Smaug Dominates Commander Previews While MaRo Hints at Bant Merfolk for Nauctis

July 27, 2026 · 9 sources

Set News

The Hobbit Previews are Here! MTGGoldfish gives us our weekly rundown, highlighting the latest reveals from The Hobbit Universes Beyond set. Players are already theorycrafting what the inevitable Jund version of Smaug will do, guessing it'll be an attack-trigger machine that churns out Treasure tokens. (MTGGoldfish, Reddit)
Nauctis Dive Begins. Mark Rosewater is teasing that the long-requested underwater set, Nauctis, is dropping next year—and fans are aggressively lobbying for a Bant Merfolk commander to finally become a reality. Time to start foiling out your Lord of Atlantis! (Blogatog)
Mark's Favorite Ban. Ever wondered what the head designer considers his favorite banned card? MaRo has a soft spot for Tinker, the iconic blue artifact cheat engine. Classic Urza's Saga nonsense. (Blogatog)

Smaug Demands Tribute. Smaug the Impenetrable brings an absolutely unhinged line of text to the format, and EDHREC is already breaking down how to maximize his fire-breathing, Treasure-generating kit. Combine him with damage doublers like Pyrohemia to rain literal fire on your playgroup. (EDHREC)
Marvel's Mightiest Commanders. Curious which Universes Beyond cards are actually sticking at the helm of the 99? EDHREC ranks the top 10 most-played Marvel Super Heroes in Commander, with Doctor Doom reigning supreme over Latveria and your local game store's top tables. (EDHREC)
Best At, Worst At: Marina Vendrell. If you're looking to build a proper Enchantress deck in the new format, EDHREC breaks down exactly where Marina Vendrell excels and where she falls flat. Grab your Daybreak Coronets and prepare to stack auras. (EDHREC)
Saga Savants. Draftsim ranks the 46 best Sagas in Magic history. Whether you're looking to windmill slam an Urza's Saga on turn one or build around Reflection of Kiki-Jiki, this list has you covered. (Draftsim)

Vintage Metagame Check. Joe Dyer takes a deep dive into the Vintage format to see what's shaping the meta in July 2026. See which archetypes are standing tall in Magic's most powerful—and restricted—format. (MTGGoldfish)
The Beauty of Going Off-Meta. A great discussion popped up on Reddit regarding the joy of playing off-meta decks on the Arena ladder. It's a refreshing reminder that while copying a Pro Tour decklist is easy, nothing beats beating the meta with a sweet homebrew. (Reddit)

The Origins of Winston Draft. A vintage Magic player recently asked Mark Rosewater where the "Winston" in Winston Draft came from, prompting MaRo to promise he'll ask Richard Garfield himself. The rumor is that Garfield named it after a branded deck of playing cards he bought in a junk store back in the 90s! (Blogatog)
MTG Goes Mainstream. Magic: The Gathering apparently made a splash on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. If you needed proof that the game's cultural reach is larger than ever, Draftsim has the breakdown of MTG's bizarre late-night debut. (Draftsim)

MaRo Addresses the "UB Reserved List". With Universes Beyond cards commanding massive price tags, players are worried about a new proto-Reserved List. MaRo reassured fans that R&D has the ability to print functionally identical cards with new names that count as the same card for tournament legality (hello, shirting!). (Blogatog)
Secret Lair Superdrop Incoming. The Superdrop of the Moonlight Jellies drops today at noon EDT. Get your wallets ready, because the newest batch of Secret Lairs is bringing some incredibly unique art treatments to the table. (EDHREC)
Is Roaming Throne Too Good? EDHREC investigates whether Roaming Throne is actively warping Commander deckbuilding. Spoiler alert: a colorless card that doubles your best triggers is seeing a ridiculous amount of play across nearly every archetype. (EDHREC)

Red Gets "Evolving Equipment". Players were confused by the teaser for "hone counters" in red, but MaRo clarified that it represents a new design space: evolving equipment that improves over time. Say goodbye to vanilla Leonin Scimitars. (Blogatog)
Omenpaths Are Here to Stay. Despite some fan theories that Jice would close the Omenpaths in Reality Fracture, MaRo confirmed that the multiverse is staying wide open for the foreseeable future. Time to brush up on your plane-hopping lore. (Blogatog)
The Livestock Batch. When asked if Magic would ever create a batch for livestock (Birds, Oxen, Sheep, Goats, and Horses), MaRo joked that we'd need a farm-themed set first. Make it happen, Wizards—we're ready for a Homelands revamp! (Blogatog)