Villains? Heists? Showdowns? Outlaws of Thunder Junction has everything you’d want in a Western-themed Magic set. Releasing April 19th (available for purchase at Pre-Release starting April 12th) this set is jam-packed with Legendary creatures and a haul of new cards for Commander players.
There’s a new modality in town, Spree, which lets us pick modes for varying mana values. These cards are really good, and you’ll always love having them in your hand. I don’t cover them all in this article, but definitely take a spin through the singles to find the perfect fit for your deck.
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. Without further ado, here’s the ten cards you should pick up from Outlaws of Thunder Junction.
1. Final Showdown
Are you looking for an Instant that can save you in multiple situations? Final Showdown is just the ticket. Offering a protection spell for a single Creature you control, reactive board wipe or even a Dress Down effect. While it’s not as strong as Teferi’s Protection, it will still seal the deal on a win for you when your opponents least expect it.
2. The Key to the Vault
Attacking in Blue isn’t very common, but The Key to the Vault may make you reconsider that strategy. This fun Equipment gives you some free casts off the top of your deck if you can deal some Combat damage. There are lots of ways to grant your Creatures evasion in Blue, so I could see this card making quite the splash.
3. Insatiable Avarice
Drawing cards is good. Tutoring cards is good. Both? Feels like a slam dunk to me! Insatiable Avarice will cost you 5 mana to get the card you want in hand, which is more expensive than Diabolic Tutor, but it does draw you two additional cards for just 1 more mana. The real win for this card is the modality. With Spree you can choose which modes you need, adding flexibility to one of your 99 slots.
4. Great Train Heist
Great Train Heist is a rare gem that can be used both aggressively and defensively. Untapping your Creatures for another Combat step can win the game, but so can untapping your Creatures and blocking every attacker with First Strike. If this card plays as well as it reads, I’ll be running it in a lot of decks.
5. Goldvein Hydra
When green Creatures have three Keywords, that usually means trouble (ahem Questing Beast). Goldvein Hydra also leaves a bunch of Treasures behind when it dies. With Haste, Trample and Vigilance you can swing in deal some damage, and sacrifice it to create a bunch of Treasures. With Doubling Season this Hydra scales something fierce.
6. Smuggler’s Surprise
There are many Green Spells above 7 Mana Value that will win you the game, but few offer the flexibility that Smuggler’s Surprise does. This lets you Ramp if needed, protect your Creatures or slam down your game-enders. What a card! I can’t wait to cast all of these modes separately.
7. Assimilation Aegis
Copying your opponent’s Creatures can be pretty disruptive for some strategies, and being able to do so multiple times offers some interesting redundancy. This can also be used to get some surprising value out of your opponent’s plays. I’m interested to see how Assimilation Aegis plays out.
8. Pillage the Bog
Dig Through Time is a strong Magic card. Pillage the Bog hits on similar lines, but can help you dig far deeper in a long game of Commander. On turn 4 this Sorcery lets you look through your next 8 draws and pick the perfect card for the situation. If you’re on Turn 10, this will likely be a quarter of your Library. With Plot, you can pre-pay so you can use it on a later turn to dig for a high cost card and cast it in the same turn.
9. Lavaspur Boots
Lightning Greaves are fantastic in Commander. Having a budget option in Lavaspur Boots is a welcome addition. Yes Shroud and an Equip cost of 0 will make a difference in competitive games, but if you’re looking to build budget decks or just want some redundancy, these boots are worth putting spurs on.
10. Pest Control
Destroying low Mana Value permanents can be really strong in Commander. Tokens have a Mana Value of 0 and most mana positive Artifacts fall in this category (i.e. Sol Ring, Mana Crypt). Culling Ritual is spectacular at 4 Mana Value with the massive influx of Mana, but being able to deal with a pesky board state for 2 is exceptional in its own right. IF you don’t have a good use for Pest Control, you can always Cycle it away.
Whether you're looking to tweak your existing decks or build something entirely new, Outlaws of Thunder Junction has a lot of interesting cards for your Commander decks, with a lot of flexibility and refreshing designs.
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? Tables fill up fast and I hope to see you there!
