<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Joven" href="#" target="_blank">Joven</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CDouglas+Shuler%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Douglas Shuler</a> | <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leonardo, Big Brother" href="#" target="_blank">Leonardo, Big Brother</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CInHyuk+Lee%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">InHyuk Lee</a></em></p>
<p>In the year 2024, <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/mh3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Modern Horizons 3</em></a> hit shelves and featured a true oddity. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skoa, Embermage" href="#" target="_blank">Skoa, Embermage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a six-mana Goblin Wizard that enters play and deals four damage to any target, while also having an activated ability to deal another four damage, providing you're willing to sacrifice lands and discard another copy of this card.</p>
<p>On its face, this is a pretty unremarkable legendary creature, except for one key quality: it's a common.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skoa, Embermage"></div></div>
<p>Legends at lower rarity have been popping up more and more over the years, but primarily at the uncommon level. In the modern era, we started to consistently get these possible commanders with silver set symbols in <em><a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/thb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Theros: Beyond Death</a></em>, leading into a major uptick of them in the first <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/cmr"><em>Commander Legends</em></a>. They are now a mainstay of recent <em>Magic</em> sets, usually acting as signpost cards for draft archetypes.</p>
<p><em>Common</em> legendary creatures are a different story.</p>
<h2>Strange Beginnings for Common Legends</h2>
<p>It all began here, with these two renowned artifact haters.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chandler"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Joven"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chandler" href="#" target="_blank">Chandler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Joven" href="#" target="_blank">Joven</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> graced the packs of <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/hml" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Homelands</em></a>, and for the longest time, they held the distinction of being the only common legendary creatures in the game. Some sources out there may try to list cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ramirez DePietro" href="#" target="_blank">Ramirez DePietro</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tobias Andrion" href="#" target="_blank">Tobias Andrion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from <em><a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/leg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Legends</a></em> as commons, however they only officially hold that rarity in the online exclusive set <a href="https://scryfall.com/sets/me3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Masters Edition III</em></a>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Prismatic Piper"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faceless One"></div></div>
<p>While we would get a few draft supporting common legendary creatures with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Prismatic Piper" href="#" target="_blank">The Prismatic Piper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and later <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faceless One" href="#" target="_blank">Faceless One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it wasn't until the aforementioned <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skoa, Embermage" href="#" target="_blank">Skoa, Embermage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> hit the scene that we got a standalone return of this peculiar type and rarity pairing.</p>
<p>But there was something on the horizon that would place a lot more cards like Skoa, Chandler, and Joven into booster packs: <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/spm" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Marvel's Spider-Man</em></a>.</p>
<h2>The Universes Beyond Effect</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spider-Man, Web-Slinger"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spider-Gwen, Free Spirit"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spider-Man, Brooklyn Visionary"></div></div>
<p>With the release of <em>Spider-Man</em>, we suddenly had ten new common legends swing into the format! Each one featured a well-known character from the Spider-Man multiverse, and typically worked well with one of the main mechanics from the set. While these weren't the strongest designs imaginable, they were merely there to help bolster the limited environment, and not necessarily sit in the command zone.</p>
<p>The most built commander out of the bunch is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spider-Rex, Daring Dino" href="#" target="_blank">Spider-Rex, Daring Dino</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which has 184 decks to its name.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Leonardo, Big Brother"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Donatello, Turtle Techie"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Michelangelo, Game Master"></div></div>
<p>Not to be outdone, the <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tmt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</em></a> (TMNT) set hit the scene, and brought with it eleven common legendary creatures. Most of them fit a similar mold as <em>Spider-Man</em>, providing assistance with enhancing games of limited, including a cycle of creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bebop, Warthog Warrior" href="#" target="_blank">Bebop, Warthog Warrior</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rocksteady, Crash Courser" href="#" target="_blank">Rocksteady, Crash Courser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> who can help with color fixing.</p>
<p>However, hidden in this list is a problem, which Wizards themselves knows about...</p>
<h2>What's Wrong with Common Legends?</h2>
<p>The problematic card in question is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="April O&#039;Neil, Kunoichi Trainee" href="#" target="_blank">April O&#039;Neil, Kunoichi Trainee</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="April O&#039;Neil, Kunoichi Trainee"></div></div>
<p>A two-mana common legendary creature that scries two on entry and offers up some evasion to bolster your sneak effects. Both the Boros <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and Orzhov <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> draft archetypes wanted this card in their ranks, but there's a problem: the legend rule. Having two Aprils on the field as early as turn three was totally doable, but many players had to limit themselves from casting their second copies, slowing down their game plans.</p>
<p>In a recent <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/feature/sneak-into-design-with-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article on Wizards' site</a>, one of the designers of the TMNT set Eric Engelhard goes into detail on how this version of April was created. In it, he stated:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>"The most awkward part of this card (and we know it) is her being a two-mana common legend. Most legends at common are four or more mana to lessen legend rule problems, but this slot needed to cost two or three mana to be a good sneak enabler."</em></p>
<p>Now I know what some of you may be thinking: this article is on <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/tyler-bucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EDHREC</a>, why should the legend rule concern Commander players? Well, you may be right, something that's an issue for 60-card formats usually isn't a problem for us (unless we're cloning). The concern that many players, myself included, have with these designs is that the term "legendary" and "common" don't tend to mix.</p>
<p>In that same article from Wizards, Eric went on to list the three qualities that have coalesced to make up the legendary supertype:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>"1. You can't have more than one copy of a legendary creature on the battlefield.<br />
2. </em><em>If a card includes the name of a specific character, it has to be legendary.<br />
</em><em>3. </em><em>A legendary creature can be a commander and lead a Commander deck.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>For the record, Mark </em>[Rosewater]<em> and I both favor either removing the second rule (so we could put a common Leonardo in a set and have him not be legendary, as the commons generally don't make for exciting commanders anyway) or creating a new term or symbol that means 'I'm a specific character and can lead a Commander deck, but I don't trigger the legend rule.' Our quest continues..."</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jarl of the Forsaken"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glint-Eye Nephilim"></div></div>
<p>I agree that if a character is named, it should be legendary. <em>Magic</em> players are so accustomed to that formatting that even cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jarl of the Forsaken" href="#" target="_blank">Jarl of the Forsaken</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> have been mistaken as a possible commander in the past, since Jarl seemed like this creature's name (it actually means Norse chief).</p>
<p>Another classic example of a line of cards that have made people ask the question "why isn't this legendary?" are the Nephilim from the original <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/gpt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Ravnica</em></a> block, which look and feel like they should be in the command zone. However, I do think there is a way to feature characters we know, without using the legendary supertype.</p>
<h2>Starting Off Small</h2>
<p>If we're capturing a well-known character at a common level, they should be at a point in their life where they're on the cusp of greatness. Featuring someone who is striving to become something more can be done with card design, and to showcase this, here's an example I put together:</p>
<p><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/April-still-had-a-lot-to-learn.-2.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-177913" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/April-still-had-a-lot-to-learn.-2-300x167.png" alt="" width="895" height="498" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/April-still-had-a-lot-to-learn.-2-300x167.png 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/April-still-had-a-lot-to-learn.-2-1024x570.png 1024w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/April-still-had-a-lot-to-learn.-2-768x428.png 768w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/April-still-had-a-lot-to-learn.-2.png 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 895px) 100vw, 895px" /></a></p>
<p>Here we have the same legendary April card, but now we see her at a point where she is working on stepping up to the next level of her development. Notice that the name of the character could be featured in flavor text to drive the point home that this <em>is</em> in fact the character we know. Fans of different universes may appreciate these flashbacks, where they get to see popular heroes and villains as they're on the rise.</p>
<p>Now, I'll admit, this isn't a perfect fix. In this case especially, I would put April at a point where she is starting off as a journalist, to place her even further back in the story. Plus, I also know that there isn't always room for flavor text, so adding the character's name may be harder in some places. However, I would much prefer seeing people represented in this way, versus seeing versions of them relegated to a common level, and cause all the issues we've already covered.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Insectoid Exterminator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Putrid Pals"></div></div>
<p>This is also something that was mentioned in that Wizards article, where Eric said they had to turn some characters like Scumbug into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Insectoid Exterminator" href="#" target="_blank">Insectoid Exterminator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and they even combined Muckman and Joe Eyeball into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Putrid Pals" href="#" target="_blank">Putrid Pals</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Both of these feel great as commons, and show that the TMNT universe has more depth, and even if the characters have names, they don't always have to be in the title of the card.</p>
<p>Much like how Dock/Xu/Bushi became <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Merchant of Many Hats" href="#" target="_blank">Merchant of Many Hats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tla" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Avatar</em></a> set, while still making reference to those names in the flavor text.</p>
<h2>We've Seen Cards Like This Before</h2>
<p>For years, there's been a debate in the Magic community on whether <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stoneforge Mystic" href="#" target="_blank">Stoneforge Mystic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is actually a non-planeswalker version of Nahiri.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stoneforge Mystic"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nahiri, the Lithomancer"></div></div>
<p>While there isn't a definitive answer on that (I looked for a very long time and couldn't find an official statement) it's a fun detail that keeps people engaged with the game. Theorizing on characters at different points in their lives makes them feel more three dimensional.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Firebending Student"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Azula, Ruthless Firebender"></div></div>
<p>When I brought this topic up to people in my own playgroup, my partner Taryn mentioned how they originally assumed that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Firebending Student" href="#" target="_blank">Firebending Student</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was just a younger (pre-blue fire) version of Azula. I think a lot of players have these small head canons, seeing a card that reminds them of someone else, and associating them with each other.</p>
<p>It helps us blend things together, and build connections between our game pieces.</p>
<h2>My Final Thoughts on Common Legends</h2>
<p>I want to make myself clear as I wrap things up today: I don't think we should <em>never</em> have common legendary creatures, I just think they should be rare (pun kind of intended...) As many of you know, I write about the best commons and uncommons from every new set in my article series <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-best-commons-and-uncommons-in-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Bulk Up</em></a>, and something I've learned from doing that is just how important the cards in those slots are for a set's success.</p>
<p>They are the foundation that supports the bigger themes and mechanics that make an expansion special.</p>
<p>Common creatures are typically used to highlight the smaller parts of a world, helping things feel more alive and authentic. Like you're walking down a street, surrounded by everyday people, catching glimpses of greatness, but not noticing it outright. In those cards we see individuals with dreams to become more than they are, to rise ranks, ascend rarity, and eventually, become legendary.</p>


https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Commons-arent-rare.png

Common Legendary Creatures Are No Longer Rare

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Huatli, Dinosaur Knight" href="#" target="_blank">Huatli, Dinosaur Knight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.annasteinbauer.com/">Anna Steinbauer</a></h6>
<h1>It's Not Boring; It's BOROS.</h1>
<p>The question of planeswalkers as commanders has been brought up in <em>Magic</em> discourse an infinite number of times. People say it would kill EDH as a format, and others say it will do nothing but give more options to a perpetually endless pool of commanders. I believe the truth is somewhere in the middle. My name is Nick, and the sixteenth installment of <em>Myth Realized</em> will cover Boros (red and white) cards. Let's look at how they would each ruin (or not ruin) your favorite 100-card Singleton format.</p>
<p>If you've stuck around with me until this article, you know what cards to look for in this color combination. If not, check out the articles I did in <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/myth-realized-what-if-any-planeswalker-could-be-your-commander-red/">red</a> and <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/myth-realized-what-if-any-planeswalker-could-be-your-commander/">white</a> to see the cards I've previously shouted out in these colors.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani Vengeant" href="#" target="_blank">Ajani Vengeant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - 2RW</strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ajani Vengeant|ALA|154"></div></div>
<p>Everyone complains that all Boros decks do is attack. Well, Ajani doesn't care about the combat step. Ajani doesn't care about your opponent at all. He only wants one thing, and that's a slow death for the table. I am unsure how to build a version of this deck that isn't mean. This card is Boros Stax, and that's it. I have lost to this in <em>Magic Online</em> cubes and even Modern, and there's no world where I wouldn't be losing to this card in EDH. I ended those games with few permanents on the board and a distinct lack of a smile compared to my opponent. This card is very good in 1v1 and was designed for it, with no abilities affecting more than one player, but it fits inside of its shell. Pair this card with salt-inducing inclusions like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smoke" href="#" target="_blank">Smoke</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Winter Orb|3ED|280" href="#" target="_blank">Winter Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Authority of the Consuls" href="#" target="_blank">Authority of the Consuls</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and you have a recipe for success.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Comet, Stellar Pup" href="#" target="_blank">Comet, Stellar Pup</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - 2RW</strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Comet, Stellar Pup|UNF|275"></div></div>
<p>Yes, this card is from <em>Unfinity, </em>and everyone can have their opinions about that set and its legality in the format. But this is an article series about a theoretical rule change to the biggest format going, so I will hear no slander against my Best Boros Boy. There is only one problem with this card: you can't control the ability you use each turn. Rolling a six on this card is undoubtedly the best thing you want to happen. The other roles are always situational. But unless you have no graveyard and nothing can be targeted, none of the modes are ever dead. The Squirrel-making effect of this card is met with laughter and considered underwhelming. There are a lot of cards in the format. Two of those cards are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warleader&#039;s Call" href="#" target="_blank">Warleader&#039;s Call</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Please don't underestimate the Dog and his Squirrels.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Huatli, Dinosaur Knight" href="#" target="_blank">Huatli, Dinosaur Knight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - 4RW</strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Huatli, Dinosaur Knight"></div></div>
<p>This card is supposed to work with Dinosaurs. All of the abilities on this card say the word Dinosaur. It even has the word Dinosaur in the name of this card. This card is missing one of the most important aspects of making Dinosaur-anything work in a commander deck... THE COLOR GREEN. Dinosaurs are expensive, much like this card, which is costly at six mana. The -7 not giving trample is a big letdown. I also believe that being unable to hit your creatures with the -3 is a missed opportunity. <i>Enrage </i>is a significant mechanic for Dinosaurs, and this card not being able to trigger it adds to the big pile of predictably bad cards that this is.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Huatli, Warrior Poet" href="#" target="_blank">Huatli, Warrior Poet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - 3RW</strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Huatli, Warrior Poet"></div></div>
<p>This card lets you do stuff with Dinosaurs, but you're not locked into Dinosaurs on only one card. If you keep to this character's typal nature, then the +2 should give you a decent amount of life every time you use it. Boros can access other large creature types outside of Dinosaurs, such as Angels, Barbarians, Dragons, Giants, and Eldrazi. I love a Planeswalker that makes a token for free, and the 3/3 Dinosaur token with trample is one of the better tokens around. The -X on this card does what I wish the previous version had the option of doing: targeting your creatures. It also makes it very easy to get past an opponent's board since you only need one damage on each creature you want to get past.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nahiri, Heir of the Ancients" href="#" target="_blank">Nahiri, Heir of the Ancients</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - 2RW</strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nahiri, Heir of the Ancients|ZNR|282"></div></div>
<p>Voltron and Equipment-based strategies are not something I vibe with for decks I want to play personally. As a commander, I think this card would do something different from other Boros Equipment-matters legends. Making a creature and giving it free equip is fantastic. Those are two things that Equipment decks are always looking for. The fact that it's on a +1 means it's just icing on this card's cake. -2 finding a warrior is decent. But -2 to find <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Kaldra|PMRD|251" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Kaldra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shield of Kaldra|PDST|139" href="#" target="_blank">Shield of Kaldra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Helm of Kaldra|P5DN|131" href="#" target="_blank">Helm of Kaldra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and maybe even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaldra Compleat|MH2|379" href="#" target="_blank">Kaldra Compleat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is "chef's kiss". Having the word "double" as part of a card text often makes things that are good into something far better. Here, the word "double" seems to take only the -3 ability from bad to just ok. An excellent commander for the Equipment-matters archetype. It's just too bad the Equipment-matters archetype in Boros is oversaturated.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nahiri, Storm of Stone" href="#" target="_blank">Nahiri, Storm of Stone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - 2(R/W R/W)</strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nahiri, Storm of Stone|SLD|533"></div></div>
<p>As usual, uncommon planeswalkers from<em> War of the Spark</em> tend only to matter based on the static ability on this card. We see nothing different in this card. Her -X damages only a tapped creature, which is too conditional to really ever matter. The first strike ability is solid, but only getting it on your turn is a major feel-bad. If this card gave double strike on your turn only, I could make an exception, but even at uncommon, the set this card came out in was not an Equipment-matters one. The designers might have been playing it safe. They did at least give you a reduction in Equipment abilities, but it's not enough.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nahiri, the Harbinger" href="#" target="_blank">Nahiri, the Harbinger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - 2RW</strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nahiri, the Harbinger"></div></div>
<p>Unfortunately, the best use of the card in non-multiplayer formats is banned in this format: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emrakul, the Aeons Torn|PPRO|2017" href="#" target="_blank">Emrakul, the Aeons Torn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. All that aside, this card is severely underrated. The consensus is rummage &lt; looting, but when you give it to me on a +2, I can look the other way as I race to this card's ultimate. Not to mention, the removal ability on this card is fantastic. Yes, the creature and artifact you remove have to be tapped, but you get to exile instead of destroy, and as a bonus, you can hit enchantments as well. If you can ultimate this card, the creature or artifact you get might overwhelm you with decision paralysis. So here are some suggestions:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blightsteel Colossus|2XM|357"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angel of the Ruins|BRC|68"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Combustible Gearhulk|MPS|4"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Portal to Phyrexia"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Moonshaker Cavalry"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zealous Conscripts|LTC|231"></div></div>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nahiri, the Unforgiving" href="#" target="_blank">Nahiri, the Unforgiving</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - 1R(R/W/2 life)W</strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nahiri, the Unforgiving"></div></div>
<p>This card does a staggering amount of nothing. At first glance, having two abilities that add loyalty and an ability that doesn't cost loyalty makes it seem like there is a good card attached. This is <strong>not</strong> a good card. Forcing a creature to attack but allowing the creature to attack you or the planeswalkers you control is embarrassing. As just mentioned above, rummaging is worse than looting. The only possible good thing the card can do is use the zero ability to make a token copy of an artifact or creature that can win the game by itself. Tying the ability to the loyalty on Nahiri means this card is even more impacted by the card having the Compleated mechanic. Even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dockside Extortionist" href="#" target="_blank">Dockside Extortionist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would struggle to make this card good.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quintorius Kand" href="#" target="_blank">Quintorius Kand</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - 3RW</strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Quintorius Kand|LCI|307"></div></div>
<p>So far, in Boros, Ajani wants to be built around anything that makes the other players salty. Huatli wants to be built around dinosaurs. Nahiri wants to be built around Equipment. Quintorius wants to be built around exile. Red <em>loves</em> exile. From impulse draw effects to the ultimate on this card and even the "fixed" version of Cascade, <em>Discover</em>. Quintorius will throw around two damage as if it's their job- and they are very good at it. So good at it that other cards in different formats had to be banned. While not ban-worthy, the card is not without a win-the-game combo.</p>
<div id="1190-2492-2845-3556" style="width: 100%; position: relative; overflow: visible; display: flex; justify-content: center;"><img decoding="async" id="csbLoad" src="https://commanderspellbook.com/images/gear.svg" alt="csb logo" width="300" /><br />
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<p>This is one of the better generic planeswalkers in this color combination and one of my favorites from recent years. Other than someone playing Ajani Vengeant "fairly" or Comet, Stellar Pup, you don't need to build around Quintorius for it to be good.</p>
<h3><strong>Wrap Up</strong></h3>
<p>I like Boros. It's straightforward. Every card in Commander doesn't need to be something that makes the gears in your brain turn a mile a minute. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani Vengeant" href="#" target="_blank">Ajani Vengeant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quintorius Kand" href="#" target="_blank">Quintorius Kand</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are the most likely candidates to be the "top tier" new commanders if they suddenly became legal. The thing about this color combination is that it lacks a pure number of cards and the ability to do anything the color needs. Red and white are two colors that used to struggle the most in the Commander format. Over the years, both colors have seen improvement and in the case of the white color pie have seen some of the best cards for the format ever.</p>
<p>Boring is not even the correct description for the set of cards. Uninspired does a better job. I hope there will be more Boros planeswalkers printed over time, and they are more exciting than some of the ones in this article. Maybe letting all planeswalkers be legal as commanders would push for exploring that design space. Perhaps that change would do the opposite? Only time will tell. Either way, I don't see any danger in changing the rule with this set of cards, but other colors might not be the case. Check out my other articles if you want my thoughts on different colors. Join me as we close out the guild pairs with what has to be the most potent pairing, Simic.</p>
<hr />
<h3>Read more:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="9mX7Z3ZeEf"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/myth-realized-what-if-any-planeswalker-could-be-your-commander-golgari/">Myth Realized - What if Any Planeswalker Could Be Your Commander? (Golgari)</a></p></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="CP7Wy3w18N"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/do-your-worst-boros-lands/">Do Your Worst - Boros Landfall</a></p></blockquote>
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nahiri

Common Legendary Creatures Are No Longer Rare

Myth Realized - What if Any Planeswalker Could Be Your Commander? (Boros)

Achievement Unlocked - Building around "Living Weapon" Creatures