Magic Cards You're Overlooking for Commander
Ya Gotta Have Faith
Welcome back for another History, Restapled, a Commander-focused column that attempts to validate a newer card’s status as a staple by looking at how cards that are similar, synergistic, or competing have fared in the past financially.
There was little respite in 2023 from the deluge of previews and announcements, to the point where it started to feel like background noise. No wonder the last few, silent weeks have felt eerie. Thankfully, Wizards of the Coast is not content to let players luxuriate on the cards they already own, and preview season for
In the meantime, here are a few cards from previous sets that are worth revisiting.
Squirming Emergence
There is no shortage of reanimation spells in mono-black and Golgari, but Squirming Emergence is the first one to target any nonland permanent and put it right onto the battlefield. The card is also worded in a way that the target counts towards the mana value of what can be returned and considers lands in the yard, as well, towards that total.
Sure, it can be a bit awkward if you’d like to bring something back from a light graveyard, but later in the game it’s unlikely this card will have no targets. And any graveyard deck with a modicum of mill can get around the downside pretty easily. As a dedicated Golgari graveyard player myself, I’m psyched to bring back my
The restrictions on Squirming Emergence will likely keep the card from hitting the high price points of other reanimation staples, like
STATUS: Niche, but one that’s growing
| Squirming Emergence | ||
| Squirming Emergence (Extended Art) |
Argoth, Sanctum of Nature
Yes, Argoth mills you, but the annoyance of mill outside graveyard decks is greatly overblown. I know people get salty over it, but I’d rather know where a card is, even if it’s out of the game entirely, than have it buried somewhere in my deck where the chances of drawing it fall victim to variance. But, especially in a green deck, creature tokens in Commander are valuable currency, especially if they're produced off a free-roll of a card.
Argoth also has the upside of representing half of a Meld card alongside
STATUS: Green staple
| Argoth, Sanctum of Nature | ||
| Titania, Voice of Gaea |
Defiler of Vigor and Defiler of Faith
This cycle from
Both Defiler of Vigor and Defiler of Faith slot perfectly into what the green and white color identities are always trying to do: cast permanents, save mana, and go wide. And they have a habit of overperforming. Defiler of Vigor is the best of the bunch, boasting a substantial stat line, including trample, and the ability to buff itself in addition to all the mana dorks hanging about. Defiler of Faith isn’t far behind with its tokens and vigilance—not to mention that a single Soul Sister-type card, of which there are plenty, recoups at least half of the life you pay, if not more.
Defiler of Vigor is sitting at $2.50 after declining steadily in price since release, and will probably stay here for some time. While there’s no urgency to pick up a copy, Defiler of Vigor dominates games and finishes opponents, and is sitting at its all-time low. It’s well worth the inclusion in most green decks.
Meanwhile, maybe it’s because white has welcomed a cornucopia of great new cards over the last few years, Defiler of Faith is a bulk rare at half the price of
STATUS: Mono-color staples for green and white
| Defiler of Vigor | ||
| Defiler of Vigor (Extended Art) | ||
| Defiler of Faith | ||
| Defiler of Faith (Extended Art) |
Vim and Vigor
Green has always been my favorite color in Magic, and I’m already psyched to see what the color will pick up in 2024. Any green gems you’ve discovered that seem to sail under the radar? Any that you think were far overhyped in 2023? Let’s go green together and dream of some Forests that aren’t snow-covered.
Further Reading:
Steve Heisler is a writer and pop culture journalist covering comedy, games, television, film and the tech industry. His work has been published in Rolling Stone, GQ, Variety, The AV Club, Fast Company and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began collecting Magic cards during Fourth Edition and plays Commander and Modern primarily. He also enjoys tennis, the Dark Souls family of video games and supporting live comedy. He lives in Chicago with his cat, Rosie.
