Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Deck Tech & Influencer Buzz: A Green Commander from Baldur's Gate
When the latest wave of deck-tech videos and influencer conversations starts buzzing, seasoned players know there’s more to a card than its mana cost and power/toughness. This green legend from Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate brings a distinctive toolkit to the table: attack-triggered top-deck manipulation, a built-in exile-and-cast engine, and the tantalizing option to run a Background as a second commander. It’s the kind of card that invites both showy plays and quiet, table-friendly value. 🧙♂️🔥💎
What makes the card design sing
This is a green, legendary creature — a Human Warrior — with a mana cost of {3}{G} and a respectable 3/3 body. But the real star is the attack-triggered ability: whenever you swing, you look at the top four cards of your library. You may exile a creature card from among them, put the rest on the bottom in any order, and for as long as that creature remains exiled, you may cast it. That spell gains the undaunted ability, meaning its cost is reduced by 1 for each opponent you face. And to cap it off, you can choose a Background, allowing you to have a Background as a second commander. It’s a design that rewards combat rhythm, careful sequencing, and mid-to-late-game inevitability. The card hails from the Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate set and carries mythic rarity with foil finishes—perfect for the showy, high-gloss moments influencers love to capture. 🧩🎨
In practice, the top-deck ritual becomes a real engine. Attack, peek, exile a creature card that you actually want to cast later, and then lean on the discount as you navigate a crowded commander table. In a four-player game, the undaunted clause can shave off up to three mana for that exiled spell, turning a mid-size threat into a playable piece on turn three or four, depending on your ramp. That’s the kind of dynamic that makes an influencer’s hands shake with the good kind of excitement—equals numbers on the board and a ticking clock for your opponents. ⚔️🧪
Backgrounds and the two-commander dream
A standout feature here is the explicit line about choosing a Background as a second commander. Backgrounds are flavorful enchantments that grant unique mechanical synergies, often pairing well with specific creature types or tribal themes. The prospect of running a Background-enabled two-commander shell invites a focused, modular approach: you can build around a hunger for value from the top of your library while leveraging a Background to bolster your combat plan or to unlock a separate, complementary angle of play. It’s a popular topic in deck-tech videos—how to maximize multi-layered synergies and keep the conversation accessible for audiences new to the format. 🧭🎥
From a design perspective, the card embodies the “toolbox in combat” philosophy green excels at. You’re not just fighting on the board; you’re fishing for the exact creature you need at the exact moment you need it, with the potential to cast it for a discount and with a built-in mechanism to keep your hand uncluttered. Influencers who love under-the-radar value plays will appreciate the way Durnan rewards careful planning and table-read timing, making it ripe for highlight reels that show the slow build toward a dramatic swing. 🪄💫
Strategies that shine in deck-tech videos and community discussions
- Combat cadence matters: The trigger only happens on attack, so you’ll sequence your turns to maximize attack surfaces and ensure you’re revealing four cards you actually want to see. Pair that with tutors and card draw to keep options flowing, and you’ve got a dynamic that looks great on camera—especially when you exile a creature with a strong payoff that you can cast later. 🧙♂️
- Exile as a resource, not a trap: Exiling a creature card doesn’t just remove it from the top four; it plants a delayed payoff that you can cash in once the creature resolves from exile. With undaunted reducing costs based on opponents, this scales nicely in multiplayer formats, turning a mid-game swing into a late-game finisher if you time it right. 🔎⚡
- Background synergy as a storytelling hook: Choosing a Background isn’t just cosmetic; it’s a pathway to a coherent card narrative and a second, complementary engine. For content creators, this offers a neat storyline hook—“how this Background reshapes the deck’s plan across multiple episodes.” It’s exactly the kind of angle that keeps viewers coming back for the next deck-tech drop. 🎲🎬
- Ramp and toolbox pairings: Lean into green’s natural efficiency with ramp, creature-based card interactions, and a flexible suite of protection or removal to weather answers from opponents. The result is a resilient build that can morph from midrange to heavy combat value depending on what your meta throws at you. 🪴🏹
- Visibility through robust art and lore: Durnan’s lore as the proprietor of the iconic Yawning Portal tavern adds flavor to the deck’s storytelling arc. Content that weaves in Waterdeep and Baldur’s Gate lore lands well with fans who crave both mechanical depth and a strong narrative vibe. 🎨🗺️
For creators, the card’s packaging—mythic rarity, foil options, and a bold, flavorful frame—offers engaging thumbnail moments and reaction-worthy plays. It’s the kind of deck that can sustain a multi-video arc, from “how the top four becomes your most important four” to “how the Background card transforms your second commander into a true partner in crime.” 🔥
If you’re curious about where this fits into the broader MTG conversation, you can explore related discussions and ideas across our network, including hands-on deck-tech analyses and meta snapshots. The cross-pollination between commander strategy and influencer discourse invites a richer, more collaborative experience for fans who want to see how a single card can ripple through projected play patterns and community chatter. 🧩🎭
Card data snapshot: Durnan of the Yawning Portal is a green, legendary Human Warrior with a mana cost of {3}{G} and 3/3 stats. It’s printed in Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, with a foil-capable mythic rarity. The art by David Gaillet, set_id 5e4c3fe8, captures the tavern-tale vibe that players associate with Waterdeep’s famed watering hole. Its ability champions top-deck manipulation and delayed-value plays, and its “Choose a Background” line unlocks a fresh axis for two-commander builds. Collectors value both the aesthetics and the potential for dynamic, viewer-friendly moments in play. 💎⚔️
Custom Neon Mouse Pad 9.3x7.8 Rectangular Desk PadMore from our network
- https://wiki.digital-vault.xyz/wiki/post/pokemon-tcg-stats-spinda-card-id-xy5-115/
- https://blog.rusty-articles.xyz/blog/post/using-gray-candles-in-forest-builds-for-minecraft-ambience/
- https://blog.zero-static.xyz/blog/post/infinity-elemental-exploring-ties-to-mtgs-famous-planes/
- https://wiki.digital-vault.xyz/wiki/post/pokemon-tcg-stats-archeops-card-id-b1-242/
- https://blog.crypto-articles.xyz/blog/post/spotting-fake-kabu-cards-in-pokemon-tcg-practical-tips/
Durnan of the Yawning Portal
Whenever Durnan attacks, look at the top four cards of your library. You may exile a creature card from among them. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order. For as long as that card remains exiled, you may cast it. That spell has undaunted. (It costs {1} less to cast for each opponent.)
Choose a Background (You can have a Background as a second commander.)
ID: 53f287c1-bd17-43fd-b0e3-b52472b0aa70
Oracle ID: 21d3858f-441d-4bb2-888e-8b147ecad7e9
Multiverse IDs: 567150
TCGPlayer ID: 273654
Cardmarket ID: 661371
Colors: G
Color Identity: G
Keywords: Choose a background
Rarity: Mythic
Released: 2022-06-10
Artist: David Gaillet
Frame: 2015
Border: black
EDHRec Rank: 8977
Set: Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate (clb)
Collector #: 657
Legalities
- Standard — not_legal
- Future — not_legal
- Historic — not_legal
- Timeless — not_legal
- Gladiator — not_legal
- Pioneer — not_legal
- Modern — not_legal
- Legacy — legal
- Pauper — not_legal
- Vintage — legal
- Penny — not_legal
- Commander — legal
- Oathbreaker — legal
- Standardbrawl — not_legal
- Brawl — not_legal
- Alchemy — not_legal
- Paupercommander — not_legal
- Duel — legal
- Oldschool — not_legal
- Premodern — not_legal
- Predh — not_legal
Prices
- USD_FOIL: 0.27
- EUR_FOIL: 0.27
- TIX: 0.14
More from our network
- https://crypto-acolytes.xyz/blog/post/nft-stats-whale-1509-from-entropy-acolytes-collection/
- https://wiki.digital-vault.xyz/wiki/post/pokemon-tcg-stats-garbodor-card-id-swshp-swsh025/
- https://blog.crypto-articles.xyz/blog/post/nft-data-pfpepe-224-from-pfpepe-collection-on-magiceden/
- https://wiki.digital-vault.xyz/wiki/post/pokemon-tcg-stats-mudkip-card-id-ex14-58/
- https://blog.crypto-articles.xyz/blog/post/nft-data-nft-eaglez-223-from-eaglez-collection-on-magiceden/