The popularity of the Commander format in Magic: The Gathering means that even when a set is not entirely devoted to it like the recent Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate releases, players will still pick through the legendary creatures to see who they can tap to lead their new decks. In the case of Double Masters 2022, Commander players were not disappointed. The wide variety of legends offered in the set means that no matter what playstyle someone may have, there is likely a commander for them in the set.
Magic: The Gathering‘s Commander format works by first picking a card to serve as the “commander” of a deck. This card will be a legendary creature and will determine the colors available to pick from in the deck. This and many other features make it one of the best Magic: The Gathering formats for new players. Once the commander is picked, players then build a 99-card deck of individual cards (excluding basic lands) around that commander that synergizes well with their abilities. Four players then battle each other in a four-way fight to be the last one standing.
Double Masters 2022 provides a slew of legendary creatures that themselves have appeared in previous sets devoted to Commander. These creatures have been reprinted and, in some cases, given new card art or styles that can spice up any playmat when summoned. The best commanders from the set have a wide variety of abilities that synergize well both within and without the set.
MTG’s Animar, Soul Of Elements Grows With Each Summon
First appearing in Commander 2011 and reappearing in Masters 25, Animar, Soul of Elements functions on two of Magic: The Gathering‘s most rewarding mechanics; growing larger, and summoning creatures (similar to Battle for Baldur’s Gate‘s Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald). For the cost of one blue, red, and green mana (known as Temur colors), Animar can be summoned early on and begin growing. With protection from black and white, it’s safe from popular removal spells like Mortify or Anguished Unmaking.
Its first major ability allows it to gain a +1/+1 counter any time a creature is summoned. It pairs nicely with its second ability, which reduces the cost of creature summons by one generic mana for each +1/+1 counter on it. This means that once Animar is out on the field, every creature summoned simultaneously boosts its power and toughness by 1 and makes it 1 cheaper to summon other creatures, meaning that Animar can cause a cascade of creatures by simply being in play. Combine its effects with cards like Food Chain, Concordat Crossroads, and Hardened Scales (cards that needed reprints Double Masters 2022), and Animar will quickly become a force to be reckoned with and have a force of creatures behind it to reckon with as well.
MTG’s Kaalia Of The Vast Brings Angels, Demons, & Dragons
Another Commander 2011 alum (as well as appearing in Commander’s Arsenal, Commander Anthology, and the original Double Masters), Kaalia of the Vast is a flying cleric with powerful allies. Costing a generic mana as well as one red, white, and black (known as Mardu to Magic: The Gathering players), her ability activates when she attacks an opponent. When she does, she brings friends, as her ability allows the player to put an Angel, Demon, or Dragon card from their hand onto the battlefield attacking the same opponent that Kaalia is attacking.
This can be done regardless of the casting cost of the creature in question, meaning that Kaalia can be the ticket to bringing in very high-costed creatures much earlier than should be possible. With cards like Aurelia, the Warleader (not currently featured on Magic: The Gathering’s Banned or Restricted List), Restoration Angel, and Master of Cruelties also being reprinted in Double Masters 2022, Kaalia has no shortage of allies to cheat into battle.
Nothing Stays Dead For MTG’s Muldrotha, The Gravetide
Appearing first in Dominaria, then in Commander 2017; Muldrotha, the Gravetide is a graveyard player’s dream. Despite costing 3 generic mana, as well as a Blue, Black, and Green (what Magic: The Gathering circles refer to as Sultai), Muldrotha only has one ability, but it is powerful. Once per turn, a player may play a land as a permanent of each type (artifact, creature, enchantment, and planeswalker) from their graveyard.
This means that no matter how many times you cast Mulldrifter (also printed in Double Masters 2022) for its evoke cost, you always have it in reserve should you need to draw cards. Combined with cards like Food Chain (contender for one of the highest value reprints in Double Masters 2022) and Breakthrough to take advantage of the recursion and lessen the effect of sacrificing cards, Muldrotha can make any permanent last much longer than it would normally. This means opponents must always be considering what could rise from the grave on a Muldrotha player’s next turn.
MTG Players Can Conspire To Dethrone With Marchesa, The Black Rose
Dating back to Conspiracy and reappearing in Commander 2017, Marchesa, The Black Rose is one reason many players have it out for Grixis (Blue, Black, and Red) players. Costing 1 generic and 1 Blue, Black, and Red, Marchesa is one of the very few cards in Magic: The Gathering to contain the dethrone keyword, meaning that whenever it attacks the player with or tied for the most life, it gets a +1/+1 counter.
If that wasn’t bad enough, it gives this ability to every other creature the player controls. Topping off her suite of abilities, whenever a creature her player controls with a +1/+1 counter dies, that card is returned to the battlefield under their control at the beginning of the next end step. This ability can be as annoying as goad, which also debuted in Conspiracy and returned in Commander Legends, Battle for Baldur’s Gate. In addition, if Marchesa’s player manages to steal another player’s creature and give it dethrone, that creature would belong to Marchesa’s player for as long as it had the counter on it. This leads to a style of play among Marchesa players centered around stealing other players’ cards. With theft and resurrection on the table, Marchesa is a dangerous threat to any Commander game.
Magic: The Gathering‘s Double Masters sets sell themselves on the feature that players get two rares/mythic per pack as opposed to the traditional one. This means there is double the chance to pull any one of the previously mentioned creatures and have them wreak havoc at the next Commander event or kitchen table match. With the rest of the set highly sought after and positively received, it’s not a hard sell to grab some singles and build a deck around any one of these dangerous commanders.
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