Deckbuilding is a huge part of Commander. We all take pride in the cards we choose for our commanders: the perfect formulation of mana rocks and creatures and spells and lands. This is much more art than science, but we have to talk about some habits we have as deck builders. If a card carries its weight in deck, we think of it again for another deck. This seems innocent enough, but can lead to a problem. Old reliable cards become power-crept or the meta discourages playing them over the course of time, but we're still running them. That brings me to the topic of today's article: What are some old commander staples that don't cut it anymore?

5. Commander's Sphere

I want to clarify that I dispute these cards' legitimacy in generic strategies. In some unique strategies, Commander's Sphere might be better than something else, but why don't I think we should run Commander's Sphere anymore? My issue with this card is the conversion rate of mana to usefulness. Land fixing and talismans do a cheaper - mana wise - and more efficient job ramping and giving you access to mana. The talismans are two mana and tap for two or so colors, or colorless. Those are better ramp options, especially when you use talismans to ramp into more talismans.

I know you're thinking that in a four or five color deck, it may be worth paying a little more mana to give you access to every color, but I'd disagree. Triome Lands like Ziatora's Proving Ground make it so much easier to fix mana in five colors. Lands are better than ever at fixing mana. They should be your first strategy over a 3-drop mana rock that you have to hope to draw. It's also not the perfect curve for the meta of Commander anymore. You want a turn one Sol Ring into a talisman or arcane signet in the current meta of artifact ramp. A Sol Ring into a turn two Sphere into a 2-drop doesn't sound as appealing.

4. Chromatic Lantern

Why don't I think we should run Chromatic Lantern anymore? This section is going to be pretty much similar to the one above. Chromatic Lantern is a slightly better Commander's Sphere. It fixes mana for wild cards like Niv-Mizzet, Parun, with all colored pips and three of each color, and it taps for mana itself. I'm not saying it doesn't have its uses, but in my Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis four-color Group Hug Deck, I manage to hit the mana requirements for Niv-Mizzet, Parun every time without Chromatic Lantern. I fetch my Ketria Triome and Raugrin Triome with Nature's Lore and Three Visits and run the talismans and dual lands. That usually gets me there, for a little life, without having to sacrifice a deck slot. Lantern really is just a mana fixer that is off curve even as a mana rock. I don't find that paying three mana to fix mana and/or for a mana rock is a good rate.

3. Putrefy

Why don't I think we should run Putrefy anymore? It's still a very popular card by the numbers. I'm baffled by this. Assassin's Trophy is better. For two mana you can destroy any permanent. That's a better rate than Beast Within, excusing having to run two different colors in your commander and having exactly those two colors available for the spell. I think it's a must-include if you run those colors. Beast Within is one of the best removal spells for the rate and Trophy is even better. Why in any universe would we pay one more generic mana to hit only creatures and artifacts with Putrefy?

If we are simply looking for more removal targets in a Golgari deck or looking for potential artifact destruction, we still shouldn't run Putrefy. Reclamation Sage is right there: a three-mana creature that pops an artifact or enchantment. Green is very good at removal like this, stapled to other things. It's weird that Putrefy is still on anyone's list.

2. Phyrexian Arena

Why don't I think we should run Phyrexian Arena anymore? We all love a little Phyrexian Arena, but Necropotence is right there. Imagine spending 10 life and drawing 10 cards, it's just so good. Yeah maybe it's three Black pips which is difficult in a three color deck, but like I keep saying, mana fixing is the best it's ever been. That and Phyrexian Arena is already two Black pips. One more isn't crazy for the scale up in ability.

Drawing one card on upkeep just isn't good enough. Black Market Connections is right there. For you can spend one life to draw a card, two for a treasure, and for three you can put down a creature token, all in one pre-combat main phase. It's insane the value here for the same conversion of Phyrexian Arena---actually it's better because you only need one Black Pip. All in all I think the time of Phyrexian Arena is over.

1. Solemn Simulacrum

Why don't I think we should run Solemn Simulacrum anymore? I hate to say it, but four mana for this card is steep. It is a 2/2 that ramps a land on enter and draws a card for dying. This is just not enough in today's meta. It's a chump blocker for 4 mana and gets one card from it. Yeah in recursion strategies and flicker strategies, it is more viable, but 4 mana is just so tough to justify. That could be two talismans. In the current meta that could be your commander on turn four. It could be two lands with Skyshroud Claim. It could be so much more acceleration. Drawing cards and playing lands are easier than ever, and the sad bot does it maybe once. We all love the bot, but it's just not making the cut.

Conclusion

I'm not saying these cards aren't useful. I'm just saying they shouldn't just be auto-includes. If they don't synergize beyond just their base effects, then we shouldn't run them as must-includes in any deck that can run them, like they had been. Maybe I'm wrong about this, though. Let me know: I'm @Strixhavendropout at Bluesky.