The Best Commander Cards From... Homelands
Merchant Scroll by Scott Murphy
Welcome back to The Best Commander Cards From..., a series focusing on the most powerful EDH cards from across Magic: the Gathering's thirty-year history. Today's focus is Homelands, the seventh expansion set in Magic, which was, at the time, considered the second expansion of the Ice Age block. The set was released in October of 1995, following the release of the reprint-only set Chronicles.
Bad Reputation
I won't sugarcoat it: Homelands is widely considered one of the worst sets ever printed from a power level and design perspective. It featured no new mechanics, multiple unsupported creature-type themes, and a steep drop in power level from the prior several sets. Developers reportedly didn't even want to release the set, and the poor communication between design and development came to a head more severely than it likely ever had before.
New Generation
A lot of strange choices were made during the creation of this set, but the new creature types are definitely among the oddest to me. Bureaucrat and Autocrat are only a taste, with Ferret, Constable, Ambush Party, and Albatross making up some other interesting entries. As a bonus, you're in luck if you like to play Minotaur, even if the creature type wasn't new at the time.
No Communication
As stated earlier, there were some serious issues with the development of Homelands. Although I can't list them all, here's a few cool highlights: Baron Sengir was not printed with the Vampire creature type, and wouldn't get it until the Grand Creature Type Update of 2007. However, even if Baron Sengir was a Vampire, he'd be alone as the only Vampire in the entire set and the third ever printed at the time.
Feroz's Ban was mistakenly included in the Reserved List only to get a reprint anyway in 5th Edition. Just as well, Leeches enables you to remove poison counters, which are notably absent from the set in any capacity. But enough about that, let's actually discuss some cards. I know you're itching to see what I managed to dig up.
Merchant Scroll
I've played Merchant Scroll quite a bit, mostly searching up Cyclonic Rift, and the card rarely feels bad to play. Compared to more modern cards, like Solve the Equation, and powerhouses, like Mystical Tutor, it might seem rather clunky. That said, it's still a tutor, and tutors are generally quite good. This one isn't so horrendously outclassed that it's embarrassing, at least not yet.
Memory Lapse
The flavor here is pretty good. You have a lapse of memory, but it comes back to you when you have your next thought. This pops up in quite a few decks as a reliable enough two-mana counter. However, I've personally used this to rebuy a spell that someone hit with a Flusterstorm. I won that game, and I have had respect for Memory Lapse since then.
Sengir Autocrat
You probably have an idea of why this card is relevant at all. It makes four bodies for only four mana, and works well with any kind of sacrifice outlet. Repeatable recursion also makes this quite a potent force. Usually I've seen this card in the 99 of Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder.
Koskun Falls
While you might think of this as something of a color-shifted Propaganda, Koskun Falls was actually printed first and was the first Ghostly Prison style effect. Of note, though, you do need to keep a creature around for it to work each turn. Although most black decks are looking to wipe the board rather than hold it at bay, this is still somewhat unique in the color, although I bet it would see play in Zur the Enchanter on occasion if it cost three.
Truthfully, that's about it. There's a huge drop from Koskun Falls, an admittedly niche playable, to the next most powerful cards in the set. Don't worry though, there's a few cards that are flirting with playability/unplayability, and for your consideration (or laughter) I've included them below!
Some Honorable (And Dishonorable) Mentions
I wish a card like Feroz's Ban actually mattered at the tables I find myself playing at. Even if it did, however, it would be outclassed utterly by God-Pharaoh's Statue. Truce is... delightfully bad, unless you're fully committed to the group hug strategy. Your opponents choose on resolution, by the way, so you can't even game the system with a card like Notion Thief. Soraya the Falconer is a decent commander for a Bird-themed deck but is generally less popular than Kangee, Sky Warden.
Similarly, Mystic Decree doesn't seem like it will affect the board enough to really matter when other, more efficient, cheaper cards also hold back aggression. That said, it works pretty well with Moat! Serrated Arrows, predating Equipment by quite a few years, really only does something in decks that Proliferate often.
The Filter-Lands
Alongside Aysen Abbey, Castle Sengir, Wizards' School, and Koskun Keep, An-Havva Township finishes up a cycle of lands that, at first glance, might even appear decent. The problem, of course, is that they're strictly worse than Unknown Shores, which is hardly a staple.
Aysen Highway
Oh wow, this seems to be a hidden gem. I mean, it turns all white creatures into planeswalkers... Oh wait, hold on... "plainswalkers," whoops. If you think about how this card actually functions in game, it's remarkably inefficient compared to anthem effects or cards like Akroma's Memorial. Oh yeah, it also affects everyone, not just your creatures.
The Dwarf Cards
As far as on-board tricks go, Dwarven Sea Clan isn't the worst. It's situational, but still honestly a powerhouse compared to most cards in Homelands. Dwarven Pony, although not very efficient, is at least usable. Irini Sengir and Reveka, Wizard Savant, however, may as well not even have the Dwarf creature type.
The Minotaur Cards
If you're bull-headed enough to force a Minotaur-themed deck in Commander, this set has a few goodies for you. Anaba Ancestor and Anaba Spirit Crafter are both the highlights, actually giving your Minotaur creatures a noteworthy boost. The rest are not quite that good, mostly just overcosted beef, like Anaba Bodyguard, or the strangely blue Labyrinth Minotaur. Just as well, you get the timeless classic, the Minotaur deck all-star: Didgeridoo.
Folks, the drop in quality was steep this time. When the most powerful card in the set is either a conditional tutor or a conditional Counterspell you know there's a problem. If you're a huge fan of Chandler or Joven, I'm sorry that they didn't get much spotlight. I'd say Homelands is a set you should just draft instead, but it's actually awful for draft too. I've been Luka "Robot" Sharaska, and I can't wait to leave this set in the dust in favor of Alliances.
