The previews for Outlaws of Thunder Junction are coming fast and furious this week, and several of the new commanders are setting up to be world-shakers. Today I want to focus on someone who doesn’t do a new thing, but does it better than anyone else who’s come before:
Ghired has had a card before, about six years ago when Commander 2019 came out. That version had a 4/4 trample creature token built in, but you needed to attack to get the populate trigger.
Make no mistake, this tap ability is “tap:populate” but there is potential for even more. So today I want to come up with a list of the cards that I think Ghired’s Commander deck will want. I’m fully aware that there’s a Naya-colored Commander deck coming, but the theme there is lands moving in and out of the graveyard, so the reprint risk is lower.
So let’s get to the cards that enable this effect, and which versions we should have ready to go.
It’s important to note that you have to be ready to go with untapped nontoken creatures. It’s also important that you have haste for everything, both for the ability from Ghired and having the new tokens attack immediately. Haste enablers will be a big part of these decks, and here’s some favorites:
Thousand-Year Elixir: nonfoils are available in the $11 range for List, Commander, and original Lorwyn copies. The only foils available are from original Lorwyn, and already quite pricey. The Elixir is exactly what the deck wants, giving your abilities haste and adding an additional untap to do the thing. Similarly, Magewright Stone in RVR’s retro foil frame has a similar effect and that’s $3, ready to rise.
Fervor: Classic, simple, straightforward and will see a minor bump. No special foils to chase yet, but there’s only 7th foil (crazy expensive) and Magic Origins foil (super reasonable $7)
Fires of Yavimaya: Worth playing, but it’s either 20 versions in bulk nonfoil or the original foil for $30.
Rhythm of the Wild – Retro Foils are four bucks from Ravnica Remastered. Definitely worth having some of those around.
Hammer of Purphoros – Foils are available for three bucks, plus you can turn lands into tokens and start the chain going.
Nahiri’s Resolve – Surge Foils from Aftermath can be had for three dollars, and there’s some great effects you might want to flicker.
Ghired lets us copy any token, and while creature tokens are the most common, there’s other ways to play that game. We want copies of sweet cards, not just creatures! We also want ways to copy our sweet creatures, instead of just making big tokens.
Lithoform Engine – Sure it costs a lot of mana, but the FEA at $10 is likely a winner here. Make the spell, get a copy, copy the copy!
Mirrorpool – Copying a creature you control in these colors isn’t easy, but foils are $8 already! Three nonfoil printings to choose from, so definitely look at foils here.
Bramble Sovereign – I own two dozen Borderless foils that I bought for much higher prices way back when. Now you can get in at $4 and go to town.
Flameshadow Conjuring – It makes a copy, which has haste. The copy Ghired makes doesn’t have haste but also won’t need to be sacrificed. Very few NM foils near $7, which might spike hard.
Hofri Ghostforge – Gets recursive value, and you can get FEA versions for $4.
Mimic Vat – A pet card of mine, always giving value as an exile for the other players, now you get a token too! Please remember the special LCC version for $4.
Orthion, Hero of Lavabrink – I didn’t know about this card but foils at $5 are just what the deck wants.
Rhys the Redeemed – Commander players love the best-case scenario for things, and Rhys is that. I like the DXM foils at $14.
Soul Foundry – Yes, you exile your own thing, but tokens! MIR foils at $7 are the play here.
Helm of the Host – There are three foils around $17, and all should see a modest rise. Can you imagine the shenanigans here?
The deck will also need some giant tokens to copy. These are just a few options:
Urabrask’s Forge – Tokens are trample, haste, and gloriously growing. FEA copies at $5 are my call.
Rite of the Raging Storm – There’s no foils, just several nonfoils, but the card is glorious in a Ghired deck and all versions should bump up some.
Budoka Gardener – Foils are $20, nonfoils under a buck. Take your pick.
Ghalta and Mavren – Showcase foil is underpriced at $2, and don’t forget the bundle foil exists.
Mask of the Jadecrafter – Easy way to make big tokens twice. Foils as a brick play might work out nicely.
Oviya Pashiri, Sage Lifecrafter – Foils are near bulk but it’s the perfect card.
Nissa, Ascended Animist – Oil Slick foils are just $10!
Idol of Oblivion – Etched foils are already $12 but could hit $20. Only other foil is $3 and could go higher, good early and late!
Godsire – With Ghired out, you get it twice! I would go for the $20 pack foils but there’s so few, the originals and the List copies should see their own bumps.
Roar of the Wurm – $6 for original foils, but $3 FNM foils are a good secondary choice.
Advent of the Wurm – Bulk pricing for the foils may not last long!
Armada Wurm – $2 foils are ripe for the picking as a mythic from 12 years ago.
Dragonmaster Outcast – BFZ foils at $4-$5 are where I’d want to be, but the Worldwake foils are near double that price and super mega rare. Remember, it was a small set from 15 years ago, and was only opened for a couple months before Rise of the Eldrazi came out.
Old One Eye – Surge foils at $4 are definitely the play
Omnath, Locus of Rage – I would go for Secret Lair foils at $14, given the tiny supply, but the regular frame foils at $12ish are also tempting.
Finally, Commander players are big on spells and effects that mimic the Commander’s theme. In this case, that means anything with ‘populate’ on it will see some action. Prepare accordingly.
Esika’s Chariot – The showcase foils are just $4, compared to where they were during their time in Standard.
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker – Lots to choose from, and I’m not certain which version will take off.
Parallel Evolution – A classic enabler of token strategies, I’m paying attention to the original foils: 4 copies under $20, then they jump to $30.
Determined Iteration – Promo pack foils for $10 are my target here, since those are in lower supply.
Nesting Dovehawk – $8 for these two effects on one card is perfect.
Arboreal Alliance – To maximize its effect, the deck needs elves, but under $1 for big token and populating goodness is hard to argue with.
Life Finds a Way – $6 foil for a Jurassic Park card that does exactly what the deck wants.
Cliff (@WordOfCommander) has been writing for MTGPrice since 2013, and is an eager Commander player, Draft enthusiast, and Cube fanatic. A high school science teacher by day, he’s also the official substitute teacher of the MTG Fast Finance podcast. If you’re ever at a GP and you see a giant flashing ‘CUBE DRAFT’ sign, go over, say hi, and be ready to draft.