Commander 2016

Commander 2016

 

Entropic Uprising

 

Open Hostility

 

Stalwart Unity

 

Breed Lethality

 

Invent Superiority

 

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
Plane	Multiversal
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-sided 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 with their MTGO art for the first time. 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 non-creature 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.
• Converge appears for the first time on a new card outside of Battle for Zendikar (Crystalline Crawler).

Cycles

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

Cycle name
4-color Commanders	Breya, Etherium Shaper	Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder	Saskia the Unyielding	Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis	Atraxa, Praetors' Voice
	Five mythic rare four-colored legendary creatures, each representing the theme of one deck.
Cycle name
Shardlands	Seaside Citadel	Arcane Sanctum	Crumbling Necropolis	Savage Lands	Jungle Shrine
	Each of these uncommon triple lands comes into play tapped and can be tapped for one of three colors of mana. These are strictly better than the old taplands. Reprinted from Shards of Alara
Cycle name
Rare enemy color partners	Tymna the Weaver	Kraum, Ludevic's Opus	Reyhan, Last of the Abzan	Akiri, Line-Slinger	Thrasios, Triton Hero
	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.
Cycle name
Allied color landcyclers	Migratory Route	Ancient Excavation	Grave Upheaval	Treacherous Terrain	Sylvan Reclamation
	Five uncommon bicolored spells with “Basic landcycling ”.
Cycle name
Undaunted spells	Sublime Exhalation	Coastal Breach	Curtains' Call	Divergent Transformations	Seeds of Renewal
	Five rare monocolored spells with the undaunted keyword.
Uncommon monocolored cards	Orzhov Advokist	Grip of Phyresis	Parting Thoughts	Frenzied Fugue	Evolutionary Escalation
	Each deck includes two of these five uncommon cards.

Double cycles

Cycle name
Bounce lands	Azorius Chancery	Dimir Aqueduct	Rakdos Carnarium	Gruul Turf	Selesnya Sanctuary	Orzhov Basilica	Izzet Boilerworks	Golgari Rot Farm	Boros Garrison	Simic Growth Chamber
	When each of these common nonbasic dual lands enters the battlefield tapped, its controller returns a land he or she controls to its owner's hand. Each of these lands can tap to produce two mana, one of each of its associate guild's colors. Reprinted from the Ravnica Block
Mythic partners	Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker	Silas Renn, Seeker Adept	Vial Smasher the Fierce	Tana, the Bloodsower	Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa	Ravos, Soultender	Ludevic, Necro-Alchemist	Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper	Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder	Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix
	Ten mythic rare bicolored legendary creatures with the partner keyword.

In addition, a partial cycle of Khans life-gain taplands was reprinted for color fixing. Dismal Backwater, Rugged Highlands, Swiftwater Cliffs, Jungle Hollow, Thornwood Falls

Mega cycle

Cycle name
Sorcery magi	Magus of the Balance (Commander 2018) (Balance)	Magus of the Mind (Commander 2017) (Mind's Desire)	Magus of the Will (Commander 2016) (Yawgmoth's Will)	Magus of the Wheel (Commander 2015) (Wheel of Fortune)	Magus of the Order (Commander Legends) (Natural Order)
	Rare Wizards with the converted mana cost and abilities of iconic sorceries from Magic's past.

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-sided 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

Notable cards

• Except for Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis, every four-color commander from the set is the most popular commander in its respective color identity according to EDHREC. For most of the four-color combinations, the next most popular commanders are the combinations of two-color partner commanders that also originated in the set.
  • Atraxa, Praetor's Voice in particular has consistently placed as the most popular commander of all time on the site. Interestingly, an early design version of her had exalted instead of proliferate.
• Many of the two-color partner commanders are considered some of the most powerful commander options in competitive Commander tournaments thanks to allowing for broad and flexible color identities and effects. Among the most powerful are Tymna the Weaver, Thrasios, Triton Hero, and Kraum, Ludevic's Opus which provide incredibly strong card advantage in addition to their other benefits.
• Ash Barrens is the most heavily played mana-fixing land in Pauper where it sees play in almost every multicolored deck.

External links

• Magic Creative Team (October 26, 2016). "It's Time to Talk Commander (2016 Edition)". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.