Seal of the GuildpactSeal of the Guildpact | Art by Franz Vohwinkel

Hello and welcome to How To Be New, a series for players for whom any card released before Bloomburrow might as well be a secret locked deep within Strixhaven's Mystical Archive.

My last article in this series went through the names and deckbuilding conventions of the enemy color pairs, as they are foundationally important to the upcoming Secrets of Strixhaven set (on that note, I hightly recommend that you sign up for a prerelease event this weekend at your FLGS). Since writing that article, I've spoken to several new or newish players who have said to me some variation of the phrase, "Oh, I need to read that."

As I've mentioned before, learning the names of the color combinations is one of the most difficult challenges facing a new Magic: The Gathering player. Between the two-color and three-color combinations, there are twenty brand new nonsense words that new players are, for some reason, expected to have internalized by turn four of their first game of Commander.

It's honestly a more daunting task than deckbuilding.

And would it kill Wizards of the Coast to swap out one of the marginally helpful turn phase reference cards in every precon (a card which my pod likes to cite in a jocular attempt to deny each other our upkeep triggers) with a handy color combination name cheat sheet? That card would sit faithfully by my side every game like a Loyal WarhoundLoyal Warhound until the day I pay my last onepay my last one.

So, as a matter of public service, today we're completing our trip around the color wheel. Here are the five ally color pairs, what they tend to do, and, most importantly, how the heck we're going to manage to remember what "Selesnya" means.

What Are Ally Color Pairs?

Ally color pairs are are two mana colors that exist next to each other on Magic's color wheel.

The Magic color wheel, courtesy of mtg.wiki

The color wheel shows the founding philosophies of each color, as established by Magic's creator Richard Garfield at the game's inception and refined by other lead game designers over time. These color identities are still used by Magic designers in the present day. For example, they help determine which colors will receive access to new mechanics as they are introduced in a new set, and how those mechanics might manifest differently when used by different colors.

Colors next to each other on the wheel are designed to have playstyles that complement each other, sometimes even to the point of overlapping when it comes to certain mechanics.

For example, blue has access to mechanics which counter spells and bounce creatures back to their owner's hand. Black has access to the best removal spells in the game, allowing you to take your pick among destroyingdestroying, exilingexiling, or even withering awaywithering away opposing creatures.

With their powers combined, decks featuring blue and black tend to be some of the best control decks in Magic (that is, decks which focus on keeping opposing boards clear so that their own threats can do their work unblocked and unopposed).

That's why these colors are referred to as ally color pairs. They tend to share strengths. Though this means that they also can tend to share weaknesses, sometimes their strengths can be so overwhelming that they still run roughshod over your pod.

Blue/Black - Dimir

Pronunciation Guide: dim-EAR

How to Remember "Dimir": I like the phrase "Dimir* is dimmer," because blue and black are the color pair that has sort of the darkest, most shadowy vibe in Magic. Also, Dimir sounds like the name of a lich's lackey who's in charge of both producing and disposing of bodies. Just overall real dark, morbid vibes.

Popular Commanders: Yuriko, the Tiger's ShadowYuriko, the Tiger's Shadow, Wilhelt, the RotcleaverWilhelt, the Rotcleaver, Captain N'ghathrodCaptain N'ghathrod

Commander Precons: Revenant Recon, Fae Dominion

Dimir is an absolutely nasty color combination. They work in bad vibes the way Tarantino works in feet: with a gusto that warrants concern. While Grixis () gets the reputation for villainy, it plays a little more like Hades from Disney's Hercules, cracking over the top one-liners all the way to the last.

Dimir is like Hades from the video game Hades, who punishes you over and over again just because he likes to watch you struggle.

Dimir likes to lean into the trickery parts of black and blue. Many of the most popular commanders in this color combination deal with reanimating things from the graveyard, cheating cards onto the battlefield for free, and goading (forcing your opponents' creatures to attack each other, rather than you).

Also, there is a surprising amount of typal synergy (decks which focus on maximizing value from one dominant creature type) amongst top Dimir commanders. Eight of the top ten Dimir commanders mention a creature type in their text box, and one more triggers off of ninjutsu abilities (and you can probably guess which creature type tends to feature ninjutsu).

I also recommend taking a look at Jon Irenicus, Shattered OneJon Irenicus, Shattered One, who helms some of the strangest decks you've ever seen, packed with creatures you don't want to have on your side of the field, as well as Talion, the Kindly LordTalion, the Kindly Lord, who poses one of Magic's most bizarre threats.

But please, whatever you do, don't build Toxrill, the CorrosiveToxrill, the Corrosive. I've only seen it on the table once. That was enough.

Green/Red - Gruul

Pronunciation Guide: GROOL

How to remember "Gruul": Gruul does start with "GR," the first letters of its two colors, so that is a bit of help. It also sort of sounds like "growl," which is something that both green and red creatures tend to do.

Popular Commanders: Etali, Primal ConquerorEtali, Primal Conqueror, Minsc & Boo, Timeless HeroesMinsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes, Wolverine, Best There IsWolverine, Best There Is

Commander Precons: Animated Army, Exit From Exile

One of my absolutely least favorite color combo names. It's as unpleasant to say as it is to hear. Simply no good.

But questionable name aside, Gruul is a strong color combo. Gruul decks often quickly overwhelm the table with large creatures before the others can set up. This combination of the ethos of green (grow big) with the tendencies of red (go fast, and do it cheap), plays extremely well together. And when you play against a Gruul deck, you'll tend to remember it.

The Animated Army precon from Bloomburrow, helmed by Bello, Bard of the BramblesBello, Bard of the Brambles, is a nasty customer, and a great example of what Gruul is all about. You can get out Bello on turn three, and then on the very next turn you can start playing enchantments and artifacts that are also 4/4s with indestructible and haste, and which draw you a card when they deal combat damage.

Which, honestly, feels like kind of a lot to be able to do on your fourth turn. And that's sort of what Gruul is all about.

Wolverine, Best There IsWolverine, Best There Is is a three-mana legend who starts getting bigger very quickly. Tannuk, Memorial EnsignTannuk, Memorial Ensign is also three mana, and will very quickly become one of your least favorite ways to see your life total tick down to zero.

Minsc & Boo are a four-drop, but they pack a powerful kick (as seen in this wonderful episode of Commander At Home where Critical Role's Matt Mercer pilots the duo, who he also did the voice work for in Baldur's Gate 3). In fact, there are so many great Gruul creatures that it's not particularly uncommon to see a deck led by Ruby, Daring TrackerRuby, Daring Tracker, who's mostly just an extra Arcane SignetArcane Signet in your command zone.

Black/Red - Rakdos

Pronunciation Guide: RACK-dose

How to remember "Rakdos": Rakdos is a name that fits the vibe of these colors well, because it feels like a name that was made to be put on the back of a leather jacket that you know better than to ask questions about. It's also an anagram for "so dark," which fits Rakdos like a glove (those fingerless leather ones, specifically).

Popular Commanders: Kuja, Genome SorcererKuja, Genome Sorcerer, Deadpool, Trading CardDeadpool, Trading Card, Judith, Carnage ConnoisseurJudith, Carnage Connoisseur, Shadow the HedgehogShadow the Hedgehog

Commander Precons: Endless Punishment, Vampiric Bloodline, Chaos Incarnate

I sort of love Rakdos. The color pair is full of rough and tumble characters who want to see the whole game go up in a cloud of flame and smoke. Typified by Rakdos, who's an actual guy from Magic's lore! Well, guy isn't quite right, Rakdos is an ancient Demon who always looks like he's posing for a1970s heavy metal album cover1970s heavy metal album cover.

He features on enough cards that he's one of the select few longstanding characters in Magic that I can easily identify and remember. No small part of that recall is due to the incredible epithets His Viciousness (his cult's term, not mine) gets attached to his name: Rakdos, the MuscleRakdos, the Muscle, Rakdos, Lord of RiotsRakdos, Lord of Riots, Rakdos, the ShowstopperRakdos, the Showstopper.

If I would ever be called any one of those things, I'd die happy.

Rakdos decks tend to pump out a lot of quick damage. Nearly all of the most popular Rakdos commanders either deal some amount of consistent damage to your opponents, or benefit from your other cards that do. Rakdos decks are the ones my pod looks to when we've got time for "one more quick one" before the store closes, because Rakdos games tend to move pretty fast.

White/Blue - Azorius

Pronunciation Guide: uh-ZOAR-ee-us

How to remember "Azorius": Azorius already sounds as austere and withholding as the decks within this color combination tend to play, so that's a great start. It also sounds like "soar" which is appropriate, as these colors are home to many of Magic's prominent flying creatures, including Birds, Angels, and Miles "Tails" ProwerMiles "Tails" Prower.

Popular Commanders: Hope EstheimHope Estheim, Grand Arbiter Augustin IVGrand Arbiter Augustin IV, Brago, King EternalBrago, King Eternal

Commander Precons: First Flight, Buckle Up

Azorius is sort of tough to nail down. When you look at the most popular commanders in this color pair, you'll see a lot of different strategies represented.

There are several copy effects, like Mendicant Core, GuidelightMendicant Core, Guidelight and Chun-Li, Countless KicksChun-Li, Countless Kicks, as well as "blink" effects (by which a player will exile their own creatures from the battlefield briefly before returning them so that they can resolve their "enters the battlefield" triggers multiple times), like with Brago, King EternalBrago, King Eternal or Niko, Light of HopeLight of Hope. Kastral, the WindcrestedKastral, the Windcrested and Millicent, Restless RevenantMillicent, Restless Revenant each employ typal strategies.

But what Azorius is traditionally known for is its oppressive control decks.

It's not entirely an unearned reputation. Take a look at Grand Arbiter Augustin IVGrand Arbiter Augustin IV, a nasty commander who finds himself on the Game Changers list, and yet still helms twelve thousand decks in EDHREC, making him the fifth most popular Azorius commander.

Just behind him is Hylda of the Icy CrownHylda of the Icy Crown, who will tap her opponents' creatures, and get a tidy bit of value for doing so. Even Hope EstheimHope Estheim, while not being strictly control, leads a particularly nasty mill deck (one which I played only once before finding it summarily banned amongst my commander pod).

Green/White - Selesnya

Pronunciation Guide: Seh-LEZ-nee-uh

How to remember "Selesnya": I've been really racking my brain on this one, and this is the best I have: Selesnya is the most fantasy elf word I've ever heard. It's so natural and ethereal, it would fit right in with this compilation of Brennan Lee Mulligan parodying fantasy elves for twenty minutes. Several Elves and Druids (which aren't necessarily super far away from Elves) in fact do find themselves in the top 25 Selesnya commanders. So I'm just gonna go with: Selesnya - Think of Elves.

Popular Commanders: Sythis, Harvest's HandSythis, Harvest's Hand, Arahbo, Roar of the WorldArahbo, Roar of the World, Kudo, King Among BearsKudo, King Among Bears

Commander Precons: Virtue and Valor, Token Triumph

Selesnya, of maybe all of the color combinations, is the one I see the least frequently at the Commander table. In fact, I think the only one I've ever seen helm an opposing deck was Sergeant John BentonSergeant John Benton. Looking at the data from EDHREC, we can see that the most popular Selesnya commander, Sythis, Harvest's HandSythis, Harvest's Hand, at present commands just 13,164 decks, a number which is outpaced by each of the seven most popular Dimir commanders.

But even though Selesnya isn't the most in-vogue right now, I imagine that might change with the release of the Wakanda Forever precon this summer. Black Panther, Wakandan KingBlack Panther, Wakandan King is currently in the top 15 commanders for Selesnya, despite the fact that he was only released in a limited quantity from a Secret Lair drop, so clearly the appetite is there for some Selesnya-based Black Panthering.

Many of the top Selesnya commanders tend to deal in +1/+1 counters. Some work with creature tokens or with enchantments. But my personal favorite Selesnya commanders force your opponents to play the game in creative ways.

Kudo, King Among BearsKudo, King Among Bears makes every creature on the battlefield have base power 2/2 (and also makes them Bears) so the game turns into an extremely tactical slugfest. Jasmine Boreal of the SevenJasmine Boreal of the Seven adds mana to cast only creatures with no abilities, and makes them unable to be blocked by creatures with abilities. Selvala, Explorer ReturnedSelvala, Explorer Returned gives the whole table card draw, but also some insight into what is in each other's hands.

Looking through this list, I'm seeing a few decks here that I want to build. So maybe this section just ends with a call to action for you all to start building more Selesnya decks, so we can discover together what is possible in this pair of colors.

And just like that, those are all of the color pairs currently in Magic (I say currently because my current extremely bold take is that this fall, Reality Fracture will introduce purple, grey, and emerald-colored mana. Just you wait and see).

Please, take these and use them in good health. Make a cheat sheet that, once you have them down, you can pass along to a newer player. Make it like an extraordinarily nerdy version of paying it forward. And be patient if folks can't remember Selesnya.

Or better yet, bring a bear to the table that will make them remember Selesnya.