The Command Zone

Love to tinker with your decks, but don’t love spending too much moolah? Well our $10 budget upgrade guide for the new green/blue/red “Tinker Time” March of the Machine preconstructed deck is made just for you! We’ll give you our 10-card tweak to start you on the path toward calibrating your deck into a well-oiled victory machine!  -------- Support the show and become a Patron! Be a part of our co...

Good guys? Sure, they’re nice. But this episode isn’t for them. This one’s for the bad guys! Today we’re tackling the meanest of the mean from March of the Machine with the Phyrexian praetors! We’ll go over all five new praetor cards, covering both the front and back sides of these uniquely designed, powerful new legends. We’ll bring you the low-down on all the synergies and strategies you’ll need...

It may be hard to convince people you’re not the threat when you break out the “Growing Threat” Commander precon from March of the Machine. So to help you keep up against the rest of the table, we’ve got a budget upgrade guide for this black and white Phyrexian—and artifact-themed—deck. See the 10 cards to splice in (for under $10) and 10 to remove to make this deck a mechanical masterpiece. -----...

The war for the multiverse rages on, and some truly legendary pairings are staunchly defending their planes. This episode, we finish breaking down the team-up Commanders from March of the Machine.  Now, when all these beloved characters get mashed up and mixed together, the cards can get pretty complicated. So don’t miss a single detail as we delve into the combos and synergies you’ll need to make...

In March of the Machine, the multiverse’s most beloved legends must team up to take down the Phyrexians. This episode, we start to break down the two-in-one Commanders they’ve become. Which pairings will rise to the top of the pile? And which will show that two heads aren’t always better than one? Tune in and find the dynamic duo you want to build around next! -------- Support the show and become...

Are you ready to rally your allies, band together, and fight the March of the Machine? Today, we’re revealing a whole new Commander deck that’s perfect for you! We go through all the new cards in this Jeskai (RWB) “Divine Convocation” preconstructed deck, including 5 brand new Planechase cards! Then we break down the contents of the deck. Enjoy some fresh tech, convoke synergies, and never-before-...

Magic is a complicated game. “How complicated?” you ask. With over 265 pages in the comprehensive rules, it’s safe to say it’s more complex than most people ever realize. So it’s no surprise there are some rules Commander players get wrong all the time.  This episode, we enlisted the help of Murph to go over the most common mistakes to prepare you for the next time a tricky situation pops up at yo...

Some legends are truly terrifying to see in your opponent’s command zone. But they get a little less scary once you have a gameplan to stop them. Today, we’re breaking down the modern-day Commander boogiemen, why they’re so powerful, and what you can do to hold your own against them. Are our nightmare foes the same as yours? Or did we miss the legendary creature who haunts your game nights? Come s...

It’s good to be king, but is it good to be the kingmaker? So often in Commander, a player on the brink of death has the power to choose which remaining opponent will get the crown or who will take the loss. But what’s the right thing to do in that situation? Do you spite the player who wronged you?? Flip a coin? Or simply go quietly into the knight and let the game take its course? Today we ask th...

Building a powerful deck can be a lot easier than building one you actually love to pilot, especially after repetitive play. Today, we’re breaking down the steps you can take to make sure your final brew is just as fun as the brewing process. From effective playtesting to identifying pain points, this episode is all about listening to your gameplay, playing what you love, and building the deck of...

Commander can be expensive, especially when you’re starting to build your collection! When you’re trading your cash for cardboard, take a moment to optimize your spending. This episode, we’re breaking down some of the format’s priciest staples to determine whether they’re actually worth the price tag. Be sure to check it out before you hit “Checkout!” -------- Support the show and become a Patron!...

MagicCons are Wizards’ latest attempt at cracking “The Gathering.” But are these big live events actually worth attending? We’re breaking down our experiences from Vegas and Philly to determine just how much bang you’re getting for your buck. Is Command Zone access worth the extra charge? How about the VIP passes? Most important of all, are Magic Cons actually fun? Tune in and find out! -------- S...

Can any Magic card truly be called “bad?” Yes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun playing them! This episode, Rachel polls the Command Zone crew on cards they love to play even though they aren’t exactly optimized. Commander is a casual format! Play more bad cards! From 9-drops to draft chaff, come see if your pet card is on our list. -------- Support the show and become a Patron! Be a part...

Do you love Commander but hate counting past 10? Then we have a strategy for you! This episode, Craig “Mr. Infect” Blanchette is here to teach you about–you guessed it–playing infect in Commander! With Phyrexia: All Will Be One bringing the new “Toxic” mechanic into the format, poison counters are all the rage once again. So today we’ll go over the ins-and-outs of this controversial strategy and g...

Show Notes: Just because a card can’t be your commander, doesn’t mean it's not the piece you need to turn your deck into a perfect, mechanical abomination! This episode we’re going over the cards that matter for your 99 from Phyrexia: All Will Be One. We’ll cover the cards we think could be the newest staples, cards that fill niche roles, and cards that get your engine oiled up and firing on all c...

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: When Phyrexia took over Mirrodin, parts of the plane itself came to life, becoming the godlike monsters we know as the Domini. In All Will Be One, these giant overlords take the form of legendary creatures with high-impact doubling effects. T...

In Phyrexia: All Will Be One, every color has been corrupted by Phyrexia’s influence, and that means a bunch of new compleated commanders! This episode, we’re delving into the best mono-colored legendary creatures from Magic’s latest set. We’ll go through the synergies and strategies you’ll want to graft into each commander’s deck to make them shine like glistening oil. Hail Phyrexia! -------- Sup...

Show Notes: Poison counters are back in Phyrexia: All Will Be One and with them returns the age-old Commander question: Is infect too strong? Sure, 10 is a lot less than 40, but is it actually easier to pull off? This episode, our poison expert Craig “Mr. Infect” Blanchette joins the table to discuss the power of poison in EDH. Does the new “Toxic” ability affect whether the poison counter rule sh...

Show Notes: In Phyrexia, all may be one but today all the legends will be at least two… colors! That’s right! On this episode, we’re diving into the best new multi-colored commanders from Phyrexia: All Will Be One. We’ll go over the synergies and strategies you need to start crafting the perfect deck around your favorite new metallic monstrosities! You don’t want to miss it! -------- Support the s...

Have you been drinking glistening oil? Because it looks like you’re under a “Corrupting Influence.” Join us for our budget upgrade guide of this toxic white, black, and green Phyrexia: All Will Be One preconstructed Commander deck that promises to poison all who oppose it. Find out which 10 cards to inject and 10 to remove to compleat your list and be perfectly positioned to compete at any table....

The Mirran resistance fights for its mere existence, and we’re here to help them out… on a BUDGET! This episode we bring you our budget upgrade guide for the new red and white “Rebellion Rising” Phyrexia: All Will Be One preconstructed Commander deck. With a budget of only $30, we’ll give you 10 cards to add to your ranks and the 10 to remove. Your deck will be a lean mean Phyrexian-smashing machi...

Normally, we don’t like being toxic here at The Command Zone but today we’re making an exception for the reveal of “Corrupting Influence,” the Abzan precon Commander deck from Phyrexia: All Will Be One! It’s compleat with 10 new cards including 2 brand new Commanders which we think will be infectiously fun, so join us as we break down the reprints, deck value, stats, and more. -------- Support the...

If a Magic card is powerful, you should play it right? Well in a format like Commander, the choice isn’t always that simple. There’s a whole bevy of reasons a discerning player might choose not to play perfectly “good” cards. This episode, the Command Zone crew weighs in on the staples and high-powered cards that they refuse to put in their decks. Whether it’s the art, the gameplay pattern, or jus...

This year, make a New Year’s Resolution to be a better Magic Player.  There are a lot of bad habits around the Commander table. This episode, we're talking about what they are, why they're bad, and how to fix them. This is a complex format with plenty of room to make mistakes, but many of them are easy to avoid if you start putting in the effort. Find out what you can do to keep games fun and the...

Show Notes: 2022 is done, and it’s time to lay everything out on the table. (Yes, even 30th Anniversary Edition!) It’s been a year of new hosts, new events, new controversies, but most of all, lots and lots and LOTS of products. It might be fair to say that 2022 has had more Magic: the Gathering than any year in the history of the game.  This episode, we join together to go over the highs and lows...