<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Illustrated by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CJaime+Jones%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaime Jones</a></em></p>
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<p>Hello, and welcome to <em>Am I the Bolas</em>?</p>
<p>This column is for all of you out there who have ever played some <em>Magic </em>and wondered if you were the bad guy. I'm here to take in your story with all of its nuances so I can bring some clarity to all those asking, "Am I the Bolas?"</p>
<p>I'm ready to hear you out and offer advice. All you have to do is email amithebolas@gmail.com with your story, a pseudonym you want to use, and of course, only include details you don't mind in the column! You might see your story below one day. You might even hear it on the podcast. Which podcast?</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-25893" src="https://commandersherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/bolcast_logo430x430-300x300.png" alt="" width="249" height="249" /></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@AmITheBolcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THIS PODCAST!</a></p>
<p>I'm Mike Carrozza, the guy who's checking his watch riding this thing to space.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Eternity Elevator"></div></div>
<p><em>"The '8' button looks side-ways, but it should still work - what's taking so long???"</em></p>
<p>This week - Fine, I'll do it.</p>
<p>(Post edited for brevity, clarity, and then some.)</p>
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<h2>SUBMISSION</h2>
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<p><em>Hi Mike, I've been playing Magic: The Gathering for a while now, but I've only recently discovered your amazing article series. I have been a fan ever since.</em></p>
<p><em>Here is my story:</em><br />
<em>I am often found at my local game store on Friday nights, playing Commander with my group of friends. One night, I had decided to swap decks with my friend James. He was playing my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Caesar, Legion&#039;s Emperor" href="#" target="_blank">Caesar, Legion&#039;s Emperor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> tokens build, and I was playing his 100-dollar budget <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xyris, the Writhing Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Xyris, the Writhing Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> spellslinger Voltron deck. </em></p>
<p><em>My other friend, Finn, was playing with us that night and was playing his <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck that was vastly more upgraded with staples and game changers than either of James' or I's decks. (We knew this beforehand due to playing against the deck multiple times earlier that day.) He was playing cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smothering Tithe" href="#" target="_blank">Smothering Tithe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and other powerful cards, while neither of our decks featured anything of the like. During the previous games we played, James and I had used the vast majority of our suites of removal to deal with some of Finn's scary Dragons. </em></p>
<p><em>In this game, however, Finn was being mana-flooded and was often simply playing a land and passing while James and I were building out our respective boards. On turn 6, Finn played an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Explosive Vegetation" href="#" target="_blank">Explosive Vegetation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and the following turn, played his commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I then used the cost reduction from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> being green to cast an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oakhame Adversary" href="#" target="_blank">Oakhame Adversary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for only two mana on the following turn. When it came to James' turn, he cast a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Transmogrifying Wand" href="#" target="_blank">Transmogrifying Wand</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and Finn immediately began to argue that he should not use it to kill <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> because we had been doing that all day, and he wanted to put something cool into play. He managed to convince James against killing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and instead, James targeted my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oakhame Adversary" href="#" target="_blank">Oakhame Adversary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Transmogrifying Wand" href="#" target="_blank">Transmogrifying Wand</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. </em></p>
<p><em>This whole time, I had had a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vines of Vastwood" href="#" target="_blank">Vines of Vastwood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in my hand with two green mana open. After thinking for a while, I opted to instead cast the Thrash side of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrash // Threat" href="#" target="_blank">Thrash // Threat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> targeting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> because I was scared of what Finn could put into play on the next turn. Instead of just letting his <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> die, he decided to scoop and said angrily that he was going to find another pod.</em></p>
<p><strong><em>So was I the Bolas for targeting his <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with my removal, or was he the Bolas for scooping to it?</em></strong></p>
<p><em>Best,</em><br />
<em>Removal Run-in</em></p>
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<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div></div>
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<h2>VERDICT</h2>
<p>Thank you for writing and asking me to weigh in on your story. As I mention every week, if folks don't write to me, there's no column, so if you, the reader, want to send me a story, whether it's your own or one from Reddit or a friend's, please send it to amithebolas@gmail.com and I'll get to it here.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the most popular commander according to EDHREC at the time of writing and is famously really strong considering it's a reduction for all your Dragons cards without even ever needing to play it from the command zone. Pair that with the <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game Changers</a> mentioned and it sounds like we've got a Bracket 3 minimum here.</p>
<p>No shade to you and James, but it sounds like your decks don't meet the same level as Finn's Dragon deck.</p>
<p>I mean, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Transmogrifying Wand" href="#" target="_blank">Transmogrifying Wand</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a sweet card, but it's often relegated to colorless Commander decks or theme decks like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bruse Tarl, Roving Rancher" href="#" target="_blank">Bruse Tarl, Roving Rancher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It's in your Mardu token deck, so the theme of tokens remains, but these colors are famously so good at removing things with the likes of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vindicate" href="#" target="_blank">Vindicate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Utter End" href="#" target="_blank">Utter End</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anguished Unmaking" href="#" target="_blank">Anguished Unmaking</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, among many, many others. The Wand is in over <a href="https://edhrec.com/cards/transmogrifying-wand#cardlists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">15k decks according to EDHREC</a>. It's not a bad card, but it's one that I'd personally leave off my lists as I would consider it outclassed in many cases.</p>
<p>This is an indicator to me that we're looking at this deck and James' deck as likely Bracket 1 or 2. So with Finn's deck automatically a Bracket 3, we already have an interesting discussion when players engage in inter-Bracket games and the inherent biases therein.</p>
<p>Bracket bias aside, you've got experience against this deck and have talked about how you and James both had to expend all of your removal on Finn's deck in previous games. Lucky break in this game since Finn's been mana flooded the whole time and this allowed you and James to actually set up your boards without having to spend your turns to remove more of Finn's pieces.</p>
<p>Finn playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> after ramping into it and being flooded the whole game isn't as scary on its own. But consider that, with all the ramp and mana being available to him next turn, the big Dragon's attack trigger, plus the likelihood of Finn drawing something he can play next turn, on top of the dwindling number of lands left in his deck - leaving this creature alone can't benefit you for too long.</p>
<p>You can probably buy some good will by letting it stick, which means it's going to hit the only other direction available...for now.</p>
<p>James was asked not to remove the Dragon. By not removing Finn's commander, James is probably hoping to have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> swing your way and buy him some time. Personally, if my opponent played a nine-mana Dragon that can draw cards and put permanents into play for free, if I had the means to remove it, I'd probably do that. James being convinced to let Finn have the Dragon is either a way to try to curry favor with the more powerful player to get them off his back or someone opting to allow a player to have their fun.</p>
<p>The guilt (for the lack of a better word) of having removed most things from Finn's board over the course of the evening coupled with Finn's mana flooding this game may have influenced James in his Wand targeting. Not to mention the outright request of allowing Finn to let <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s trigger to go off, I think I'll stick with "guilt" being the right word here. That said, I'm not sure why he decided to use it on your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oakhame Adversary" href="#" target="_blank">Oakhame Adversary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but okie dokie.</p>
<p>You were pushed to react. Rather than saving the Adversary, you made the decision to keep the player with the biggest threat in check. In terms of gameplay, you identified that your opponents have struck an agreement and you had something you could do about it. Are you playing to win? Yeah? Then great job, this is the right move. Way to go. If this had been a pattern in previous games and Finn had not spent those games dropping card after card on board, maybe there'd be an element of "let him have a <em>little</em> fun," but Finn's fun was had those other games, I'm sure, and maybe his fun meant that you spent your games having to remove his stuff instead of getting to have your fun, right?</p>
<p>Requesting that your opponents let you get your attack trigger off because they "kept killing" your commander in other games is basically dropping the conceit of there being a win on the line. If you oblige, then the game's win gets an asterisk of "if I had killed it like I wanted to." If that's the game you're playing, by all means, go for it, but that discussion was had with James and not you RRI, so you're perfectly justified in your decision.</p>
<p>However, you had a way to protect the Adversary and you could have used the Thrash after letting Finn get his big trigger. The verdict isn't straightforward. I don't think you're the Bolas because if you were playing to win, your threat assessment is correct. You still had the ability to be lenient and then nip that in the bud with a delay, but ultimately, if the win is important to you, then this isn't the way.</p>
<p>If you had decided to let it slide, this would have been fine, too. I don't think Finn scooping and leaving is great, but also it's fair. I don't blame Finn for wanting to find a game that'll match his power level. Furthermore, I think he'd benefit from a full pod, like you all would.</p>
<p>I guess the verdict really depends on how I'm feeling because I could lean either way and, when reading this submission a few times leading up to writing this, I'd had strong feelings in both directions. Today, I'm thinking not the Bolas.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Transmogrifying Wand"></div></div>


Am I The Bolas? - Fine, I'll Do It, Then

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Grand Unifier" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa, Grand Unifier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/martanael" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marta Nael</a></em></p>
<p>The problem with eternal formats is that they're, well, eternal. Outside of bans for cards that break the format, as soon as a <em>Magic</em> card is printed, you can play it in Commander. And you can play that card in Commander forever.</p>
<p>Now this is of course one of the appeals of the format. There are many beloved cards that have lost their playability as they've been rotated out of Standard or power crept out of longer formats like Modern. And those cards are special to a lot of players. They're filled with joyful memories of pro tour victories or janky decks brought to weeklies that punched above their weight.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tenacious Underdog"></div></div>
<p>It's great that these deckless cards can find a home in the game's most popular format. And that also goes for all those super cool designs that just didn't quite make a splash in more competitive formats.</p>
<p>Super flavorful bombs that were just a bit too expensive. Super niche strategies that didn't have enough of a payoff in their environments. They can all find a purpose at the helm of a Commander deck. Or in their 99.</p>
<p>But eternal formats are eternal. And cards never go out of rotation. For every fun and flavorful include you want to slot into your deck, there's an outrageously powerful alternative. Staples that just outperform their peers in almost every situation. Cards that are just begging to be played and may never be topped. And, save for a ban, they won't ever leave the format.</p>
<h2>Ubiquitous Commanders</h2>
<p>There's a similar situation with the commanders that helm a good chunk of the decks in the format.</p>
<p>Legendary creatures can be popular as a commander for a multitude of reasons. It could be that they're a really flavorful champion for your favorite creature type. They could be the only option for certain archetypes in the color identity you want to play.</p>
<p>But let's be honest. Most of the top 100 commanders on EDHREC are there because of their overwhelming strength.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Edgar Markov"></div></div>
<p>You only need to look at the current top three to see just how powerful the most popular commanders are. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edgar Markov" href="#" target="_blank">Edgar Markov</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might as well be the boogie-men of the entire format. Two of them are sporting <em>eminence</em>, one of the most busted keywords ever printed on a legendary creature.</p>
<h3>Tantalizing Power</h3>
<p>The fact is, players are drawn to powerful decks. They want the cards in their hand to do as much as possible for as little investment as possible. And the same obviously goes for the creature leading your deck. There's nothing inherently wrong with that fact, of course. If you want to play high power games, there's no reason you shouldn't.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Overrun"></div></div>
<p>The problem lies with the homogenization of the format as a result. I'm sure we've all seen <em>Magic's </em>most recent top eight where every deck present was one of two versions of playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Monstrous Rage" href="#" target="_blank">Monstrous Rage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It's an overwhelmingly powerful card and it almost demands you play it. As a result, it made up half of the decks present at the tournament, and the entirety of the top eight.</p>
<p>I'm sure we've also heard the same protestations from an opponent at our table that cries, "No don't worry, this isn't like other Atraxa decks! I promise!"</p>
<h2>From Commanders to Legends</h2>
<p>So what would happen in a world where the top 100 commanders of the format were banned from play? What if when a commander became too ubiquitous, it was removed from the format? It might seem a little far fetched, but there is actually already a precedent in one of <em>Magic's </em>competitors.</p>
<p>In <em>Flesh and Blood</em>, there's a Commander-like hero system in play in all formats. In the fiction of the game, you aren't controlling legions of soldiers and dragons, but instead a single character. Which means no matter if it's competitive or casual, you'll have a commander at the helm of your deck. And of course, some of these characters are stronger than others.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flesh Duplicate"></div></div>
<p>But the system in which <em>Flesh and Blood </em>deals with that is an interesting counterpart to <em>Magic </em>due to something called the <em>Living Legend</em> system. The long and short of it is, whenever a hero receives a competitive victory at an official tournament, they receive points. Winning their World Championship with one hero for example, would net that hero 100 points. And that's for everyone playing that hero, it doesn't matter who wins with them.</p>
<p>Once a hero hits the threshold of 1000 points, they'll reach what's called <em>Living Legend</em> status. Essentially, they'll be immortalized as being really bloody good and then removed entirely from standard competitive play.</p>
<h2>So What About Commander?</h2>
<p>So would a feature like this work in Commander? If a deck became too heavily played we either shelved the commander or put them into a separate format? But most importantly, what would happen to the format if that were the case? Would it be a change for the better? Or go against everything Commander stands for?</p>
<p>For one, the players of the most powerful decks would need to find an alternative. If their commander is no longer legal, they'll have to find a replacement or switch decks entirely.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lathril, Blade of the Elves"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chatterfang, Squirrel General"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krenko, Mob Boss"></div></div>
<p>One positive of this fantasy world we're imagining is that typal decks, one of the most popular archetypes in Commander where you build around a single creature type, might get a good shakeup. A lot of the creature types in <em>Magic</em> have a default best option to lead their charge.</p>
<h3>Driving Players Nuts</h3>
<p>It shouldn't be hard to figure out which type <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chatterfang, Squirrel General" href="#" target="_blank">Chatterfang, Squirrel General</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is often played at the helm of. But it is quite hard to justify anyone else in his place as he gives you so much value for playing Squirrel-based strategies. At the time of writing there's just under 20k Chatterfang decks registered on EDHREC.</p>
<p>But despite coming from a set released last year that dedicated a fifth of its card collection to Squirrel typal, Bloomburrow commander <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Camellia, the Seedmiser" href="#" target="_blank">Camellia, the Seedmiser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> sees only 3.5k players.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Camellia, the Seedmiser"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hazel of the Rootbloom"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Odd Acorn Gang"></div></div>
<p>You do have to wonder how many people might have built her, or some of the other Squirrel options, if Chatterfang weren't such an obvious, go-to option.</p>
<h3>Scaling Impossible Odds</h3>
<p>By far the most popular creature type in all of <em>Magic </em>is the fantasy staple of Dragons. There's a whopping 65,322 Dragon Commander decks on this website at the time of writing. But half of those decks play the same two commanders:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm"></div></div>
<p>And both of those commanders are in the top 100 across the format. Imagine the increase in diversity of Commander decks as a whole if all those players started branching out into different commanders because we all just admitted that maybe <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been figured out already.</p>
<p>And imagine all of the cool commanders that don't see much play which might get a second chance?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zurgo and Ojutai"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rith, Liberated Primeval"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Klauth, Unrivaled Ancient"></div></div>
<h3>Goblin' Up the Competition</h3>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko, Mob Boss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another big offender in this region. And he represents a double problem as not just a Goblin commander but also propping up pretty much any strategy that asks for token spamming. He's just one of the most efficient ways in the format to dump a load of creatures on the board.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krenko, Mob Boss"></div></div>
<p>Looking at Goblin commanders specifically, Krenko is a ridiculous 16k decks ahead of the second place commander. If a new legendary Goblin is printed into the card pool, unless it can serve in Krenko's 99, it basically doesn't ever get a look in.</p>
<h2>Gone But Not Forgotten</h2>
<p>It's worth pointing out that <em>Flesh and Blood</em> heroes aren't just dead forever as soon as they become too powerful. They're essentially moved to a different format where players can continue to battle with and against the most powerful heroes of all time. I'm not much of a <em>Flesh and Blood</em> player myself, but I assume it's sort of like playing Vintage in <em>MTG</em>. A format full of crazy powerful cards with massive amounts of history and prestige.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crypt of the Eternals"></div></div>
<p>One of the potential, less disruptive, paths for a move like this from <em>Wizards of the Coast </em>would be to consider adding overplayed and overpowered commanders to the <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game Changers</a> list. In fact, three of the top 100 most popular commanders are already on the list: <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>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Urza, Lord High Artificer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy"></div></div>
<p>These cards can have an absolutely devastating effect on the balance of a Commander game when they're piloted correctly. Sometimes more suited to cEDH than regular old Commander, they've been rightfully added to the list. But you have to wonder how many other legends in the top 100 could arguably be given the same treatment.</p>
<p>Is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> a Game Changer? How about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Magda, Brazen Outlaw" href="#" target="_blank">Magda</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? She's one of the most popular commanders in cEDH!</p>
<h2>We Can But Dream</h2>
<p>This is all of course, speculation. And I'm not even sure I would want commanders to be banned outright. EDH is the format of choice of course, and a healthy discussion at the table can lead to a wonderful world where everyone gets to play <em>Magic </em>in the way they want.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wrath of God"></div></div>
<p>But I do think it's an interesting thing to imagine, and something we could maybe find a healthy middle ground for in the future. If the top 100 commanders in the format were banned tomorrow, how many of your decks would go missing? Or would you be safe?</p>
<p>And if you had to replace your affected commanders, what legends would you reach for instead?</p>
<p>We often talk about the health of other formats ad nauseam, but how often do you consider the "health" of EDH?</p>
<p>Regardless, whoever you have sat in the command zone, there's nothing like a little self reflection. Let me know your thoughts on this hypothetical in the comments below!</p>
<p></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="rodxEtjL1O"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/which-magic-planes-should-we-revisit-next-part-2/">Which Magic Planes Should We Revisit Next? Part 2</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Which Magic Planes Should We Revisit Next? Part 2&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/which-magic-planes-should-we-revisit-next-part-2/embed/#?secret=SLH54X4ePZ#?secret=rodxEtjL1O" data-secret="rodxEtjL1O" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="REabKL1lnf"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/commander-philosophy-game-winners-vs-game-changers/">Commander Philosophy - Game Winners vs. Game Changers</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Commander Philosophy - Game Winners vs. Game Changers&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/commander-philosophy-game-winners-vs-game-changers/embed/#?secret=01rKo1tNQP#?secret=REabKL1lnf" data-secret="REabKL1lnf" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>

What Would Happen If We Retired the Most Popular Commanders?

<p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artpad.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaime Jones</a> | <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://victoradameart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Victor Adame Minguez</a></em></span></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been the #1 commander for YEARS... and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just snatched her crown. How'd it happen? Will it stick? And is there a hella awesome bunch of behind-the-scenes data about it? Check out the vid below <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_PLuzLmfDE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">or on YouTube</a> to find all the answers.</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Did the #1 Commander Just Get Usurped? | Magic: the Gathering | EDH Commander" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v_PLuzLmfDE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>


Is There a New #1 Commander?

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Tempest|c17|134" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by Willian Murai</em></p>
<p><em>Magic</em> is a complicated game; Commander, as a format, is especially so. When it comes to building decks, one of the easier on-ramps is to appeal to the familiar: start with cards that are designed to work with each other, that reference each other by name, and get a feel for how they play together. That’s the premise of this column; each week we build a deck around a creature type, which delivers on the “feel” of the type. Today, we’re talking about one of the more notorious creature types in all of <em>Magic</em>: Dragons.</p>
<p>According to the EDHREC stats, <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/kindred" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dragons are the most popular creature type</a>, with almost 73,000 decks built. They've been part of <em>Magic</em> since the beginning, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shivan Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Shivan Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as one of the more iconic early game finishers. More recently, there have been a few preconstructed decks providing specific support, as well as two <em>Dungeons and Dragons</em> sets, and a new Dragon-focused Tarkir set. It seems like Dragons are all over the multiverse, with each set adding to their ranks. While more than twice as many Dragons are in red as any other color, each color has solid representation, and our deck will highlight the full range of the type.</p>
<h2>Notable Dragons</h2>
<p>As mentioned, there have been a few Dragon-themed Commander decks, one of which supplied the second most-popular commander of all time: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <em>Eminence</em> is one of the strongest abilities in the game, operating from the command zone as long as our commander is there. Thankfully the ability is limited to typal decks, but our commander might just be the strongest of the lot, providing access to all five colors from its color identity and a universal cost reduction from its <em>eminence</em> ability. Even if we never cast it, that is a <em>ton</em> of value.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scavenger Regent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atarka, World Render"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silumgar, the Drifting Death"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dromoka, the Eternal"></div></div></p>
<p>The first trip to Tarkir provided a cycle of legendary Dragons that all trigger when a Dragon attacks. These abilities can trigger multiple times and they can stack, causing our flying horde to become deadlier and deadlier the more Dragons we have. This is where <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> outshines other Dragon commanders: the discount lets us cast multiple spells in a turn, dominating the mid- to late-game.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ojutai, Soul of Winter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Teneb, the Harvester"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bladewing the Risen"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thrakkus the Butcher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Steel Hellkite"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kolaghan, the Storm&#039;s Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Kolaghan, the Storm&#039;s Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scourge of Valkas" href="#" target="_blank">Scourge of Valkas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> help the deck hit the ground running. Kolaghan provides haste while Scourge deals damage when Dragons enter, so the Dragons can do more than sit there menacingly - although they do that quite well.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kolaghan, the Storm&#039;s Fury"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ganax, Astral Hunter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scourge of Valkas"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Korlessa, Scale Singer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lathliss, Dragon Queen"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloomvine Regent" href="#" target="_blank">Bloomvine Regent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> represents a new type of Dragon introduced in the latest foray into Tarkir: the Omens. With its secondary sorcery side, the Regent is able to be an early-game <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivate" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and a late-game Dragon, all in one card. Since we want both effects, it’s a natural fit!</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sunscorch Regent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rith, Liberated Primeval"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Utvara Hellkite"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Earthquake Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloomvine Regent"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Amareth, the Lustrous" href="#" target="_blank">Amareth, the Lustrous</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an unassuming but powerful Dragon. Since the deck is mostly permanents, including the Omen Dragons, there’s a strong likelihood of flipping more giant scaly beasties with the ETB effect.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sagu Wildling"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonlord Ojutai"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thunderbreak Regent"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Amareth, the Lustrous"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Broodmate Dragon"></div></div></p>
<p>One of the stronger <em>Dungeons and Dragons</em> additions was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lozhan, Dragons&#039; Legacy" href="#" target="_blank">Lozhan, Dragons&#039; Legacy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is one of several other potent Dragon commanders, albeit without the speed or options that The Ur-Dragon provides. As a role-player, however, Lozhan slings damage and domes opponents for huge chunks.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scalelord Reckoner"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jeskai Shrinekeeper"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonlord Dromoka"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lozhan, Dragons&#039; Legacy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wasitora, Nekoru Queen"></div></div></p>
<h2>Dragon Support Cards</h2>
<p>As a popular creature type, there are many cards that specifically reference Dragons. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of Fire" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of Fire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is arguably the most on-the-nose. Making giant scaly monsters slightly giant-er may seem like it’s not doing much, but it’s actually quite solid in a deck that wants permanents and seeks to blot out the skies with flyers before opponents can stabilize.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Encroaching Dragonstorm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Breaching Dragonstorm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crucible of Fire"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon Tempest"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Draconic Muralists"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a Dragon tutor, which helps multifaceted decks like this find the piece they need when they need it. While some decks use tutors to find specific answers, we actually use it to find specific threats: haste enablers, direct damage, flying power…all of these are things we can find.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wrathful Red Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Firespitter Whelp"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonologist"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temur Ascendancy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph"></div></div></p>
<h2>Ramp Spells for Dragons</h2>
<p>Our primary role players are ramp spells. Dragons cost a lot of mana and we need fixing to cast them on time. In particular, the Orbs of Dragonkind provide additional effects when used to cast Dragons, which plan to do kind of a lot.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonstorm Globe"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon&#039;s Hoard"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Carnelian Orb of Dragonkind"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jade Orb of Dragonkind"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lapis Orb of Dragonkind"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chromatic Lantern" href="#" target="_blank">Chromatic Lantern</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a bit of a controversial inclusion nowadays, as there are far stronger turn-three plays. Here, however, it’s much more than a three-mana rock; it fixes our mana and lets us use lands of any kind to make mana of any color.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chromatic Lantern"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcane Signet"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fellwar Stone"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonbroods&#039; Relic"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pillar of Origins"></div></div></p>
<h2>Removal Spells</h2>
<p>The other type of role player we need is removal spells: ways to break parity and navigate clogged boards. One of our biggest obstacles is high-toughness, vigilant creatures, such as those created by Voltron decks. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crux of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Crux of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a one-sided board wipe (choosing non-Dragons to kill, of course), which is a particularly nasty way of leveraging our large flyers for a dominating board.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crux of Fate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Disruptive Stormbrood"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Twinmaw Stormbrood"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spit Flame"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon&#039;s Fire"></div></div></p>
<p>The other major obstacle for us is troublesome noncreature permanents. Our attack with large creatures plan can be stuffed by a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Propaganda" href="#" target="_blank">Propaganda</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or two, and our burn ‘em out plan can be squelched by a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leyline of Sanctity" href="#" target="_blank">Leyline of Sanctity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Within" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Within</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Generous Gift" href="#" target="_blank">Generous Gift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are solid catch-alls, which have the downside of giving the opponent a body. However, that downside is mitigated by the fact that the bodies we give don’t have flying!</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Osseous Exhale"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beast Within"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Generous Gift"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Piercing Exhale"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonback Assault"></div></div></p>
<h2>The Ur-Dragon Deck List</h2>
<p>The game plan for our deck is fairly straightforward: make big Dragons; turn them sideways; win the game. We have ways, including our commander, to get them out faster, and ways to push them through using removal, until our opponents are buried in the shade of our scaly wings.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="The Ur-Dragon Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 The Ur-Dragon
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Amareth, the Lustrous
*1 Atarka, World Render
*1 Bladewing the Risen
*1 Bloomvine Regent // Claim Territory
*1 Broodmate Dragon
*1 Disruptive Stormbrood // Petty Revenge
*1 Draconic Muralists
*1 Dragonlord Dromoka
*1 Dragonlord Ojutai
*1 Dragonologist
*1 Dromoka, the Eternal
*1 Earthquake Dragon
*1 Firespitter Whelp
*1 Ganax, Astral Hunter
*1 Jeskai Shrinekeeper
*1 Kolaghan, the Storm&#039;s Fury
*1 Korlessa, Scale Singer
*1 Lathliss, Dragon Queen
*1 Lozhan, Dragons&#039; Legacy
*1 Ojutai, Soul of Winter
*1 Rith, Liberated Primeval
*1 Sagu Wildling // Roost Seek
*1 Scalelord Reckoner
*1 Scavenger Regent // Exude Toxin
*1 Scourge of Valkas
*1 Silumgar, the Drifting Death
*1 Steel Hellkite
*1 Sunscorch Regent
*1 Teneb, the Harvester
*1 Thrakkus the Butcher
*1 Thunderbreak Regent
*1 Twinmaw Stormbrood // Charring Bite
*1 Utvara Hellkite
*1 Wasitora, Nekoru Queen
*1 Wrathful Red Dragon
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Breaching Dragonstorm
*1 Crucible of Fire
*1 Dragon Tempest
*1 Dragonback Assault
*1 Encroaching Dragonstorm
*1 Temur Ascendancy
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Beast Within
*1 Dragon&#039;s Fire
*1 Generous Gift
*1 Osseous Exhale
*1 Piercing Exhale
*1 Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph
*1 Spit Flame
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Carnelian Orb of Dragonkind
*1 Chromatic Lantern
*1 Dragon&#039;s Hoard
*1 Dragonbroods&#039; Relic
*1 Dragonstorm Globe
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Jade Orb of Dragonkind
*1 Lapis Orb of Dragonkind
*1 Pillar of Origins
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Crux of Fate
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*8 Forest
*8 Island
*8 Mountain
*8 Plains
*8 Swamp
[/Lands]"></span></div>


ur dragon

Am I The Bolas? - Fine, I'll Do It, Then

What Would Happen If We Retired the Most Popular Commanders?

Is There a New #1 Commander?

Building a Dragon Commander Deck With The Ur-Dragon