Exciting Tribal Commander 2017 Cards!

As a competitive player who enjoys to blow off some steam playing Commander, I am always so excited when the new Commander sets come out. They are awesome products for new Commander players to get their feet wet. It also gives Wizards of the Coast a chance to print cards that are geared for multiplayer and swingy casual games that don’t have to go through Standard and Modern like regular expansions. Without these restricitions, they can really flex their design muscles and make some really cool cards that wouldn’t exist otherwise. This year’s theme for the set is Tribal, so a lot of the new cards are tribal-centric. Tribal cards are fun but have a tendency to be a bit boring, but they did a good job changing things up. These are some of my favorite cards from Commander 2017 and cards you probably want to pick up!

Shifting Shadow

The art on this card is awesome! I like the idea of little lizards playing in the sand looking up to their big dragon cousins. The ability of this card is really powerful. Put it on a goblin token, and you get a new goblin every turn as long as it stays in play. This card has the classic aura vulnerability and puts a target on the creature’s head…maybe. The uncertainty of what could come out of the shadows may make everyone at the table gloss over it, which could be a big mistake. I like everything about this card, the art, the play patterns around it and the power level.

Herald’s Horn

I have an affinity (not the keyword) for cards like this one. This card is a nice mana rock in your tribal deck. The cost reduction means that it may save you two or three mana in a turn, which makes it really powerful. The upkeep ability is not always going to hit, but if it does, it is a pretty big bonus. A mana rock that can draw cards is insanely powerful and feels good to have in play. An example of this “feels good to have in play” theory is a card like Courser of Kruphix. It isn’t a showstopper but each turn it generates a little bit of value and helps smooth out the rough edges of your draw. Hearld’s Horn feels good to have in play and is really powerful, its an awesome addition by WotC.

 Galecaster Colossus

This card is really powerful and an interesting design. 7 mana for a creature that bounces a permanent if it is killed immediately isn’t incredible. If you untap with this guy though, it is incredible. Bouncing a big threat from an opponent every turn is awesome. And that is worse than this guy. You can tap ANY WIZARD to do it. Every turn cycle you can bounce a permanent for each Wizard you control. That is NUTS. Have you ever played against Opposition? It is almost impossible to break through and super annoying unless you have a board wipe. This card is better albeit more expensive. My one beef with this card is the play pattern of it isn’t fun. Casting your big dumb fatty just to have it bounced over and over and over again isn’t fun and makes for a repetitive feel of the game.

Commander 2017 releases Aug. 25th and I can't wait! I bet you can't either!