Starbreach WhaleStarbreach Whale | Art by Sam Burley

And You Thought Universes Beyond Was Taking Us Weird Places

If Katy Perry gets to go to space, we should, too. And so, welcome to Edge of Eternities.

Like every article in the Over/Under series, we're here to predict how popular new commanders will become throughout the upcoming year. Our line is 1,200 decks, so each commander will receive an "Over" or "Under" grade based on whether I believe it'll finish above or below that line.

There's also one "Can't-Miss Pick" each set, which is my most confident (and yes, sometimes foolhardy) selection of them all.

Alright, let's kick this thing into hyperspace (and hope that George Lucas doesn't sue us).

Haliya, Guided by LightHaliya, Guided by Light

Whether it was The GafferThe Gaffer, Mangara, the DiplomatMangara, the Diplomat, or Bennie Bracks, ZoologistBennie Bracks, Zoologist, I’ve had a history of overrating mono-white commanders with conditional card draw.

I will not do that here (which is why this'll probably be the one that finally goes over).

My prediction: Under

The SeriemaThe Seriema

If you somehow hadn't heard the news until now, legendary Spacecrafts and Vehicles are hereafter eligible as commanders (as long as they have a power/toughness box), hence how this thing made the list.

I suspect that ruling will inspire some new deckbuilders, especially here. I mean, the search option allows for a secret commander, and seven isn't too bad a station cost for a 5/5 flyer with extra value. Plus, this was one of the earliest commanders spoiled, meaning it gets bonus time to accrue decks.

Check out Bennie Smith's deck tech here.

My prediction: Over

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

As a left-handed person, I find this commander exclusionary and offensive. However, as a budget alternative to Urza, Lord High ArtificerUrza, Lord High Artificer, I'll make an exception.

Here's Harvey's cEDH deck tech.

My prediction: Over

Alpharael, StonechosenAlpharael, Stonechosen

This guy got two cards in this set, yet both kinda stink. Slapping someone for half their life is powerful and easy enough to enable, but such blatantly aggressive commanders often get hated out of the game.

Here's our deck tech by Josh Nelson.

My prediction: Under

Xu-Ifit, OsteoharmonistXu-Ifit, Osteoharmonist

Xu-Ifit gives whole new meaning to the phrase "just skin and bones." This commander also makes all sorts of drawback-laden creatures a lot better, including Death's ShadowDeath's Shadow, Phyrexian SoulgorgerPhyrexian Soulgorger, and Abyssal PersecutorAbyssal Persecutor.

Plus, it's a reanimator effect for zero mana and zero life, which is pretty much unheard of.

Check out our deck tech by Cooper Gottfried.

My prediction: Over

Tannuk, Steadfast SecondTannuk, Steadfast Second

Warp seems super sweet, especially when doubling-up on powerful ETB effects like Siege-Gang CommanderSiege-Gang Commander, Fanatic of MogisFanatic of Mogis, and Trumpeting CarnosaurTrumpeting Carnosaur. You can also cheat in big-mana threats at a steep discount, albeit temporarily. I'm thinking Spawn of ThraxesSpawn of Thraxes, Drakuseth, Maw of FlamesDrakuseth, Maw of Flames, and Balefire DragonBalefire Dragon (just make sure to give them haste).

Oh, and notice how warp technically counts as casting the creature? That means the Eldrazi titans work with this, too.

My prediction: Can't-Miss Pick!

Alpharael, Dreaming AcolyteAlpharael, Dreaming Acolyte

When I dream of new commanders, I dream of something better than a marginal ETB combined with conditional deathtouch.

Maybe Ben Macready's deck tech will change my mind.

My prediction: Under

Tannuk, Memorial EnsignTannuk, Memorial Ensign

Kavu are back, and I still don't know what they're supposed to be. Dinosaurs? Aliens? Ogres? All of the above? Whatever they are, they're apparently Pilots now, too — and pretty decent ones at that.

Tannuk here uses landfall quite favorably, which is already one of the more popular archetypes in red-green. What's more, being an uncommon commander should make it easy to obtain for anyone who wants it.

Here's our deck tech from Levi Perry.

My prediction: Over

Dyadrine, Synthesis AmalgamDyadrine, Synthesis Amalgam

Counters, tokens, card draw, and it all scales with the game. Seems like a heck of a lot of value to me.

It also resembles the sort of modern art sculpture installation you might see at your local town park, which can't hurt.

My prediction: Over

Haliya, Ascendant CadetHaliya, Ascendant Cadet

This reminds me of another uncommon commander: Kutzil, Malamet ExemplarKutzil, Malamet Exemplar. That Cat went Over and currently stands at a healthy 3,049 decks, so that bodes well for Haliya, right?

Well, maybe. Problem is, she's way harder to cast than Kutzil, lacks the Grand AbolisherGrand Abolisher effect, and seems easier to disrupt. After all, one board wipe and all those counters you've carefully stacked get swept away.

Much as I'd like to give this cadet a promotion, I don't believe I can.

My prediction: Under

Syr Vondam, Sunstar ExemplarSyr Vondam, Sunstar Exemplar

Seems like Orzhov is always sacrificing creatures or gaining life. In this instance, it's doing both.

Two mana is a small price to pay for this effect, especially since there are so many free sac outlets floating around these days. Furthermore, exiling multiple creatures is easier than you'd think, especially using mechanics like delve and the newly minted warp.

Only problem is, I'd argue this commander is a tad bland, especially considering we've seen so many similar Orzhov commanders before it. I mean, is this significantly better or more interesting than Judge Magister GabranthJudge Magister Gabranth or Aron, Benalia's RuinAron, Benalia's Ruin?

I'd argue not — and neither of those commanders went Over.

My prediction: Under

Syr Vondam, the LucentSyr Vondam, the Lucent

Aside from Fynn, the FangbearerFynn, the Fangbearer, deathtouch isn’t much of a player in commander, especially when it comes from some schmo doing a cheap Elspeth intergalactic cosplay.

My prediction: Under

Mm'menon, Uthros ExileMm'menon, Uthros Exile

This is easier to build than it might first appear, since you can conceivably stuff half a commander deck (if not more) with artifacts. Mm'menon triggers from those ubiquitous artifact tokens we have now, too, such as Food, Treasure, Clues, Servos, Powerstones, Blood, and the latest addition, Landers. Plus, this dude has evasion built-in.

All that said, Mm'menon is strikingly similar to Captain Storm, Cosmium RaiderCaptain Storm, Cosmium Raider from Lost Caverns of Ixalan, a commander that went Under despite its potential. Furthermore, this is arguably the worse option of the two, so now I kind of get why it's being exiled.

My prediction: Under

Ragost, Deft GastronautRagost, Deft Gastronaut

Lobster Citizen? Food synergy? A pun in the title? Lobster Citizen? Lobster Citizen!? This is one of the zaniest cards ever printed, and I’d like to know who designed it, so I can hunt them down and personally thank them.

Seriously, though, I'm writing this from a family vacation in Cape Cod, and there's nothing people like to talk about around here more than lobster, so, if I may, I'd like to do the same.

This Lobster—excuse me, Lobster Citizen—does all sorts of whacky stuff to your average Boros deck. For example, it turns your Spine of Ish SahSpine of Ish Sah into a repeatable targeted removal spell. It turns The GafferThe Gaffer into a sweet card draw engine. You can even slap a Basilisk CollarBasilisk Collar onto Chandra's IncineratorChandra's Incinerator, then incinerate an opposing creature every time Ragost does the one-mana ability, and untap at turn's end.

If all that wasn't enough, if we learned anything from Feather, the RedeemedFeather, the Redeemed, it's that players will support a Boros commander that does something beyond the usual Equipment thing. Ragost certainly fits the bill.

Here's our deck tech from Brian Cain.

My prediction: Over

Sami, Ship's EngineerSami, Ship's Engineer

I appreciate that Sami is a cat lover, and I would've loved if they could've revived my beloved Honda Element into working condition, but alas, they aren't quite powerful enough to crack the 1,200 mark we're looking for, and I had to sell the Element for a pittance, anyway.

Check out our deck tech from Jeff Girten.

My prediction: Under

Sami, Wildcat CaptainSami, Wildcat Captain

Now this Sami is more like it. Affinity is one of the most busted mechanics ever made, so slapping it on any old spell seems deece, to say the least.

Like, Brass's BountyBrass's Bounty into pretty much any spell with an X in the corner would likely result in the demise of at least one opponent. Plus, you've got seven artifact lands in these colors to work with, along with countless just-plain artifacts, so netting a significant discount should be trivially easy.

My prediction: Over

Hearthhull, the WorldseedHearthhull, the Worldseed

Now this is interesting. We’ve already seen the allure of Jund land decks from Lord WindgraceLord Windgrace, so this is just a continuation. Hearthhull goes positively nuts with fetch lands, animation lands, and one of my personal favorites, The Gitrog MonsterThe Gitrog Monster, which conveniently comes in the same precon.

It even scales with the game, developing into a sizable threat with the potential to one-shot multiple opponents using a single mass land sacrifice effect, such as ScapeshiftScapeshift (if you're lucky enough to have one).

As if all that wasn't enough, Hearthhull appears in one of only two precon decks for this set. That means a higher concentration of sales for each deck, and more deckbuilders for each commander.

Catch our deck tech from Nicholas Lucchesi here.

My prediction: Over

Szarel, Genesis ShepherdSzarel, Genesis Shepherd

Counters, value, Crucible of WorldsCrucible of Worlds on a stick…and it’s a bug? That's a good start. And things only get better when we consider Szarel appears on the box of the World Shaper commander deck; that always boosts numbers.

Furthermore, playing lands from your graveyard is more sinister than you might think, especially since Strip MineStrip Mine appears on the bonus sheet of this very set. With a few extra land drops from Azusa, Lost but SeekingAzusa, Lost but Seeking and the like, you can emulate the degenerates in the Vintage Cube queues and eliminate all your opponents' resources. Seems sweet to me.

Here's our deck tech from Kara Blinebry.

My prediction: Over

Inspirit, Flagship VesselInspirit, Flagship Vessel

Now that we have Spacecrafts, charge counters are a lot more useful than they used to be. Plus, a free +1/+1 counter each turn makes it faster to station Inspirit itself, meaning you'll reach that 8+ mark far sooner than normal.

And you don't need me to tell you how powerful the old hexproof/indestructible combo can be.

My prediction: Over

Kilo, Apogee MindKilo, Apogee Mind

Sometimes people call me Kylo Ren, because we're both six-foot-two white guys with four letter names starting in K and a Y, and also because I too am prone to sudden fits of childish rage. Now maybe I’ll be mistaken for this Kilo instead, since I also enjoy turning cards sideways and proliferating.

The obvious synergy here is stationing your Spacecrafts with Kilo for bonus charge counters, yet it also triggers with classic Vehicles, Mounts, and even via convoke. And yes, gold old fashioned attacking gets the job done as well.

Both the original Kylo Ren and I approve.

Check out this high-powered deck tech from Nicholas Lucchesi.

My prediction: Over

Infinite Guideline StationInfinite Guideline Station

I am not one of those degenerates who enjoy multicolor slop, but I know you’re out there, and you vastly outnumber me. Enjoy.

Here's a budget deck tech from Tyler "Savesya" Bucks.

My prediction: Over

Dawnsire, Sunstar DreadnoughtDawnsire, Sunstar Dreadnought

I have a Jared Carthalion, True HeirJared Carthalion, True Heir deck prominently featuring Stuffy DollStuffy Doll that will absolutely love this card. An ideal curve might include Traxos, Scourge of KroogTraxos, Scourge of Kroog into Dawnsire, which nearly hits 10 counters by itself.

Problem is, this card works best with the aforementioned Stuffy DollStuffy Doll and its various imitators, yet you can't run the imitators with Dawnsire as your commander. The colorless-only nature of this ship makes it far more desirable in the 99 than as the headliner itself.

And you can trust me on that, because if it worked, I'd be building around it.

Bennie Smith gave it a shot anyway. Go check it out.

Line prediction: Under

Recap

Over (13)

1. The SeriemaThe Seriema
2. Mm'menon, the Right HandMm'menon, the Right Hand
3. Xu-Ifit, OsteoharmonistXu-Ifit, Osteoharmonist
4. Tannuk, Steadfast SecondTannuk, Steadfast Second (Can't-Miss Pick!)
5. Tannuk, Memorial EnsignTannuk, Memorial Ensign
6. Dyadrine, Synthesis AmalgamDyadrine, Synthesis Amalgam
7. Ragost, Deft GastronautRagost, Deft Gastronaut
8. Sami, Wildcat CaptainSami, Wildcat Captain
9. Hearthhull, the WorldseedHearthhull, the Worldseed
10. Szarel, Genesis ShepherdSzarel, Genesis Shepherd
11. Inspirit, Flagship VesselInspirit, Flagship Vessel
12. Kilo, Apogee MindKilo, Apogee Mind
13. Infinite Guideline StationInfinite Guideline Station

Under (9)

1. Haliya, Guided by LightHaliya, Guided by Light
2. Alpharael, StonechosenAlpharael, Stonechosen
3. Alpharael, Dreaming AcolyteAlpharael, Dreaming Acolyte
4. Haliya, Ascendant CadetHaliya, Ascendant Cadet
5. Syr Vondam, Sunstar ExemplarSyr Vondam, Sunstar Exemplar
6. Syr Vondam, the LucentSyr Vondam, the Lucent
7. Mm'menon, Uthros ExileMm'menon, Uthros Exile
8. Sami, Ship's EngineerSami, Ship's Engineer
9. Dawnsire, Sunstar DreadnoughtDawnsire, Sunstar Dreadnought

...Wait, that's it? We're coming off a set that had, like, five times as many commanders.

Honestly, though, only two precon decks and a handful of commanders is a refreshing change. We've gotten a little flooded of late with our format's offerings, especially those mostly crummy uncommons that seem to be legendary for flavor alone. Here we can see a higher concentration of Over commanders, and, assuming I'm right about them (which isn't always a given), it's probably because they've trimmed the fat, so to speak.

At any rate, I think this will be an interesting experiment. Despite Final Fantasy being an outside intellectual property, its aesthetic was far more aligned with Magic's traditional style. This set, though? This one's a complete departure. Once players play it, I'm interested to see how they feel about that.

We shall see soon enough. Enjoy the set, explore the space, and may the force be with—

Ahem. Sorry. Almost got us sued, there.

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