<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Disorienting Choice" href="#" target="_blank">Disorienting Choice</a> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/mirkodocfile">Mirko Failoni </a>
Hello, fellow dollar dumpster divers! I'm back to continue the search for budget rares from previous sets, and this time we're going to dive into <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/dsk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Duskmourn</a>. 
Why? Because I went on a hot streak drafting it when it came back to Arena so I felt like writing about it. And because there are some really cool cards from both the main set and <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon#duskmourn:houseofhorrorcommander" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Commander precons</a> that you should take a look at for your decks.
Let's go!
<h3><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Come Back Wrong" href="#" target="_blank">Come Back Wrong</a> ($0.34)</h3>
This is a very unique take on a removal spell, though one I wouldn't necessarily consider part of your removal suite.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Come Back Wrong"></div></div>
Three mana, sorcery speed, and limited only to creatures is pretty bad nowadays for single target removal. But that's not really what it's for. Cards like your own <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vaultborn Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Vaultborn Tyrant</a> or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solemn Simulacrum" href="#" target="_blank">Solemn Simulacrum</a> are great targets for <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Come Back Wrong" href="#" target="_blank">Come Back Wrong</a>, since you get a ton of value out of their enters and death triggers.
You can use it on opposing creatures as well, just be sure you're getting some value out of it besides just killing their creature. Also remember that it doesn't inherently grant haste, so if you want to attack make sure you target something with haste or have another way to grant it.
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Come Back Wrong" href="#" target="_blank">Come Back Wrong</a> can go in a pretty wide variety of decks. <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/sacrifice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sacrifice decks</a> that plan to lose their creatures anyway makes the most sense to me, but most creatures have powerful enters or dies triggers nowadays. Even if you don't have a ton, your opponents probably will. If you can find a way to have the creature stick around before it gets sacrificed on the end step, that's even better.
Maybe you can create a token copy of it or bounce it back to your hand. Drop a comment below and let me know where you use it!
<h3><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Convert to Slime" href="#" target="_blank">Convert to Slime</a> ($0.23)</h3>
Now here is a removal spell.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Convert to Slime"></div></div>
Using one card to take out three permanents is a great deal. It's a little less flexible than <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Windgrace&#039;s Judgment" href="#" target="_blank">Windgrace&#039;s Judgment</a>, but the upside is getting a potentially massive Ooze. And who doesn't want a massive Ooze?
Dedicated <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/delirium" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delirium</a> decks will obviously have no problem with this, but any deck that is consistently filling the graveyard (a common theme in <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/golgari" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Golgari</a> ) can turn on the Ooze clause pretty easily. Even if you can't get to delirium easily, the floor of killing three permanents is strong enough to include in your removal suite.
Of course, this is a must-have in any <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/oozes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ooze typal</a> list in the colors to play it, like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Mimeoplasm" href="#" target="_blank">The Mimeoplasm</a> (sorry <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aeve, Progenitor Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">Aeve, Progenitor Ooze</a>).
<h3><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dazzling Theater // Prop Room" href="#" target="_blank">Dazzling Theater // Prop Room</a> ($0.69)</h3>
We've seen a lot more support for convoke lately, and rightly so. It's super fun and really powerful, and giving all of your creature spells convoke can turn into a massive mana advantage.
<div class="edhrecp__cards rotate"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dazzling Theater // Prop Room"></div></div>
Use your creatures to cast other creatures, and then leave your other mana sources available for the rest of your card types or to activate abilities. The Prop Room side is also a fairly uncommon effect, only seen on cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drumbellower" href="#" target="_blank">Drumbellower</a> and the <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game Changer</a> <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seedborn Muse" href="#" target="_blank">Seedborn Muse</a>. Both halves are very good, but combined, your creatures suddenly become pretty close to free spells.
Decks that specifically care about <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/convoke" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convoke</a>, make a lot of creature <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/tokens" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tokens</a>, or <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/tap-untap" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tap down</a> their own creatures are no-brainers for this Room, but take it a step further with decks that can also give your creature spells flash.
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Errant and Giada" href="#" target="_blank">Errant and Giada</a> or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Raff Capashen, Ship&#039;s Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Raff Capashen, Ship&#039;s Mage</a> enable flash from the command zone, and blue gives access to cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leyline of Anticipation" href="#" target="_blank">Leyline of Anticipation</a>. Once you get both doors of the Room open, you can be casting creatures for no mana on opposing turns.
<h3><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deluge of Doom" href="#" target="_blank">Deluge of Doom</a> ($0.17)</h3>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toxic Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Toxic Deluge</a> breaking the bank? Try a different Deluge.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deluge of Doom"></div></div>
Deluge of Doom shares two of the aspects that makes Toxic Deluge so popular. It's only three mana, and since it's reducing toughness, it can deal with indestructible creatures.
The mana cost is really important, since it more easily enables a recovery from your own board wipe on the turn you cast it, rather than spending all your mana and your whole turn on a board wipe and giving your opponents the first chance to rebuild.
This is another card that goes great in delirium and other <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/graveyard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">graveyard decks</a>, where lots of card types are going into the graveyard quickly. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baba Lysaga, Night Witch" href="#" target="_blank">Baba Lysaga, Night Witch</a> would also like this since she wants to sacrifice cards with multiple types, and thus enables Deluge of Doom very quickly. Plus you get to yell "DOOOOOM!" to your table when you cast it, which is a big bonus. Or is that just me?
<h3><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Disorienting Choice" href="#" target="_blank">Disorienting Choice</a> ($0.30)</h3>
The unplanned theme of today's article is removal spells, I guess.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Disorienting Choice"></div></div>
Most of the time, giving your opponents a choice is not ideal; they'll just pick the thing that's less worse for them. But this card leaves them with no great options. If they decide to exile the permanent that you choose, great; you got rid of a threat that needed to go. If not, you can go and get any land from your deck and put it on the battlefield. So you've got a hybrid ramp/removal spell which is not something we see too often.
<a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/landfall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Landfall</a>/<a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/lands-matter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lands Matter</a> decks should definitely give this a try, especially if you've got specific lands to tutor out onto the battlefield. But honestly, any green-based deck can make use of this considering how it serves two different but very vital functions in your deck. With only 99 slots for cards, this essentially buys you a slot back to use on more card velocity or win conditions.
I run this in my <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Belbe, Corrupted Observer" href="#" target="_blank">Belbe, Corrupted Observer</a> <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/eldrazi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eldrazi deck</a> to devastating effect. People will often choose to exile their own <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a> or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghostly Prison" href="#" target="_blank">Ghostly Prison</a> if the other option is getting me to lands like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eldrazi Temple" href="#" target="_blank">Eldrazi Temple</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eye of Ugin" href="#" target="_blank">Eye of Ugin</a>.
<h3><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Entity Tracker" href="#" target="_blank">Entity Tracker</a> ($0.56)</h3>
Honestly, I'm kind of shocked that this card isn't more expensive.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Entity Tracker"></div></div>
It's a very easy to enable card velocity engine for a popular strategy. I'm not sure what I'm missing here, as it seems like an auto-include in any blue-based <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/enchantress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">enchantment</a> or <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/auras" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Auras</a> deck, of which there are many. Is it because a lot of the other enchantment payoffs are focused in green and white? What about Bant ()? I have so many questions.
Anyways, it's not really hard to imagine what types of decks this goes in or how to get the most out of the card. Play enchantments, draw cards. Play more enchantments, draw more cards. It's especially powerful if you can make a lot of enchantments at once - looking at you, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Go-Shintai of Life&#039;s Origin" href="#" target="_blank">Go-Shintai of Life&#039;s Origin</a>.
I'd pick up a copy of this before it starts to climb in price. I doubt we'll see reprints of the eerie mechanic soon.
<h3><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Into the Pit" href="#" target="_blank">Into the Pit</a> ($0.30)</h3>
Oh look! A card from my favorite deck, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ratadrabik of Urborg" href="#" target="_blank">Ratadrabik of Urborg</a>.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Into the Pit"></div></div>
In color combinations like <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/orzhov" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Orzhov</a> (), card velocity options can be pretty scarce. Fortunately, many decks in the best color pair (fact) are built around sacrificing things, so being able to churn through your deck just by sacrificing a token or something with a death trigger is a small price to pay, and often helps your game plan anyway.
Couple it with ways to reduce the cost of your spells like, I don't know, convoke, and it's pretty trivial to cast a bunch of spells from this in a single turn. Bonus points if you have top-deck manipulation, like scry or surveil, to go along with it.
Needless to say, sacrifice and <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/aristocrats">Aristocrat decks</a> are where <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Into the Pit" href="#" target="_blank">Into the Pit</a> belongs, but there are some other uses. Into the Pit doesn't care what type of nonland permanent you sacrifice, and as I said before, it gets stronger with cost reducers. Sounds like an <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/artifacts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">artifact deck</a> to me. Black-based artifact decks that make a bunch of Clues or are recurring <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ichor Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Ichor Wellspring</a>s and other trinkets over and over might also take a look Into the Pit and like what they see.
<h3><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Waltz of Rage" href="#" target="_blank">Waltz of Rage</a> ($0.26)</h3>
Have you ever wished that your <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chandra&#039;s Ignition" href="#" target="_blank">Chandra&#039;s Ignition</a> drew you cards? Outside of a burn deck, that's probably better than hitting opponents anyways.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Waltz of Rage"></div></div>
Timing on Waltz of Rage is key; ideally you'll cast it when most players are empty handed, that way any of the cards you exile as a result acts as a way to gas back up after the board is wiped clean. Like any of the red, damage-based board wipes, this also goes well with damage amplifiers like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Twinflame Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Twinflame Tyrant</a> or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solphim, Mayhem Dominus" href="#" target="_blank">Solphim, Mayhem Dominus</a>.
You'll want <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Waltz of Rage" href="#" target="_blank">Waltz of Rage</a> in decks with a high density of creatures, ideally ones with higher power so you can deal the most amount of damage possible. Plus, the more creatures of yours that die in this fiery dance, the more cards you'll impulse draw.
My favorite place to use cards like these is with lifelinking creatures. Since the creature is doing the damage and not <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Waltz of Rage" href="#" target="_blank">Waltz of Rage</a>, you gain life equal to its power times the number of other creatures on the board. Example: I have definitely targeted my own <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Piru, the Volatile" href="#" target="_blank">Piru, the Volatile</a> with this after donating a lot of creature tokens to my opponents and ended the game with over 200 life.
<hr />
I had fun revisiting Duskmourn. It is one of my favorite sets from recent memory, both for Commander and for Limited. Perhaps this isn't shocking as I'm prone to liking graveyard sets, but I think the mechanics and cards are interesting and well balanced for Commander.
So what do you think? Are there any rares from the Duskmourn cards that I missed? Do you have a set you want me to explore next? Let me know down in the comments and I'll see you next time!

The Best Duskmourn Budget Rares for Commander

<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valgavoth, Terror Eater" href="#" target="_blank">Valgavoth, Terror Eater</a> | Illustrated by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/ajmanzanedo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Antonio José Manzanedo</a>
Welcome to the next installment in our series examining Magic sets and their impact one year later! <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/examining-bloomburrow-one-year-later" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Last time we </a><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/examining-bloomburrow-one-year-later">examined Bloomburrow</a> and the cozy woodland vibes it brought to the gaming table. Today, we're taking a much darker turn with <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/dsk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Duskmourn: House of Horror</a>!
Duskmourn came out one year ago (at the time of writing), on September 27th, 2024. The set has had the lion's share of criticism and wasn't as well-received as Bloomburrow for those critical reasons. Nonetheless, the set's lore had a fantastic plot that engaged players in a huge way, as well as mechanics that really tied the set together under its horror flavor.
What were the criticisms, and what made Duskmourn shine despite them? Come with us as we delve into the fear factory that was The House!
<h2>General Notes on Duskmourn: House of Horror</h2>
We got our first major look at the set <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/first-look-at-duskmourn-house-of-horror" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on June 28th</a>. The set contained various house-horror tropes that hearkened back to pop-cultural horror across the history of the genre. The set takes tropes from a lot of literary horror as well. Stories like the Japanese author Uketsu's Strange Houses or Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves all surely left their mark on this set.
Of these tropes, though, the films of the 1980s were most prevalent and were the focal point of much of the art and flavor of the set. You'd see ideas from A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Halloween (1978), or even Skinamarink (2022) in this set. Any nightmarish being you can think of from all manner of horror or slasher film could feasibly make an appearance in Duskmourn.
For many, however, this was a bit of an issue, but it wasn't necessarily the horror's fault.
According to Magic Head Designer Mark Rosewater's <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/state-of-design-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">State of Design 2025</a> article, there were a few issues with Duskmourn alongside some great praise. The article explores the good and less-good aspects of the reception of Magic's designs from the previous year. So, when it came to the Duskmourn setting, Rosewater mentioned that players had issues with what he calls "mundane modernity." To quote Rosewater's analysis within that article:
<blockquote>Some things Duskmourn: House of Horror did for the first time bothered players, like having characters wearing and using things that we actually use: things like sneakers, or jeans, or a baseball bat. Part of fantasy is the idea that you're coming to a world that is fundamentally different than your own. Fantasy wants to be inspirational, and seeing everyday objects which are a part of all of our daily lives deflates that.</blockquote>
<h3>A Contrast From Bloomburrow Showcases What Makes Magic Special</h3>
And now, I'd like to bring in a slight sidebar. Something I've noticed about sets like Bloomburrow is their propensity to release just before or after a very dark set, such as Duskmourn. Magic: The Gathering has done this a few times as a "palate cleanser." We saw it with the Lorwyn block on the heels of Time Spiral Block, which was extremely dark. We saw it with Kaladesh, with the lighter, brighter themes following Shadows over Innistrad and Eldritch Moon's sharp morbidity and cosmic grotesquery.
And we saw it most recently last year with Bloomburrow releasing before Duskmourn: House of Horror.
According to Rosewater's analysis, this brand of dichotomic planar juxtaposition is something that, from a flavor perspective, makes Magic: The Gathering so special. Wizards of the Coast is capable of showcasing great darkness and lightheartedness in equal measure over a short span. The way that the company can manage to do this is a major boon to the Magic cosmology, from a lore standpoint, and to the brand as a whole.
This phenomenon keeps players highly engaged and interested for a while longer than they would if it were thematically the same throughout its expansion sets. In turn, the game continues through the revenue players put into it out of their interest in the themes.
<h3>On the "Modern Mundanity" Issue</h3>
Of note, based on some information that I've read recently, to use Rosewater's coined term, "modern mundanity" is still a problem for players. This year, we've had multiple Universes Beyond sets release, the most recent being Marvel's Spider-Man.
Spider-Man's reception at this time is not stellar. One Reddit thread stated that for their store, the set's Prerelease had the worst attendance they had in recent years, beating out Murders at Karlov Manor.
<blockquote class="reddit-embed-bq" style="height:316px" ><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/comments/1nm5qt3/spiderman_was_our_lowest_prerelease_attendance/">Spider-Man was our lowest Pre-Release attendance ever</a> by<a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Any-Conversation1401/">u/Any-Conversation1401</a> in<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/">magicTCG</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://embed.reddit.com/widgets.js" charset="UTF-8"></script>
By contrast, Final Fantasy sold even better than Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth before the Square Enix collaboration even came out. I'd posit that this stark contrast isn't just about Universes Beyond, as players seem to say and believe. Rather, it's also largely about the lesson that Magic still hasn't quite learned from Duskmourn: House of Horror.
Modern mundanity is something that players see as having no place in Magic. Believe it or not, fantasy sells a game rooted in the fantasy genre. Even the science fiction sets do pretty well, looking at Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty and even Edge of Eternities. It's when Magic drops a certain amount of fantastical escapism that it begins to suffer somewhat.
Getting back to Duskmourn, people complained a ton about the '80s-chic high school-grade outfits that so many background characters had. It was in huge contrast to the key players in the story: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaito, Bane of Nightmares" href="#" target="_blank">Kaito</a>, The <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Wandering Rescuer" href="#" target="_blank">Wanderer</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tyvar, the Pummeler" href="#" target="_blank">Tyvar</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Niko, Light of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Niko</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zimone, All-Questioning" href="#" target="_blank">Zimone</a>.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Wandering Rescuer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaito, Bane of Nightmares"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tyvar, the Pummeler"></div></div>
<h3>Ah, Some Light in the Dark... *Click* Maybe Turn That Off Again?</h3>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valgavoth, Terror Eater" href="#" target="_blank">Valgavoth</a>, oh <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls" href="#" target="_blank">Valgavoth</a>. Let's take a moment to discuss this insanely terrifying Elder Demon.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Valgavoth, Terror Eater"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls"></div></div>
His presence in the Duskmourn story made it so much better than many would expect. Uncharacteristically for the majority of other Magic stories, Valgavoth's presence was horrific because he was everywhere and nowhere all at once. We hardly saw much of this monstrous character until the end of the story, but his existence as not just in The House but as The House itself was felt.
Valgavoth is Duskmourn, and Duskmourn is Valgavoth. This was so important when looking at the storyline beats. It simply bears mention, because to neglect Valgavoth is to feed the dread he inspires.
<h2>EDHREC Statistics</h2>
So, this article also merits some stats. Here are the top five commanders from Duskmourn: House of Horror, as well as the top five commanders from its Commander decks.
<h3>Top Five Duskmourn: House of Horror Main Set Commanders</h3>
At #5, we have <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kona, Rescue Beastie" href="#" target="_blank">Kona, Rescue Beastie</a>. Kona is a mono-green creature with a strong ability that, at least when the set was spoiled, I didn't have much faith in. Nonetheless, <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/kona-rescue-beastie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kona currently ranks at #254 on the site</a> with 7,060 decks at the time of writing.
For #4, we have <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Mindskinner" href="#" target="_blank">The Mindskinner</a>. This mono-blue enchantment creature is a dedicated Mill commander by all respects. And it's still surprising to me that the card is so popular as a commander, especially considering its archetype. With <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/the-mindskinner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">8,014 decks on EDHREC</a>, The Mindskinner ranks at #202 on the site, just shy of the Top 200.
#3 on this list is a dear favorite of mine: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Jolly Balloon Man" href="#" target="_blank">The Jolly Balloon Man</a>. I wrote a deck tech on The Jolly Balloon Man very early on in my time with <a href="https://commandersherald.com/the-jolly-balloon-man-a-commander-deck-tech/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Commander's Herald</a>, which at the time was one of our sibling sites. So, you can understand why this creep was one of my personal faves.
And I suppose the idea stuck well, because he currently boasts a formidable <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/the-jolly-balloon-man" target="_blank" rel="noopener">8,177 decks on EDHREC, ranking at #194</a> among the most popular commanders on the site.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kona, Rescue Beastie"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Jolly Balloon Man"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Mindskinner"></div></div>
#2 is the very person who made the mistake of releasing Valgavoth into The House: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marina Vendrell" href="#" target="_blank">Marina Vendrell</a>. Marina is a commander who deals with one of the set's most memorable gimmicks: Rooms. In essence, Marina can do a lot to make this concept work exceptionally well.
And while I'm the only person I know who has a Jolly Balloon Man deck, I've faced quite a few Marina Vendrell builds. She ranks at <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/marina-vendrell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#146 on EDHREC with 9,819 decks built</a>. Frankly, I can't wait till she breaks 10k!
And finally, at #1 for main set commanders in Duskmourn, we have a pint-sized powerhouse that I never expected to see on the top ten, let alone at #1. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arabella, Abandoned Doll" href="#" target="_blank">Arabella, Abandoned Doll</a> is a truly strong herald of the meek. As an uncommon card and one that's deceptive in its power, I was surprised to see Arabella on this list at all. But lo and behold, <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/marina-vendrell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arabella has 13,967 decks on EDHREC</a> at the time of writing, and is ranked well within the top 100 most popular commanders on the site at a mighty #76.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Marina Vendrell"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arabella, Abandoned Doll"></div></div>
<h3>Top Five Commanders From the Duskmourn Precons</h3>
The top five most popular commanders from the precons of this set are as follows:
#5 on this list is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Master of Keys" href="#" target="_blank">The Master of Keys</a>, a commander whose deck I've faced maybe all of one time. This release was just full of surprises, huh? The Master of Keys is used primarily as an enchantment-centric control commander. With <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/the-master-of-keys" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5,734 decks and a ranking of #346 on EDHREC</a>, The Master of Keys doesn't have a ton of popularity, but it can still hold its own against a lot of other legendary creatures on the list.
On the list at #4 is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rendmaw, Creaking Nest" href="#" target="_blank">Rendmaw, Creaking Nest</a>. Rendmaw is a commander whose deck I've faced a handful of times and had a great, really fun match every time. This Scarecrow facilitates a fair few huggy, political builds which is interesting for its black-green color identity. Rendmaw boasts <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/rendmaw-creaking-nest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">8,221 decks on EDHREC and is ranked at #192</a> on here.
#3 on our list is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zimone, Mystery Unraveler" href="#" target="_blank">Zimone, Mystery Unraveler</a>. Perhaps made popular by initial games among the four Duskmourn precons, Zimone dominated many tables using that exact table setup.
One particular game I enjoyed where Zimone had a great showing was one where Ify Nwadiwe of Dropout and Smosh fame piloted her on Commander At Home. You can find that video below. All the other preconstructed decks from the set also showcase their assets amazingly in it as well:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Commander at Home #44 - Duskmourn Commander Deck Preview with Ify Nwadiwe and Ashlen Rose" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eQY54Y0ftt4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Zimone, Mystery Unraveler has a fantastic ranking of <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/zimone-mystery-unraveler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#127 on EDHREC, with 10,550 decks</a> at the time of writing.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Master of Keys"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zimone, Mystery Unraveler"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rendmaw, Creaking Nest"></div></div>
At #2 on this list is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aminatou, Veil Piercer" href="#" target="_blank">Aminatou, Veil Piercer</a>. A dedicated Enchantress commander, the designers of her preconstructed deck leaned heavily into the miracle route. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aminatou, the Fateshifter" href="#" target="_blank">Aminatou, the Fateshifter</a> was popular enough in Commander 2018 that it must have rubbed off onto the design here.
Due to powerful synergies and a great toolkit in the form of her precon, Aminatou, Veil Piercer <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/aminatou-veil-piercer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ranks at #96 with 12,270 decks on EDHREC</a> right now.
And finally, the #1 most popular commander from the Duskmourn precons is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls" href="#" target="_blank">Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls</a>. The House may not always win, but it wins a lot. That obviously includes here in the rankings. Valgavoth is the commander of a Group Slug-style build most of the time, hurting opponents where it hurts them the most, and sometimes in equal or equitable measure.
Valgavoth has even infiltrated the Top 50! With <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/valgavoth-harrower-of-souls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a rank of #38 and 18,152 decks databased on EDHREC</a>, he's one of the fiercest and most formidable commanders of this day and age.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aminatou, Veil Piercer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls"></div></div>
<h2>Conclusion, and an Open Call for Opinions</h2>
I liked Duskmourn a whole lot more than I did Bloomburrow. I will admit openly that I can be edgy in my interests, but there's definitely a limit. I'm a huge fan of horror in theory, but, perhaps oddly, not in practice. I used to be a haunt actor and designer years ago, and that is maybe the big exception for me, but I can't stomach some horror styles. But haunted houses are my bread and butter, so Duskmourn was too, in essence.
But let's hear from some of you, dear readers! What did you think about Duskmourn: House of Horror a year ago, and has that opinion changed? Do you like it more than you did before? Do you like it less? How has this set aged for you? Sound off in the comments below!

duskmourn house of horror

The Best Duskmourn Budget Rares for Commander

Examining Duskmourn: House of Horror, One Year Later