What Commander Would Look Like in 1994 | We Try Commander Decks From 30 Years Ago

Deck Strategies

• 

  Angus Mackenzie

  A Turbo Fog deck that uses multiple fog effects and damage prevention to stall combat damage, winning slowly via mill with Millstone.

• 

  Nicol Bolas

  A ramp and control deck aiming to cast Nicol Bolas by turn six, using disruption spells like Force Spike to control opponents' plays.

• 

  Lady Evangela

  Utilizes Fastbond and Wheel of Fortune to generate explosive mana and card advantage, enabling large land drops and refilling the hand continuously.

• 

  Adun Oakenshield

  A graveyard-focused deck that recurs creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield, combining self-mill and reanimation themes.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Using classic fog effects and damage prevention in an old-school format effectively stalls combat damage despite limited card power.

• 2

  Fastbond combined with Wheel of Fortune creates a powerful engine for explosive land drops and hand refilling under 1994 rules.

• 3

  Chaos Orb adds a chaotic and unpredictable board wipe element, forcing players to adapt to sudden destruction of permanents.

• 4

  Countering black spells with Life Force enchantment provides strategic disruption since most commanders and key spells were black.

• 5

  Ramp is critical in 1994 Commander to cast high-cost legendary creatures such as Nicol Bolas by turn six.

Notable Cards

• 

  Angus Mackenzie

• 

  Nicol Bolas

• 

  Lady Evangela

• 

  Adun Oakenshield

• 

  Millstone

• 

  Wild Growth

• 

  Fastbond

• 

  Wheel of Fortune

• 

  Force Spike

• 

  Chaos Orb

• 

  Library of Alexandria

• 

  Demonic Tutor

Summary

The game began with players embracing the old-school 1994 Magic: The Gathering rules, which lacked modern mechanics like the stack and featured cards from the original Legends set. Players quickly ramped mana using classic artifacts and enchantments such as Soul Ring, Wild Growth, and Fastbond. One player focused on a Turbo Fog strategy, leveraging fog effects through their commander Angus Mackenzie and other cards like Singing Tree and Tabernacle at Pendlehaven to stall combat damage. Another player developed a reanimation and self-mill theme with Adun Oakenshield, aiming to recur creatures from the graveyard. A pivotal moment came when the player with Lady Evangela used Fastbond combined with Wheel of Fortune, enabling explosive land drops and hand refills, generating significant mana advantage. Meanwhile, Nicol Bolas was set to make a powerful entrance by turn six, bolstered by ramp and disruption cards like Force Spike. The use of the Chaos Orb to randomly destroy permanents added an unpredictable element to the board state, disrupting opponents' plans. Players juggled limited card power but creatively utilized the available tools, with interaction centered on mana ramp, control through fog, and recursion. The game showcased the unique and slower pace of old-school Commander gameplay, where incremental advantages and resource management dictated the flow rather than high-impact combos or instant-speed interactions.