Hello and welcome back! Reality Fracture is the new hotness, and it sure is. The main set is brimming with cool cards that are commander worthy and I can’t wait to talk about those that I’ve chosen for the usual top ten, including some new legends because there are so many.
Today I’m going to go over the single, glorious Commander preconstructed deck we get instead, Multiverse Reforged. I love the idea of this deck, and I’m going to attempt to build Nissa who is the secondary commander. Looking at the stock list however, there are a lot of cool and great cards but not always something you want to hit. Let’s talk about the cards I’m taking out and the cards I’d put in, focusing on the face commander Jace, Multiverse Architect.
Driving this is the impact of the cards, and I’ll be taking some inspiration from the Archon of Cruelty here, trying to get more than simple removal or value in a single go. That’s the focus of stuff I think this deck really wants to run, adding value to your board and/or taking value from others’ positions at the table.
TEN CARDS COMING OUT
We’re going to be focusing largely on the creature package in this deck, as it needs the most help. Largely, the rest of the deck is fine, though you could include other token makers like Bitterblossom.
OMNATH, LOCUS OF THE VOID
The (probably) last Omnath we’ll get, and it’s the colorless version. A 6/6 for seven colorless, the body and ability provide us with a growing threat. The problem is it doesn’t have evasion to take advantage of that growth and doesn’t have any impact when it hits the field. While it can be used to store up some mana for a larger spell, this deck is looking to cheat things out at less than cost. While the card itself isn’t bad, it’s not great here as it contributes almost nothing before you can drop a land.
JHOIRA, WEATHERLIGHT COSAIR
I love me some theft cards. This one is being taken out only because it’s a little too random, but you could leave it in if you want. Hitting historic permanent from an opponent is going to usually be decent, but could end up being a bunch of mana rocks. Still, this contributes to your board state no matter what’s going on. That’s why I’m on the fence with it, but the randomness and the life loss let me lean on excluding her from the deck when we could have something else with more value, like Etali or Kefka Dancing Mad putting in the work of getting the game closer to ending.
DACK FAYDEN, HELPING HAND
I want to keep this card. I did. It’s an amazing piece of entertainment and you get the triggers yourself. However, this will give away some of the new cards I want to put into the deck and some of those cards do NOT play well when you give them away. We’ll get to that part later, but if you have creatures you can donate that don’t mess up your own board, I’d consider keeping him around.
NIV-MIZZET, GHOST COUNSEL
This design is so simple and effective and I love this Niv. Easily can crank out value and trigger a number of effects in this well worn tread of deck design. However, he does almost nothing for this precon. Big flyer, draws cards, but we have a number of cards in Magic that can and are that thing. Having a flyer to replace this is probably the right call, even one that draws cards on entering or when attacking. While the card itself is good, it’s not great here and gets the cut.
DARKSTEEL ANGEL
I remember Platinum Angel, the card this one is based off of. Back in the day as my bones turn to ash, that card was only somewhat playable and still is today it you want to. This card is similar in the way it should and can be played. You can play it, but without a board or state of game to support it surviving, it doesn’t do much. The indestructibility is a nice addition to this version, but that makes it only a stopgap to you losing the game.
Its stats aren’t very impressive for the cost either, with mana helping to balance the ability instead. While this can be good if the game state allows it to really shine, you might be close to dead anyway and it doesn’t contribute to the game otherwise.
MEMNARCH, THE WARDEN
This one was probably, of the ones here, the one I had to cut last. It’s a hard to kill token maker that nets you three cards a swing. So, what’s so bad about it? Being stuck with a ten mana card to cast in hand is one part, the other being it doesn’t have evasion to get anywhere. Banging your head against a wall to get the card draw is fine, but if it could also block it would be beneficial. While I do think you could keep this in the build until you find something a bit more fitting, I think cutting it now and just putting something else in there is the right choice, especially if for some reason your mana rocks get blown up.
AKROMA, ANGEL OF FURY
I love this card and always have, but it's always been a bit subpar compared to stuff that actually does, well, stuff. This is a hard to engage creature against certain control shells, and that’s really its primary purpose. It doesn’t add much besides being a decent beater in this deck. Now removal, advantage or board presence beyond itself. If you’re going to polymorph into something big, it really has to do one of those three things, or all three if you’re able. As much as I love this card (which was also in the original Commander decks), it’s a cut.
VENSER, FERVENT FORGER
Speaking of cards I love, this card is absolutely something I’d play. I’m looking for a home to put it in right now, having preordered the deck myself months ago (I don’t like green, full bias). It’s an amazing card that, opposing clones or not, can be super fun. There’s just two things holding that back in this deck. Well, one thing really.
The one real thing holding it back is if you polymorph into this, it could be completely dead. That said, with Jace at the head of the deck, you have the choice to do that or not a lot of the time, if you know he’s coming. You often won’t though, but you can get some creatures off of it regardless. There won't be a good time to polymorph into this for the spell copying unless you know he’s coming up.
The second reason is six mana. Is he worth the cost? Yes, absolutely. That cost covers TWO copies of something you want to toss at your opponents or use for yourself. This does mean though that waiting for the right opportunity means you want to leave six mana up to do it.
Like I said, I love this card and I’m looking to find it a home among my decks, but in here we can get something a little more dependable.
TEFERI’S REPROACH
I like this card, but using it well the first time out will be difficult. Until you get some discussions in with other players and learn how best YOU want to use this, I’d just take it out for making the deck easier to use.
Of course, if you want to give it a go, go for it. Share the knowledge of its successes and failures. I just can’t run enough scenarios in my own head to not cut the card from the deck at this time. That’s really the gist of it.
LINGERING SOULS
The deck and Jace definitely want some tokens to polymorph into other stuff, and this card isn’t bad by any means. I just prefer permanent, repeated sources of token making and specifically in this deck something that is large and in charge that makes those tokens.
This card is another you can keep and the deck will be fine for it.
TEN CARDS GOING IN
TERROR OF THE PEAKS
If it fits, then it hits. Terror will allow you some spot removal to your opponents’ creatures and some burn to your opponents’ faces. Polymorphing into this beast should, more less, start playing on the next turn the latest and is a well rounded flyer to threaten with in its own right with a slight amount of built in protection. Staple for a reason after all.
THE LOCUST GOD
Fairly straight forward here. It’s a good card that makes tokens when Jace draws cards and those tokens can then be polymorphed into other stuff. The cycle goes round. This card is also hard to get rid of and can draw you a card if you really need it.
ARCHFIEND OF DEPRAVITY
While this doesn’t do anything when it comes into play, it does a very good impression of mass removal, slowly. Many games I’ve played where this creature alone has saved my bacon, and while you do have to wait for each opponents’ end step, you can play a political game to make sure you get what you want, allowing attacks into the players that have had the unfortunate pass of turn and sacrificed much of their board.
MASSACRE WURM // TOXRILL, THE CORROSIVE
If you need something with a little more oomph, then how about these? Toxrill is my main choice here, giving you inevitable board control and tokens to polymorph, along with potential card draw.
If that’s just not happening for your playgroup or LGS meta, then Massacre Wurm is another potent mass removal, leaving the larger creatures in play and messing with the rest. This one you have to be careful with though, as you can wipe out your own tokens you might want to morph-poly away.
LOYAL APPRENTICE
Nothing like good old dependable here. As long as Jace is out on the field (and with built in protection one would hope so), you can make a token every turn to help defend Jace, yourself, or get into someone’s face for a little damage.
MAGISTER SPHINX / TORGAAR FAMINE INCARNATE
Life totals going up got you down? Not anymore! Putting either of these creatures into the deck means you can fix that little problem as long as your opponent isn’t going infinite with the life gain.
Magister Sphinx is by far the easier of the two to leverage against an opponent, dropping their life total to ten points. An evasive flyer as well, it would only take two hits to the hapless player to end their game.
Torgaar is a little more interesting, though he doesn’t drop life totals as hard as the Sphinx. There is some cost reduction there, and in combination with tokens or Avacyn, Angel of Horror, you could get some extra value from your own field. The reduction also helps when Jace is taking a break at the Cozy Zone healing up from well deserved aggressions.
I also want to point out that either card makes the life total into whatever it says they do, and the player you target loses or GAINS the appropriate amount of life, meaning another possible trigger. You can also use these abilities to heal yourself as well to the numbers said in their text, ten and usually twenty respectively.
BRAINSTEALER DRAGON
This dragon is large and in charge. Better, it helps do some stuff you want to do. First, it can steal things from opponents. You still have to cast spells you steal, but the denial of those cards can be enough. You also can play lands from those cards, which will help if Jace gets the bonk a bunch, or to cast the spells you stole. Better, when you have something you steal come into play, an opponent who owns that card loses life equal to the mana value. This not only helps the game end in your favor, but also gives Jace even more potential targets to polymorph into exile.
MARANG RIVER REGENT
Back to some more removal on a body, this big flyer lets you nab two problematic targets (besides lands). It has the other benefit of some cards drawn beforehand with its Omen spell, and then gets shuffled back into the deck to get polymorphed at a later time. With some of the removal of Monarch I did want to visit some more card draw, as Jace will likely be removed a few times.
SUMMON: BAHAMUT
Removal reigns supreme, especially if we don’t have too many creatures on the board. Bahamut is another large creature with that built in, and then stick around being a big threat while drawing cards and then potentially ending the game. Granted, the ending the game part takes for turns (without proliferate) and is well telegraphed. Still, this creature is worth and inclusion at all levels.
Also, it’s not an Eldrazi and those have cast triggers anyway.
BITTERTHORN, NISSA’S ANIMIST
This card creates a token and helps you ramp into some basic land. I went back and forth a lot on this versus Thaumatic Compass for more defense, but settled on the sword because of the token it provides. The downside to this card is the limited use otherwise getting the few basic lands you likely have in the deck onto the field. It will still do work (I have one in Isshin with far too few basic lands) and you can polymorph the token later.
CARDS I KEPT AND WHY
THE UR-SPHINX
It’s a big flyer and can allow you to get more advantage by stealing spells to cast or your own. That’s potentially up to four extra spells a turn. While that might take place more often in a whimsical fantasy of power, even hitting two spells can be good, and is another way for you to cheat mana costs.
Again, the size of the creature isn’t bad either. Even without other Sphinx in the deck, your getting so good value here.
I did leave it in over Etali, who you could also use instead of or alongside the Ur-Sphinx. The colors for theft are right in this deck after all.
TAMIYO, UPRISER CROWNED
This one I went back and forth on. It doesn’t do too much for the deck at first blush, but does add some card draw via the monarchy that you can get back with some flying creatures like herself and she can keep your attack from being intercepted by stunning creatures who hit you. I think there is enough play here with the card to keep it in the deck.
GINGER, QUEEN OF SWEETS
The sweetest queen herself makes tokens every turn that can build you a small army, and then you can polymorph a few for some bigger threats. While six mana is a bit steep I think for the card, it does provide those bodies AND potential life gain to keep you alive with some extra mana you have lying around since Jace doesn’t use mana to get his plan going.
She also, like Tamiyo, provides some card draw via the monarchy.
HONORABLE (PLANESWALKERS) MENTIONS
AMINATOU, THE FATESHIFTER
The ability to put a card from your hand on top of your deck to polymorph into is really good with Jace, and Animatou herself can be polymorphed into with his ability. Her second ability to blink something you own and return it to you can also be very useful just to recycle enters effects, but also if someone steals your permanents as well.
DIHADA, BINDER OF WILLS
I put this card in the honorable mentions because it would be finally deck design dependant. If you run a bunch of legendary creatures, this card is going to be fairly good. The colors of this deck also allow some reanimation magic, and that would be a boon here as well. The main reason I included it was for the treasure production. While the deck does have about every mana rock you could ask of a preconstructed deck and then some, her ability to just bag you possibly four treasure isn’t something that can be easily replicated.
Her ultimate is also a win condition, which helps.
THE ETERNAL WANDERER
Similar to Jace, the Eternal Wanderer protects herself with her static ability, which is nice on a six mana planeswalker. Her abilities also contribute to the deck, blinking a creature for extra value with enters and leaves abilities, making a token to polymorph, or a mass removal the get around a myriad of defensive abilities. With the amount of creatures this deck runs, the removal isn’t too bad either, considering the tokens can help you recover, the deck has Avacyn Angel of Horror, whatever you steal from opponents, and the removal doesn’t affect Jace at all.
BUILD YOUR OWN REALITY
That concludes this journey into the few of many possibilities this deck could take. It could be theft, reanimator, superfriends and even spellslinger (with a few choice creatures or planeswalkers along the way). Heck, it could be a punisher deck. With this many colors and a few ways to cheat stuff into play, it’s really up to you.
This particular design went for a little more control and a creature centric win. Even then, you could rock a whole other suite of creatures to fill that role as well. These are but a few of the cards that came to mind when I first saw the deck spoiled.
So, what will you build? Or perhaps a legend within the lists intrigues you? I’m going to try to build a deck with Nissa myself, and the card pile is already too large. I hope for luck and wisdom in cutting those down, and to you in your next Commander games.
Until next time, remember the world is always malleable and changeable.
