Duskmourn is the latest eerie installment to the Magic world. This set brought us a whole slew of nightmares and horrors to test out in Commander. This was a super fun set to play either Sealed or Limited, and I encourage you to try it. If you cracked any packs of this set, I am sure that you were left with a pile of bulk you plan to throw in a box and never look at again. Before you do that, however, you might want to take some of these cards out for your next Commander brew!

Land Cyclers

Land cycle cards are always great inclusions for a Commander deck. MDFC spells are great for versatility in your land base, but land cyclers can play a similar role. Bedhead Beastie can grab a Mountain for generic mana. It does not specify that it has to be a Basic Mountain. You can do a little color fixing, grabbing a Blood Crypt or something similar. I also like Land Cyclers for graveyard decks. Sefris of the Hidden Ways and Kroxa and Kunoros are decks that want cards to be constantly falling into your graveyard and these Land Cyclers are an easy way to do just that.

Clockwork Percussionist

Clockwork Percussionist is an artifact creature for one Red with a pretty decent death trigger. This card is very similar to the Unlucky Witness we got from New Capenna. Clockwork Percussionist, I think, is slightly better just for the fact that it is an artifact creature. Artifacts can be sacrificed to cards like Krark-Clan Ironworks and work great with Scrap Trawler. Artifact creatures have a lot more potential and I think this card might be an interesting inclusion in decks looping artifacts.

Trapped in the Screen

Trapped in the Screen is a new and improved Oblivion Ring; well sort of. Trapped in the Screen can exile an artifact, creature, or enchantment under it, while Oblivion Ring can hit any nonland. Oblivion Ring can exile planeswalkers, but that doesn't come up too often in your normal Commander experience. Trapped in the Screen has ward two. Ward is a well disliked keyword as it makes permanents more difficult to remove. Commanders that are focused around enchantments and can either benefit from casting them or reduce the casting cost would love to include this as a piece of removal.

Final Vengeance

Final Vengeance is a new piece of removal for Black at common level. Final Vengeance also exiles the creature we are removing! This card works essentially the same as Eaten Alive, but gives us the option to sacrifice an enchantment as well as a creature. Duskmourn brought with it a ton of new enchantment creatures and rooms which are a new enchantment subtype. If you are in Mono-Black, this card seems great for permanently removing threats where reanimator decks are rampant. We even got a reanimator deck in the Commander precon lineup for this set! Stop it dead in its tracks with a Final Vengeance.

Turn Inside Out

Turn Inside Out is an amazing new combat trick we got in Red. Turn Inside Out boosts our creature by 3 power and replaces it if it dies. Manifest dread is a pretty solid new keyword we received from Duskmourn. It works just like regular manifest, but we get a little card selection. At first glance, this card is great for Zada, Hedron Grinder. Boosting your whole team and replacing each one that dies with a manifest creature. This card also has some synergy with Feather, the Redeemed allowing you to constantly recast it each turn. This combat trick can help remove a creature or get in for more damage while also providing some card advantage.

Grab the Prize

Grab the Prize is a sweet new card draw piece for Red! We have seen this design space a ton for Red. Thrill of Possibility, Wild Guess, Cathartic Reunion, and Tormenting Voice are all very similar renditions of this card. Why would you reach for Grab the Prize out of all these other options? The answer is simply that it deals damage to your opponents. Two damage to each opponent does not seem like a ton, however, with the right Commander at the helm it could be extremely powerful. Neheb, the Eternal is the first one that comes to mind as it turns Grab the Prize into a large ritual as well as card selection. I am happy to see Wizards continuing to experiment with these red loot effects and making them feel unique.

Life Check Lands

Duskmourn gave us a new land cycle in common that can enter untapped! There is one for each two-color combination and they all enter untapped if a player has 13 or less life. In a 40 life format, that doesn't seem amazing since in the early game it will always enter tapped. These are the only dual lands in common that have the ability to enter untapped, which makes them feel very unique. If you are playing on a strict budget these lands are the way to go. I would much rather have an untapped dual land later in the game, than a land that enters tapped and gains me a singular life.

That wraps it up for the best commons for Commander from Duskmourn. I hope this article inspires you to dig through that bulk and find a few hidden gems. In the right deck, a common can hold more value during a game than a mythic.

See you on the battlefield!

-Nigel