The Best Commander Cards From... Urza's Saga
Welcome back to The Best Commander Cards From..., a series focusing on the most powerful EDH cards from across Magic: The Gathering's rich thirty-year-long history. Today's focus is Urza's Saga, the fifteenth expansion set, which was released in October of 1998, and is the first set in Urza's block.
A Long Winter
At the time, all artifacts were colorless, so the only real stopgap for artifacts being too ubiquitous in any given format was playtesting during design and development. Don't worry, though, as there are plenty of overwhelmingly powerful cards across the color pie. So many, in fact, that it spawned what came to be known as Combo Winter. We'll get a bit more into that when we go over specific cards, though. Speaking of cards, let's jump right into it.
Tolarian Academy (Banned)
Who would have guessed that a land that gets better with cheap artifacts is powerful in a game where some of the most powerful cards are zero-mana artifacts? Tolarian Academy was one of the biggest pieces of Combo Winter, and was summarily banned in Standard, Extended, and Legacy, and Restricted in Vintage before the year was over. Somehow, Combo Winter persisted, but that's a tale for a different card.
Gaea's Cradle
Continuing the trend of overpowered lands, Gaea's Cradle didn't make quite as big of a splash as Academy. Of course, it's still wildly powerful, and it has a price to match. My four best decks, combined, still cost less than one copy of Cradle. Price aside, this card remains legal in spite of its absurd power level.
Windfall
The definitive wheel in the Commander format, you'll see Windfall in everything from cEDH to casual decks. Obviously it's better when you can play out your hand first, but even if it scales with power level quite well, I've cast this plenty of times when my hand just didn't develop the way I wanted it to. Bonus points if you're discarding spells or creatures to recur from the graveyard.
Gamble
As the name implies, this card is indeed a Gamble. Don't let the risk fool you, though, as a one-mana tutor is worth the price of admission. Adding a bit of randomness and a small tax to your combo piece, board wipe, draw spell, or whatever else is definitely not that big of a downside. It's also about as cheap as it's been in years, so snatch one up if you don't have one already!
Victimize
It's hard to say no to a double Reanimate with no life loss. It's harder still to say no when the buy-in is so cheap. Add in cards like Dictate of Erebos, Archaeomancer, Karmic Guide, or Peregrine Drake, and you've got a recipe for things quickly escalating.
Exploration
While Burgeoning might have a technically higher ceiling, Exploration doesn't require that your opponents play into it. Any deck that can draw lots of cards or wants lots of extra lands will have a blast with this if played early enough, so the jokes about Simic decks write themselves. After a big drop in price near the beginning of the year, this is starting to rise again, so it might be worth keeping an eye on.
Phyrexian Tower
Much like Culling the Weak, which was featured in the last installment of this series, Phyrexian Tower finds its home most often in decks partially helmed by Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh. This land is technically in the same cycle as Tolarian Academy and Gaea's Cradle, so make of that what you will. As for me, this makes a very fun appearance in my Braids, Arisen Nightmare deck.
Worn Powerstone
Although a lot of people tend to write off mana rocks that cost three, I think Worn Powerstone does a good job of remaining relevant thanks to tapping for more than one mana. It doesn't have any fancy bells and whistles, like The Celestus or Strixhaven Stadium, and it comes in tapped, but the classics still make me smile.
Carpet of Flowers
I'd like to think that, during the development of Urza's Saga, they knew that blue was broken and printed this as a way to compensate. Even if that is true, it didn't work whatsoever, but hey, at least we got this cool card out of the deal! Carpet of Flowers is pretty cool, and with flood counters seeing more print, it's going to see even more returns at certain tables.
Greater Good
Admittedly I don't have a lot of firsthand experience with Greater Good. However, anything that lets you sacrifice creatures to draw cards has a lot of potential as a combo-enabler, and that's ignoring the practical application of just sacrificing creatures from under a removal spell or board wipe. I have to imagine it works pretty well with Phyrexian Dreadnought, if nothing else.
Priest of Titania
Marwyn, the Nurturer kinda requires you to stack +1/+1 counters on it, but it has the advantage of being able to sit in your command zone. Priest of Titania can't be your commander, but it's really easy to turn this thing into a scaled-down Gaea's Cradle. Plus, that's before you start untapping it for value, as cards like Staff of Domination can quickly turn this into an infinite combo.
Yawgmoth's Will
If you're hunting for a bargain, Yawgmoth's Will has you covered. For a reasonable cost (in mana, definitely not in money) you get access to all the rituals, draw, removal, and combo potential that you've already exhausted earlier. Fortunately for your wallet, it's taken a backseat since the printing of Underworld Breach.
Back to Basics
One of the saltiest cards in the format, Back to Basics is infamous in playgroups across the world. The biggest issue with this card, though, if you ask me, is that it's never alone. If you see Back to Basics, usually it's only a matter of time before Drannith Magistrate, Rule of Law, Winter Orb, and the rest of the gang make an appearance, too.
Rain of Filth
Another top notch black ritual printed in 1998, alongside the previously mentioned Phyrexian Tower and Culling the Weak, Rain of Filth is very good at giving you that extra push at the end of a game. If you get extra value from sacrificing lands, such as with The Gitrog Monster, you're in an even better position.
Exhume
You probably already know that Exhume is a bit risky in multiplayer, but even if it is, you're probably getting back the best creature if you're the reanimation deck. I've cast this card plenty of times, and although I wish it let each player choose from any player's graveyard (starting with you), it's still quite powerful as a two-mana reanimation spell.
Sneak Attack
Few cards inspire as much fear as Sneak Attack when played with a full grip of cards. Whether you're dumping in Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant, Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre, or just Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker and Pestermite, your opponents will be afraid.
Argothian Enchantress
Unlike almost all the other enchantress engine cards, including Enchantress's Presence, Eidolon of Blossoms, and Satyr Enchanter, Argothian Enchantress is only two mana. As a bonus, shroud is a great way of protecting against single-target removal.
Goblin Lackey
If I told you that Goblin Lackey is often considered one of the most dangerous Goblins ever printed, would you believe me? Cheating on mana really is that powerful, and Goblin Lackey does it better than most. In a multiplayer game, you get even more chances at cracking in for one damage and a trigger. Just add card draw.
Time Spiral
If you've ever played Vintage Cube, you know that Time Spiral can be a real powerhouse. It doesn't often live up to that legacy in Commander, but it's still quite powerful. Like all wheels, it benefits from things like Orcish Bowmasters and draw denial, but it also untaps up to six of your lands. Add in lands that tap for more than one mana and... yeah, you're starting to realize how busted this can get. Unlike Tolarian Academy, this card didn't get banned in most formats until 1999.
Contamination
If Back to Basics slows the game to a crawl, Contamination can often bring it to a screeching halt. Yes, you have to feed it, but every black deck I've ever played doesn't have an issue doing that. As a bonus, it's completely one-sided if you're mono-black, and mono-colors definitely need the power boost these days.
Smokestack
With a bit of finesse in stacking triggers, you'll quickly come to realize just how annoying Smokestack can be for your opponents. After all, they'll be the ones sacrificing before you do, and you have the benefit of sacrificing Smokestack before it gets out of hand. Meanwhile, every turn that it ticks up, you'll be sacrificing less than everyone else.
Fluctuator
Cycling sure does move a lot faster if you don't have to spend mana on it, and Fluctuator gets rid of most cycling costs outright. I'm not really sure how viable the cycling deck is, or what you'd be cycling towards, but considering how good the mechanic is, I'd put money on this card only getting better over time.
Show and Tell
Chaos, chaos, chaos! I love cards like this. I will gladly fill my deck with huge uncastable threats and cheat them into play with the knowledge that I might lose to something my opponent puts in sometimes. Sure, Show and Tell will lose you the game sometimes, perhaps even a lot of time. Even so, the games will certainly be memorable.
Tainted Aether
While Tainted Aether may lack the panache of Grave Pact, it fills a similar role if your opponents are trying to keep creatures on board. As a bonus, it's symmetrical, so your opponents can't get mad at you, right?
Arcane Laboratory
This blue variant of a Rule of Law effect is just as efficient at keeping the storm player in line. If you're the storm player, you're out of luck, but if you want to slow the game down while holding up counter magic... this is a pretty fantastic choice.
Intrepid Hero
This card looks very meek until it's destroying a creature every turn while wearing Lightning Greaves. Intrepid Hero may be a humble 1/1 for three mana, but your opponents will often have to respect the ability.
Oppression
While this does affect you, your opponents don't get to build their decks around Oppression. You also get to play it when it's most convenient for you, meaning your opponents usually feel the pain first. Even better, you can discard reanimation targets to it, although your opponents can technically do the same.
Pariah
Slap this onto a Stuffy Doll or Brash Taunter and you've got a recipe for big pain. As a special bonus, you can also put this on an opposing creature to fog for a turn while also getting rid of a bothersome creature.
Fecundity
The biggest thing Fecundity has going for it is that it doesn't specify nontoken. It is a symmetrical effect, but like most of those, you have the ability to build around it. I've always felt bad when my engine cards get swept away by a board wipe, and this at least partially mitigates that risk, even if the up-front cost is a bit awkward.
Gilded Drake
In a 40-life format, giving your opponents a 3/3 with flying is not that big of a deal. Permanently stealing the best creature on the battlefield is a powerful reward, and I've personally been on the receiving end of a 3/3 in exchange for a gigantic value engine way too many times. Unfortunately, Gilded Drake is about as expensive as it is strong, by which I mean very.
Peregrine Drake
What is there to say about Peregrine Drake that hasn't already been said? Yes, it's a powerful combo-enabler in a variety of decks. Whether you're blinking it, reanimating it, or otherwise, it's a wildly powerful and popular card with lots of applications.
Serra's Sanctum
The last of the legendary lands from Urza's Saga that we'll be covering today, Serra's Sanctum obviously fits best in a dedicated enchantress deck, but enchantments are a lot less easy to play en masse than creatures or artifacts. Even so, any land that can routinely tap for more than one mana can really overperform, and this is no exception.
That's all I've got for you today. Even after cutting a few cards, this was a massive list. Speaking of making cuts, if there's something I missed, feel free to let me know. It's wild to think that so many powerful cards came from Urza's Saga, but then again, it was called Combo Winter for a reason. I've been Luka "Robot" Sharaska, and be sure to join me next time when we take on Urza's Legacy.
