Multiple new Rare Pirate Magic: The Gathering creature cards have been added to the Eternal format through the Lost Caverns of Ixalan Ahoy Mateys Commander Precon, featuring two new Mythic Rare commanders too.
Pirates on the plane of Ixalan have significantly impacted the Commander format for years. Contained within the Lost Caverns of Ixalan (LCC) Ahoy Mateys preconstructed deck are eight new Rare MTG cards, with a few showing signs of playability in a variety of Commander decks. Leading the Ahoy Mateys Precon is the new Mythic Rare Admiral Brass, Unsinkable, along with the alternate commander, Don Andres, the Renegade.
In addition to the Pirate typal Commander deck, WotC dropped three other Precon builds focused on other creature types seen on the plane of Ixalan: Merfolk, Vampires, and Dinosaurs.
Admiral Brass, Unsinkable
Leading the Ahoyu Mateys Commander deck is Admiral Brass, Unsinkable. The Legendary Human Pirate Mills four cards upon entering the battlefield, synergizing with reanimation strategies in the build and through the Admiral’s main ability. It works well with low-cost Pirate creatures, giving them a base power and toughness of 4/4 and Haste upon reanimation. Sadly, the reanimated creature only sticks around for that turn due to a Finality counter.
Don Andres, the Renegade
Don Andres, the Renegade is the alternate commander for the Ahoy Mateys Commander deck. The Mythic Rare Vampire Pirate synergizes with stealing spells from opponents, providing benefits like +2/+2, Menace, and Deathtouch to creatures you control but don’t own. On top of this, the Pirate can make Treasure tokens when those noncreature spells you stole are cast.
In a Commander deck built around stealing spells from an opponent, Don Andres, the Renegade is a solid commander. In the Ahoy Mateys Precon though, Admiral Brass, Unsinkable is the better commander.
The Grim Captain’s Locker
Packed with flavor is The Grim Captain’s Locker, a four-drop Artifact that can Surveil one by tapping. The Legendary also gives all creatures in your graveyard Escape by tapping, with a cost of only 3B and four cards exiled from the graveyard. As a four-drop, The Grim Captain’s Locker is slightly expensive but can work in the right deck.
Francisco, Fowl Marauder
Francisco, Fowl Marauder is a Bird Pirate with the Partner mechanic. As a co-commander in an aggressive Pirate deck, Francisco, Fowl Marauder is a solid addition. Supporting aggressive strategies, the two-drop 0/1 Bird also Explores any time a Pirate you control deals any type of damage to a player.
Skeleton Crew
Ensuring pirating never goes out of business is the Skeleton Crew, which is a personal favorite of mine in the Ahoy Mateys Commander Precon. Costing 3B and having 3/3 stats, the Skeleton Crew is a lord for Skeleton and Pirate creatures, giving them all +1+1.
Skeleton Crew also synergizes with graveyard shenanigans, creating a 2/2 token whenever one or more of your cards leaves the graveyard. And as an additional bonus, players can sink 5B into returning Skeleton Crew from the graveyard to the battlefield tapped.
The Indomitable
Synergizing with Admiral Brass, Unsinkable Milling cards, and the Explore mechanic, is The Indomitable, a 6/6 Vehicle with Trample and Crew three. The Legendary Artifact can be cast from the graveyard, at its mana cost of 2UU, if you control three or more tapped Pirates and/or Vehicles. Crewing for three is a downside but The Indomitable makes up for its weakness by drawing a card each time a creature you control deals combat damage to a player.
Arm-Mounted Anchor
Synergizing with Pirates is the Equipment Arm-Mounted Anchor. The Artifact costs three mana to cast, which is a downside, but can be equipped for free if its controller has one or fewer cards in hand. The free equip is decent, if players can take advantage of it, which seems possible in an aggressive low-cost Pirate build. At an equip cost of two, though, the benefits aren’t worth the mana invested into the Artifact, in my opinion.
Storm Fleet Negotiator
Designed to create Map tokens is Storm Fleet Negotiator, a Siren Pirate with Flying that costs 2U to cast on a 2/2 body. The Siren uses the MTG mechanic Parley to produce the Map tokens but at a downside of having your opponents draw a card for each non-land card revealed.
Broadside Bombardiers
Threatening to hit opponents with damage outside of combat is Broadside Bombardiers. The Goblin Pirate is a three-drop 2/2 with Menace and Haste. It also has Boast, which deals damage equal to two plus the mana value of a sacrificed creature to any target. The Goblin Pirate is great in sacrifice-themed decks that want a way to deal damage to any target.
Gemcutter Buccaneer
Treasures turn into Equipment with Gemcutter Buccaneer, one of the more unique LCC cards in the Ahoy Mateys Commander deck. When the four-drop or another Pirate enters the battlefield under your control, the Orc Pirate Artificer creates a Treasure token.
Players can use that Treasure for mana or turn it into Equipment that applies +2/+0 to the equipped creature. The Crew cost for Pirates is only one, or three for another creature type.
