One of my biggest "minor annoyances" in EDH/Commander is the lack of a R/W Samurai Legend. After consulting the MTG wiki for some names and backstory, I thought up this approach to the problem -- A pair of Brothers, re-imagined:
Seitaro Yamazaki
Legendary Creature - Human Samurai 2W
Bushido 1 (When this blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
Samurai creatures you control have Vigilance.
Partner (You can have two commanders if they both have partner.)
2/2
Shujiro Yamazaki
Legendary Creature - Human Samurai 2R
Bushido 1 (When this blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
Samurai creatures you control have Haste.
Partner (You can have two commanders if they both have partner.)
2/2
I'm hoping to tweak them from here, before presenting the idea to my playgroup, see if they'll let me build the deck.
Simic Silverfish 1U
Creature - Fish Mutant
Islandwalk
Whenever Simic Silverfish deals combat damage to a player, it mutates. (When a creature mutates, sacrifice it, then reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a Mutant creature card. Put the revealed creature onto the battlefield, and the rest of the revealed cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.)
1/1 The combine would never be content with plain, ordinary goldfish.
DoomsayerB
Creature - Human Cleric All In — If each creature you control attacks, you may have each player lose 1 life.
1/1 “The end is nigh! Lord Rakdos will appear and consume your souls!”
Season of Renewal 1G
Sorcery
Shuffle all the creature cards from your graveyard into your library, then Scry 3. (To scry 3, look at the top three cards of your library. Put any number of them on the bottom of your library in any order and the rest on top in any order.)
Unstable Spore Troll 2G
Creature - Plant Troll Mutant
Whenever Unstable Spore-Troll would die, it mutates instead. (When a creature mutates, sacrifice it, then reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a Mutant creature card. Put the revealed creature onto the battlefield, and the rest of the revealed cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.)
2/2 Attempts at killing the troll met with unexpected results.
Senatorial Scribe UW
Creature - Human Advisor
Whenever you cast a Legendary creature spell, you may draw a card.
0/2 His is the task of maintaining the roll call, a veritable “who’s who” of influential judges, lawyers and lawmakers.
Mizzium Ritual (U/R)
Instant
Add UR to your mana pool. “Mizzium has many useful properties, not the least of which is the ability to transmute and multiply mana.”
Wild Weirdings [MANA]2{UR}[/MANA]
Instant
Put a 1/1 blue and red Weird token onto the battlefield.
Storm (When you cast this spell, copy it for each spell cast before it this turn.)
Gruul Warpath
Land T: Add 1to your mana pool. T: Add R or G to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if an opponent was dealt damage this turn. “What was once yours is now ours. It has been reclaimed.”
Izzet Workshop
Land T: Add 1to your mana pool. T: Add U or R to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast instant or sorcery spells. The output of an Izzet workshop is not artifice, but magic itself.
Hercules' Might
Land T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
Tap an untapped creature you control with power 2 or greater: Untap Hercules’ Might. “Step Right Up! Are you a Man, or a Mouse? Ring the Bell with the Hammer!”
a sideboard tool for board-wiping slivers:
Sever the Link4B
Sorcery
Destroy target Sliver. Each other Sliver creature controlled by the same player gets -1/-1 until end of turn. When even a single Sliver is disconnected, the hive ceases to function correctly.
And, a bit of House Dimir from my constantly tinkered-with, but never really worked on "Ravnica" set:
Treyzon, Dimir Archmage4UB
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard
Each opponent plays with the top card of his or her library revealed.
You may play cards revealed by Treyzon, Dimir Archmage as though they were in your hand.
4/6 “You think you serve your guild’s best interests? You couldn’t possibly be more wrong.”
Echoes of Hopelessness1B
Enchantment
Whenever an opponent shuffles his or her library, you may Fateseal 2 (To fateseal 2, look at the top two cards of an opponent’s library, then put any number of them on the bottom of that player’s library and the rest on top in any order.)
And, a bonus! Ghostly tavern-dwellers:
Spectral Patronage1WB
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant nonbasic land
When Spectral Patronage enters the battlefield, put two 1/1 white and black Spirit creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield.
Tap two untapped Spirits you control: Untap enchanted land.
Prism Fortress
Legendary Land
You can't play Prism Fortress unless you control a plains, an island, a swamp, a mountain, and a forest.
T: Add WUBRG to your mana pool.
Peacock Cloak3
Artifact - Equipment (Uncommon)
When Peacock Cloak enters the battlefield, choose any number of colors.
Equipped creature has protection from the chosen colors.
Equip 2
Keyrune of Command3
Artifact (Rare) T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. 4: Keyrune of Command becomes a copy of your commander until end of turn. Activate this ability only if your commander is in the command zone.
Tinting Glass 0
Artifact
Choose a color as Tinting Glass enters play.
You may spend colorless mana as though it were mana of the chosen color.
I love it! It's not always the most worthwhile card, but it's perfect for combo-type decks that need to "get rid of" lots of colorless mana. My only suggestion, though, would be to make it a tiny fraction more useful by changing it to "You may spend mana as though it was the chosen color."
Festival of Rebirth2WW
Instant
This turn, whenever a player taps a permanent for any amount of mana, he or she gains that much life instead.
Draw a card.
Torturer's ArtB
Sorcery (Common)
Put a -1/-1 counter on target creature. That creature's controller reveals his or her hand.
Maniacal CacklingB
Sorcery (Rare)
Target player discards a card. Hellbent — If you have no cards in hand, that player discards his or her hand instead.
Keeper of the CycleGG
Creature - Centaur Shaman (Uncommon)
When Keeper of the Cycle is put into a graveyard from anywhere, shuffle all creature cards from your graveyard into your library.
2/3
Research Assignment1UU
Enchantment - Aura (Rare)
Enchant Planeswalker (Target a Planeswalker as you cast this. This card enters the battlefield attached to that Planeswalker.)
At the end of your turn, you may put a loyalty counter on enchanted planeswalker. If you do, draw a card. “The true secrets of scroll and tome are laid bare by my spark.”
Bandit Lord 2U
Creature - Human Rogue (Uncommon)
Other Rogue creatures you control get +1/+1.
As long as you control three or more Rogues, Bandit Lord has hexproof. (It can’t be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.)
2/2
...and, lastly, what would you cost this card at?
Hero's Stand
Enchantment (Rare)
As long as you control exactly one creature, damage that would be dealt to you is dealt to that creature instead.
Rainbow BurstG
Instant (Rare)
Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
Storm (When you cast this spell, copy it for each spell cast before it this turn.)
Denimeleon’s Clutch 1U
Instant
Target creature gets +1/+0, is blue, and gains denimwalk until end of turn. (It is unblockable as long as the defending player is wearing any clothing made of denim.) When Tok looked down, he saw nothing but his Didgeridoos™. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was crawling up his leg.
Next: Mind Bomb in M10/11/12/13 (i.e. a modern core set)
Bandit Lord Creature - Human Rogue2U
Other Rogue creatures you control get +1/+1.
As long as you control three or more Rogues, Bandit Lord has hexproof. (It can’t be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.)
2/2
Crash Landing Sorcery2RG
Destroy target creature with flying. That creature’s controller sacrifices a land. Nothing remained of the ornithopter, the pilot, or the trout farm.
Hypnotic Suggestion Sorcery 3UB
Target opponent discards a card at random. Until end of turn, you may play that card without paying its mana cost.
Rend Memories Sorcery 3B
Target player reveals his or her hand, then discards two nonland cards.
Seitaro Yamazaki
Legendary Creature - Human Samurai 2W
Bushido 1 (When this blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
Samurai creatures you control have Vigilance.
Partner (You can have two commanders if they both have partner.)
2/2
Shujiro Yamazaki
Legendary Creature - Human Samurai 2R
Bushido 1 (When this blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
Samurai creatures you control have Haste.
Partner (You can have two commanders if they both have partner.)
2/2
I'm hoping to tweak them from here, before presenting the idea to my playgroup, see if they'll let me build the deck.
Simic Silverfish 1U
Creature - Fish Mutant
Islandwalk
Whenever Simic Silverfish deals combat damage to a player, it mutates. (When a creature mutates, sacrifice it, then reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a Mutant creature card. Put the revealed creature onto the battlefield, and the rest of the revealed cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.)
1/1
The combine would never be content with plain, ordinary goldfish.
Doomsayer B
Creature - Human Cleric
All In — If each creature you control attacks, you may have each player lose 1 life.
1/1
“The end is nigh! Lord Rakdos will appear and consume your souls!”
Season of Renewal 1G
Sorcery
Shuffle all the creature cards from your graveyard into your library, then Scry 3. (To scry 3, look at the top three cards of your library. Put any number of them on the bottom of your library in any order and the rest on top in any order.)
Unstable Spore Troll 2G
Creature - Plant Troll Mutant
Whenever Unstable Spore-Troll would die, it mutates instead. (When a creature mutates, sacrifice it, then reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a Mutant creature card. Put the revealed creature onto the battlefield, and the rest of the revealed cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.)
2/2
Attempts at killing the troll met with unexpected results.
Senatorial Scribe UW
Creature - Human Advisor
Whenever you cast a Legendary creature spell, you may draw a card.
0/2
His is the task of maintaining the roll call, a veritable “who’s who” of influential judges, lawyers and lawmakers.
Mizzium Ritual (U/R)
Instant
Add UR to your mana pool.
“Mizzium has many useful properties, not the least of which is the ability to transmute and multiply mana.”
Wild Weirdings [MANA]2{UR}[/MANA]
Instant
Put a 1/1 blue and red Weird token onto the battlefield.
Storm (When you cast this spell, copy it for each spell cast before it this turn.)
Gruul Warpath
Land
T: Add 1to your mana pool.
T: Add R or G to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if an opponent was dealt damage this turn.
“What was once yours is now ours. It has been reclaimed.”
Izzet Workshop
Land
T: Add 1to your mana pool.
T: Add U or R to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast instant or sorcery spells.
The output of an Izzet workshop is not artifice, but magic itself.
Hercules' Might
Land
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
Tap an untapped creature you control with power 2 or greater: Untap Hercules’ Might.
“Step Right Up! Are you a Man, or a Mouse? Ring the Bell with the Hammer!”
a sideboard tool for board-wiping slivers:
Sever the Link 4B
Sorcery
Destroy target Sliver. Each other Sliver creature controlled by the same player gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
When even a single Sliver is disconnected, the hive ceases to function correctly.
And, a bit of House Dimir from my constantly tinkered-with, but never really worked on "Ravnica" set:
Treyzon, Dimir Archmage 4UB
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard
Each opponent plays with the top card of his or her library revealed.
You may play cards revealed by Treyzon, Dimir Archmage as though they were in your hand.
4/6
“You think you serve your guild’s best interests? You couldn’t possibly be more wrong.”
Echoes of Hopelessness 1B
Enchantment
Whenever an opponent shuffles his or her library, you may Fateseal 2 (To fateseal 2, look at the top two cards of an opponent’s library, then put any number of them on the bottom of that player’s library and the rest on top in any order.)
And, a bonus! Ghostly tavern-dwellers:
Spectral Patronage 1WB
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant nonbasic land
When Spectral Patronage enters the battlefield, put two 1/1 white and black Spirit creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield.
Tap two untapped Spirits you control: Untap enchanted land.
Sorcery. B
Destroy any number of target creatures you control.
Legendary Land
You can't play Prism Fortress unless you control a plains, an island, a swamp, a mountain, and a forest.
T: Add WUBRG to your mana pool.
Instant (Rare)
Put target creature card you own from the exile zone onto the battlefield.
"We thought you were dead."
Survey the Wastes 4U
Sorcery (Uncommon)
Draw cards equal to the number of land cards in target player’s graveyard.
(Something for my Numot, the Devastatorcommander deck.)
Peacock Cloak 3
Artifact - Equipment (Uncommon)
When Peacock Cloak enters the battlefield, choose any number of colors.
Equipped creature has protection from the chosen colors.
Equip 2
Keyrune of Command 3
Artifact (Rare)
T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
4: Keyrune of Command becomes a copy of your commander until end of turn. Activate this ability only if your commander is in the command zone.
I love it! It's not always the most worthwhile card, but it's perfect for combo-type decks that need to "get rid of" lots of colorless mana. My only suggestion, though, would be to make it a tiny fraction more useful by changing it to "You may spend mana as though it was the chosen color."
Legendary Creature Enchantment - Aura
Split
Sorcery
Target opponent gains 5 life.
Draw a card.
Sorcery
Put X -1/-1 counters on target creature, and you gain X life.
Next: Mana-Charged Dragon
Instant
This turn, whenever a player taps a permanent for any amount of mana, he or she gains that much life instead.
Draw a card.
Sorcery (Common)
Put a -1/-1 counter on target creature. That creature's controller reveals his or her hand.
Maniacal Cackling B
Sorcery (Rare)
Target player discards a card.
Hellbent — If you have no cards in hand, that player discards his or her hand instead.
Keeper of the Cycle GG
Creature - Centaur Shaman (Uncommon)
When Keeper of the Cycle is put into a graveyard from anywhere, shuffle all creature cards from your graveyard into your library.
2/3
Research Assignment 1UU
Enchantment - Aura (Rare)
Enchant Planeswalker (Target a Planeswalker as you cast this. This card enters the battlefield attached to that Planeswalker.)
At the end of your turn, you may put a loyalty counter on enchanted planeswalker. If you do, draw a card.
“The true secrets of scroll and tome are laid bare by my spark.”
Bandit Lord 2U
Creature - Human Rogue (Uncommon)
Other Rogue creatures you control get +1/+1.
As long as you control three or more Rogues, Bandit Lord has hexproof. (It can’t be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.)
2/2
...and, lastly, what would you cost this card at?
Hero's Stand
Enchantment (Rare)
As long as you control exactly one creature, damage that would be dealt to you is dealt to that creature instead.
Instant (Rare)
Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
Storm (When you cast this spell, copy it for each spell cast before it this turn.)
Instant
Target creature gets +1/+0, is blue, and gains denimwalk until end of turn. (It is unblockable as long as the defending player is wearing any clothing made of denim.)
When Tok looked down, he saw nothing but his Didgeridoos™. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was crawling up his leg.
Next: Mind Bomb in M10/11/12/13 (i.e. a modern core set)
Creature - Human Rogue 2U
Other Rogue creatures you control get +1/+1.
As long as you control three or more Rogues, Bandit Lord has hexproof. (It can’t be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.)
2/2
Crash Landing
Sorcery 2RG
Destroy target creature with flying. That creature’s controller sacrifices a land.
Nothing remained of the ornithopter, the pilot, or the trout farm.
Hypnotic Suggestion
Sorcery 3UB
Target opponent discards a card at random. Until end of turn, you may play that card without paying its mana cost.
Rend Memories
Sorcery 3B
Target player reveals his or her hand, then discards two nonland cards.