#alesha banes

[theworldgate]

Okay, so, notes/predictions on this:

The returning character is Alesha, right? (MaRo has consistently noted that her story was one of the Magic website's most popular articles)

2/1 Blue Ninja says to me that the Kaito in this set is probably "Kaito, Bane of Nightmares" (as his Duskmourn card seems complicated and also too new, and "Kaito Shizuki" creates slightly different x/1 Blue Ninja creature tokens)

Copy token that's [also] a nightmare and "exile all other Nightmare tokens you control" seem like they'd be relating to the same card. Which also has big Ashiok energy, though it could be a Duskmourn tie-in.

Top-10 signed cards: Maro seems too simple (and weak nowadays), o.g. Multani is too reserved list, Doubling Season is probably a tiny bit too good but that's my guess from the three cards I can name off the top of my head that MaRo would be asked to sign a lot.

"Fellowship" counters are new. Revival counters are also new, but apparently "Nine Lives Familiar" has already been revealed.

Looks like we're getting another anthropomorphic shark! Also a hyena-person, which seems to be new.

I'm not sure who the Legendary Creature is - there haven't been any legendary Zombie Warlocks. My best guess would be Jarad - as a magic using zombie who isn't a noble, as those seem to be pegged as Wizards (including after the introduction of the Warlock type in 2019).

I feel like "Hare Apparent" is the Rabbit Noble creature.

Electroduplicate sounds Izzet. Like. The Guild. Likewise, Perforating Artist is probably Rakdos.

Meanwhile Refute feels like a mono-blue counterspell, might be Blue/White [and also Azorius] though.

"Stab" has "mono-black common removal" written all over it as a name, though I can't rule out any other non-Mythic rarity.

Maro’s Foundations Teaser

Before previews for Foundations officially begin, I thought it would be fun to do another of my Duelist-style teasers where I give tiny hints of things to come. Note that I’m only giving you partial information.  

First up, here are some things you can expect:  

• The five iconic creatures each show up on multiple cards

• Two monocolor reprints, each of a different color, that together win you the game.

• Some creature tokens in this set: 1/1 white Rabbit, 2/1 blue Ninja, 3/3 Green Raccoon, 4/4 red Dragon, and a copy that’s a Nightmare

• A character from one of our most popular online Magic stories returns

• An 8/12 creature with ward 4

• A creature with seven evergreen keywords

• A Magic Invitational winner’s card gets reprinted (and no, not the most powerful one)

• Counters in the set: +1/+1, bait, fellowship, incubation, loyalty, revival, soul, stash, and stun

• A card that’s in the top 10 cards I sign gets reprinted

• More deciduous mechanics get used in this set than any previous (non-Time Spiral block) premier set

Next, here are some rules text that will be showing up on cards:  

• “This spell costs {1} less to cast for each Cat you control.”

• “You can’t lose the game and your opponents can’t win the game.”

• “target instant or sorcery card in your graveyard gains flashback until end of turn.”

• “Creatures you control get +10/+10”

• “A deck can have any number of cards named”

• “Then exile all other Nightmare tokens you control.”

• “Whenever you draw your second card each turn, create a token that’s a copy of this creature.”

• “Double the number of each kind of counter”

• “You may pay {B} rather than pay this spell’s mana cost if there are thirteen or more creatures on the battlefield.”

• “Draw a card for each different mana value among nonland permanents you control.”

Here are some creature type lines from the set: 

• Creature – Rabbit Noble

• Creature – Demon Warlock

• Creature – Shark Pirate

• Creature – Eldrazi

• Creature – Hyena Rogue

• Creature – Spider Spirit

• Creature – Elemental Hydra

• Creature – Bear Demon

• Artifact Creature – Phyrexian Construct

• Legendary Creature – Zombie Warlock

Finally, here are some names in the set: 

• Boltwave

• Electroduplicate

• Fishing Pole

• Goblin Negotiation

• Hare Apparent

• Homunculus Horde

• Midnight Snack

• Perforating Artist

• Refute

• Stab

The Foundations debut will be live at MagicCon Vegas on October 25th at 2:30 PM Pacific, right after our “The Foundations of Magic’s Next Era” panel, where you’ll get a sneak peek at the 2025 sets. You can follow along on social media or watch the full VOD of the debut panel on our official YouTube channel after it airs.

[favoritemtgcard-supplemental]

Every Nomination In Alphabetical Order

Aether Vial

Aetherflux Reservoir

Agatha's Soul Cauldron

Akroma, Vision of Ixidor

Alesha, Who Smiles at Death

Altered Ego

Aragorn, Company Leader

Arcades, the Strategist

Arcane Denial

Arcbond

Arcbound Crusher

Archangel Avacyn

Archive Trap

Arclight Phoenix

Armored Armadillo

Ashiok, Dream Render

Ashling the Pilgrim

Ashnod, Flesh Mechanist

Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar

Astarion's Thirst

Athreos, God of Passage

Atraxa, Grand Unifier

Augur of Autumn

Auramancer

Avatar of Me

Bakersbane Duo

Baleful Strix

Ball Lightning

Bane Alley Broker

Baylen, the Haymaker

Bearscape

Bioshift

Biovisionary

Bitterblossom

Black Lotus

Blasphemous Act

Blazing Archon

Boldwyr Intimidator

Bonecrusher Giant

Bovine Intervention

Brainstorm

Brash Taunter

Breach the Multiverse

Breaker of Armies

Brilliant Restoration

Brute Suit

Cadira, Caller of the Small

Canyon Minotaur

Capashen Knight

Captain N'ghathrod

Captivating Crew

Carnivorous Plant

Chainsaw

Chandra, Dressed to Kill

Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh

Chandra, Torch of Defiance

Chandra's Regulator

Chaos Warp

Chatter of the Squirrel

Chatterfang, Squirrel General

Cheatyface

Chub Toad

Collected Company

Colossal Dreadmaw

Colossification

Colossus Hammer

Comet, Stellar Pup

Conjurer's Closet

Conqueror's Galleon

Consecrated Sphinx

Consuming Aberration

Corpsejack Menace

Counterspell

Crackle with Power

Craterhoof Behemoth

Cruel Ultimatum

Cryptic Command

Cryptid Inspector

Cut Your Losses

Damnation

Dance of the Manse

Dapper Shieldmate

Daretti, Scrap Savant

Dark Depths

Dark Ritual

Darksteel Colossus

Darksteel Myr

Darksteel Relic

Dawnfluke

Daze

Death's Shadow

Deathbonnet Sprout

Delver of Secrets

Demand Answers

Diplomatic Escort

Dollmaker's Shop/Porcelain Gallery

Doom Blade

Doomsday

Doubling Season

Dragon's Rage Channeler

Drakuseth, Maw of Flames

Dryad of the Ilysian Grove

Dueling Rapier

Dutiful Thrull

Earl of Squirrel

Earthbind

Ebon Praetor

Echo of Eons

Edge of Autumn

Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim

Elderscale Wurm

Electrickery

Elesh Norn

Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite

Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines

Elspeth, Sun's Champion

Elvish Visionary

Emrakul, the Aeons Torn

Emrakul, the Promised End

Enchanted Evening

Enormous Baloth

Enter the Dungeon

Enthralling Victor

Etali, Primal Conqueror

Etali, Primal Storm

Eternal Dominion

Exterminatus

Extremely Slow Zombie

Ezuri, Claw of Progress

Faithless Looting

Fiery Emancipation

Firestorm

Flameborn Viron

Flickerwisp

Floral Spuzzem

Flubs, the Fool

Fog Bank

Forest

Fortress Crab

Fumiko the Lowblood

Gallia of the Endless Dance

Galvanic Blast

Generous Gift

Ghalta, Primal Hunger

Ghired, Conclave Exile

Ghoulcaller Gisa

Giant Growth

Gift of Orzhova

Gifts Ungiven

Gigantosaurus

Gisa, Glorious Resurrector

Gisela, the Broken Blade

Gitaxian Probe

Glimmerpost

Gnat Miser

Goblin Chainwhirler

God-Pharaoh's Statue

Godo's Irregulars

Goldberry, River-Daughter

Golgothian Sylex

Gonti, Lord of Luxury

Grand Arbiter Augustin IV

Greasefang, Okiba Boss

Greta, Sweettooth Scourge

Grindclock

Grist, the Hunger Tide

Grusilda, Monster Masher

Gush

Gut Shot

Halana and Alena, Partners

Halcyon Glaze

Half-Kitten, Half-

Hamlet Glutton

Heartbeat of Spring

Heliod, Sun-Crowned

Hellkite Tyrant

Hero of Goma Fada

Hexdrinker

Hibernation's End

Holy Cow

Homicidal Seclusion

Hot Soup

How To Keep An Izzet Mage Busy

Ilharg, the Raze-Boar

Indestructible Aura

Inflation Station

Inkmoth Nexus

Introduction to Prophecy

Invoke the Firemind

Irencrag Pyromancer

Island

It That Betrays

Ixhel, Scion of Atraxa

Jace, the Mind Sculptor

Jaya Ballard, Task Mage

Jeska's Will

Jetmir, Nexus of Revels

Jhoira of the Ghitu

Jon Irenicus, Shattered One

Kangee, Aerie Keeper

Karn, Silver Golem

Karn, the Great Creator

Karn's Temporal Sundering

Killer Bees

Kiln Fiend

Kodama of the East Tree

Kor Skyfisher

Koth of the Hammer

Krenko, Mob Boss

Kruphix, God of Horizons

Kuldotha Phoenix

Lich's Mastery

Lightning Bolt

Liliana Vess

Liliana, Heretical Healer

Llanowar Elves

Loam Larva

Long-Term Plans

Looter il-Kor

Lord of the Void

Lord of Tresserhorn

Lotleth Troll

Loxodon Warhammer

Luminous Broodmoth

Lux Cannon

Lyra Dawnbringer

Maarika, Brutal Gladiator

Mabel, Heir to Cragflame

Madcap Skills

Magus of the Moon

Mana Tithe

Mantis Rider

March of the Multitudes

Massacre Girl

Master Biomancer

Maze of Ith

Maze's End

Mechanized Production

Megatog

Mindbreak Trap

Mishra, Lost to Phyrexia

Mishra's War Machine

Mogg Sentry

Moltensteel Dragon

Monastery Swiftspear

Mother of Goons

Mountain

Mulldrifter

Murder

Murmuring Mystic

Mycoloth

Myr Superion

Myrel, Shield of Argive

Mysterious Egg

Nahiri, the Harbinger

Narset, Enlightened Master

Nethroi, Apex of Death

Nimbus Swimmer

Niv-Mizzet, Parun

Nyx-Fleece Ram

Obeka, Splitter of Seconds

Obsidian Fireheart

Okiba Reckoner Raid

Oko, Thief of Crowns

Olivia Voldaren

Omnath, Locus of All

Omnath, Locus of Creation

Omnath, Locus of Mana

Omnath, Locus of Rage

Omnath, Locus of the Roil

Omnivorous Flytrap

Oni-Cult Anvil

Oona, Queen of the Fae

Oracle of the Alpha

Panglacial Wurm

Panharmonicon

Perplexing Chimera

Phage the Untouchable

Phalanx Leader

Phyrexian Dreadnought

Phyrexian Gargantua

Phyrexian Unlife

Plague Myr

Plague Rats

Plains

Planar Portal

Ponder

Pontiff of Blight

Possibility Storm

Pouncing Shoreshark

Price of Progress

Prime Speaker Vannifar

Primeval Titan

Primordial Hydra

Prismari Command

Prodigal Sorcerer

Progenitus

Pyromancer Ascension

Queza, Augur of Agonies

Rage Forger

Raging Goblin

Ral, Crackling Wit

Rancor

Raugrin Triome

Renegade Rallier

Reprisal

Repudiate/Replicate

Rhys the Redeemed

Riku of Two Reflections

Rin and Seri, Inseparable

Rise of the Hobgoblins

Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh

Rona, Herald of Invasion

Rowan, Scion of War

Run Away Together

Ruthless Negotiation

Ruthless Technomancer

Ryusei, the Falling Star

Sakura-Tribe Elder

Satoru Umezawa

Savor the Moment

Scragnoth

Scute Mob

Secret Rendezvous

Seedtime

Selesnya Evangel

Shabraz, the Skyshark

Shadow of Doubt

Sharktocrab

Shock

Slickshot Show-Off

Slime Against Humanity

Sliver Legion

Smothering Tithe

Snapcaster Mage

Sol Ring

Solemn Simulacrum

Soraya the Falconer

Soul-Guide Lantern

Soulmates

Spike Breeder

Spined Fluke

Spy Kit

Star of Extinction

Stasis

Stifle

Stoneforge Mystic

Storm Crow

Stormtide Leviathan

Storybook Ride

Stuffy Doll

Sun Titan

Supreme Verdict

Surgical Extraction

Swamp

Swirling Sandstorm

Swords to Plowshares

Takklemaggot

Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student

Tamiyo, the Moon Sage

Tarmogoyf

Tempt with Bunnies

Tendershoot Dryad

Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle

Thalia, Guardian of Thraben

Thalia, Heretic Cathar

Thallid

Thassa, Deep-Dwelling

Thassa's Oracle

The Cheese Stands Alone

The Gitrog Monster

The Infamous Cruelclaw

The One Ring

Thoughtseize

Thragtusk

Thrashing Brontodon

Thrill of Possibility

Throes of Chaos

Tibalt, the Fiend-Blooded

Time Stop

Titanic Ultimatum

Toby, Beastie Befriender

Topplegeist

Tormented Soul

Totally Lost

Tough Cookie

Trading Post

Tragic Slip

Triumph of the Hordes

Trueheart Duelist

Typhoid Rats

Unable to Scream

Underrealm Lich

Unexpected Results

Unlicensed Disintegration

Unsummon

Urabrask

Urza, Academy Headmaster

Urza, Lord High Artificer

Urza's Ruinous Blast

Utopia Mycon

Vengeful Dead

Vexing Devil

Veyran, Voice of Duality

Vile Aggregate

Village Rites

Vizzerdrix

Vorinclex

Vraska, Betrayal's Sting

Vraska, Relic Seeker

Vraska, Scheming Gorgon

Warleader's Call

Waste Not

Wedding Announcement

Wedding Invitation

Weight Advantage

Westvale Abbey

Whirler Rogue

Will-o'-the-Wisp

Witness Protection

Wood Elves

Wordmail

Wurmcoil Engine

Xira, the Golden Sting

Yargle, Glutton of Urborg

Yawgmoth, Thran Physician

Yennett, Cryptic Sovereign

Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful

Zhur-Taa Goblin

Zoetic Cavern

[orionsangel86]

In the middle of writing a full review I feel I have to pause and scream about this for a bit:

PUPPET ALESHA: What did you do?

[takes Max’s bloody hand and gasps in both shock and care]

PUPPET ALESHA: Are you hurt?

Now I ADORE how many mirrors and parallels there are this episode. There were enough to give me a bit of a headache. But I have to talk about this one. Because yes, the most obvious Dean mirror here is indeed Max, but the mirror for the puppet creatures this episode? Cas.

The puppet creatures were controlled by the witch, made of twigs and twines but still contained a fundamental part of their original form: the Heart. Therefore still holding onto their original memories and emotions and seemingly completely unaware that they were actually puppet creatures until the witch called upon them to do their duty.

When Max brings Tasha back at the end in puppet form, she cares for him, is concerned for him and seems like she is her old self, though Max knows in his heart she is not the same. Doesn’t this remind you all of last week?

“You’re hurt” Cas says as he reaches out for Dean and heals his pain, even though Dean knows for sure that this Cas is not HIS Cas. Similar, still with heart and emotion and still perhaps believing he is in control of his own decisions... but ultimately under the spell of Lucifer Jr. 

Cas is the puppet creature this episode, controlled and in no way free, bound by the spell of the baby just like these puppets were bound to the witch by the twigs and twines, but their hearts are still their own... is the heart Cas’s key to escape?

[bluseum]

also why is everyone in the skellington book called [place name] [latin word] [adjective]

Derek very evidently names characters like any good lazy D&D player, random name generators and dictionaries. He doesn't seem to see a problem with

Abyssinia

Adam Brate

Adedayo Akinde

Adrasdos

Adrian Sykes

Adrienna Shade

Ajuoga

Alan

Alan (Boyle Solutions)

Alan Brennan

Alena Metz

Alesha Walsh

Alexander Remit

Alexander Slake

Alice Edgley

Aloysius Vespers

Amalia

Amity

Amity's Wife

Anathem Mire

The Ancients

Anguish

Anna

Annie Brennan

Anton Shudder

Arabella Wicked

Argeddion

Argento

Argus

Armiger Fop

Arthur Dagan

Ashione

Ashley Hubbard

Aspen

Assegai

Category:Assistants

Audoen

Auger Darkly

Aurnia

Auron Tenebrae

Aurora Jane

Category:Australians

Avatar

Avaunt

Axelia Lukt

Axle

Azzedine Smoke

Badstreet

Bagatelle

Baritone

Baron Vengeous

Bartholomew

Basher

Batu

The Beast

Bennet Troth

Benzel Travestine

Bernadette Maguire

Bernard Sult

Bertrand Solus

Beryl Edgley

Billy-Ray Sanguine

Binder Firm

Bison Dragonclaw

Black Annis

Boiler

Brennock

Brides of Blood Tears

Bridget

Brobding

Brock

Bruno

Bubba Moon

Burgundy Dalrymple

The Butcher

Byron Grace

Cadaver Cain

Cadaverous Gant

Caelan

Caisson

Caius Caviler

Cameron Light

Cark

Carol Edgley

Carol Edgley (Reflection)

Cassandra Pharos

Caste

Cathy

Cathy (The Button)

Category:Cats

Cerise

Ceryen

Cerys

Charivari

Charlie Smith

Child of the Faceless

China Sorrows

China's Assistant

China's Grandmother

Chrissy Brennan

Christophe Nocturnal

Civet

Clagge

Clarabelle

Cleaver

Clement Gale

Clerihew Montgomery

Coda Quell

Colleen Stint

Collup

Colm Muldoon

Conor Delaney

Corrival Deuce

Cothernus Ode

Crab

Craddock Sirroco

Crasher

Crepuscular Vies

Creyfon Signate

Crystal Edgley

Cu na Gealaí Duibhe

Dacanay

Daffyd Maybury

Dai Maybury

Daisy

Damocles Creed

Danny

Darian Vector

Darquesse

Dasher

Daveth Maybury

Davina Marr

Davit Maybury

Davon Maybury

Deacon Maybury

Death Monkey

Dedrich Wahrheit

Delafonte Mien

Desmond Edgley

Destrier

Detective Harris

Devoted

Dexter Vex

Dicer

Dima

Dionysus Pertinax

Doctor Whorl

Donegan Bane

Doran Purcell

Dragunov

Dreylan Scarab

Dubhóg Ni Broin

Duenna

The Dullahan

Dusk

Eachan Meritorious

Eamon Campbell

Eamon Pearce

Ed Stynes

Eddie Sullivan

Edgley Tempest

Edwina

Eliza Scorn

Elsie O'Brien

Elwood Satchel

Emmeline Darkly

Emmett Peregrine

Category:End of the World characters

Category:Energy-Throwers

The Engineer

Ephraim Tungsten

Erskine Ravel

Esryn Vanguard

Etta Faulkner

Evoric Cudgel

Faceless Ones

Father Reynolds

Fergus Edgley

Ferrente Rhadaman

Filament Sclavi

Finbar Wrong

Fintan Muldoon

Flaring

Fletcher Renn

Flint

Forby

Frightening Jones

Gall

Gary Price

Gavin Praetor

Ged

Category:Generals

Geoffrey Scrutinous

Gepard

Gepard Voke

Geraint Mizzle

Gerontius

Ghastly Bespoke

Ghastly Bespoke's father

Ghastly Bespoke's mother

Gladys

Glass

Gleeman Shakespeare

Gordon Edgley

Grace Kelly

Gracious O'Callahan

Graft

Gratio Erato

Gregory Castallan

Gregory Day

Greta Dapple

Griff

Grim

The Grotesquery

Gruesome Krav

Habergeon

Hansard Kray

Hapathy

Harmony

Hayley Skirmish

Hidalgo Bolt

Hieronymus Deadfall

Hoc

Hokum Pete

Hollow Men

Hopeless

Horts

The Hound

Hrishi

Hutchinson

Ian Moore

Ieni

Illori Reticent

Imogen

Infected

Isara

Isidora Splendour

Ivy

Jack Irons

Jackie Earl

Jajo Prave

James Hubbard

Jaron Gallow

Jason Randal

Jasper

Jenan Ispolin

Jeremiah Wallow

Jerry Houlihan

Jerry Ordain

Jethro

The Jitter Girls

Johann Starke

Joost

Kaiven

Kallista Pendragon

Kalvin Accord

Karrik

Kase

Kathryn Ether

Keir Tanner

Keith

Kenny Dunne

Kenspeckle Grouse

Keratin

Kes

Kierre of the Unveiled

Kiln

Kimora

Kitana Kellaway

Korb

Kribu

Krull

Kumo

Laken Cross

Lamour

Lapse

Larks

Larrikin

Lenka Bazaar

Levitt

Liam Muldoon

Lightning Dave

Lillian Agog

Lily

Lord Vile

Lorenzo Mult

Lorien

Luciana

Luke Skywalker

Madame Mist

Madcap Fenton

Magenta

Mahala

Maksy

Mandat

Mantis

Martin Flanery

Master

Maverick Reels

Melancholia St Clair

Melissa Edgley

Mellifluous Golding

Memphis

Mercy Charient

Merriwyn Hyphenate-Bash

Metric

Mevolent

Midnight Blue

Militsa Gnosis

Minion One and Minion Two

Mirk

Misery

Miss Nuncio

Moloch

Moribund

Mortal

Morven

Morwenna Crow

Mr Chou

Mr. Bliss

Mr. Fedgewick

Mr. Jib

Mud

Mulct

Murder Rose

Muriel Hubbard

Myosotis Terra

Myra

Myron Stray

Nathanial Quiver

Nefarian Serpine

Nero

Nestor Tarry

Never

Nixion

Nj Maverick

Noche

Noonan

Nye

Oberon Guile

Oblivious

Obloquy

Octa Gregorian Boona

October Klein

Odetta

Ogre

Oisin

Omen Darkly

Operative

Oscar Nightfall

Owen

Palaver Graves

Parthenios Lilt

Pat Hanratty

Patrick Slattery

Patrick Xebec

Paul Lynch

Paulie

Peg Muldoon

Pennant

Persephone Grief

Pete Green

Petrichor

Phil Lynott

Philomena Random

Ping

Portia

To name a few

[edh-a-to-z]

EMN Rotation Picks

Okay, rotation’s here. What do we need to pick up for EDH?

We got a main menu, and budget picks, and all our choices are rare and up. Uncommons will be listed in a splurge at the end (they’re good enough to mention), and commons ignored.

Personal Pick - Nahiri’s Wrath

It looks underwhelming, but it really works. 

Let’s say you chuck 3 cards, a 3 Drop, a 4 CMC Sorcery, and some 8 CMC fatty. Now you can hit three targets for 15 damage each. Not divided among them, each. So, buh-bye target three fatties/planeswalkers

Plus discarding a land lets you target another losing basically nothing, so it’s great all around. And even moreso with cards that need to be reanimated, or cards that have Flashback or Enbalm.

And the best part? It’s at bulk rare price.

Main Menu

(1) Thalia’s Lancers

Tutor for any Legendary Creature or Planeswalker. Now that’s a toolkit!

And the body, 4/4 with First Strike for 5CMC, is a solid creature, and has two nominally relevant creature times.

And the best part? It goes for something like $.25-.50, so super affordable. It might be the best EDH card from EMN.

(2) Tamiyo, Field Researcher

She draws, she can keep things tapped down, and if you’re in a Doubling Season mood, she can Ancestral Recall and make all you nonland cards FREE!!!

GODDAMN FREEEEEE!!!

Honestly, her first two abilities relatively suck, but her ultimate emblem is on par with Elspeth, Knight-Errant. Game shakingly good. And she’s onlike $3-4 bucks, and will likely stay around there for the foreseeable future.

(3) Spell Queller

Once the bane of many a Standard player’s FNM, Spell Queller may have a place in your EDH toolbox.

Imagine stopping a Wrath of God. Saves your team, inconveniences your foe. Better yet? Sac the queller at your convenience. Sure the player can cast the spell, but the timing may be awful for your opponent now.

It’s a nasty price, still hanging around $4-5 for a rare thanks to some serious play in modern.

(4) Mind’s Dilation

This card was born for EDH.

Flashy effect, big CMC, circular effect over players that scales.

And it’s budget. Check, Check, Check.

(5) Selfless Spirit

Finally under $3 thanks to rotation, Selfless Spirit does its good work in EDH. 

Messing up board wipes, making combat annoying, and making a great recursion target (Alesha certainly loves this spirit). 

(6) Cryptbreaker

Another card that got cheap with rotation, Cryptbreaker is a rare 1 drop that works well in EDH. It can also make more zombies, fill your graveyard, and draw you cards. 

A nice workhorse in zombie tribal, or in any black deck with a significant zombie presence.

(7) Tree of Perdition

Doran loves it.

So does Triskaidekaphobia.  

And it’s worth it. For the meme. 

Legendaries

Thalia, Heretic Cathar

Solid as 1 of the 99, but a lackluster commander. But it is a seriously good one of the 99, and her buddy Thalia’s Lancers can tutor her out.

Like every other tap down creature, she excels at wrecking some combos. Solid enough body for the cost.

Iskanah, Grafwidow

The go-to (and only) option for tribal spiders in Golgari colors. Like many great standard creatures, it doesn’t scale well to EDH. Sure Delirium is nice, but only three 1/2 tokens? That won’t save anyone. Expensive live drain? Not exactly a reasonable mana sink.

Still pretty cool.

Ulrich of the Krallenhorde

Stupid crappy wolf. This is such a poor leader for the wolves (it doesn’t even have an anthem!) I still run Xenagos for my jokey EDH werewolf decks (which are underpowered to begin with).

Gisa and Geralf

Now this is a fun tribal leader. Sure, Grimgrin is more “zombie”-ish, and The Scarab God is more powerful (and expensive), the Cecani siblings offer an affordable and fun Dimir zombie option.

It’s also a good option as 1 of the 99 in the aforementioned Zombie decks.

Emrakul, the Promised End

The only Emrakul legal in EDH. 

Basically a bit of Mindslaver on a big body. Lots of fun in a ramp Delirium deck, but honestly better as 1 of the 99 in an artifact deck that likes colorless creatures.

Brisela (Gisela + Bruna)

Every time you talk about these angels, @actualborossoldier cries.

You can run them both in a monowhite deck and have some inconsistent Melding fun. Bruna hurts that her ability is tied to casting, not ETB, and Gisela is a good body, but that loses something in EDH.

My playgroup lets me use them as partners, so it’s more fun.

Budget

Collective Effort

Maro was right, Escalate makes the card great options on cards in EDH. Anthem effect, enchantment removal, and Smite the Monstrous - great options to have, especially that increasing the options only requires tapping.

 Deploy the Gatewatch

If you wanna run a superfriends, this just got better. Thanks to the legendary PW change, there’s no danger of only hitting one PW type.

Go crazy, you demented Atraxa lovers.

Sigarda’s Aid

If you’re running any nominal equipment package, this should get a slot in you deck.

Imprisoned In the Moon

Or another weird Blue removal spell. 

Deals with permanent types long term that blue usually has trouble with.

Summary Dismissal

Worth mentioning just to be in a Mizzix deck, where it becomes strictly better Counterspell.

Docent of Perfection

Solid Wizard tribal support, with a clear spot in the Inalla C17 deck, or any other Wizard-heavy deck.

Dark Salvation

So much good stuff here to break down.

(1) Target player gets X zombie tokens, so you can prop up a partner, diplomatic ally, or yourself.

(2) Then you can whammy a creature with -X/-X where X is how many zombies you got hanging out. 

(3) With the last bit, you can cast it for B in a zombie heavy board, as emergency removal.

Noosegraf Mob

I love this card in Alesha, as it’s a medium sized creature that becomes a small army after one round around the table, plus it’s a great option in any zombie tribal deck.

Oath of Liliana

Another arrow in the quiver that is SuperFriends deck tech. Incremental value and defense, and a Pact effect as an ETB.

Collective Defiance

Sure, the last method is basically useless in EDH (heh, a Bolt), but the first two are great. And escalate is always a good mana dump.

Harmless Offering

Zedruu players need it, but they already know that.

Hanweir the Writhing Township

A meld of Hanweir Garrison and Hanweir Battlements, both of which are decent (Battlements is solid on it’s own), it’s a big fun card in red to play. 

Sure, I doubt it’ll survive past a turn, but it’s sure fun to put together.

Eldritch Evolution

It sure as hell ain’t Chord of Calling or Natural Order, but it’s cheap as heck. Grab one if you’re a newbie, or want to add to the Chord package.

Splendid Reclamation

Also known as Titania/Gitrog Monster second wave of play.

Decimator of the Provinces

A poor player’s version of Craterhoof Behemoth, worthy of conclusion in green decks that need another finisher.

Uncommons

Blessed Alliance

Options! Escalate is rock solid in EDH, and options are our friends.

Faith Unbroken

It’s a Journey to Nowhere that can’t exile your dudes and gives a creature a +2/+2 buff. Decent enough, but I wish the buff was down to +1/+1 and the CMC was 3 for Zur.

Unsubstantiate

Can’t counter your spell, huh?

Well, I can delay it! Whether it’s Supreme Verdict delayed, or a combo-piece creature returned to hand, I like Unsubstantiate.

Graf Harvest

Goblin War Drums, but tribal and cheaper. 

Also some back up value to make more Zombie tokens!

Savage Alliance

I like all the escalate cards, to be honest.

I like swinging in for Trample, Shock-ing a creature, Simoon an opponent. 

Nephalia Academy

Decks that hit the hand and exile ‘yards are the worst, and this little land guarantees you get you get your cards back.

That’s EMN done now! Stay tuned for Set Picks Flashbacks, where I go back and pick my fave EDH cards from past sets.

[commandertheory]

Hour of Devastation Commander Set Review

For each new set, I write an article discussing the new legendary creatures and the nonlegendary cards that I think will be relevant in Commander.

In this set review, I’ll be using two five-point rating scales to evaluate the nonlegendary cards, one that measures how many decks a card is playable in (we’ll call that “spread”), and one that measures how powerful it is in those decks (”power”). Here’s a brief rundown of what each rank on the two scales means:

Spread

1: This card is effective in one or two decks, but no more (ex: The Gitrog Monster). 2: This card is effective in one deck archetype (ex: self-mill decks). 3: A lot of decks will be able to use this card effectively (ex: decks with graveyard interactions). 4: This card is effective in most decks in this color. 5: Every deck in this color is able to use this card effectively.

Power

1: This card is always going to be on the chopping block. 2: This card is unlikely to consistently perform well. 3: This card provides good utility but is not a powerhouse. 4: This card is good enough to push you ahead of your opponents. 5: This card has a huge impact on the game.

The Commanders of Hour of Devastation

There are only a couple of really strong planeswalkers in Djeru’s limited color identity, but White has some decent ways to protect them, including some great board wipes.

In the maindeck:

Spread: 2

Power: 2

In non-Black Superfriends decks, Djeru might be useful as an additional copy of Call the Gatewatch. In Black lists, your other tutors are so efficient that there’s no reason to run him.

Most tribal commander merely bump borderline creatures into playability, but Unesh is a singularly powerful tribal commander whose abilities can justify cards that would normally never see play in this format. An Unesh deck is pretty straightforward: you start with some mana acceleration to help you get Unesh onto the field ASAP, add in every Sphinx ever printed (and a few honorary Sphinxes), toss in a few pieces of tech, and round out the deck with counterspells and a few other Blue staples.

Sample list

In the maindeck:

Spread: 5

Power: 3

If your deck was already running Sphinx of Uthuun, then you might consider making room for this dude.

Will probably see more play as one of the 99 in reanimator builds than as a Commander, since a Razaketh deck seems like it’d be pretty boring; once you figure out the fastest way to assemble a combo (such as Mike & Trike or Bloody Blood), that’ll be the default route you take every time. From there, the games will start to feel pretty same-y.

In the maindeck:

Spread: 4

Power: 5

The bar for running this guy is essentially “does your deck have creatures in it?” If you can feed him two creatures, you’re very likely to win the game. More, and it’s a certainty.

Neheb’s mana generation is unparalleled in monored, turning efficient burn spells into insanely strong rituals. Check this article I wrote about him for a decklist and explanation of card choices.

In the maindeck:

Spread: 3

Power: 4

Requires you to have decent damage output and some mana sinks. If you can clear those hurdles, then Neheb will put you way ahead.

The best version of the deck doesn’t lean too hard on the Zombie theme; aside from Graveborn Muse and a few of the most efficient Zombie token producers, the Scarab God builds into a stock Blue/Black control list that fills its opponents’ graveyards via counters and kill spells and then uses its commander to reanimate the juiciest targets.

Sample list

In the maindeck:

Spread: 4

Power: 2

In the maindeck, this guy seems pretty comparable to Havengul Lich, a card that isn’t exactly a format staple. Unless the exile is especially relevant in your meta, think you can skip him.

It’s pretty difficult to farm his death trigger, since his activated ability is pretty inefficient and there aren’t as many efficient effects that grant -1/-1 counters as you might expect. I definitely want to test with him before I make a final verdict, but I suspect the juice might not be worth the squeeze.

Sample list

In the maindeck:

Spread: 1

Power: 1

Can’t think of a commander that really wants this effect. If you come up with something, let me know in the comments.

His ability to generate tokens is insane and these are great colors for farming the draw trigger. I wrote a post about him that explains the deck and card choices in detail, so give it a read if you’re interested.

In the maindeck:

Spread: 1

Power: 4

Seems like a great win condition in Arjun. I’d also consider Nekusar, although his lists tend to be pretty tight.

The Maindeck Cards

Spread: 2

Power: 2

As a blink engine, it’s definitely worse than Eldrazi Displacer, Conjurer’s Closet, Tawnos’s Coffin, and Galepowder Mage, although it might still make the cut if you don’t have access to Blue’s engines. The banishing effect is much worse than Admonition Angel’s, although that might not be a fair comparison because Admonition Angel was so pushed. Overall, I’d say if you have lots of ETB creatures and you’re monowhite, Angel of Condemnations could be worth a try. However, the more colors you add into your deck’s color identity, the more likely it is that he gets outclassed.

Spread: 2

Power: 4

Ignoring the fact that Horse tribal is not a thing (yet), this is a pretty sweet reward for commanders who specialize in repeatedly gaining small amounts of life.

Spread: 5

Power: 3

The effect is good in Commander, as you can often break the symmetry on this super wipe when you know it’s coming. It seems like it would be pretty easy to get the discount on this version of Planar Cleansing, which will allow you to rebuild before anyone else does.

Spread: 2

Power: 4

Enchantress decks won’t mind the mana cost too much and they’ll jump at the chance to protect themselves from the guy with the biggest threats and respond proactively to Bane of Progress and other creature-based enchantment removal.

Spread: 1

Power: 3

Derevi is very interested in creatures that tap to produce tokens and exert means nothing to her. I doubt anyone else is interested, though.

Spread: 1

Power: 3

This is much better than most of the do-nothing Wizards currently being played in Azami decks (according to EDHREC). In addition to filling Azami’s requirement of being a warm body capable of being tapped, Champion of Wits offers card selection in the early game and card advantage in the late game.

Spread: 1

Power: 2

Milling your opponents is usually not how you win a game of Commander, but there are a few self-mill commanders that could benefit from a tool like this one.

Spread: 1

Power: 2

XXUUU means you’ll rarely cast this for more than two or three, and having to exile your own stuff is pretty ugly. Not sure there are any commanders that are stoked about running this card; if you think of one, let me know in the comments.

Spread: 2

Power: 2

Functionally, it’s really similar to Cast Through Time, although it’s worth noting that this is much better with X spells. If you were already running Cast, you have my permission to run this; there aren’t many reasons to run one and not the other.

Spread: 1

Power: 2

Seems like a great option for Alesha, since it kills something and places itself back in your graveyard for easy reuse.

Spread: 2

Power: 2

Probably worth running in the -1/-1 counter commanders since the cost to run it over a swamp is pretty low. Consider making room for the new cycling deserts, while you’re at it.

Spread: 4

Power: 2

3 is an unfortunate number. If it dealt 2 like Magma Giant, then Feldon would be able to recur it repeatedly. If it dealt 4, it could take out popular commanders like Zur, Atraxa, Meren, Brago, Breya, Nekusar, Karador, Yidris, etc etc. It also compares unfavorably with Thunder Dragon, since the Dragon has flying and a relevant creature type.

Spread: 5

Power: 3

It’s hard to look at this card objectively since I’m personally really disappointed by it; if this dealt 6 damage, it would have been a new format staple. Still, it’s probably worth playing despite its inability to hit Titans, Sphinxes, and some of the other big threats in this format.

Spread: 4

Power: 3

Getting Urborg + Coffers in B/G decks seems quite good, although most decks are going to have some combination of sweet targets. I’ve heard a bit of talk about using this to grab Dark Stage, but that seems a little goofy to me.

Spread: 4

Power: 3

We all know that Crucible is sweet, so I won’t argue the merits of the ability. The main differences between this and Crucible are the Excavator’s fragility, which is balanced out by being easier to tutor out and recur. Doesn’t matter much, though; if you’ve got the manabase to support one, you should probably run the other.

Spread: 4

Power: 2

It’s pretty messed up that this works at cross purposes with the demands of a good mana curve. The only value for X that seems really appealing is 3, which can grab you Reclamation Sage, Eternal Witness, and Ramunap Excavator. Every other value just seems like a raw deal.

Spread: 1

Power: 1

The +1 is irrelevant and the -2 does not protect her. She’s a four-mana Chandra’s Pyrohelix.

Spread: 1

Power: 4

This card seems awesome in Derevi since she loves tokens and exert is meaningless in that deck.

Spread: 2

Power: 3

Especially good in Hapatra (because deathtouch). Pharika probably wants a copy even though she can’t produce tokens as efficiently as Hapatra, and Nath could be interested, as well. I think Ghave might be too busy comboing off to care and Sidisi is loath to add in noncreatures for fear of reducing her hit rate.

Spread: 1

Power: 2

The quirk that makes it so strong in Melek is likely to disqualify it from being played in most other Izzet spellslinger lists.

Spread: 1

Power: 3

I hate how much worse he is at protecting himself than his predecessor and I’m terrified of spinning the wheel on his +2 and hitting a mana rock or dork. Still, he’s a total monster if you untap with him, netting 6ish cards per turn when he’s not shooting down opposing Praetors and planeswalkers. Best in 5C Superfriends builds; I think Grixis control would rather run the 8-mana planeswalkers.

Spread: 2

Power: 2

Aside from populate tricks with Trostani, I’m not sure there are a whole lot of good uses for this card. 7 mana and exiling your own cards are both pretty steep costs, so I think that any color with access to better reanimation will skip this. I think that mostly leaves monored decks with lots of attack triggers and colorless Eldrazi lists with lots of annihilator triggers, but even that seems pretty loose. I don’t think the ability to be fetched with Gate to the Afterlife is super relevant, as the Black decks that excel at farming nontoken death triggers have access to much better reanimation options.

Spread: 2

Power: 2

Yasova Dragonclaw, Rubinia Soulsinger, and other commanders with temporary steal effects can use this to permanently exile the creatures they borrow. Just don’t crack it.

Spread: 3

Power: 2

Graveyard hate that fits in any deck and doesn’t take up a land slot.

Spread: 1

Power: 2

King Macar eats this shit up, but everyone else should avoid it.

Wrapping Up

Please let me know if you think I missed any relevant cards or rated some of these incorrectly and I’ll amend the post. Thanks for reading!

[loreleywrites]

Command Zone: Amonkhommander

Better late than never, it’s my Amonkhet Commander article! You regulars are probably already skipping to the part where I talk about actual Magic cards, but for everyone else, welcome to an article I write for every new set!

Commander is a wonderful format brimming with options and deeply connected to a deck builder’s personality. That means most sets have a bunch of cards that will see play in the format. What I do every set is talk about the one from each color that gets me the most excited (and a runner up!) Because mythic rare cards are generally powerful and exciting anyway, I don’t waste words selling them to you.

I won’t waste any more words on an introduction either. Let’s check out some cards!

There Goes the Sun

Doo doo doo doooooo

Sweepers are a fascinating aspect of Commander deck construction. There are only so many that will wipe the whole board, but plenty with interesting restrictions to build around.

Dusk to Dawn is one such interesting sweeper. While it won’t destroy most tokens, you can build around Dusk to nuke all the big creatures and leave your little army intact. Later in the game, aftermath lets you cast Dawn to return that little army back to your hand as they have died in battle. A shoe-in for Alesha, Who Smiles at Death decks, but a useful card for many White decks.

I highly value versatility in my Commander cards, so a card that is two entire spells gets high marks.

Runner up: Anointed Procession. You’ll see me preach about redundancy in Commander often. A colorshifted Parallel Lives means all your Green/White token decks have a second copy of a game-breaking spell. Expect to face many of these in the near future.

The Future Is Now

Which means today is yesterday. And I guess yesterday is tomorrow?

It’s difficult to be better than Blue Sun’s Zenith. Blue has a smattering of, “Draw X cards for X plus some Blue mana,” spells, and none of them seem to be as infamous as the one from Mirrodin. But Pull from Tomorrow is still very sexy. I think a lot of decks are going to enjoy this new version of an old spell trope.

The key to playing Pull from Tomorrow is to not see the discard as a downside. When you draw a ton of spells, discarding an excess land isn’t going to matter. And if you have a graveyard deck, discarding something spicy while doing something else that’s spicy (drawing cards!) sets you up in two aspects of your game plan. We even have a handful of cards in Amonkhet that care when you discard cards (and probably more in Hour of Devastation).

Against cards like Blue Sun’s Zenith, Pull from Tomorrow gets you one card deeper in your library for the same amount of mana. The discard isn’t a downside. You can’t kill an opponent if you have a buttload of mana, but Pull also can’t be redirected to another player since it doesn’t target.

Something something redundancy? Well here’s your next exciting X draw spell!

Runner up: Vizier of Many Faces. Paying four mana to match the best creature on the board has always been good. The fact that the Vizier can do it twice? Golden. One of the best Clone variants ever printed in mono-Blue (The embalm ability does not add White to a card’s color identity.)

GTFO

But not you, Final Reward. You’re so spicy I’m writing about you twice.

I wrote about Final Reward when predicting the best commons in Amonkhet limited. I also knew that I’d be talking about it here as the best card for Commander. Black has never gotten this effect as a simply-worded instant before, and that’s why it easily made both articles.

When it comes to creature removal, exiling is (almost) always better than destroying. Most Commander decks have ways to get creatures back from the graveyard, so removing them from the game ensures they don’t threaten you a second time.

Oblivion Strike is awesome for Black decks since it gets around indestructible and protection, but being a sorcery hampers its use. Final Reward gets around that problem. Five mana is a little steep for spot removal, but this is also Commander. Most of the best creatures you can target with this spell are even more expensive.

Any time I’m brewing up a new Black Commander deck, Final Reward is going to be one of the first cards on my list.

Runner up: Archfiend of Ifnir. It’s a decent evasive body for its cost even in Commander, and its ability is absurd. Every single card you discard becomes a one-sided mini Black Sun’s Zenith. Black has plenty of ways to discard cards, and something like Windfall can potentially combo to just Plague Wind on top of drawing you a bunch of cards.

No Pain, No Gain

This is the kind of health guru that tells you to eat raw jalapeños for every meal.

I think Red was a little light on Commander cards in Amonkhet, but the two I’m featuring today are quite spectacular.

Harsh Mentor looks like a multi-format all-star. Commander is one of those formats. Think of all the (non-mana) abilities that get activated in a game. You now get to Shock your opponents for each one they use. That one person who spins Sensei’s Divining Top? Shocked. Fetch lands? Shocked. Utility creatures? Shocked. Untapping Basalt Monolith? Shocked.

Commander means 40 life, which makes 2 damage not seem like much. And that’s the key. It seems annoying, but adds up over time. How much damage do you want to deal to make your 1R investment worth it? Dealing 6 to each opponent already makes it a powerful card for the mana spent. If it eats a removal spell, even better! Your opponent just used removal on a small creature you didn’t invest a lot of mana in.

Professional Red mages will combine Harsh Mentor with cards like Furnace of Rath to double the damage.

Runner up: By Force. Easily the most splashable artifact destruction spell ever printed. Artifact sweepers draw ire from your opponents (See Vandalblast or Bane of Progress.) Shattering Spree is difficult to pay for outside a mono-Red deck. By Force lets you nuke the artifacts you want with a bit more tact.

Fruits of Someone Else’s Labor

The CDC says not to eat zombie-handled food. But what’s the worst that cou…BRAINS…

Unpopular opinion time: I’m not a huge fan of Cultivate/Kodama’s Reach. While they help you hit land drops, they’re still only ramping you one land for three mana. I’d rather do that with Rampant Growth and just run more lands or wait and grab two lands with Explosive Vegetation.

I finally have a reason to get rid of Cultivate/Kodama’s Reach from every Commander deck I’ll ever play.

Harvest Season has a high floor and an even higher ceiling. All you need to do is grab two lands to have it be one of the most mana efficient ramp spells in Magic. That’s so easy that you don’t even have to be playing a token deck to make it happen.

Obviously, this card has a scalable effect. The more tapped creatures you have, the bigger ramp effect you get. But this isn’t difficult to scale. All you need is time, and your board state will probably amass more creatures. Harvest Season is a ramp spell you can draw late and still love to see, as you might get to rip the rest of the basics out of your library and increase your chances of drawing spells. It’s less good early, but still retains value late in a game. That’s the ideal kind of card that I want to put into my deck.

Runner up: Shefet Monitor. Ever wish Krosan Tusker put the land onto the battlefield instead of your hand? Now it can! Shefet Monitor even puts it onto the battlefield untapped! You’re essentially drawing two cards for four mana, which is the same rate as Weave Fate et al. This Lizard is the real deal, and every Green mage should consider it for their deck.

Take Me to the River

Because that’s where the Crabs are.

Amonkhet has a bunch of multicolor cards, so they’ll be getting their own section in today’s article. Sets don’t always have a lot, so I often skip them in my Commander review.

The card I’m most excited about is the quintessential Green/Blue do-nothing card: Bounty of the Luxa. Durdling with card advantage is what Simic decks do best, and this enchantment is going to help them live the dream. It’s kind of a clunky card, so here’s what happens:

The turn you cast Bounty of the Luxa, you get nothing.

The turn after you cast Bounty of the Luxa, you draw a card.

The turn after that, you get CGU added to your mana pool.

The turn after that, you draw a card again.

And you alternate between a card and mana for the rest of the game. No, you can’t break this with proliferate, as the effect always removals all flood counters, not just one. If you have a way to remove the flood counter before your next turn, you can keep drawing a card though.

The essence of Bounty of the Luxa is resource management. It keeps your hand full of spells and gives you the mana to cast them. Revel in your abundance!

Runner up: Rags to Riches. Aftermath is one of the reasons for the high number of multicolor cards in Amonkhet. This is one of my favorites because it’s exploding with card advantage. Rags sweeps away all the little tokens and support creatures, leaving the larger ones to be stolen by Riches. No matter which creatures you get, it’s a huge swing in board position for what is basically a free 100thcard in your deck.

Monumental Mana Rocks

If you build it, they will make you build another one.

Rule moment: the Monuments have a colorless identity and can be played in any deck. You want the cast triggers from a monument? You can use them even if you don’t get the mana discount.

Oketra’s Monument, Kefnet’s Monument, Bontu’s Monument, Hazoret’s Monument, and Rhonas’s Monument are essentially mana rocks. Instead of generating mana for your creatures, however, they just make them cost less mana. This is actually better than being mana rocks, as the mana saving scales with the number of spells you cast in a turn.

For example, consider Manalith. On turn four, Manalith lets you cast a two-drop and a three-drop. But on turn four with a monument, you can cast two three-drops. This is quite good, especially when you factor in the effects from when you cast creature spells.

And let’s take a quick look at those effects. They trigger when you cast any creature spell, not just one of that Monument’s “color.” Ranking them from what I think is the best to worst:

Oketra – Gives you a 1/1 token. Yay chump blockers, Equipment holders, and sacrifice fodder!

Hazoret – Lets you trade in your dead cards for live ones. Great way to filter excess lands in the late game. Or maybe you just want to do graveyard shenanigans.

Bontu – The effect is minimal, but lots of cards trigger when you gain life. Obviously great over a long game where you can drain opponents of 5+ life.

Rhonas – Not all big creatures have trample. This fixes that and helps you attack more effectively. Hampered by the fact that you need creatures and have to be in a position to attack.

Kefnet – Requires an opponent to control a tapped creature. There will be games where you can keep multiple creatures frozen for multiple turns, but they will be few and far between.

Runner up: Watchers of the Dead. Not the ideal graveyard hate since everyone gets to keep two cards, but it hits every player and can be played in any deck. That’s solid versatility already, and being an activated ability means you get around Torpor Orb.

Command Your Crop

Amonkhet looks awesome for Commander. There are actually more cards I’d like to talk about, but I am out of space for today. In general, I’m very high on aftermath. You get bonus spells in your deck, increasing the number of effects you have access to at any moment. Embalm is exactly the kind of value mechanic that shines in Commander. The mythics are quirky, a trait popular among our kind. I am thrilled for this set more than any in a long time.

But what about you, initiates? Which Amonkhet cards are you looking forward to adding to your Commander decks?

[thewisekitsune]

So due to growing demand here is my trade list:

·         Dual Colors

o   Everlasting Torment x1

o   Splitting image x 1

o   Mirrorweave x 1

o   Nightveil Specter x 1

o   Doomgape x 1

o   Djinn Illuminatus x 1

o   Biomass Mutation x 2

o   Cryptborn horror x 1

o   Azor’s elocutors x 2

o   Giant Solifuge x 1

o   Gleancrawler x 1

·         Foil Rares

o   Torrent Elelmental x 1

o   Distended Mindbender x 1

o   Deepfathom Skulker x 1

o   Architect of the untamed x 1

o   Saheeli’s Artistry x 2

o   Deathbringer Regent x 1

o   Nibilis of Frost x 1

o   Path of bravery x 1

o   Helm of the gods x 1

o   Chained to the rocks x 1

o   Trading post x 1

o   Hedron Alignment x 1

o   Wharf infiltrator x 1

o   Living lore x 1

o   Council of the absolute x 1

o   Sands of delirium x 1

o   Boros Battleshaper x 1

o   Foundry champion x 2

o   Plea for guidance x 1

o   Imprisoned in the moon x 1

o   Exava Rakdos Blood Witch x 1

o   Fated Infatuation x 1

o   Trait Doctoring x 1

o   Scourge of fleets x 1

o   Flamewake Phoenix x 1

o   Elder of laurels x 1

o   Thousand winds x 1

o   Celestial archon x 1

o   Rubblebelt raiders x 1

o   Phytotitan x 1

o   Simic manipulator x 1

o   Palisade Giant x 1

·         Promos

o   Squelching Leeches

o   Ogre Battledriver

o   Wharf infiltrator

o   Skarrg Goliath

o   Deadbridge Goliath

o   Emrakul’s Evangul

o   Xathrid Gorgon

o   Dictate of the Twin Gods

o   Necropolis Fiend

o   In Garruk’s Wake

o   Multiform Wonder

o   Fated Showdown

·         Lands

o   Concealed Courtyard

o   Drownyard Temple

o   Hanweir Battlements

o   Alchemist’s Refuge

o   Shrine of the Forsaken Gods

o   Temple of Abandon

o   Ally encampment

o   Ruins of Oran Rief

o   Sea Gate Wreckage

o   Inspiring Vantage

o   Blooming Marsh

o   Botanical Sanctum

o   Mirrorpool

o   Llanowar wastes

o   Sanctum of Ugin

o   Foreboding Ruins

o   Geier Reach Sanctum

o   Throne of the High City

o   Haven of the Spirit Dragon

o   Temple of Triumph

o   Temple of Silence

o   Grove of the Guardian

o   Paliano, the High City

o   Corrupted Crossroads

o   Stensia Bloodhall

o   Grim backwoods

o   Contested War zone

o   Exotic Orchard

o   Sunpetal Grove

o   Windbrisk Heights

·         Multi-Colored/eldrazi

o   Jor-Kadeen, The Prevailer

o   Sphinx summoner

o   Filigree Angel

o   Aura mutation

o   Crackling doom

o   Utter end

o   Dauntless escort

o   Iroas, god of victory

o   Artifact mutation

o   Heron’s grace champion

o   Conduit of ruin

o   Prized amalgam

o   The gitrog monster

o   Rubblehulk

o   Blood tyrant

o   Progenitor mimic

o   Etherium-horn sorcerer

o   Decimate

o   Merciless eviction

o   Master biomancer

o   Edric spymaster of trest

o   Jori en Ruin diver

o   Desolation twin

o   Distended mindbender

o   Kozilek, the great distortion

o   Grim flayer

o   Ulamog, the ceaseless hunger

o   Vorel of the hull clade

o   Adriana, captain of the guard

o   Altered ego

o   Breaking/entering

o   Eldrazi obligator

o   Endless one

o   Kheru lich lord

o   Biovisionary

o   Kambal consul of allocation

o   Villainous wealth

o   Avalanche tusker

o   Serpentine spike

o   Munda ambush leader

o   Brutal explosion

o   Dust stalker

o   Brago, King eternal

o   Blight herder

o   Veteran warleader

o   From beyond

o   Bring to light

o   March from the tomb

o   Brood butcher

o   Gruesome slaughter

o   Ojutai soul of winter

o   Deepfathom skulker

o   Sire of insanity

o   Angelic captain

o   Bloodhall priest

o   Smothering abomination

o   Temur ascendancy

o   Arashin sovereign

o   Silumgar’s command

o   Sagu mauler

o   Trap essence

o   Butcher of the horde

o   Anax and cymede

o   Savage knuckle blade

o   Fathom feeder

o   Selvala Explorer returned

o   Atarka World render

o   Simic sky swallower

o   Plasma capture

o   Boltwing marauder

o   Necromancer dragon

o   Kolaghan the storm’s fury

o   Reaper of the wilds

o   Deceiver of form

o   Revel of the fallen god

o   Eternal scourge

o   Duneblast

o   Dack’s duplicate

o   Council of the absolute

o   Polis crusher

o   Sage of the Inward eye

o   Invocation of saint traft

o   Magister of worth

o   Ayli eternal pilgrim

o   Ivorytusk fortress

o   Rakshaa vizier

o   Ankle shanker

o   Flying crane technique

o   Lavinia of the tenth

o   Render silent

o   Beck/call

o   Spark trooper

o   Fathom mage

o   Clan defiance

o   Abzan ascendency

o   Steam augury

o   Signal the clans

o   Mercurial chemister

o   Mardu ascendency

o   Boros battleshaper

o   Unexpected results

o   Dragonshift

o   Daxos of meletis

o   Tajic blade of the legion

o   Firemane angel

o   Vedalken heretic

o   Titanic ultimatum

o   Counterflux

o   Alms beast

o   Vile redeemer

o   Searing meditation

o   Psychic intrusion

o   Blazing specter

o   Aurelia’s fury

o   Corpsejack menace

o   Windreaver

o   Surrak, dragonclaw

o   Underworld cerebus

o   Melek, izzet paragon

o   Whispering madness

o   Firemane avenger

o   Loxodon hierarch

o   Mystic genesis

o   Firemind’s foresight

o   Hypersonic dragon

o   Carnival hellsteed

o   Archon of the triumvirate

o   Wayfaring temple

o   Ready/willing

o   Rakshasa deathdealer

o   Prophetic bolt

o   Glory of warfare

o   Obzedat’s aid

o   Soul ransom

o   Jarad’s orders

o   Foundry champion

o   Vulturous zombie

o   Invoke the firemind

o   Righteous authority

·         Black

o   Tree of perdition

o   Dark salvation

o   Voldaren pariah

o   Noxious gearhulk

o   Inquisition of kozilek

o   Demonic pact

o   Palace siege

o   Stromkirk condemned

o   To the slaughter

o   Magus of the will

o   Bane of the living

o   Languish

o   Guiltfeeder

o   Cruel entertainment

o   Curtain’s call

o   In garruk’s wake

o   Brutal horderchief

o   Collective brutality

o   Mardu strike leader

o   Guul draz specter

o   Asylum visitor

o   From under the floorboards

o   Custody lich

o   Harvester of souls

o   Nightmare

o   Oath of liliana

o   Sangromancer

o   Cranial extraction

o   Gonti lord of luxury

o   Moriok rigger

o   Marionette master

o   Eliminate the competition

o   Midnight oil

o   Demon of dark schemes

o   Syndicate trafficker

o   King macar, the gold cursed

o   Behold the beyond

o   Drakestown forgotten

o   Treacherous pit-dweller

o   Defiant bloodlord

o   Abhorrent overlord

o   Gild

o   Nighthowler

o   Indulgent tormentor

o   Markov dreadknight

o   Ever after

o   Tainted remedy

o   Infinite obliteration

o   Hedonist’s trove

o   Blood-chin fanatic

o   Corpseweft

o   Ghastly conscription

o   Grim haruspex

o   Call to the grave

o   Butcher of malakir

o   Pitiless horde

o   Puppeteer clique

o   Carnifex demon

o   Abyssal nocturnes

o   Archfiend of depravity

o   Priest of the blood rite

o   Kuro pitlord

o   Deathbringer regent

o   Despoiler of souls

o   Skirsdag high priest

o   Killing wave

o   Sewer nemesis

o   Dark hatchling

o   Fated return

o   Grim return

o   Fiend of the shadows

o   Repay in kind

o   Pestilence demon

o   Shimian specter

o   Drana’s chosen

o   Graveblade marauder

o   Ill-gotten gains

o   Underworld connections

o   Undercity plague

o   Necromancer’s stockpile

o   Mortivore

o   Fallen angel

o   Extractor demon

o   Skeletal vampire

o   Royal assassin

o   Champion of stray souls

o   Twilight’s call

o   Kyoki, sanity’s eclipse

o   Gloom surgeon

o   Elusive tormentor

o   Demonic rising

o   Dread slaver

o   Foul renewal

o   Unbreathing horde

o   Noosegraf mob

o   Blood scrivener

o   Wit’s end

o   Greater harvester

o   Painful truths

o   Nightmare

o   Curse of misfortune

o   Ogre slumlord

o   Ravenous demon

o   Mind shatter

o   Memoricide

o   Neverending torment

·         Red

o   Godo Bandit Warlord

o   Territorial Gorger

o   Hellkite tyrant

o   Hellkite igniter

o   Trash for treasure

o   Reforge the soul

o   Runehorn hellkite

o   Goblin spymaster

o   Impetuous devils

o   Bedlam reveler

o   Sin prodder

o   Devil’s playground

o   Lathnu hellion

o   Undying flames

o   Avacyn’s judgment

o   Tide of war

o   Soulblast

o   Dragon mage

o   Charging cinderhorn

o   Divergent transformations

o   Taurean mauler

o   Stalking vengeance

o   Alesha who smiles at death

o   Falkenrath gorger

o   Hanweir garrison

o   Breath of fury

o   Kumano master yamabushi

o   Oracle of bones

o   Felhide spellbinder

o   Akoum hellkite

o   Skyship stalker

o   Clash of realities

o   Liberating combustion

o   Fateful showdown

o   Flameshadow conjuring

o   Madcap experiments

o   Harmless offerings

o   Mindblaze

o   Goblin festival

o   Collective defiance

o   In the web of war

o   Satyr firedancer

o   Firedrinker satyr

o   Rageblood shaman

o   Goldnight castigator

o   Assembled alphas

o   Stromkirk occultists

o   Wolf of devil’s breach

o   Burn from within

o   Shivan dragon

o   Stranglehold

o   Harness the storm

o   Flameblade angel

o   Scourge wolf

o   Butcher orgg

o   Flayer of the hatebound

o   Flamewake phoenix

o   Dual casting

o   Skyline despot

o   Charmbreaker devils

o   Volcanic visions

o   Volatile chimera

o   Banefire

o   Fall of the titans

o   Kurkesh onakke ancient

o   Ashcloud phoenix

o   Hell’s thunder

o   Siege dragon

o   Howl of the horde

o   Jeering instigator

o   Ire shaman

o   Scab-clan berserker

o   Hellion eruption

o   Barrage tyrant

o   Mob rule

o   Magmaw

o   Berserker’s onslaught

o   Serpentine spike

o   Flame-wreathed phoenix

o   Awaken the ancient

o   Five-alarm fire

o   Ogre battledriver

o   Pyrewild shaman

o   Labyrinth champion

o   Whims of the fates

o   Molten primordial

o   Akoum firebird

o   Titan of eternal fire

o   Harness by force

o   Dictate of the twin gods

o   Instigator gang

o   Bearer of the heavens

o   Forgestoker dragon

o   Burning anger

o   Ignition team

o   Grenzo’s rebuttal

o   Wild evocation

o   Ember swallower

o   Oath of Chandra

o   Hoarding dragon

o   Mordant dragon

o   Hoard smelter dragon

o   Falkenrath marauders

o   Mondronen shaman

o   Wrecking ogre

o   Trained orgg

o   Zada hedron grinder

o   Ghitu fire

o   Galvanoth

o   Volley of boulders

o   Torchling

o   Flamerush rider

o   Heretic’s punishment

o   Vulshok battlemaster

o   Embermaw hellion

o   Devil’s play

o   Firewing phoenix

o   Curse of the stalked prey

o   Mindsparker

o   Alpha brawl

o   Burn at the stake

o   Rite of ruin

o   Chaos imps

o   Increasing vengeance

o   Slag fiend

o   Curse of the bloodletting

o   Hamletback goliath

o   Hound of griselbrand

o   Markov blademaster

o   Guild feud

o   Bloodfire colossus

·         Green

o   Bane of progress

o   Verdurous gearhulk

o   Verdant crescendo

o   Creeping renaissance

o   Nissa vital force

o   Selvala’s stampede

o   Realm seekers

o   Lurking predators

o   Traverse the ulvenwald

o   Terastodon

o   Architect of the untamed

o   Nissa’s renewal

o   Bristling hydra

o   Primeval protector

o   Emrakul’s evangel

o   Eldritch evolution

o   Beastcaller savant

o   Cryptolith rite

o   Oviya pashiri, sage lifecrafter

o   Scourge of skola vale

o   Seeds of renewal

o   Den protector

o   Managorger hydra

o   Thelonite hermit

o   Thunderfoot baloth

o   Beastmaster ascension

o   Mycoloth

o   Shamanic revelation

o   Stonehoof chieftan

o   Deathmist raptor

o   Meandering towershell

o   Honored hierarch

o   Ulvenwald observer

o   Splitting slime

o   Permeating mass

o   Inexorable blob

o   Oran-rief hydra

o   Caller of the untamed

o   Wildest dreams

o   Dubious challenge

o   Forgotten ancient

o   Regal behemoth

o   Deathcap cultivator

o   Cultivator of blades

o   Wild pair

o   Heroes’ bane

o   Mistcutter hydra

o   Life’s legacy

o   Sunbringer’s touch

o   Evolutionary leap

o   Mul daya channelers

o   Druids’ repository

o   Fated intervention

o   Dwynen, Gilt-leaf dean

o   Sandsteppe mastodon

o   Jedit ojanen of efrava

o   Frontier siege

o   Obscuring aether

o   Avatar of the resolute

o   Spirit of the hunt

o   Zendikar resurgent

o   Polukranos, world eater

o   Second harvest

o   Silverfur partisan

o   Kodama of the center tree

o   Reverent hunter

o   Skarrg goliath

o   Kessig cagebreakers

o   Nessian wilds ravager

o   Wolfbriar elemental

o   Splendid reclamation

o   Into the wilds

o   Anthousa setessan hero

o   Turntimber ranger

o   Trail of mastery

o   Heartwood storyteller

o   Renegade krasis

o   Deadbridge goliath

o   Hunter’s prowess

o   All sun’s dawn

o   Plated slagwurm

o   Daybreak ranger

o   Wolfbitten captive

o   Chancellor of the tangle

o   Wildcall

o   Predatory rampage

o   Feed the pack

o   Ooze flux

o   Splinterfright

o   Outland colossus

o   Lhurgoyf

o   Mana bloom

o   Wild beastmaster

o   Gaea’s revenge

o   Troll ascetic

o   Arbor colossus

o   Garruk’s horde

o   Phytotitan

o   Soul of the harvest

o   Animist’s awakening

o   Chameleon colossus

o   Gigantomancer

o   Reach of branches

o   Quirion dryad

o   Shaman of the forgotten ways

o   Lost in the woods

o   Sage of ancient lore

o   Doubling chant

o   Elder of laurels

o   Deranged outcast

o   Moldgraf monstrosity

o   Death’s presence

·         Blue

o   Coastal breach

o   Cloudhoof kirin

o   Geralf’s masterpiece

o   Mausoleum wanderer

o   Uyo silent prophet

o   Eternal dominion

o   Guardian tazeem

o   Confiscation coup

o   Manifold insights

o   Chasm skulker

o   Padeem, consul of innovation

o   Blessed reincarnation

o   Aeon chronicler

o   Swan song

o   Reins of power

o   Read the runes

o   Ethersworn adjudicator

o   Minds aglow

o   Desertion

o   Azami lady of scrolls

o   Stunt double

o   Spelltwine

o   Swirl of mists

o   Keeper of keys

o   Sphinx of chimes

o   Deadeye navigator

o   Sphinx of lost truths

o   Nibilis of frost

o   Aethersquall ancient

o   Saheeli’s artistry

o   Dictate of kruphix

o   Chisei heart of oceans

o   Kami of the crescent moon

o   Arcane servant

o   Followed footsteps

o   Convenant of minds

o   Insidious will

o   Coax from the blind eternities

o   Summary dismissal

o   Sphinx of maosi

o   Nephalia moondrakes

o   Forgotten creation

o   Displacement wave

o   Engulf the shore

o   epiphany at the drownyard

o   identity thief

o   docent of perfection

o   wharf infiltrator

o   imprisoned in the moon

o   heidar rimewind master

o   sharding sphinx

o   deep-sea kraken

o   mind’s dilation

o   exert influence

o   academy elite

o   willbreaker

o   curse of the swine

o   polymorphist’s jest

o   scourge of fleets

o   icefall regent

o   dragonlord’s prerogative

o   mirror mockery

o   confirm suspicions

o   welcome to the fold

o   overwhelming denial

o   scatter to the winds

o   ugin’s insight

o   prism array

o   shu yun, the silent tempest

o   mizzium meddler

o   thopter spy network

o   plea for power

o   hypnotic siren

o   chief engineer

o   kheru spellsnatcher

o   thousand winds

o   fate infatuation

o   perplexing chimera

o   whelming wave

o   mindreaver

o   living lore

o   shorecrasher elemental

o   stratus dancer

o   jeskai infiltrator

o   supplant form

o   sage-eye avengers

o   icy blast

o   aetherspouts

o   pearl lake ancient

o   mercurial pretender

o   bident of thassa

o   tromokratsis

o   stolen identity

o   simic manipulator

o   soulblade djinn

o   back from the brink

o   denizen of the deep

o   anthroplasm

o   devastation tide

o   aetherling

o   artisan of forms

o   cackling counterpart

o   elite aracanist

o   meletis charlatan

o   battlefield thaumaturge

o   riddlekeeper

o   memory erosion

o   captain of the mists

o   torrent elemental

o   void stalker

o   stolen goods

o   xenograft

o   stormtide leviathan

o   phyrexian ingester

o   lunar mystic

o   clone

o   dreamborn muse

o   infinite reflection

o   mind-spring

o   ephemeron

o   mind unbound

o   gravitational shift

o   selective memory

o   distant memories

o   rooftop storm

o   reweave

o   realwright

o   sphinx of uthuun

o   psychic surgery

o   djinn of wishes

o   geralf’s mindcrusher

o   spirit away

o   arcane melee

o   sturmgeist

o   hedron alignment

o   redirect

o   curse of echoes

o   exert influence

o   dimensional infiltrator

o   havengul runebinder

·         White

o   Wave of reckoning

o   Reverse the sands

o   Oblation

o   Thalia’s lieutenant

o   Blazing archon

o   Hoofprints of the stag

o   Toolcraft exemplar

o   Angel of invention

o   Selfless spirit

o   Duelist’s heritage

o   Sublime exhaustion

o   Selfless squire

o   Entrapment maneuver

o   Hanweir militia captain

o   Reborn hero

o   Hero of goma fada

o   Hallowed burial

o   Paliano vanguard

o   Spirit of the hearth

o   Captured by the consulate

o   Aetherstorm roc

o   Authority of the consul

o   Fumigate

o   Emeria shepherd

o   Master trinketeer

o   Dragonscale general

o   Geist-honored monk

o   Opal archangel

o   Hushwing gryff

o   Indestructibility

o   High sentinels of arashin

o   Hundred-handed one

o   Providence

o   Thalia’s lancers

o   Ordic Lunarch Marshal  

o   Sigarda’s aid

o   Deploy the gatewatch

o   Drogskol cavalry

o   Return to the ranks

o   Eerie interlude

o   Planar guide

o   Promise of bunrei

o   Protector of the crown

o   Parish

o   Intrepid hero

o   Faith’s reward

o   Path of bravery

o   Bruna the fading light

o   Sanctifier of souls

o   Kytheon’s irregulars

o   Dictate of heliod

o   Gustcloak savior

o   Relic seeker

o   Profound journey

o   Precinct captain

o   Arashin foremost

o   Hidden dragonslayer

o   Radiant purge

o   Citadel siege

o   Felidar sovereign

o   General tazri

o   Hold the line

o   Divine deflection

o   Munda’s vanguard

o   Storm herd

o   Angel of deliverance

o   Fated retribution

o   Aegis of the gods

o   Celestial archon

o   Custody soulbinders

o   Renounce the guilds

o   Frontline medic

o   Bygone bishop

o   Decide

o   Scion of vitu-ghazi

o   Resolute archangel

o   Imposing sovereign

o   Preeminent captain

o   Gideon’s phalanx

o   Master of pearls

o   Hero of iroas

o   Chained to the rocks

o   Rally the ancients

o   Mastery of the unseen

o   Skybind

o   Herald of war

o   Lantern scout

o   Galepowder mage

o   World queller

o   Silent sentinel

o   Mass calcify

o   Seraph of the sword

o   Increasing devotion

o   Silverblade paladin

o   Odric master tactician

o   Martial law

o   Auriok salvagers

o   Touch of the eternal

o   Archon of justice

o   Spirit of the labyrinth

o   Sudden disappearance

o   Cathar’s crusade

o   Captain of the watch

o   Call the gatewatch

o   Angel of flight alabaster

o   Aegis angel

o   Planar outburst

o   Marshal’s anthem

o   Mesa enchantress

o   Angelic skirmisher

o   Dearly departed

o   Planar cleansing

o   Dawnbringer charioteers

·         Artifact

o   Armory automaton

o   Trading post

o   Soul of new phyrexia

o   Blinkmoth urn

o   Bonehoard

o   Fleetwheel cruiser

o   Brain in a jar

o   Sunforger

o   Baku altar

o   Panharmonicon

o   Bomat courier

o   Moonring mirror

o   Myr battlesphere

o   Ghirapur orrery

o   Metalwork colossus

o   Crystalline crawler

o   Prismatic geoscope

o   Empyreal plate

o   Keening stone

o   Temple bell

o   Conqueror’s flail

o   Animation module

o   Boompile

o   Canal dredger

o   Dragon throne of tarkir

o   Lupine prototype

o   Tamiyo’s journal

o   Corrupted gravestone

o   Slayer’s plate

o   Stoneforge masterwork

o   Sticher’s graft

o   Soul separator

o   Long forgotten gohei

o   Imi statue

o   Uba mask

o   Deadlock trap

o   Slumbering tora

o   Psychosis crawler

o   Junkyo bell

o   Cultivator’s caravan

o   Multiform wonder

o   Jar of eyeballs

o   Pyxis of pandemonium

o   Colossus of arkos

o   Triskelavus

o   Myr welder

o   Altar of the brood

o   Tower of calamities

o   Pentavus

o   Throne of empires

o   Manor gargoyle

o   Akroan horse

o   Guardian of the ages

o   Cogwork grinder

o   Scroll of origins

o   Helm of the gods

o   Deal broker

o   Shield of the avatar

o   Heroes’ podium

o   Mage-ring responder

o   Otherworld atlas

o   Hedron matrix

o   Deathrender

o   Sphinx bone wand

o   Liar’s pendulum

o   Aether searcher

o   Druidic satchel

o   Hair-strung koto

o   Volatile rig

o   Gallows at willow hill

o   Steel hellkite

o   Glaring spotlight

o   Seer’s sundial

o   Haunted plate mail

o   Spellbinder worldslayer

[orionsangel86]

12x20 - Holy Narrative Mirrors Batman!

In the middle of taking ages to write another hand meta (yes I’m back to that guys) this episode aired and therefore I am here to bring you my review of 12x20 and all the emotions that brought to the table.

Firstly, important things to address: I am PISSED that two POC women were killed this episode. I don’t really care that Alesha was brought back as a Twig puppet monster (my nickname for those creatures) because it was still two violent POC deaths shown on screen. Must we really keep seeing this on this show? After Billy? I know that SPN needs to keep its death count high and I would NOT want them to kill off Max when he is our only canon recurring queer character on the show atm either (not including Dean still hidden away in Narnia) but I’m still pissed off about it. I also didn’t like the fact that they showed the old witch’s immediate dislike of Tasha being a racist thing either. Yes I know she’s an evil witch but really spn? Racism and then have that same racist old hag KILL the poc lady? Nice going.

Anyway, that is my rant on that. So ya’ll know it pissed me off. This is a just fandom blog and I wanna keep it positive bearing in mind I actually loved this episode but it needed to be addressed.

I did love this episode, even if I am getting a meta headache over all the narrative mirrors they showed us and went to extensive lengths to portray. I feel I need to outline them all clearly so without further rambling here they are:

Max is Dean and Alesha is Sam

This one is pretty obvious. They went to great lengths to show this including adding a blast from the far past in the ‘THEN’ section by showing us the Pilot episodes baby dean (how high and young his voice was!) saying the classic phrase “Dad’s on a hunting trip and hasn’t been home in a few days”. To say that the Banes’ story then mirrors the first two seasons of the show would be highly accurate.

Max is shown to be the loud, flirtatious, overly confident sibling with his boisterous attitude and charisma. Unlike Dean however he is ‘out and proud’… Oh Dean… please find your way out of Narnia this season.

Alesha is the sibling who rolls her eyes over her brothers antics, and feels more like an outsider in the family, based on this conversation with Sam:

“He always thinks he knows mum better, because they’re both natural witches, it’s who they are”

“When I was growing up Dean and my dad had the same thing with hunting, that bond”.

This pretty much drums the mirror home, but later we are shown just how similar Dean and Max are by how Max takes the deal and brings his sister back (though perhaps not quite in the same way) and sells his soul for her, because like Dean, he is unable to go on without his sibling.

This is the main narrative mirror in place, with the siblings shown to be kinda co-dependent and willing to sacrifice for each other. It also really helps our bi!dean reading that he is yet again being mirrored with a queer man. Yay for Steve Yokey really pushing that parallel.

more under the cut...

Max is Sam and Alesha is Dean

However there is a less obvious mirror between the siblings the other way around, it isn’t as strong as above but it is still there in the way that Alesha was the one to first be worrying about their mother, she was the one who wanted to drag the Winchesters in it, and she was the one trying to find out what was going on whereas Max was more concerned about his date (aka Sam being more concerned about getting back to his exams and Jess). All this subtle narrative mirror shows is that it goes both way between the brothers, the mirrors are not so clear cut because like this season in general, things can always go either way, including down an unexpected path.

Sam has also sacrificed himself for Dean, and for the world. He is also willing to do terrible things to save his brother’s life. He is also like Max and totally capable of making terrible decisions (as season 10 showed us all too well).

Tasha as John Winchester

This one is obvious when you consider the original plot of SPN “Dad’s on a hunting trip…” “their mom is on a hunting trip and hasn’t been home in a week”. Tasha here though, is the John that the Winchesters never had. The Banes are how the Winchesters could have been had John not spiralled down in grief and drink and abuse. As Dean says “Watching them, this loving family, the kind we should have had” (it also brings up a point that if John had been there and been caring and considerate of his sons perhaps Dean would have ended up more like Max – as in completely unashamed of his sexuality and out and proud about it including in front of his parent : “We’re gonna have some… guy time” indeed.)

Tasha as Mary Winchester

Kinda obvious in that she is their mom, but also that she went off hunting alone and got herself turned into a twig monster. Now the twig monster symbolism works well for both Mary and Cas and I’ll get to him in a bit but first I need to talk about how this could be bad foreshadowing for Mary. We already know she ends this episode in a very sticky situation, just like Tasha was. Tasha was offered a deal and refused to take it, now that Mary is trapped and potentially gonna be tortured by the BMOL, what kind of deal are they likely to offer her? What will happen to her if she doesn’t take it? Will she also possibly loose her heart?

Tasha as Castiel

This one is probably less obvious, but I wanted to mention it because of the imagery at the start of the episode.

Brown Jacket, Blue shirt. Could be a coincidence but then with everything else I don’t think it is…. Also…

Look what rug turned up again…

Plus the difference in glowing eyes this episode just seems to me to be a big call back to last episode where there was so much emphasis on the eyes. Tasha’s natural magic makes her eyes glow purple (very similar to Cas’s blue)

Whereas the twig monsters eyes glow white when under control of the witch:

There isn’t much of a difference from blue to purple and yellow to white…

And her glowing pendant just reminds me of Cas’s grace in the vial that Metatron kept hidden

So why is Tasha a Cas mirror? Because she is trying to go it alone without her family to stop of the witch? Gets caught up in a power she can’t defeat and gets used by that power. That the witch saw something in her enough to try to deal with her, but Tasha fought, she said no, and it cost her her life. Both Mary and Cas took the metaphorical deal. Both lost their way, lost their souls AND their hearts when you consider what Cas is potentially losing in the Winchesters if he continues down this current path, and what Mary has lost by choosing the BMOL over her sons.

The Twig Puppet Monsters as mirrors for Cas

I mentioned this briefly in this post, but I need to go into further detail. We have all been speculating since 12x19 as to what is wrong with Cas, and I think this episode answered it quite clearly in the mirror given to us here. The witch steals the heart of her victims, puts it into her puppets of twine and twig and recreates them perfectly, but under her control when she needs them. She takes out their emotional core. I think that this is a good explanation for what the Nephilim child did to Cas. It manipulated him using his heart – his desire to find a path, faith, a mission… it all comes down to his desire for love and to accept love into his life (all thing we have meta’d about before). The Nephilim used this against him, it used his heart to gain control.

I wasn’t 100 per cent sure on this mirror, or what Yokey was trying to tell us until that last scene, when Max brought back Alesha in twig puppet monster form. Puppet Alesha seemed to show care and concern for her brother, she seemingly knew nothing about what had happened to her. Same with puppet Tasha, she showed care to her kids and had that heartfelt talk with Dean. Why would a monster put in such effort to give advice and care? Even if trying to keep under the radar. I genuinely felt like the Tasha puppet didn’t realise what she was until Max forced her via magic to reveal herself.

As I mentioned in the linked post, what really brought this point home for me was the “are you hurt?” worry that Puppet Alesha showed? It was a direct parallel of Cas’s “your hurt” to Dean at the end of last episode. The moment at the end of 12x19 that really brought confusion to the whole ‘is Cas brainwashed again?’ theory. Cas was so delicate in the way he reached out and touched Dean to heal him. A moment caught so intimately on camera like so many shots from last episode. It showed the audience that however Cas was being controlled it wasn’t in the same way as Naomi, or Rowena with the attack dog spell, or Cas after the angels resetting him in season 4. Bobo was right when he said that this was different, that it wasn’t brainwashing as such.

Like the twig puppet monsters, Cas doesn’t realise he is under control, or that his decisions are not his own, because his heart is what is being used against him, showing him things “the Future” that make him think he is on a righteous path.

All this makes me think is that if it is Cas’s heart that used against him by the Nephilim then I am suddenly very excited as to how we will break him free of this spell.

This of course brings us to…

Destiel

How can I NOT talk about destiel in this episode! Oh Dean. We talk a lot about who carries the torch for destiel in each season, and how usually, unless Dean is carrying that torch destiel feels like it gets shoved into the background (throughout seasons 9 and 10 we didn’t get destiel from Dean very much at all). Now the torch is firmly in Dean’s hands and I feel for him so strongly.

After such a glorious Destiel heavy episode in 12x19, we would usually expect a few no homo moments in the following episode, or at least the odd trend in earlier seasons of Dean seemingly completely forgetting Cas once he disappeared again, however what we got instead was wonderful.

Our first shot of Dean after the cold open was of his hands, clutched in worry and very telling of his emotional state (I will continue to go on about shots of hands this season and how they express emotion)

Dean is talking about his concern over Cas to what appears to be a long suffering Sam (forever long suffering Sam).

“It sock puppetted him” he says in an interesting choice of words that only further drums home the Cas as a Twig Puppet Monster mirror.

What I love most about this scene is not Dean’s worry, but Sam’s calm and logical thinking. It is YET ANOTHER moment where the relationship between Dean and Cas and Sam and Cas is shown to be so very different. We have been seeing this difference continuously in the show since 11x14 and I can’t believe that we haven’t had a moment yet of Dean turning to Sam and saying “Why the hell aren’t you freaking out like I am?” only for Sam to give him classic bitchface no.25 before walking away and muttering under his breath what a lovestruck idiot Dean is.

He clearly brings up the colt to change the subject. Since it’s not mentioned again all episode.

When Alesha calls Sam jumps at the chance to go on a hunt, but Dean protests, and this is AGAIN something we don’t tend to see, and if we do, it’s because something is wrong with Cas, Dean doesn’t wanna do a regular hunt and instead focus on Cas, but Sam logic talks him into going (usually because Sam is fed up of Dean moping about his husband being missing and wants a distraction). “What about Cas?” Dean asks and I punch the air because I have been asking that SAME question now for YEARS and THANK YOU SHOW for making it something that is really being drummed home again…

*sips Cas hater tears*

We get this brilliant long logic talk from Sam about how they have already done everything they can to look for Cas and there is really nothing else to do at this stage and how the Banes’s need their help all while Dean is just giving him this bitchface until Sam just gives up, realises none of that is working, so he plays the family card “Their mom’s on a hunting trip, and hasn’t been home in a week.” And that’s what makes Dean give in. He always was one for tradition…

The fact that they gave us all this glorious Dean worry and protesting the hunt and everything I honestly thought would be enough but nope! They give us MORE.

Dean’s call to Mary just broke my heart. Jensen’s acting is SO emotional god I love him. It’s EVERYTHING about the way they wanted to put across Dean’s feelings in this moment. Lets just take a minute to really analyse this scene:

Dean paces in his worry.

Dean calls his MOM because he wants to talk to her.

It goes to voicemail and Dean’s face is visibly upset

“Some stuff going down, kinda got me spun out” In case we weren’t aware that this was about CAS already.

THE MUSIC SWELLS AND IS ROMANTIC AND SAD.

Jensen’s face is beautiful. I mean that we already know but just LOOK at him in this moment. He is so upset, so worried about Cas, so broken over what he must view as rejection. Urgh I can’t with these two.

Everything about this moment SCREAMS a heartbroken lover missing their partner/spouse and wanting to speak to their parent for consolation (where he wasn’t getting it from long suffering Sam). It is glorious.

*queue flashback to Dean telling Jody how Sam and him could have used some of that growing up after Jody mentions being there for the girls to talk about boyfriends etc*

Basically the amount of pining Dean we are getting this season is amazing and I love it.

Mary and Ketch

Moving on to the B Plot story of the episode, I liked the creep factor with Ketch and Mary, the way they bookended this part of the episode with Shifter!Mary and then Real Mary strapped to the chair, the fight when she punched him in the nuts with the knuckledusters (really Ketch you thought they WOULDN’T work on you just because they are meant for Angels?! Knuckledusters are STILL Knuckledusters dude) – Isn’t that a nice little point though about the BMOL’s narrow mindedness, they are completely unable to see beyond the black and white. Angel knuckledusters must ONLY be used for Angels, each item of equipment can only be used for its one single purpose and nothing else. This obvious differentiates Mary and the Winchesters because they are able to get creative with their weapons – just think back to 12x09 and Sam and Dean using that cabin in the woods to trick the army guys – they are able to adapt to their environment and it makes them far superior to the BMOL – I reckon this will come up again in the next two episodes as to how the Winchesters manage to beat the BMOL (because obviously they will beat them).

I don’t like how the other hunters the BMOL were focussed on were Claire, Garth and Eileen. It makes me nervous since next episode is bucklemming… someone is gonna die. The ‘old men’ in Britain were brought up again and I really do wonder if we will get to see them at all (I can’t help but imagine them as almost inhuman themselves – like the old doctor who harvested human part to gain unnatural longlife… either that or like something out of Mad Max Fury Road – the BMOL has GOT to have some super dark secret and I am really curious to find out what these ‘old men’ really are… though maybe just a bunch of old totally human Tory former public school boys in a secret society sipping Brandy and smoking cigars is actually far more horrifying than actual monsters because humans can be just as evil and nothing in Britain is as evil as old man Tory’s.)

At least Mary seems to finally realise that she needs to be there for Sam and Dean and be more of a mom to them. Perhaps we will see more of this in season 13 though the very fact that she has come to this realisation and left a hopeful voicemail to Dean says to me that something very bad is going to happen to her leaving it all too late. We shall just have to wait and see.

The Past and the Future

I know I have briefly mentioned this above, but I LOVE how this whole episode was basically a rewrite of the first two seasons. That obvious call back to the famous line, emphasised by the reminder in the “THEN” section. The Banes mom going missing, the kids looking for her only for her to die shortly before one sibling dies leaving the other to sell his soul to bring them back. The fact that in this very obvious rewrite Dean’s mirror is a queer man. The fact that this is a fantastic commentary on the Winchester co-dependency but with the Winchesters looking in from the outside and voicing their disapproval (though loved Dean’s honesty about that hypocrisy) making the audience AWARE of how bad it was, of how this is NOT something to be romanticised!

(Sometimes I feel like Dabb is waging war on the bibros and it makes me so happy I could kiss him)

The fact that we keep getting this nod to a ‘better way’ in the subtext, and okay, so Max didn’t take the better way (he actually got a worse deal than Dean did when he sold his soul for Sam) but the fact that this was portrayed as a TERRIBLE thing in this episode is proof that Dabb is moving away from this. However the season ends, I can’t see it ending with the toxic co-dependency still being in place, and it seems like we have finally broken this cycle of Winchester sacrifice for each other that seems to reach its climatic peak in the season 10 finale. Dabb is going out of his way to show how far the boys have come. The call backs to the earlier seasons only emphasise the difference, particularly in Dean, in this season. Dean is on a path of honesty and trust and communication, perhaps some of the other characters are still playing catch up to him, but as our POV character, this speaks volumes for the road the show is going down. I for one couldn’t be happier.

Finally

STOP GRENADE BAITING US!!

Seriously though, this chekovs grenade launcher is gonna go off by season end, and it will be Dean who fires it. Lets all cross our fingers that the resolution to this continuous grenade baiting will also come at the same time as a resolution to another kind of baiting that has been subtextually tied to the grenade launcher for a while now. We can but hope after all.

[edh-a-to-z]

9 - Akuta, Born of Ash

 Back to Kamigawa. The thrift shop of MtG commanders.

Why a thrift shop? Because it’s the perfect metaphor. Sometimes you find a kick-butt leather jacket - like Azusa, Lost but Seeking. Other times you find a shirt with a unspeakable, unidentifiable stain - finds like those are like Akuta.

Akuta is born of trash. Belongs on the ash heap. Born of ash is apt description.

There are vanilla Legends era cards that are better, because at least you can use more than one color. A commander in one color with a weak or unplayable ability/uses (good luck getting Phage into play) is less useful than having the card options of two colors, and prevents getting locked out by Iona and other color controlling effects.

Now that I have railed mightily against the trash that is these sub-par wastes of Legendary cardboard, I will propose my solution - for each of these commanders I deem “lesser,” I will do a guild/shard/mono build for them. For commanders that match them, I will link (for example, for Ashling, the Extinguisher, another monoblack creature) this Akuta build, as it may be a decent black build.

LORE: Bupkis. Nada. Zilch.

Akuta is not mentioned in any flavor text. It does not have any flavor text. Thematically, it’s included in Critical Mass theme deck from Kamigawa built around the Wisdom semi-mechanic, but there’s no lore with it. 

As a character, it’s noted as “a legendary kami of ashes and ruin.” Which adds ruin to its description, I guess. 

Fittingly, no lore for an unloved creature.

THE CARD:

A card born for the wisdom mechanic, and a decently hastey creature meant to be thrown into melee. A Haste 3/2 for 2BB with restricted recursion isn’t the worst, but lets me understand why Kamigawa seems to be the most disliked block of all time.

As a commander, Akuta lets you pick how you want to get him back - from the command zone or by fulfilling its bizarre recursion criteria. A corner case, yes, but technically it allows more option. So I guess it’s better than a 3/2 with haste and nothing else. At least all you needed to do was sac a swamp.

BUILDS:

Since Akuta loves swamps so much, we are going to have a fun build today - wisdom and swamps!

A lot of monoblack cards care about swamps, and the number of swamps you have, or can make other lands swamps, which is nice if your creatures have swampwalk (hello Filth!).

The other hand is Wisdom - Kamigawa’s mechanic that rewards durdling. Black had powerful draw, so lets make sure our hand is full if we want to keep using Akuta.

So Akuta lets forces you to play monoblack. As the first, we have Gimmick Swamp!

BATTLE PLAN:

We like swamps. We like them a lot.

First, lets makes sure we have them!

(1) Getting Swamps

Our landbase is basically all swamps + Utility land, so manabase is easy.

I have a soft spot for Corpse Harvester, sac’ing token Zombies and getting better ones and hitting land drops (or having lands for discard effects) is good.

Liliana of the Dark Realms, Liliana’s Shade, plus any effects looking for Basic Lands or Swampcycling (any Basic Land/Swamp effect, really) makes sure we have lots of swamps.

(2) Making other things into swamps

We’re riding this Swamp Horse to the ground folks.

It’s not enough for us to have swamps. We’re gonna do the ol’ Swamps and Swampwalk. 

For that we want Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, Blanket of Night, Contaminated Ground, Cyclopean Giant, Evil Presence, and Tainted Well. This doesn’t quite add up to 8 (as per the 8 by 8 theory of deck building), but mono blacks kick-butt tutors help in this department. 

(3) Using Swamps

Now that we’ve hit our swamps, what do we do with them?

Strands of Night lets you bring anything back for a bit of life, a bit of mana, and sac a swamp. There’s also Lake of the Dead, letting you squeeze out BBBBB out of a single swamp. 

Guul Draz Overseer buffs your team whenever a Swamp hits the ground (hooray Landfall!), Corrupt can hit for 8-12 for a big life swing (or targeted removal), and Tendrils of Agony is just removal. Quag Sickness is good removal. Snuff Out is Doom Blade for 4 life instead of mana, Nightmare Lash and Lashwrithe are Swampy equipments. Plus, Shade style creatures love Swamps to pump them up.

Nightmare Incursion is a punch in the face to the combo player. Backup pieces? What backup pieces? Mutilate is a Swampy board wipe - when it drops on turn 5, you’ll probably have at least 4 Swamps, so it’s a Languish that keeps getting better.

(4) (Swamp) Walk Like an Egyptian

Obligatory Amonkhet pun. 

Now that everything is nice and swampy, get walking. Unblockable damage isn’t flashy, but it’s effective. There’s generic standbys like Bog Wraith and Moor Fiend which are Hill Giants with upside. Not great, but fun for the theme of swamp. Blistergrub is a little more interesting, but pretty small. Sewerdreg is a bad body with a niche ability, Odylic Wraith is actually interesting (discard when it gets through), Whispering Shade is a pumpable swampwalker. 

A big payoff for swampwalkers is effects with “when creature deals damage to player,” like Larceny. Cipher cards, from Dimir guild in Ravnica 2.0, lets creatures that have a spell encoded on them fire off the spell again. With unblockable swampwalkers, this goes from total gimmick to interesting gimmick - so look for Undercity Plague and Mental Vapors for swampwalk synergy. 

(5) Other fun Swamp toys

Genju of the Fens is a fun Shade to have that keeps coming back. Bubbling Muck is a nice Swamp mana bloom.

Nirkana Revenant is pulling double duty - Shade plus Swampy doubling, as does Crypt Ghast. Magus of the Coffers and Cabal Coffers are great for pumping out mana. There’s always the monocolored favorite Nightmare, and Leech Ridden Swamp and Everglades like swamps, as does Fendeep Summoner. 

THE REST:

With mono colored decks, devotion is a good option. Additionally, you can run spells with high colored mana costs (I’m looking at you, Phyrexian Obliterator) without worrying about mana fixing.

A short list to look at is any permanent with at least BBB - so we’re looking at Baleful Force, Baneful Omen, Shambling Swarm, Vengeful Pharaoh, Necropolis Regent, Cabal Patriarch, Uncle Istvan (for the meme!), Dread, Demon of Dark Schemes, Massacre Wurm, and Reaper from the Abyss. Don’t just add anything - crap like Cosmic Horror or Halo Hunter aren’t worth the card slots for extra black mana costs.

Once you have some serious B on the board, you can look into Devotion. Monoblack devotion was all the rage in Theros era standard - Gary, Aborrent Overlord (with some sac outlet to play with all the tokens), Erebos, Mogis’s Marauder, and Disciple of Phenax. 

Additionally, Akuta needs cards in hand to be used (Kamigawa loved wisdom too much for it’s own good), so have Ancient Craving and things that look like it.

WEAKNESSES:

Your commander is garbage. And mono color provides you with less options than not being mono colored. The fact that Akuta is better than commanders with no options that are monocolored doesn’t matter - being better than trash doesn’t make you acceptable.

With that in mind, our mono-black brew here isn’t powerful either. This is an exercise in deckbuilding - how can I work with limitations?

Weak commander, one color, and a gimmicky brew spell fun, but not power.

RATINGS:

Control: 2/10

hahahahahahahahah no

I mean sure, go monoblack control if you want, but Akuta isn’t exactly going to help. Monoblack can do it on it’s own with or without Akuta, and if you’re going to do that, you may as well play anything else.

Diplomacy: 2/10

hahahahahahhahhahhaha still no

I guess people may not kill you first because they’re laughing at your commander. Leverage that, I guess?

Aggro: 4/10

A necessity. Maybe some voltron that relies on your commander to keep coming back?

Overall Power: 1/10

The ability to come back isn’t unique in EDH (which has the command zone and tons of possible recursion), so Akuta’s ability isn’t as useful here.

Versatility: 9/10

Because you don’t build around the commander, you can do whatever mono color build you want. More of a technicality than usefulness.

Affordability: 3/10

The build I’ve listed isn’t exactly budget - a lot of the more powerful cards are pricey, and Akuta needs to be a money sink just to be decent.

Overall Score: 21/60

That’s Akuta on the left. On the right is, I don’t know, any given bear.

I’ve never scored a commander so low. I’ve never made a “tech” this gimmicky. I’ve never wanted to not use a commander like this.

One of the 99: 

I can’t even think of a deck that wants it. Maybe a Golgari brew that can play with Titania and Jarad, but then

FINAL VERDICT:

Just don’t.

Up next is Alesha, Who Smiles at Death. Thank heaven. I’ll be doing a budget design with her.