Hello! I wanted to design some customer Commander decks themed around the four seasons. After spending some time looking at how WotC designs their new four decks every year, I figured four decks, each themed around a season, would be perfect. Here is my template so far with the ideas about what the deck themes will be.
GWU - Spring - This deck's theme will be about untapping your stuff for value. Spring is about revival and the growth of new stuff, and I figured untapping things for value would be a good fit. I am considering having a token subtheme as well.
WGR - Summer - This deck's theme will be about growth. +1/+1 counters will be abundant, as well as possibly mana ramp into big spells to focus on the energy of summer.
GBR - Fall - This deck's theme will be -1/-1 counters. Things die off in the fall. Things are harvested. I also expect to have a sacrifice subtheme here.
WUB - Winter - This deck's theme will be about tapping things, and keeping them tapped down. Winter is a good fit for a control deck themed around keeping your opponent's frozen while your creatures move freely. I am considering a snow theme as the second theme here.
As you can see, the decks mirror each other a bit, +1/+1 counters vs -1/-1 counters, tapping stuff vs untapping stuff. I think it works well thematically. I am open to all suggestions for deck themes as well as card designs. As I move forward, I will update with my card designs! Thanks in advance.
I'd suggest bringing back a specific old mechanic for each of your themes. It's an easy and fun way to get creative by expanding on old design space.
Spring could be Q, summer feels right for a combo of monstrosity (or renown?) and proliferate, fall should definitely be wither + persist, and I'm not sure about winter.
Winter could be "snow" for sure... Not sure what the other could be.
I am thinking of making one Commander for each deck be a generalized "God" that sums up the Season, also featuring the new "God ability" (Whenever this creature would die or be exiled, you may put it three cards beneath the top of your library instead.) One, it's a cool ability, and two, it fits well with having four seasons. Tuck a card 3 cards under to wait for the other 3 seasons to change
For example, I was imagining something like
God of SpringWWUUGG
Legendary Creature - God
At the beginning of your step, untap each permanent you control.
When God of Spring dies or is put into exile from the battlefield, you may put it into its owner's library third from the top.
5/5
My God Template was going to be:
- Double colors of each mana symbol, to make them harder to cast considering they will likely be powerful.
- 5/5's for mirroring bodies.
- The "God" ability.
- An ability that ties together the theme of the deck well.
- Also wanted to include an activated ability for each God, but not sure what they should be just yet.
I just wanted to stop by and applaud you for your color selection. Great stuff. Concerning the one god you've created, untapping in the end phase of the very turn you put it down could lead to some degenerate stuff, so I recommend having it untap during the untap step of every other player instead, like Seedborn Muse.
I just wanted to stop by and applaud you for your color selection. Great stuff. Concerning the one god you've created, untapping in the end phase of the very turn you put it down could lead to some degenerate stuff, so I recommend having it untap during the untap step of every other player instead, like Seedborn Muse.
Good idea. I want them to be powerful, but not degenerate. I will update, as I like this change. Thanks!
Also, Grixis was the only color that did not fit a season, so it worked out well when designing four Commander decks. Also, here is the idea for the God of Winter.
God of WinterWWUUBB
Legendary Creature - God 3: Tap target permanent.
Nonland permanents your opponent's control don't untap unless their control pays 1 for each of those permanents.
When God of Winter dies or is put into exile from the battlefield, you may put it into its owner's library third from the top.
5/5
GWU - Spring - This deck's theme will be about untapping your stuff for value. Spring is about revival and the growth of new stuff, and I figured untapping things for value would be a good fit. I am considering having a token subtheme as well.
WGR - Summer - This deck's theme will be about growth. +1/+1 counters will be abundant, as well as possibly mana ramp into big spells to focus on the energy of summer.
GBR - Fall - This deck's theme will be -1/-1 counters. Things die off in the fall. Things are harvested. I also expect to have a sacrifice subtheme here.
WUB - Winter - This deck's theme will be about tapping things, and keeping them tapped down. Winter is a good fit for a control deck themed around keeping your opponent's frozen while your creatures move freely. I am considering a snow theme as the second theme here.
As you can see, the decks mirror each other a bit, +1/+1 counters vs -1/-1 counters, tapping stuff vs untapping stuff. I think it works well thematically. I am open to all suggestions for deck themes as well as card designs. As I move forward, I will update with my card designs! Thanks in advance.
Dunes of Zairo
SHANDALAR
Innistrad - The Darkest Night
~THE RAVNICAN CONSORTIUM~
A Community Set
Commander: Allies & Adversaries
Spring could be Q, summer feels right for a combo of monstrosity (or renown?) and proliferate, fall should definitely be wither + persist, and I'm not sure about winter.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
I am thinking of making one Commander for each deck be a generalized "God" that sums up the Season, also featuring the new "God ability" (Whenever this creature would die or be exiled, you may put it three cards beneath the top of your library instead.) One, it's a cool ability, and two, it fits well with having four seasons. Tuck a card 3 cards under to wait for the other 3 seasons to change
For example, I was imagining something like
God of Spring WWUUGG
Legendary Creature - God
At the beginning of your step, untap each permanent you control.
When God of Spring dies or is put into exile from the battlefield, you may put it into its owner's library third from the top.
5/5
My God Template was going to be:
- Double colors of each mana symbol, to make them harder to cast considering they will likely be powerful.
- 5/5's for mirroring bodies.
- The "God" ability.
- An ability that ties together the theme of the deck well.
- Also wanted to include an activated ability for each God, but not sure what they should be just yet.
Dunes of Zairo
SHANDALAR
Innistrad - The Darkest Night
~THE RAVNICAN CONSORTIUM~
A Community Set
Commander: Allies & Adversaries
Good idea. I want them to be powerful, but not degenerate. I will update, as I like this change. Thanks!
Also, Grixis was the only color that did not fit a season, so it worked out well when designing four Commander decks. Also, here is the idea for the God of Winter.
God of Winter WWUUBB
Legendary Creature - God
3: Tap target permanent.
Nonland permanents your opponent's control don't untap unless their control pays 1 for each of those permanents.
When God of Winter dies or is put into exile from the battlefield, you may put it into its owner's library third from the top.
5/5
Dunes of Zairo
SHANDALAR
Innistrad - The Darkest Night
~THE RAVNICAN CONSORTIUM~
A Community Set
Commander: Allies & Adversaries