Source transparency: This Digest item is based primarily on reporting from MTG Rocks. TMF summarizes and interprets the news; original reporting remains credited and linked.
Jandor, Fortuned Traveler gives Naya Commander a reason to run a mix of creature types that rarely share a deck. The Mystery Booster: Commander Edition legend makes the Beasts, Camels, Horses, Elephants and Wolves you control into Mounts in addition to their other types and grants them saddle 2. A changeling is also eligible. Whenever a saddled creature you control attacks, Jandor gives it +2/+2 for the turn, draws a card and creates a Food. The trigger is per attacker and happens before blockers are declared.
Saddle is a commitment at sorcery speed. To saddle one Mount you must tap other untapped creatures with at least two total power. You can use a creature that just entered as part of the payment, but you cannot tap the Mount itself to saddle it or use the same tapped body to pay for a second Mount. That makes Rampaging Baloths useful in two ways: it can attack as a saddled Beast, and its landfall tokens can serve as either future attackers or riders. Changelings broaden the pool of Mounts, but the deck also needs cheap bodies that can stay back and saddle them. Wylie Duke, Atiin Hero is a way to get value from tapping a creature you were already going to keep out of combat.
The Food matters even if opponents can block the attackers. In a build with Academy Manufactor, the Food creation becomes a Food, a Clue and a Treasure, giving you more resources to spend after combat. A Reckless Fireweaver can turn those artifact entries into damage, while Samwise Gamgee gives Food a different role in returning historic cards from the graveyard. Those payoffs make the combat step productive even when it cannot deal much damage.
The main weakness is the number of pieces needed on the battlefield. Jandor has to be in play when the attackers are declared, and removal before combat can leave a board with no payoff after several creatures have been tapped. Extra combat effects only help if you still have untapped attackers or a way to untap them. The build is best approached as a creature deck that converts some of its board into cards and artifacts each turn; it does not require every eligible creature to attack.
Saddle is a commitment at sorcery speed. To saddle one Mount you must tap other untapped creatures with at least two total power. You can use a creature that just entered as part of the payment, but you cannot tap the Mount itself to saddle it or use the same tapped body to pay for a second Mount. That makes Rampaging Baloths useful in two ways: it can attack as a saddled Beast, and its landfall tokens can serve as either future attackers or riders. Changelings broaden the pool of Mounts, but the deck also needs cheap bodies that can stay back and saddle them. Wylie Duke, Atiin Hero is a way to get value from tapping a creature you were already going to keep out of combat.
The Food matters even if opponents can block the attackers. In a build with Academy Manufactor, the Food creation becomes a Food, a Clue and a Treasure, giving you more resources to spend after combat. A Reckless Fireweaver can turn those artifact entries into damage, while Samwise Gamgee gives Food a different role in returning historic cards from the graveyard. Those payoffs make the combat step productive even when it cannot deal much damage.
The main weakness is the number of pieces needed on the battlefield. Jandor has to be in play when the attackers are declared, and removal before combat can leave a board with no payoff after several creatures have been tapped. Extra combat effects only help if you still have untapped attackers or a way to untap them. The build is best approached as a creature deck that converts some of its board into cards and artifacts each turn; it does not require every eligible creature to attack.
Original source: Wild Mystery Booster Commander Lets You Mount All Kinds of Creatures ↗MTG Rocks