![]() While they don't fit the above criteria, they nullify or mitigate the abilities of the commanders that do. A cute interaction isn't enough it has to be something that wins you the game, or at least puts you within spitting distance.Ĭommanders like Nath, Lavinia, and Ruric Thar exist in cEDH as decks poised to attack the meta. With enough setup, nearly any commander can be part of a combo, but to cut it in cEDH, that setup has to be lean, clean, and as mean as possible. This means combo potential is the most common justification for a cEDH commander. This often overlaps with commanders capable of tutoring. In a format that revolves around combos, it's no wonder that having a piece in the command zone is coveted. While combat damage, soft locks, or grinding your opponent out are fine as backup plans, the vast majority of decks look to infinite combos as their primary goal. Efficient combos are often frowned upon in traditional EDH, but they're the bread and butter of cEDH. ![]() Other Examples: Magda, Brazen Outlaw, Kykar, Wind's Fury, Narset, Enlightened Master, Jorn, God of Winter, Kaalia of the Vast, Selvala, Explorer Returned, Selvala, Heart of the Wilds, Zaxara, the Exemplary, Derevi, Empyrial Tactician Svella, Ice Shaper lets you cheat on costs, but by requiring an initial investment of three and another eight before you see any return, it just isn't fast enough. Being able to produce more of it than your opponents - or cheat on costs in the first place - is crucial in cEDH, and like card advantage, mana acceleration comes in many different flavors, all of them viable in their own right.īut like card advantage, mana acceleration is worse the more hoops you have to jump through. Other Examples: Selvala, Heart of the Wilds, Winota, Joiner of Forces, Azami, Lady of Scrolls, Nymris, Oona's Trickster, Prosper, Tome-Bound, Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools, Elsha of the Infinite, Chulane, Teller of TalesĪnyone familiar with EDH or Magic at large understands just how important mana is. Ultimately, if the card in your command zone represents access to even more cards, there's a good chance it has competitive potential. Mitigating the variance inherent in a singleton format is one of the best ways to ensure consistency and speed. The power of tutors - and my love of them - doesn't need restating, and it's easy to see why having them available in the command zone is powerful. Commanders like Yisan, the Wanderer Bard, Sisay, Weatherlight Captain, and Arcum Dagsson all provide reliable access to specific cards. ![]() The other type of card advantage we see in cEDH is commanders that can tutor. If you already play EDH, or have even a passing familiarity with Magic, you know how important card advantage is, but cEDH demands that the card advantage you have access to is reliable and efficient. Most information is drawn from the cEDH decklist database. This is my subjective analysis of the format, and mine alone. There are always exceptions to these criteria, and "viability" can be nebulous. Whether it's having more cards, more mana, or reliable access to a combo, each trait helps with one thing: consistency.īefore we dive into it, this article is descriptive, not prescriptive. The more of these traits they have, the more likely it is to be viable. For now, I want to look at three traits a legendary creature can have that make it appropriate for cEDH. What makes a commander good enough for cEDH? What draws competitive players to one new legendary creature while another is ignored? Why are casual nightmares, like Atraxa, Praetors' Voice and Tergrid, God of Fright, largely irrelevant while otherwise unassuming legendaries helm some of the best decks in cEDH?Īny deck can throw a two-card combo and a fistful of fast mana in the 99 and call it a day, but without an appropriate commander, I'd hesitate to call it cEDH.Ĭolor identity is half the battle, but that's an article for the new year.
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