On the one hand, I appreciate Wizards’ more hands-on approach with Commander. Nothing against the previous Rules Committee—they did a great job—but I can’t blame them for saying “yeah dawg, we’re out” after dealing with the worst the internet had to offer.
The new Wizards-led Commander group is clearly composed of people who love the format, want it to thrive, and are committed to transparency and community engagement.
On the other hand… Braids, Cabal Minion? You unbanned Braids? Of all the cards to let back into Commander, it had to be that one?
Okay. So maybe the dream—or nightmare—of building a Braids Commander deck is back on the table. But before you sleeve up, ask yourself a few important questions:
- Why?
- What is wrong with you?
- Do you not have friends?
- Or not want any?
- Seriously, why?
Maybe times have changed. Maybe Braids isn’t as oppressive as she once was. I did some digging, and here’s a version of Braids that leans more value than villainy—using a pseudo-Stax engine built from creatures, tokens, and sacrifice payoffs.
🧾 Braids Mono-Black Stax (Commander)
Commander:
1 Braids, Cabal Minion
Main Deck:
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Arcane Signet
1 Beseech the Mirror
1 Bitterblossom
1 Black Market
1 Black Market Connections
1 Blood Pet
1 Bloodghast
1 Braids, Arisen Nightmare
1 Cabal Ritual
1 Charcoal Diamond
1 Chrome Mox
1 Contamination
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Crypt Ghast
1 Culling the Weak
1 Cult Conscript
1 Damnation
1 Dark Prophecy
1 Dark Ritual
1 Deadly Dispute
1 Deadly Rollick
1 Defile
1 Doomed Dissenter
1 Dreadhorde Invasion
1 Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder
1 Fell the Profane
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Flare of Malice
1 Grave Pact
1 Greedy Freebooter
1 Grim Haruspex
1 Ichor Wellspring
1 Infernal Grasp
1 Infestation Sage
1 Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia
1 Jet Medallion
1 Liliana, Dreadhorde General
1 Liquimetal Torque
1 Lord Skitter, Sewer King
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mana Vault
1 Marionette Apprentice
1 Mind Stone
1 Mycosynth Wellspring
1 Night's Whisper
1 No Mercy
1 Ophiomancer
1 Orcish Bowmasters
1 Pawn of Ulamog
1 Phyrexian Reclamation
1 Pitiless Plunderer
1 Prized Statue
1 Reanimate
1 Reassembling Skeleton
1 Revel in Riches
1 Saw in Half
1 Servo Schematic
1 Shambling Ghast
1 Sign in Blood
1 Skullclamp
1 Snuff Out
1 Sol Ring
1 Solemn Simulacrum
37 Snow-Covered Swamp
1 Scrying Sheets
1 Tergrid, God of Fright
1 Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools
1 The One Ring
1 Thought Vessel
1 Throne of Eldraine
1 Tragic Slip
1 Unearth
1 Victimize
1 Warren Soultrader
1 Withering TormentHow It Works
The engine is simple: play creatures that either bring friends with them or give you something when they die. Doomed Dissenter, Ophiomancer, and Pawn of Ulamog are there to ensure you always have fuel for Braids. Fast mana like Dark Ritual and Chrome Mox helps you land Braids early enough to disrupt the table before it stabilizes.
Some spicy interactions include Revel in Riches as an alternate win condition, or Tergrid and Reanimate to steal the permanents you’re forcing opponents to sacrifice.
But be honest with yourself—this isn’t a cEDH-level build. It’s cute. It has moments. But “value Braids” feels like taking a lawnmower to the Indy 500. You’re not closing out games with a fast combo; you’re chipping in with tokens. Any deck running Doubling Season or Anointed Procession can swarm better. You’re not winning with ten Braids hits—that’s a fantasy.
And let’s not forget: board wipes are everywhere now. Especially ones with exile. The days of OG Braids terrorizing kitchen tables with impunity are long gone. The card pool is deeper, removal is better, and opponents are savvier.
Final Verdict
Do you want to build Braids? Sure, live your dream. But maybe you’re better off with Braids, Arisen Nightmare. The original crazy eyes doesn’t seem quite so scary anymore.