Command Beacon’s Jumpstart Top Picks

With the release of the Jumpstart set there has been a ton of great reprints for Commander staples. Whether you’re starting out, or on a budget, now is a great time to pick up those staples you might have been holding out on or had a hard time finding. So this article today is to go over some a selection of great picks from the set that you should add to your collection, especially if you don’t have them already.

Cathars’ Crusade

You’ll be surprised how much it scales your creature’s power. Unlike anthem effects the boost is not immediate but as creatures come down and triggers resolve you will see just how massive the results are of all the +1/+1 counters. A great synergy combo piece with a number of Commanders (Ghave, Guru of Spores, Marath, Will of the Wild).

$5.34*

Emiel the Blessed

They’ve finally given us a legendary unicorn. Emiel the Blessed is at the helm of a brand new Selesnya flicker deck. Lots of hype on the internet and her price reflects that.

$29.06*

Linvala, Keeper of Silence

Holding a solid price even after a second reprint and for good reason. If you’ve never gotten to play or pick one up it can single handedly disable an opponent’s board. It does not specify non-mana abilities so all the mana dorks are off. It shuts off sacrifice outlets and all sorts of win condition / combo piece creatures.

$16.54*

Path to Exile

One of the staple one drop white removal cards back with the classic art. Along with Swords to Plowshare the reason players must be wary of one white mana removal. At worse you can target your own creature and have a ramp spell perhaps for colour fixing. One basic land for your opponent seems like a good trade to exile something like Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger.

$2.98*

Kira, Great Glass-Spinner

A classic blue defense creature that just flat out counters any attempts to target your creatures for the first time each turn. It does not state opponents though so be wary of things like trying to equip things to your creatures.

$6.63*

Rhystic Study

Rhystic Study is an incredible staple and can provide a ton of draw. It could also slow down opponents who decide to pay the tax, making their spells more expensive. Your opponents may get tired of hearing “Do you pay 1 for Rhystic?”

$20.96*

Black Market

This card gets more than a little out of hand. It doesn’t count just your creatures either. Against creature heavy decks a board wipe can make those charge counters skyrocket. This could be a Dark Ritual each turn or enough mana to constantly dump your hand.

$4.04*

Blood Artist

The best in show for watching things die and bleed out. While alternatives exist and a non-creature option in Bastion of Remembrance just recently nothing like having your opponents creatures die, having them lose life for it, and then gaining life in the end. Insult to injury and all.

$3.60*

Drana, Liberator of Malakir

Fast, evasive, and great at boosting attackers. Drana, Liberator of Malakir hits your opponent with first strike and gives all your attacking creatures a bit more punch for normal damage. I am a fan of any commander I can Dark Ritual in turn one.

$4.25*

Exquisite Blood

The other half of what seems to be classic now Sanguine Bond combo in its first ever reprint. Even by itself this enchantment is a great reward for damaging your opponents or when they use their life as a resource. I’d like to try this nowadays with Aetherflux Reservoir. I don’t think I need to tell a lot of people to pick this one up, they’ve probably been waiting for it for years.

$25.80*

Ghoulcaller Gisa

When one zombie becomes two and when one blocker becomes an army of zombies, Ghoulcaller Gisa is more than happy to oblige in creating a horde. With effects like Illusionist Bracers and maybe a Phyrexian Dreadnought you’ll be swarming with zombies in no time.

$12.21*

Gonti, Lord of Luxury

Want to play with your opponent’s deck? Gonti, Lord of Luxury keeps games fresh and fun by adding lines to gameplay. Once in a while you can hit combo pieces but be sure to leave them exiled. Why play your deck when you can just play your opponents?

$0.83*

Kels, Fight Fixer

An interesting Dimir commander candidate supporting two new creature sub-types. Kels, Fight Fixer is combat and death focused with a draw engine attached.

$5.64*

Reanimate

Reanimate is the best option in any format that can run it. Life is a resource and it uses it to its full extent. I wouldn’t want to think about how many turn 1 reanimations have happened because of this card. Don’t have one? Get one.

$8.14*

Rise of the Dark Realms

A great spell to get a reprint, Rise of the Dark Realms is the best mass reanimation out there. I don’t believe there is anything bad to say about the effect itself. Playing against people who use their graveyard like a second hand? This will punish them for it.

$14.30*

Sheoldred, Whispering One

The Phyrexian Praetors are all terrifying and Sheoldred, Whispering One is no different. It doesn’t matter how indestructible your opponents creatures are, sacrifice them.

$17.36*

Witch of the Moors

Witch of the Moors should easily find some homes in decks that can easily gain life (Oloro, Ageless Ascetic). What value and pain this card brings.

$13.42*

Dualcaster Mage

The Reverberate on a creature can get you all sorts of value and help in strange situations. As a body and copy effect it’s pretty much always a two for one card.

$0.95*

Etali, Primal Storm

While Etali, Primal Storm has just made another appearance in Commander 2020 it just shows how powerful and fun this dino is. A solid 6/6 for 6 mana body with the strongest red exile effect. Punish your opponents by using their own cards against them and have some fun during combat as Etali ignores timing restrictions to cast everything.

$2.14*

Immolating Gyre

Immolating Gyre is an amazing addition in Izzet spells decks. The work needed to make this card good is something your deck is already doing and the damage doesn’t affect your board. Damage is also extended to planeswalkers so you will have an answer to those pesky superfriends decks.

$9.70*

Krenko, Mob Boss

Krenko, Mob Boss is the reason you will find hundreds of thousands of goblins on a board. This constant doubling of goblin bodies is ridiculous to say the least. If you’re looking to swarm a board or just end the game with goblins pick one up and grab a calculator while you’re at it.

$3.04*

Allosaurus Shepherd

The creature itself can’t be countered, an effect that is sometimes not included even recently (Destiny Spinner). It says green spells not just creatures, which is just crazy. Lastly more relevant to elf decks it can turn your elves into 5/5 dinosaurs. Whether as a win condition or an expensive way to dodge a Lightning Bolt this is just a lot of text on a card.

$63.94*

Craterhoof Behemoth

The hoof is back for its first reprint since Modern Masters 2017. A game ender that’s best in class in turning a board full of small creatures into game ending bodies. This is currently the lowest cost version of the card so if you need a finisher for your green deck here’s a big one.

$43.47*

Elvish Archdruid

An elf deck staple as a Priest of Titania with an anthem effect even decks who might only be half elves may be running him. Solid mana dork that boosts most other mana dorks in the game.

$1.53*

Lurking Predators

A cute enchantment that can bring in waves of creatures from your deck. In a multiplayer Commander game you could build an army off of nothing by the time your turn comes back around.

$5.74*

Oracle of Mul Daya

Oracle of Mul Daya’s first reprint is an important one. The best Exploration creature that helps filter your draws by playing land from the top. Synergizes with Sylvan Library and Sensei’s Divining Top. If you don’t own an Oracle of Mul Daya, I would highly recommend it.

$28.51*

Primeval Bounty

Primeval Bounty gives you extra value for doing pretty much anything in the game. Extra bodies, more power, and even life gain. Turning everything into a two for one advantage can put you completely out of range for your opponents to deal with.

$5.12*

Selvala, Heart of the Wilds

Selvala, Heart of the wilds is a huge mana engine with a great draw ability synergizing heavily with big mono green decks. She also does very well in multi colored decks as the mana ability adds any combination of X mana.

$18.46*

Ulvenwald Hydra

One of the stronger utility hydras out there with scaling power/toughness equal to your lands in play. The main purpose though is Ulvenwald Hydra can tutor a land from your deck and put it into play. Unlike most other green ramp creatures (the legal ones at least) it can search for any land, not just basics. Does this deserve a spot in your deck?

$4.19*

Herald’s Horn

An immediate tribal deck staple, Herald’s Horn is both a discount and a card advantage engine. Regardless of what tribe you are playing the potential extra card every upkeep makes this artifact a must play.

$8.58*

Phyrexian Tower

An incredible sacrifice outlet land and arguably the best out there. Providing two black mana is a welcome bonus of course. With it’s last printing being Ultimate Masters it was not as accessible but with Jump Start hopefully the newly printed supply will help encourage you to pick one up.

$12.51*

Riptide Laboratory

A very abusable land for all your favorite wizards whether a Trinket Mage or a Snapcaster Mage this land can net a ton of extra value. This is the first reprinting so if you want a newer border version now’s your chance.

$4.71*