MTG Salvation

I'm looking to build a new Commander deck, but I'm having a bit of a difficult time finding a Commander that really inspires me to build a deck around it.

I'm looking for a deck that has a distinct theme, something where the Commander really dictates the kind of deck you will build. Something like Edgar Markov, (vampires) Sliver Queen (slivers). I know the examples I've given are strictly tribal, but it doesn't necessarily need to be a tribal deck either.

Another one that has intrigued me is King Macar, The Gold Cursed, just to give you an example of a kind of general I might be interested in playing. Basically, I want something 1. fun 2. decently competitive 3. with a theme or engine!

Any help is appreciated

Thanks!

Without knowing more, I'd recommend Edric, Spymaster of Trest evasive weenies. So much fun, and so much card draw - it's not unusual to be drawing at least 10-15 cards per turn. Plus, you get to play stuff like Cloud Pirates and Flying Men and actually win with them. Here's my deck.

Sek’kuar Lands deck.

Most of my decks are either themed or engines. My favorites from history: Zur Rebels, Ertai Curses, Shadowborn Apostles, Azami Wizards Combo.

The beautiful part is they all have strong ways to win: the first 2 just shut down every opponent, the second two (technically non-infinite) combo off with crazy value to deal 500+ damage or win with Labman

Ertai started out very cheap and I run every curse in color (even the bad ones) but it has room to grow with Replenish and Greater Auramancy. The best part is, no one thinks you are a threat.

Any of the following demand theme build arounds..
Barktooth Warbeard, Jasmine Boreal, Jedit Ojanen, Jerrard of the Closed Fist, Lady Orca, Sir Shandlar of Eberyn, Sivitri Scarzam, The Lady of the Mountain, Tobias Andrion, Torsten Von Ursus, Yargle, Glutton of Urborg.

On a serious note, almost no commander doesn't put you into a theme, so any more information on play styles preferred, color-pie, anything?

Also, what do you consider fun? Combo, control, etc?
I find my biggest issue with EDH is most commanders inspire me! I want to make them all!

Sorry, forgot to post the link for Sek'Kuar land deck: https://articles.edhrec.com/underdogs-corner-sekkuar-deathkeeper/

So the idea is to turn your lands (and perhaps others') into creatures, and win an attrition war. Since Sek'kuar turn your dead non-token creature into 3/1s, you will always have more creatures than your opponent, and likely lock down the game with a single Damnation. It's similar to how Sydri, Galvanic Genius + Liquimetal Coating LD is like.

I wish Living Plane isn't so expensive.

Thanks for the answers so far guys!

To provide more information, I’d say I’m leaning more towards the side of aggro, or combo. Control isn’t really my jam, personally.

As far as colour pie goes, all options will be considered! I wouldn’t mind playing any colour, although some colours are more complementary to the play style I’d enjoy of course!

Off the top of my head where my commander pretty much 'created the deck':
General Tazri snowball: Allies, and ways to make token copies of Allies. Has a tendency to explode exponentially or fail spectacularly.
Athreos, God of Passage: cmc 3-or-less grindy attrition: things die, I benefit. Rinse and repeat a lot due to the very low curve and Athreos being very hard to get rid of - that 3 life starts to look like pretty scary once it happens for the 20th time within a few turns mid-game. The deck begun from having as many Athreos triggers as possible, then the 3 cmc or less limitation came just as a way to limit my possible cardpool to manageable size...
Arjun, the Shifting Flame: Cards. All the cards that care about me having cards, drawing cards, or punishing folks based on cards either on my or their hands.
Thromok the Insatiable: Make him devour 6-9 creatures, find a way to deliver the mass to an opponent's face. Very explosive.
Varina, Lich Queen: Zombies. All the cards in the deck besides lands either are zombies, or reference zombies in their text. No substitutions.

Varina, Lich Queen: Zombies. All the cards in the deck besides lands either are zombies, or reference zombies in their text. No substitutions.

I'll second this. Varina is a really, really versatile commander. She could quite easily be built for combo or aggro, but because of her filtering ability she gives you a ton of options to change tack at any time.

My build is a midrange hybrid thing that does pretty well. It's a little bit of everything, so not necessarily recommending my build, but Varina is definitely worth a look as a flexible, handy commander with a lot of options for directions to head in.

Quote from toctheyounger77 »

Varina, Lich Queen: Zombies. All the cards in the deck besides lands either are zombies, or reference zombies in their text. No substitutions.

I'll second this. Varina is a really, really versatile commander. She could quite easily be built for combo or aggro, but because of her filtering ability she gives you a ton of options to change tack at any time.

My build is a midrange hybrid thing that does pretty well. It's a little bit of everything, so not necessarily recommending my build, but Varina is definitely worth a look as a flexible, handy commander with a lot of options for directions to head in.

There's also a no-creature version of Varina uses entirely spells, exile filter spells and lands for zombies while recycle useful ones with Time Spiral type spells (Temporal Cascade is more expensive but it could be reused), using Mind over Matter and artifact mana to go infinite (thx to Alhammarret's Archive and/or Thought Reflection).

That sounds cool. I figure it’d be super easy to build an Aetherflux Reservoir combo build too.

Quote from LuckNorris »

I'm looking to build a new Commander deck, but I'm having a bit of a difficult time finding a Commander that really inspires me to build a deck around it.

I'm looking for a deck that has a distinct theme, something where the Commander really dictates the kind of deck you will build. Something like Edgar Markov, (vampires) Sliver Queen (slivers). I know the examples I've given are strictly tribal, but it doesn't necessarily need to be a tribal deck either.

Another one that has intrigued me is King Macar, The Gold Cursed, just to give you an example of a kind of general I might be interested in playing. Basically, I want something 1. fun 2. decently competitive 3. with a theme or engine!

Any help is appreciated

Thanks!

My main deck-building style is building around the commander at the very least, or being inspired by the commander but not necessarily needing it in play as a part of the main wincons.

I suggest taking a look at some of the decks in my signature, they are all premised on what you expressed, which to me sounds like "build-around" themes.

Selenia, Dark Angel is a favorite of mine. Stack the triggers to drain your own life - and then swap it with someone else's life! That's the gist of the idea, and from that I discovered many other delicious interactions through the Gatherer.

Zirilan of the claw do you like having a toolbox of dragons?

Captain Sisay is a fun, competitive deck with a distinct theme of legendaries.