In Command – New 2-color Commanders

The New Commander decks have given us 51 new cards spread across five different Commander decks with 3 different 3-color commanders. These decks also had one new 2-color legendary creature each with some cool new abilities. These creatures also make great commanders, if you take the time to make a deck that only includes their two colors. Here are some suggestions on how to create a fun deck using some of these new commanders.

Skullbriar, The Walking Grave – When I first saw this guy, I thought he would make a great commander. He is just going to keep getting stronger every time you play him because as long as you keep giving him those +1/+1 counters he is going to be crushing your opponent. He’s cheap and has haste so you can get him out on turn 2 and swing, immediately turning him into a 2/2. You’re opponent may not have any way to defend against Skullbriar for a few turns which just allows him to get bigger. Even if he does die at some point that’s no problem because he just keeps all those counters! Hopefully by the time he is destroyed then he will be worth the extra 2 mana needed to play him again.

If you build a deck around Skullbriar, it is only natural that the goal should be to win by dealing 21 damage with him to your opponent. Within green and black, the only colors available to you, there are plenty of ways to boost his power or give him abilities to keep applying the hurt. Brawn
Brawn, from his original Commander pre-con comes to mind as an easy way to give him trample along with Buried Alive
Buried Alive to bring it straight to the graveyard. Power Matrix
Power Matrix looks like a pretty neat card to add here, allowing you to give any creature +1/+1, trample, flying, and first strike.

A great card to give trample would be Cytospawn Shambler
Cytospawn Shambler. As a 6/6 he’s a pretty big creature and you can easily give Skullbriar trample with its ability. The coolest thing about this creature is that it has graft. If you’re ever playing Skullbriar again, you can move a counter from the shambler to him. Creatures with modular would also be a great addition to a deck with Skullbriar. You’re free to leave them as blockers or sacrifice them for other abilities then move their counters onto Skullbriar.

With a focus on Skullbriar being the only creature attacking, there isn’t much use for any others. With something like Attrition
Attrition, you can sacrifice your useless creatures to get rid of some on your opponent’s side of the field. It also makes mass removal less of a problem if you only have to worry about one creature. If you equip him with something like Darksteel Plate
Darksteel Plate, all you have to worry about is getting him to hit your opponent’s life. An easy way to do that is to simply have artifacts like Whispersilk Cloak
Whispersilk Cloak that make him unblockable. With just a couple cards out you can begin racking up commander damage very quickly.

Edric, Spymaster of Trest – I’m excited to have such a political creature as a commander. As long as he is out there then there is some major incentive for your opponents to attack each other rather than yourself. Why not continue that trend and try to get everyone at each other’s throats rather than against you. Heartwood Storyteller
Heartwood Storyteller seems like another crazy card to use with Edric, giving your opponents more cards if they like when you play a spell and, of course, giving yourself cards when anyone else plays a spell. With so many cards being drawn by everyone, Multani, Maro-Sorcerer
Multani, Maro-Sorcerer can get really powerful. Cultural Exchange
Cool Card is also a great political card allowing you to exchange creatures between any players, or just take stuff for yourself. To add some control that would pit opponents against each other Zur’s Weirding
Zur’s Weirding can allow any player force another not to draw.

If your opponents start to get the idea that you aren’t their best friend, there should be plenty of control to make sure they regret going against you. Propaganda
Propaganda from the Political Puppets deck will ensure that your opponents have to pay to attack you. From that deck there are also great blockers including Guard Gomazoa
Guard Gomazoa and Fog Bank
Fog Bank. There are also a number of spells like Snakeform
Snakeform and Pongify
Pongify to take care of any threats your opponents control by turning them into harmless little snakes or monkeys.

Those creatures should be no problem for the big green guys that you should include in the deck. There are plenty of creatures in blue and green that have power and toughness equal to the number of cards in your hand and hopefully you will have plenty. Overbeing of Myth
Overbeing of Myth and Aeon Chronicler
Aeon Chronicler are also able to get you even more cards every turn! If you can get rid of your maximum hand size of 7, or perhaps use Praetor’s Counsel
Praetor’s Counsel, these guys can be huge.

So here are a few suggestions for two of the little new commanders. Next week I’ll have some ideas for the other 3. What do you think of the 2-color legendary guys? Are they good enough to have a deck built around them?