The Command Zone

Support the show and become a Patron! Be a part of our community, receive awesome rewards, and more! https://www.patreon.com/commandzone -------- Show Notes: Do you have the need for speed AND the need for a powerful new deck? Find out which of Aetherdrift’s racing legends is right for you, as we break down the most powerful Commanders from the new set. We’ll roll through the synergies, strategies...

Want to make the new “Eternal Might” (White/Blue/Black) precon even mightier? Never fear! We’re here to breathe new life into this deck of undeath with our $50 upgrade guide! We’ll give you 10 cards to exhume, and 10 to entomb so that next time you call forth your legions of mummies, everyone will know who the true god-pharoah is! (It’s you.) Come join us! -------- Support the show and become a Pa...

Can you feel that? The electricity in the air can only mean one thing: the Aetherdrift “Living Energy” (Red/Blue/Green) precon reveal is HERE! We’ve got a brand new Energy-themed deck to show you, including two new Commanders and 10 never-before-seen cards! Then just to amp things up a bit, we’ve also included our $50 10-card upgrade, so you’ll have everything you need for an electrifying victory...

Everyone will tell you they’re not the threat, but someone has to be! And figuring out exactly who it is can be the difference between victory and defeat.  This episode, we’re breaking down everything you need to become a master of threat assessment. From how to calibrate your thinking going into the game to how to assess the board states themselves, we’ll give you the tools you need to destroy yo...

It’s a mailbag episode! JLK and Rachel sit down to answer all your burning inquiries: Which Commanders do we REFUSE to play against? Which colors do we find the most powerful? What’s the best way to find a new playgroup? What do we think about Rule 0 commanders? And so much more! No question will go unanswered, so you’re not going to want to miss this one. -------- Support the show and become a Pa...

Hindsight is a 20/20 with Flying and Indestructible, so it’s time to look back at 2024 and all of the controversies, changes, events, and of course, cards from the last 365 days. From unprecedented bans that shook up the Commander world forever, to design choices that may have shifted the fabric of the game, plus the rise of Universes Beyond, and even a little bit of art theft thrown in for flavor...

Support the show and become a Patron! Be a part of our community, receive awesome rewards, and more! https://www.patreon.com/commandzone -------- Show Notes: Commander is famously a casual format, so it’s easy to handwave some of the more complicated rules when it comes to stuff like the stack and priority in a 4-player pod. But if you’re looking to take your gameplay to the next level, understand...

From gruesome murders to cute woodland critters, 2024 has brought a ton of new cards, styles, and settings to the game of Magic The Gathering. As always, everyone has their favorites and their flops, so this episode we’ll be going through every set of the year and laying out which we feel hit the nail on the head, and which ones whiffed completely. Will our top choices be the same as yours? Let’s...

This episode, we’re bringing in the members of our Command Zone team to answer the question: What are your favorite cards of the year? From powerful new format staples, to quirky pet cards, 2024 certainly had a lot to talk about! -------- Support the show and become a Patron! Be a part of our community, receive awesome rewards, and more! https://www.patreon.com/commandzone -------- AURA:  Save on...

When you’ve been playing Magic for years, it can be hard to remember how difficult it is when you’re just starting out. Teaching new players can be a daunting task.  Fortunately here at the Command Zone, we’ve got a ton of experience introducing others to the game and we’re gonna share some of the best techniques and guidelines to make teaching Magic as fun as playing it. And with Foundations brin...

2024 had a TON of Commander precons hit the shelves - 24 in fact! But not all precons are created equal, and this year had its duds as well as its slam dunks. But which is which? Never fear! We’ve got Rachel, Murph, and Jordan here to break down every single preconstructed deck from the past 365 and rank each of them definitively from best to worst! Find out which ones slapped and which ones deser...

The commander is often the most influential card in any EDH deck. In fact, some are SO powerful that they’ve had to be banned from the format entirely – even if they’d be perfectly fair as part of the 99! Couldn’t this problem be fixed by simply making a “Banned as Commander” List?  This episode, we discuss the pros and cons of reinstating that controversial rule, going over the potential impact t...

The Foundations Starter Collection was designed to help new players get into Standard, but it’s also really great for new Commander players! In fact, with a little bit of care and creativity, we’ve come up with a variety of Commander decks you can build right out of the box! We’ll walk you through the builds, strategies, and potential upgrades so you can go from cracking packs to cracking skulls i...

They haven’t played Magic since the 90’s but now they’re getting thrown into the deep end!  In this episode, JLK reunites his long-lapsed original playgroup to show them the (extremely different) world of modern-day Magic. What will they make of the game’s current design and power level? What do they remember from their old school spellslinging days? And what insights do they have into the mysteri...

Want to give your next Commander deck a bit of a jumpstart? Why not build one of these new anime-style legends from the Foundations Jumpstart set? This episode, we’ll give you the rundown on the most powerful of these new commanders, laying out the best strategies and synergies to turn these beginner-friendly cards into full-on manga monsters! -------- Support the show and become a Patron! Be a pa...

Don’t let the Standard focus fool you, Foundations is loaded with cool new toys for Commander players everywhere! So this episode we’re breaking down our list of the best non-legendary cards for your 99. From cool support pieces to potential format staples, we’ll lay out everything you can’t afford to miss, along with the synergies and strategies you’ll need to make them the foundation of your nex...

Want to assemble a new deck, but still need to find the right captain? Then, we’re about to be your heroes! We’re breaking down the commanders from Magic’s brand new Marvel Secret Lair! Come see how these comic book legends put the “POW!” in powerful as we lay out the synergies and combos that’ll elevate them from good to outright super. -------- Support the show and become a Patron! Be a part of...

The new legends from Foundations may be in Standard for a while, but they’re going to be in Commander FOREVER – so don’t miss out on seeing which ones are the most powerful!  This episode, we’re breaking down the tricks, synergies, and combos these cards bring to the game table. Who will serve as the foundation for your next favorite deck, and who may be better suited for other formats? Watch and...

You know what mana-ROCKS? Fantasy-drafting artifacts that ramp!  This episode, Jimmy, JLK, and Rachel are picking the best mana rocks (over 2 mana) in Commander. We all know that two-drop ramp pieces are great, but which cards demand an include on the upper end of the curve? Tune in and find out! -------- Support the show and become a Patron! Be a part of our community, receive awesome rewards, an...

With tons of counterspells, card draw, and instant-speed interaction, blue may be Magic’s most infamous color. With all that complexity, Blue can be just as tricky to pilot as it is to play against! Luckily, this episode we have master blue mage Josh Lee Kwai to break down the keys to playing the color successfully. If you’ve got some blue decks of your own (or want the inside scoop on how blue pl...

As the new stewards of Commander, Wizards of the Coast announced they’ll be reevaluating the ban list. In this episode, we decided to do the same! We’re going through every banned card to break down which we think could safely re-enter the format and which should stay locked away forever. There’s some super powerful stuff in there, and you won’t want to miss it! -------- Support the show and becom...

Would you make a deal with a demon? Now is your chance, because Duskmourn is here to offer you what every Magic player truly wants: POWER! This new set is chock full of powerful cards, and we’ll show you the best of the best as we go over the top cards from Duskmourn for your 99. We’ll guide you through all the hot new tech you’ll want to snap up for your next deck. Instead of being a scared survi...

JLK sits down with The Professor from Tolarian Community College to discuss the roles and responsibilities of content creators during periods of community crisis. -------- Support the show and become a Patron! Be a part of our community, receive awesome rewards, and more! https://www.patreon.com/commandzone -------- The Professor (Tolarian Community College): Twitter: @TolarianCollege Youtube: htt...

Further fallout from last week’s divisive new ban announcement: The Commander Rules Committee has decided to officially hand over control of the format to Wizards of the Coast. This shift in power brings the 13-year era of community management to an end. Needless to say, there’s a lot to talk about.  Join Jimmy, Rachel, and JLK as we sit down to discuss our takes on how we got here, what’s happeni...

Ever been on the wrong side of a Commander game and thought, “I’d need a miracle to win!” We're here to make it happen with our 10-card, $50 upgrade guide for the new “Miracle Worker” (white/blue/black) precon deck! Come see what enchanting new includes will take this Duskmourn list to new heights, and soon you’ll have everything you need to make your next victory look like divine intervention! (N...