AI Summary
5 min readThe Command Zone team gathered to share their favorite pet cards — the ones they love to play whether or not they are the optimal choice. Across a dozen staff members, the conversation revealed a consistent pattern: the best pet cards are flexible, create memorable moments, and often do something unexpected for their mana cost. The episode is essentially a catalog of underplayed gems, each with a specific mechanical niche and a story attached.
Targeted Mass Removal and Tempo Disruption
Murph kicked things off with Hex, a six-mana black sorcery that destroys six target creatures. The card has real downsides — it's sorcery speed, it targets (so it fails against hexproof and ward), and if your opponents have fewer than six creatures, you must target your own. But Murph argues that in practice, Hex almost always functions as a one-sided board wipe. In the late game, after you've deployed your threats, you can destroy every opponent's best blocker or value piece without touching your own board. For aggressive black decks that want to press an advantage, Hex lets you clear the way while keeping your momentum intact. "When you are able to cast it and keep attacking, keep your game plan going, it just feels really good," Murph said.
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What you'll learn
- 1 Cards We’ll Never Stop Playing | 763
- 2 (00:42) **Episode Intro & Theme** - Rachel and Josh introduce the team pet-card episode
- 3 (01:17) **Murph's Pick: Hex** - A six-mana black sorcery that destroys six target creatures
- 4 (06:16) **Grav's Pick: Blind Obedience** - A two-mana white enchantment with extort that makes opponents' creatures and artifacts enter tapped
- 5 (13:58) **Jordan's Pick: Halo Fountain** - A three-mana artifact with tap/untap abilities culminating in an alternate win condition
- 6 (20:24) **Jake's Pick: Soul Burn** - An X-cost black sorcery with complex damage and lifegain restrictions
- 7 (27:01) **Becky's Pick: Oblivion Sower** - A six-mana colorless Eldrazi that steals lands from exile
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
Sometimes, you just like something. Even if it's overcosted or never pays off, a pet card holds a special place in your heart. This episode, we’re polling the Command Zone staff to find each of their most beloved pet cards. From old staples to new flavor pieces that just tickle their fancy, everyone has a different fun justification for their picks, so let's jump in!
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Relevant Links:
Joshua Murphy:
X: @alsonamedjosh
Bluesky: @alsonamedjosh.bsky.social
Gaurav Gulati:
X: @DoubleGXG
Jordan Pridgen:
X: @jordanpigeon
Instagram: @jordanpridgen
Bluesky: @jordanpigeon.bsky.social
Jake Boss:
X: @JakeBossMTG
Instagram: @jakebossmtg
Bluesky: @jakeboss.bsky.social
Beky Bell:
X: @bekybear
Instagram: @bekybear
Karina Cruz:
Bluesky: @kcz24.bsky.social
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