Good morning everyone, and welcome back to the Mirror Gallery here on Hipsters of the Coast! Now that we’re out of the Wilds of Eldraine, and before we venture deep into The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, I wanted to return to a series I usually only write about once a year: Choosing Commander Art. I generally only get to build one fresh Commander deck every twelve months, and the deck we’re about to explore was created for Star City Games’ SCGCON Baltimore where I was a guest this past summer. Jor Kadeen, First Goldwarden is far from a popular Commander, but at the beginning of this year I had the opportunity to purchase the original painting for the card from one of my favorite artists, Jeremy Wilson.

The original painting for Jor Kadeen, First Goldwarden by Jeremy Wilson, oil on panel, 24” x 30”

For regular readers, you know my last deck was also a Boros/Equipment/Voltron deck in Zirda, the Dawnwaker. I was a bit apprehensive in building something similar, albeit with a brand new Commander, and decided I needed to take extra care to make it enjoyable and make it last. In doing so, I made something I’ve really enjoyed playing, that’s fun and flavorful, and can that hold its own at the table while still far from optimized. Now a few months removed from initial construction it can probably use an update, but here’s where I started, and where it’s at currently:

(Note: the mouse-over choices do not reflect the below card choices, because that would ruin the surprise!)

Commander

Deck

Normally, my Choosing Commander Art articles talk about which version and artwork of a card I chose and I’m actively playing, but because this deck was built with a bit of haste, this article is going to talk not only about where this deck is currently, but also where it’s headed aesthetically in the coming months. 

As I mentioned in previous articles, the disclaimer here is that there is nothing wrong with any of the artwork or card frames I didn’t choose; these are all personal choices for a variety of reasons, and how I best like to visualize my play experience. If it looks like some cards are glaringly absent from this article, you’ll see also as a general rule I’m likely going to choose the ‘not Universes Beyond’ option in almost every case, and just for brevity, if there are only two options, I left those cards out as well.

Ok I think that’s all the background we need- let’s choose some Commander art!

The Commander- Jor Kadeen, First Goldwarden

Jor Kadeen, First Goldwarden

Jor Kadeen, First Goldwarden is an unassuming Red/White Commander that packs a serious punch.. It’s not uncommon for him to land on turn two, be drawing cards on turn three, and threatening KO by turn four. As I mentioned I own this painting, and it makes this deck and this artwork a very special thing for me. 

The Lands

Plains

Mountain

After the Commander I began with the basic lands. I have a small stash of ‘old’ foils, collected in year’s past for just this purpose, and often to have signed. This pair of lands from Mirrodin by Rob Alexander hearken back to a time before Phyrexia, and to my early days in Magic. Mirrordin was the second block I opened, and the first to be freshly released when I was learning to  play. For both me, and for Jor Kadeen, these represent shining memories of the past.

Command Tower

There are currently twenty unique artworks for Command Tower available in the wider Magic catalog, and yet when I was building this deck, the one that was at hand was…Cybertron? I’m a Secret Lair junkie, of that there is no doubt, and while this doesn’t fit the flavor literally at all, it’s been hard to change it out, just because it’s where I started. Sometimes things just gotta be weird I guess. 

Arid Mesa

Right now I’m using the OG artwork from Raymond Swanland, but this is on the upgrade list to Adam Paquette’s Zendikar Rising Expedition Arid Mesa. I adore what he did in that painting, even if the card frame crop doesn’t do it justice.

Battlefield Forge

Our first faceoff between the OG nostalgia trip and new borderless hotness, I literally have had both of these cards out and ready to play. I’m currently running the Rob Alexander reimagining, but the right Riche Battlefield Forge could certainly find a home here. 

Fabled Passage

While I’m a fan of Bruce Brennaise’s science fiction interpretation for Unfinity, for this deck I’m sticking with an extended art foil of Howard Lyon’s masterwork. This painting was a level up for the entire genre when it was released, and I’m happy to play it.

Myriad Landscape

This artwork wasn’t out yet when I built the deck, but I’ll be upgrading to Drew Tucker’s newest version for this card. I love his style, it’s borderless, and comes in foil. What’s not to love?

Needleverge Pathway/ Pillarverge Pathway

One of my favorite things about doing these articles is discovering something new. I have completely forgotten about Secret Lair Ultimate Edition, and I’ll absolutely be tracking down the Adam Paquette flip version of this in the very near future. Alayna’s version is in there now, and as far as I’m concerned those are the only two that actually exist.

Sacred Foundry

The Sacred Foundry lineup is one of the strongest we’ll see in this entire article, but I’m going with the original Ravnica printing by Rob Alexander. It’s my favorite and always has been; the only thing better would be to find one in foil.

A Planeswalker!

I play exactly one Planeswalker in this deck, and she’s got a single pair of artworks from Zendikar Rising. I opted for the David Rapoza full-art; the story-telling in his work from this set is unparalleled, and perfect for the story I’m telling here

The Legends

When I was creating this list, I looked out across the maybeboard I noticed something new: an overwhelming majority of the cards I was going to add were legendary. Across mana value, power level, and ability, it looked as if I could make every (non-Equipment) creature a legend, as if Jor Kadeen had put out the call across the Multiverse for help against the Phyrexians. And that’s exactly what I did.

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For most of these legends, I opted for their base set printing, and not the Booster Fun or Secret Lair. But for others, like Aurelia, the Warleader I couldn’t pass up the gorgeous new styles we’ve seen take shape this year especially. 

Artifacts & Equipment

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Sol Ring & Arcane Signet

Much like Command Tower, options abound for both Sol Ring and Arcane Signet. For this deck I used the two most recent versions I’d gotten my hands on: the Love Your LGS retro border Sol Ring and 30th Anniversary Etched Foil Arcane Signet. Both act as a marker for this momentous year for Magic and my place within it, and I’ll remember fondly the things that happened as this deck travels into 2024 and beyond

Boros Signet & Talisman of Conviction

Secret Lair aficionado that I am, this was the perfect opportunity to use the Dan Frazier reimaginings. Foil and retro border, they match some of the other artifacts I chose and give a bit of an ‘old world’ feel to an otherwise very contemporary deck. 

Swiftfoot Boots

There are 31 printings of Swiftfoot Boots, and for the most part, they all convey much of the same thing: magical boots, either running through the frame, or getting ready to. Right now I’m running the original art in the retro frame, but I’m fairly sure I have the Cosmin Podar schematic version around here somewhere…unless it’s run off. 

Blackblade Reforged

Much of the other equipment I’m running are new pieces that debuted in Phyrexia: All Will Be One, or longtime staples like Loxodon Wargammer and Sunforger that are still rocking their original artwork. But a choice I did have was Blackblade Reforged, and I chose Richard Kane Ferguson’s version for Signature Spellbook: Gideon. The original forger created something new when the Blackblade returned, and it’s just too badass not to use. 

Enchantments, Instants & Sorceries

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Mantle of the Ancients & Sigarda’s Aid

Neither of these card artworks were out when I first built the deck, but since both have been upgraded. The option for an angel artwork is almost always going to win out, and contemporary works by Graciano and Fischer rise right to the top

Chaos Warp

Red’s favorite removal spell has finally gotten some art options in the last few years, and right now I’ve been using a mix of the original artwork, foil and extended where possible, and the English Mystical Archives reprint. 

Generous Gift

If you’re looking from left to right, this is What I Have, What I Want, and Elephants Just Wanna Have Fun. I’m very tempted to run the latter, and even have a copy of the card (who doesn’t love a Heffalump?) but Ron Spears did just a fabulous job with that Borderless version I want to try that one too

Lightning Helix

This is a dead heat between the Mystical Archives version, in etched foil with just a little bit of shine, and the super abstract 30th Anniversary Countdown version from new Magic artist Martin Ontiveros. I’m playing the former, but this is another card that could get swapped out in the future, just for a bit of fun

Path to Exile

The MagicFest promo by Chris Seaman has been my go-to version of this card for quite some time now, and it stays true here. It’s just gorgeous.

Swords to Plowshares

One of the oldest cards in the game, I’ve been a proponent of the Sam Wolfe Connelly artwork for this card for years: it’s a fabulous literal interpretation of the card name, and yet still lives in the abstract. Justin & Alexis Hernandez’s new incredible promo art would be the only to upend this inclusion, but for now, that card remains well out of my budget. 

Wrath of God

Will close out with the seminal spell that blows up the world. I chose the Secret Lair version of Wrath of God by Jermaine Rogers; it is so very different from how this spell is usually depicted, and yet when you play it, it’s still instantly recognizable as to what is about to happen. My close second is the Amonkhet Invocation by Titus Lunter; that frame might be illegible, but you don’t actually have to know what it says to read that beautiful, destructive art box. 

Wrapping Up

I hope you all enjoyed this latest version of Choosing Commander Art. This was a different way to write this article, as this deck is very much in flux as far as what I’m using, and where I’d like to see it go in the next few months. It will be my go-to deck for the foreseeable future, and I plan to tow that line between bling and beautiful so long as I’m it’s pilot. 

This was my first time using Moxfield, on the recommendation of Tyler Peters-Bury over at Arcane GHST Productions, and I must say I’m impressed. Moxfield allows you to see other printings and customize the choices right from your decklist, which means when folks are looking at your deck, they’re seeing it as you intended. I’m going to continually noodle with this until I get it just right, and you can follow along here.

Next time in the Mirror Gallery it’s going to be all about the artwork from The Lost Caverns of Ixalan: Art Director Ovidio Cartegena and crew have done an outstanding job, and I can’t wait to talk about it. Until then, thanks for reading, be kind to each other, and I’ll see you next time.  

Donny Caltrider (he/him) is a Senior Writer at Hipsters of Coast writing about all things related to the art of Magic: The Gathering and the larger imaginative realism genre. He has an M.A. in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University and enjoys telling stories about art, objects, and the intersection of fantasy with real-life. When he’s not writing for Hipsters or working with artists, you can find him traveling with his wife, petting his two cats, and watching the Baltimore Orioles.

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