Koh, the Face StealerKoh, the Face Stealer | Art by Eduardo Francisco

Best Time of the Year

Welcome to a special mini-series I'm doing exclusively for this month! What better way to send off the year (a dismal one, but I digress) than something fun and festive, in time for the Holidays?

But first, I have a bunch of stuff to explain.

The Rules

To begin, this is how it'll work. I acquired two boxes of Avatar: The Last Airbender Jumpstart. One's for my actual advent calendar, so its contents will remain a mystery. But the other? It's for this mini-series, thus I have two advent calendars! However, I recognize that this is EDHREC, and not JumpstartRec, so there will be some rules.

My ultimate, Commander-themed intentions will come to light in the final article. But, in the meantime, here's the plan:

1. Each section is a "day," where I cover what I pull. However, due to scheduling, this week will feature five packs. Next week covers seven, while the final week covers the other half of the box.

2. I discuss the packs and its contents with a Commander-focused lens, so as not to lose sight of the goal.

3. Don't be surprised if I do a Bonus RoundBonus Round, where we review our pulls, and give our overall first impressions with the themes we get. It would be a good opportunity to see where we can take these, Commander-wise.

With the groundwork put into place, let's begin!

Dawn of the First Week

Our first pack kicks us off with sacrificing shenanigans, which isn't something I'm fond of. We get Hei Bai, Spirit of BalanceHei Bai, Spirit of Balance, which is significant because it's the only Orzhov commander in the set.

In addition, the real highlight of this pack is Suki, Courageous RescuerSuki, Courageous Rescuer. which is really good all around. We do get some nice utility with Sandbenders' StormSandbenders' Storm, but we're likely to pick the removal mode most of the time. We also get Aang, A Lot to LearnAang, A Lot to Learn, but he really isn't the commander we're gunning for in those colors. The other Suki, Suki, Kyoshi WarriorSuki, Kyoshi Warrior is miles better.

The Next Day...

Our first blue pack of the calendar nets us a good card in Dramatic ReversalDramatic Reversal alongside our likely Izzet commander in Professor Zei, AnthropologistProfessor Zei, Anthropologist. Unlike Hei Bai, there is another option among those colors in Sokka, Bold BoomerangerSokka, Bold Boomeranger, but I like Zei more because of the utility he provides. Yes, Sokka lets us dig deeper, but that's all he's really good for. Zei's tap ability is repeatable, and can be sacrificed to recur a spell for a second round.

Our rare, Nightmares and DaydreamsNightmares and Daydreams, isn't bad, but we'll need the card draw much sooner than that. Which is why Waterbending LessonWaterbending Lesson is a card that has my attention. And yes, there are some great cards at common. You're likely playing those yourself (or Pauper/PDH, if that's more your jam).

Day Three

Ok, I'll say this: I've opened many Jumpstart packs, and this face card is by far the scariest. Pairing Joo Dee, One of ManyJoo Dee, One of Many with the word Nightmares isn't going to make me sleep at night. Neither will the Koh, the Face StealerKoh, the Face Stealer that's within.

Nightmare fuel aside, our first "rare" theme is actually pretty decent. Obviously, Koh is the big splashy mythic, but we also get Zuko's ConvictionZuko's Conviction, letting us reanimate something. Also noteworthy is Azula, On the HuntAzula, On the Hunt. We attack with her, making a clue token, then we can use the mana gained from her firebending ability to sacrifice the token to draw a card. Neat!

Other cards include Desperate PleaDesperate Plea, which is removal and reanimation if we sacrificed a creature. Meanwhile, Deadly PrecisionDeadly Precision is decent removal in the right deck. We also see the return of everyone's favorite snuggly panda, Hei Bai, and he fits right at home here.

Also, seeing as we've been pulling colors in WUBRG order, it'll be hilarious is we pull red next.

Day Four

...Called it!

That said, there's nothing too fascinating with our pulls this time around. We do get Uncle IrohUncle Iroh, who faces stiff competition from other legends in his colors. However, that hybrid legend cycle may be useful for future applications. Say tuned on that.

Our sole rare is Fang, Roku's CompanionFang, Roku's Companion isn't too shabby by any means. The fact that he brings himself back (as a Spirit) is nice as it gives him more staying power. We do get Cathartic ReunionCathartic Reunion, which is good. It also depicts a heart-tugging scene, which leads me to something as I write this article.

I watched the series long ago, and I appreciate how the cards fit the flavor of the show. Even the reprints.

Day Five

Come on! Gimmie me GREEN!

...Darn. Anyway, this pack gives us two potential commanders in Zuko, Seeking HonorZuko, Seeking Honor and Long Feng, Grand SecretariatLong Feng, Grand Secretariat, putting me at half of the hybrid legend cycle already.

This theme's all about +1/+1 counters, and none scream that theme more than our rare, Fire Nation SalvagersFire Nation Salvagers. I don't know about you, but the card's nuts. Putting counters on creatures and Vehicles is simple enough, but those creatures connecting means we get to steal from our opponents' yards. Then we can put counters on those creatures, and keep those hits coming.

Other cards of note include Feed the SwarmFeed the Swarm, which can help deal with pesky enchantments, and Buzzard-Wasp ColonyBuzzard-Wasp Colony, which gets us to draw card to replace it, but only if we sacrificed an artifact or a creature. It'll also get bigger if our creatures died, assuming they have counters.

Our First Review

We started out being rather heavy on black, but we do get a nice spread of colors, except green. Koh was our highlight pull, it being the first rare theme we pulled. That said, the rest were no slouches either, and they could very well help set the foundation for what I'm aiming to do.

With the Reinforced theme, I remember when black got some +1/+1 counter support back in Zendikar Rising, and it's nice to see it return here. I'd be interested to see where things go from here. Maybe we'll have more colors to balance out black, but you never know.

Final Remarks...For Now

I admit that I had quite a bit of fun writing this article. Just the ASMR-esque sounds of opening packs, going over pulls, and seeing their applications in Commander. Not all cards were made for the format, but I'm sure budget players will find a way to make them work.

Come back next time, where the first full week of December has passed, and we have even more packs to open!