The Command Zone

Final Fantasy is completely revealed and it is FULL of powerful legends from across the franchise’s over-30-year history! But which of these new Commander contenders are the absolute strongest? This episode, we’ve narrowed down the roster to the most playable characters. We’ll lay out the strategies and synergies you’ll need to min/max their potential, so you can live out your final fantasy: winni...

Final Fantasy VI did a LOT with only 16 bits, but we’re here to do even more with only 10 cards! That’s right! It's time for our $50 budget upgrade guide for the new Magic the Gathering: Final Fantasy “Revival Trance” (red/white/black) precon Commander deck. We’ll bring you 10 cards to add as playable characters, and the 10 you can cut from the party so you can show that this retro classic still p...

Ready to begin your pilgrimage across the land of Spira to defeat Sin and save the world? You’re definitely going to need the Final Fantasy X “Counter Blitz” (green/white/blue) preconstructed Commander deck from the new Universes Beyond set, Final Fantasy! To help you along the way, check out our $50 upgrade guide, showing you 10 cards to add and 10 to take out. We’ll give you everything you need...

The Final Fantasy + MTG crossover is going to be huge… TITANIC even! And today we’re summoning an equally enormous preview card: “Summon: Titan!” It could leave a massive footprint in multiple formats, so if you don’t want to get stomped, you need to be in the know. Come find out what this cool new Universes Beyond: Final Fantasy saga does! -------- Support the show and become a Patron! Be a part...

Ready to go from MMO to MTG? Now you can with the new FFXIV Esper (white/blue/black) precon deck “Scions & Spellcraft” from the latest Universes Beyond: Final Fantasy set!  We’re here to save you some time loot-farming by providing you with our $50 upgrade guide. We’ll show you 10 cards to add to your party and 10 to remove, so that the next time you start a PVP encounter at your LGS, you’ll wind...

BOOM! No, that’s not a Mako reactor exploding, it’s Final Fantasy 7 busting out of Midgar and into the world of Magic: The Gathering! Today, we’re bringing you our upgrade guide for the brand new Universes Beyond: Final Fantasy 7 “Limit Break” (white/red/green) Commander precon deck. Equip Cloud, Tifa, Aerith and the rest of Avalanche with 10 cards in and 10 cards out, all for under $50, so that w...

In 2018, we thought these Commanders were the worst of the worst, the scourge of the game, we HATED them! But do these boogeymen from the past still haunt our nightmares? This episode, we’re taking a look back and reacting to episode 561 “Commanders We Hate Playing Against” to see how our evaluations hold up. Which are still banes of the format, and which ones will feel a little silly in retrospec...

After 15 years on the banlist, the dastardly Braids, Cabal Minion has been UNLEASHED on the world of Commander once again! But after such a long time on ice, is Braids the unbridled force of evil she once was?   There’s no question that the game of MTG has changed since the last time this game changer saw play, so it’s time to look at a brand new Braids deck tech to see how this terror from a bygo...

Commander Brackets: It’s the new WotC-led deck classification system that’s taking the format by storm! But wait-- they’re in BETA! So what’s keeping Commander Brackets from being a complete and final product?  In this episode, Jimmy and Rachel sit down to discuss this question and many more in-depth. Do brackets work well as-is? What issues need to be ironed out? How do we make sure the rules are...

THE GAME OF COMMANDER HAS CHANGED!  In their first major act since taking control of the format, Wizards has released a new Commander B&R announcement, and five whole cards are coming OFF the banned list! At the same time, 18 cards have been added to the list of Commander Bracket “Game Changers.” Needless to say, there’s a lot to talk about! This episode, JLK and Rachel (both part of the Commander...

Here be dragons! Tarkir: Dragonstorm is raging through the world of MTG and, if you don’t want to get swept away, you’re gonna need some powerful cards. Never fear, stormchasers, this episode we’ll be going over the best cards for your 99 from the new set. These cards might not be legendary, but with the strategies and synergies we’ve got here for you, they might just help YOU become a legend! ---...

Do you yearn to mobilize an unstoppable horde of Tarkir: Dragonstorm warriors and tokens? You’re going to need our “Mardu Surge” (red/white/black) precon upgrade guide! We’ll show you 10 cards that mar-DO deserve a spot in the deck and 10 cards that, like all weaknesses, must be cast off. The next time your horde hits the board, victory will be inevitable! -------- Support the show and become a Pa...

Everyone knows the dragons from Tarkir: Dragonstorm are tough, but upgrading your deck can be even tougher! Well have no fear, because today we’re buffing the “Abzan Armor” (white/black/green) precon with our $50 upgrade guide! We’ll show you the 10 cards that will help suit up your deck so that the next time you hit your local game store, your strategy will be impenetrable! -------- Support the s...

Looking to take your Commander pod by Dragonstorm with a powerful new deck? Then join us as we break down the best legendary creature cards from Magic’s grand return to Tarkir.  Behold all the synergies, strategies, and hot tech you’ll need to stoke the flames behind these devastating Dragons and fearsome fighters. Who will rise above the pack? You’ll have to watch and find out! -------- Support t...

Worried your new Tarkir dragon deck might be more bark than bite? Then, it’s time to power up your “Temur Roar” (green/blue/red) precon with our $50 upgrade guide! We’ll lay out 10 cards to add as fuel for the flames and 10 you can burn—not literally!—to make room. With these quick swaps, you can take wing at your next Commander night and claw out some epic wins. -------- Support the show and beco...

Why stop at raising hordes of the undead when you could ALSO raise your precon deck’s power level? This episode, we’re laying out our upgrade guide for the “Sultai Arisen” (blue/black/green) Commander deck from Tarkir: Dragonstorm. We’ve got 10 cards to dig up and slot in, plus 10 cards you can toss into the bin, all for under $50. It’s time to turn all those Sul-ties and Sul-losses into Sul-wins....

We’re going back to Tarkir and it’s time to Dragonstorm off with the “Jeskai Striker” (white/blue/red) precon reveal! Check out this brand new spellslinger deck, including 10 never-before-seen cards! Then, just to add some fury to the flurry, we’ve also included our $50 budget upgrade guide so you can really show off your prowess at your next game night! -------- Link to Full ‘JESKAI STRIKER’ Deck...

Adding cards to a Commander deck is fun, easy, and exciting! But choosing which cards to CUT can feel basically impossible.  This episode, we’re laying out the complete guide to cutting cards. We’ll help you identify the pieces you can do without, whether it’s for strategic reasons, or because they don’t fit the power or style of your brew. It’s always hard to say goodbye, but what are you gonna d...

Can the Magic: the Gathering movie actually be… good?  If you find the right people for the job, maybe it could be great! This episode, we’re laying out who we think SHOULD be making the MTG movie. From actors to writers to directors, we’ll bring you our takes on the best fits for the roles, because no movie speculation would be complete without fancasting! Do you agree with our picks? Tune in and...

A player may concede at any time, but that doesn’t mean they should. OR SHOULD THEY?! This great debate has been held around many a game table, so this episode we’re bringing you our unfettered opinions on the intricacies of the scoop. Is conceding poor sportsmanship or just a way to get the most out of your time? Should concessions be used aggressively? Should we never concede? It’s a surprisingl...

We recently unveiled our new and improved Commander deckbuilding template. This episode, we’re here to tell you why it’s… WRONG!  Okay, well not “wrong” exactly, but over-simplified! Templates are a great place to start, but if you’re looking to take your deckbuilding to the next level, you can’t expect to paint-by-numbers. Let’s discuss when and why it’s often correct to bend the rules and, somet...

Building your own Commander deck from scratch can be intimidating. It’s not just about finding powerful cards. A great brew needs to strike the perfect balance.  This episode, we’re here to make that task much easier with our new and improved Deckbuilding Template. We’ll lay out the ideal ratios of ramp, card draw, disruption, and more, all based on The Command Zone’s years of deckbuilding experti...

The new Commander [Brackets] system has been officially unveiled in all its 5-tiered glory! But what exactly does the system look like? And how is it different from the old ways? Most importantly, will [Brackets] solve Commander’s power level problem? This episode, we’re breaking it all down and bringing you our analysis. Let’s get bracketing! -------- Support the show and become a Patron! Be a pa...

We are super excited to announce that Hasbro Entertainment has signed a deal with Legendary Entertainment to produce an official live-action Magic: the Gathering movie! Over the past 30+ years, MTG has become an entertainment icon with millions of fans all over the world, and we can’t wait to see it up on the big screen. So join us as we roll out the red carpet and tell you everything there is to...

Don’t blink, because Aetherdrift is coming in FAST! But have no fear, this episode will get you up to speed by going over the very best cards for your 99 from the new set. We’ll lay out all the high-octane tech so you can gas up your decks with these sweet new additions to the format, along with laying out the synergies and strategies you need to get the most mileage out of every spell. Strap in!...