I usually become excited for new sets, so when I say, “I haven’t been this excited for a set in a long time,” it might sound flat, like it’s something I always say and my only option at that point is to be so hyperbolic in my praise for the set that it will come across as sarcastic. I’m actually at a loss for how to express my excitement for this set. Will you take me at my word when I say I’m so hyped for this set that my doctor has prescribed me tranquilizers because otherwise I won’t sleep until the prerelease and I’ll grind my teeth into powder? Not only is this set packed to the gills with sicko Commander tricks and treats, it’s going to play better in Limited as Two-Headed Giant than any set in the past! Say what? They couldn’t have designed a set better for my needs and wants if they let me on the design team.

“Sure, a lot of Commander decks are getting lots of new toys, but what about 75% decks?” I’m glad I am pretending you asked that. It’s my contention that this set has a lot of cards that will go great in 75% decks, and while the power level on a lot of the cards is high, high power levels have never been a bad thing. Instead, 75% decks are designed not to oppress people, and I maintain that nothing in this set is all that oppressive, merely powerful. I’m going to comb through the set and pick out the cards that are ready for 75% decks, and we’ll see what the new landscape is going to look like when the dust settles. Are you as excited as I am? It’s okay if you’re not because I’m taking you on a guided tour of my world, and I hope by the end you’ll be salivating and ready to build a few more decks just like I am. Let’s look at this set.

How’s W/U/B/R/G order sound? Good? Perfect. Let’s get into some trouble.

Eldrazi Displacer

We’re starting with what I consider the most impactful card in the set. In a lot of ways, this is better than Deadeye Navigator, a card the community seems to think is bannably-good. You can tap opponents’ attackers, flash without pairing with soulbond, and do flash shenanigans in decks that didn’t have access previously because it didn’t run blue, such as with Kaalia of the Vast. This is such a good card I could write two full-length articles about it on MTGPrice—so I did. I love this card. I’m calling it my favorite card in the set. One major drawback compared with Deadeye Navigator is it’s not nearly as good at protecting itself, meaning it’s prone to removal and therefore pretty fair yet powerful. That’s what we like. Make sure you have plenty of true colorless mana and enjoy flashing Angel of Despair and Acidic Slime all day.

Call the Gatewatch

My opinion on tutors is constantly evolving, and the more I see narrow, face-up tutors that can be used as toolbox cards, the more I think people who run Demonic Tutor just lack creativity. This card is a casual hit and will probably be a little bit of money in a year or two or three. I’m making a pile of these with enough to go in a few decks. I love me some narrow tutors; this is very 75%.

General Tazri

I wasn’t itching to play a five-colored Allies deck, but knowing we have a Commander who can command this deck is a good feeling. Every Ally suddenly looks more attractive, as do regular tribal cards like Coat of Arms. This will be built, and it will be durdly and fun. This is a great 75% card.

Immolating Glare

Removal is always solid, and this punishes your opponent for attacking and doesn’t give him or her life or land or anything, as a lot of white removal does. I like that you can’t remove someone’s Prophet of Kruphix because it annoys you but you can protect yourself. A little testing will show just how good this is in 75% decks.

Oath Cycle

Oath of Gideon is a fun one, dumping out some Allies to trigger your rally abilities and also making your Planeswalkers come in with additional loyalty. I love me some Super Friends, and all four Oaths go in there nicely. The green one even plays a little like Ponder, which will be interesting in other formats. What a fun cycle.

Stone Haven Outfitter

This makes Skullclamp both better and worse, but it also makes Grafted Wargear a blast to move around. I don’t know how easy to build around or include this card is, but I sure do like it and see its potential. Don’t forget this one when you start building.

Deepfathom Skulker

I don’t know if you want to pay 6 mana for a Bident of Thassa, but this card sure has potential, and I like it. I’m not paying more than the bulk-rare rate, but I have a few fun decks this could be tested in. We’ll always have Bident if not.

Crush of Tentacles

A flavor home run, this can also wipe the board the way blue wipes the board best. It also leaves behind a beater to get the game going again. This is less of a feel-bad for opponents than Cyclonic Rift, and I am going to give it a whirl. Consider this as an alternative to a card like Upheaval, a card you’re not allowed to play for a reason.

Hedron Alignment

Someone tell me how to make this work in Commander. I don’t think we can, but if there is a convoluted, circuitous way to pull it off, some Commander Timmy will, and bless his Timmy heart.

Dread Defiler

Slow but powerful, I like this and want to see it find a home dealing those last pesky 37 points of damage in one turn.

Sifter of Skulls

There has to be some way for a deck like Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest’s to break this card, or at least find room for it. I’m still upset I had to take out cards I liked for Smothering Abomination, but those are first-world problems to be sure.

Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet

I am not sure if I want a deck with this as my Commander, but I can think of a lot of nasty things to do with this skillset. Sacrificing Zombies has always been a pretty temporary thing to do, and the value you gain from doing it over and over is too good to pass up. This is a great card, and I’m already looking for homes for it.

Remorseless Punishment

This is a casual favorite, and if you can somehow copy this spell, you have a pretty back-breaking punisher card. I am probably going to let someone else figure out where this goes, but I’m keeping an open mind. This is certainly powerful and balanced, and that’s what 75% decks like.

Eldrazi Obligator

What is more 75% than stealing opponents’ dudes? There’s nothing, if you ask me.

Goblin Dark-Dwellers

While I expect this to impact Standard more than Commander, let’s not rule anything out. There are plenty of dirty spells we can replay in the CMC range specified by this card, and I like being able to rebuy my spells. This is one of my favorite cards in the set.

Vile Redeemer

I like the idea of a Fresh Meat on a stick if something goes wrong. This could get out of hand and give you a ton of mana to recover from a Wrath of God effect or just let you rebuild your army faster than opponents can. Give it a shot.

World Breaker

This card is so very Commander. I love everything about it. I am testing this in my Woodfall Primus slot, but I may end up just jamming both cards side by side. I love this card.

Bonds of Mortality

Is this a card that replaces itself and can also shut down indestructible and hexproof on opponents’ creatures? Sign me up! This card will do work.

Zendikar Resurgent

While this isn’t as good as Mana Reflection, it is affordable, and it’s nearly as good if you have mostly land ramp as your mana ramp. It also lets you draw cards when you cast creatures, which Mana Reflection does not do. Will this card be $18? No, but I expect it to be in a lot of decks and maybe even replace Mana Reflection in a few. This is my second favorite card in the set.

Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim

The card that launched one thousand Clerics—this makes Clerics decks possible and has good abilities to boot. Good deal. I can’t wait for this card.

Baloth Null

This isn’t for everyone, but I think it has a cool ability, and some decks—not all, but some—that like to dump things in the ’yard will want to pay the cost for this utility bruiser.

Jori En, Ruin Diver

I like this card out of proportion with my ability to suggest a deck I’d play it in.

Mina and Denn, Wildborn

This card is stupid-good. It enables lots and lots of landfall triggers, lets you ramp by playing extra lands, and breaks ground stalls by granting trample. This card is super.

Reflector Mage

This card is very 75% when you consider that, by itself, it’s merely inconvenient. You need to combine it with a way to flash it at instant speed or repeatedly blink it to really crush spirits. I think it will take work to make this oppressive, and that makes this balanced enough to try jamming. If you use this to keep people off their Commanders, be ready for a Heat Index score of 10.

Captain's Claws

I am not sure precisely which deck wants this, but I know you’re triggering Ally abilities, making tokens, and doing so for very cheap. Decks will find this, and it will be affordable to buy and test with.

Seer's Lantern

The reduced scry compared with Crystal Ball is offset nicely by the ability to tap for true colorless, something that will be in increased demand soon. I don’t know if every deck with Crystal Ball wants this instead (scry 2 is more than twice as good as scry 1 in my opinion), but enough will.

Stoneforge Masterwork

Kemba, Kha Regent decks everywhere are rejoicing. This card is very cool, and it’s tutorable easily to make one big creature in a tribal deck suddenly an existential threat. I like this card a ton, and there are a lot of applications for it.

Mirrorpool

What a cool Commander card—copying your spells, copying your creatures, and tapping for true colorless, this card does it all. I like the implications of this with cards like Doubling Season quite a bit.

Sea Gate Wreckage

Go hellbent with even more reckless abandon. Dumping your hand too fast? Have a Bizarro Library of Alexandria.

Deceiver of Form

Whoa, mama, this could get out of hand quickly. I really like the implications of this card, and suddenly, spells that can put creatures in play on your library or even simply scry are very tempting. This isn’t consistent, but it’s fun and powerful. In other words, this embodies 75%.

Endbringer

I love this card. I consider this worth putting more true-colorless sources in my mana base. This is practically a Planeswalker with all of its cool abilities—a combination of Staff of Nin and Trading Post. I think I’m in love.

Matter Reshaper

I have changed my mind about this card recently because I remembered that, while Birthing Pod isn’t a thing in Modern, it sure is in Commander. There are a lot of ways to sac this and bring it back. Try this with all of them. It’s powerful, and yet, it has an element of randomness that attenuates it consistency. That’s 75%, baby!

Reality Smasher

This is probably better in formats in which attacking with a 5-power creature is scarier, but I like how hard to deal with this guy is. It’s at least worth testing, so test I shall.

Thought-Knot Seer

You don’t have to have the person whose hand you stripped a card from be the person who draws the card when this leaves play. This lets you use this card politically. This is a card that a lot of players are excited about, and it’s going to find a home in hundred-card decks for sure.

Did I miss your favorite card? Leave it below in the comments! Tell me why a card I missed is a great 75% candidate. Tell me why a card I included isn’t. Suggest cards for the next Heat Index article, ship me a decklist—anything. Let’s bounce ideas off each other and build some new decks and tune up some old ones. This is a set with a lot of Commander goodies, and it may be a while before we see another set with so many. Thanks for reading, and get at me about what you want to see me write about next week. Until then!