Hidden Gems for Lathril, Blade of the Elves
Welcome to another edition of Hidden Gems, where we celebrate overlooked and underappreciated cards for Commander. Today we’ll be examining one of the many Elf lords in Magic’s history,
A quick look over the most popular cards land us with relatively few options. Lathril wants Elves. Period. That’s simple enough. They’ve been a part of Magic’s history since the very beginning and are one of the most popular creature types in the whole game. But as you build, playtest, and move cards in and out of the 99, take a moment to consider the following picks to spice up your games a bit.
#1. Patron of the Orochi
Don’t tell the Snake people of Kamigawa (the Orochi) that their Patron also plays nicely with Elves. This top-end Spirit may look like it comes at a hefty price without the ability to make an offering, but Elves are the best at ramping, and getting to eight mana for them is like beating an infant at a game of chess. That is, almost impossible not to.
Regardless, Patron of the Orochi is one of a handful of cards that has a mass untap effect for Forests and green creatures. The bonus of this choice over, say,
| Patron of the Orochi |
#2. Cloudstone Curio
Lots of cards care about you casting an Elf or an Elf entering the battlefield. If you’re going to be building up loads of mana anyway, you can speed up the number of triggers you get from a
Or, even better, keep bouncing cards that have effects when they come into play, like
| Cloudstone Curio | ||
| Cloudstone Curio (Retro Frame) | ||
| Elessar, the Elfstone |
#3. Attrition
If you’re going to be producing as many Elves as possible, combat can look like a game of attrition. So you may as well add Attrition. It’s repeatable removal with minimal cost: one black mana and a single soul. (I’m not trying to sound devilish here, but bear with me.)
It can be activated at instant speed and is a good way to keep your opponents scared of you and more likely to turn on each other. Well, at least the ones not playing black creatures.
| Attrition | ||
| Attrition |
#4. Wound Reflection
What’s better than a commander that makes each opponent lose 10 life? One that makes them lose 20 - all from a tap ability. The beauty of Wound Reflection is that it triggers at the end of turn. You can swing with an army of Elves, deal loads of damage, and/or activate Lathril.
After your opponents calculate how much life they can afford to lose, you play this beautiful enchantment on your second main phase to ruin their plans, double their life loss, and potentially win with a single trigger. If Wound Reflection sticks around longer, it also doubles the loss that opponents deal to each other.
It’s a thing of beauty.
| Wound Reflection | ||
| Wound Reflection | ||
| Wound Reflection |
#5. Sylvan Offering
Not many cards let you make an undefined number of Elves, but Sylvan Offering does. Plus a Treefolk, but we’re not so concerned about that today. Sylvan Offering plays a mini-game of politics, granting creatures to selected players, but allowing you to gain both the Treefolk and the gang of Elves.
Worth noting here is that you don’t choose each opponent until the spell resolves, so any responses to this spell have to be done without your enemies knowing who gets what. It’s tricksy and there’s a lot to love, especially if X equals ten and you can activate Lathril right away.
| Sylvan Offering | ||
| Sylvan Offering |
That’s all for this week on Hidden Gems. Don’t forget to check out our Premium membership for more entertainment and Magic market insights! Until next time, happy brewing!
Further Reading:
Adam Berg
Adam started playing Magic on his 14th birthday, when Judgment just released and the game's first Gorgon was born (It's a girl!). Since then, he's delved deep into Commander, written for television and film, and learned how to drive. He's published two YA Fantasy novels, Rainbringer and The Broken Pantheon. His favorite card is Repay In Kind, which is really all you need to know.