I love flavor. I haven't mentioned it much to this point in my writing, but more often than not I prioritize flavor in my personal decks rather than functionality. The flavor can be based on a tribe or art, but one of my favorite restrictions is building around a single MTG Plane. Building around a single plane can be a great way to enjoy the Vorthos aspects of Magic while still having a functional deck for most metas. Magic sets are built to function on their own. Within each color, there are usually ways to remove threats, build engines, and win the game. When you expand from a set to a plane, you can gain access to multiple sets and supplemental sets that feature art, characters, or scenes from a chosen plane. In a single plane you'll likely find the pieces that you need to make a functional commander deck, but the power level of this deck can be stifled quite a bit. I've found that most of my "Planar Decks" can function against other more optimized decks depending on the power level of the commander I choose. In my personal collection, I had a Sai, Master Thopterist deck that I could play at my local gamestore without fear of being stomped out of a game in only a couple turns. However, I was definitely behind the eight ball. The decks below are perfect for people who love playing with restrictions, enjoy trying to maximize sub-optimal cards, and appreciate the flavorful side of Magic the Gathering. I've also found that "Planar Decks" are great ways to judge the capacity of a commander. You'll find some commanders can carry your deck while others need more support. Because these decks are built around a specific plane, you'll also find yourself playing cheaper cards, draft chaff, and bulk rares you may already have lying around. These five decks each come with their own rewards and challenges, and picking the right plane is important to building a deck that is at a power level you're comfortable playing. Colfenor, the Last yew Colfenor may be the most powerful of the commanders I built for this post and Lorwyn may be the most powerful of the planes I visited. Normally, building from a plane that has only been visited one time can be quite the struggle as options become extremely limited. However, Colfenor benefits from not only being three colors but also being from a plane with four sets rather than three. The unique construction of Lorwyn Block, having two big sets and two small sets, meant that there were a lot of choices for this deck. Someone else could undertake this same challenge and come to a completely different build than myself. Despite all of these benefits, Colfenor suffers from one glaring weakness — there aren't many good sac outlets to enhance his specific strategy. However, even with this missing piece, Colfenor seems like a powerful and flexible option for this type of restriction. Deck List: https://archidekt.com/decks/915773#Vorthos_Builds:_Colfenor Hamza, Guardian of arashinWhile Colfenor may have had the most options, Hamza might have had the fewest. I was excited to build this deck as I love Khans Block, but, similar to Lorwyn, the plane of Tarkir has never been revisited. While the structure was still not traditional (Khans Block was big set, small set, big set), the options for Hamza still felt more limited than Colfenor. In part, Hamza only being two colors also contributed to this problem, but as you'll see other two color commanders still featured plenty of flexibility. Hamza's saving grace was his synergy with the themes of the Abzan and Dromoka clans in Tarkir. Hamza wants a deck to have plenty of ways to put +1/+1 counters on creatures and because this was a theme throughout the block plenty of cards exist to make this strategy happen. Hamza is a great example about how a well-focused commander can enable this deck building restriction. Despite this, Hamza could still use some more boardwipes and graveyard hate that we would see in a revisit of Tarkir. Deck List: https://archidekt.com/decks/916740#Vorthos_Builds:_Hamza,_Guardian_of_Arashin Breeches, Brazen Blunderer / |
AuthorMonoWhiteBorder -- A man who loves MtG and his small dog. Archives
June 2021
Categories"MonoWhiteBorder" and corresponding content is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
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