Grixis version of Storm, Force of NatureStorm, Force of Nature, which also has to attack (and deal combat damage to boot).

Has Storm appeared in any cEDH games played recently? I’m sure, but I have a feeling it hasn’t won many of them.

Yip Yip!

Another Standard set - this time with fewer fringe playables scattered throughout, but with more honest-to-god potential instant staples. Nothing that wins the game outright, but some great value to be found for midrange and turbo decks alike.

It does especially feel weird to have left out entire colors (white and black) and card types (especially artifacts and lands), but when there are heaters like this, the need to grasp at straws goes away pretty quickly.

As ever, I’m sure there’s something that I missed. Feel free to tell me; I’d love to discuss it with you. This set looks like a real barnburner, which is always exciting. It’s a nice change of pace from the last few sets, that’s for sure.

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