There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
Brawl is a Standard constructed Commander format and the rules are similar. Just like Commander, you have a Legendary Commander set aside and only play cards that match its colors. Your deck size is 60 instead of 100 to accommodate for the smaller card pool. You can also use any Standard legal Legendary creature or Standard legal Planeswalkers as your Commander. The only downside to it aligning with the Standard card pool is that any card banned in Standard is also banned in Brawl.
When a new set comes out, my favorite way to play is at a friend’s house, doing a draft with 7 other friends or playing a few games of Commander in a relaxing and casual environment. I am very happy to see the direction Wizards of the Coast is taking by promoting more casual formats. With the longer Standard rotations and the obvious direction of Dominaria, I can see Brawl becoming more popular than Standard in no time. The games of Brawl I have played have been nothing short of amazing. Tons of interaction, really cool themes, and most importantly everyone is having a great time. No better way than to post a few Brawl decks I have been working on that I am eagerly awaiting to play when Dominaria is released!
(If you haven’t seen the new Dominaria cards, the official preview Image Gallery can be found here: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/card-image-gallery/dominaria.
A few more text only cards are in the accidentally revealed Release Document here: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/dominaria-leak-2018-03-08
Karn, Scion of Urza (Commander) • Weatherlight • Icy Manipulator • Voltaic Servant • Jhoira’s Familiar • Howling Golem • Powerstone Shard • Gilded Lotus • Voltiac Servant • Treasure Map • Aethersphere Harvester • Skysovereign, Consul Flagship • Mirage Mirror • Walking Ballista • Foundry Inspector • Chief of the Foundry • Filigree Familiar • Treasure Keeper • Metalwork Colossus • Scrap Trawler • Key to the City • Barricade Breaker • Wall of the Forgotten Pharaohs • Hallow One • Crackdown Construct • Azor’s Gateway • Awakened Amalgam • Sorcerous Spyglass • Hierophant’s Chalice • Golden Guardian • Bomat Bazaar Barge • Paradox Engine • Universal Solvent • Edifice of Authority • Oracle of the Vault • Orazca Relic • Pacification Array • Grave Abomination • Sunset Pyramid • Mishra’s Self-Replicator • Juggernaut • Urza’s Tome • Zhalfirin Void • Unknown Shores • Field of Ruin • Unclaimed Territory • Arch of Orazca • Inventors’ Fair • Aether Hub • Sequestered Stash • Spire of Industry • Cascading Cataracts • Painted Bluffs • Cradle of the Accursed • Grasping Dunes • Sunscorched Desert • Endless Sands • Scavenger Grounds • Hostile Desert • Dunes of the Dead • Survivors’ Encampment
Another favorite Legendary creature of mind is Ghalta, the Primal Hunger. This is my son’s favorite card from Rivals of Ixalan so I had to brew him up a deck as well.
Ghalta, the Primal Hunger (Commander) • Llanowar Elves • Druid of the Cowl • Drover of the Mighty • Merfolk Branchwalker • Jadelight Ranger • Deathgorge Scavenger • Wayward Swordtooth • Rhonas the Indomitable • Trashing Brontodon • Rishkar, Peema Renegade • Steel Leaf Champion • Territorial Allosaurus • Ripjaw Raptor • Arborback Stomper • Majestic Myriarch • Ridgescale Tusker • Carnage Tyrant • Verdurous Gearhulk • Honored Hydra • Grunn, the Lonely King • Nissa, Vital Force • Commune with Dinosaurs • Thunderherd Migration • Savage Stomp • Song of Freyalise • Hour of Promise • Beneath the Sands • Aethersphere Harvester • Cultivator’s Caravan • Lifecrater’s Bestiary • Strider Harness • Rhona’s Monument • Growing Rites of Itlimoc • Sandwurm Convergence • Hashep Oasis • Arch of Orzaca • Desert of the Indomitable • Field of Ruin • Sunsorced Desert • 20 Forest
Ghalta is an amazing Brawl Commander that just makes me want to scream ROOOOAAAARRRRRRR. With the Jurassic Park movie coming out, and how much my son and I love dinosaurs, this has to be our favorite brawl deck so far. Ghalta is extra awesome as a Commander because if you have to recast it the extra cost also gets reduced by your creatures. Llanowar Elves is a great addition to the deck and glad to see the little mana dork back in action. My goal is to eventually kicker Grunn, the Lonely King and give it trample with Rhona’s Monument or Rhonas himself to attack for over 20!