3 Popular Commander Cards I Don't Like Running (Part 3)!

Commander has a ton of cards legal in the format, and some of the most popular ones are cards that I hate running, whether it be for power-level reasons or for the impacts they have on the game. I break down three of my least favorite cards to see in decks. What are your thoughts? Do you have any popular cards you hate running?

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[Machiroable]

Harmonize is good because it doesn't depend on a board state like the majority of green draws, it's a draw 3 without strings attached.

[nycstreetpoet]

There are actually a lot of situations in which I regret not running Reliquary Tower, especially in decks that are low on recursion. I do understand what you mean about Harmonize; you’d think 3 cards in one shot would be great but green surprisingly has much better options. As for Supreme Verdict, I don’t have any Azorius decks, so I don’t really use it, although I do now have two decks I have those colors, so I might consider it.

[quegs]

Re: reliquary tower, you’re neglecting the analysis paralysis of discarding to hand size 😅

I do agree that it’s over included, especially because many decks that run it also never end the turn with over 7 cards in hand. But I love passing the turn with an enormous grip and not having to agonize over which seven cards are “best”

[SumTingWong]

Having a max handsize doesn’t “save time by reducing ‘Analysis paralysis’” it just shifts that time spent to your clean up phase when you have to think about what everyone else might do next turn and which counterspell you should keep vs which one you shouldn’t. For an experienced Magic player having more options should only make the decision process for interaction easier and quicker because you’ll be able to instantly tell which card is the best to use in the situation choosing between 2 vs 4 cards doesn’t make much of a difference.

[fwop]

Reliquary - Improves quality of life in 2 color decks, and battlecruises me into the end game in decks where my card quality isn't that high. I often make budget builds, so it does come in clutch when I want to untap with more than a full grip after a big turn to close out the game.

Harmonize - Good, consistent card draw for newer brews where I haven't figured out which direction I want to build my synergies (i.e go wide, go tall, cantrip draw, etc). I often take it out in favour of something more synergistic along the way, but holds a special place in my heart for being a solid support wheel.

Supreme Verdict - Kinda powercrept by boardwipes that exile (Farewell and Merciless Eviction), or those that provide options (Both above + Austere Command and Cleansing Nova), or those that are more one sided (Organic extinction etc).

[Malverde]

Harmonize is unconditional therefore it’s still good. Not as synergystic, but raw card draw when needed is always great.

[shadedcorner]

While your points on there being other more repeatable draws, an unconditional draw in green is incredibly important for rebuilding

[andrewwebb]

Reliquary Tower is great in decks that BOTH 1.) Draw a ton of cards AND 2.) don’t have great forms of recursion.

In a lot of cases, graveyard shenanigans can be more powerful than simply playing out cards and the end-step discard can be used as a tool to fuel them. Reliquary Tower trades off this tool and colored mana, so you should only really use it when your deck checks both boxes.

[SwedeRacerDC]

1. Tower is overrated, but cutting it doesn't necessarily reduce analysis paralysis. In cases where it's overrated because you rarely reach more than 7 by end step, it's irrelevant. Just cut it. In cases where you are barely getting over 7 semi frequently, you increase analysis paralysis, because you have to make decisions on what to discard fairly often which some people struggle with more than figuring out what you prefer to spend your mana on. In cases where you might actually have a double digit hand size especially approaching 20 to 30. You force the difficult decisions constantly of discarding, so it's more frontloaded, but that reduces the amount of options on subsequent turns should you need them and can reduce the analysis paralysis overall.

2. Harmonize is less exciting and a little lackluster, but it's still very playable. If all of your mono green draw is conditional and dependant upon the same conditions, it might be better to replace one with harmonize in the event you have a couple board wipes. If you can have a diverse suite of conditional draw, it might still be better overall for your game plan, but don't underestimate unconditional draw.

3. Supreme Verdict is still a great option. If you're in Azorius colors specifically, you should probably play this. Even perhaps Bant or Jeskai.

[therealcamallu]

I still play Reliquary Tower in my Shorikai deck, where I'm drawing tons of cards. Plus a lot of my costs are colorless, *plus* god forbid I have Unwinding Clock and/or Teferi's Ageless Insight down.

Supreme Verdict is also still in my Shorikai. Even if someone Heroic Interventions or the like, I'm barely affected by it anyway because I don't run many creatures in the first place.

I still play Harmonize in Shalai and Hallar. As other folks have said, unconditional card draw shouldn't be undervalued. Harmonize has been awesome for me when I don't have my other draw pieces or a board state for them to thrive off of.

Popular cards are popular for a reason ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[DraggaRyuu]

I will always tell people to stop undervaluing Harmonize being unconditional card draw AND being extremely budget friendly. It's a boring but safe bet, especially in mono green or even in G/W or G/R, where sometimes just having no strings attached means it can help you recover easier than something that depends on a board state.

[TrixyTrixter]

Unless I can draw a ridiculous amount of cards. I don't use tower.

Harmonize has been out competed.

Verdict also has been outcompeted.

[samuraicupcake]

I mean, pretty much everyone that has white plays Wrath of God in Cmdr. There's only a handful of 4 mana board clears in Magic and the power to clear a board by turn 4 is never understated, esp. in a 4+ player game. If your colors allow it, having Supreme Verdict is almost always good and (as mentioned) barring a protection spell it will have huge impact.

[tavernadoeogan]

About verdict... Usually you have a bunch of enemies, and a bunch of creatures on the board. Even if on creature or player get himself out of the effect, you still get to disrupt a huge part of your enemies strategies... Not to mention that as long as you are runnin blue, you may just counter any unwanted answer, like intervention, protection, etc

[pipsdontlie]

I don't run tower in every deck but I find you always get analysis paralysis, with max hand size it's just front loaded on your end step.

Tower is a banger in My John Benton deck though

[Astro_Junkie]

I only run reliquary tower in Shanna Purifying blade. Because of how many effects I have that untap my lands at my end step or on attack or combat damage I always have mana to spend on her ability and sometimes I just untap my lands after paying for it in the first place. I've had well over 15 cards in hand consistently and reliquary tower makes it nice to never lose resources

[joncatlin]

ah yes, let me replace my $2 reliquary tower with the $42 urzas saga

[brandtmichael]

Sometimes you want to draw three cards right away. A 4 drop draw engine has more value in the long run, but sometimes you need an immediate boost to your hand and don't have the luxury to build up

[AbyssArray]

I play Reliquary Tower where I think it's fitting - typically if my commander allows for the card draw. It's also good when I plan to play a more reactive deck rather than a proactive one - typically my 2 colour blue decks.

For Harmonize.. it's consistent, it's effective - other forms of draw are reliant on something else, like Toski requires creatures on board to swing with, Beast Whisperer requires other creatures in hand to cast with, etc. Those two in particular paint themselves as removal targets as well, whereas Harmonize doesn't

[calebthedoomguy]

I love supreme verdict. It is a board wipe when needed, the inability to counter it is a valuable point in it's favor (because saying there are work arounds is the same counter point to almost all board wipes) and if i don't want to wipe it can be pitched to force of will/negation