Commander 2016

Commander 2016
Set Information
Set symbol
Symbol description	A shield with a sword
Design	Ethan Fleischer (lead) Ken Nagle Alli Medwin Sam Burley Robert Schuster
Development	Ben Hayes (lead) Glenn Jones Yoni Skolnik Ken Nagle Dan Helland
Art direction	Jeremy Jarvis
Release date	November 11, 2016
Themes and mechanics	4-color commanders
Keywords/​ability words	Partner, Undaunted
Set size	Five four-colored 100-card decks
Expansion code	C16
Commander series
[[Commander 2015]] [[Commander 2016]] [[Commander Anthology]]
Magic: The Gathering Chronology
[[Treasure Chests]] Commander 2016 [[You Make the Cube]]

Commander 2016, officially styled as Commander (2016 Edition), is a product in the Commander series that was released by Wizards of the Coast on November 11, 2016.

Set details

Commander 2016 features five four-colored 100-card decks. There are 56 new cards legal in Vintage and Legacy. Each of the five preconstructed decks comes with 4 foil Commander cards, 1 oversized foil commander card, 10 double-faced tokens, a deck storage box, a strategy insert, a rules reference card and 15 new cards.

Each preconstructed deck was designed with an identity for each four-color group:

• "Artifice" ("artifacts matter")
• "Chaos" (random effects)
• "Aggression" (aggro)
• "Altruism" (group hug)
• "Growth" (+1/+1 counters)

The main new commander in the deck matches the four colors and the primary theme, while the alternate new commanders are bi-colored.

The set features three versions of each basic land with all new art — one of each basic from Rebecca Guay, Mark Poole, and Kev Walker. Rare dual lands from several original cycles were added to fix the mana base.

Beacon of Unrest, Chain of Vapor, Reins of Power, Wave of Reckoning and Windfall received all new art. Gruul Signet and Rakdos Signet were printed in paper for the first time with their MTGO art. Forbidden Orchard and Hanna, Ship's Navigator were printed with art that was previously only available from premium products.

Mechanics

• Commander 2016 introduces partner, a keyword mechanic that occurs on 15 bicolored legendary creatures. A player may for the first time have two commanders if each of them has the partner keyword. Each of these creatures suggests a particular style of Commander deck to build, and the two partners together provide a 4-color color identity for the deck.
• Undaunted is a new keyword mechanic appearing on a cycle of rare noncreature spells. Spells with undaunted cost less to cast for each opponent in the game: therefore, they grow more expensive to cast as the game continues and players are eliminated.
• Basic landcycling is a returning mechanic that appears on spells in all five preconstructed decks. It was included specifically so that players would have easier access to the colors of mana they needed at a given time.

Cycles

Commander 2016 has six cycles of new cards, one of which is a double cycle:

• 4-color commanders: Five mythic rare four-colored legendary creatures, each representing the theme of one deck — Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder, Saskia the Unyielding, Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis, Atraxa, Praetors' Voice, and Breya, Etherium Shaper.
• Mythic partners: Ten mythic rare bicolored legendary creatures with the partner keyword — Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker , Silas Renn, Seeker Adept , Vial Smasher the Fierce , Tana, the Bloodsower , Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa , Ravos, Soultender , Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper , Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix , Ludevic, Necro-Alchemist , and Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder .
• Rare enemy color partners: Five rare bicolored legendary creatures with the partner keyword, each of whom comes from the same plane as the other partner in their color combination — Tymna the Weaver , Reyhan, Last of the Abzan , Thrasios, Triton Hero , Kraum, Ludevic's Opus , and Akiri, Line-Slinger .
• Undaunted spells: Five rare monocolored spells with the undaunted keyword — Sublime Exhalation , Coastal Breach , Curtains' Call , Divergent Transformations , and Seeds of Renewal .
• Allied color landcyclers: Five uncommon bicolored spells with “Basic landcycling ” — Migratory Route , Ancient Excavation , Grave Upheaval , Treacherous Terrain , and Sylvan Reclamation .
• Uncommon monocolored cards: Each deck includes two of these five uncommon cards — Orzhov Advokist , Grip of Phyresis , Parting Thoughts , Frenzied Fugue , and Evolutionary Escalation .

In addition, the full cycles of Ravnica bounce lands, Khans life-gain taplands, and triple taplands were reprinted for color fixing.

Theme decks

Commander 2016 consists of five four-colored decks:

Theme deck name	Color Identity					Commander
Entropic Uprising		U	B	R	G	Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder
Open Hostility	W		B	R	G	Saskia the Unyielding
Stalwart Unity	W	U		R	G	Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis
Breed Lethality	W	U	B		G	Atraxa, Praetors' Voice
Invent Superiority	W	U	B	R		Breya, Etherium Shaper

Tokens

Commander 2016 has 21 different tokens and/or emblems. There are 10 double-faced tokens in each deck.

1. 1/1 Spirit creature for Forbidden Orchard
2. 1/1 Bird creature with flying for Migratory Route
3. 4/4 Elemental creature with flying for Hoofprints of the Stag
4. 0/1 Goat creature for Trading Post
5. 1/1 Soldier creature for Akroan Horse and Entrapment Maneuver
6. 1/1 Spirit creature with flying for Custodi Soulbinders
7. 2/2 Bird creature with flying for Swan Song
8. 1/1 Squid creature with islandwalk for Chasm Skulker
9. 1/1 Thopter artifact creature with flying for Breya, Etherium Shaper and Thopter Foundry
10. 0/0 Germ creature for Bonehoard and Grip of Phyresis
11. 2/2 Zombie creature for Army of the Damned and Waste Not
12. 1/1 Goblin creature with "Creatures you control attack each combat if able." for Goblin Spymaster
13. 3/3 Ogre creature for Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
14. 3/3 Beast creature for Beast Within
15. 1/1 Elf Warrior creature for Nath of the Gilt-Leaf
16. 1/1 Saproling creature for Artifact Mutation, Aura Mutation, Ghave, Guru of Spores, Korozda Guildmage, Mycoloth, Necrogenesis, Selesnya Guildmage, Tana, the Bloodsower and Thelonite Hermit (art 1 of 2)
17. 1/1 Saproling creature (art 2 of 2)
18. 1/1 Worm creature for Worm Harvest
19. X/X Horror artifact creature for Phyrexian Rebirth
20. 1/1 Myr artifact creature for Myr Battlesphere
21. Emblem for Daretti, Scrap Savant