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Lorwyn Eclipsed sees the official return to Lorwyn for the first time since 2008’s Eventide. The set introduces 61 new PDH (Pauper Commander) options of varying quality. Some don’t quite function well as commanders, while others make for powerful ones to lead your deck. These are some of the best options for Lorwyn Eclipsed PDH options.
Lorwyn Eclipsed PDH Impact
Before we get into the decks, let’s look at what Lorwyn Eclipsed has done to PDH. For the most part, the cards that can go in the 99 are pretty far and in between. At most, a few creature-based strategies got a few new cards, such as Merrow Skyswimmer for Merfolk and Boneclub Berserker for Goblins.
The new commanders introduced in Lorwyn Eclipsed aren’t going to be sweeping any competitive tables. However, for the more casual power levels, there are a lot of fun new toys. This primarily comes in the form of creature-based decks, which have various new options for commanders.
Lorwyn Eclipsed PDH Creature Decks
Lorwyn Eclipsed’s best new PDH commanders come in the form of those that support one specific creature type. Since Lorwyn is a very creature-focused plane, so it makes sense as to why this is the case.
Deepchannel Duelist
Deepchannel Duelist is a new option for Merfolk decks. It is a rather basic Merfolk that boosts all others by +1/+1. The benefit is at the end step, it lets you untap any Merfolk, so you can untap your most powerful Merfolk to use as blockers after they attack. Alternatively, you can untap a utility Merfolk to re-use its effect before your turn comes back around. The benefit of being able to run White is that it lets you play cards like Kytheon's Tactics and Devoted Paladin to give your creatures a big stat boost before swinging in with them all.
When it comes to untapping Merfolk, there are a few different options. One such option is Merfolk Looter, which can tap itself to draw and discard a card. This helps you to get rid of dead cards while hopefully drawing you into something more useful. Another utility card is Silvergill Douser that can drastically bring the power of a creature down. You can untap Rootwater Hunter to deal burn damage to a creature or player. Since your turn doesn’t end at the end step, you can use the effect twice before your turn ends to take care of any creature that may have lived through combat.
While the +1/+1 stat boost your commander gives is small, when mixed with unblockable, this becomes much scarier. Life totals only start at 30 in PDH, so this helps you drain life quickly. Triton Shorestalker, Mist-Cloaked Herald, and Storm Sculptor all can attack freely with no strings attached. Other cards such as Rootwater Commando and Stonybrook Banneret have landwalk that can make them unblockable, but only in certain situations.
A sample decklist can be viewed below. This Lorwyn Eclipsed PDH deck is all about flooding the battlefield with Merfolk and attacking with stat boosts. Merfolk have a low mana curve, letting you get ahead of your opponents and use your excess mana for counterspells.
Commander
Creatures (41)
Instants (11)
Sorceries (7)
Artifacts (6)
Lands (33)
100 Cards
$59.25
Twinflame Travelers
This Lorwyn Eclipsed PDH deck focuses on doubling triggers with your commander Twinflame Travelers. This deck is built around the Elemental creature type. The mana curve for Elementals is very high, so it’s important to use removal spells such as Lightning Bolt and Abrade smartly to destroy problematic creatures that might be a problem for you while you’re setting up.
With how high the mana curve is, cards that make it easier to cast Elementals are vital. Smokebraider is the best, as it’s a mana dork that lets you generate two mana that can only be used on Elemental spells or abilities. Brighthearth Banneret discounts your Elemental (and Warrior) spells by just one mana. Both of these cards only cost two mana, and you want them on the battlefield quickly so your best Elementals can be cast earlier.
When it comes to Elementals with powerful triggered abilities, you have no shortage of them. Mulldrifter can draw you a ton of cards when it enters (be it evoked or not). With a lot of Elementals on the battlefield, Lavakin Brawler gets a massive stat boost that’s double the amount of Elementals you control (so six Elementals is a +12/+0 stat boost). Since most of your spells have a mana value of four or higher, Enraged Flamecaster can deal a lot of burn damage. With Twinflame Travelers on the battlefield, the trigger doubles for 4 burn damage every time you cast a spell that costs four or more mana.
A sample decklist can be viewed below. Due to the nature of Elementals, the deck is very much on the slower side. It trades off having a very weak early game for a potentially devastating late-game. You just have to get to the late game to be rewarded.
Commander
Creatures (46)
Instants (11)
Artifacts (7)
Lands (33)
100 Cards
$59.84
Boggart Cursecrafter
Goblins are another creature type that has no shortage of PDH commanders. However, Lorwyn Eclipsed introduced one of the new strongest in Boggart Cursecrafter. It’s one of the most impactful commanders in Lorwyn Eclipsed PDH’s selection. For every Goblin that dies, it deals 1 damage to all opponents. You can stack this burn with Makeshift Munitions and Impact Tremors for a very fast burn deck. Goblins have a very low mana curve, letting you win the game quickly.
You actively want your Goblins to die, so cards that sacrifice your Goblins for draw power are great. This lets you trigger your commander while drawing cards so you can play more Goblins to sacrifice. Village Rites, Deadly Dispute, and Fanatical Offering are the classic selections, and are great here.
The deck even has an infinite combo. All you need is First Day of Class, Putrid Goblin, and any sacrifice enabler such as Skirk Prospector. All you have to do is cast First Day of Class, then sacrifice Putrid Goblin to Skirk Prospector. Since Putrid Goblin has persist, it’ll return to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter. However, because you played First Day of Class, it enters with a +1/+1 counter. These cancel each other out, meaning persist will trigger when you sacrifice it again. You can do this an infinite number of times. With Boggart Cursecrafter or Impact Tremors (and similar effects) on the battlefield, this is infinite burn damage. If you used
A sample decklist can be viewed below. This deck can be very fast, and if you draw the right cards early enough, can win the game before your opponents ever have a chance to set up their decks. Even when you’re on the backfoot, if your commander is out, you’re in a good position.
Commander
Creatures (43)
Instants (8)
Sorceries (8)
Artifacts (5)
Lands (33)
100 Cards
$79.08
Lorwyn Eclipsed PDH Variety Decks
Not every commander is one built for creature-based decks. There are a handful of other ones that are more “generic” instead of only focusing on boosting up the abilities of just one creature type.
Moon-Vigil Adherents
While not technically a creature type-based commander, Moon-Vigil Adherents wants you to have a ton of creature cards on the battlefield and in the graveyard. There is one creature type very good at this, and that’s Elves. As such, the deck primarily plays Elves. This lets you take advantage of the powerful Priest of Titania for massive amounts of mana generation. Seeker of Skybreak lets you do this twice, or untap your commander to use as a blocker since it’s going to be your most powerful creature by far.
Your deck is primarily filled with creatures, so the cards You Meet in a Tavern and Lead the Stampede are very good at making sure you can cast creatures with how much mana you’re making. Most Elves have low stats, so they are susceptible to the few board wipes in PDH, making Wrap in Vigor a very useful card to keep them safe from a wipe. However, even if they are wiped, Moon-Vigil Adherents will still get boosted from your creatures in your graveyard.
It is very important that your commander sticks around, so you want to keep it protected. As such, you want to have cards such as Snakeskin Veil, Tamiyo's Safekeeping, and Origin of Metalbending (the last of which can also be used to remove a problem artifact or enchantment). Most of your Elves are weak, so Moon-Vigil Adherents is your main source of damage, so you wan to make sure it doesn’t get removed.
A sample decklist can be viewed below. In PDH, you only need to deal 16 combat damage with your commander to take someone out of the game with commander damage. It’s trivial to get 16 creatures on the battlefield and graveyard with Elves, so most attacks will one-shot your opponents (especially because your commander has trample).
Commander
Creatures (31)
Instants (18)
Sorceries (8)
Artifacts (4)
Enchantments (5)
100 Cards
$88.16
Nightmare Sower
Nightmare Sower is a hard control deck. It utilizes its effect to put -1/-1 counters on creatures to make sure your opponents never have access to them. You are going to constantly be removing your opponents’ creatures at instant speed, and since so many creatures die, Sadistic Glee and Eternal Thirst can grow the stats of a creature (which will usually be your commander so you can close out games quicker).
The deck plays a ton of removal spells. Defile is a great one at one mana, since you’ll have a ton of swamps thanks to being mono-colored. Vendetta hits any nonblack creature but requires you to lose life equal to its toughness. Cast Down destroys every creature in the format except for commanders. The idea is to use these removal spells on creatures with large stats, and use Nightmare Sower‘s effect to put -1/-1 counters on the weaker ones since those are easier to kill with its effect and helps keep the battlefield clear.
There are extra ways to take advantage of creatures dying. Deathgreeter lets you gain a life whenever any other creature dies. Falkenrath Noble lets you gain a life while burning a player whenever any creature dies. You can also use Gray Merchant of Asphodel to get in some extra life gain and burn damage since your devotion to Black will be so high.
A sample decklist can be viewed below. The deck focuses on controlling the battlefield by keeping powerful creatures off of it, and slowly dwindling away the weaker ones with your commander.
Commander
Creatures (19)
Instants (21)
Sorceries (6)
Artifacts (13)
Enchantments (7)
Lands (34)
100 Cards
$74.76
Voracious Tome-Skimmer
Voracious Tome-Skimmer is a Control deck that uses card advantage to stay ahead of your opponents. You’re using a ton of counterspells such as Arcane Denial and removal spells like Doom Blade during your opponents’ turns to draw extra cards. The effect isn’t once per turn, so as long as you have life to pay, you can keep drawing cards so you never run out of steam.
One way to take advantage of all your card advatnage is with monarch and initiative. Vicious Battlerager and Aarakocra Sneak both have you take the initiative, which provides a constant stream of useful effects each upkeep. Thorn of the Black Rose makes you the monarch, which will let you draw even more cards to stay ahead of all of your opponents.
Much of your deck is instants and sorceries, which lets you play creatures for a discount. Tolarian Terror and Cryptic Serpent both have their generic mana cost discounted for each instant and sorcery in your graveyard. Gurmag Angler can exile useless cards from your graveyard to discount its casting cost thanks to its delve ability. You can also use Delver of Secrets since the odds of it flipping are very high.
A sample decklist can be viewed below. While the deck doesn’t necessarily do anything “unfair,” it’s a value engine that lets you keep drawing cards so that you can answer to anything your opponents try to do.
Commander
Creatures (19)
Instants (26)
Sorceries (6)
Artifacts (8)
Enchantments (8)
Lands (33)
100 Cards
$91.9
In Conclusion
The impact on PDH with Lorwyn Eclipsed wasn’t too drastic. For the most part, many of the commanders are on the weaker side, if not borderline unplayable. However, that’s not the case for every card, as shown by the commanders here. Boggart Cursecrafter and Moon-Vigil Adherents are the two big standouts as the best new commanders for the format. If you like more options for creature-based decks, then Lorwyrn Eclipsed gave you a lot of new toys for various creature types.
