mtg 5 color commanders

Art Scpae

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13-10-2024

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Mastering the Rainbow: Building Powerful Five-Color Commander Decks

The allure of playing all five colors in Magic: The Gathering is undeniable. It opens up a world of possibilities, allowing you to leverage the strengths of every color and access powerful cards otherwise locked away. But building a five-color Commander deck presents unique challenges. How do you navigate the complexities of multi-color mana, manage your resources, and create a cohesive strategy? Let's dive into the world of five-color Commander, exploring strategies, card choices, and design principles.

The Challenges of Five Colors:

• Mana Base: The biggest hurdle is mana. Five-color decks require a diverse and consistent mana base. This usually means relying on mana rocks, lands that produce multiple colors, and powerful artifacts like "Chromatic Lantern".
• Card Selection: With access to all five colors, the card pool becomes overwhelming. Choosing cards that synergize with your strategy while maintaining a balanced mana curve is crucial.
• Strategic Direction: Without a clear focus, five-color decks can become disjointed. You need a strong theme or win condition to guide your deckbuilding.

Building a Five-Color Commander Deck: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Choose Your Commander: The starting point for any Commander deck is the commander. Your commander sets the tone for your strategy and defines your deck's identity. Popular five-color commanders include:

   • Kenrith, the Returned King (from the "Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths" set): This legendary creature offers a powerful ability that creates tokens and allows you to draw cards, making it a solid choice for a midrange or control deck.
   • Golos, Tireless Pilgrim (from the "Ravnica Allegiance" set): This legendary creature lets you search your library for lands and cast spells from your graveyard, providing flexibility and consistency.
   • Scion of Oona (from the "Modern Horizons" set): This powerful creature enables you to play cards from your graveyard for free, offering strong synergy with reanimator strategies.

2. Establish a Strategy: With your commander chosen, decide on your primary win condition.

   • Control: This strategy focuses on disrupting your opponents by removing threats and controlling the board. Cards like "Counterspell", "Wrath of God", and "Supreme Verdict" are essential for this approach.
   • Midrange: This approach aims to play powerful creatures and spells to gain an advantage and overwhelm your opponents. Look for cards like "Elspeth, Sun's Champion", "Baneslayer Angel", and "Chandra, Acolyte of Flame".
   • Combo: These decks aim to assemble powerful combinations of cards to win the game quickly and efficiently. Examples include "Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker" + "Splinter Twin" or "Thassa, God of the Sea" + "Deadeye Navigator".

3. Mana Base: Creating a reliable mana base is crucial for five-color decks. Here are key components:

   • Dual Lands: Lands that produce multiple colors of mana are essential. Consider cards like "Shockland", "Fetchland", and "Painland".
   • Mana Rocks: Artifacts and enchantments that produce mana are vital for accelerating your mana development. Cards like "Sol Ring", "Arcane Signet", and "Mana Crypt" are highly sought after.
   • Land Ramp: Cards like "Rampant Growth", "Kodama's Reach", and "Cultivate" can help you get additional lands onto the battlefield, providing a more consistent mana flow.

4. Card Selection: Choose cards that synergize with your commander, your chosen strategy, and your mana base. Prioritize cards that:

   • Support your win condition.
   • Enable card draw and mana acceleration.
   • Offer removal and board wipes.
   • Provide utility and flexibility.

5. Tuning and Refinement: Test your deck against various opponents and different strategies. Adjust your card choices and mana base based on your experiences.

Additional Tips for Building Five-Color Commander Decks:

• Embrace the Multicolored: Don't shy away from playing cards with high mana costs or complex mana requirements. Your mana base should be able to support these spells.
• Utilize Card Advantage: Gaining card advantage is crucial for any Commander deck, but it's especially important for five-color decks due to the cost of their spells.
• Don't Overextend: Be careful about playing too many creatures or expensive spells without adequate protection.
• Focus on Synergy: Look for cards that create powerful combinations and work together to enhance your strategy.

Examples of Five-Color Commander Decks:

• "The Golos Lands" (by MTGGoldfish): This deck utilizes the card advantage and mana ramping abilities of "Golos, Tireless Pilgrim" to create a powerful engine.
• "Five Color Good Stuff" (by Commander's Quarters): This deck features a diverse array of powerful cards, including creatures, spells, and artifacts, providing flexibility and power.
• "Five Color Superfriends" (by The Commander's Quarters): This deck focuses on using powerful Planeswalkers to control the game and win through card advantage.

Conclusion:

Building a powerful five-color Commander deck can be challenging, but the rewards are well worth the effort. By embracing the complexities of multi-color mana, focusing on a cohesive strategy, and leveraging powerful cards, you can create a truly unique and formidable deck capable of competing against any opponent. Remember, have fun and enjoy the journey of building your ultimate five-color masterpiece!