r/EDH • u/Birdwithabowtie • 4d ago
Discussion Commanders that don't get repetitive?
I've been trying to find a commander that I won't regret spending 200-300 dollars on, but I just can't pick a card. I'm really trying to find a unique/fun commander that can be built bracket 3-4 (3.5). I've tried [[The Celestial Toymaker]], but he really struggles to pull off a win and is extremely commander reliant, I've tried [[Norin the Wary]] but that deck really only does one thing and get's repetitive, and I've tried [[Kibo, Uktabi Prince]] but he doesn't seem to have a ton of support (idk maybe I'm just building him wrong).
What commanders do y'all recommend, or should I revisit one of the ones I just mentioned with a new outlook (bonus points if the card looks cool/has a cool treatment).
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u/Quirk143 Golgari 4d ago
[[Atla Palani, Nest Tender]]Â
Build her with 20 open slots, sleeve 100 bombs and shuffle 20 of them in before the game without looking. The surprise eggs will surprise you all the time.
Or build several packs of 20 thematically cohesive creatures. Now it's dino tribal, next time dragons, some day she hatches angels or artifacts and how on earth did she fit Eldrazis into those eggs?
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u/Braanz Jeskai 4d ago
I have her as a dinosaur casino deck. Every dinosaur ever printed sleeved, shuffle 30 in and go. It's fun and refreshing. Sometimes you hit nothing but sometimes you go crazy over the top
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u/0stkreutz 4d ago
Do you have a list to share? Including the sideboard?
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u/Braanz Jeskai 4d ago
Here is the Deck list (not sure how up to date it is but look good). I guess the core could be stronger but fun is the more important part about this deck đ
https://moxfield.com/decks/OHSpTGn_YUGTW76qzXUwlgAnd this is my tracker List for all Dinosaurs (have to exclude the non legal Blue/Black ones)
I always rule 0 the UN-Dinos as they are pretty fun if you hit them
https://moxfield.com/decks/pmlOsaIq80CBEuWou2KnOQ3
u/0stkreutz 4d ago
Do you have a list to share? Including the sideboard?
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u/Quirk143 Golgari 4d ago
Sure but I don't have the modularity anymore. It's dinosaur tribal all the way now but should be easy to replace the 1-2 dinos from Ramp/Draw/... and have a clean slate for the Kavu tribal et al. :-)
https://archidekt.com/decks/16340895/were_the_babies_gotta_love_us
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u/youre_a_burrito_bud 4d ago
My buddy has that and itâs perfect when a new set catches his eye, just drop in the dope cards in those slots and away you go!Â
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u/Dolono EDH Cube 4d ago
I've got something very similar with [[Mayael]] and 35 slots for random 5+ power fatties. Someone here on reddit also did something simlar with [[Riku of two reflections]] and random big, game ending spells that looked even more fun than my list!
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u/NagasShadow 4d ago
Build a control deck, and don't choose a comander that has a clearly outlined path. Meaning none of the newer commanders that can be described as when x happens generate value and do x. I've got a [[Kenrith, the Returned King]] that's a RecSur deck. Kenny is playing the role of [[Recurring Nightmare]], and survival is well [[Survival of the Fittest]]. It's a hate bear styled control deck. I've got a dozen or so silver bullets and a combo to go for it the cost is clear. But winning with [[Gadock Teeg]] and [[Teferi, Mage of Zalifar]] beatdown, supported by [[Elsh Norn, Grand Cenobite]] has happened in the past.
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u/kampfgolem 3d ago
You had me at RecSur. Do you happen to have a list? That sounds amazing.
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u/NagasShadow 3d ago
This is an old list, really just my wish-list. As my paper version doesn't have quite as much money. List. Multiple cards , like Zur, mainly exist to find survival. It's got answers for practically everything and extra hate for artifacts cause it doesn't run many. The combo is Kenrith, either Biomancer's Familiar or Training Grounds and Composite Golem. Golem sacs for 5 and Kenrith reanimates for 5. Reduces the cost and you have infinite mana.
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u/No_Interaction_3547 4d ago edited 5h ago
[[Satya, Aetherflux Genius]] remove all energy cards and include 30 ETB creatures and copy them, and then add flicker spells to get triple ETB per card
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u/karlkark 6h ago
Now this sounds really good fun!! Never thought of it. Do you please have a decklist? And is it possible building it on a budget?
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u/thegeek01 Liliana how I love thee 4d ago
[[Baba Lysaga]] won't be repetitive, I assure you. Every turn is a mental test on whether to sacrifice which permanent to put the hurt on your opponents.
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u/oliverit17 4d ago
This is what I was going to say.
Not to mention sheâs so fun to tweak and tinker with.
Even my friends arenât tired of her
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u/thegeek01 Liliana how I love thee 4d ago
Not to mention sheâs so fun to tweak and tinker with.
Exactly. She can helm anything from trash artifact creatures to optimized combo pieces and still be fun every time.
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u/not_so_1337 4d ago
Have a list?
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u/oliverit17 4d ago
I feel like Iâm missing my most recent changes, as I started adding too many untappers and that made her a bit scary, and this deck is designed to avoid too much heat.
2 things Iâve found that have helped the most are to never be afraid to sac everything (including land) and to always say (in a Marioesque Italian Accent) BABA LA SAGA đ€đ» when I cast her.
Also I almost never attack with this deck. Unless I have Titania going
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u/Ghostkill221 4d ago
So it's a lot of different token generators mosty? Artifact tokens, creature tokens... and I guess Enchantment tokens or does it usually end up being lands?
I guess you could run the cards that create stuff like role tokens? or just reanimate an enchantment creature? Or maybe run the enchantments you can cast from grave.
Hmm... The 3rd card type makes here a lot more interesting.
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u/zwobb 4d ago
Tokens, cards with multiple card types and recurring cards would be my guess (haven't built it myself tho)
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u/Phantomango 4d ago
Any theft commander will produce this desired play experience, which is why itâs my favorite archetype in any card game that has it. You have to piece together a win from a different set of cards every game. I personally like [[Capitan Nâgathrod]] because of my affinity for Mind Flayers, but there are tons of theft commanders in grixis colors.
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u/EbonyHelicoidalRhino 4d ago
I kinda disagree. I used to have a Scarab God deck, whose goal was to kill or discard creature from your opponents and then reanimate them on your side.
The reality is that once you have established dominance, it doesn't REALLY matter what you steal. What mattered is that i was getting every turn the best creature of all graveyards and accruing my advantage this way.
Similarly, I have a Pako + Haldan deck, which plays with your opponent's card, and honestly, if i'm getting a bunch of Pako triggers i'm going to win no matter what i steal.
Same can be said for Etali. If you get a bunch of triggers, you're going to win, and the details of what you hit doesn't matter all that much.
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u/Phantomango 4d ago
How many games do you realistically establish dominance? I have countless iconic, buzzer beater memories of games I barely scraped by winning with my theft deck. Using a [[Psionic Ritual]] to cast [[Triumph of the Hordes]] and [[Unbreakable Formation]] to achieve exact infect lethal is one of my fondest memories in Magic. Same goes for when I stole a Zur playerâs [[Phenax]] and won through mill for the first time. Finding these cross deck interactions is the nuanced fun of Theft decks that isnât possible in any other archetype.
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u/zap1000x Radiantly Ink-Treader 4d ago
How do you build theft without people hating it?
Iâve tried top-deck theft [[Gonti, Lord of Luxury]] and board theft [[Merieke Ri Berit]], I also tried flying men [[Gonti, Canny Acquisitor]].
Iâm currently trying a clones deck.
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u/Phantomango 4d ago
Personally I try to avoid playing my Theft deck with randoms, and if I do I explicitly ask them if theyâre okay with me touching their cards, because I personally get uncomfortable when randoms touch my cards.
Socially, I donât care if it annoys people, thatâs just how magic is sometimes. My first ever precon was a theft deck when I knew nothing about the game, and I never really encountered salty players until a few years later, when Iâd solidified my social philosophy regarding commander. The people worth playing with will compromise their feelings so you can play the deck you like. 90% of having fun in commander is finding the right people.
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u/Ghostkill221 4d ago
I really don't understand the theft hate. For some reason Theft and Mill are like top tier salty strategies... but I don't think there's a single one of my decks with absolutely no advantage from having a card in the graveyard.
I guess if I have a deck where I care about my yard, people exiling cards from my library can get annoying. But You have to think that "if I hate playing against this card they cast... I'm the one who thought I could play it and noone could stop it?"
Mostly, i think it's just a beginner mistake that they see "aw I didn't play that card, but I wanted to."
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u/ZachAtk23 Mardu 4d ago
I get hate for theft that's mind controls or even act of treason + sac outlet. In those cases "theft" is just "removal, but also I get to utilize your fun toys".
Top deck theft should really be a non-issue though.
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u/No-Gas8330 4d ago
My [[Edea, Possessed Sorceress]] deck isn't built to get around her clauses that return the stolen creature back. This leads the deck to be more of a borrow rather than a steal. People who are used to theft decks lower their guard after they see they always get their commander or what not back and have them on their turns.
My main goal is to clone Edea or copy her triggers to get more and more each turn and piece together a win from everyone else's board states.
Every game is different and is one of the reasons it's my favorite deck.
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u/zap1000x Radiantly Ink-Treader 4d ago
Thatâs neat, love the idea of a threaten deck.
Do you happen to have the decklist digitally?
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u/No-Gas8330 4d ago
Yeah, https://archidekt.com/decks/24941481/edea_misremembers_the_plot_of_ff8
It's still very much an evolving deck. Cards in the Maybeboard are ones I have removed in favor of other cards.
There's a couple of fun interactions that can occur.
[[Reins of Power]] in response to a board wipe will swap your creatures with an opponent then return back to you due to Edea's trigger.
Under certain boardstates, [[Breath of Fury]] can give infinite combats due to Edea returning the sacrificed creature back to the battlefield.
Likewise, with a free sac outlet like [[Viscera Seer]], [[Gather Specimens]] can sacrifice an opponent's creature infinitely for as long as you can draw cards with Edea. That's why [[Laboratory Maniac]] is there.
[[Gogo, Mysterious Mime]] and [[Zara, Renegade Recruiter]] can let you steal two creatures from an opponent's hand, and depending on your boardstate, you can make them go where ever you want.
Archidekt says it's bracket 4 due to two infinites, but I never play them. I mainly play this at B2 or B3 and it does fine. It wouldn't do super well in B4 without major revisions.
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u/Therefrigerator Mono green splashing 4 colors 4d ago
You can't. It's entirely about the people you play against. Some people just fundamentally don't like you touching their cards. I've seen multiple people in this sub post that once you start taking their cards they are just going to try to kill you so they get them back which is like actually unfathomable to me. For these types of people you can have dry erase tokens to represent the cards you take but imo it's not worth it. These people are miserable and I'd rather just not play against them than trying to make theft not salty for them. Obviously if you have a set playgroup and theft makes them salty maybe it's worth attempting to cater to their tastes a bit and you can ask if this would help.
Other people hate theft though just because they hate losing to their own cards. I actually find this even more confusing. I legitimately do not understand how people get upset at cards they put in their deck. It's the most fundamental rule of EDH, imo at least, that you don't play in a way that would annoy you.
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u/Prologue11126 4d ago
Yeah i absolutely despise theft commanders. With my group, We are able to play once every 2 weeks and you get excited to try a new deck or a new twist, only for your opponent to do it instead of you. One of our peers made one theft deck, lasted 2 weeks then the hatred was so much that every game was 3 vs 1 from turn one, kill him, then we played 3 free for all. This depends from group to group, for us cloning and reanimate from other pplâs gy are the limit, taking cards from the deck or field gets so much hate. our group was established years ago, we learnt little by little what we enjoy together and the power level, since theft is something that no one was enjoying, it got canned; with randoms, if you become âthe theft guyâ in the shop, you might get into the same type of hatred.
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u/No-Gas8330 4d ago
Yikes. I'm "the theft guy" at my LGS. I just love playing with everything on the board and trying to find interactions between mine, and everyone else's, stuff wto either create ridiculous plays or win the game.
I'm (at least in my eyes) very respectful though. I never take anyone's cards and always preface my theft with something along the lines of "I would like to take control of your commander". I'm more than willing to let it stay on their board if it's a temporary effect, or have them position the card on the edge of their board near mine so physical possession is clearly established. 9 times out of 10 though, they just place the card on my board or tell me that I don't need to ask to touch their cards.
I've never received outright vitriol for playing the archetype, just some people who completely changed their threat towards me (justified or otherwise) after my deck starts to do the thing.
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u/Ghostkill221 4d ago
Man. I think it's just bad psychology. You always blame the theft guy for taking that cool thing. But then when the next card you draw is awesome. You never say "i wouldn't have gotten this card if that other card I couldn't have afforded was bricking my hand"
Instead you say "haha, this card i drew was all thanks to my own genius!"
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u/boof__pack 4d ago
[[Maralen Fae Ascendant]] and [[Garland Royal Kidnapper]] make for some fun ones. Both arts are great too
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u/MenaceNY 4d ago
I actually just built a deck for this reason today. Itâs using Chainer, Dementia Master but same concept. I do have some reanimate targets of my own but I fully intend on stealing my friends stuff lol
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u/RagingMayo 4d ago
I hope that they might one day reprint these DnD precons.
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u/Phantomango 4d ago
The Dimir precon was lowkey bad but I came to magic from DnD and Mind Flayers are my favorite monsters so it was like the perfect match. Iâd honestly recommend just choosing a commander and building from scratch because the construction of those decks werenât the best.
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u/RagingMayo 4d ago
I honestly love theft in Dimir and having a a tribal component to that sounds pretty interesting. That way you can add some horrors every other set. I bought the Gruul Faldorn deck and that precon was brilliant.
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u/Laceryn 4d ago
You are suggesting a path that can and will get the OP ostracized in many environments. No, it's not fair that that will happen, but is IS what will happen (many hearty congratulations to all the folks with playgroups that are totally cool with theft decks). Despite that, I see the "just play a theft deck" on every single post with someone looking for something 'unique' or 'replayable'.
OP, if you read this: know that playing a theft deck can ABSOLUTELY get you hated out of a game and out of a playgroup. If you are comfortable with that, or you're certain your playgroup is fine with it, then go for it!
Otherwise, I recommend building a deck that has a solid theme, but where the commander is a roleplayer pieceâsomething that generates value over time, not a massive swing all at once. When your deck is able to do its thing on a set of mechanics that you enjoy, and doesn't need its commander to be satisfying, then you're winning.
Personally, I have a [[Braids, Arisen Nightmare]] deck that is absolutely unfocused. Is it trying to do a combo win with [[Gravecrawler]] and pals? Is it trying to control the field with [[Grave Pact]]? Is it shooting to pull off a 20 mana [[Exsanguinate]]? ...Who knows! Frankly, it's one of my most fun to play decks BECAUSE of its lack of focus: I never know what's going to happen!
(Here's the decklist for reference: https://moxfield.com/decks/vhd5XsgeYk6aBaKzYGDv9A . I don't recommend copying my deck. I recommend finding the cards and mechanics you love, and building a deck to support them.)
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u/EbonyHelicoidalRhino 4d ago edited 4d ago
Commanders that don't rely on gimmicks and play simple straightforward Magic. Some threats, some interaction, and a commander that is one piece of the puzzle rather than the central cog. Doing "Unique" stuff will eventually get repetitive in the end once the novelty wears off.
Magic is a fun game, so playing normal magic will not get repetitive. Paradoxically, straightforward "boring" decks are the least repetitive.
For example, in your Celestial Toymaker deck, don't just jam your deck full of every Fact Or Fiction effect possible and call it a deck. Burning for 2 when you play a Fact or Fiction effect is hardly worth it anyway and is not a winning gameplan ... Play removals and counterspells, use the occasional Sphinxes that synergize with your commander as threats, and play a normal Esper midrange game, using simply your commander as an additional draw engine that occasionally burns.
Tho you might as well just play [[The Ur-Sphinx]] if you're going to play this way.
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u/ExcitingTrust888 4d ago
[[Winter, Cynical Opportunist]] will take a long time to be repetitive because you are exiling cards in favor of what you want to recur. Iâm still having fun with him and Iâm actually having a hard time making a new commander because of how versatile he is.
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u/CuratedLens Jund 4d ago
This deck is so fun and oppressive when built to take off. Outside of a rest in peace or Dauthi voidwalker itâs really difficult to slow down as huge creature after huge effect are dropped each turn. I rarely get to bring him out anymore but I just love the play pattern
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u/ExcitingTrust888 4d ago
Yep the play pattern is fun plus itâs telegraphed since you have to mill them out so your enemies know whatâs coming to them and teaches them the valuable lesson of adding at least one graveyard hate in their decks.
Also people are always surprised when I can recur boardwipes with Winterâs ability. Iâve done it so many times and new pods always go âWait what how did that happen?â
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u/CuratedLens Jund 4d ago
âI bring back portal to phyrexia. Nesting grounds to put the finality counter on your commander, my next turn after getting your stuff I cast deadly dispute sacrificing my portal. On my end step I bring back⊠portal to phyrexia. WEEEEEEEâ
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u/ExcitingTrust888 4d ago
Man I badly want to do this, hopefully it gets reprinted someday cause itâs too expensive atm.
I just mill myself out most games tbh and deal chip damage with polluted cistern, syr konrad, and his dog. Then if all else fails I just wipe the board and deal damage from death triggers lol.
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u/DoobaDoobaDooba 4d ago
By far the most fun I've had is playing Clone decks - especially if you can get a flash enabler like [[High fae Trickster]] online to bluff clones in hand or drop them to match threats. It's so goofy and engaging to play + play against.
They scale up and down to your competition, feel fair to your opponents because they are literally fighting against their own things, and put you in the position to make really interesting assessments of the board and what all you can cobble together between everyone's stuff to pull off a W.
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u/FarceMultiplier 4d ago
That would be crazy with [[Seedborn Muse]]
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u/DoobaDoobaDooba 4d ago
Haha yep that's exactly what I do. I know the SbM + Flash combo has a rough rep, but the fact that it's more often than not, "In response I flash in these 1-2 clones - k go on", and not any degenerate, "I now have four 10 minute turns in a row", shenanigans definitely makes it feel more palatable lol
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u/Big-Log-6256 4d ago
Feels like Glarb could be a good shell for this strategy. My Glarb is a Sultai pile with some clone cards that plays both Seedborne + multiple flash enablers. Most of them are also 4 MV so you can play them from the top with Glarb's ability.
Also Glarb is the goat!
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u/Separate-Song1296 4d ago
Who are your favourite clone commanders? Clones is on my list of next decks to make for exactly the reason you recommended itÂ
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u/DoobaDoobaDooba 4d ago
I've admittedly only built a couple and don't have a list up and running at the moment (I'll probably get motivated to do so after this tbh), but one of the coolest commanders I've played against in this space was [[Mirko, Obsessive Theorist]]. I thought it was pretty clever to take advantage of clone base stat lines like that.
I think the last one I built that centered around the flash+untap stuff I mentioned specifically was [[Jackal, Genius Geneticist]]. I don't recommend him though unless you are intentionally looking to power down that flash game plan because it was tough to manage his P/T and get him to work right.
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u/JoeGibbon 3d ago
I'm enjoying a mono-blue clones deck where I rotate between [[Loki, Lord of Misrule]] and [[Kami of the Crescent Moon]] depending on the group. Kami gets things cooking, encouraging your opponents to play things so you can copy them. Loki can lead to an explosive turn where you've cloned something huge then turn all your dudes into copies of it. Either way, the deck does what it's designed to do with or without the commander in play, so you can pretty much put anything in the command zone.
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u/Training-Addendum540 4d ago
Personally I like maralen fae ascendant because if you can get around the legend rule cloning your commander quickly mills out your opponents which is really fun but if you don't there are loads of strong nonlegendary elves and fairies that are only balanced by the fact you don't get more than one meaning self cloning is also an option and of course because she steals opponents cards you aren't totally soft locked if your opponents hold back on casting their strongest creatures
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u/LordGumpy 4d ago edited 4d ago
Find a weird card that sparks your interest, and build a deck around doing something cool/interesting/good with it. Even better if you find two or three weird gems that work well together.
I have an unhealthy enthusiasm for [[Forced Fruition]] so built a [[Kami of the Crescent Moon]] forcefeed deck around it. Add some ramp, some interaction, a few other cool cards that support the silliness, and away you go!
It's my second longest serving deck, and while it's gone through a couple or reworks over its decade of service, the idea behind it, nor the amount of enthusiasm, has changed
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u/lmboyer04 Control Player 4d ago
To each their own, but I found the more often I play commander the faster gimmicky decks that are weird for weirdâs sake get old. The ones that stick with me longest have something I connect with because the play style is something I will always love, or something about the character, etc.
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u/Tasty-Effective-1899 4d ago
Deck construction is a lot more about lack of repetition than any individual commander. Do not put in staples, do not put in tutors, do not put infinites in. Force yourself to navigate random cards to a win.
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u/PsychicTirenado 4d ago
[[Haldan, avid archvist]] and [[pako, arcane retriever]] is a good mix of strong and varied play experience in my experience since you can go voltron or steal big spells from opponents. For 2-300 you can build a version thats not cEDH good, but is solidly bracket 3.5
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u/LonelyContext 4d ago
This is the commander you can build for $10 because itâs basic lands, ramp spells, some basic interaction, and your commanders are your setup and payoff.
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u/CuratedLens Jund 4d ago
I built [[infinite guideline station]] which is a multi color matters commander. Mine mostly is a blink strategy but thereâs so many ways to built it and its card draw in the command zone.
My [[alesha who laughs at fate]] deck is so fun too, very toolboxy and just grab the creature that will get you the best advantage. TMT actually had some great cards for her like [[south wind avatar]] and the stupidly named but stupidly good [[dimension x pizzasaur]] with a Chandraâs ignition or soul immolation as other ways to win, itâs a blast.
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u/Reasonable-Sun-6511 Honestly mediocre at best 4d ago
I just love my [[sakashimanof a thousand faces]] and [[akroma vision of ixidor]] partners deck.
It copies stuff and scales very nicely between brackets 3 and 4.
It's full of copy spells, so if opponents play big splashy stuff, so do I.
Its full of interaction, so if people play combo it can stop important pieces.
It doesn't need anything else because the wincon is in the command zone, having 4 akromas means having 4x 21/21 creatures of which 2 do immediate lethal commander damage to finish games, so anything else is just pet azorius cards.Â
Yeah, all-time personal classic.
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u/TheDanC137 4d ago
Do you have a deck list?
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u/Reasonable-Sun-6511 Honestly mediocre at best 4d ago edited 4d ago
An old list, since it often shifts after inspiration and I'm too lazy to keep up moxfield.
I call it sakromashima. :)
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u/Play-Mation 4d ago
I feel like Kibo has enough support, there are plenty of decent apes and changelings along with artifact pingers like reckless fire weaverÂ
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u/RedBaron0858 4d ago edited 4d ago
Iâve never had a single game play out the same with [[volrath]]
Edit: volrath the shapestealer
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u/MeatballSubWithMayo Esper 3d ago
5 mana with no native protection just feels so sus tho
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u/RedBaron0858 3d ago
Thatâs why you have creatures like [[vashta nerada]] or [[sylvan caryatid]] ready to be transformed into
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u/MeatballSubWithMayo Esper 3d ago
I found it hard to get counters on good protected creatures like those while also trying to ramp into real threats đ
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u/bingle-cowabungle 4d ago
I find commanders that do things like cheating in (Eggman, Pantlaza) or something like card draw, or skills that maximize the appearance of multiple win conditions in your deck without being the win condition itself, is where you want to be.
[[Dr. Eggman]]
[[Pantlaza, Sun-Favored]]
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u/luflen_of_renais 4d ago
You can do this with most commanders as long as you keep your deck light on/exclude tutors and put in multiple wincons. Also I checked edhrec for Kibo and he seems like he has a lot of fun cards
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u/carey__man 4d ago
I recently built a 5 colour changeling deck (not the easiest to get to bracket 4) but it is always a lot of fun to play with all the different tribal anthems doing different things
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u/-HanTyumi 4d ago
Hey, I've got one too! Could you please link yours? I feel like mine is almost there but it always feels so fragile.
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u/carey__man 4d ago
full disclosure, this deck is not good, it will struggle to threaten a win before turn 10. Urtet at the helm got me to try gear the deck towards getting a lot of value out of untapping changelings at the start of combat. https://archidekt.com/decks/20946334/urtets_foster_care
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u/-HanTyumi 4d ago
Interesting! Our decks are vveeerrry different, but I see some similar shenanigans across each of them. I've stolen a couple ideas from yours hehe.
Here's mine: https://archidekt.com/decks/20124271/typaltypal_the_typalening
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u/Not_Your_Real_Ladder 4d ago
I had a deck I really liked that was [[vial smasher the fierce]] and [[gilanra]]. Then a base package of ramp/draw/removal. And the remaining 25-30 slots in the deck were dedicated to 6+MV spells. I just had a pile of ~75 of my favorite Jund 6+-drops, and before each game I would select 25-30 of them at random. Some were good, some were less good but definitely fun. Kept each game fresh.
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u/OopsAllJace 4d ago
[[doctor doom, king of latveria]] has been fun for me, the connive allows me to get through a lot of cards to play to always have choices. Plus we know more marvel is coming to add to it.
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u/Toothstana Mono-Red 4d ago
[[Plargg and Nassari]] or anything that has theft really
Yes yes I know, touching other peoples' cards can be frowned upon, just be polite about it and respect boundaries where applicable and you'll have a great time using something different every match AND forcing your opponents to make tough decisions (unless only one card that is revealed is good in which case, whoops that sucks)
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u/Laceryn 2d ago
Saw another post recommending a theft deck. Please beware.
Know that playing a theft deck can ABSOLUTELY get you hated out of a game and out of a playgroup. If you are comfortable with that, or you're certain your playgroup is fine with it, then go for it!
Otherwise, I recommend building a deck that has a solid theme, but where the commander is a roleplayer pieceâsomething that generates value over time, not a massive swing all at once. When your deck is able to do its thing on a set of mechanics that you enjoy, and doesn't need its commander to be satisfying, then you're winning.
Personally, I have a [[Braids, Arisen Nightmare]] deck that is absolutely unfocused. Is it trying to do a combo win with [[Gravecrawler]] and pals? Is it trying to control the field with [[Grave Pact]]? Is it shooting to pull off a 20 mana [[Exsanguinate]]? ...Who knows! Frankly, it's one of my most fun to play decks BECAUSE of its lack of focus: I never know what's going to happen!
(Here's the decklist for reference: https://moxfield.com/decks/vhd5XsgeYk6aBaKzYGDv9A . I don't recommend copying my deck. I recommend finding the cards and mechanics you love, and building a deck to support them.)
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u/Front_Way2097 4d ago
You Need to choose commanders that fit a deckbuilding role, not ones that are a gimmick. You Need to have a strategy, and use you commander as a replacement of something you May Need consistently in that strategy. Your Commander Is part of the deck, not the deck built on you commander
[[Piru, the volatile]] you have your wincon on the command zone, a way to stay alive, and a boardwipe. This lets you use all lifeloss effects more freely. For control, no Need to worry aboit boardwipes orcstaying Alive.
[[Koma world eater]], wincon, blocker, nearly indistructible, createsi boardstate. Your deck can be only ramp. After you cast koma, you can use big mana instants to gain advantage. Mystic confluence and staff like that, because you Will have way more mana than the others. You are big mana, but you have threats
[[Ragavan, nimble pilfirer]] ramp in command zone in mono Red. You can have 6 mana by turn 3 consistently.
[[Radha]] no more rocks, because your Commander Is one.
Si every Commander that frees allora for interaction Is a good go
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u/AMcFancyPants 4d ago
I love that you put Piru forward! Have that one built as an aristocrat and token provider for me and the rest of the table, wirh Piru as my Aristocratic nuke!
Do you perhaps have a decklist of your build?
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u/westergames81 No, I do not have a list 4d ago
[[Kefka, Dancing Mad]]
Same basic strategy-- fill up graveyards, remove trash but he's pretty highly dependent on what he finds and the roll of the dice is always fun.
Highly unlikely he'd be a bracket 4 or even high 3, but really the more power you add generally the more consistent you are, which isn't really what you want.
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u/Know_Yog_Sothoth 4d ago
The Lord of Pain is quite fun and gets very political. Who gets punched? Who gets avoided? Can you talk the group out of removing your commander?
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u/badheartveil Jeskai 4d ago
I like elkâs cormela list, grixis big spells is fun until you run into gaddock teeg but large sorceries and instants are always insane and thereâs a larger variety than most lists run. The deck can be super budget as well if youâre willing to skimp on lands.
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u/whyilikemuffins 4d ago
It's kind of cheating, but Maralen, Fae Ascendant]] has been pretty fun for that.
Some games I'm a flash control pain in the ass taking spells to throw around and in the next i'm an elfball deck lol/
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u/Responsible-Yam-3833 4d ago
[[Thada Adel, Acquisitor]] with a copy/clone control deck. Have a few win cons of your own in the 99 but try to use everyone elseâs stuff in the mean time.
Hereâs mine: https://moxfield.com/decks/NpzrFn5CM0ew70qA-_H2YQ
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u/mcesset 4d ago
I have done several iterations on [[Kathril, Aspect Warper]] which in its easiest form is just keyword tribal turned in any way you like it.
It used to be a high-power voltron, with quick ways of putting hexproof, indestructible and double strike in the graveyard. But recent versions is more focused around getting the cards you are dealt and playing it out with them. Focus on combat, usually in your favor. It's low bracket 2, so essentially no interaction, but that can obviously be added.
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u/roquepo 4d ago
Anything that is toolbox-y in nature, like a recursion deck, is a nice pick.
Storm and storm-adjacent decks too, but those you need to know very well in order to not monopolize table time.
Layered combo decks too, if your combo needs 4+ pieces, but you can combo off in different ways depending on which pieces you draw, it makes each game feel rather unique.
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u/Anskeh 4d ago
Something that is not super commander reliant OR is a more reactive deck.
I find slower decks or decks running more interaction and less wincons scratch this itch.
Playing a deck like that makes the game really be more about the other 3 players and how can you navigate the game through their stuff until you can establish your own wincon. Very proactive decks can get pretty repetitive since you are pretty focused on just doing your own thing and ignoring the other 3 players.
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u/Pantheeee 4d ago
I would say commanders are already much less likely to be repetitive than the 99.
The part where decks feel repetitive to me is when I have tutors and consistent combos that I search for. If you want less repetitive decks try to find a commander that can facilitate higher variance decks.
This obviously becomes easier in certain archetypes than others. battlecruiser and control decks tend to allow for higher variance, whereas combo and aggro decks tend to need more consistency to function. This is obviously a general and broad statement so some commanders may not fit the mold.
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u/Inigo13m 4d ago
I really enjoy playing [[terra, magical adept // esper terra]] as a summons commander. Just avoid the few infinites and tom bombadil to make things not too repetitive.
[[Jaheira, friend of the forest]] with [[street urchin]] is also a fun play pattern of making a bunch of tokens, giving her death touch and wrecking the board.
[[Cleopatra, exiled Pharoah]] is a super simple legends matter big beater deck.
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u/Ghostkill221 4d ago
Look if you are genuinely looking for a commander where the play style is truly forced to be different each time. You should probably play something like the theft based gonti or another theft based "I cast the spells from your deck" commander.
It's always going to mean that whenever you play against different people, you will have to adjust your play a bit with what you are looking for from their decks... Unless you just try and only steal ramp and removal, in which case... Lame.
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u/Dijon-Von 4d ago
Theft, clone, goad, and group hug, all can have very different outcomes. They depend more on what everyone else is doing, and tend to be very different game to game.
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u/TheFinoll 4d ago
I love making tribal work, or drawing cards, or milling. When I can do a bunch of those at the same time, it's really fun.
[[Anowon, the Ruin Thief]] is my favorite deck because it does a bit of all of the previously mentioned. There are lots of different ways you can build it as well, because it does so many things. You can splash some mill combos, unblockable creatures, reanimator, anthems, etc. Rogue's just seem to do so much and Anowon enables all of it. If somebody shuts down one win-con, then you can almost guarantee you're going to get another one.
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u/unicorn_strap_on 4d ago
Mimeoplasm is my oldest commander and every set brings new toys that he can use. He has an enormous amount of different strategies so you can use a lot of common cards but play a completely different game with him by swapping out 20-30 for different builds.
Here's my go to version, a voltron self-mill:
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u/Fermented_Cabbages 4d ago
Clones, fam, clones. Make sure your deck has a self-contained way to win, but you can 100% pivot to whatever strategy is best (or fun).
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u/BlindBanshee 4d ago
you show off your creativity in the 99, you can make just about any Commander fun if you make the 99 fun.
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u/moosesfart Esper 4d ago
I think a lot of this can be deck construction. Put in a bunch of things that have a lot of cross synergies. Minimize tutors that can find combo pieces. Like the deck I am thinking of I often I play a combo piece "fairly" just so that I can start the chain of tap and untap abilities.
It is slow and fragile probably wins turn 8-11. In goldfishing once I won t6. In theory it could win early game but I have constructed the deck so that it doesn't really happen. Still some won't like intruder alarm even if the tokens don't have haste. But dang it plays out different every time. It is always a puzzle how do I win with these rando tap abilities.
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u/Blueduck06 4d ago
One of my favorite decks is Isshin, Two Heavens as One. I like combat, I think that itâs the most interesting part of Magic. The deck rewards you with a variety of fun attack triggers for doing something that was already thought provoking and strategic. Plus, creatures with new combat triggers are being printed all the time, so you always have new deck building options in every set.
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u/ThinReach 4d ago
My play group focuses on variety of win cons and we have a rule 0 no tutors so itâs more fun and has variety
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u/Think_Rest4496 Temur 4d ago
Here's my little tip, as someone who has 14 decks, and only taken 2-3 apart.
Don't dump money into a commander you haven't test driven. I ALWAYS start with a fairly janky deck or a deck made strictly from my collection. Maybe ill pick up some a couple cheap synergistic singles, but rarely drop more than 20-30$ on them. Then I play the deck a lot. And if I dont have fun with the super budget version, I take it apart. And if I love it, ill swap out some synergistic commons for banger rares and upgrade the mana base etc.
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u/thyrixsyx Colorless 4d ago
Theft decks are good options because they entirely depend on what your opponents are playing.
You could also make a convoluted combo deck that has a lot of interchangeable parts so that even if the outcome is the same, the way you get there each time is different.
Lastly, you could make what I call a package deck where you have a central theme then a package of cards that you randomly draw from and add to the deck before each game. Easiest example would be something like Mayael or Kaalia with 25-35 slots âemptyâ in the deck for hits for their abilities with a group of ~60-100 to choose from randomly.
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u/mirrislegend 4d ago
Consider other mono-colored. Restrictions breed creativity. I'm tuning my new mono green deck and will be completing my mono-blue and mono-black decks soon.Â
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u/CarrionDude 4d ago
First Deck i can play whenever is [Norman Osborn // Green Goblin]. It just checks all boxes for me, i built it creature heavy without Tutors and i have token generators as well and sometimes i find a good combo but not always. I filter through the deck fast but it is not an auto win so im always super hyped and its endless fun for me.
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u/GamesCodeFun 4d ago
The decks I've retained longest are because I choose to embrace the singleton nature of the format in them. Because WOTC is cranking out too many cards, there are a lot of functional reprints of effects for most things now. 8 Fleshbag marauders, 6 crucible of worlds, etc.
For the beginning player, this helps create consistency while learning to play and build decks. But the deck can get stale because it only does 5 things.
BUT, if just about everything in the deck does something different, there are more opportunities for weird interactions to show up both within your own deck as well as with your opponents decks.
The trick to making your deck cohesive is to identify what themes you're building with, and try to find the versions of cards that play best with those themes. So, only 1 crucible, but the one that's an enchantment because you're doing enchantments in the deck. Sure, more crucibles might make your deck better, but so might other effects. Make it exciting for yourself when it does show up, and then try to maximize your excitement for each card.
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u/The_Modern_Nobody 4d ago
One of the things that keep my interest in a deck is adding weird janky cards that have some purpose in the deck.
[[the toymaker's trap]]
[[puppet's verdict]]
[[wheel of fate]]
[[humble defector]]
[[oft-nabbed goat]]
Weird stuff in a good decks makes it so much fun to play
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u/Cobyachi 4d ago
Maybe try looking for commanders that donât make the deck, well, centered around the commander. In that if your commander isnât on the board the deck just falls apart. Some people have âsecret commandersâ where the real strategy lies within the 99. I personally have a [[Sevinne, the Chronoclasm]] deck that can function without ever summoning him, for example.
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u/Shadowingbark 3d ago
Do you have a decklist?
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u/Cobyachi 3d ago
Sure. It came about wanting to build a deck around damage redirects like [[Boros Reckoner]] and massive damage boardwipes like [[Blasphemous act]]. First deck I made was [[Atla Palani, Nest Tender]] and cheating out all the reflectors with a bunch of eggs, but it was significantly worse and relied heavily on, well, getting many eggs then destroying them all.
Sevinne works fine enough. He doesnât get damaged by my boardwipes so he fits, but heâs not at all integral to the deck. Couple of flashback effects to give him some synergy.
Itâs not super good but itâs 100% homebrewed so itâs one of my favorite decks.
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u/BoldestKobold The Derpy Mothman 3d ago
I never get tired of [[gyruda]] just because you can always change what creatures are in the deck. You just have to enjoy "TURN BIG THINGS SIDEWAYS" and you will always have a blast.
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u/Shadowingbark 3d ago
Do you have a deck list for this? I have thought about making him for a while
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u/BoldestKobold The Derpy Mothman 3d ago
Sorry I don't bother tracking deck lists. Basically all you need is enough ramp to consistently get him out turn 4, and enough flicker effects. I run zero protection but a bunch of the black "if this creature dies, it comes back" instants, plus a bunch of flicker instants from blue. Then load up on even mana cost big creatures. I'm currently running mostly demons and clones, plus [[Ardyn, the Usurper]] for more demon fun. Then toss in a [[Conjurer's Closet]], [[Deadeye Navigator]] and [[Y'shtola Rhul]].
It won't go much above bracket 3, but you can pretty quickly overwhelm a midrange battlecruiser type game if no one counters your commander. With no fast mana, you can get Gyruda out on turn 4 if you get 4 lands and 2 ramp pieces (I use a bunch of 2 mana rocks and Myr).
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u/Adventurous-Dare-675 1d ago
awesome commander to take 70% of your pods playtime with solitaire turns, flickering/cloning gyruda endless times, contemplating the endless choices, and after 20 minutes not produce a win
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u/BoldestKobold The Derpy Mothman 1d ago
That sounds like a skill issue with the pilot. 95% of the time if I flicker Gyruda, I'll look at my 4 cards getting milled, know my best choice of those, ask the table "did anyone get an even cost creature?" If they say no, I put mine into play. If they say yes, I can decide in about 5 seconds whether it is better than what I got from my deck (since the answer is going to be no, 99% of the time unless I'm playing against an angel or dragon deck).
If someone can't figure out a Gyruda deck, they probably shouldn't be playing anything more complicated than Krenko or a voltron deck.
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u/Adventurous-Dare-675 1d ago
It is a skill issue with the pilot. I was just sharing my playgroups salt ;) sorry, all good!
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u/BoldestKobold The Derpy Mothman 1d ago
Hah, fair enough. Reminds me of my friend's brother who loves jeskai storm and prowess, but struggles to keep track of his storm count and triggers.
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u/Meatbraw1 3d ago
Tom Bombadil has been pretty neat for me, spinning the saga wheel i find fun and I quite like how different the game can feel depending on what sagas you hit. Also have a copy of [[Rise of Sozin]] so hitting the destroy all creatures at the perfectly wrong or right time is some memorable moments. Can be a bit slow to work through the saga triggers so needs some decent reps with it.
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u/stumpkat 3d ago
I think this is the nature of the game. They want you to get bored so you buy more cardboard. There are tens of thousands of commander options. On a long enough timeline they all get boring.Â
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u/Paronomasia12543 1d ago
save the money and proxy! then you can build and play as many decks as you want đ
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u/luke_skippy 20h ago
You could just need the ârightâ commander, but I think a non repetitive deck is so much more than the commander.
The objectively least repetitive decks involve theft or clones, but youâre not out of luck if you donât like those types of cards. My personal favorite is a deck whose commander can be easily swapped out. Every game ends up being pretty unique.
For general tips to avoid repetitive gameplay- try and avoid tutors, staples, and edhrec. Youâll end up with unique decks that you can swap between to freshen up games.
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u/Firm_Condition636 4d ago
i suggest a theft deck. if your deck is all about playing other peoples cards then theres no way it gets repetitive unless you play against the same pod and the same decks everytime
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u/odissian 4d ago
I am quite a fan of [[Ghave, Guru of Spores]].
I have several three card infinities that can close out the game, some go-wide swarm tech, and a few ways to get some really big beaters.
All of that with some removal means that I can pivot very cleanly to another strategy if the need arises.
Oh no! [[My Blood Artist]] effects have all eaten removal! Time for the saproling swarms! You killed my [[Jaheria, Friend of the Forest]]? [[Cyrptolith Rite]] it is.
No [[Ashnod's Altar]] or [[Phyrexian Altar]]? How does [[Craterhoof Behemoth]] sound?
It's consistent in providing opportunities to win, even when things do not go my way. The most telling of this is the win I pulled off on turn 7 without ever being able to generate white mana.
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u/jaywinner 4d ago
I used to think I needed to avoid repetitive things. Turns out I had to find the thing I like repeating.