Prepare your decks for a thrilling expedition because Lost Caverns of Ixalan, the latest Magic: The Gathering set, is releasing on November 17th. As we embark on our first return to the rich and diverse plane of Ixalan, the focus shifts from the familiar tribes of Merfolk, Vampires, Dinosaurs, and Pirates to a broader theme of adventure and exploration.
Don’t forget you can pick up pre-orders at prerelease on November 10th! Like other top 10 articles we’ve shared, we’ll skip over Legendary Creatures in favor of cards that can be broadly used and enjoyed. Here are ten-ish cards from the set that promise to spark new strategies and enhance your Commander experience!
1. Dusk Rose Reliquary
Dusk Rose Reliquary offers White another low-cost removal option, trading speed for width. This white Artifact can exile a Creature or another Artifact temporarily, serving a similar function to Banishing Light. Affordable and versatile, it ensures that even the most cost-conscious decks can keep the board in check.
2. Tishana's Tidebinder 
Tishana's Tidebinder is a game-changer. For a mere three mana, this Flash Merfolk can counter activated or triggered abilities and keep them from firing while it's in play. It's a perfect foil to cards like Doubling Season and disrupts intricate combos centered around triggers, like those involving Zulaport Cutthroat.
3. Starving Revenant 
Don't let initial impressions fool you; Starving Revenant offers a new way to leverage your card draw. Unlike Queza, Augur of Agonies this four mana Spirit Horror lets you grind out your Opponent’s life totals with your own draw. You’ll need to build a deck around it to make it work, but with fewer color restriction there are more options to explore.
4. Bonehoard Dracosaur 
The Bonehoard Dracosaur is a powerhouse combining a Dragon's majesty with a Dinosaur's might. Beyond its impressive Flying body and First Strike, it provides recurring card advantage and occasional ramp, making it a must-have for any red deck.
5. Diamond Pick-Axe 
If Goldvein Pick left you desiring more, Diamond Pick-Axe answers the call. Tailored for red decks, it may have a higher Equip cost, but it ensures Treasure generation on attack rather than combat damage, paving the way for more consistent ramp and resource accumulation.
6. The Skullspore Nexus 
Boasting the same cost-reduction as The Great Henge, The Skullspore Nexus is an exciting Legendary Artifact that will create some memorable play experiences. Offering protection from board wipes in creating a mega-Creature after your Creatures die gives Creature-focused strategies a way to stay in the game. It also has the added benefit of doubling a Creature’s power, offering some great defensive and offensive plays.
7. Squirming Emergence 
For those late-game comebacks, Squirming Emergence offers unparalleled versatility. This card is set to become a staple in Green-Black-X decks that weave their strategies around crucial, often targeted permanents, allowing them to return to the fray once more.
8. Matzalantli, the Great Door
Matzalantli, the Great Door may appear unassuming, but don’t let this looting Artifact fool you. The true potential is unlocked upon transformation, where it morphs into a potent mana rock that can add a substantial amount of colored mana to your pool each turn based on the number of permanent cards in your graveyard. This will be an all-star in games that go long, but also ideal for decks that double down on graveyard strategies.
9. The Millennium Calendar 
The Millennium Calendar introduces a unique mini-game to Commander tables: endure until you’ve untapped 1000 permanents. Although it's not cut out for combating infinite life strategies, it invites creative deck building with Proliferate mechanics and token strategies to rapidly increase the clock. This Legendary Artifact will be a lightning rod for removal, so running adequate counterspells and protective effects will be key.
10. Roaming Throne 
Doubling the triggered abilities of a specific Creature type, Roaming Throne is especially beneficial for Typal decks and can offer a lot of value. While it only doubles triggered effects on Creatures, the amount of Creatures with triggered abilities is quite high (~3,800) so I;m sure you’ll be able to benefit from this Golem.
Honorary Mentions: Promising Vein and Pit of Offerings.
With a set as rich as Lost Caverns of Ixalan, it's challenging to limit the spotlight to just ten cards. Promising Vein and Pit of Offerings bring unique color fixing to the table. Promising Vein acts like an upgraded Terramorphic Expanse, versatile for early mana then transitioning as needed, while Pit of Offerings combines graveyard hate with fixing, making it an essential tool for maintaining color consistency.
Lost Caverns of Ixalan offers a treasure trove of cards that are bound to inspire Commander enthusiasts. From innovative win conditions and potent removal spells to clever mana-fixing solutions, this set is poised to refresh the format with a sense of adventure and discovery. Whether you're looking to tweak your existing deck or build something entirely new, these cards are worth exploring when they become available this November. There’s many more exciting cards to discover in the full set.
Were there any cards you’re excited about that I missed? Let me know in the Chimera Gaming Discord, or reach me directly on Twitter.
Did you know we usually have 20 pods firing for Commander night on Tuesdays? I hope to see you there and may your descent into the Lost Caverns of Ixalan lead to interesting discoveries for your decks!
