Commander is fun right? I mean you get to play with 100 cards from all up and down Magic’s various eras, and play with new and older stuff at the kitchen table. Fun right?

And Cube is fun, right? I mean you get to draft a bunch of cards and build decks and hang out with friends at the kitchen table using cards from the oldest to the youngest.

Know what is the funnest? (I know that’s not a real word my good linguistically challenged friend).

That’s right! Commander Cube! Cube! Commander!

Put your hands together and enjoy them both!

Now what happens when my ongoing Commander Cube hits Aether Revolt? What is heading in for what? And what is on the queue for consideration later? Let’s check it out!

Swaps I am making for sure!

In Planar Bridge, Out Planar Portal

Planar Bridge costs the same as the Portal to play, just two more to activate, and is generally the better card by far. Only the Portal can fetch up a sorcery or instant as well. But both are solid, and the Bridge is the better card by far generally.

In Paradox Engine, Out Colfenor’s Urn

The Paradox Engine is clearly one of the best cards in the set by most calculations for formats like Commander. Getting one into this Cube is vital. I have always liked Colfenor's Urn as a solid recursion option for decks that run bigger beaters but don’t have other options. But it’s not as vital or essential as the Engine, and that has to make the cut. It just has to. Nothing is better than the artifact Paradox Engine.

In Exquisite Archangel, Out Victory's Herald

One of the changes that I’ve been slowly making to my Cube is to remove the “Three Colors of Mana” mono-colored cards that aren’t Commander staples like Kiki Jiki, Mirror-Breaker, Akroma, Angel of Wrath, Azami, Lady of Scrolls, and Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir. Those are essentials I can’t pull. But I recently pulled Mordant Dragon for Stormbreath Dragon. Not that Mordant Dragon sucked, quite the opposite, but I need to pull these heavy mana commitments given the lack of pure mana fixing in these colors. And this is a good chance to pull out Victory's Herald. Like Mordant Dragon, it’s not bad. It’s had some chops, and done some good service for the people who draft it. But it’s time to bench it. Heading in is the strikingly intriguing Exquisite Archangel.

Disallow for Forbid? Void Shatter? Dissolve?Trickbind? Dissipate?

If you aren’t buying it back, then Forbid is a Cancel. While it’s nice to have the option to buy it back, it doesn’t happen that often. I have to believe that Disallow’s option to take out a triggered ability going to be used a lot more then Forbid’s option of buyback. Dissipate and Void Shatter just exile the spell in question, and is that really something that comes up that often? And how often does the bare Spartan Scry 1 on Dissolve really matter? Now, what I could do is actually swap in Disallow for Trickbind. It’s 1 mana more for a lot more options, but loses split second. And the ability can be reused.

So which makes sense? I’ve talked myself into either Forbid or Trickbind. Don’t ignore scrying in a Cube format, especially this one with a Commander theme. And the value of exiling can work wonders for easing back the damage that Academy Ruins, Volrath's Stronghold, and Commanders like Karador, Ghost Chieftain can do. But Forbid can be swapped out for more options, or Trickbind can be used to give Mono-Blue a more traditional counter with most of Trickbind’s strength.

In Disallow, Out Trickbind

I recently pulled support cards from gold like Render Silent, so upping my raw counter count here in Mono-Blue works to keep some balance for folks. Disallow is going to be better than Trickbind 85% or 90% of the time.

In Whir of Invention, Out Reshape

The Whir of Invention is a powerfully good card, and there’s no question it needs to go in, even with the heavy Blue commitment to play it. The only question is whether or not it replaces Reshape or something else. Before any changes, I run three Mono-Blue tutors for artifacts right now — Fabricate, Transmute Artifact, and Reshape (four if you count Acquire, which I do not). In some ways Reshape is the worst of that lot. Certainly the Transmute isn’t in the conversation. Reshape is a sorcery, sacrifices, and has no cost reduction from either improvise or from the sacrificed artifact’s cost. It’s the worst of this trio. And I could make a very compelling argument that Reshape is worse than Whir in every situation save for the triple Blue cost versus double Blue of Reshape.

In Yahenni, Undying Partisan, Out Phyrexian Rager

The Rager is fine. You can slide it into a lot of decks without blinking an eye. It’ll do the job you expect our Rage Against the Phyrexians to do. But at the end of the day, Phyrexian Rager is just one card and one life lost on arrival at the battlefield. On the other hand, Yahenni is a lot better. Haste is better. Getting bigger as opposing stuff dies is better. Sacrificing dorks to give it indestructible is better. It’s just a better class of 3-drop for the kitchen table. And the Undying Winner of Games also plays well with the self-sacrifice theme that a few Black-centric builds look for, so there’s that support proffered as well. Oh, and it’s a +1/+1 counter creature for those themes in Abzan.

In Lifecrafter’s Bestiary, Out Frontier Siege

I don’t love pulling out an enchantment for an artifact in a color with enchantment support, but I think you would agree that it’s a solid adjunct to toss in. Are you playing creatures? Then spend a Green mana each time to draw cards. It won’t take long to replace itself. And you get a bit of a free scry as well. Is free scrying good for the team? Sure! Getting new cards? Sure! Plus you’ll find that the Bestiary is better than either mode of the Siege. So the swap is on!

In Heroic Intervention, Out Overrun

The only “Can’t Touch This” spells that I run in the Cube anywhere are Rootborn Defenses, perhaps Comeuppance under the right circumstances, and Akroma's Blessing. Golgari Charm can regenerate each creature, and Boros Charm indestructible the team. That’s it. There’s no Wrap in Vigor or anything like that. Well getting both hexproof and indestructible for your team for 2 mana as a surprise is a nice foil to a lot of junk running around the Cube. Now there is a Green spell on the short list for pulling — Overrun. Commander doesn’t always see +3/+3 and trample as game-winning in a 40 life context. And you get that triple Green thing I mentioned before. This would be a useful swap. At first I was looking at putting in the Bestiary above for Overrun, but the Frontier Siege was a better pull. So it’s time to bench Overrun.

In Scrap Trawler, Out Creepy Doll

As a 5-drop that has indestructible, a weaker version of deathtouch that only happens 50% of the time, and a mere 1/1 body, Creepy Doll has never been one of Commander’s greatest hits or unsung heroes. But it’s been a decent presence for decks that need the artifact aspect more fully fleshed out or a defender they can just set and forget. But with so many better artifact creatures arriving to the scene recently, we have a lot more flexibility with my creature base, and Scrap Trawler is here. It plays better against mass removal, has a strong board presence, can combo with other artifacts in those builds, and so much more. Are you ready to Trawl a little Scrap today?

In Treasure Keeper, Out Manor Gargoyle

The Treasure Keeper is a great new card from a variety of angles, but the best is that there is little fear in playing it. You don’t have to worry about getting overcommitted and losing your team and board position by a Wrath of God or Akroma's Vengeance. As a reverse form of cascade, you get this trigger when it dies, and that’s pretty solid value. Plus it has enhanced value in decks that either run a sacrifice theme (Prossh, Skyraider of Kher) or an artifact one (Sydri, Galvanic Genius). Plus the Manor Gargoyle is a heavy, underdrafted card for my Cube. It’s okay, but lacks the pure value of the Keeper. And it’s not something that’s drafted heavily by anyone.

In Metallic Mimic for Free

I currently run Adaptive Automaton. Which do you like better? The Mimic is a great 2-drop that will put a counter on folks of the right tribe as they arrive. If you slay the Mimic, then the effect lingers, and a few +1/+1 counters will remain helping your board position. However, it’s weaker later in the game as you already have the right stuff on the battlefield. It slides in as support for intended tribal cards with Elementals, Wizards and Dragons, as well as any accidental tribes someone takes. But outside of that, it’s great to just be a 2-drop with some pressure that can pump your Commander on arrival. Because of that, I do like it a bit more than the Automaton. Now, do I swap the Automaton out for it? I do like the make-your-own-leader ability of both of these together. They give us some useful tools, so, let’s put in the Mimic for free to partner with the Automaton.

In Untethered Express for Free

The Untethered Express is a great card that brings a lot to the table. Low crew cost of 1 let’s you tap anything not named Birds of Paradise, Fog Bank or Stuffy Doll to swing. You immediately net a 5/5 trampler, with the promise of bigger trampling beats with each future swing. As it grows with +1/+1 counters, you can get some fun counter lords working for you or Doubling Season, and it’s an artifact and thus has value there. You can tap your Silver Myr or anything else to make a major player in the mid to late game. Ready for smashing?

In Spire of Industry for Free

I like supporting artifact decks. I also want to give people enough options to smooth their mana that we give them the flexibility they need in drafts. This is a much better version of Glimmervoid, and if I ran that in my Commander Cube, then I would pull that out for this. But I don’t run Glimmervoid at all. And there are enough artifacts around that you can reliable get this to be a City of Brass much of the time, so it’s heading it right now, with the obvious value normally, and enhanced ones in artifact-heavy builds.

Those a cards are all making the cut! But a few others are on my shortlist for inclusion later.

What about these?

Rishkar, Peema Renegade for Avatar of the Resolute or Tuskguard Captain?

Is Rishkar good enough for a Commander Cube? And if so, is it better than Tuskguard Captain as a +1/+1 counter lord? Rishkar plays into interesting space. Assuming you have a creature already on the battlefield, you get 4 power for 3 mana, spread across two or three creatures. It plays into the +1/+1 counter theme nicely, and can easily play some games with stuff like Doubling Season and Forgotten Ancient. It’s like a cheaper and more limited version of Citanul Hierophants. Hmm . . .  I don’t see it for The Captain, which plays better with counters and Commanders with counters on them like The Mimeoplasm and Marath, Will of the Wild and similar leaders. Now another card that strikes me instead is Avatar of the Resolute, a 2 mana 3/2 reach and trample body that gets a counter when it arrives for each other counter you have on your stuff. It’s good early or later in the game for that reason, and you don’t often cast it on turn two or 3. So I don’t see it right now.

Ajani Unyielding

I do like AU a lot. But I don’t have a lot of cards in my Selesnya section that are pull-able. The only potential swap might be for Ajani, Mentor of Heroes. As you can get two different +1 abilities with the Mentor that has some nice options. The Mentor’s +1 to get an aura, creature or Planeswalker is usually worse than the +2 of Unyielding, but digs one card deeper. Is this a good place for a future AU?

Renegade Rallier

A 3/2 for 3 mana with this useful revolt trigger is something good. But I don’t see it as better than Kitchen Finks or other cheap bodies in my group.

Hidden Stockpile

Is this worth it for my Orzhov Enchantment build?

Skyship Plunderer

2/1 flyers for 2 mana that have a pertinent hit-trigger that plays with tokens seems like a solid card to put in the queue and keep in mind for later if the need is revealed.

Kari Zev, Skyship Raider

It’s a solid beater, but the lesser 1/3 on defense of doesn’t offer much later on. Is it good enough for Commander Cube?

Release the Gremlins

I enjoy the whimsy of this card’s name and mechanics. But I have better artifact removal I don’t run, like Vandalblast. Should I add this instead?

Winding Constrictor for Golgari Charm?

Would that even work? I’m not sure, but I’m not inclined to make that pull yet.

Merchant's Dockhand

It requires a commitment to both artifacts and mana to use, but it’s a powerful, repeatable ability for Blue/artifact shells to consider if I added it.

Heart of Kiran?

I’m still not 100% sold on Heart of Kiran for a Commander Cube. The flying and vigilance is great at protecting the line. You can swing and keep it back for blocking. But the 3 crew is high. Very high. Is it surmountable? Can we deal with the crew via loyalty counters instead as a way to protect this house? I’m not sure. So I want to get in some Commander matches with the Heart first and see how it runs before I am comfortable making any changes to the Cube for it.

And there you have it! Changes, swaps, and more all to get these hot new Aether Revolt cards into my Commander Cube forthwith! Are you ready?

I recently renovated my red, support, and more themes, and added in cards like Dovin Baan, Utter End, Torrent of Souls, I swapped Bojuka Bog for Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, Rolling Earthquake, Flameshadow Conjuring, Dual Casting, and a lot more.

Check out my visual spoiler here!

And you can draft the Cube here. Set it to 7 bots and 6 packs.

I hope that you enjoyed it! Anything here you want to run in Commander? Cube? Commander Cube?

P.S. — I also made these changes:

In Caller of the Untamed, Out Imperious Perfect

It’s time. I have been seeing great responses from Arcane Savant in the Cube, and I want to push it with Caller. Here’s how the card works. Draft a creature that you cannot cast because of color identity, like, say, Mulldrifter. Now tap the Caller for 5 mana when it’s in play to make Mulldrifter tokens. Flametongue Kavu? Izzet Chronarch? You get the idea. Many gold creatures get passed up later, so you can get something that’s powerful, and make a bunch of tokens over time. It continues the token-making-repeatable theme that I like from this spot. But the Perfect’s Elf bonuses can be taken out of context as Elves are not a supported tribe (although here was a lord you could draft). So I dropped the Perfect, and we are running the Caller instead.

In Baleful Strix, Out Fathom Feeder

In an attempt to make this stuff more artifact-ish for those colors that care, here is Baleful Strix heading in for Fathom Feeder. It’s not like it’s a bad card or anything. Both have deathtouch, both can replace themselves.

In Quarantine Field, Out Journey to Nowhere

This was my mistake. I pulled Oblivion Ring for Grasp of Fate that was the better card but forgot that Journey was still in the Cube. I fix that mistake here. I thought about just putting O Ring back in, which makes sense with Zur the Enchanter as one of the leaders here, but I went with Quarantine Field instead. Let’s shake stuff up a bit.