Welcome to my Commander Legends Set Review, I’m really excited about what this set can do for the Pauper format, As the set overall reflects Commander as a whole so even the commons look great.
Encore
Encore is obviously designed for multi-player Magic where it is obviously optimal. Well so was the Monarch and that is now a staple of the format so we shouldn’t underestimate Encore. We do see cards with Unearth see play in Pauper like First-Sphere Gargantua from Modern Horizons so we shouldn’t immediately discount the cards, being able to use a card again even if only for one turn can win you a game. However, with so much effective graveyard hate in the form of Bokuka Bog and Relic of Progenitus.
Reprints
We’ve some solid reprints for newer players to be able to enter the format and the more obvious ones are :-
Abrade
Cast Down
Coiling Oracle
Cuombajj Witches
Elvish Visionary
Fyndhorn Elves
Mulldrifter
Palace Sentinels
Perilous Myr
Phyrexian Rager
Preordain
Prophetic Prism
Temur Battle Rage
Thorn of the Black Rose
I rather like the way we have Cast Down, Cuombajj Witches, Phyrexian Rager and Thorn of the Black Rose giving us a core of Mono Black Control list.
We also have several of these cards getting alternate art borderless cards to make their paper decks look special.
Three cards though stand out from the list
Cuombajj Witches gets a reprint using the online Seb McKinnon art and in foil.
Fyndhorn Elves gets the cool online art.
Preordain gets a reprint which hopefully will allow for more reasonably priced foils.
I’ll give an honourable mention to Thorn of the Black Rose as apparently due to low supply is relatively expensive on MTGO and the additional supply should help reduce its ticket cost.
Down Shifts
These are the more interesting reprints that we are seeing, some will help other decks flourish but many may only be a piece of a greater puzzle to allow a new deck enter the meta or raise a deck’s prominence and strength.
The Diamonds
We have a mana rock for each colour but these are definitely for Commander and unlikely to see Pauper play apart from EDH or Cube.
Armory of Iroas
I’ve seen this card be the subject of several conversations on social media and whilst it looks fun to brew with. it does have several issues with counters only being added if the equipped creature attacks and is a lot of investment at 2 cmc to cast and 2 more mana to equip. I expect by then in response to being equipped the target creature will be destroyed.
Champion of the Flame
Oh, this looks saucy but the issue is the same as Goblin Gaveleer as despite having trample it doesn’t have Hexproof making whichever creature you load up prone to removal. Maybe an equipment centric build loaded with Apostles Blessing would be the way to go. I’ve so many thought for this card Mono Red, Boros Metalcraft, Boros Heroic, Izzet Trinket Mage and Jeskai good stuff.
Eyeblight Massacre
Cough, pardon, -2/-2 to everything except Elves. Well it looks nice but is it actually any better than Echoing Decay or Evincar’s Justice ?
Which brings us to Elves which on the surface of it could be a home. So we could slot in Elves of Deep Shadow and our Birchlore Rangers can already produce black mana making its casting possible, I defer to my wife Rachel on this one as she is the Elves player in our household “It is nice but very narrow in application. Feels like a win more card.”
Fiery Cannonade
Excellent ! Finally red gets a 2 damage sweeper effect, it’s clearly strange that red which is known for mass removal has been stuck on Electrickery for 1 damage when Black was able to do 2 damage with Evincar’s Justice. I feel this is a welcome addition to the format and will become a format staple.
There is, however, a but ! The timing of this printing might be problematic, aggro in Pauper is under the cosh currently and was looking for some help, not a sweeper. There are answers like Blades of Velis Vel to make your creatures pirates but holding up the 2 mana may harm aggro decks more.
Filigree Familiar
Well this is literally a foxy card but will it be impactful ? We see many cards that generate life when they enter play but less so benefits when they die. With 3 cmc it will work with Unearth though. I have a feeling it could be a useful in an Orzhov Pestilence build.
Fleshbag Marauder
I always worry about Sacrifice effects as getting the board state to be able to force the desired sacrifice can be tricky. Again, this can be returned with Unearth allowing for repeated use.
Flood of Recollection
An interesting downshift that may well see play but we already have Mnemonic Wall and Archeomancer which can both be used repeatedly with Flicker effects. The UU cost though is tempting for early repeated use, e.g. returning a removal spell or counter spell
Foundry Inspector
I can’t help but feel I’m missing something with this card, I don’t feel that Affinity needs it and its prone to Fiery Cannonade so trying to accelerate large artifact creature is done more effectively by Tron. Something doesn’t click for me but it could just be a plant that will become great with a future set. One of the more worrying comments on social media relating to this card “How do you like your eggs in the morning ?”
Galestrike
Better versions of bounce spells are available so this is unlikely to see play.
Haunted Cloto
Really nice abilities Vigilance, Trample of Haste makes it flexible in application costing 3 cmc and 1 ro equip feels like it will find a home.
Howling Golem
One of my favourite cards from Dominaria limited, I’d love to find a use for one of my favourite draft commons.
Jalum Tome
We don’t see many pauper reprints that were Rare before but such is the world of power creep these days. A loot effect on an artifact is going to be great.
Lifecrafter’s Gift
Until a counters matters deck comes along this card will remain on the side lines. I’ve an idea for a deck though.
Lumengrid Gargoyle
On the surface it looks a good card but we don’t see many high mana cost fliers in the format,
Makeshift Munitions
This is a nice reprint and something that could event see play. Whilst Token decks are quite frail but fun to play, this could help much like Fling does in Atog Affinity to provide a win on a stalled board.
Maalfeld Twin
Looks like a fine card but when you’ve Gurmag Angler already in the format it’s a tough bar to beat.
Skaab Goliath
A lovely card and great stats as a 6/9 Trample but like its cousin Stitched Drake requires a lot of work to be able to play it successfully.
Skyraker Giant
Whilst a 4/3 reach is nice we don’t see many decks with enough fliers to make this better than the removal in the format.
Skywhaler’s Shot
Generally speaking this doesn’t look great when you compare it to removal in other coloursm but white is short of quality removal at instant speed. Having the restriction of 3 power of more is going to allow pesky blockers like Auger of Bolas and offensive threats like Nettle Sentinel be untouched so it may be worth a sideboard slot. This card saw Standard play and instant speed removal against chunky threats may well be needed.
Slith Ascendant
I think this may well be too little too late, the natural fit would be Heroic but Wingteed Rider hardly sees play at the same cost and Akroan Skyguard is much cheaper to play. I feel this is a card that may be seductive but that is also a trap.
Spectral Searchlight
If I ever get round to building a Pauper Commander deck it will be one of the first mana rocks on the list, until then it will stay in my folders.
New cards
We have twenty one new cards so I’m going to cover each one in colour order.
Anointer of Valor
My initial thought was this would be to slow for the format but then I considered Boros Bully and it’s fliers. The counters could be valuable and if it can put the recipients out of range of Suffocating Fumes or Fiery Cannonade it could be great. If games are going to go longer in grindy Monarch mirror’s then this could be the mirror breaker.
Benevolent Blessing
Cho Manno’s Blessing is a solid playable and this is an enhanced version better than a functional reprint. This card will definitely see play with its extra abilities.
Kinsbaile Courier
This feels outmatched in Pauper and not sure whether the gaining of a counter and maybe a second later are worthwhile. Yes, it could be flickered too but feel there are better uses for the flickering.
Definitely a card that excites me as it can break Monarch mirror’s and also bestows the Monarch on turn four. This card has received a bit of hate as it is in Blue and slower than Fall from Favour but something that appeals to me.
Fall from Favor
The most talked about card for the Pauper format, the one that is going to bring the sky down on our heads. So at its best it grants the Monarch and taps down a threat but I also feel that it could be removed to return your threat to action and the best decks to use this against like Stompy will have extra creatures to push through to steal the Monarch.
Forceful Denial
This is an expensive counter spell and I wonder how many times the Cascade will not work out. Sounds like an even worse Auger of Bolas, look at even more cards at the bottom of my library when it goes hideously wrong.
Kitesail Skirmisher
This looks like a really great card, not for Pauper though for Commander Legends for Limited. The effect to give us another attacking creature flying has been around for a while like on Pegasus Courser that haven’t seen play.
Trove Tracker
I can’t see this being played at all, drawing a card on entering is significantly better and very few see play. This is a bad cantrip.
Briarblade Adept
I cant imagine this card making a difference as the effect is pretty weak and we’re talking late game before it can make an impression. I feel underwhelmed by this card and just can’t see it being useful.
Elvish Doomsayer
I can’t see this making an impression as you don’t see either Ravenous or Burglar Rats. Still I table does have a bit of a wobble so I can see a use for this card.
Exquisite Huntmaster
I can’t see Exquisite Huntmaster making an impression as only 2 toughness allows it to be prone to so much removal and trades with the majority of creatures in the format. As we have four out of six Monarch creatures at 4 cmc the value play is unlikely to be the elf.
Eyeblight Cullers
A very hard card to evaluate as it does replace itself and has a bit of self mill going on. I just don’t see a home for it currently.
Boarding Party
On the surface Haste and Cascade are great, just think Bloodbraid Elf but six mana and 3 toughness feels very prone.
Crimson Fleet Commodore
And red has an aggressive Monarch card though the 2 toughness may make it hard to defend the Monarch. However, 5/2 trample for 4 mana bestowing the Monarch will see play even if it is not the best Monarch card.
Impulsive Pilferer
Looks like a great card and replacing itself with a treasure should help it to find a home.
Annoyed Altisaur
The biggest issue I see for this card is that ramping into creatures isn’t really a thing and even Tron chooses not to do it. This looks like a card that will only see play when the meta changes to allow green ramp decks to flourish. I wonder how much fun Dinosaur tribal could be cascading into a Colossal Dreadmaw.
Fin-Clade Fugitives
This is a very disturbing card, just look at the feet ! I’m pleased to see a new elf in the format and with it having Encore makes it extremely useful. With the format being mainly 2 power or less blocking is going to be difficult.
Natural Reclamation
I can’t see this card making a difference in the format, most Disenchant style effects are only 2 cmc so 5 cmc even with Cascade is asking a lot. Now if they did a 3 cmc version that would probably see play as Cascade in the right deck is awesome.
Maelstrom Colossus
Well if Tron doesn’t get hit with a ban this could be very good though the current Tron decks might run into cascade issues. Dropping this and then getting a Dinrova Horror on top or worse still Stonehorn Dignitary feels oppressive. It is a great finisher and has great potential but the best ramp deck is currently Tron and it has better tools.
Staunch Throneguard
Popular opinion is that this will push Tron further towards dominating the format. However, Tron has had access to both Thorn of the Black Rose and Palace Sentinels but not using them. It may well find a home in a Walls style deck but I don’t think it will break the format wide open.
The Prismatic Piper
I’m including this for completeness as a colourless 3/3 for 5 mana is hardly going to make an impact. However, it is something that Cast Down can’t actually kill. Whether it would become a sideboard card if Cast Down got any more popular, I still doubt it would see play and the decks that use Cast Down would have other removal they could utilise.
Brewing With Commander Legends
Commander Legends is of course primarily a resource for Commander.
I personally like Pirates, there is something fun about them and I did brew a deck
Then we have a potential Elves variant utilizing Eyeblight Massacre. The new Elves though look like they will make little impact and previous black elves from Lorwyn block and Magic Origins haven’t made an impact but. I feel this could be a fun deck but it would be more of a traditional Golgari Midrange deck.
Conclusion
Clearly Commander Legends was designed with an entirely different market in mind and the arrival of more cards with the Monarch could skew the format towards the Monarch which isn’t universally popular though I remain a fan.
I’m excited by several of the downshifts and the newer cards coming to the fore. Lots of nice reprints to help new players enter the format either from draft chaff or trades.
I’ll definitely put some brews together to at least look at the potential new space to explore.
On_Common_Ground 