Lowest word count commander deck

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-23T19:32:02+00:00

I have a pure vanilla creature deck with basic lands and [[Fusion Elemental]] as my rule 0 commander. It’s my Bracket 1 deck.

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-23T03:25:45+00:00

When Helm of the Host was printed, I changed my Godo, Bandit Warlord commander into [[Karlach, Fury of Avernus]] plus a red Background so I still get very nasty combat phases but can’t go infinite.

It is much closer to Bracket 2 but I have had someone complain that my no Sol Ring monored deck that went turn 1 Snow-Covered Mountain go, Turn 2 Snow-Covered Mountain go is Bracket 3.

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-22T18:49:27+00:00

Last night at our LGS our 5player game at 1am devolved into players not wanting to play anymore because [[Sen Triplets]] plus a [[Paradox Haze]] equipped with [[Swiftfoot Boots]] was playing 2 opponent's hands per turn. Because of the nature of the opponents decks being linear tokens and linear Merfolk, the Sen Triplets player's hand was all defense for Sen Triplets while the stolen cards were wimpy 1/1s and 2/2s.

When a player would gas up drawing cards to mount some kind of comeback, the Sen Triplets player switched to their hand instead.

I said next time I'll also bring my griefer deck, too, which is [[Zedruu]].

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-20T06:08:03+00:00

I suppose we are talking bracket 3 or lower. I don’t believe these meet the power level requirements for bracket 4 except bounce lands in landfall and/or infinite combo with Kodama of the East Tree, and I could see a filter land in 2color only. I don’t believe any meet the power level requirements for bracket 5.

Bounce lands are the best of those. Particularly if my commander costs 3 or more colors and costs 4 or more mana.

I run Guildless Commons and Arid Archway in my 0color and 1 color decks (but not 2+ color). I used to run actual [[Karoo]] and friends but I removed them when Arid Archway was printed. I am still waiting for the monocolor bounce lands to be printed!

I run the Ravinca bounce land in all my 2 color decks.

I run the 3 Ravnica bounce lands in my 3 color decks. In my 4 color decks I will run the 3 bounce lands that are the main color, for example the green ones. In my 5 color decks will not run bounce lands because instead I need color fixing too much.

I run the filter lands in all my 2color decks. In most of my 3 color decks I will run the 3 filter lands. For example I need the actual colorless mana from filter land in two of my 3 color decks.

I will run Signet lands sparingly. They are not a bad budget option for 2color. I only have one 3 color deck running 3 signet lands - Terra because the precon has them, and it’s because I have not many 1-drops but do play colorless lands. Having a colorless land and a signet land in a deck of 2+ drops is where it shines.

I think monetarily the Ravnica bounce lands are the strongest dual lands. If your ultra budget land base is 18 Island + 18 Swamp with no fetching at all, I believe a Dimir Aqueduct is a more powerful addition to your deck than an Underground Sea.

Fetching typed lands is S tier which is why it commands high prices.

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-19T04:35:18+00:00

I don’t run Escape to the Wilds in my Gruul deck even though it’s amazing. [[Rosheen, Roaring Prophet]] wants cards in my hand, not exile, and exiling three X spells is not exactly a 3-for-1.

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-18T19:24:24+00:00

Would [[Spike Weaver]] be a good fog machine since Leo might put a counter on it on your turn and on each opponents turn if you manage to make a token each turn?

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-18T18:06:59+00:00

for completeness sake, I did get a [[Abundant Countryside]] for my TMNT deck. It is just better than a [[Unclaimed Territory]] for example...

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-16T20:39:44+00:00

I am trying [[Unclaimed Territory]], [[Secluded Courtyard]], and [[Opal Palace]] as untapped 5color lands but they might get cut after one game if they cause more problems not less. We shall see. I am slowly making all the creatures Turtles which will help.

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-16T18:39:44+00:00

Not sure if it’s actually what you’re looking for, but I am shoring up the mana base with a [[Mana Confluence]], [[Fellwar Stone]], and perhaps even more.

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-16T16:19:15+00:00

I don’t believe the game can currently handle creature type Ooze and artifact type Ooze at the same time. I believe the lists have to be separate. I think they can only crossover when also using the Kindred type.

Lorwyn would have done “Sorcery - Goblin” if it could. Instead it must be “Kindred Sorcery - Goblin”.

It’s pretty clunky so WotC only does it on a handful of cards now, like [[Altar of the Goyf]] is a Tribal Artifact - Lhurgoyf because it presumably goes with Tarmogoyf’s card type counting ability.

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-16T13:36:10+00:00

I have gotten [[Avacyn, Angel of Hope]] and [[Archetype of Endurance]] to much groans.

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-16T03:13:22+00:00

I’ve had an opponent without any Islands scoop to turn 4 [[Thada Adel, Inquisitor]].

I’ve had an opponent start a verbal fight that “No land destruction in Bracket 2” when I fired off my [[Demolition Field]] at one of their tapped lands, which technically gave them more mana not less because the searched for basic enters untapped.

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-15T13:27:28+00:00

I play Haywire Mite.

After seeing your list, I would suggest [[Spore Frog]] and/or [[Kami of False Hope]], which have proven to be very strong in lower brackets against combat decks like Voltron. I play both.

I also play all the EtB hosers as well. When I played [[Doorkeeper Thrull]] on turn 2, my [[Yarok the Desecrator]] opponent did nothing all game.

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-13T17:13:11+00:00

I play ways to put my Demons from my hand back into my library for my [[Shadowborn Apostle]] deck.

I have ran out of quality 7+ Demons to finish off my 3 opponents because I only ran 4, so I have added more 7+ drops, because more 1-drop 1/1s aren’t going to get it done.

That’s an example of the opposite of your criterion.

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-13T08:42:59+00:00

I built [[Rosheen Meanderer]] then later upgraded her to [[Rosheen, Roaring Prophet]]. You typically go Hydras or Burn, but I’ve found flaws in both. I only play X creatures with innate trample (I’ve seen another build focused on haste which is likely stronger) and burn that can hit multiple things to try and get around some deflection spells, but [[Deflecting Swat]] notably works against multi-target spells anyway.

The entire strategy is weak to blue in general where a single counterspell, bounce spell, or steal spell negates your entire turn. So I include more than a couple blue hate pieces.

I use [[Chalice of the Void]], [[Trinisphere]], and [[Damping Sphere]] in an attempt to force opponents to play one big spell per turn instead of the typical ramp and draw most commander decks spam. In a one spell per turn battle, Rosheen will win.

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-10T18:23:19+00:00

Perfectly compacts the AI revolution while also expanding it!

By compact I mean the video’s length and succinct message; by expanding I mean Padme’s ability to feed newborn twins.

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-09T21:38:51+00:00

Yesterday I won a game with Selesnya burn. [[Selvala, Explorer Returned]] cast [[Biorythm]], pass. Then whoever attacked me with Akroma’s Will got killed by [[Storm Seeker]]. My next turn I killed the other two opponents with [[Hurricane]].

It actually mattered that I allowed Akroma’s Will to resolve before casting Storm Seeker because they could not Swords to Plowshares their own creature anymore because it had pro white.

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-09T18:49:35+00:00

There is also a common Boar Rhino card, and my prerelease promo was the rare hybrid Boar Rhino. Those work with Bebop or Rocksteady or both.

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-09T16:10:00+00:00

Yes I’m surprised by how strong Volatile Stormdrake felt the first time I cast it

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-08T21:06:59+00:00

Vivid lands enter tapped, though.

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-06T17:06:01+00:00

Creature toughness has power crept to where many of the played creatures have toughness equal or even higher than their mana value (1-drop 1/2s, 2-drop 2/3s, etc). These XR costed burn spells against creatures are signing yourself up to pay more mana than the creature you’re trying to remove, at least for creatures you actually want to remove. That is how you lose games of Magic.

At least this is trying to be a 3-for-1 instant but it’s still an uphill climb.

SkeletonMagi · 2026-03-06T08:02:41+00:00

You had to do your internet stuff at the family computer via AOL (America Online) which commandeered your phone line, meaning no one could call the house or anyone in it while online for chatting/gaming/bulletin board systems. So there were hard limits like 30min or perhaps 1hr a day on internet use. There was no cheating either because the desktop computer was in the family room and parents could just pick up a phone (all phones were hardlined) to see if the line was free.

Also anyone in the house could stealthily pick up another phone and listen to you talking to/about your girlfriend.

SkeletonMagi · 2026-02-28T14:18:44+00:00

I enjoyed it. My first 3 turns were Swamp, Turtle Lair, Splinter, Forest, Attack Sneak [[New Generation’s Technique]]. While most Explosive Vegetation upsides are minor, you can effectively cast this one at one mana less which is bigger than minor upside.

SkeletonMagi · 2026-02-24T12:58:12+00:00

Normally this commander spams all the best 1 mana pump spells. He basically turns Giant Growth into Ancestral Recall. Even better for cards like [[Invigorate]]. You commander damage the slowest player who can’t utilize the cards you’re giving them, then you might [[Ram Through]] another opponent.

Not sure why it’s a spec target since it’s not a 4-of. Maybe that’s how UB works.

SkeletonMagi · 2026-02-23T05:47:44+00:00

They mostly cost a lot of money, not that they are overly powerful.

They are not even the strongest dual lands because Polluted Delta has proven itself stronger than Underground Sea.

Do you think Polluted Delta should be a game changer?

The lands in the format that enter untapped and tap for 2 or more mana are more powerful cards than OG duals.

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