Putting the “fun” in Booster Fun.
Wizards of the Coast took a new direction with Magic products in 2020 by introducing the Set Booster. Designed as an alternative to Draft Boosters, Set Boosters create a fun experience for players when opening packs. Set Boosters sell alongside Draft Boosters for various sets released between Zendikar Rising and The Lost Caverns of Ixalan.
Although Set Boosters ended with the introduction of Play Boosters in Murders at Karlov Manor, they were a hit with players. Opening multiple Mythic Rares and Rares in a booster pack is exciting. Another highlight of Set Boosters is opening exclusive cards from some sets. First introduced in Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, Set Booster exclusive cards were designed for Commander and provided players with a medley of colored and colorless options, including a nonbasic land called Urza’s Workshop.
Market Price: $18.60
Market Price: $16.00
While not all Set Booster excludes were created equally in power and versatility, several stand out. Greensleeves, Maro-Sorcerer is an eye-catching, legendary Green Elemental with multiple useful abilities. Court of Locthwain is another potent Set Booster exclusive that enables you to cast spells off the top of your opponent’s library without paying their mana costs. Let’s discuss five other Set Booster exclusives worthy of your attention.
Sardian Avenger
Sardian Avenger
Commander: The Brothers’ War, Rare
Sardian Avenger is a two-mana, 1/1 Goblin Warrior with first strike and trample from The Brothers’ War. Note that regular versions of Sardian Avenger are exclusive to Set Boosters, whereas Extended Art variants appear in Collector Boosters. Sardian Avenger possesses two artifact-related abilities. Whenever Sardian Avenger attacks, it gets +X/+0 until the end of the turn, where X is the number of artifacts your opponents control. Additionally, Sardian Avenger deals one damage to an opponent whenever an artifact they control goes into a graveyard from the battlefield.
Increasing Sardian Avenger’s power through a regular game of Commander is not an ideal approach to maximizing its potential. Instead, pair Sardian Avenger with Treasure-centric commanders like Vazi, Keen Negotiator and Jolene, the Plunder Queen. Vazi, Keen Negotiator can gift an opponent a windfall of Treasure tokens, increasing the potential damage output from Sardian Avenger. Jolene, the Plunder Queen provides a Treasure token to players when they attack an opponent other than yourself, therefore raising Sardian Avenger’s power.
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Another home for Sardian Avenger is Red Commander decks focused on noncombat damage. Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might and Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph. Controlling Sardian Avenger and Ojer Axonil or Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph will greatly punish opponents looking to capitalize Smothering Tithe, Dockside Extortionist, or Lonis, Cryptozoologist. Your opponents may not underestimate Sardian Avenger once they see it in action.
Staff of Titania
Staff of Titania
Commander: The Brothers’ War, Rare
Staff of Titania is another regular version exclusive to The Brothers’ War Set Boosters. Two-mana provides a colorless equipment card with equip three and two helpful abilities. Staff of Titania’s first ability grants +X/+X to a creature it equips where X equals the number of Forests you control. Its second ability triggers whenever the equipped creature attacks and creates a 1/1 Green Forest Dryad land creature token. Excitingly, the 1/1 Green Forest Dryad land creature token can tap for green mana once its summoning sickness disappears and grows the size of the equipped creature.
Staff of Titania shines in mono-green decks looking to attack with sizable threats. Titania, Voice of Gaea is a prominent home for Staff of Titania since it wants to put Forests and other lands on your battlefield. Melding Titania, Voice of Gaea into Titania, Gaea Incarnate propels the power and toughness Staff of Titania grants too. Another Mono-Green Commander who cares about Forests is Titania, Nature’s Force. Not only does Titania, Nature’s Force let you play Forests from your graveyard, but it also creates 5/3 Green Elemental creature tokens that are prime targets for equipping Staff of Titania.
Voltron-style Green Commanders may want Staff of Titania in their ninety-nine. Thrun, Breaker of Silence and Kosei, Penitent Warlord are two excellent Commander choices to equip with Staff of Titania. Thrun, Breaker of Silence possesses trample and a protection ability, which means it can attack with Staff of Titania equipped for large amounts of damage. Kosei, Penitent Warlord wants to be equipped by Staff of Titania to draw you many cards and severely damage opponents.
Court of Embereth
Court of Embereth
Commander: Wilds of Eldraine, Rare
Court of Embereth is part of a cycle of Set Booster exclusive enchantments from Wilds of Eldraine. Four-mana may seem like a lot for a Red enchantment, but Court of Embereth can provide sustained value. When Court of Embereth enters the battlefield, you become the monarch. Furthermore, create a 3/1 red Knight creature token at the beginning of your upkeep. If you are the monarch, Court of Embereth will also deal X damage to each opponent, where X is the number of creatures you control.
Court cards are often included in the ninety-nine of Obeka, Splitter of Seconds (and for good reason!), but there are other applications for Court of Embereth. Red Monarch-matters Commanders such as Aragorn, King of Gondor, Queen Marchesa, and Jared Carthalion, True Heir can use Court of Embereth’s abilities well. Red Commanders focused on attacking with creature tokens synergize well with Court of Embereth. Caesar, Legion’s Emperor, Otharri, Suns’ Glory, and Mishra, Claimed by Gix want to swing with many creature tokens, including 3/1 Red Knights. Dealing damage to opponents with Court of Embereth’s Monarch-triggering ability is a wonderful bonus for the abovementioned commanders.
Firemane Commando
Firemane Commando
Commander: March of the Machine, Rare
March of the Machine’s Firemane Commando is an exciting 4/3 flying Angel Soldier. With Firemane Commando on your battlefield, you draw a card when attacking with two or more creatures. Interestingly, an opponent draws a card when they attack players other than you with two or more creatures.
Firemane Commando looks like a Mono-White version of Aurelia, the Law Above. While Firemane Commando is an excellent addition to the ninety-nine of Aurelia, the Law Above, it is playable in other Commander decks. Angels-themed decks led by Sigarda, Font of Blessings, Shilgengar, Sire of Famine, and Gisela, Blade of Goldnight synergize well with Firemane Commando.
Soldiers-themed decks are also a possible home for Firemane Commando. Attacking with multiple Soldiers is something Harbin, Vanguard Aviator, Commander Mustard, and Iroas, God of Victory want to achieve. Make sure to add Firemane Commando to non-Kindred decks led by Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser and Errant and Giada.
Throne of Eldraine
Throne of Eldraine
Commander: Wilds of Eldraine, Rare
Wilds of Eldraine’s Throne of Eldraine (not to be confused with the set) is a five-mana legendary artifact. When Throne of Eldraine enters the battlefield, you choose a color. Moreover, you may tap Throne of Eldraine to generate four mana of the desired color to your mana pool, but the mana is limited to casting monocolored spells of that color. Lastly, you may pay three mana of the chosen color and tap Throne of Eldraine to draw two cards.
Working around Throne of Eldraine’s drawback is easy in Mono-Color Commander decks. In particular, Mono-Color decks identifying with White, Red, or Black can utilize Throne of Eldraine for mana ramp and card draw. Kindred-themed mono-color decks such as Angels, Soldiers, Goblins, and Zombies could benefit from Throne of Eldraine. You may already own a mono-color Commander deck capable of maximizing Throne of Eldraine’s abilities.