Wizards of the Coast's latest Magic: The Gathering expansion taps into everyone's favourite Dungeons & Dragon game, Baldur's Gate. And to no one's surprise, Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate features colourful characters and magical lore. If you're a fan of both geekdoms, it's a definite Can Buy, for sure. However, the timing falls between an expansion released in April and a highly anticipated new set coming in July, which means you may want to save your hard-earned cash.
Quick notes
- Features dice rolling mechanism (D20, D10, D4 etc)
- Release timing is a bit odd
- Meet familiar D&D characters from Baldur's Gate such as Minsc and Boo, Elminster, and more
This set is comes in four versions: Commander, set boosters, collector boosters and draft boosters. Commander decks are pre-constructed decks for playing with friends who don’t already have one. Set boosters are for players that want the thrill of opening packs. Collector boosters are similar, but with more shiny goodies or alt arts for whales. If you want a fun multiplayer experience, then draft boosters are the way to go. You draft to form a commander deck to play multiplayer instead of just one-on-one. Personally, I played Baldur’s Gate back in the day, so I'm glad to see Elminster, Minsc with his little hamster, Boo, Tasha the Witch Queen, and many others in the game.
This set manages to capture the magic of Baldur’s Gate with the dragons, the exploring of dungeons, rolling of dice, some adventure cards, and even showcases the background mechanisms of D&D’s characters. Those who have played Baldur's Gate on the PC will enjoy the flavour of this set. Magic players who haven't, though, may find the mechanisms too foreign. This isn't the first time Magic has visited a D&D world, so maybe the dice rolling mechanisms aren't too unfamiliar. Honestly, I found the rolling of dice to be a bit annoying after a while.
One of my favourite mechanisms is Gates, which is a subtype of lands that can interact with other cards. Gates have been a win-condition in many commander decks and getting more Gates is always a win. With Streets of New Capenna released just two months ago, and an anticipated Double Masters 2022 in July, this new set feels a little out of place. I get that this is likely the “Commander” set of the year, but other than a few much needed reprints, there aren't many exciting new Commander cards. Sure, there are a few pushed White cards, but it feels like an overcompensation print. I'm guessing it's because players were complaining about how weak White was two years ago when they were designing the set.
If you are a fan of the setting, Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate is a must-buy, for new players looking for some commander staples, this set is a can buy. As for the rest of the players, if you have kakis (friends), then try the draft format. Get if from Shopee, with prices starting at S$19 for a Commander Booster Pack to S$216 for a four-set Commander Deck Bundle, to a S$563 set bundle that includes a Collector Booster Box, a Set Booster Box and a random AR Pin.
Note: This review was done independently, but Wizards of the Coast provided set boosters.
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