by Can Tran

Created on: October 31, 2009

"Austere Command" is a white sorcery printed as a rare for the Magic the Gathering expansion set known as "Lorwyn." This is one of the five "Command" spells printed in Lorwyn that lets you pick two abilities out of a list of abilities. It is perhaps one of the most versatile sorcery spells printed let alone in the Lorwyn block. In any control deck with white cards, Austere Command is a handy card to have for the most part.

The converted mana cost for Austere Command is six. You will need two white mana and four colorless mana to play Austere Command. For what Austere Command can do, the converted mana cost is well worth it. For only six mana, you get to play two pretty potent spells for the most part. Depending on how you use Austere Command, it can really benefit you. Keep in mind that Austere Command is a sorcery spell and you can only play it during your turn.

What does Austere Command do in the first place?

Out of four abilities, you get to pick two. The abilities are: destroy all artifacts, destroy all enchantments, destroy all creatures with converted mana cost of three or less, or destroy all creatures with converted mana cost four or greater. If you are playing a white deck, Austere Command is pretty handy because it gives you the necessary versatility.

One example is that you can use this against a deck with low cost creatures. In this respect, you can play Austere Command and wipe out all of those creatures. If your opponent is playing some sort of artifact deck, you can destroy all artifacts. Against control decks, you can destroy all artifacts and enchantments. Many control decks thrive upon artifacts and enchantments.

If your opponent has a bunch of powerful creatures on the battlefield, you can choose to have Austere Command destroy all creatures with the converted mana cost of four or greater. Many powerful creatures require at least five mana to spend. Depending on the situation, you have plenty of viable options to pick when playing a spell such as Austere Command.

In a sense, you have a built-in "Akroma's Vengeance" and a "Wrath of God." Being able to pick what you want to destroy is something great to have. Think of this as a way to clear the whole battlefield. Depending on the situation, being able to clear the entire battlefield could prove to be beneficial to you.

Overall, this is an impressive sorcery spell. If you are playing a white deck, you may want to go ahead and use Austere Command.

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