Syr Vondam, Sunstar ExemplarSyr Vondam, Sunstar Exemplar | Art by Jeremy Wilson

Only the Best Stand Out on the Edge!

Edge of Eternities offers up 23 new cards you can build Commander decks around, including a fair number of uncommon legends to helm budget builds. Given how many legendary creatures Wizards of the Coast (WotC) push out each year, it can get a little wearisome to keep up with all the options.

I'm here to help! I've got over 30 years experience playing multiplayer Magic, and nearly 18 years playing and writing about EDH/Commander, so I combed through the list and leveraged my expertise to highlight the eight new legends that stand head and shoulders above the rest in terms of power, fun, or both. Let's blast off!

Infinite Guideline StationInfinite Guideline Station

If you haven't heard, as of the release of Edge of Eternities, legendary Vehicles and Spacecraft can be your commander, so I'm kicking things off with a wild five-color Spacecraft, Infinite Guideline StationInfinite Guideline Station. This fully embraces its multicolor identity, getting more powerful the more multicolor permanents you have out on the battlefield.

Even if you don't have access to the original dual lands like Tropical IslandTropical Island, or expensive fetch lands like Scalding TarnScalding Tarn, WotC has given Commander players tons of tools to assemble a solid five-color mana base, so you can spend your deckbuilding energies on slotting in your favorite multi-color permanent spells, making Robots, and eventually stationing your commander to start drawing cards while you attack in the air with a 7/15.

Leyline of the GuildpactLeyline of the Guildpact is an excellent card you'll want to include to turn your Robots into multicolor creatures. Fallaji WayfarerFallaji Wayfarer gives your multicolor spells convoke, helping to deploy more spells to the battlefield. And Faeburrow ElderFaeburrow Elder can easily get to be a 5/5 vigilance creature that taps for five mana.

Knight of New AlaraKnight of New Alara boosts your creatures' size, which helps expedite the stationing of your commander, while Aragorn, the UniterAragorn, the Uniter provides a ton of utility triggers each time you cast a multicolor spell (slightly less so for black spells).

Jenson Carthalion, Druid ExileJenson Carthalion, Druid Exile attaches a scry 1 trigger each time you cast a multicolor spell, and if it happens to be all five colors you get an Angel token for your troubles.

If you're interested in building around this commander, be sure to check out Building a Budget Infinite Guideline Station Deck by Tyler Bucks!

Hearthhull, the WorldseedHearthhull, the Worldseed

The awkwardly named Hearthhull, the WorldseedHearthhull, the Worldseed is another cool new Spacecraft to build around, this time in the Jund colors.

Hearthhull is easy to station to it's first level, which unlocks its ability to sacrifice a land to draw two cards, and allows you to play an additional land on that turn. If you're playing enough lands, the sacrifice won't set you back on land development since you'll hopefully be able to play an extra land that turn.

Of course there are a ton of ways you can play lands from your graveyard or bring them back en masse, so once you dig into one of those you can jump way ahead on your land development, providing a ton of landfall triggers if that's your jam.

The Commander precon deck this came from unsurprisingly has some excellent cards you'd want to include: Exploration BroodshipExploration Broodship is a cool green Spacecraft with abilities that work well alongside your commander; Baloth PrimeBaloth Prime has a fun reverse-landfall, creating a 4/4 Beast token and untapping the Baloth, usually knocking off one of the stun counters it enters with; and Szarel, Genesis ShepherdSzarel, Genesis Shepherd lets you play lands from your graveyard, and throws around +1/+1 counters whenever you sacrifice another nontoken permanent.

Aftermath AnalystAftermath Analyst is one of those cards you're digging for; once you have six mana available you can cast this, and then sacrifice it to bring back all the lands in your graveyard. And since you're playing black, you can include some creature recursion to bring this back and do it again later.

Titania, Protector of ArgothTitania, Protector of Argoth is another card that makes sizeable creature tokens whenever a land you control is put into the graveyard from the battlefield. And Mazirek, Kraul Death PriestMazirek, Kraul Death Priest can grow your army surprisingly fast with +1/+1 counters.

If you're interested in reading more about this Spacecraft, be sure to check out Hearthhull, the Worldseed Commander Deck Tech by Nicholas Lucchesi!

Ragost, Deft GastronautRagost, Deft Gastronaut

When I first saw Ragost, Deft GastronautRagost, Deft Gastronaut, I immediately thought of the B-52s song "Rock Lobster." And the fact that we do actually have Rock tokens that are artifacts (made by Toggo, Goblin WeaponsmithToggo, Goblin Weaponsmith).

The next thing I thought of was Senator PeacockSenator Peacock, a really cool and fun legend that I've built a Commander deck around. It's neat that many of the same artifacts in that monoblue deck can do good work in a Boros Ragost build.

Spine of Ish SahSpine of Ish Sah is the ultimate artifact made for sacrificing if you've got enough mana to cast it again and again. And equipping Ragost with Basilisk CollarBasilisk Collar can gain a lot of life each time you activate it.

The new card Weapons ManufacturingWeapons Manufacturing is tailor-made for this strategy, creating extra artifacts named Munitions that deal two damage to any target when they leave the battlefield.

I'd like to take a moment to appreciate the flavor design of Nutrient BlockNutrient Block; an indestructible Food is hilarious, and it's quite useful as sacrifice fodder. Ichor WellspringIchor Wellspring is the classic artifact meant to be sacrificed for value.

Nuka-Cola Vending MachineNuka-Cola Vending Machine and Academy ManufactorAcademy Manufactor are awesome when all of your artifacts are Food and are perfect inclusions, and I'd also take a look at Apothecary WhiteApothecary White since she can create a decent number of 1/1 Human tokens to chump block while you do your shenanigans.

If you're interested in reading more about this Lobster Citizen, be sure to check out the deck tech by Brian Cain!

Alpharael, StonechosenAlpharael, Stonechosen

If you play higher powered Commander pods, Alpharael, StonechosenAlpharael, Stonechosen might be something you're interested in. Its collection of abilities are a bit oppressive at lower levels, but if everyone is punching hard, a mono-black deck with this at the helm can certainly hang.

The ward ability is quite a deterrent since nobody wants to lose a card at random. And the void ability is easy to turn on and will make quite a dent in the defending player's life total.

Lightning GreavesLightning Greaves and Swiftfoot BootsSwiftfoot Boots allow Alpharael to attack immediately, and protect it from targeted removal. Brotherhood RegaliaBrotherhood Regalia offers a little less protection, but makes Alpharael unblockable.

Having a free sacrifice outlet with a powerful ability attached makes Umbral Collar ZealotUmbral Collar Zealot an excellent way to turn on the void ability. The warp ability of Anticausal VestigeAnticausal Vestige and Timeline CullerTimeline Culler are both solid on their own and make excellent void enablers.

Of course taking away half of someone's life isn't killing them, but luckily black has a ton of ways to finish the job with cards like Bloodletter of AclazotzBloodletter of Aclazotz and Wound ReflectionWound Reflection. And the potential lifegain you'll get from Bloodthirsty ConquerorBloodthirsty Conqueror when you trigger that void ability is an excellent way to keep ahead of the damage race.

Sami, Wildcat CaptainSami, Wildcat Captain

Sami, Wildcat CaptainSami, Wildcat Captain is a powerful collection of abilities on one card, and will be a ton of fun to build around. Having double strike on a 4/4 creature with vigilance means that Sami hits hard on both offense and defense, and giving your spells affinity for artifacts means it's easy to Voltron up Sami with Equipment so that they hit even harder.

Meanwhile, the potential mana discount means you can reliably run some powerful, usually mana expensive, cards that can swing games in exciting ways.

Running these artifact lands is a solid idea to give "free" artifacts in your land base for the affinity ability. Just keep in mind that, aside from Darksteel CitadelDarksteel Citadel, these can be destroyed by artifact removal.

I'd look to run cards like Illustrious WanderglyphIllustrious Wanderglyph and Anim Pakal, Thousandth MoonAnim Pakal, Thousandth Moon that can make extra artifact tokens to further juice up the affinity for artifacts ability. Wake the PastWake the Past is a good way to recover from artifact removal, and if you've got a few artifacts on the battlefield it becomes much easier to cast with affinity.

Cards that refill your hand, like Wheel of MisfortuneWheel of Misfortune, are extra potent when all of your spells have affinity for artifacts, letting you easily deploy several new spells to have an explosive turn.

And speaking of Voltron, I love Equipment like Blackblade ReforgedBlackblade Reforged and The Reaver CleaverThe Reaver Cleaver to hit hard, and generate Treasures, which are artifacts!

Mm'menon, the Right HandMm'menon, the Right Hand

The amusingly named Mm'menon, the Right HandMm'menon, the Right Hand is fun as a Jellyfish commander, but its power rivals that of Urza, Lord High ArtificerUrza, Lord High Artificer in an artifact-heavy deck.

The new Uthros Research CraftUthros Research Craft seems perfect to team up with Mm'menon, since it's power can reach that first station level to start drawing extra cards and putting extra charge counters on it. You'll also want cards like Etherium SculptorEtherium Sculptor and Foundry InspectorFoundry Inspector to discount artifacts you're hopefully casting from the top of your deck.

If you have a Sensei's Divining TopSensei's Divining Top you'll want it in your deck since it can manage the top of your library, and its tap to draw a card ability puts it on top of your library which you can then cast.

Any deck with a lot of artifact creatures is going to consider Virulent SilencerVirulent Silencer as a game finisher. And how about the awesome Forensic GadgeteerForensic Gadgeteer, making extra artifact Clue tokens, and lets you sacrifice them for just a single mana?

Speaking of finishers, Kappa CannoneerKappa Cannoneer and Cyberdrive AwakenerCyberdrive Awakener are excellent ways for artifact decks to pressure opponents' life totals.

Tannuk, Steadfast SecondTannuk, Steadfast Second

Tannuk, Steadfast SecondTannuk, Steadfast Second is one of the more exciting mono-red commanders I've seen in a while! It's like a Sneak AttackSneak Attack in your command zone, letting you cheat large creatures onto the battlefield for three mana, and since it gives other creatures you control haste, you'll be able to attack right away.

Unlike Sneak AttackSneak Attack, you don't have to sacrifice it at the end of your turn, but rather stick it in exile where you can cast it later for its full mana cost, effectively "drawing" that card to use again. I know a lot of people were looking at this and thinking about Eldrazi, but thankfully its restriction of only artifact cards and red creature cards shuts the door on that nonsense.

You'll definitely want Sneak AttackSneak Attack in the deck as a backup to your commander in case it keeps getting killed. With Sundial of the InfiniteSundial of the Infinite you can put any end of turn effects on the stack that you don't want to happen and then activate Sundial to end the turn, letting you keep a huge creature or artifact that you warped onto the battlefield.

While you can't warp out Herigast, Erupting NullkiteHerigast, Erupting Nullkite, it does appreciate the high mana cost of other creatures you warp out, discounting that emerge cost.

You can warp out Skitterbeam BattalionSkitterbeam Battalion to get the full size 4/4 creatures, and the two tokens will stick around after the main artifact goes into exile. Combustible GearhulkCombustible Gearhulk and Meteor GolemMeteor Golem have excellent enters abilities you'd love to warp out early and then play again later when you have enough mana.

Sandstone OracleSandstone Oracle is an excellent way to draw cards early with warp, and then later for its full cost. Jaxis, the TroublemakerJaxis, the Troublemaker can copy something big you warped out, and when that copy dies you get to draw another card. Ilharg, the Raze-BoarIlharg, the Raze-Boar is another card that does a good Sneak Attack impression, and if you warp it out, you can tuck it into your deck when you exile it if you want, which is neat!

Blast-Furnace HellkiteBlast-Furnace Hellkite and Goldlust TriadGoldlust Triad are two hard-hitting cards that can do a lot of damage when warped out early.

Xu-Ifit, OsteoharmonistXu-Ifit, Osteoharmonist

Xu-Ifit, OsteoharmonistXu-Ifit, Osteoharmonist has gotten a lot of well-deserved attention, tapping for no mana to reanimate a creature in your graveyard. The drawback? The creature has no abilities. But it does keep its power and toughness. It's wild that the creature doesn't get a finality counter, so if the reanimated Skeleton dies you can bring it back again on your turn.

Cards like Death's ShadowDeath's Shadow losing its abilities means it's a 13/13 Skeleton Avatar when brought back by Xu-Ifit. I also like large creatures with cycling like Void BeckonerVoid Beckoner that can be cycled for cheap, and then brought back as a large Skeleton.

Those sorts of creatures make excellent sacrifice fodder for a card like Illuminor SzerasIlluminor Szeras, generating a big rush of black mana for a big turn.

Since the reanimated card is a Skeleton we can pepper in cards that boost Skeletons, like Skeleton CrewSkeleton Crew, Corpses of the LostCorpses of the Lost, and Death BaronDeath Baron.

Buried AliveBuried Alive is great for any reanimation strategy. Thousand-Year ElixirThousand-Year Elixir lets you use Xu-Ifit, OsteoharmonistXu-Ifit, Osteoharmonist's ability right away, and if you have an extra mana you can use it twice. And Ghoulcaller GisaGhoulcaller Gisa is happy to sacrifice your large power Skeletons for a horde of Zombie tokens.

If you're interested in reading more about this reanimator, be sure to check out the deck tech by Cooper Gottfried!

Conclusion

Edge of Eternities looks like an incredibly cool set for Commander fans with lots of new angles to build decks around. As a green fan, I do raise an eyebrow at the conspicuous lack of a mono-green legend, which seems odd. Which new legends are you most excited to build around?

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