PODCAST · leisure
Commander Theory
by Commander Theory
Expert analysis of the Commander format of Magic: the Gathering
Episodes
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Is Monored Goodstuff Possible? ft. @golgariguy
In this episode, Valerio (probably better known as @golgariguy on Twitter) returns to the show to discuss the absolute state of monored. Although White has gotten a lot of community attention in the last few years, Red has quietly fallen behind the other colors and is lacking many of the basic...
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Lost Caverns of Ixalan Predictions
Which cards from Lost Caverns of Ixalan are going to see the most play in Commander? How accurate were my predictions on which cards from Wilds of Eldraine would see the most adoption on EDHREC? Tune in to find out! Support the show You can reach me on Twitter or email me here If you like the...
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The Maindeck Cards of Lost Caverns of Ixalan (and LCC Precons)
Nick and guest host Brian descend into the Lost Caverns of Ixalan (and the associated precons), exploring the many new staples being released in the set and discovering a few gems that you may have missed. Support the show You can reach me on Twitter or email me here If you like the podcast…
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The Commanders of Lost Caverns of Ixalan (and LCC Precons)
Taking a slightly different approach to this spoiler season, as I'm skipping past the limited fodder legends and only doing a highlight reel of the most interesting commanders from both Lost Caverns of Ixalan AND the set's Commander precons. Let me know how you like the new format with a slightly...
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WHO Set Review Part 3 - Maindeck Cards
We're wrapping up our coverage of the Doctor Who Commander decks just in time for the end of Lost Caverns of Ixalan spoiler season! Nick is joined by patron Ben to discuss all the cards from WHO with potential to make a splash in the 99, from narrow tech to new Commander format staples! Support…
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WHO Set Review Part 2 - Partners and Standalone Commanders
We've gotten through WHO's Doctors and Companions, but the set of precons still has over 30 new options for Commanders to discuss, including many of the show's most iconic villains! Nick is joined by patron Ben to highlight the sweetest tech for these new decks and share some of the lore behind…
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WHO Set Review Part 1 - Doctors and Companions
With 15 doctors and 25 companions, WHO has unleashed a huge number of options for Commander brewers. Nick is joined by patron Jason to call out the most powerful of the 375 doctor/companion combinations, highlight the sweetest tech for these new decks, and share some of the lore behind the new...
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Wilds of Eldraine Predictions
Which cards from Wilds of Eldraine are going to see the most play in Commander? How accurate were our predictions on which cards from Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth would see the most adoption? Tune in to find out! Support the show You can reach me on Twitter or email me here If you…
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BONUS Episode: Ponies The Galloping 2
Wizards recently released Ponies: the Galloping 2 as a Secret Lair Drop benefiting children's charity Extra Life. In addition to discussing the cards in this drop and their applications in Commander, I brought in the Discord server's resident MLP expert, Logan, to unpack the references to My…
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What Decks Have Gained the Most with @golgariguy
Valerio (probably better known as @golgariguy on Twitter) returns to the show to discuss which Commander archetypes have gained the most in the last year of Magic releases. You may be able to guess a few but there have been a lot of surprising winners that secretly synergize with new mechanics,...
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RE-RUN: Underplayed Creature Types You're Sleeping On
Taking a break to enjoy the post-spoiler season afterglow; please enjoy this re-run of one of my favorite eps from the past year. Typal is a well you can come back to over and over because, well, it's fun! And there are infinite possibilities! So in this episode Nick and Zak dive into which types...
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Wilds of Eldraine Commander Precon Review
Did you read through the Wilds of Eldraine spoiler and wonder where the heck the Faerie typal commander was? It's in the precons, as well as a Role so strong they couldn't release it into Standard. Nick and guest host Brian delve into the new commanders and maindeck cards in the Wilds of Eldraine...
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The Maindeck Cards from Wilds of Eldraine
Nick is joined by patron Cary to review the new maindeck cards from Wilds of Eldraine! While the set's themes are on the weak side there are still plenty of new format staples, powerful role-players to bolster narrow archetypes, and a few sleepers that you might want to grab before everyone else...
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The Commanders of Wilds of Eldraine
Nick is joined by patron Cary to review a fresh crop of legends from Wilds of Eldraine! Do you have a hot take or a spicy brew for one of the set's commanders? Hit me up and share your secret tech! Decks discussed in this episode: Imodane, the Pyrohammer Hylda of the Icy Crown Will, Scion of…
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Our Favorite Keywords ft. Andy from the Legendary Creature Podcast
In this week's ep, Andy from the Legendary Creature Podcast swung by the pod to chat about our favorite keywords in Magic! Decks discussed in this episode: Everything Typal Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon Sefris of the Hidden Ways Zur - REM Cycle Lord Windgrace Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer Oskar…
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The Next 3 Years Of Magic - Ep. 244
At GenCon this year Maro and the Magic: The Gathering Team released the plan for the next 3 years of magic sets, something they've never done before. They're calling these next 3 years the Omenpath Story and it starts with Wilds of Eldraine (which we'll start to go over soon!) and ends with...
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Lessons From Limited - Ep. 243
Slothbear suggested this Episode in the CT discord server, and Nick and Zak thought it was a great idea for an episode. Slothbear asked how different formats affect the perception of build-arounds, synergies, and how to translate from 1v1 to multiplayer. So in this episode, the cohosts talk about...
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Is Mono-White Fixed Now?? - Ep. 242
There have been a TON of updates to Mono-White's suite of cards in the last few years since Nick and Zak released the "Quantifying The Color Pie" Episode, and we've checked in since, but this last year has been giving a lot of tools to white! So here we are again! Checking in and even looking…
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Commander Masters Precon Review - Ep 241
Commander Masters follows the tradition of being a reprint-only set. JK there are new cards in the commander decks and it doesn't have a separate set code! In this episode, Nick and Zak get to the thing you're all used to, card-by-card analysis and some deep dives into the new legendary…
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Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth Predictions - Ep. 240
Well, we finished the set reviews, so what are your bets on the cards seeing the most play in LOTR??? Nick and Zak have some ideas, and do a quick check-in to see what they got right from March of the Machine from a few months back. How many did they guess correctly? How many do you think are…
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Lord of the Rings Commander Decks - Ep. 239
There comes a time in every review cycle when the two hosts of a podcast make time to get together and look at every new card in the Lord of the Rings, Tales of Middle Earth Commander Decklists. For Nick and Zak, that time was last weekend. What are the deck themes, and which themes do the two...
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Criminally Underplayed Cards with GolgariGuy - Ep. 238
There are a LOT of options for cards to play in Commander (basically all of them!), but that doesn't mean all cards get the love they deserve! On this episode Nick and Zak are joined once again by Valerio, better known as Golgariguy on Twitter, to discuss cards that have played incredibly well…
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Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth Maindeck Cards - Ep. 237
What's middle earth bringing to the 111th birthday this year? Well, a whole lot of new Magic cards! Nick and Zak dive straight into the nitty-gritty of the new set, talking about all the cards they think could have a splash in Commander. What's blue look like in a more casual set? How does...
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Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth Legendary Creatures - Ep. 236
It's finally here! Nick and Zak get into the legends from the set that are poised to make a splash and there are a lot of them! If you don't hear us talking about your favorite new commander from the main set let us know! We'd love to hear about what you'd do to build them. Decklists: Gandalf…
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RE-RUN: Seasons Past - The Dark
Oh Boy! Our very first in the series before we knew we'd be doing it more! Due to some conflicts, this week will be a rerun episode, but we wanted to look back to an episode we really liked and to name it officially as part of the series. The Dark will always be a special set to both of us, and…
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How We'd Change Historic Brawl - Ep 235
Nick and Zak are busy, which means more time away from the game table and friends. So how do they cope? Historic Brawl! The cohosts have sung the praises of the format before, but in this episode the two talk about what could be done to improve the format. What are queues like and how can you…
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Seasons Past: Portal - Ep 234
There are so many new cards, maybe you'd appreciate a blast from the past? This episode looks back at Portal, one of the first supplemental products for Magic: The Gathering that was intended as an on-ramp for new players. But did it work? What did they do differently? And what was the set's...
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Rule Zero to Hero - "Flip" Commanders - Ep 233
So you saw a cool legend on the backside of a battle and were wishing you could play it as a commander, huh? Well, Nick and Zak look back at not just battles, but a lot of cards that are part legendary creature, just not in the way you can helm a deck with them. The "Flip" commanders! Whether…
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March of the Machine: Aftermath Set Review - Ep 232
Does it count as lying if you didn't know it wasn't going to be true in a week? Nick and Zak have one last (we mean it!) spoiler episode for this cycle, and it's some of the most notable cards from March of the Machine: Aftermath! This set is interesting for a lot of reasons. It has 5/6 card...
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March of the Machine Predictions - Ep 231
Nick and Zak try to stay on top of what people tend to want to play from sets as a thermometer on the format, so predictions are here! What happened with All Will Be One? Did the two co-hosts hit the mark? And what do they think will be popular this time? The co-hosts get in the weeds about...
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March of the Machine Commander Preconstructed Decks Review - Ep 230
Another set another bunch of precons! What's that? This set is special and concludes a years-long, multi-set storyline about the Phyrexian invasion of the multiverse? Huh! In this episode Nick and Zak discuss the new cards you can find in the newest planechase release, I mean 5 pre-constructed...
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March of the Machine Maindeck Cards - Ep 229
Not much to say here! Nick and Zak get into the main deck cards they thought were notable and talk a whole lot of shop. Listen in and let us know what your favorite cards from the set were! Did you like incubate? Hit us up! Support the show You can reach me on Twitter or email me here If you like...
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March of the Machines Legendary Creatures Review - Ep 228
That time again! With a huge swath of 33(!?!) new commanders, Nick and Zak get right to it! Digging into what decks might look like, what cards are really great within the decks, and the general designs they like and don't like. A standard CT approach to a very not standard set! So listen in and...
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MOM Story Had Problems: Bonus episode! - Ep 227.5
Much like the MOM story, we had problems too! While recording we didn't realize Zak's mic was being bypassed by the laptop mic (weird!) so please forgive the less-than-optimal quality on this bonus episode. THAT SAID, Nick had a lot of thoughts about Phyrexia and this "event set", so we recorded...
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Honor Among SLDs: The D&D Movie Crossover Cards - Ep 227
With the release of the Dungeons and Dragons movie comes a new Secret Lair Drop, complete with commanders for each main character from the movie, and one... large one! Did Wizards do a good job representing the characters on the cards? Are they too pushed? Not pushed enough? All this and more in...
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Custom Commanders: Universes Beyond Edition (With Andy from the Legendary Creature Podcast) - Ep 226
What would your favorite non-Magic characters look like as a magic card? We asked and patrons and other followers responded with some rad designs! In this episode, Nick is joined by Andy from the Legendary Creature Podcast to talk about some cards that don't exist! They dig into what new design...
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Confessions of a Brewaholic: Brew Better with Jason - Ep 225
Today's episode highlights community member, CT friend and fan Jason Belk, who is back again for an episode about brewing better! Sometimes a deck concept sits in your mind for a bit too long. Sometimes you buy cards you want to play with, but they end up just sitting there. Well, Jason is here…
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Feelbads and Threat Assessment With GolgariGuy
Ever feel targeted because someone at the table didn't like that you were milling them? Ever get irrationally angry when you see someone play a plague stinger? Well, this episode might be for you! In this episode, Nick and Zak are doing a collab with Valerio, Twitter's very own GolgariGuy!…
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Budget Builds With Recent Commanders
The hype train keeps rolling, and with March of the Machines looming on the horizon Nick and Zak wanted to take a look at some decks they liked from the last few months that ended up being budget options! Some of these commanders you might have glossed over, but all of them offer unique gameplay...
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Bring Back Battlecruiser Magic: Talking PreDH With Charlotte Sable
New sets this, product fatigue that, all these commanders you've never heard of before. Isn't there any hope for a Magic boomer around here?! Well, the answer is, unsurprisingly, yes! So Nick and Zak had friend-of-the-show and CAG member Charlotte Sable on to discuss a format she's been getting...
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Tips and Tricks for Colorless Lists
About a third of all colorless commanders have been printed in the last 2 years. The family is small, but they sure are mighty! And with more confirmed on the way combined with a fairly large swath of exciting designs to choose from, Nick and Zak thought it would be a good time to talk about the...
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What Cards WILL BE Most Played? ONE Predictions
LAST CALL! Boy, I sure am glad everything is one! But it's time to move on, and we had fun! Right? In this episode, Nick and Zak spend time looking over the cards that were most popular in BRO and make some guesses as to what cards people will like best from ONE. There are the card-by-card...
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Top 10 Cards from All Will Be One
ALL WILL BE ONE... top ten list! Normally we'd do the legends, and then the main-deck cards, but we had gotten some feedback and wanted to try something different this time. Here are Nick and Zak's 10 favorite cards from ONE! Both cohosts drop their top 10 cards, as well as why and what they…
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All Will Be One Legends
ALL WILL BE ONE. Unless you're this review of ONE which is broken up into multiple parts. In this episode, Nick and Zak look at the commanders in the main set/theme boosters and see what each legend is doing. Are there any new archetypes? What's the deal with the allied color-paired commanders?...
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All Will Be One Commander Decks
Welcome to preview season! Is that some oil dripping from your eyes, or are you just happy to see us? All Will Be One is here and with it, two whole commander decks! As is tradition Nick and Zak get into the nitty gritty of all the new cards, the decks as a whole, and their favorite (and least...
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Rerun - The Commander Theory Deck Building "Template" Ep. 182
Nick and Zak are off this week, but here's an episode from about a year ago they "Many content creators on the internet have posted episodes of shows and podcasts where they discuss a baseline way to build decks. They're usually heuristics like, "You need 10 ramp spells" or "you need 3 board...
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Rerun - Phyrexian Rebirth Adventure Module
Since the story is out, and so are we, why not try this fun module Nick put a lot of effort into? "You read that right: this week on Commander Theory Nick and Zak discuss a project Nick has been working on for a while. Phyrexian Rebirth is a fan-made module to be run using the 5th edition DnD…
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When To Run Ramp
Recently Sam Black Tweeted about lands in commander which started a whole fire of people online getting upset and discussing something that's just probably true: you probably run too few lands in your commander decks. Most people will say that they supplement the lack of lands with ramp, as 2…
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Cards You’re Playing Wrong ft. Charlotte Sable
Magic is hard! Sometimes there are corner cases in the rules that people never learn or interactions that don’t quite work the way people expect them to. Are there any cards that people are just playing wrong? Today friend of the show and CAG member Charlotte Sable joins Nick and Zak (who's just...
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Seasons Past: Urza's Saga
What a wild time it was for Magic back in 1998! Cards were crazy powerful, interaction was basically non-existent, and there were bannings galore in the only real format at the time. People were leaving in droves! And yet, most people look back fondly to Urza's Saga and laugh about it, the cards,...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Commander Theory have?
Commander Theory currently has 274 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Commander Theory about?
Expert analysis of the Commander format of Magic: the Gathering
How often does Commander Theory release new episodes?
Commander Theory publishes regularly with 274 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Commander Theory?
You can listen to Commander Theory on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Commander Theory?
Commander Theory is created and hosted by Commander Theory.
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