I’m going to try something different here on 99CMDR Problems. I’m going to keep a running review of the cards that are being previewed in the new Eternal Masters set. Once a new card gets previewed by an official previewer (they were given that card, not just a leak), I’ll throw my two cents on here. Newest previewed cards on top.
Since these are all reprints, it’s a bit easier to gauge on how they’ll play out in the format. These will be short reviews (maybe 100-150 words) to give you an idea of what I think of them plus any info I think is necessary. Here’s the scale I’m going to use:
5.0 – Must have staple in every deck in those colors.
4.0 – Very good card and must be considered.
3.0 – Good card in those colors, sometimes a roleplayer.
2.0 – Usually only part of a combo deck or not that spectacular.
1.0 – I would advise against using it.
I’m going to also include if it’s a new art, first time in foil, article of the preview to get more in depth (most likely non Commander related), and the last printing if you want the older card. Images from mythicspoiler.com.
May 25
Name: Wrath of God
Cost: 2WW
Rarity: Rare
New Art: No
Last Printed: From the Vault: Annihilation
Rating: 5.0
A card so good it’s boring? Maybe. Sets that have printed Wrath of God: From the Vault: Annihilation, Commander 2013, Tenth Edition, Ninth Edition, Eighth Edition, Seventh Edition, Textless Players Rewards, Battle Royal Box Set, Sixth Edition, Portal, Fifth Edition, Forth Edition, Revised, Unlimited, Beta, Alpha. 15 Times (Though only twice in nine years to be fair).
Sets that have printed Damnation, it’s Black color-shifted counterpart: Judge Promo, Textless Players Rewards, Planar Chaos. Enjoy your Void (And Toxic Deluge too).
Name: Void
Cost: 3BR
Rarity: Rare
New Art: Yes
Last Printed: Time Spiral Timeshifted Sheet
Previewed by: Blake Rasmussen (DailyMTG.com)
Rating: 3.0
There are two things that Black can do well: kill creatures and make players discard. Red can kill artifacts pretty well. Put them on a card and you could have a huge hit. Make you choose a number for converted mana cost in order to kill said things? Well, that’s when we get into a bunch of trouble. It can be good if an opponent is playing a deck with a bunch of cards, or tokens, that cost the same. The fact that you have a chance to keep your stuff alive is the saving grace on this card, but mostly you’ll be using this as a 2-1 or if you’re lucky like 4-1. That’s still a good card, but it’s never a truly a feel good card unless you blow someone out with it. Then that’s the best feeling.
Name: Mystical Tutor
Cost: U
Rarity: Rare
New Art: Yes
Last Printed: From the Vault: Exiled
Previewed by: The Command Zone
Rating: 4.7
The fourth of the tutor cycle, this one ranks just behind Vampiric Tutor as the best once since Blue loves instants and sorceries. Go grab a card with Miracle, say Entreat the Angles or Temporal Mastery or Terminus, and profit. Mix this with Sensei’s Divining Top and you can draw that card this turn, something not unheard of in Commander. It’s a tutor, and unless you spend 20 minutes searching through your deck, everyone likes a tutor effect. This is one of the best.
Name: Ashnod’s Altar
Cost: 3
Rarity: Uncommon
New Art: Yes
Last Printed: Sixth Edition
Previewed by: The Command Zone
Rating: 3.5
FIRST TIME IN FOIL ALERT! If you sacrifice a creature, it pays your Commander Tax. That’s the bare minimum this card does. But in reality, it’s a huge combo enabler with so many different combos I can’t go into them here. 17 years since its last printing, the hope is to see this in more Commander decks because it should be. Sacrificing the creature is free (which is great if an opponent wants to steal a creature), and tokens love it as well. Hopefully this card will get more love and be more than the combo engine it’s usually played as.
Name: Chain Lightning
Cost: RR
Rarity: Uncommon
New Art: No (Premium Deck Series)
Last Printed: Premium Deck Series: Fire and Lightning
Rating: 1.5
I had to go to edhrec.com to find out how often this card is played since I couldn’t remember it ever in a Commander deck. It’s a fun card, but it’s just not that useful in Commander.
Name: Vindicate
Cost: 1WB
Rarity: Rare
New Art: No (Judge Promo)
Last Printed: Judge Promo
Previewed by: Jarvis Yu (GatheringMagic.com)
Rating: 5.0
The other three little words that strike fear into Magic players: Destroy target permanent. The only draw back is the sorcery speed, there’s pretty much nothing else to dislike about this card. I prefer the original Apocalypse art, but that’s because the art in that old frame looks fantastic and iconic. This card is so good that for a few years WotC has been trying to “remake” this card in Utter End and Anguished Unmaking (also fearing Sorin in the art). Yes, this card is worth it in every deck you can cram it into as it will solve almost anything that’s troubling you.
Name: Shardless Agent
Cost: 1GU
Rarity: Rare
New Art: No
Last Printed: Judge Promo
Rating: 3.1
What makes this better than Bloodbraid Elf? Simple, it’s in Blue and it costs less. With Cascade, the higher the cost the more it hits things. Great for Maelstrom Wanderer since you want to hit big creatures and swing with them. Shardless Agent lets you miss bigger spells and hit more direct effects you may want to cast (Draw, ramp, bounce, etc) earlier in the game. Plus, being in Blue, you can bounce him back to your hand and cast it again (Deadeye Navigator trick doesn’t) work here. You can hit more consistent cards if you build it with Shardless Agent in mind. Also a bonus: Artifact. Abuse that to your heart’s content.
Name: Hymn to Tourach
Cost: BB
Rarity: Uncommon
New Art: No (From the Vault)
Last Printed: From the Vault: 20
Rating: 1.7
Hymn is a really good card, just not in multiplayer. If you play 1v1 Commander, then this rating changes completely (for the better), but I’m not focused on that here.
Name: Maelstrom Wanderer
Cost: 5URG
Rarity: Mythic
New Art: Yes
Last Printed: Commander’s Arsenal
Previewed by: Quinn Murphy (DailyMTG.com)
Rating: 4.2
COMMANDER ALERT! Only printed in Planechase 2012 (which will also see print in the Planechase Anthology later this year), and the hard to acquire Commander’s Arsenal, this powerhouse Commander warps formats whenever he’s cast. The new art looks wonderful and The Wanderer opens up plenty more deck styles than Animar, Soul of Elementals usual “Creatures and Lands only”. Cascade is so good, even when it gets countered you get the effect. Twice here.
Name: Prodigal Sorcerer
Cost: 2U
Rarity: Uncommon
New Art: Yes
Last Printed: Time Spiral Timeshifted Sheet
Previewed by: Mark Price (DailyMTG.com)
Rating: 1.4
“Pinging”, the act of dealing one damage, used to be in Blue. Crazy, I know. Tim here is a relic of the past. Run to see him again, but unless you’re playing pauper Commander or a really weird highlander variant, I just don’t think he makes a list.
Name: Rorix Bladewing
Cost: 3RRR
Rarity: Rare
New Art: Yes
Last Printed: Planechase
Previewed by: UMotivo
Rating: 2.4
COMMANDER ALERT! Let me tell you about this card. Back when this was first printed, it basically had to be Legendary because a 6/5 flying haste for 6 was too good. This is the same set that saw a 4/4 for 2GG that didn’t have a drawback and everyone thought powercreep. This old Pit Fighter might have been passed up in the cool department two sets later when his undead self was just more fun to play, but in a format where you only care about having one copy of a card, the Legendary tag doesn’t matter and hitting for 6 is still good.
Name: Unexpectedly Absent
Cost: XWW
Rarity: Rare
New Art: No
Last Printed: Commander 2013
Previewed by: The Mana Pool podcast
Rating: 3.1
FIRST TIME IN FOIL ALERT! I honestly thought that when this card came out in Commander 2013, that it be a huge hit. Not only do you get to remove any permanent, but you force them to draw it again (unless you do it in response to them searching their library then it’s bye bye for a while). The X is just bonus as for WW you can do the same as 1UG with Temporal Spring but as an Instant. But it’s not been that popular from what I can tell. Is it the only one printing? It may not be a superstar but I still believe that it’s a valuable card.
Name: Counterspell
Cost: UU
Rarity: Common
New Art: Yes
Last Printed: Duel Decks: Jace vs. Chandra
Rating: 3.5
FIRST TIME FOIL IN NEW FRAME ALERT! Ah, the Blue Mage’s closet and best friend. All it takes is two untapped Islands and three little words to scare an opposing mage. The first time seen in Magic boosters since Seventh Edition, Counterspell gets the job done. Powerful even without adding on any keyword mechanics or additional text. Never be ashamed to cast this card.
Name: Cabal Therapy
Cost: B
Rarity: Uncommon
New Art: No
Last Printed: Premium Deck Series: Graveborn
Previewed by: Joshua Claytor (PureMTGO.com)
Rating: 2.3
The obvious trick with Cabal Therapy is to name a card on a guess, see the opponent’s hand to what they actually have, then sacrifice a creature to get what they do have. Or if it’s been discarded, use it as a sacrifice outlet. That last line of play is most likely it’s play in Commander, but even then it’s a one of sacrifice effect on a sorcery to maybe hit something. It’s way better in competitive Magic and something like Raven’s Crime is much better suited for Commander if you’re looking for the discard outlet. Continue reading
Late last week, I threw out the nominations for the first annual Commander Oscars. I received a great deal of interest and now I can share those results. On social media I was asked several questions and why X card was snubbed. I’ll detail the answers as we go along.
Quick review for the 
Again, it’s up to you if you like the idea of the real world coming into your fantasy world as you play the game. I know plenty of people who like card alters so something like this in a Commander setting doesn’t feel out of place. They’re beautiful, well made, and something I think is a fantastic idea.
Kozilek, the Great Distortion – 8CC
The Rules Committee came out yesterday and 
I Got 99 Problems But a Commander Ain't One 