Schools of Magic: Commander; Legends

And here we are, at the last post for Commander! I don't know about you, but I'll be happy to move on from this - as much as I love it, seven posts is a bit much to spend on one thing. And in a few weeks we'll be looking at Magic 2012! That shouldn't take as long because most of the cards will be reprints from M11.

The most important part of any Commander deck, these legends lead your forces into battle. As they are individuals with distinct personalities, a simple look at what schools they belong to won't be sufficient. I will say what schools they use, but I'll go into slightly greater depth than I normally would to look at these cards. There is an article on Daily MTG that talks about the personality and history of the new legends briefly; go here to read it. Go here for a list of all the multicolor legends in Commander.


Animar, Soul of Elements: There's actually not a whole lot to say here. Animar is apparently a non-sentient primordial elemental, so it doesn't really have a personality. Luckily its schools are pretty easy to figure out; on its home plane it is the ultimate expression of Elemental and Growth magic.

Basandra, Battle Seraph: It looks like I wasn't exactly correct about Basandra; she doesn't seem to be from the same plane as Tariel and she certainly doesn't seem to be at war constantly. Instead her bio seems to imply that she is sought by duelists and other such warriors. In any case, she uses Hieromancy and Emotion magic.

Bladewing the Risen: Originally from the set Scourge, Rorix Bladewing originally fought in gladiatorial combat to restore the pride of the Shivan dragons. Unfortunately, he was killed in combat and his body was reanimated as a zombie, forcing him to continue battling. He is a product of Necromancy, and he uses Necromancy and Elemental magic in battle.

Brion Stoutarm: One of my favorite legends from Lorwyn, he was a loyal ally to Rhys and died trying to protect him. He was as emotional as the other giants on Lorwyn, and was completely loyal to his friends. In the books he only used his strength as a weapon; his card uses Soul and Emotion magic (see Fling here)

Chorus of the Conclave: This doesn't really represent a single character. The Selesnya Guild is led by what is essentially a hivemind that controls the top members of the Guild directly. In combat it uses Growth magic.

Damia, Sage of Stone: Possessing knowledge rivaling that of the wisest archmages, Damia is a dangerous, yet useful, source of information for the desperate. This immediately indicates that she uses Mind magic, supported by her strange abilities. In addition she also has the natural Necromancy that enables all gorgons' petrifying vision.

Edric, Spymaster of Trest: There's not much knowledge that can be found about Edric; he's a powerful spymaster, and that's about it. His ability is, unsurprisingly, Mind magic.

Ghave, Guru of Spores: Finally, we arrive at Ghave, my favorite new legend. Apparently the "mycoids" of Ghave's home plane are intelligent. Sadly, the humans didn't appreciate this and started eating the saprolings when they were starving. The mycoids fought back, and Ghave is the one leading the fight. He uses a mix of Necromancy, Growth and Soul magic.

Intet, the Dreamer: One of a cycle of Wedge-colored dragons, Intet uses Mind and Æther magic. Sadly, none of this cycle have any real flavor because they mostly exist to mirror the Invasion Legendary dragon cycle.

Kaalia of the Vast: Driven by revenge on those who murdered her congregation when she was a simple priest, Kaalia is a fascinating character. Her ability uses Umbramancy, Divine magic or Emotion magic, depending on what she summons.

Karador, Ghost Chieftan: Tethered to this world by his hatred for the rival warchief that killed him, Karador is gathering a ghostly armor to get revenge. As a ghost that commands other ghosts and gains power from the dead, he uses Necromancy extensively.

Malfegor: One of the few beings that remembers the days before Alara was split into five shards, Malfegor is consumed by his hatred for the Angel that defeated him; Asha, the original ruler of Bant. He primarily uses Elemental magic and Necromancy.

Nin, the Pain Artist: Not a lot to say here - Nin is a torturer who believes that she is an artist, and pain is her medium. Her skills combine Elemental and Mind magic.

Numot, the Devastator: Much like Intet, not much is known about Numot except that he uses Elemental magic.

Oros, the Avenger: The third member of the Wedge dragon cycle, he uses Divine magic.

Riku of Two Reflections: Technically, this card represents one and two characters at the same time. Riku split himself in two so he could study multiple schools of magic at the same time. This has paid off, resulting in him being skilled with both Æther and Beast magic.

Ruhan of the Fomori: A mighty warrior, Ruhan doesn't really use much magic. However, his existence is ruled by the Chaos school.

Skullbriar, the Walking Grave: The result of a spell gone horribly wrong, Skullbriar is not intelligent and, therefore, doesn't use magic. However, it does embody both Necromancy and Growth magic.

Szadek, Lord of Secrets: Leader of the Dimir, the guild that doesn't exist, Szadek is a master of Lethemancy and Mind magic.

Tariel, Reckoner of Souls: See this post for what I see Tariel's personality as; the new details don't change my opinion a whole lot. She is a product of Divine magic, but she uses Necromancy and Chaos magic.

Teneb, Harvester of Souls: Necromancy!

The Mimeoplasm: Much like the other nonsentient legends, there isn't really anything to talk about here when it comes to personality. It combines Necromancy, Beast and Æther magic into one fun creature.

Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter: Considering his personality, it should come as no surprise that he is a Hieromancer, but he is also a potent Sangromancer.

Vorosh, the Hunter: Beast magic!

Wrexial, the Risen Deep: It's debatable how intelligent Wrexial is, though he is undeniably powerful. In any case, he uses Æther magic with a slight Necromantic flavor.

Zedruu, the Greathearted: What a weird card... I would say that she uses Soul, Mind and Chaos magic in strange ways.