Time is finite.

Time is also a human construct. In an effort to try to create a structure for the entropy that is the universe, language was created to discuss the movement through a field that is not a direction. This is of course bounded on a personal scale by birth and death, and the moments between are what actually matter.

And we— We choose to spend our time playing Magic because it is fulfilling. The game brings about a depth of joy that cannot always be easily articulated but communicated to others by knowing glances and backpacks packed to the brim with the relics of our culture. I do not deign to ponder the meaning of life, but what I do know is that happiness is important. Moving forward with enjoyment seems better than the opposite.

In this way, time and joy are linked for the Magic player. We invest time because it is fun. As time becomes scarce for whatever reason, it follows to prioritize those things that are the most fun to extract the best of times. I love playing Commander. I play as often as I can because it provides a widely varied experience that allows me to spend time in a social setting and simply enjoy the game.

Commander is so much more than the play, however. It is also about the decks. Commander decks are full of interesting cards and combinations that fit together like so many nested glass spheres. They are wonderful. They are also time consuming, and as I have said, time is finite.

As such, I don’t get to create nearly as many Commander matryoshkas as my mind can conjure. What follows is a short list of decks I have started and stopped and some ideas for ways to make them work—in no particular order, of course.

Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit

Mikaeus would experience false starts, and the deck never gelled. Mikaeus made for an interesting commander, but I was never able to maximize on its abilities to go wide and tall. Anafenza, though, does just that.

Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit demands a deck loaded with creatures—and actual creatures, too. In order to make the best use of Anafenza’s ability to bolster the common strategy of tokens would have to be eschewed. Instead, I wanted to focus on smaller creatures—think a Mentor of the Meek engine—and try to overwhelm the enemies by going wide. The kicker is that every time I went wide, I would also go tall thanks to the color-shifted Abzan khan. I explored Marshal's Anthem and Order of Whiteclay as ways to trigger Anafenza multiple times per creature. I also looked at this cards because I am who I am, and I love getting utility from the graveyard.

Why did I table this idea? I couldn’t think of an endgame. In my mind, the deck would deploy small threat after small threat but would never really amount to anything. Even with a force multiplier like Cathars' Crusade, the deck would be incredibly prone to sweepers, and I wasn’t sure how to best solve that problem. Unlike my decks featuring Swamps, there would be no Grim Harvest to save my day. Maybe I can go the route of my buddy Carlos and try out Faith's Reward, but I’m not so sure.

Stitcher Geralf

I was looking forward to putting Dakra Mystic to work. The idea of setting up draws and using the Mystic as a political tool as well as fuel for the fire appealed to me. But as I scoured the history of Magic for cards that would work in a similar fashion, I could not find any.

I was also struggling to find cards that would work with Stitcher Geralf from my personal fengraf. River Kelpie is nice, but being mono-blue meant a distinct lack of creatures that would enter the battlefield from death. I mean, I could pull some tricks with Marang River Prowler and Havengul Runebinder or Undead Alchemist, but that is an awful lot of work. As it stands, this deck is more likely to be built that Anafenza, but the time it would take to dismantle Muzzio is rather daunting.

Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest

Rob’s message came with a list of cards that would have to be included: Quiet Contemplation, Uyo, Silent Prophet, Silent Arbiter, Linvala, Keeper of Silence, Hushwing Gryff, Voidmage Husher, Quietus Spike, Aura of Silence, Render Silent, Silent Sentinel, Silent Departure, Decree of Silence, Bound in Silence, Swift Silence, Stony Silence, Quiet Speculation, and “maybe even Higure, the Still Wind.”

Guess the theme.

I ruined the idea by adding cards like Sonic Burst and Words of Wind. In the end, I met the same fate as Rob and lack the time (I also lack the spawn).

Tahngarth, Talruum Hero

So then I started looking through my box and found a copy of Tahngarth. For some reason, the card spoke to me, and the idea of using the Planeshift legend as a way to keep the board clear, one creature at a time, appealed to my love of the grind.

Of course, the wheels got stuck. There are not a ton of repeatable fight effects in red, and that made building toward a unified theme was a big mountain to climb. Instead, as I started preparing for this article, I started to think about Tahngarth as a way to gain extra utility out of those Dragons that Zirilan sends to their graves. Maybe there’s a something there.

Ruhan of the Fomori

Pacific Rim is among my favorite movies of the past five years. I wanted to build a theme deck around the film with a Ruhan altered to resemble Gipsy Danger—the star Jaeger of the film. I have shelved this idea simply because I have not yet had the hours needed to make sure every card I put in hits the theme. The hardest part: finding enough Krakens to represent the Kaiju.

Athreos, God of Passage

I came to the realization that Teysa no longer was unique. My love of Grave Pact effects and sacrificing had seeped into most of my other decks and left Teysa behind. Over the past few days, I have come to terms with the fact I will be retiring Teysa.

But this God opened a window. Sure, it’s a window to the underworld, but it’s a window nonetheless. Teysa may die, but Athreos will rise in her place.

I am not sure what other cards are going to find their way in, but I know for sure I want to make room for Endless Whispers—the idea of be able to continuously have opponents make choices when their creatures die is too much fun to ignore. Heck, maybe I’ll find a way to leverage Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit as well. Finally, I hope I’ll be able to break out my copy of Purgatory.

For reference, this is what I am leaving behind:

Teysa, Orzhov, Scion ? Commander | Alex Ullman

• Commander (0)

• Creatures (36)
• 1 Angel of Despair
• 1 Archon of Justice
• 1 Blood Artist
• 1 Bloodsoaked Champion
• 1 Bone Shredder
• 1 Cemetery Reaper
• 1 Eater of Hope
• 1 Emeria Angel
• 1 Falkenrath Noble
• 1 Geist-Honored Monk
• 1 Goldnight Commander
• 1 Hallowed Spiritkeeper
• 1 Herald of Anafenza
• 1 Karmic Guide
• 1 Maw of the Obzedat
• 1 Mentor of the Meek
• 1 Necrotic Sliver
• 1 Nether Traitor
• 1 Ogre Slumlord
• 1 Overseer of the Damned
• 1 Phyrexian Plaguelord
• 1 Reassembling Skeleton
• 1 Reliquary Monk
• 1 Requiem Angel
• 1 Shriekmaw
• 1 Skirsdag High Priest
• 1 Stronghold Assassin
• 1 Sun Titan
• 1 Treasury Thrull
• 1 Twilight Drover
• 1 Burnished Hart
• 1 Solemn Simulacrum
• 1 Darien, King of Kjeldor
• 1 Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts
• 1 Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter
• 1 Adarkar Valkyrie

• Planeswalkers (2)
• 1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
• 1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad

• Spells (24)
• 1 Mortify
• 1 Return to Dust
• 1 Austere Command
• 1 Beacon of Unrest
• 1 Merciless Eviction
• 1 Attrition
• 1 Cathars' Crusade
• 1 Dictate of Erebos
• 1 Field of Souls
• 1 Grave Pact
• 1 Martyr's Bond
• 1 Martyr's Cause
• 1 Mobilization
• 1 Oblivion Ring
• 1 Oversold Cemetery
• 1 Sacred Mesa
• 1 Spirit Bonds
• 1 Underworld Connections
• 1 Blasting Station
• 1 Commander's Sphere
• 1 Helm of Possession
• 1 Illusionist's Bracers
• 1 Skullclamp
• 1 Sol Ring

• Lands (37)
• 9 Swamp
• 10 Plains
• 1 Barren Moor
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Drifting Meadow
• 1 Evolving WIlds
• 1 Godless Shrine
• 1 High Market
• 1 Mystifying Maze
• 1 Orzhov Basilica
• 1 Orzhov Guildgate
• 1 Polluted Mire
• 1 Scoured Barrens
• 1 Secluded Steppe
• 1 Springjack Pasture
• 1 Tainted Field
• 1 Temple of Silence
• 1 Temple of the False God
• 1 Terramorphic Expanse
• 1 Kor Haven

Buy This Deck

What commander appeals to you but has never made it into your deck? Which one just needs a little more time before you’re ready to unleash it on the world?

Time is finite, but fun is boundless. Make sure you pack as much of the latter into the former.