Commander Focus: Midnight Hunt
This week's deep dive will once again be about Commander, this time more specifically what the latest set, Midnight Hunt, brings to the Commander format for exciting cards. We will pick some of our favorite cards from the Set and focus on how we want to use the cards in Commander.
(The cards we have chosen are from the basic set and we have not chosen from the cards that were released in the pre-built decks or the cards that were only released via Set boosters.)
Adeline, Resplendent Cathar
In a white token deck, Adeline creates three tokens as soon as you attack (doesn't need to be with Adeline). Let's say it's turn three and you have a small 2/2 in play and play Adeline. You attack with the 2/2 and get three free 1/1s attacking the same player. Adeline grows to a 5/4 and possibly four creatures left on the board after turn 3. That's a lot for invested mana.
Vanquish the Horde
I do not recommend playing this card in the same deck as Adeline. This is a classic board-wipe that kills all creatures in play. It costs 8 mana, but not really, as it gets one cheaper for every creature in play. Playing this for four or five mana is fine, but in the dream scenario it only costs two and then you should be able to play something out afterwards and it's usually powerful. Normally, you play a boardwipe because you have to, and then you pass the turn to the next player. This means that you are behind on the board when luck finally comes back to you. Here you have the chance to stop the opponents and at the same time keep pace.
Lier, Disciple of the Drowned
A blue legendary creature that says spells can't be countered? Should it be good? Feels completely backwards actually. If you want to play blue, but without a lot of Counterspells, Lier will give you plenty of cards to play. For those who have seen Lier used in Arena, know that you suddenly have an enormous amount of cards to use. It's a Kess, Dissident Mage on steroids. Being used as a Commander might be difficult, but in a blue/red spell deck you get back all the spells you played in previous rounds so you can bury the opponents in a whirlwind of spells.
Poppet Stitcher // Poppet Factory
Another token creator for your red/blue spell deck. This creates 2/2 Decay Zombies and together with other "Young Pyromancer" effects creates a wide battlefield of small tokens, then flip Poppet Stitcher to Poppet Factory and all your small 1/1s and 2/2s are suddenly 3/3s that swing in for massive amounts of damage.
Eaten Alive
Swords to Plowshares without the opponent gaining life and being able to kill planeswalkers? It would be the strongest removal spell ever made. This one is not far off actually. It's a sorcery - it's clearly a minus and you have to sacrifice your own creature to get it cheap. But anyone who has played Midnight Hunt draft knows that it is not difficult to have a token or some creature that is no longer relevant later in the game that you can sacrifice to get rid of some big threat - forever. Yes, it's a common too.
Morbid Opportunist
A black uncommon that has dominated limited for the past few weeks. These effects are always welcome in black decks and there are plenty of cheap creatures that let you draw cards when your own creatures die, Morbid Opportunist doesn't care whose creatures die and that's welcome. Unfortunately, you cannot draw more than one card/turn and that stops you from "going infinite" - unfortunately.
Augur of Autumn
My personal favorite, a mix of Courser of Kruphix and Vizier of the Menagerie - what more could you ask for? Augur helps you not miss your land for the turn while also helping you draw spells to your hand instead. Once you reach Coven it becomes really strong if you have some fluency with the top of your deck. I will have a hard time not adding this one to my green games.
Siphon Insight
Two mana, for an instant that lets you use cards from your opponent's library - what's not to like about that? We rewrote this card even before the set's release and we like it even more now. If your opponent is sitting with a Sensei's Divining Top or otherwise moves their top cards, it becomes even more fun.
Yes, you can do it one more time too...
The Celestus
A mana stone for three mana we've seen before and play most of the time (Commander Sphere, Darksteel Ingot, Skyclave Relic and more) but this one lets you draw cards and get rid of excess cards in your hand if you have nothing else to do do with your mana. That day turns into night or vice versa is also text that you get to see as a bonus if you happen to meet a game that cares about that. If you care about day and night, that effect is very strong.
Moonsilver Key
Do you enjoy having a Sun Ring in play? Yes, this one looks it up out of the deck so you can play it out reasonably early in the game. Or find your Ashnod's Altar/Phyrexian Altar to find your final piece of the puzzle in your combo. Or late game you might want to pick up your Chromatic Orrery or… Yes, we get that this can be the key to victory.
/Elder dragon cod