Commander Core

We are the Commander Core, a group looking to set the standard in EDH. This means that we want to have all 32 color combos and decks that exemplify that slice of the color pie. Keep posted about a potential podcast.

[davidesky2]

by Slawomir Maniak.

[theartofmtg]

THEROS | The Satyrs of Theros

[spellcasterscommander]

Bird Token by BlackArucado

[magicalgirlmindcrank]

WotC: Phyrexia

Me:

[the8x8theory]

Skullbrier, The Walking Grave - Abuse Package - $15.23

Requested by @theblacula

It should go without saying that Skullbriar, the Walking Grave is a unique card. A fast creature, that always grows. With an ability unlike anything printed before, or since. You see, it is able to keep counters place on it, no matter where it goes. That is, anywhere but your hand, or library. And with the change to the tuck rule in EDH, this will never be relevant. It offers up a unique interaction, as death won’t reset it. Send it to the command zone, only to bring it back, with haste, at the same size. What’s more, Skullbriar is able to reinforce and increase the number of counters on itself. With it’s second ability, granting it innate growth. Yet, as a 1/1 for 2, requiring both colours to cast, even with haste, it can be a tricky play. So being able to give it counters outside of it’s own abilities will play a vital role.

This package will focus on this. How we can abuse the fact that Skullbriar won’ lose power by dying, or moving zones.

Varolz, the Scar-Striped - $0.59 - Varolz on his own is a wonderful inclusion to the deck. A 2/2 for 3 with the ability to sac something to regenerate him is wonderful. But the ability to scavenge anything is even better.  Especially when the second ability fuels the first. What’s more, the +1/+1 counter synergies run deep. As you can keep pumping them onto Varolz, and protect him as need be. However, there is an even better interaction here. If you sacrifice Skullbriar to Varolz, you can scavenge Skullbriar. Then, instead of exiling it, return it to your Command Zone. All the while, Skullbriar maintains the number of counters on him. A cheap scavenge, abusing the rules of Commander, as well as enabling +1/+1 counter synergies. Varolz is an unexpected combo piece and a perfect low cost inclusion.

Forced Adaptation - $0.25 - A simple common from Gatecrash with an ever growing upside. Adding a +1/+1 counter to whatever creature it enchants, at the cost of a {G}. Aura’s are a fickle spell, and tend not to stick around long. Even the more powerful ones die with your creature. A such, they’re very often called Card Disadvantage. Except for decks with creatures with Hexproof, this almost always holds true. But here that isn’t the case. With it’s low cost and counter synergies, it offers this deck a powerful advantage. And then, as Skullbriar dies - as it inevitable will - the impact Forced Adaptation left will remain.

Disciple of Bolas - $1.49 - Disciple of Bolas aims to abuse the size, and the stubbornness of Skullbriar. Sacrificing it to the Disciple to yield both lifegain and card draw. As this isn’t a consistent method of drawing cards, it finds itself here, rather than in card draw. The life gained isn’t much to ignore either, as Black and Green together don’t get much of it. Regardless, the ability to throw Skullbriar under this metaphorical bus yields fantastic advantages.

Unearth - $2.29 - A cheap way to bring back a dead Skullbriar, without invoking the dreaded Commander Tax. Additionally, the option to cycle it when it isn’t needed is a rare flexibility. Options are the most valuable thing in the game besides card advantage. This card provides both. What’s more, the capacity to bring back something else entirely only adds to this flexibility. This card is never dead. Not a complex card, but reanimation 3 ways is always a good thing.

Deathrender - $2.78 - Having Skullbriar die is less than a disadvantage, and more of a circumstance we want to abuse. Throwing them under the bus, or into unkind blocks. As such, finding a way to some value from it’s death is part of what we want. Deathrender offers that. On the surface it comes off expensive. 6 mana for only +2/+2 isn’t the best. But, on death, cheating in a creature, as well as equipping itself to that creature rounds it out. Especially in long games of EDH. That price tag becomes more than paid in the end.

Death’s Presence - $0.35 - Death’s Presence offers up the same benefit of Varolz, but in a different way. At {5}{G} instead of Varolz {1}{B}{G} you get an enchantment, that will immediately produce the counters on death. There are no concerns about exiling the creature from your bin, or paying extra mana. What’s more, the two cards work well to reuse dead creatures as counters for your alive ones.

Opal Palace - $0.35 - Opal Palace is likely the kind of card one would expect to cut right away. It doesn’t fix your mana, only filters it. And what other abilities it has, go against the natural flow of the game. Realistically, you don’t want to be casting your commander more than a few times. Adding in, that it’s cost to cast will increase, you don’t want a land that only filters. But in this deck, that assumption changes. Skullbrier is a cheap creature to begin with. With haste, it’s an attacker on turn 2, no different from other 1/1’s. But it’s a creature that we want to die. Opal Palace offers added advantage as it will keep making Skullbrier bigger. And considering how cheap it is anyway, that extra mana is no big deal.

Reyhan, Last of the Abzan - $7.13 - Reyhan, Last of the Abzan is the piece that will kick this deck into Maximum Overdrive. Moving counters on creature on their death, without removing from the creature. This neat detail turns her into a 3 mana Death’s Presence against Skullbriar. What’s more, she’s a 3/3 for 3 that will move her own counters if she meets her demise. Sacrifice Skullbriar with her out, put the counters on something else, bring back Skullbriar, then sac the something else. Or, just let them all die in combat. This deck wants to be aggressive. Reyhan gives every trade an upside. That kind of value simply can’t be beat, for such a low price. And, then, at worst; if she dies right away, she becomes {1}{G}{B} put 3 +1/+1 counters on a creature. Which isn’t bad.

Skullbriar offers up unique games plans and strategies. And where these can be found, one should use them as best they can. Abusing the fact that Skullbriear can die and keep it’s counters is what’s vital about this deck. Otherwise, you may as well use any other commander. 

—Max, @commandtower-solring-go

[commandercore]

I'm a huge fan on skullbriar but so much more of anything that involves varolz!!!

[kmproxy]

Animar, Soul of Elements

My first proxie is the only one thats not from my own commander decks. My brother has always wanted to make an eldrazi deck and I wanted to make new art for his birthday.

I already felt like animar was from zendikar (I can’t find where he’s really from) but really wanted to push him as an eldeazi commander. Also to have the eldrazi card frame from battle of zendikar.

Stay tuned for more!

[spellcasterscommander]

by BlackArucado

[jones-friend]

By popular demand, here’s an extensive multicolor land list for budget deckbuilding

Dual

Orzhov - Orzhov Basilica, Orzhov Guildgate, Scoured Barrens, Foresaken Sanctuary, Tainted Field, Salt Flats

Isolated Chapel, Godless Shrine, Shambling Vent, Concealed Courtyard

Dimir - Dimir Aqueduct, Dimir Guildgate, Dismal Backwater, Salt Marsh, Submerged Boneyard, Frost Marsh, Jwar Isle Refuge, Dreadship Reach, Tainted Isle, Waterfall Cavern, Rootwater Depths

Drowned Catacomb, Watery Grave, Choked Estuary, Sunken Hollow, Fetid Pools

Golgari - Golgari Rot Farm, Golgari Guildgate, Foul Orchard, Jungle Hollow, Tainted Wood, Pine Barrens

Woodland Cemetery, Overgrown Tomb, Hissing Quagmire, Blooming Marsh

Rakdos - Rakdos Carnarium, Rakdos Guildgate, Urborg Volcano, Cinder Barrens, Bloodfell Caves, Akoum Refuge, Molten Slagheap, Tainted Peak, Lantern-Lit Graveyard, Cinder Marsh

Dragonskull Summit, Blood Crypt, Foreboding Ruins, Smoldering Marsh, Canyon Slough

Boros - Boros Garrison, Boros Guildgate, Stone Quarry, Wind-Scarred Crag, Scabland

Clifftop Retreat, Sacred Foundry, Needle Spires, Inspiring Vantage

Azorius - Azorius Chancery, Azorius Guildgate, Coastal Tower, Meandering River, Boreal Shelf, Sejiri Refuge, Tranquil Cove, Calciform Pools, Cloudcrest Lake, Thalakos Lowlands

Glacial Fortress, Hallowed Fountain, Port Town, Prairies Stream, Irrigated Farmland

Selesnya - Selesnya Sanctuary, Selesnya Guildgate, Elfhame Palace, Tranquil Expanse, Arctic Flats, Graypelt Refuge, Blossoming Sands, Saltcrusted Steppe, Tranquil Garden, Vecc Townships

Sunpetal Grove, Temple Garden, Fortified Village, Canopy Vista, Scattered Groves

Simic - Simic Growth Chamber, Simic Guildgate, Woodland Stream, Thornwood Falls, Skyshroud Forest

Hinterland Harbor, Breeding Pool, Lumbering Falls, Botanical Sanctum

Izzet - Izzet Boilerworks, Izzet Guildgate, Highland Lake, Swiftwater Cliffs, Caldera Lake

Sulfur Falls, Steam Vents, Spirebluff Canal, Wandering Fumarole

Gruul - Gruul Turf, Gruul Guildgate, Shivan Oasis, Timber Gorge, Highland Weald, Kazandu Refuge, Rugged Highlands, Fungal Reaches, Pinecrest Ridge, Mogg Hollows

Rootbound Crag, Stomping Grounds, Game Trail, Cinder Glade, Sheltered Thicket

Triple Lands

Shards - Seaside Citadel, Crumbling Necropolis, Arcane Sanctum, Savage Lands, Jungle Shrine

Khans - Sandsteppe Citadel, Frontier Bivouac, Nomad Outpost, Opulent Palace, Mystic Monastery

Multicolor

Any - Command Tower, Transguild Promenade, Rupture Spire

Any with Stipulations - Exotic Orchard, Forbidden Orchard, Reflecting Pool, Pillar of the Paruns, Primal Beyond, Mana Confluence, Ancient Ziggurat, City of Brass, Grand Coliseum, Haven of the Spirit Dragon, Ally Encampment, Rainbow Vale, Sliver Hive, Spire of Industry

Charge Counters - Vivid Grove, Crag, Creek, Marsh, Meadow, Mirrodin’s Core

Fetches

Basic Land

Evolving Wilds, Terramorphic Expanse, Myriad Landscape, Panoramas

Land Type

Bad River, Flood Plain, Grasslands, Krosan Verge, Mountain Valley, Rocky Tar Pit

[commandersociety-blog]

Which one are you in your playgroup?

[thesteamhat]

Various Proxies I have made from my art. All of these are free to use, and you can track down the art and edit them however you like, JUST don’t be a douche and use cards you don’t own (unless it’s for a cube perhaps) and please keep artist accreditation (Jeremy Carver). and of course: DON’T SELL THEM! Because I own 7 commander decks and a solumn for 7 a pop is a little crazy, (though I do own an actual copy of all if these.)

[simic-initiate]

Commander Player Archetypes

An idea put forward in the latest Command Zone, I just had to expand upon it. What category do you think you best fit under?

The Mentor

Often the one who has been playing the game the longest, The Mentor willingly points out how to better play even to their detriment in the game with the goal of wanting everyone to be better players and keep enjoying the game. They lend out decks so everyone can play and get their enjoyment from cultivating the playgroup.

The Rebel

The player who has to fight every fight, especially against whoever is currently leading the game. Always playing to win and do so proactively, progressing themselves toward the victory. Attacks whenever viable and will refuse to just let the game go someone else’s way.

The Judo Master

One of the most valuable skills in playing Commander is ‘avoiding hate’, and The Judo Master is best at this. Through subtle board positioning and well timed plays, they manage to just slip under the table’s threat radar and someone else takes the heat while they continue to deflect, dodge, and avoid conflict.

The Contrarian

Absolutely against convention or reason, The Contrarian seeks to show the futility of alliances or words by taking decisive actions that go against the hopes of other players, often meeting offers of ceasefire with guns ablaze.

The Opportunist

A player who lies in wait for the right moment to strike or rise from the shadows in hopes of ‘stealing’ the game from under others, The Opportunist is not deceitful or disloyal, merely takes the chance to win when they see it. They have no qualms about letting others do the heavy lifting.

The Lone Wolf

No allegiances, no table talk, just the board state. The Lone Wolf is the one who plays the game and does not participate in politics. They stay their course and are comparatively stoic, having little to no interest in the excessive chatter of the silver-tongued.

The Merciless

The player who will eliminate the player who got mana-screwed without a second thought. The Merciless do not deal in half-measures. Devastating a player’s presence in the game is not enough. Complete annihilation is the only real option.

The Politician

Making up and cutting deals constantly, The Politician hopes to maneuver in the game socially not just to avoid personal harm, but to advance to victory. Encouraging players to eliminate each-other while trying to remain mostly unscathed, The Politician can do the most with as little as possible.

The Architect

A player who seeks to craft a specific experience, be it some kind of synergy or a game ending combo, and have no ambition beyond that. They seek to accomplish a personal goal in the game built into their own deck.

The Jester

Always seeking to make the game ‘a little more interesting’ by playing decks with game-changing cards or always encouraging a new game mode like Archenemy or Planechase, The Jester is eager to experience the biggest can of worms they can open.

[mtgaddicted]

Seriously loving this card

[jones-friend]

So I tried out Aryel

Knight tribal’s got some issues. It can work but its not perfect.

Funny enough, running a vampire subtheme helps the deck. It feels very awkward to get buffs from it, but a lot of orzhov knights are also vampires (thanks Ixalan). There’s also some weird tutors for Knight tribal I didn’t expect.

As far as tribal tech goes.. yeah. Unless you get into “any tribe” tribal tech yeah. There’s not much.

And also Monarch is around I guess.

[commandercore]

Starting with White

Hey guys just an update, the white deck has been started. It should take a while, starting from scratch and making a deck that is true to the core ideals. It is a lot of work and I’m really enjoying it. But I do want help choosing a commander, so far the finalists are Kemba, Odric (1 or 2), Kytheon, Jazal, or Gisela. 

[commandercore]

Welcome!

Hey it’s Chris here, the founder of this wonderful blog. We hope to add something to the commander community by keeping things basic. We want to make easy decks that exemplify the color pie they are in. Some will be easy, some budget, but not all. We may do a storm deck or an expensive stax deck if we feel that it is necessary or fun. We may also do side projects and things like that but the 32 decks are the initial focus.

Goal so far: 0/32