Magic's new Secret Lair Commander Deck lets you unleash angelic fury
Angels: They’re Just Like Us but Cooler and with Wings is a fun Commander Deck with beginner-friendly mechanics and gameplay, as well as gorgeous new art.
Beyond being very, very pretty, Magic: The Gathering's latest Secret Lair Commander deck has some really interesting cards, including one that has never been seen in physical form before.
With a deck name like Angels: They’re Just Like Us but Cooler and with Wings, it's no surprise that there are numerous Angels inside, but notable is the presence of Arden Angel, which was previously available only in the Sega Dreamcast version of the game due to its guess a number mechanic.
Wizards has managed to adapt it well enough for physical play (though you will require a 4-sided die), so Arden Angel takes its spot amongst the other big flying White creatures, which are pretty much how you're going to take your opponents down.
Here's the breakdown of the rest of the Angels: They’re Just Like Us but Cooler and with Wings Commander Deck.
Notable reprints
The deck features five traditional foil double-faced cards with all new artwork by Scott M. Fischer. Well, six, if you include the artwork for Brisela, Voice of Nightmares, the combined Eldrazi Angel form of the two Angel Horrors Bruna, the Fading Light and Gisela, the Broken Blade. Wizards was even kind enough to provide proxies of the two Angel Horrors so you don't need to take them out of their sleeves when melding into the big bad 9/10.
Serra Ascendant hasn't seen a set reprint since Iconic Masters in 2017, and a one-mana 1/1 that can turn into a 6/6 with Flying would be useful outside of this deck. Of course, in Commander games starting at 40 life, being able to drop it onto the battlefield in the first turn is going to be a pretty massive advantage.
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx is another card that isn't easy to find, and it's versatile enough to be useful in most mono-colour decks.
Ease of Use
Well, as Commander decks go, Angels: They’re Just Like Us but Cooler and with Wings is pretty straightforward to play. Big Angels deal big damage. Big Angels also tend to help you gain life with Lifelink. If you have either Ajani, Strength of the Pride or Angel of Destiny in play, those huge life gains are going to turn into either massive card advantage or outright defeat for your opponents.
Protecting your big Angels can be done in a variety of ways, with cards such as Sephara, Sky's Blade and the enchantment Kindred Boon able to make them Indestructible. Meanwhile, the deck also includes a variety of ways to bring back your fallen Angels, with cards such as Dawnbreak Reclaimer, Emeria, the Sky Ruin and Emeria Shepherd ready to return them to the battlefield (probably not difficult for the latter two, considering the 30 Plains the deck comes with).
There are variety of ways to get rid of pesky opponent cards, too, whether it be more targeted like with Swords to Plowshares (a classic), Angel of Serenity and Angel of the Ruins, or a more Wrath of God-esque option like Cleansing Nova, Austere Command or the opportunistic Sunblast Angel. Cards like The Book of Exalted Deeds can keep you in the game long enough if you've had a bad streak, while the non-Demonic Tutor Search for Glory could pull you the Legendary you need to turn the tide.
While big Angels tend to cost lots of mana, cards like Urza's Incubator, Pearl Medallion, Oketra's Monument and Starnheim Aspirant will definitely help get them out faster. Nykthos, Shrine to Nix can help add even more mana to your mana pool to speed up the process (not forgetting the Commander-standard that is Sol Ring).
Beyond these, there are many cards in the deck that generate token creatures, as well as many cards that give +X/+X bonuses to them, allowing you to amass a pretty big army quickly and ensuring you have enough defence to fend off your opponents when it's not your turn.
Conclusion
Overall, Angels: They’re Just Like Us but Cooler and with Wings is a fun Commander deck with beginner-friendly mechanics and gameplay.
It's also a limited edition run, which is great for collectors, too.
While I would have liked to see a few more Angel-themed cards (Angelic Destiny, for one), the vast number of thematically-correct cards means that a lot aren't going to make it. I mean, I don't fault Wizards for not including the vanilla OG Serra Angel, because as iconic as she is... quite vanilla compared to some of the other Angels you could use in a commander deck.
Compared with other Commander decks, this Secret Lair drop can feel pricier, but bear in mind the unique art and some of the reprints (which are not easy to find at this time), as well as its collector value as a limited-run product.
Angels: They’re Just Like Us but Cooler and with Wings is available in Singapore on the Wizards shop on Shopee by itself or as a bundle together with other Secret Lair products, while stocks last.
GellyPanda is a casual gamer who occasionally dabbles into gacha games.
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