<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mjölnir, Hammer of Thor" href="#" target="_blank">Mjölnir, Hammer of Thor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CWayne+Reynolds%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wayne Reynolds</a></em></p>
<p>The legendary sledge known as Mjölnir is a mighty hammer. It allows its wielder to harness thunder and lightning, fly by holding its strap, and absorb energy attacks. It's also a highly selective weapon, only wielded by those deemed most worthy.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mjölnir, Hammer of Thor"></div></div>
<p>Of course, even though Marvel has the lion's share of "worthy" characters capable of lifting Mjölnir, so too does <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>. This article will detail the five creatures most worthy of arming themselves with the legendary hammer of Thor himself.</p>
<h2>What Does "Worthy" Really Mean?</h2>
<p>The term that pervades all talk of Thor's hammer is "worthy". The <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Merriam-Webster Dictionary</a> defines this word as such:</p>
<blockquote><p>Worthy (adjective) wor-thy</p>
<p>1a: having worth or value : estimable</p>
<p><em>a worthy cause</em></p>
<p>1b: honorable, meritorious</p>
<p><em>worthy candidates</em></p>
<p>2: having sufficient worth or importance</p>
<p><em>worthy to be remembered</em></p></blockquote>
<p>This is a <em>very</em> broad term, but in the context of Marvel's canon, "Worthy" takes on a very specific meaning. In essence, an individual is deemed worthy of wielding Mjölnir if they exhibit the following traits truly and wholly:</p>
<ul>
<li>The wielder must display courage in the face of adversity.</li>
<li>The wielder must be resolute in their convictions and display no self-doubt.</li>
<li>Despite being a warrior, they must display compassion and empathy.</li>
<li>Finally, they must prioritize the greater good of society over the individual.</li>
</ul>
<p>We see a few examples of this in Marvel's canon, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thor Odinson" href="#" target="_blank">Thor Odinson</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, naturally, and Steve Rogers, also known as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Captain America, Steve Rogers" href="#" target="_blank">Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h3>Mjölnir Beyond <em>Magic</em></h3>
<p>In this article, I would like to set a ground rule that we will not be looking at "worthy" figures from <em>Universes Beyond</em>. The <em>Universes Beyond</em> suite of legendary creatures sets the subset of mechanically eligible legends too broad for anyone to sanely examine in its entirety.</p>
<p>That said, here is a short list of eligible (non-Marvel) <em>Universes Beyond</em> legendary creatures one might deem "worthy" (noting that I can't profess to know all of these canons perfectly):</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Avatar Aang"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloud, Planet&#039;s Champion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gandalf the White"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kassandra, Eagle Bearer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lightning, Army of One"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Longshot, Rebel Bowman"></div></div>
<p>At this stage, there are still an absolute metric ton of eligible legends. What's more, a ton of them are really valid to wield Mjölnir from a mechanical standpoint. Even removing <em>Universes Beyond</em> <em>and</em> the less-relevant legends won't narrow things down to the five most worthy legendary creatures. What's a poor author to do?</p>
<h3>The Morals of Mjölnir</h3>
<p>At this stage, we're going to have to narrow things down the same way the Marvel writers did when originally penning the character of Thor: by determining characters' subjective morality. I will stress that this is a weird line, and some of <em>Magic</em>'s most morally corrupt characters exist in red, white, and multicolor in all manner of measures. For instance, <span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nicol Bolas, the Ravager" href="#" target="_blank">Nicol Bolas, the Ravager</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one-hundred percent not worthy of wielding Thor's hammer.</p>
<p>For the sake of reasonable completion, however, the following legendary creatures within the red and white color identity are also unworthy of Mjölnir:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archangel Avacyn"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arabella, Abandoned Doll"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Auntie Blyte, Bad Influence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonhawk, Fate&#039;s Tempest"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gisela, Blade of Goldnight"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Godo, Bandit Warlord"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heartless Hidetsugu"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Konda, Lord of Eiganjo"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Purphoros, God of the Forge"></div></div>
<p>I know this was a super-lengthy explanation to specifically exclude a ton of legends from this listicle. I also excluded non-red, non-white creatures from the final list. To look over all of them would lead me to madness, to be certain. However, this was all necessary before we get into the nitty-gritty of examining those who <em>are</em> worthy. So, without any further ado, let's do exactly that! Our first worthy legend is...</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aurelia, the Warleader" href="#" target="_blank">Aurelia, the Warleader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aurelia, the Warleader"></div></div>
<p>The Ravnican guildmaster Aurelia is an exemplar of the conviction and confidence needed to be a Boros Legion guildmember. She is resolute in her values, and those values are exactly what Mjölnir values in a wielder. In essence, her zeal and devotion towards the guild are exactly what would make her worthy of arming herself with the fabled Asgardian hammer.</p>
<p>Mechanically, Aurelia's ability to create additional combat steps makes her a prime candidate to equip with Mjölnir. Doubling damage all over the place is a great effect to put on something that can continue to double things all around. (See <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heartless Hidetsugu" href="#" target="_blank">Heartless Hidetsugu</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who, despite not being morally worthy, is <em>very</em> mechanically worthy.) This list will only include Aurelia in terms of double phases, but doubling damage in other ways is still applicable. Take, for instance...</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kellan, the Fae-Blooded" href="#" target="_blank">Kellan, the Fae-Blooded</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kellan, the Fae-Blooded"></div></div>
<p>Kellan is a character who is relatively mutable in his convictions over the course of his character development. He's done a helluva lot of different things and taken many different roles in his life. As an illegitimate child of Oko, one might assume that he is unworthy of wielding Mjölnir. However, I want to stress that Kellan is just as noble and resolute as the hammer mandates in its wielders throughout his plotline.</p>
<p>Mechanically speaking, Kellan's card comes with an Adventure that can search up Mjölnir from the deck for use later on. Furthermore, Kellan boosts the board's power simply by attaching the hammer to him. That seems like a pretty good way to convey selflessness, if you ask me!</p>
<p>Now, when we talk about character arcs shifting and shaping characters in a way that deems them worthy of Thor's mighty hammer, there are a lot. In fact, there's one truly mighty character who, while not immediately worthy, becomes worthy later in his life.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kamahl, Pit Fighter" href="#" target="_blank">Kamahl, Pit Fighter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kamahl, Pit Fighter"></div></div>
<p>If there's one storyline that I know well, it's the twin blocks of <em>Odyssey</em> and <em>Onslaught</em>. The Mirari Cycle is a huge favorite of mine, mostly due to the character of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chainer, Dementia Master" href="#" target="_blank">Chainer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (who is <em>definitely</em> not worthy). But also of note is his best friend and the protagonist of five of these six stories, the Pardic barbarian Kamahl. Kamahl succumbs to the wiles of the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirari" href="#" target="_blank">Mirari</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and that's decidedly not a worthy thing to do. However, he grows past this and abandons his violent ways for a time as a druid of the Krosan Forest. Eventually his destiny leads him to destroying a (practical) goddess, the being called Karona, to restore Dominaria's magic. If that isn't remarkably selfless and with the greater good in mind, I don't know what is.</p>
<p>Mechanically, however, we have to look at his older iteration. This card existed while he was, in essence, a soldier of fortune, looking for glory and riches through gladiatorial combat in the Otarian pits. But let's shelve that discussion and look at his card from <em>Odyssey</em>. Kamahl is a 6/1 with haste who can tap to deal 3 damage to any target. With Mjölnir in hand, Kamahl can make that 3 damage into 6. Add to that the fact that he's a 6-power creature, and you're able to deal a <em>lot</em> of damage at virtually any time.</p>
<p>Moving on, we have the most worthy humanoid on this list:</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer" href="#" target="_blank">Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer"></div></div>
<p>The Mirran Goldwarden Jor Kadeen was one of the characters from the Mirrodin-New Phyrexian war who survived through the full corruption of the metallic plane. This character never gave up on Mirrodin even while his kinsmen succumbed to the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glistening Oil" href="#" target="_blank">Glistening Oil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Truly, Jor Kadeen is a true force in the context of that iconic conflict.</p>
<p>When we talk about mechanical prowess, Jor Kadeen is great because he's already a fantastically strong creature in his own right. He doesn't <em>need</em> Mjölnir to make things hard for his opponents. While he does need three artifacts out, Mjölnir just helps - it isn't necessary. Nevertheless, dealing 16 damage per attack is a great justification for Jor Kadeen to wield the hammer.</p>
<p>Finally, we have probably the most worthy creature I can think of.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd" href="#" target="_blank">Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd"></div></div>
<p>Mjölnir doesn't particularly care what creature wields it, as long as it is worthy of doing so. That's likely why Throg (of the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pet Avengers" href="#" target="_blank">Pet Avengers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) is at all allowed to exist in the <em>Marvel</em> canon. So, what's to say that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd" href="#" target="_blank">Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an unworthy creature? In terms of <em>Magic</em>'s canon, this information is largely irrelevant. Dogs are <em>clearly</em> inherently kind souls, and often fiercely loyal to others. I will thereby stand by my statement that Phelia is the single most worthy creature to wield Mjölnir, from a moral standpoint.</p>
<p>Mechanically, Phelia is very able to blink the Equipment on a pretty consistent basis, dealing a hefty 4 damage to something in the process. Fetch! <em>Good girl</em>. That's something that really works in thematic ways, but also proves highly effective in the context of the game itself. And morality aside, that really works as another reason that Phelia is worthy.</p>
<h2>Honorable Mention</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ragost, Deft Gastronaut"></div></div>
<p>I don't know <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ragost, Deft Gastronaut" href="#" target="_blank">Ragost, Deft Gastronaut</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s moral leanings, so I have to give the Lobster Chef an Honorable Mention here, sadly. I know a lot of you may be shocked that he's not on the list proper, but them's the breaks! Mechanically, however, much has been said in a bunch of places about how good Ragost is with holding Mjölnir, especially when sacrificing Food for fun and profit. I defer to the experts here, but he's not necessarily worthy by the canonical definitions of the terminology. Regardless, Ragost has the gameplay aspect of things going for him!</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Regardless of what your values lead you to believe, I think I can speak for all of us when I say these creatures are all worthy in some way or another of lifting Mjölnir. It's definitely a fun thought exercise to consider what's available, at least.</p>
<p>So now, I'd like to open the floor to you, dear readers! What red, white, or red-white creatures in <em>Magic</em>'s canon did I neglect to mention? I know I neglected plenty of creatures, including those that include blue, black, and/or green in their color identities. Like I said before, that way lies madness. But within the context of red or white, are there any characters I may have glossed over? Sound off in the comments below!</p>


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The 5 Creatures Most Worthy of Wielding Mjölnir, Hammer of Thor

Commander Philosophy - Is Sephiroth the Next Game Changer?

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toxrill, the Corrosive|vow|321" href="#" target="_blank">Toxrill, the Corrosive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Illustrated by <a href="https://www.arborcollective.com/pages/artist-dzo?srsltid=AfmBOoq88Htz5Kb_8wwnksTHKNVyZ5ZIJP9MCDiiKkz8h6Z72oQOd4tn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DZO</a></em></p>
<p>Every so often, a commander comes along that is so salt-inducing that players often refuse to play against it outright. Commanders like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nadu, Winged Wisdom" href="#" target="_blank">Nadu, Winged Wisdom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Lord High Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Lord High Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both spring to mind here.</p>
<p>Thankfully, <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> has relegated many of these commanders to the <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game Changer list</a>. However, many still exist as lesser bogeymen to the format.</p>
<p>In today's article, I'll examine five salty commanders <em>not</em> on the Game Changer list and discern whether they're too salty to remain excluded.</p>
<h2>#5. Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant"></div></div>
<p>The antagonist of the <em>Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty</em> set, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a formidable and consistently frustrating commander to face off against. As such, it's #5 out of the most tilting non-Game Changer commanders in <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/salt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EDHREC's Salt Score Summary</a>.</p>
<p>However, it ranks just above the #5 saltiest Game Changer, Urza, Lord High Artificer. To be a saltier card than Urza feels like an invitation to join the Game Changer list all on its own.</p>
<h3><strong>Verdict: Deserves the Hate (For Its Rank)</strong></h3>
<p>Let's face facts here, dear reader. In <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>, players like to be able to make their plays and not be denied. Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant does not allow many players to play their game the way they want. In fact, the Praetor just allows one player, its controller, to accelerate their game.</p>
<p>Yes, he costs <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-5" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. No, that is not insurmountable, even from the command zone, or even in lower brackets. Yes, his abilities only trigger once per turn. No, that doesn't stop those abilities from being oppressive.</p>
<p>However, all these factors firmly in mind, there are other cards that deserve the hate even more than Jin-Gitaxias, and they're all above them in rank. Plus, it's a bit of a steep hill to get to the #4 rank and above. Let's look at those cards!</p>
<h2>#4. Toxrill, the Corrosive</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Toxrill, the Corrosive"></div></div>
<p>The #4 saltiest non-Game Changer commander is, ironically, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toxrill, the Corrosive" href="#" target="_blank">Toxrill, the Corrosive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a Slug.</p>
<p>Toxrill is relatively disgusting as a control card with a blue-black (Dimir) color identity. Capable of decimating entire boards of creatures within a turn cycle while propagating their own, the pod will often need to deal with a Toxrill player before Toxrill hits the battlefield.</p>
<p>What's more, Toxrill can turn many of those Slug tokens it makes into card advantage for very little investment.</p>
<h3>Verdict: Deserves the Hate (For Its Rank)</h3>
<p>The argument for Toxrill to remain as hated as it is comes from the notion that players can't keep a creature on the board for very long while the Slug Horror is in play.</p>
<p>Again, it boils down to players liking to make valid, impactful plays. There's a certain endorphin rush to making a big play in <em>Magic</em>, and to strip a player of that resolution is rough.</p>
<p>With a vast number of Commander decks running a decent number of creatures, those plays are often diminished by a timely (or persistent) board cleansing, such as in Toxrill's case.</p>
<h2>#3. Emrakul, the Promised End</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emrakul, the Promised End"></div></div>
<p>Mama Emrakul is an important character in the <em>Magic</em> storyline, and players like to use their favorite characters to command their Commander decks. But is that enough to justify Emrakul's usage as a salty commander? Signs point to "no," dear readers.</p>
<p>Even with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emrakul, the Promised End" href="#" target="_blank">Emrakul, the Promised End</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s restrictive colorless identity, an Emrakul pilot will often find ways to make the deck work, even potentially casting Emrakul for much less mana than she costs.</p>
<h3>Verdict: Doesn't Deserve the Hate</h3>
<p>Emrakul, the Promised End is a very strong colorless commander, but she doesn't deserve to be viewed as saltier than Game Changer commander options. The Eldrazi Titan that players should assess as a bigger threat is probably <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger" href="#" target="_blank">Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Emrakul performs a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mindslaver" href="#" target="_blank">Mindslaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> operation on a player, yes, but if that player survives the turn, they get an extra turn to do reasonable amounts of damage control and even advance their board state further. That seems pretty fair for something so seemingly oppressive.</p>
<h2>#2. Sheoldred, the Apocalypse</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sheoldred, the Apocalypse"></div></div>
<p>Sheoldred's second iteration, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sheoldred, the Apocalypse" href="#" target="_blank">Sheoldred, the Apocalypse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is a card that people malign, perhaps unfairly, partly due to her price. Similarly to how <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Meathook Massacre" href="#" target="_blank">The Meathook Massacre</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beseech the Mirror" href="#" target="_blank">Beseech the Mirror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> quickly spiked during preorders, Sheoldred shot up in price quickly even though <em>Dominaria United</em> was a widely printed Standard-legal set.</p>
<p>Since then, she's seen reprints in a variety of other Standard-legal set releases. Despite these, she is <em>still</em> exorbitantly expensive for the more casual or discerning Commander player! However, much of the reason she spiked was in her abilities, even more than her novelty as a Phyrexian Praetor.</p>
<p>Being able to reward doing normal things in a <em>Magic</em> game while punishing your opponents for doing the same is impactful. There's a reason players may sometimes rush to remove a copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Underworld Dreams" href="#" target="_blank">Underworld Dreams</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that's affecting them after long enough. The same principle can apply to Sheoldred, the Apocalypse.</p>
<h3>Verdict: Deserves Less Hate Than It Gets</h3>
<p>Sheoldred's ability suite, while oppressive and punishing to natural gameplay, doesn't stop opponents from playing their game. Opponents staring down Sheoldred can still cast removal before their opponent has broken their matronly centipede commander. With cards like Urza and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grand Arbiter Augustin IV" href="#" target="_blank">Grand Arbiter Augustin IV</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in ranks near Sheoldred, it feels weird to lump her in with the rest of the salt.</p>
<p>This brings us to the #1 saltiest commander that isn't a Game Changer. What legendary creature has this distinction, and is it worthy of the hate that it receives? Let's look!</p>
<h2>#1 Saltiest Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hokori, Dust Drinker"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hokori, Dust Drinker" href="#" target="_blank">Hokori, Dust Drinker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the single saltiest non-Game Changer legendary creature on EDHREC's Salt Score Summary. As a creature with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Winter Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Winter Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-style effect, it can grind games down to a screeching halt. It's the 22nd-most salty card on the Salt Score Summary overall, and with an ability like it has, my final verdict on Hokori stands to reason.</p>
<h3>Verdict: Deserves the Hate It Gets, and More!</h3>
<p>If you've ever played against a Winter Orb, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Static Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Static Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or any of the other variants of this kind of card, you'll know right away that Hokori, Dust Drinker needs to be focused on immediately.</p>
<p>Many of these kinds of effects are on the Game Changer list. Because of this fact, I don't anticipate that Hokori will stay off of that list for long. For now, though, let's all do our part and remove Hokori from the game as often as possible. And remember, player removal is also permanent removal!</p>
<p>So now, let's hear from you, dear readers. Do you think there are any saltier non-Game Changer commanders to look at in the future? How do you typically deal with such cards? And do you play with any of them yourself? Sound off below!</p>


Do These Five Salt-Inducing Commanders Deserve the Hate?

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doubling Cube" href="#" target="_blank">Doubling Cube</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Illustrated by <a href="http://www.marktedin.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Tedin</a></em></p>
<p>Yesterday, we covered <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/edge-of-eternities-two-new-commander-formats-announced/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Commander Box League</a>, an event that <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> is spearheading for <em>Edge of Eternities</em>. Many players seem to find some issues with it.</p>
<p>Because it's a sanctioned event format, there's not a lot that players can do to change the policies of this event series. However, with this article, I'd like to introduce a way to augment your next Sealed Box league for Commander play that may revolutionize the way you play it.</p>
<h2>Background</h2>
<p>For a few years, I've tried to make the Commander Boxing League work. I started my first foray into it with <em>Zendikar Rising</em>, and that ended rather poorly with no actual games conducted. The idea simply petered out amongst my playgroup.</p>
<p>The next booster Commander Boxing League saw me with a booster box of <em>Bloomburrow</em>. This posed its own set of distinct issues despite games firing with more ease. My playgroup had great commanders but not necessarily the needed tools to make a deck work smoothly.</p>
<p>I mulled this idea over for the better part of a year, and, with <em>Final Fantasy</em>, finally got to enact a means to make a Commander Booster Box League fire on all cylinders for myself and two other eager playtesters.</p>
<p>Enter: The Booster Box Buffer Kit.</p>
<h2>What Is the Booster Box Buffer Kit?</h2>
<p>Simply put, this kit is a 70-strong singleton kit of cards that each player in your Commander Sealed Box event should have ready and open access to that augments one of the most major aspects of any Commander deck: mana smoothing. The kit contains 13 artifacts and 57 lands, in its current iteration.</p>
<p>Furthermore, these cards assist with mana production, fixing, land fetching, and even a little bit of card advantage.</p>
<p>Notably, all of the cards in the Buffer Kit are easy to fit in many single players' given budgets, at about $41 for the full kit. They're all geared towards generic usefulness in Commander and augment your experience for a much smoother game. In turn, this allows you to focus on putting more of your cool cards from your booster box proper into the deck.</p>
<h2>Positives to the Buffer Kit</h2>
<p>According to one player who playtested this with me during the <em>Final Fantasy</em> prerelease:</p>
<blockquote><p>The supplemental material is very helpful at helping players feel like they can still play on curve even when their box cards aren’t “ready” to go in an opening hand. Having something to play every turn helps keep games competitive through midgame. The question is in picking the right dual lands or staples. Maybe some decks really want a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="City of Brass" href="#" target="_blank">City of Brass</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-like card instead of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Command Tower" href="#" target="_blank">Command Tower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for instance. It adds a selection mini-game to break up the initial overwhelming excitement for new, unplayed cards.</p></blockquote>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="City of Brass"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Command Tower"></div></div>
<p>As my playtester points out, the potential for mutability from set to set is one positive aspect of this kit. What works in a lands-matter set like <em>Zendikar Rising</em> won't always work for a set like <em>Edge of Eternities</em> or <em>Bloomburrow</em>. As such, cards can be added or removed to shore up any glaring issues with a given set, be they mana fixing, land fetching, or pretty much any other general aspect of the Commander play experience.</p>
<p>Fortunately, my other playtester noted how smoothly the games we played went. Mana fixing was so easy to draw into. Because of this, we all had an easy experience getting to our needed land drops. In turn, this allowed us all to secure mana on time for our more impactful plays to be made in an even measure.</p>
<p>Furthermore, this kind of buffer to a booster box's Sealed pool enables players to more easily use their cards in a manner more befitting the actual rules of Commander. Singleton decks with 100 total cards are much easier to make with this kit. They'll also be able to adhere well to color identity rules as Commander as a format dictates.</p>
<h2>Potential Shortcomings of the Buffer Kit</h2>
<p>My other playtester for the Booster Box Buffer Kit praised it highly. That said, they pointed out one possible issue with it. Being a 70-card list, it may be a bit too much for the average player to amass four times over. Shortening the list may be a necessity for some playgroups.</p>
<p>However, my colleague also remarked that doing so may limit options too much. As such, adding or replacing options will almost always feel better than simply removing them.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Azorius Chancery"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tranquil Cove"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thriving Heath"></div></div>
<p>To this end, I can agree with my colleague. If you want to cut some amount of cards from this list, I would advise you cut one to two full cycles of dual lands, such as the Ravnica Karoo cycle (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Azorius Chancery" href="#" target="_blank">Azorius Chancery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and friends) the lifegain duals (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tranquil Cove" href="#" target="_blank">Tranquil Cove</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, etc.), or the "Thriving" land cycle (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thriving Heath" href="#" target="_blank">Thriving Heath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, etc.).</p>
<p>This in turn will cut down on some options while keeping similar options open, if you cut no more than two of these aforementioned cycles. Remember, your playgroup will want equal treatment here so you'll want three or four of each card in the Kit as you see fit to add them.</p>
<h2>Buffer Kit List</h2>
<p>This list focuses on my personal iteration of the Buffer Kit. Feel free to make your own additions and subtractions from it to enhance your experience.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Booster Box Buffer Kit" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Lands]
*1 Arcane Sanctum
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Azorius Chancery
*1 Bloodfell Caves
*1 Blossoming Sands
*1 Boros Garrison
*1 Bountiful Landscape
*1 Command Tower
*1 Contaminated Landscape
*1 Crumbling Necropolis
*1 Deceptive Landscape
*1 Dimir Aqueduct
*1 Dismal Backwater
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Foreboding Landscape
*1 Frontier Bivouac
*1 Golgari Rot Farm
*1 Gruul Turf
*1 Izzet Boilerworks
*1 Jungle Hollow
*1 Jungle Shrine
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Mystic Monastery
*1 Nomad Outpost
*1 Opal Palace
*1 Opulent Palace
*1 Orzhov Basilica
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Perilous Landscape
*1 Rakdos Carnarium
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Rugged Highlands
*1 Rupture Spire
*1 Sandsteppe Citadel
*1 Savage Lands
*1 Scoured Barrens
*1 Seaside Citadel
*1 Seething Landscape
*1 Selesnya Sanctuary
*1 Shattered Landscape
*1 Sheltering Landscape
*1 Shimmering Grotto
*1 Simic Growth Chamber
*1 Swiftwater Cliffs
*1 Temple of the False God
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 Thornwood Falls
*1 Thriving Bluff
*1 Thriving Grove
*1 Thriving Heath
*1 Thriving Isle
*1 Thriving Moor
*1 Tranquil Cove
*1 Tranquil Landscape
*1 Twisted Landscape
*1 Wind-Scarred Crag
[/Lands]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Chromatic Star
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Expedition Map
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Prismatic Lens
*1 Prophetic Prism
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 World Map
[/Artifacts]"></span></div>
<h2>The Future of the Buffer Kit</h2>
<p>I'm sure I'll make adjustments to the experience. As sets come out and their themes are made more apparent, I may remove certain cards from the Kit list. Even so, I'll work to retain a majority of the core of this experience. Feel free to try this out at your next Sealed Commander Booster Box event!</p>
<p>And now, I'd really like to hear from the readership of this article. Do you think this idea will make Sealed Commander Box Leagues better for players? What do you think about the possibility of using this kit in the future? Finally, does it appeal to you more than the previously-announced Commander Box League, for example? Sound off below!</p>


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