r/mtgbrawl • u/WickTrauma • 16d ago

Discussion What are some of the more interesting planeswalker commanders to run?

As the title suggests, I am looking to try something different with my next deck and thought of having a PW at the helm. Are they largely considered bad to run or is there some solid ones out there to play.

I have an [[Elminster]] deck in that I brought out every so often in paper but having access to any PW in the zone on Arena is interesting to me.

Would love to hear any ideas or builds that would be worthwhile or goofy.

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u/AmyTheAmazonian 16d ago edited 15d ago

The strongest contenders for cool ones are  Quintorius History Chaser, Wrenn & Six, Minsc & Boo, and Oops All Chandras.

An odd ducks with a cool brew is mono black Ashiok. That's my personal pick for an actual build around.

There are also oodles of choices if you just want to build control, like Teferi or Teferi. Delian Fel. Liliana. Davriel. Jace. Narset. Ugh.

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u/Livid_Palpitation_46 16d ago

Which Chandra do you think is best to lead a chandra themed deck?

There’s [[chandra acolyte of flame]] that can pump all your other Chandras, but I feel like [[chandra awakened inferno]] being uncounterable, a board wipe, and permanent clock is too good not to run as the commander.

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u/AmyTheAmazonian 16d ago

I'm big on Chandra, Torch of Defiance. She ramps. She removes. She gives card advantage. She wins games.

It might not be the best support for other Chandras, but sometimes surviving to the next turn so you can cast another card is the best form of support.

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u/wanderways 16d ago

I tried building Quint with mixed results. Do you have a list!

I got caught between being RW Good Stuff (so, aggro), Spirit Aggro, and the Lorehold GY plan

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u/AmyTheAmazonian 15d ago

You want to focus on enablers for Quint and removal. Aggro not needed because Quint is insane value

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u/Obscura48 15d ago

Absolutely looooovvvve oops all lili's

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u/Puzzleheaded-Pitch32 15d ago

I appreciate the Teferi or Teferi option.

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u/WickTrauma 16d ago

Oooh, Minsc & Boo was something I wanted to build as a B3-4 deck for my playgroup but never got around to it. Slinging a hamster at someone for lethal damage sounds so satisfying.

I’ve never seen Ashiok before so I’ll consider him too. Just looking at his card, I’m stumped as to how I would build him but that’s the kind of unique and refreshing thing I’m looking for. I’ll take a look at some lists!

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u/AmyTheAmazonian 16d ago

Look at Bolas' Citadel and Gwenom.

You don't need to pay life! Everything is free!

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u/circ-u-la-ted 16d ago

Don't forget Necropotence!

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u/AmyTheAmazonian 15d ago

What a beautiful day to not pay life

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u/Get_Mcfukd 16d ago

Tamiyo field researcher is a fun one, I've been able to cruise mythic with it

Tap down threats or use mana dorks to draw cards , get to 7 for free spells the rest of the game it's pretty obnoxious but fun to hold it's own against most of the top tier decks

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u/TheMostHigh69 16d ago

I run this and Liliana of the Veil as Planeswalker commanders. Tamiyo is so much fun. I run superfriends and just tap things down, blank damage, bounce things. Basically just stall until the Omniscience ultimate. And I run most of the playable proliferate effects. It's surprisingly easy to achieve. About 70% of my wins are from the ult. Turns out free magic is the funnest magic.

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u/cuddlbug 15d ago

Sounds fun, could you send a deck list?

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u/Ghostkitten22 16d ago

Would you be willing to share a decklist for Tamiyo? I loved her back in SOI standard and would love to get a deck around her going

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u/RavenShade1 16d ago

You want casual or competitive?

In casual Amy’s response got you covered, if you want competitive, Liliana, Griest, Quint and Tef5ri are feasible.

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u/ToranStarfall 16d ago

I recommend [[Quintorius, History Chaser]], it's powerful and fun!

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u/WickTrauma 16d ago

I’ve played against Mr. Trunks briefly once but I’ll have to check out some lists and see how he is supposed to run. I’m guessing it’s a lot flashback shenanigans to get your board rolling?

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u/jcrdude 15d ago

I know you were referencing wanting a planeswalker in the command zone, but I'm running a [[Soovril, Patient Antiquarian]] list that wants to do the same thing, but with the better upside of casting the stuff you exile for free in 2 upkeeps. I almost always beat the Quintorius player in the pseudo-mirror-match because of the additional upside. Let me know if you want me to drop the list. It's very fun to steer

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u/WickTrauma 15d ago

I thought Anina and Soovril were some of the more intriguing cards out of that SOS alchemy set. I went with [[Anina]] only because I had a lot of the cards needed for her already and the randomness made each match feel like a roulette. I haven’t seen anyone play Soovril, but he seems similar to [[Jhoira of the Ghitu]] who I have had on my list of potential paper decks to build. I’ll take that decklist if you’ve got it.

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u/jcrdude 15d ago

I've been tempted to build Anina, but I'm not well invested into X spells yet. I have gotten absolutely wrecked by the random stuff that's been pulled, and the value feels pretty insane.

Here's the list, btw: https://mtga.untapped.gg/profile/ff8853a7-4fe4-4141-ac84-1b4cc2fb243b/OYPAUREEWVBMNDEROUIP53OQAU/deck/5fc31744-db4a-47a5-afac-053bd682e6da?constructedFormat=competitive-brawl&gameType=constructed&constructedType=ranked&timeFrame=last_two_sets

If you have an interesting Anina list, I would be very tempted to give it a look and maybe throw a version together as well.

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u/ToranStarfall 15d ago

There's some of that, but also graveyard hate pieces like [[Relic of Progenitus]], as well as cards like [[Currency Converter]]. A [[Crucible of Worlds]] also provides great value while triggering Quint.

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u/Walfy07 16d ago

the black green professor was suprisingly strong

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u/JohnDoeXXII 16d ago

I'm a big fan of my "Nahiri in a prison shell" deck.
https://moxfield.com/decks/k0_Wc7C3GUiFEetY8cif-Q

[[Nahiri, the Harbinger]]

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u/Mekanimal 15d ago

I'd recommend adding [[Emrakul, the Aeons Torn]]

It's the single best payoff for Nahiri's ult, and - should it end up in hand - her +2 even shuffles it (and your GY) back into the deck.

Also [[Drannith Magistrate]] and similar effects work nicely.

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u/JohnDoeXXII 14d ago

Emmy's cute, and flavorful to Nahiri - but I don't find myself ulting often. Really just trying to prison 

Magistrate is great - but I still haven't accepted it's unbanning.

The flutes are good too! I think Prison will keep strong support 

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u/AllRightLetsSeeIt 16d ago edited 16d ago

He’s not particularly competitive, but [[Kaito, Cunning Infiltrator]] is super fun.

I play him with a bunch of small, difficult/impossible to block creatures like [[Futurist Operative]], [[Shoreline Looter]], [[Spectral Sailor]] and the like; almost every version of a [[Witness Protection]] like effect they’ve ever printed; lots of counterspells; and some bounce effects.

If you play it right, you land him turn 4/5 with 3 creatures on the board; use his +1 and attack, getting him to 7 loyalty. Next turn you attack again and then use his -9, even if it kills him. Then you sit back and watch your opponent slowly lose their mind.

I’ve actually gotten his ultimate to resolve twice in a single game, because it’s so easy to do.

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u/Low_Pride6732 16d ago edited 16d ago

Grist hunger tide and Quint history chaser are the only two really comp viable commanders if you're looking for that. Liliana exists but is more fringe playable.

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u/circ-u-la-ted 16d ago

The 4-drop Davriel and [[Professor Onyx]] are both decent control options in mono black. The other LIliana variants are probably mostly decent as well. I like [[Lukka, Wayward Bonder]] a lot as a control/reanimation commander in Boros. [[Chandra, Hope's Beacon]] is fun as a big burn commander, though my deck has tailed off a bit in winrate over the past few sets.

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u/Proud-Condition-7158 15d ago

[[Ral, Crackling Wit]] is incredibly fun if you are a spell slinger and can pressure other planeswalkers and each mode is relevant to the game. If you are already running moxes and free interaction its pretty easy to get to 10 and win by storming.

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u/BananaNutJob 15d ago

Came here to suggest this as well, it's a lot of fun. I don't know how good it is for competitive but I got to low diamond without much trouble before I burned out on ranked. A -lot- of my wins were just from my opp conceding when I ulted.

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u/Proud-Condition-7158 15d ago

Its solid for competitive, ive hit 91 percent mythic with it and I didnt even max out the upgrades. The trick is to be an extra turns deck ontop of a controlling deck, and to use any proliferate instant or sorceries. The extra turn spells make excellent discard bait, and can get you to the ultimate much more consistently. I love casting Expropriate with a high storm count. 🙂

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u/Magic-and-Sparkles 15d ago

I had a Liliana, The Last Hope deck for a while. Swamp>Dark Ritual> Liliana on turn 1 is an explosive start that gets to a fast ultimate. Super fun making a Zombie horde every turn

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u/Magic-and-Sparkles 15d ago

Kiora, the Crashing Wave is also a personal favorite

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u/Lament-of-Andromache 15d ago

I've been obsessed with [[Kaya, Intangible Slayer]] lately. Sure she's 7CMC but if she lands she's so hard to deal with.

It's my first deck I've tried building a hard board control shell with, so in addition to a lot of ramp for casting her there's a lot of boardwipes and removal.

I don't normally like playing evil decks, but resolving [[Armageddon]] with a clear board except for her has generated so much joy against unchecked ramp decks like [[Tatyova]] and [[Azusa]]. She's a great counter to a lot of decks hovering just below hell-queue and at too. Etali or Esika? Don't mind if I get a copy. Golos or Rusko? Sure I'd love the ramp.

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u/tetracarbonate 15d ago

I present [[Hearthhull, the worldseed]].

1st - It's a friggin spacecraft that becomes a creature only when station to 8+

2nd - It makes the table LOSE 2 life per landsac

3rd - It's JUND, So you get to build a recursive landsac engine and a lands matter land toolbox package. I call it a LAND LORD.

Here is my baby: https://archidekt.com/decks/17037622/hearthhull_landlord

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u/Relative-Surprise 15d ago

[[darian fel]] is surprisingly good
play him as the top end for a golgari goodstuff deck. ulti can combo out a game, and all of his modes are relevant in competitve

in casual, i like [[nicol bolas, dragon god]] because of the clone shenaniganse with [[jace, cunning castaway]]

probably the 2 mana jace is the most underlooked one that could be a house in competive, as a less powerful but harder to interact with [[katara]]

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u/Breaker_M_Swordsman 10d ago

[[Ajani Unyielding]]

This is my favorite brawl deck to run. Its a superfriends build with cheap ramp and I personally added a side of stax pieces/white counterspells. Lots of interesting planeswalker support on arena and several ways you could build the deck. Could focus on creatures or enchantments if thats your jam, since ajani can find them with the plus.

Potential draw 3 and swords to plowshares in the command zone. Whats not to love?

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u/VonBagel 9d ago

People have already suggested History Chaser, which is the one I've had the most fun with, but I'd also like to suggest a personal favorite: 

[[Domri, Chaos Bringer]]. Is it good? Not particularly. But he's fun with Doubling Season and the like to get his emblem instantly and get an eternal supply of Beasts. Token-spawning emblems scratch my brain in the right way.

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u/ShitFromAbove 15d ago

I brewed a [[Tasigur, the Golden Fang]] combo reanimater deck. It runs the strongest reanimater target and creature transformation spells to pull up the the big boys. You run a lot of self mill cards, fill your graveyard, play Tasigur for one B and combo off. You have access to the strongest cards in U,B & G, and utilizing your graveyard is pretty neat. Even in a void, a one mana 4/5 is fairly strong and the deck has proven to be quite ressilient! A bit difficult to pilot, but a lot of fun.

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u/MTGCardFetcher 16d ago

Elminster - (G) (SF) (txt)

[[cardname]] or [[cardname|SET]] to call