The first set of 2020 is already showing lots of cards for Commander players to toy with, from amazing mana ramp to new combo pieces. We also got reprints of
Gray Merchant of Asphodel,
Idyllic Tutor, and
Underworld Dreams. There are also new commanders for you to try out, but I'm not going to go over them. I'm just going over the cards you'll want to use in existing decks. TBD has a lot to cover so let's dive into it.
Destiny SpinnerIt's a bit of a shame that this card isn't uncounterable, but that's hardly a downside. If counterspells frequent your playgroup (or if a lot of your stuff is just worth countering) and you have an enchantress deck, this card was made for you.
There's also this other ability that does something with a land. Why am I bothering? No one's ever going to use it.
Dryad of the Ilysian GroveIf you happen to have a green deck that uses
Chromatic Lantern, here's the replacement. It doesn't tap for mana itself, but the extra land drop will make up for that.
Eidolon of ObstructionThere were a lot of good Planeswalkers last year. Something had to even then out, and
The Immortal Sun just doesn't cut it. I'm not sure
Eidolon of Obstruction will hurt that much, but if there's a superfriends deck in your meta you might want to consider using this to slow them down.
Heliod, Sun-CrownedThis is weird. I'm not used to seeing white legendaries with combo potential. The obvious interaction is
Walking Ballista and/or
Triskelion. Because mono-white tends to have trouble with combo consistency, I'm expecting this combo to show up in other commander decks.
Hyrax Tower ScoutAnother card that combos with
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker. It also allows the
Birthing Pod combo to start with a CMC 2 creature (
Hyrax Tower Scout ->
Felidar Guardian ->
Karmic Guide ->
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker).
Ilysian CaryatidNot much to say about this. It replaces a
Sylvan Caryatid or
Paradise Druid. It's alright mana ramp, but there's better from this set. Moving on.
Nyxbloom AncientHere's the better mana ramp. This card is quite obviously insanely powerful. Even if it just said "lands" it would be a powerful card, but any permanent? Signets now tap for 6 mana! Most big-mana decks will want this card.
Nyx LotusOh would you look at that, a card that goes really well with the
Nyxbloom Ancient I just mentioned. While this card is good, it's getting a little over-hyped. Green decks already had access to
Karametra's Acolyte, which is
more or less the same thing. But if you are playing a non-green deck where you can get your devotion high, this might be a good card for you.
Omen of the SeaEven at two mana this is a decent draw effect, and it has a nice secondary activation. Will likely be a good budget option.
Stinging Lionfish and
Wavebreak HippocampRashmi, Eternities Crafter players can rejoice as two new cards made counterspells even better.
Stinging Lionfish might see some play in control decks, but
Wavebreak Hippocamp will be in a lot more. Counterspells are inherit card disadvantage, so having something that evens it out is perfect.
Thassa's OracleThese next two cards are the real highlights of Theros Beyond Death.
Thassa's Oracle has a good ability even without the "you win the game" part attached. But with that ability? You've got a
Laboratory Maniac effect that isn't stopped by removal, only counterspells. It's also lead to the new "Fish Hulk" combo which is ripping it's way through competitive commander. This card is also finding it's way into
Doomsday piles and other combos. Best of all, it's not a dead card, because that ability is just good on it's own.
Underworld BreachWith
Yawgmoth's Will on the reserve list and out of most people's reach, this card comes as a close second. It might make an appearance in storm decks and decks that gets lots of cards in the graveyard.