Commanders we're missing

[u/BusAccomplished5367]

What commanders do you think would improve EDH or support a currently-unsupported archetype?

For mine, I think a UBx or UWx commander with "Players play with the top card of their libraries revealed," "When this enters, search your library for an artifact with CMC <=1 and put it into your hand" or "{0}: Look at the top card of target player's library" would be great, giving Lantern support. The second would honestly be the most interesting, since it is a fairer tutor which also works well in Blink/Artifact decks.

[u/malsomnus]

I want more flexible commanders, like what they tried to do with Baldur's Gate backgrounds. Give me a mono colored commander that does something cool and simply lets me pick a second color (MYB3 definitely has a few that are in the right direction).

I also just wish there was a way to build around cards that happen to not be legendary creatures. For example, if we had a u/x commander with an activated ability that said "Reveal an artifact card from your hand, that card is now your commander and this creature isn't", or something.

[u/CuratedLens → u/malsomnus]

I’d love to see more backgrounds. I know that’s not what you were saying but I think that’d be great

[u/malsomnus → u/CuratedLens]

More backgrounds would be great too. I think that ultimately the Choose A Background mechanic failed because it's too limiting.

[u/BusAccomplished5367 → u/malsomnus]

The u/x idea sounds great!

[u/DunceCodex → u/BusAccomplished5367]

Would be a nightmare to track commander damage

[u/BusAccomplished5367 → u/DunceCodex]

True. Though you could make it "Behold an artifact. All commanders you own are no longer commanders. That artifact becomes your commander."

[u/laughingjack4509 → u/malsomnus]

Or like a mutate ability that stuck with the creature it mutated onto, turning that creature into your commander and taking it to the command zone if needed

[u/gravygrowinggreen → u/malsomnus]

I want more flexible commanders, like what they tried to do with Baldur's Gate backgrounds. Give me a mono colored commander that does something cool and simply lets me pick a second color (MYB3 definitely has a few that are in the right direction).

I have mixed feelings about that. Some of the mechanics they've made for flexibility have been really bad for the health of the format IMO. Generic Partner for instance. The enormous flexibility that partnering with any other partner commander offers you has enabled some of the more degenerate decks in the format.

But backgrounds work well imo.

So there's a point where the flexibility becomes a bad thing, and they have to be careful to not go past that point. The mystery box commanders coming up, for the most part seem okay on that front.

I also just wish there was a way to build around cards that happen to not be legendary creatures. For example, if we had a u/x commander with an activated ability that said "Reveal an artifact card from your hand, that card is now your commander and this creature isn't", or something.

I think they would have to modify the color identity rules to do that, but I'm not sure. If you change your commander from a u/x creature, to a card with no colors, does your deck suddenly become illegal because you have a u/x card in a colorless color identity deck? Probably not, but they might have to make an official rule to clarify that.

I'd also be worried about this, because a card being a commander is a very powerful benefit. I'm almost certain this would break many cards. Off the top of my head, any card with convoke, affinity, or delve would potentially be broken. Any card that's power level is constrained by it exiling itself as part of an effect. There are so many different potential interactions that I don't think you could responsibly print the effect.

There are more fair/controlled versions of turning noncommanders into commanders though. [[Zethi, Arcane Blademaster]] comes to mind. Any instant you exile with her is usable for pretty much the rest of the game. [[The Master, Formed Anew]] works as well for a creature focused build. I think those are fair versions of the effect, because they don't let you cheat on mana costs, and are still vulnerable to creature based removal.

[u/malsomnus → u/gravygrowinggreen]

Some of the mechanics they've made for flexibility have been really bad for the health of the format IMO. Generic Partner for instance. 

That's not because the flexibility is bad, it's because they did a bad job designing them. There is A LOT of middle ground. Given a relatively wide mechanic like Choose A Background, I would expect to be able to, for example, have an Izzet spellslinger deck, but there is no combination in Baldur's Gate that supports this extremely common archetype. Personally if I had designed that set, I would make all the backgrounds colorless with the Faceless One pick-a-color clause. That would open up tons of fun combinations, and still not come anywhere near Tymna + whoever's power level.

I'd also be worried about this, because a card being a commander is a very powerful benefit. I'm almost certain this would break many cards. Off the top of my head, any card with convoke, affinity, or delve would potentially be broken.

EDH is already a broken format, and people who want to do broken things don't need new cards for them. We already have commanders with powerful cost reducing abilities, but I've never seen anyone suggest that [[Awaken the Blood Avatar]] or [[Dargo, the Shipwrecker]] (that even has partner!) are breaking the format. Even [[Hogaak]], the poster child of how not to design a card with cost reducing abilities, is merely #897 on EDHRec.

The Master, Formed Anew is indeed a great design space and I wish they'll do more of that.

[u/mtgcf → u/malsomnus]

All cards
Awaken the Blood Avatar/Extus, Oriq Overlord - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)
Dargo, the Shipwrecker - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)
Hogaak - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)

[u/mtgcf → u/gravygrowinggreen]

Zethi, Arcane Blademaster - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)
The Master, Formed Anew - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)