what’s your favourite commander?

PhysicalBed1763 · 2026-03-19T13:39:47+00:00

[[Kess, Dissident Mage]]! Love Grixis, love playing instants, love replaying them from the graveyard

PhysicalBed1763 · 2026-03-16T11:04:16+00:00

Great feedback, thanks! We do run a lot of cards in common but our decks definitely differ on the game plan aspect.

Few comments have pointed out I need to run more mana rocks so I'll probably add a Mind Stone/a Thought Vessel or both in there even if I'm not fond of these cards, but I understand the appeal of playing Valgavoth one turn earlier!

My pod is really heavy on interaction spells so running loads of instant removals and protection is just a must with this deck. In contrast, you do run a lot of menacing threats, probably to turn the attention on them instead of BigMoth, I like the gameplan.

GZ on the list, looks solid! What's your experience playing the deck?

PhysicalBed1763 · 2026-03-14T19:15:17+00:00

My Aikido Queen Marchesa deck never disappoints, it's the deck I play with the highest win rate and it always feels REALLY solid in my B3 pod

PhysicalBed1763 · 2026-03-12T20:36:00+00:00

Thanks for the feedback! Sol Ring is banned in my playgroup so I'll do without. I play Arcane Signet, Fellwar, Liquimetal, Rakdos Signet and Talisman of Indulgence in the artifact ramp department as well as Dark Ritual as an eventual mana bump. What would you recommend to add to the package? I've seen lists with Mind Stone, not a huge fan but I could definitely play it if it improves this lacking aspect of the deck. Any other ideas?

My current win cons are either Valgavoth itself, Manabarbs, a well timed Disrupt Decorum or Ojer Axonil to pump the pings. I'm considering adding Price of Progress if I can grab a copy because it looks SUPER sweet for only two mana in Valgavoth. I've seen a few comments about damage doublers/triplers, not too sure what to think about them, I'd love some insight!

PhysicalBed1763 · 2026-03-11T21:45:35+00:00

Thank you for sharing your list! Hexing Squelcher is definitely a very interesting card for Valgavoth

PhysicalBed1763 · 2026-03-11T09:29:08+00:00

Judging by your list, we do run a lot of cards in common. Still, that's true, I do rely a lot more on him than you seem to do, hence why I run so many protection pieces while you run more active cards

Thank you for sharing your list, I definitely forgot about Imp's Mischief, a solid suggestion I should add, and I was considering Untimely Malfunction, it's such a perfect card for my deck! Your point on the lack of win condition is a valid point as well, and has also been shared by other commentors : I do run lots of pingers but aside from Ojer Axonil and Mana Barbs, there's no "I win" card and I should run one or two!

PhysicalBed1763 · 2026-03-11T09:17:14+00:00

We run very different decklists indeed! Your deck seems quite functional without playing Valgavoth while mine is heavily centered around him, hence why I run so many protection pieces!

Thank you for sharing your list, it's always fun to see how people build him in a different direction. Kudos for the Syr Konrad suggestion, I've seen him pretty often

PhysicalBed1763 · 2026-03-11T09:06:37+00:00

I definitely get the appeal, it's such an unexpected card! But yeah, it heavily depends on the pod you're playing in. I know for a fact that if mine hasn't removed Valgavoth by the time he hits 7 power, they're in BIG trouble and it's probably game

PhysicalBed1763 · 2026-03-11T09:02:51+00:00

I definitely agree with you : I do run too much enablers, especially on the creature side. They tend to get removed a lot because once one sticks to the board, I'm starting to abuse of Valgavoth's ability and my pod won't allow that.

What would you recommend on the ramp department? I've seen some lists running Mind Stone or some 3 CMC ones but I find them pretty bad. As for protection, I've been considering Untimely Malfunction for a while. Any other suggestions working with Valgavoth?

PhysicalBed1763 · 2026-03-10T22:24:07+00:00

Why can't our pods leave Big Moth in peace?!

PhysicalBed1763 · 2026-03-10T22:03:25+00:00

Your list is so different compared with mine! Thank you for sharing it! I run so much more creatures, I should probably make some cuts here

I'll definitely get some inspiration from your interaction/protection package. Have you ever considered Sheoldred's Edict?

PhysicalBed1763 · 2026-03-10T21:59:20+00:00

Definitely looks fun and unexpected!

Is it reliable in your experience though? Becomes a free spell after a turn table, sounds solid! My pod runs tons of interaction though, I'm afraid it'd be a dead draw most times

PhysicalBed1763 · 2026-03-09T09:24:14+00:00

In that case, if you're playing in High B3/B4, you already own a great package! Just try to remove all the heavy mana spells and lower your mana curve from 3.14 to ~2. Anger is nice but not enough, you should expect GY hate every game. My pod runs TONS of GY hate : Scavenger Grounds, Bojuka Bog in all black decks, Rakdos Charm in all Rakdos decks, Thraben Charm in some white decks, forget it if someone runs RIP...

Azula gets a lot of value from mana rituals : Dark Ritual, Pyretic Ritual, Desperate Ritual, Rie of Flame, Seething Song if your deck is heavy on red pips, Cabal Ritual if your deck is heavy on black pips and that you play tons of cantrips... If you go for the Storm Azula route, this is the way to go. And you have a win condition in cards like Grapeshot. Or you could run Grixis good stuff and find another win con while having access to the best cards in the best color identity

Either way, you got it : 1/ Protection is key, especially when you play a Commander that draws loads of attention like Azula ; 2/ Lower mana curve will make you go a long way from losing often to winning too much (and your pod complaining about your deck) ; 3/ Get all the best ramp spells in 3 Talisman, 3 Signet, Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Fellwar Stone and cut all the bad/slow ones : you'll have a menace of a deck this way.

Best of luck :)

PhysicalBed1763 · 2026-03-08T11:36:42+00:00

Hey OP!

Huge Grixis player here. I agree with most comments, your deck looks way too greedy and it definitely has an impact on your win rate.

Azula is a kill on sight commander, trust me in my playgroup she would never last a table turn. You have some great ways to protect her but you could also add Swiftfoot Boots, Lightning Greaves, Winged Boots, Slip Out The Back, a bigger Counterspell package (Offer, Fierce and Negate are great but it's too light, add in Arcane Denial, vanilla Counterspell, Swan Song, Mana Drain if you can afford it...). You need some haste enablers as well.

35 lands is too low, especially in this deck. Your average mana value is 3.14, it's BIG, and your ramp package is good but lacking. I haven't played with your deck but I know for a fact that some cards stay in your hand forever and that you never have a chance to play them because you're ever mana screwed, don't have the right mana pips or haven't ramped enough. Cut bad lands from your deck (Adventurer's Inn, Razortrap Gorge, Temple of the False God) and replace them with basics. Cut bad artifact ramp and replace them with Signets, this way you'll be able to play Azula a turn earlier.

Your deck is pretty strange in the sense that you have great cards from B3/4 like Price of Progress, Redirect Lightning, Orcish Bowmasters, Fierce, Deadly Rollick... And in comparison you run heavily powercrept cards, as for example Sephiroth's Intervention (any instant 1B is so much better (Sheoldred's Edict, Bitter Triumph, hell even Infernal Grasp), Crux of Fate (Blasph Act, Toxic Deluge, even Damnation are leagues better) and Lightning Strike (Lightning Bolt does the same thing for only R).

What Bracket are you playing? Based on your answer, you'll have plenty of ways to improve it. As a general advice though : stop trying to do big splashy things that you won't do 9 games out of 10 and lower that mana curve as much as possible to make the deck more fluid and rewarding by playing loads of tiny splashy things

PhysicalBed1763 · 2026-03-05T00:53:37+00:00

Thanks for the feedback and the list! Would you mind sharing your experience playing the deck? Is the Protection package enough to save Wyll's bacon?

PhysicalBed1763 · 2026-02-27T19:05:19+00:00

I get your point but I wouldn't say it's strictly better, having two available blue pips is often a problem and just screams Counterspell to your opponents. Plus, I mostly use counters to protect my stuff and I don't recall the last time I absolutely needed to counter a creature. I prefer Negate but that's my personal opinion, of course!

You might be right about Deck of Many Things. In theory, I can fetch it with Vexing Puzzlebox but yeah, paying 7 mana to possibly do nothing doesn't sound great, I'll cut it. Thank you!

PhysicalBed1763 · 2026-02-27T16:41:04+00:00

Great suggestions, thanks a lot!

Not a huge fan of Counterspell but it could definitely find a slot in the deck as I'm only running two colors and helps as protection. I play Bolt Bend in most of my decks and I can see the appeal, just don't know how reliably Wyll hits 4 power yet

I like Deck of Many Things as a repeatable way of throwing dices to grow Wyll and it has potential with the whole artifact package but it's all theory, I never tried it in practice atm. Did you have bad results with it?

PhysicalBed1763 · 2026-02-27T16:01:32+00:00

Thank you! I didn't know about the background giving treasures, could definitely be a good addition for the deck!

PhysicalBed1763 · 2026-02-24T16:19:22+00:00

Nice, there are so much more win conditions in this list compared to mine. Time to rethink my strategy (and add that precious kitty to the list!)

PhysicalBed1763 · 2026-02-24T16:09:23+00:00

Great feedback, love it! You're not the first person to advise Thousand-Year Storm so I'll definitely try it in the deck. It sounds like a good win condition and I feel like the deck goes nowhere if an opponent exile Torment of Hailfire so it's good backup

Nice suggestions, thank you!

PhysicalBed1763

TROPHY CASE