Added Rule 2A for testing; the belief here is that this change will create more interesting interactions and expand deck building possibilities within the format. If during testing the change proves to be too broken, then the rule will be scrapped before the format is finalized.
So here it is again, yet another suggestion for Modern Commander that seems to crop up every few years. Well, hopefully by the end of this post I may have at least piqued your curiosity in some way in regards to why this suggested Modern EDH Format will be different for the others. As you read on though, I implore you to keep an open mind as these rules and guidelines are merely an Alpha Test for what I hope will one day become a legitimate variant of EDH. So without further delay, I present to you Modern Commander/mEDH:
The Philosophy of Modern Commander
Commander as a whole is undoubtedly a very popular format that a lot of us have been playing for well over a decade now and in that time a particular style of Commander has emerged that's proven to be popular in its own right among members of this community. That is the style we've all come to know as a cEDH. So why, you may ask, is Modern Commander being structured as a competitive orientated variant when cEDH exists? Because, to put it frankly, cEDH is not only exceptionally expensive to get into but it is also unregulated by the Rules Committee.
The Rules Committee for Commander have made it clear since Commander was introduced that it was intended first and foremost to be a casual, social orientated format. Because of this cEDH as a format will never see a proper banlist that's designed to regulate the long term health of theformat and instead will have to cope with a banlist that's orientated more towards fostering a friendly casual environment over regulating anything that is genuinely problematic. This is more perfectly illustrated with the April 2020 banlist update; in the announcement the rules committee made the following statement:
"We believe Commander is still best as a social-focused format and will not be making any changes to accommodate tournament play. Taking responsibility for your and your opponents’ fun, including setting expectations with your group, is a fundamental part of the Commander philosophy. Organizers who want to move towards more untrusted games should consider adding additional rules or guidance to create the Commander experience they want to offer."
I want to stress that there is nothing wrong with this statement, but at the same time people value and appreciate structure which is why despite their insistence that the rules are suggestions (which is why Rule 0 exists) not many playgroups deviate from their rules and banlist by any degree or even at all. It is because of this that from our point of view cEDH is on a ticking clock in terms of format health. Flash warped the format and was banned, but how long will it be before something else comes out that does the same thing? And when that happens, the Rules Committee has already made it clear they won't intervene again. What will happen then?
That is where Modern Commander comes in. We want Modern Commander to be competitive, we want you to take your deck and break it, we want you to come up with the stupidest combos and strategies imaginable. Through Modern Commander the competitive side of Commander will finally have a set of rules properly tuned to a competitive format and won't face the impending inevitability of the format becoming stale when the next problematic card is printed.
So why Modern? Well with the idea that this variant format is geared towards the competitive mindset that also came with its own issues. The biggest one being cost, as has been brought up countless times in the past. If you want a format to maintain health for a competitive community then it should be as accessible as possible. With Standard being far too restricting and Pioneer being too new, the clear solution fell towards making it a Modern format.
With Modern, coupled with the few exceptions, the format slows down a little bit but becomes vastly more accessible to people wanting to play in a competitive EDH format. Once the rules and banlist are properly tuned, the idea is that play groups from all over could use them to foster their own cEDH community knowing their format will be properly maintained and balanced when things become too problematic. This has the added benefit of taking some annoyances away from the EDH Rules Committee such as the mounting pressure they faced in regards to Flash. The expectations would be that EDH is strictly casual but mEDH will always be competitive and both can coexist because of it.
Rules for Modern EDH
Deck Construction Rules 1. Players choose a legendary creature or legendary planeswalker as the commander for their deck.
2. A card’s color identity is its color plus the color of any mana symbols in the card’s rules text. A card’s color identity is established before the game begins, and cannot be changed by game effects. The cards in a deck may not have any colors in their color identity which are not in the color identity of the deck’s commander.
2A. A card's color identity also determines interactions with cards that interact with specific colors. (Ex. White Knight cannot be blocked by creatures that have black as part of their color identity. (Currently being tested)
3. A Modern Commander deck must contain exactly 100 cards, including the commander.
4. A Modern Commander deck may have a sideboard. The sideboard may contain no more than 10 cards and are swapped out for cards in your Modern Commander deck on a 1-for-1 basis. If you choose to use a companion card, that card must go here and adhere to color identity.
5. With the exception of basic lands, no two cards in the deck or sideboard may have the same English name. Some cards (e.g. Relentless Rats) may have rules text that overrides this restriction.
Play Rules 6. Players begin the game with 40 life.
7. Before a game is started all players reveal their Commanders simultaneously, afterwards players may choose to swap cards out of their deck for cards in their sideboard.
8. Commanders begin the game in the Command Zone. While a commander is in the command zone, it may be cast, subject to the normal timing restrictions for casting cards of your commander's supertype. Its owner must pay 2 for each time it was previously cast from the command zone; this is an additional cost.
9. If a commander would be put into a library, hand, graveyard or exile from anywhere, its owner may choose to move it to the command zone instead.
10. Being a commander is not a characteristic [MTG CR109.3], it is a property of the card and tied directly to the physical card. As such, “commander-ness” cannot be copied or overwritten by continuous effects. The card retains it’s commander-ness through any status changes, and is still a commander even when controlled by another player.
11. If a player has been dealt 21 points of damage by a particular Commander during the game, that player loses a game.
12. Commanders are subject to the Legend rule; a player cannot control more than one legend with the same name.
13. Abilities which bring other card(s) you own from outside the game into the game (such as Living Wish; Spawnsire of Ulamog; Karn, the Great Creator) can only interact with cards in your sideboard.
FORMAT LEGALITY
The Modern Commander cardpool consists of all regulation-sized black- and white-bordered Magic cards publicly released by Wizards of the Coast from the following sets in addition to all cards first printed in any WOTC Commander & Brawl Decks (such as Chaos Warp, Command Tower, Tempt With Discovery, & Arcane Signet). Cards are legal to play with as of their sets’ prerelease.
The following card sets are permitted in Modern Commander:
Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
Throne of Eldraine
Core Set 2020
Modern Horizons
War of the Spark
Ravnica Allegiance
Guilds of Ravnica
Core Set 2019
Battlebond
Dominaria
Rivals of Ixalan
Ixalan
Hour of Devastation
Amonkhet
Aether Revolt
Kaladesh
Eldritch Moon
Shadows over Innistrad
Oath of the Gatewatch
Battle for Zendikar
Magic Origins
Dragons of Tarkir
Fate Reforged
Khans of Tarkir
Magic 2015
Journey into Nyx
Born of the Gods
Theros
Magic 2014
Dragon's Maze
Gatecrash
Return to Ravnica
Magic 2013
Avacyn Restored
Dark Ascension
Innistrad
Magic 2012
New Phyrexia
Mirrodin Besieged
Scars of Mirrodin
Magic 2011
Rise of the Eldrazi
Worldwake
Zendikar
Magic 2010
Alara Reborn
Conflux
Shards of Alara
Eventide
Shadowmoor
Morningtide
Lorwyn
Tenth Edition
Future Sight
Planar Chaos
Time Spiral
Coldsnap
Dissension
Guildpact
Ravnica: City of Guilds
Ninth Edition
Saviors of Kamigawa
Betrayers of Kamigawa
Champions of Kamigawa
Fifth Dawn
Darksteel
Mirrodin
Eighth Edition
Banned List
This is likely where some controversy will arise and I completely understand that. For now (I can't stress that enough) there is no banlist. I know how crazy that sounds, but since I intend to treat this as a serious variant format in the vain of 1v1 and Oathbreaker I feel it's best to go in with no banlist and thoroughly test everything to see what rises to top to become format warping cards. At which point they will be evaluated and judgment will be passed on each card on a case by case basis.
My original intent before making this post was to put this through serious testing so I can at least present it with a proper banlist, but I ended up settling on doing it now to get some proper feedback on the idea. Even if it doesn't take off like I'd like, it'll still be something that my particular group will enjoy and maybe in time this might end up becoming something.
On that, I'll close with a foil to the ending line for Commander's Philosophy;
The format can be broken; we believe games are more fun if you do so.
I've been bouncing around the idea of asking to take over this Primer for sometime now, but I've never written a Primer before so I'd be going in blind on this one. Since I saw this thread a little over two years ago, I've had Isamaru constructed and have been using consistently enough that I consider it my signature EDH deck. Over the last few years it has gone through significant changes but never lost the focus of Equipment Voltron backed by Stax elements to carry Puppy into the late game.
I'm slowly working through putting up a breakdown of my choices for the deck, combos, strategies, and so forth on my tapped out page. Here's the link if you want to check it out, but right now it's a work in progress: Isamaru, The Howling Blade
My stance on proxies has always been for it because I have the philosophy that regardless of whether or not the deck is real, you lost to someone's idea and them having the real cards for it is irrelevant cause it'd be the same deck real or not.
Of course, this philosophy gets tested when you encounter someone who proxies up a net deck. Thing is, I never really have a problem with proxies because I look at them as a way to test something before you make an investment, especially one that could be considerable in cost.
I ended up developing this philosophy because on numerous occasions I would get snubbed by other players because I was running a proxy or two in my deck. One thing I do not like are people who take up an elitist attitude with someone because said person couldn't afford X $50 card that they could.
I get that in a way to become a better player you should build something with what you have, but you're new to the game and you end up playing with people who've been in the game for a few years or whatever, then sometimes using proxies is the only way you're gonna be able to compete without dumping your paycheck into the game on a regular basis. Sometimes people just want to play magic for fun and I see proxies as a way to allow people to have fun no matter how long they've been playing so long as proxying isn't abused (a black lotus in every deck for example).
Although lately I've been having a small problem with proxies because my friend who runs a Kaalia deck started proxying numerous cards into his deck. At first it started with the dual lands (which I'm fine with cause they're staple cards, so if he intended on building the deck he'd have to buy them), but then he went ahead and proxied Grim Tutor and Moat. Two cards which I KNOW for a fact he isn't gonna buy. I've yet to talk to him about using cheaper alternatives.
This is kinda funny. I made a set a few years back that centered on casting cards from exile then I look at the spoiler today and notice that this set is gonna contain a functional reprint of a card I created almost 5 years ago.
I doubt wizards knew of my set's existence, but even so...it's funny to see a card I created in a magic set. Makes me wonder if they'll go with the whole exile theme in a future set now, lol.
I'm also gonna use this time to discuss something about this set and why some things are as they are.
For starters, the choice of set symbol. When I set out to create a set symbol I wanted to create a symbol that wasn't overly creative yet wasn't absurdly simple. What I ended up coming out with was a variation of the symbol for the planet Earth. I took the classic symbol and came out with a variant that reflects the current situation on planet Auron. The symbol features the cross used to represent Earth but instead of the circle outline the symbol has the Confederacy symbol in the background.
The lands are another topic of discussion. The advanced technology present on Auron allows for truly magnificent landscapes and cities to be created. A large variety of areas on Auron are inhabited by a variety of sentient lifeforms. The basic lands reflect this by having art depicting underwater cities and volcanic factories.
Here is a small preview of some of the basic lands that will be featured in the Auron set:
Too many distractions in my life right now. In any case, I'm still officially open to suggestions. A few people in this topic have offered assistance, so at this point if anyone wishes to help me on this set than I'm all for it. Just send me a PM and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can.
Til then, I'll try to refine my ideas a little better in the hopes of making a more coherent set.
It's been 600 years since the cataclysm happened. After the destruction of modern civilization the remaining humans struggled to survive. Where great nations once stood there was nothing but ruin and the alliances that once were faded into memory. It wasn't long before the remaining bit of humanity plunged into anarchy. Suddenly placed in a world without rules, primordial instincts that were long since suppressed began to take over. Once kind people quickly devolved into savages that thrived on carnage and lust.
Despite the shock of being in a world with no rules, some humanity did survive. Those who did not succumb to their primal urges gathered together and built settlements for those who needed protection from the world at large.
600 have past since the cataclysm and humanity is still trying to regain the sanctity that was lost. The cause of the cataclysm and even the memory of pre-cataclysm civilization has been lost to time. Strong knowledge of modern civilization faded into rumors of [pre-cataclysm civilization being technologically advanced. These rumors are often scoffed at by the current humans that live, these people dead set in their belief in this is how the world has always been.
The world now is governed by survival and magick. Even though the cataclysm brought about the end of civilized society, it awakened something in the humans that survived. Over the centuries people began to discover that they were capable of wielding powers that branched out beyond the boundaries of technology. It quickly became apparent that certain people can manipulate one of the four primal elements of Earth.
These people became regarded by many names: the Savages of the wasteland regarded them as Dalkens, more civilized settlements referred to them as Scions. As quickly as these people became well known, rumors began to swirl around about people capable of manipulating all four elements. If true, such a person would be highly sought after and looked upon as a savior in this post apocalyptic world.
It is now 600 P.C. The thought of Earth being highly advanced has slipped into rumors. Most people shrug off these rumors as they focus on trying to survive in this harsh world. Others, however, live off of exploring the wasteland in search of anything that would link their current world to the one of old. Most adventurers barely find anything worth selling, but one such adventurer will happen upon a discovery that could put humanity back on the path to rebuilding the world of ages past.
Description & Themes
Earth - 600PC is a set that takes place on the planet Earth after a horrific cataclysm destroys the majority of humanity and the surface of the planet. On post-apocalyptic Earth, people devolved down into savages to cope with the lack of modern day rules and government. The world by large is one of survival in the harshest of conditions and it's a world that has been fundamentally changed in ways the current populace has yet to perceive.
The cataclysm didn't just turn the majority of the planet into a desolate wasteland, it also mutated several of the native species and humans into horrific monsters. Some of the changes aren't just physical however, certain humans also gained the ability to manipulate a certain elemental force that binds the world together.
The theme of Earth-600PC is a world of pure survival and instinct. It is a world where the slightest change can bring about your immediate death, a world where knowledge on survival is king. It is also a world where bold survivalists attempt to scour the planet in search of clues to the planet's past. The mana force that binds each plane together exists on Earth, but the force is not known as such to its current inhabitants.
Because of the survivalist theme Earth-600PC has, alot of the cards in this set will reflect this theme in one way or another. Certain cards wil yield bonuses to creatures that survive combat while at the same time there will be creatures that become more powerful with each beast that is slain.
A sub-theme in the set will be the constant hunt to unearth relics of Earth's past. If found, these relics will yield powerful bonuses to adventurous mages and the creatures they unleash.
Keywords
[Coming Soon]
Preview Card
The cataclysm didn't just reshape the world, it also reshaped several humans into deformed creatures. It didn't take long for these mutants to succumb to the same primal urges that normal humans eventually succumbed to. After the fifth year the strongest of the mutants banded the weaker of their kind and formed the various savage clans that exist across the world.
1) Sliver Queen was never going to be in this deck. Wizards of the Coast has a reprint policy that prevents them from printing older sets' Rares as tournament-legal cards for general resale.
I can understand that policy with certain cards, but is Sliver Queen really that viable of a Legacy and Vintage card? Besides that, the Queen is pretty much THE staple sliver to own, so putting her in this would have been nice so new players could get ahold of her.
Like I said before, I share this mentality with other people. I also share the same idea that to some extent I think Wizards No-Reprint list could use a little cleaning up. But I suppose that's a discussion for another thread.
I recently picked up to of the Premium Sliver deck, aside from a few thoughts, I'm liking it so far.
The same trend with the Duel Decks clearly follow this one: It takes two purchases to make the deck viable for play. By getting two i was able to remove the jank like Barbed Sliver and Armored Sliver in favor of the better slivers included in this deck. So far I've taking a liking to the deck and it's mostly been the only deck I've been using for the past few days. While it's not competitive worthy, it plays very well with the group of friends I hang out with and I enjoy it's casual yet playable feel.
Having said that, there are some things I wish Wizards would have done with this set. For starters, I share the same mentality as most of the others in this thread; I firmly believe they should have printed Sliver Queen as the Mythic. Especially since Sliver Overlord is already available in Foil if you can find one.
In addition, while it's nice to have some of the old slivers come back in new frames and foil, I wish they would have included Talon Sliver and Horned Sliver in the deck as opposed to the jank that is Barbed and Armored Sliver. Heck, I prolly would have still bought even if the deck just had a bunch of single copies of old sliver cards and the Queen in it (maybe so even if the Queen was still the Overlord).
Besides that though, I still like the deck and it served as a nice opportunity to get my hands on extras of some of the old Sliver cards. I'm still considering picking up a 3rd and, possibly, 4th copy just so I can have playsets.
When I decided to make Sorvas Trisken five colors I realized that his abilities would have to reflect the relative difficulty that is tacked onto playing a five color creature.
To give me a rough idea of what I should shoot for, I looked at the Nicol Bolas planeswalker card. Being only 3 colors, ol' Nicol packed quite a bit of power for a simple planeswalker. Seeing as how Sorvas is five colors though, I decided his abilities should be just as powerful, if not a bit more so.
For this reveal I will be showing you his first ability; which I personal thinks showcases the kind of power Sorvas is gonna have:
Sorvas Trisken
Sorvas Trisken was a gifted scientist on the planet Dissidia that pioneered biological advancements such as genetic augmentation and brought a near end to the majority of the capitol world's diseases. Despite all of this, however, Sorvas always felt like his time was running short and that he would not be able to truly put his great mind to use.
As fate would have it, Sorvas became gifted with the planeswalker spark. It didn't take him long to utilize his new found abilities to travel the multiverse seeking scientific and biological marvels that would allow him to expand his knowledge and test the extent of his mental prowess. Sorvas found himself on many different planes, but only for a brief period of time. His radical attire of Vorton-Tech combat armor always made him stand out on the planes that revolved around magic or spirits.
Despite being noticeable among the denizens of the planes he visited to, Sorvas always managed to hold his own against the wizards that existed on the planes he visited.
As he traveled the multiverse, Sorvas happened upon a plane that was in complete disarray. Little did he know, Sorvas had planeswalked to Dominaria while it was in the middle of its time stream crisis. While he didn't know what plane he was one, he knew it was the plane that was causing the planes' disturbance he'd been sensing for some time.
As he traveled the time fractured plane, he happened upon the hive minded species known as the Slivers. Despite the devastation being caused by the great time rifts and time storms, these creatures were prospering. The one aspect that caught his eye, thought, was their ability to share attributes with each other by merely being in proximity with one another.
Overcome with biological and scientific curiosity, Sorvas captured a few specimens and proceeded to bring them back to his lab on Dissidia. It is here that he bred the Slivers in an attempt to understand how they work. He was fortunate that his plane had very advanced technology, cause not only did Sorvas figure out how the slivers worked but he also figured out how to control them.
It wasn't long before Sorvas had established himself as the new overlord of the Slivers, taking the place of their long gone Queen.
While Sorvas has no evil or good agenda outside of his constant quest to expand his scientific mind, Sorvas has found himself to be quite a power entity in the multiverse because he has found a way to control one of the most destructive races to ever exist.
Note: This preview card is gonna be a slow spoiler. It's not really by choice however, it's because I'm trying to think of what his last two abilities should be. Trust me when I say I want him to be more than just a worse Sliver Queen.
The Philosophy of Modern Commander
Commander as a whole is undoubtedly a very popular format that a lot of us have been playing for well over a decade now and in that time a particular style of Commander has emerged that's proven to be popular in its own right among members of this community. That is the style we've all come to know as a cEDH. So why, you may ask, is Modern Commander being structured as a competitive orientated variant when cEDH exists? Because, to put it frankly, cEDH is not only exceptionally expensive to get into but it is also unregulated by the Rules Committee.
The Rules Committee for Commander have made it clear since Commander was introduced that it was intended first and foremost to be a casual, social orientated format. Because of this cEDH as a format will never see a proper banlist that's designed to regulate the long term health of theformat and instead will have to cope with a banlist that's orientated more towards fostering a friendly casual environment over regulating anything that is genuinely problematic. This is more perfectly illustrated with the April 2020 banlist update; in the announcement the rules committee made the following statement:
"We believe Commander is still best as a social-focused format and will not be making any changes to accommodate tournament play. Taking responsibility for your and your opponents’ fun, including setting expectations with your group, is a fundamental part of the Commander philosophy. Organizers who want to move towards more untrusted games should consider adding additional rules or guidance to create the Commander experience they want to offer."
I want to stress that there is nothing wrong with this statement, but at the same time people value and appreciate structure which is why despite their insistence that the rules are suggestions (which is why Rule 0 exists) not many playgroups deviate from their rules and banlist by any degree or even at all. It is because of this that from our point of view cEDH is on a ticking clock in terms of format health. Flash warped the format and was banned, but how long will it be before something else comes out that does the same thing? And when that happens, the Rules Committee has already made it clear they won't intervene again. What will happen then?
That is where Modern Commander comes in. We want Modern Commander to be competitive, we want you to take your deck and break it, we want you to come up with the stupidest combos and strategies imaginable. Through Modern Commander the competitive side of Commander will finally have a set of rules properly tuned to a competitive format and won't face the impending inevitability of the format becoming stale when the next problematic card is printed.
So why Modern? Well with the idea that this variant format is geared towards the competitive mindset that also came with its own issues. The biggest one being cost, as has been brought up countless times in the past. If you want a format to maintain health for a competitive community then it should be as accessible as possible. With Standard being far too restricting and Pioneer being too new, the clear solution fell towards making it a Modern format.
With Modern, coupled with the few exceptions, the format slows down a little bit but becomes vastly more accessible to people wanting to play in a competitive EDH format. Once the rules and banlist are properly tuned, the idea is that play groups from all over could use them to foster their own cEDH community knowing their format will be properly maintained and balanced when things become too problematic. This has the added benefit of taking some annoyances away from the EDH Rules Committee such as the mounting pressure they faced in regards to Flash. The expectations would be that EDH is strictly casual but mEDH will always be competitive and both can coexist because of it.
Deck Construction Rules
1. Players choose a legendary creature or legendary planeswalker as the commander for their deck.
2. A card’s color identity is its color plus the color of any mana symbols in the card’s rules text. A card’s color identity is established before the game begins, and cannot be changed by game effects. The cards in a deck may not have any colors in their color identity which are not in the color identity of the deck’s commander.
2A. A card's color identity also determines interactions with cards that interact with specific colors. (Ex. White Knight cannot be blocked by creatures that have black as part of their color identity. (Currently being tested)
3. A Modern Commander deck must contain exactly 100 cards, including the commander.
4. A Modern Commander deck may have a sideboard. The sideboard may contain no more than 10 cards and are swapped out for cards in your Modern Commander deck on a 1-for-1 basis. If you choose to use a companion card, that card must go here and adhere to color identity.
5. With the exception of basic lands, no two cards in the deck or sideboard may have the same English name. Some cards (e.g. Relentless Rats) may have rules text that overrides this restriction.
Play Rules
6. Players begin the game with 40 life.
7. Before a game is started all players reveal their Commanders simultaneously, afterwards players may choose to swap cards out of their deck for cards in their sideboard.
8. Commanders begin the game in the Command Zone. While a commander is in the command zone, it may be cast, subject to the normal timing restrictions for casting cards of your commander's supertype. Its owner must pay 2 for each time it was previously cast from the command zone; this is an additional cost.
9. If a commander would be put into a library, hand, graveyard or exile from anywhere, its owner may choose to move it to the command zone instead.
10. Being a commander is not a characteristic [MTG CR109.3], it is a property of the card and tied directly to the physical card. As such, “commander-ness” cannot be copied or overwritten by continuous effects. The card retains it’s commander-ness through any status changes, and is still a commander even when controlled by another player.
11. If a player has been dealt 21 points of damage by a particular Commander during the game, that player loses a game.
12. Commanders are subject to the Legend rule; a player cannot control more than one legend with the same name.
13. Abilities which bring other card(s) you own from outside the game into the game (such as Living Wish; Spawnsire of Ulamog; Karn, the Great Creator) can only interact with cards in your sideboard.
FORMAT LEGALITY
The Modern Commander cardpool consists of all regulation-sized black- and white-bordered Magic cards publicly released by Wizards of the Coast from the following sets in addition to all cards first printed in any WOTC Commander & Brawl Decks (such as Chaos Warp, Command Tower, Tempt With Discovery, & Arcane Signet). Cards are legal to play with as of their sets’ prerelease.
The following card sets are permitted in Modern Commander:
Banned List
This is likely where some controversy will arise and I completely understand that. For now (I can't stress that enough) there is no banlist. I know how crazy that sounds, but since I intend to treat this as a serious variant format in the vain of 1v1 and Oathbreaker I feel it's best to go in with no banlist and thoroughly test everything to see what rises to top to become format warping cards. At which point they will be evaluated and judgment will be passed on each card on a case by case basis.
My original intent before making this post was to put this through serious testing so I can at least present it with a proper banlist, but I ended up settling on doing it now to get some proper feedback on the idea. Even if it doesn't take off like I'd like, it'll still be something that my particular group will enjoy and maybe in time this might end up becoming something.
On that, I'll close with a foil to the ending line for Commander's Philosophy;
The format can be broken; we believe games are more fun if you do so.
I'm slowly working through putting up a breakdown of my choices for the deck, combos, strategies, and so forth on my tapped out page. Here's the link if you want to check it out, but right now it's a work in progress: Isamaru, The Howling Blade
Creatures
1 Armory Automaton
1 Aven Mindcensor
1 Aven Sunstriker
1 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Grand Abolisher
1 Indomitable Archangel
1 Karmic Guide
1 Kemba, Kha Regent
1 Knight of the White Orchid
1 Kor Duelist
1 Kytheon, Hero of Akros
1 Leonin Shikari
1 Mirran Crusader
1 Puresteel Paladin
1 Ranger of Eos
1 Relic Seeker
1 Reveillark
1 Salvage Scout
1 Serra Ascendant
1 Silverblade Paladin
1 Auriok Steelshaper
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Stonehewer Giant
1 Sublime Archangel
1 Sun Titan
1 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
1 Weathered Wayfarer
Enchantments
1 Aura of Silence
1 Land Tax
1 Sigarda's Aid
Artifacts
1 Batterskull
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Expedition Map
1 Fireshrieker
1 Godsend
1 Quietus Spike
1 Scroll Rack
1 Skullclamp
1 Static Orb
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Sword of War and Peace
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Winter Orb
1 Armageddon
1 Austere Command
1 Catastrophe
1 Day of Judgment
1 Revoke Existence
1 Steelshaper's Gift
1 Wrath of God
Instants
1 Condemn
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Path to Exile
1 Return to Dust
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Unexpectedly Absent
Lands
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Boseiju, Who Shelters All
1 Buried Ruin
1 Darksteel Citadel
1 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
1 Flagstones of Trokair
1 High Market
1 Inkmoth Nexus
1 Inventors' Fair
22 Plains
1 Rogue's Passage
1 Strip Mine
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Thespian's Stage
Planeswalkers
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Nahiri, the Lithomancer
1 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
1 Containment Priest
1 Divine Reckoning
1 Duelist's Heritage
Of course, this philosophy gets tested when you encounter someone who proxies up a net deck. Thing is, I never really have a problem with proxies because I look at them as a way to test something before you make an investment, especially one that could be considerable in cost.
I ended up developing this philosophy because on numerous occasions I would get snubbed by other players because I was running a proxy or two in my deck. One thing I do not like are people who take up an elitist attitude with someone because said person couldn't afford X $50 card that they could.
I get that in a way to become a better player you should build something with what you have, but you're new to the game and you end up playing with people who've been in the game for a few years or whatever, then sometimes using proxies is the only way you're gonna be able to compete without dumping your paycheck into the game on a regular basis. Sometimes people just want to play magic for fun and I see proxies as a way to allow people to have fun no matter how long they've been playing so long as proxying isn't abused (a black lotus in every deck for example).
Although lately I've been having a small problem with proxies because my friend who runs a Kaalia deck started proxying numerous cards into his deck. At first it started with the dual lands (which I'm fine with cause they're staple cards, so if he intended on building the deck he'd have to buy them), but then he went ahead and proxied Grim Tutor and Moat. Two cards which I KNOW for a fact he isn't gonna buy. I've yet to talk to him about using cheaper alternatives.
I doubt wizards knew of my set's existence, but even so...it's funny to see a card I created in a magic set. Makes me wonder if they'll go with the whole exile theme in a future set now, lol.
I'm also gonna use this time to discuss something about this set and why some things are as they are.
For starters, the choice of set symbol. When I set out to create a set symbol I wanted to create a symbol that wasn't overly creative yet wasn't absurdly simple. What I ended up coming out with was a variation of the symbol for the planet Earth. I took the classic symbol and came out with a variant that reflects the current situation on planet Auron. The symbol features the cross used to represent Earth but instead of the circle outline the symbol has the Confederacy symbol in the background.
The lands are another topic of discussion. The advanced technology present on Auron allows for truly magnificent landscapes and cities to be created. A large variety of areas on Auron are inhabited by a variety of sentient lifeforms. The basic lands reflect this by having art depicting underwater cities and volcanic factories.
Here is a small preview of some of the basic lands that will be featured in the Auron set:
Plains
Island
Swamp
Mountain
Forest
Too many distractions in my life right now. In any case, I'm still officially open to suggestions. A few people in this topic have offered assistance, so at this point if anyone wishes to help me on this set than I'm all for it. Just send me a PM and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can.
Til then, I'll try to refine my ideas a little better in the hopes of making a more coherent set.
It's been 600 years since the cataclysm happened. After the destruction of modern civilization the remaining humans struggled to survive. Where great nations once stood there was nothing but ruin and the alliances that once were faded into memory. It wasn't long before the remaining bit of humanity plunged into anarchy. Suddenly placed in a world without rules, primordial instincts that were long since suppressed began to take over. Once kind people quickly devolved into savages that thrived on carnage and lust.
Despite the shock of being in a world with no rules, some humanity did survive. Those who did not succumb to their primal urges gathered together and built settlements for those who needed protection from the world at large.
600 have past since the cataclysm and humanity is still trying to regain the sanctity that was lost. The cause of the cataclysm and even the memory of pre-cataclysm civilization has been lost to time. Strong knowledge of modern civilization faded into rumors of [pre-cataclysm civilization being technologically advanced. These rumors are often scoffed at by the current humans that live, these people dead set in their belief in this is how the world has always been.
The world now is governed by survival and magick. Even though the cataclysm brought about the end of civilized society, it awakened something in the humans that survived. Over the centuries people began to discover that they were capable of wielding powers that branched out beyond the boundaries of technology. It quickly became apparent that certain people can manipulate one of the four primal elements of Earth.
These people became regarded by many names: the Savages of the wasteland regarded them as Dalkens, more civilized settlements referred to them as Scions. As quickly as these people became well known, rumors began to swirl around about people capable of manipulating all four elements. If true, such a person would be highly sought after and looked upon as a savior in this post apocalyptic world.
It is now 600 P.C. The thought of Earth being highly advanced has slipped into rumors. Most people shrug off these rumors as they focus on trying to survive in this harsh world. Others, however, live off of exploring the wasteland in search of anything that would link their current world to the one of old. Most adventurers barely find anything worth selling, but one such adventurer will happen upon a discovery that could put humanity back on the path to rebuilding the world of ages past.
Description & Themes
Earth - 600PC is a set that takes place on the planet Earth after a horrific cataclysm destroys the majority of humanity and the surface of the planet. On post-apocalyptic Earth, people devolved down into savages to cope with the lack of modern day rules and government. The world by large is one of survival in the harshest of conditions and it's a world that has been fundamentally changed in ways the current populace has yet to perceive.
The cataclysm didn't just turn the majority of the planet into a desolate wasteland, it also mutated several of the native species and humans into horrific monsters. Some of the changes aren't just physical however, certain humans also gained the ability to manipulate a certain elemental force that binds the world together.
The theme of Earth-600PC is a world of pure survival and instinct. It is a world where the slightest change can bring about your immediate death, a world where knowledge on survival is king. It is also a world where bold survivalists attempt to scour the planet in search of clues to the planet's past. The mana force that binds each plane together exists on Earth, but the force is not known as such to its current inhabitants.
Because of the survivalist theme Earth-600PC has, alot of the cards in this set will reflect this theme in one way or another. Certain cards wil yield bonuses to creatures that survive combat while at the same time there will be creatures that become more powerful with each beast that is slain.
A sub-theme in the set will be the constant hunt to unearth relics of Earth's past. If found, these relics will yield powerful bonuses to adventurous mages and the creatures they unleash.
Keywords
[Coming Soon]
Preview Card
The cataclysm didn't just reshape the world, it also reshaped several humans into deformed creatures. It didn't take long for these mutants to succumb to the same primal urges that normal humans eventually succumbed to. After the fifth year the strongest of the mutants banded the weaker of their kind and formed the various savage clans that exist across the world.
I can understand that policy with certain cards, but is Sliver Queen really that viable of a Legacy and Vintage card? Besides that, the Queen is pretty much THE staple sliver to own, so putting her in this would have been nice so new players could get ahold of her.
Like I said before, I share this mentality with other people. I also share the same idea that to some extent I think Wizards No-Reprint list could use a little cleaning up. But I suppose that's a discussion for another thread.
The same trend with the Duel Decks clearly follow this one: It takes two purchases to make the deck viable for play. By getting two i was able to remove the jank like Barbed Sliver and Armored Sliver in favor of the better slivers included in this deck. So far I've taking a liking to the deck and it's mostly been the only deck I've been using for the past few days. While it's not competitive worthy, it plays very well with the group of friends I hang out with and I enjoy it's casual yet playable feel.
Having said that, there are some things I wish Wizards would have done with this set. For starters, I share the same mentality as most of the others in this thread; I firmly believe they should have printed Sliver Queen as the Mythic. Especially since Sliver Overlord is already available in Foil if you can find one.
In addition, while it's nice to have some of the old slivers come back in new frames and foil, I wish they would have included Talon Sliver and Horned Sliver in the deck as opposed to the jank that is Barbed and Armored Sliver. Heck, I prolly would have still bought even if the deck just had a bunch of single copies of old sliver cards and the Queen in it (maybe so even if the Queen was still the Overlord).
Besides that though, I still like the deck and it served as a nice opportunity to get my hands on extras of some of the old Sliver cards. I'm still considering picking up a 3rd and, possibly, 4th copy just so I can have playsets.
To give me a rough idea of what I should shoot for, I looked at the Nicol Bolas planeswalker card. Being only 3 colors, ol' Nicol packed quite a bit of power for a simple planeswalker. Seeing as how Sorvas is five colors though, I decided his abilities should be just as powerful, if not a bit more so.
For this reveal I will be showing you his first ability; which I personal thinks showcases the kind of power Sorvas is gonna have:
Sorvas Trisken was a gifted scientist on the planet Dissidia that pioneered biological advancements such as genetic augmentation and brought a near end to the majority of the capitol world's diseases. Despite all of this, however, Sorvas always felt like his time was running short and that he would not be able to truly put his great mind to use.
As fate would have it, Sorvas became gifted with the planeswalker spark. It didn't take him long to utilize his new found abilities to travel the multiverse seeking scientific and biological marvels that would allow him to expand his knowledge and test the extent of his mental prowess. Sorvas found himself on many different planes, but only for a brief period of time. His radical attire of Vorton-Tech combat armor always made him stand out on the planes that revolved around magic or spirits.
Despite being noticeable among the denizens of the planes he visited to, Sorvas always managed to hold his own against the wizards that existed on the planes he visited.
As he traveled the multiverse, Sorvas happened upon a plane that was in complete disarray. Little did he know, Sorvas had planeswalked to Dominaria while it was in the middle of its time stream crisis. While he didn't know what plane he was one, he knew it was the plane that was causing the planes' disturbance he'd been sensing for some time.
As he traveled the time fractured plane, he happened upon the hive minded species known as the Slivers. Despite the devastation being caused by the great time rifts and time storms, these creatures were prospering. The one aspect that caught his eye, thought, was their ability to share attributes with each other by merely being in proximity with one another.
Overcome with biological and scientific curiosity, Sorvas captured a few specimens and proceeded to bring them back to his lab on Dissidia. It is here that he bred the Slivers in an attempt to understand how they work. He was fortunate that his plane had very advanced technology, cause not only did Sorvas figure out how the slivers worked but he also figured out how to control them.
It wasn't long before Sorvas had established himself as the new overlord of the Slivers, taking the place of their long gone Queen.
While Sorvas has no evil or good agenda outside of his constant quest to expand his scientific mind, Sorvas has found himself to be quite a power entity in the multiverse because he has found a way to control one of the most destructive races to ever exist.
Note: This preview card is gonna be a slow spoiler. It's not really by choice however, it's because I'm trying to think of what his last two abilities should be. Trust me when I say I want him to be more than just a worse Sliver Queen.
Card - Sorvas Trisken