By Shawn Leonardo, CommanDollar
When the Zendikar block first hit shelves, it was madness(as it usually is when new sets are released). This set, however, carried with it three immense legends that warped the game around them; Ulamog, Kozilek and Emrakul slammed down onto tables, demanding answers or they would decree annihilation. Emrakul was the mightiest of the three, with so much attached it was almost unstoppable on its own. Standard decks revolved around casting the mighty titan as early as possible, and other formats warped around the creature as well. Emrakul was quickly struck with the ban hammer for EDH/Commander, one of the few weapons to ever successfully damage it, and while both Ulamog and Kozilek rampaged as threatening commanders, all was well for a while.
Fast forward to fall of 2015. Battle for Zendikar was out, and I was eagerly buying packs like the rest of the community, eagerly hoping for an expidition land. What I received instead was this:
Fast forward to fall of 2015. Battle for Zendikar was out, and I was eagerly buying packs like the rest of the community, eagerly hoping for an expidition land. What I received instead was this:
While I pulled a Gideon, Ally of Zendikar on the same day, it wasn't as appealing as this new monstrosity. Another player ran a Kozilek, Butcher of Truth commander deck, and the speed, ferocity, and sheer number of times he could cast a 10+ CMC commander in a single game were devastating, enough to the point that everyone knew to focus him quickly or become the target of utter annihilation themselves. So naturally I thought that, since I now had a Legendary Eldrazi of my own-my first and only, nonetheless-that it was time to even the odds. I went home that night and quickly assembled a shamble of a deck, with barely enough colorless producing lands to support it, and tested it the very next week, thinking myself unstoppable.
The deck never got off the ground. It was too slow on lands, mana rocks and the like, and ended up durdling, never accomplishing anything. I did not give up hope, however. I figured that the next set, Oath of the Gatewatch, would provide me with some support, and that this colorless deck would become my personal project-to build something mighty and terrible out of a deck that many at my local meta called a "gimmick".
After Oath was spoiled and released, it wasn't long before I got a hold of both Kozilek, the Great Distortion as well as some Wastes. I kept the new Ulamog (dubbed "Newlamog") as the commander for a while, until realizing how desperate the deck needed both ways to draw and counter, both of which the new Kozilek provided. I slowly built the deck up while maintaining a budget, aquiring only a few pieces through trade, lucky pulls from packs, or even trading in cards for store credit and buying a few pieces (including a FOIL Eye of Ugin, which at the time was only $8 [this was before the Modern format was warped by the eldrazi menace]). I rarely played it, for while it was a fun deck, it still left a lot to be desired. I moved, all the way from New Jersey to Idaho, around the time Shadows over Innistrad and, more importantly, Eldrich Moon came out. At the tail end of July this year, I impulsively bought a few packs and pulled the card that would eventually inspire fear in my meta:
The deck never got off the ground. It was too slow on lands, mana rocks and the like, and ended up durdling, never accomplishing anything. I did not give up hope, however. I figured that the next set, Oath of the Gatewatch, would provide me with some support, and that this colorless deck would become my personal project-to build something mighty and terrible out of a deck that many at my local meta called a "gimmick".
After Oath was spoiled and released, it wasn't long before I got a hold of both Kozilek, the Great Distortion as well as some Wastes. I kept the new Ulamog (dubbed "Newlamog") as the commander for a while, until realizing how desperate the deck needed both ways to draw and counter, both of which the new Kozilek provided. I slowly built the deck up while maintaining a budget, aquiring only a few pieces through trade, lucky pulls from packs, or even trading in cards for store credit and buying a few pieces (including a FOIL Eye of Ugin, which at the time was only $8 [this was before the Modern format was warped by the eldrazi menace]). I rarely played it, for while it was a fun deck, it still left a lot to be desired. I moved, all the way from New Jersey to Idaho, around the time Shadows over Innistrad and, more importantly, Eldrich Moon came out. At the tail end of July this year, I impulsively bought a few packs and pulled the card that would eventually inspire fear in my meta:
At the point that this card was pulled, Magic: the Gathering wasn't exactly a priority at the time. It was the summer, and my focus was primarily on work. I was undoubtedly excited, however, that I had pulled the one rare I wanted in the entire set, carefully put it in a sleeve, put it as one of the other 99 in the deck, and went about the rest of my summer in bliss.
As the fall set in, I sought out all the basics-a new apartment, new job, and most importantly-a game store to settle in to. I found one not ten minutes from the room I rented, which came as a thrill since before I had to travel a half hour just to find the nearest gaming store. I quickly found when EDH/Commander was played, and made friends even faster. After a few nights I decided to pull out my colorless deck, with new Kozilek at the helm. We were going through a game and, by some miracle, I managed to get all three of the new eldrazi titans on the field at the same time.
As you all can imagine, the game didn't last much longer after that.
When the massacre was over, I was outside talking with a friend, and he asked why I didn't have the new Emrakul as the commander. I babbled an answer about needing card draw and such, but he responded on the power of taking someone else's turn, and after that conversation I decided to give it a try.
As the fall set in, I sought out all the basics-a new apartment, new job, and most importantly-a game store to settle in to. I found one not ten minutes from the room I rented, which came as a thrill since before I had to travel a half hour just to find the nearest gaming store. I quickly found when EDH/Commander was played, and made friends even faster. After a few nights I decided to pull out my colorless deck, with new Kozilek at the helm. We were going through a game and, by some miracle, I managed to get all three of the new eldrazi titans on the field at the same time.
As you all can imagine, the game didn't last much longer after that.
When the massacre was over, I was outside talking with a friend, and he asked why I didn't have the new Emrakul as the commander. I babbled an answer about needing card draw and such, but he responded on the power of taking someone else's turn, and after that conversation I decided to give it a try.
The effect it had on the EDH/Commander meta here was devastating.
When played at the commander night the next week, people noticed I was playing the colorless deck again, saw Emrakul, and glanced over it, as there were other, more consistent threats on the table at the time. When I got to thirteen mana, with the help of many mana rocks, and took the turn of the "threat" player, it grabbed all the politics of the game and crammed them down a blender set to purée. I took control of their turn, and used the ensuing chaos to gain a board advantage. I did not win that game-everyone wisely ganged up on me-but from there on out the meta was warped. I rapidly discovered that many experienced players have ways to destroy themselves in their own deck-and love to have tutors available. One player, the friend who actually recommended I try Emrakul as a commander, had their turn taken and was furious. When asked why, he revealed the Hatred in his hand-a way to take him out with his own cards-and not enough mana to cast it before I would take control.
The best game where Emrakul took to the stage, however, was only about a month ago. In a five man pod, where someone playing Tasigur, the Golden Fang had locked down the game, I took control of his turn with him having only six life remaining. Most everyone had grown bored and tired of this game, so when it came time to take his turn I knew I had some allies in making sure it would go quickly. He dumped every potentially damaging card in his hand, trying to make his Mindslaver turn not be his Worst Fears realized. On his (my) turn, I activated the Tasigur he had on field , choosing myself as the player to pick, returned a Tempt With Discovery from his graveyard to his (my) hand, and cast it using his City of Brass to bring him to five life. Everyone got a land, giving him (me) five lands. I searched out a shock land and three fetches(as well as some other, non-important land), shocking him and bringing the life total down to three-within lethal range of his own fetch lands. With my colorless deck, I grabbed a Thespian's Stage as backup for any potential shenanigans. I then used all the creatures he had on field to attack and kill all but one player aside from myself, then cracked all his fetch lands, removing him from the game. I finished off the other player because he had a Dark Depths on field, less than 20 life and no blockers, so I used Thespian's Stage to make a Marit Lage token, equipped a pair of Lightning Greaves and won the game.
With Emrakul as the commander, I have milled people out with their own decks, swiped the board clean of both creatures and other players, and cleared a path to victory more times than I can easily count. The meta had no choice but to provide countermeasures, from simple counterspells and artifact removal to Stifling Emrakul's ability multiple times in a game. Some players have even reconstructed their decks to ensure that they hold no means of self-destruction in the hands of another player-yet there is only so much that can be done when your hands are no longer your own. While I have seen other colorless decks, none quite match up to the sheer danger my own brings to the table with the Promised End at the helm. No deck should ever be considered "complete", however this colorless deck is very close to such a mark. Building a colorless deck leaves a very narrow amount of creativity or room for error, even among a land base. The effect, however, all have a similar means of devastation they inherently cause.
So, for future reference, if you find yourself sitting across a table facing any colorless commander deck-and especially so with Emrakul-know that you face nothing but your own worse fears. Your deck is no longer your ally, but your own worst enemy, working deviously against you as time creeps forward towards the inevitable. Your last and only hope is speed, wary player, lest you be eclipsed by a great and terrible moon .
When played at the commander night the next week, people noticed I was playing the colorless deck again, saw Emrakul, and glanced over it, as there were other, more consistent threats on the table at the time. When I got to thirteen mana, with the help of many mana rocks, and took the turn of the "threat" player, it grabbed all the politics of the game and crammed them down a blender set to purée. I took control of their turn, and used the ensuing chaos to gain a board advantage. I did not win that game-everyone wisely ganged up on me-but from there on out the meta was warped. I rapidly discovered that many experienced players have ways to destroy themselves in their own deck-and love to have tutors available. One player, the friend who actually recommended I try Emrakul as a commander, had their turn taken and was furious. When asked why, he revealed the Hatred in his hand-a way to take him out with his own cards-and not enough mana to cast it before I would take control.
The best game where Emrakul took to the stage, however, was only about a month ago. In a five man pod, where someone playing Tasigur, the Golden Fang had locked down the game, I took control of his turn with him having only six life remaining. Most everyone had grown bored and tired of this game, so when it came time to take his turn I knew I had some allies in making sure it would go quickly. He dumped every potentially damaging card in his hand, trying to make his Mindslaver turn not be his Worst Fears realized. On his (my) turn, I activated the Tasigur he had on field , choosing myself as the player to pick, returned a Tempt With Discovery from his graveyard to his (my) hand, and cast it using his City of Brass to bring him to five life. Everyone got a land, giving him (me) five lands. I searched out a shock land and three fetches(as well as some other, non-important land), shocking him and bringing the life total down to three-within lethal range of his own fetch lands. With my colorless deck, I grabbed a Thespian's Stage as backup for any potential shenanigans. I then used all the creatures he had on field to attack and kill all but one player aside from myself, then cracked all his fetch lands, removing him from the game. I finished off the other player because he had a Dark Depths on field, less than 20 life and no blockers, so I used Thespian's Stage to make a Marit Lage token, equipped a pair of Lightning Greaves and won the game.
With Emrakul as the commander, I have milled people out with their own decks, swiped the board clean of both creatures and other players, and cleared a path to victory more times than I can easily count. The meta had no choice but to provide countermeasures, from simple counterspells and artifact removal to Stifling Emrakul's ability multiple times in a game. Some players have even reconstructed their decks to ensure that they hold no means of self-destruction in the hands of another player-yet there is only so much that can be done when your hands are no longer your own. While I have seen other colorless decks, none quite match up to the sheer danger my own brings to the table with the Promised End at the helm. No deck should ever be considered "complete", however this colorless deck is very close to such a mark. Building a colorless deck leaves a very narrow amount of creativity or room for error, even among a land base. The effect, however, all have a similar means of devastation they inherently cause.
So, for future reference, if you find yourself sitting across a table facing any colorless commander deck-and especially so with Emrakul-know that you face nothing but your own worse fears. Your deck is no longer your ally, but your own worst enemy, working deviously against you as time creeps forward towards the inevitable. Your last and only hope is speed, wary player, lest you be eclipsed by a great and terrible moon .
Shawn Leonardo is a casual Magic: the Gathering blogger, and mainly discusses the EDH/Commander format as well as budget solutions. He currently resides in Idaho, where he plots world domination.
RSS Feed
