Hello and welcome back to review some cards, this time from the Universes Beyond Assassin’s Creed set. This set is smaller than most other sets both because it is a Universes Beyond and because it’s not meant to be a full draftable environment. Of course, that doesn’t really take anything away from the eternal format of Commander, and there are some spicy picks in this set for sure.

As usual, I’m going to avoid the legendary creatures (except for one I find most dumb) in my list, and look to the generically good cards you might want to consider for your own builds. Unless you have an Assassin’s kindred deck, then you should probably review the entire set.

Find a good vantage point, and let’s leap into it.

THE MAIN SETTING

CADUCEUS, STAFF OF HERMES

The equipment in this set go fairly hard, but this and few others are in a league of their own. This has “I will survive” summarized in its text box, giving lifelink to the equipped creature immediately and added protections if you’re a very healthy player.

In Commander, we start as very healthy players, so our chosen creature gets indestructible and a clause to prevent damage to the creature. That might seem redundant, but that also protects it from wither and infect sources of damage, as well as thing the trigger on combat damage to the creature so there is even more going on than at first blush. This staff is definitely pushed a bit I’d say, and you’ll probably see it at tables featuring Syr Gwyn, Dogmeat, and so on.

Did I mention it also gives +5/+5 ON TOP OF ALL THAT?!

HAYSTACK

Any jokes aside, this card can put in some work by protecting a creature you have, or if you are running it in decks like Agrus Kos Eternal Soldier, protect your whole board. While there is the downside of not triggering enters and leaves abilities, being able to essentially save a creature you have in a moment of crisis isn’t to be underestimated.

It being an artifact can also be useful in some decks as well, specifically in decks that have White or Blue untap effects and ways to recur it if something goes awry.

WHAT MUST BE DONE

I do love when a card gives some extra flexibility. First is the wipe itself. In Commander specifically, wiping artifacts in addition to creatures can really, really hamper some decks’ ability to come back from wipe and cripple them for turns. The second ability is a recursion that only allows for a Historic (Legend, artifact or Saga) card to be returned, and if it is a creature, it’s made stronger than before with +1/+1 counters.

Even with the narrower effect than some other cards, having the option to do either when you need it is really good and easily outweighs any narrowness it does have. I expect this card to be potent in a few decks and useful all around.

ASSASSIN GAUNTLET

I’ve always been a fan of Naya Charm and its ability to tap down an entire field of creatures from one player for that alpha strike or a turn of defense, so this card was making the list. Compared to the Charm though this card does lack innate instant speed, but still serves the same purpose for offense. It also auto-equips to a creature to get the looting effect going and since the assassin creature type loves hitting stuff for effects, it works all around.

Gauntlet is also just a generically good combat enabler, but decks like Hylda of the Icy Crown are going to absolutely consider this include.

BECOME ANONYMOUS

Alright, this one is a bit odd. It shuffles your chosen creature, possibly and regularly your commander, up with two cards off the top and cloaks them to hide your creature. It doesn’t really help with enter effects because they will enter face down, and it turns off whatever you tried to protect. Not the best.

However, it being instant speed fixes a lot of potential downsides and gives us some flexibility. For instance, it somewhat hampers edict effects like Sheoldred Whispering One and similar sacrifice effects by giving you 2 extra bodies. It also negates targeted removal and even some mass removal like All is Dust. The card wont go everywhere but I’d give it some consideration.

Loyal Inventor

As I always say, tutor good unless you don’t like to use them. This one might make the cut in either regard since it isn’t technically a straight tutor. If you control an assassin creature, you do get it straight to hand. If not, it goes on top. It really just hits the two different kinds of tutors you see most other than the few straight to the battlefield.

This will be good in some equipment decks, but because it searches for an artifact in general I think it will make a splash here and there. The bonus of the “downside” of the tutor can also go into decks led by Yennett, Yuriko, or Fblthp Lost on the Range if need be, making this card more viable in more places.

RESTART SEQUENCE

This card makes the list only because of Freerunning. Don’t get me wrong, the difference between the usually 5 mana and 4 mana for this effect can make a difference, but you can only target things in your own yard. Still, 2 mana for a creature back and you only have to hit with an assassin or your commander? Not too bad.

MONASTERY RAID

Another card largely here because of Freerunning. Having the ability to exile two cards to play is good enough at 3 mana in Red, so the base card is fine, but with Freerunning you can really dig for something you need. I picture this card in decks with a lot of mana resources anyway and the care about casting from exile, so I think this card has a practical use better than the prior card.

OVERPOWERING ATTACK

Yet another card with Freerunning, but the value like the last two is still there and for the mana it’s right on the cost. This one, unlike some interactions recently, also gives you that extra main phase as well as the extra combat phase. I don’t know if that makes in strictly better in practice, but I’m always for more options in a turn.

HUNTER’S BOW

It’s too bad this doesn’t have flash, but the card is good regardless. It’s removal in Green with some staying power because of the extra abilities of reach and Ward 2. Really that’s what helped it make this list was that added protection and defense that sticks around.

PALAZZO ARCHERS

Not so much a pillowfort card but a rattlesnake, this card can be a great defense against flying creatures, which is something I always look for in Green decks. This one in particular deals damage equal to its power to a flyer that attacks you, but because it deals damage you can do all kinds of things with that, from lifelink and deathtouch to auras and combat tricks to force a bad attack.

VIEWPOINT SYNCHRONIZATION

WotC heard you might like Commander, and so Freerunning shows up again. However, 3 lands for the Freerunning of cost is a ridiculous ratio, so if you can manage it you’re going to be ahead of the game. I imagine landfall decks might love this, but some aggressive Green commander decks might like this as well.

BLEEDING EFFECT

We’ve seen this kind of effect before, but I’m not sure we’ve seen it on an enchantment before. Built to spec, this enchantment can make your field of creatures serious threats depending on what kinds of critters you have in the yard. Or, you know, one Akroma Angel of Wrath in the bin.

JACKDAW

Not really much to look at here, BUT if you have a number of treasure, clues, food, etc lying around then you are going to bank a TON of cards hitting someone with this ship. I think the potential ceiling of the deck this would go in is very good, so it made the list despite it’s rather simple design. It could also fuel a few madness effects as well.

BROTHERHOOD REGALIA

Whispersilk Cloak has been a commander card for a long time, even used to be a staple in certain decks. Especially coltron style decks appreciated the protection and evasion. Cloak sees play to this day, and this very similar card is probably going to see play as well. While making a creature an assassin is something I guess (especially for Freerunning), the easy equip cost, protection and evasion will be the boon and bane of many a player in the soon future.

EXCALIBUR, SWORD OF EDEN

I mention at the beginning of the article that the equipment in this set is dumb, and I present Excalibur as its main example. Often this card will have a heavily reduced cost. I can see this coming down often for between free and 6 mana. Granted, you can only equip a legendary creature with it, but I don’t think that’s much downside these days. Heck, my Isshin deck is half legendary creatures without even trying.

The +10/+0 and vigilance is going to make whatever legendary creature wielding it hit like a truck too. Speaking of, you know what “OG” commander can STILL swing a sword as well as any other? Rafiq of the Many.

MJOLNIR, STORM HAMMER

Wait… I thought we were on the Assassin’s Creed UB stuff…

Anyway, here is another equipment that auto-equips, which is always a nice touch to keep thing on curve for a while and be able to do other things in a turn.

I really like the effect here though. When the equipped creatures attacks, you get to remove a blocker via tapping it down and adding a stun counter, or just add a stun counter to keep something tapped. Then you get to deal damage to each opponent equal to the number of tapped creatures the defending player controls.

STAFF OF EDEN, VAULT’S KEY

A colorless recursion and technical steal effect. Not bad. It can only target a legendary permanent, but with the amount of those these days you’re likely to hit something, even if is is your own thing from the yard.

Better though is to take someone else’s, because the second ability allows you to draws cards for each permanent you control but don’t own. That part has some specific wording, namely it doesn’t say legendary permanents, which means even if you completely whiff on the first part of the card, this could be 6 mana to draw 3+ cards at least once. Going past the one time is the real gold here, and I think the ceiling for card advantage could be quite high depending on the deck. Haldan and Pako, Don Andres, heck even Etali 1 might like this.

This gives some flexibility to attack one place and deal damage to everybody to progress tha game, and again Hylda might like this card. It can also go in many combat focused decks, especially ones that might manipulate combat and get those opposing creatures a-tapping.

SMOKE BOMB

POOF! You get to protect your stuff or completely whiff a heavy aura or equipment deck. Heck, this would be Zada’s worst Nightmare too. I can actually see this going into a lot of decks as a meta call. Shroud is a protection that is a double-edge sword, but because this card gives it to all creature until you upkeep, you’re using that other edge against your opponents.

It only lasts until you upkeep as mentioned, but then you get an unblockable creature. The thing I like about this card the most though is the easily abusable card typing and Sun Titan because that card is the best. You could also pair it with Carmen Cruel Skymarcher or Guardian Scalelord. You know, anything that will bring it back. Of course, make sure you need Shroud and it doesn’t screw you up too!

DEFT and LOVELY CARDS (DLC: REPRINTS)

RECONNAISSANCE

While we did get a fairly recent reprint of this in MKM’s guest sheet, another print of it is welcome. This card is especially good in decks like Isshin or Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir where you want to get attack triggers but don’t necessarily want your critters dying in combat if something goes awry.

TEMPORAL TRESPASS

A nice reprint here for people that like extra turns. And can help fuel a few effect like Syr Konrad.

Personally I’d rather play against mass land destruction than an extra turns deck, but to each their own.

CONSPIRACY

This card made the list over Black Market Connections for 2 reasons. The first of which is that Black Market Connections recently had a reprint, so I’m not sure that one will make as big a splash even with new art. While this has also had a reprint, having another one close to Bloomburrow where creature types might matter, Eldrazi and Goyf.dec make this a better include to draw attention to.

It also has the added benefit of modifying your creatures in deck, graveyard and exile so you can use specific tutor and abilities to find cards you normally couldn’t, like with Mogg Catcher.

SWORD OF FEAST AND FAMINE

I’m not sure this card even needs an introduction. While discarding a card is cool, the real reason this equipment gets played is all about untapping those lands. As long as you hit your opponents, this card makes itself essentially free and then any extra mana on top is a bonus. It also does protect from a huge swathe of kill spells and helps block big threats in those colors.

HONORARY MENTION

SHAY CORMAC

This is the one legendary creature on this list, and in the honorary section no less. However, I couldn’t not mention this living Glaring Spotlight+Shadowspear. This is probably the first card that straight away gets rid of Ward (will it be a Black centric ability in the future?), but also Hexproof, Indestructible and Protections (again, a first on a creature?)

That’s the main take here and why Shay made the list, but that’s not all the card does. It also uses Bounty counters, something that has been getting very slow support over the years. This card gives +1/+1 counters to Shay when those bountied creatures die, so not “as good” as other bounty effects recently, but still fairly good.

EVERYTHING IS PERMITTED

Another set, another batch of commander cards to consider. I think the best thing about the format is that no matter what happens we have access to the vast majority of the cards (or all of them if your group is into it) and that since our decks are eternal we can just build as we go. It’s a forever project we can pick up at our leisure to enjoy.

Let me know what you think of the set below. I think there are some hits and misses, but overall a decent set to grab a card or two if you’re into UB or Assassin’s Creed and definitely some cards I think will be making a splash for some years to come.

Until next time, keep the scales balanced.