In my experience, some Commander games see many combat tricks being cast, so this card will make an excellent commander in areas where that's the case. Don't expect to be very popular for using her, though.
Asmodi0000
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(3 votes)
A solid card for its colors, though I really wish that it was "Opponents can't cast spells during combat" and that her power was 5. As she is though, she's still excellent, especially within the commander format. Forcing creatures to attack is easily one of the most interesting ways of making the game move in the direction you want.
scumbling1
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Shuts down Condemn, but you're playing Basandra -- you're playing Condemn yourself as you have white in your color identity. I just don't see this as being particularly useful. Removal normally cast during combat has to be used pre-emptively, but this seems to hurt white's removal more than any other colors.
As for her ability to force attacks, it's nothing special; red has several other cards that do that sort of thing.
The artwork is pretty, so it's probably best if you simply never look at the bottom half of the card.
KikiJikiTiki
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(6 votes)
As red/white, why would you want to lock yourself out of combat tricks? Those colors have my favorite combat tricks. I'd like it more without that ability. I'd also like to have seen it cost more to make that only affect opponents.
sarroth
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
I agree that it should affect opponents instead of everyone; White loves forcing its rules on others and Red likes to play unfair. Combat tricks are great, but not necessary, so it's certainly able to be built around.
greg2367
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
I think Basandra is being highly underrated right now. No combat tricks is helpful in general, for everyone and making combat easier, and making things attack is just good- as long as they won't be attacking you.
You can still cast spells before combat so that would force your opponent's creatures to walk into a situation you designed for them, and they can't play tricks during combat to stop you.
Kryplixx
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(6 votes)
Terese Nielsen is so unique.
If I were to list my top 10 favorite cards based on art alone... she would own half the spots, at least.
ClockworkSwordfish
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(5 votes)
Really hoses her colour combination, not sure what's going on here. Also totally looks like Jean Grey. So there's that.
Nagoragama
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(4 votes)
Not a good ability for WR, the color that thrives with an abundance of combat tricks.
A shame, because this card has beautiful art.
GracefulInferno
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Using her as a general just changes how you handle combat. R/W is still very potent in combat when limited to activated/triggered abilities. Just change the types of spells you would normally use.
Sure, it's not as effective, since you're limiting yourself to second-rate white removal and such, but with Basandra as your general, the discord created by her abilities should at least work in your favor. Long story short: if her abilities turn you off, pick someone else. Commander is cool like that.
TheSwarm
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(6 votes)
Her and Razia have my heart. Red White angels seeem to be like angels of attractiveness or something.. beautiful.
Atali
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(5 votes)
Don't be so set in your ways people! Basandra can't be substituted in for any random RW general, she functions very differently, but that hardly makes her bad, it means you'll have to give your Basandra deck some original thought instead of just tossing in all the same white and red cards again.
Wizard-of-the-Toast
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Loving this card. I'd say more but she might think I'm mumbling...
BegleOne
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Holy incredible art, Batman!
Zarth2k
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It looks like a good time to pull out the Seals and maybe the new enchantment they just brought out in this set that mimics Sword 2 Plowshares.
Feralsymphony
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
Character Bio: Basandra is revered by warriors who seek truth through the purity and ordeal of combat. She forbids trickery and deception in favor of the sharpness of steel, the endurance of will, and the candor of muscle. All who are called rush into battle with unquestioning zeal.
steez4days
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I was building my EDH around her and was seriously dissapointed when i realized i couldnt use fight to the death because of her first ability.
Still, shes a really fun commander in my oppinion. Use blazing archon and ghostly prison in multiplayer to keep your opponents attacking eachother.
Sorenssen
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
she could be a vampire! nice card, solid, great art, juz love it in WR + Sunblast Angel
krissy821
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
I wouldn't call her abilities bad at all. There are a ton of R/W cards that use abilities during combat. Things like Sunforger, Isochron Scepter, Rise of the Hobgoblins' activated ability, Deathless Angel's ability, Militia's Pride, Knight-Captain of Eos, and the new Soul Snare works too. Sure, no condemn or master of warcraft, but there's still a lot of options.
And if built around her, your deck won't suffer and your opponent's will, since they probably wouldn't have built around her.
raptorman333
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'd rather play Teferi.
Zielheim
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
If there's one reason why I like her so much, it's to prevent any kind of 'flash into play to wreck your board' shenanigans that can ruin your day, and it forces defending players to waste their fogs early and not leaving you wide open to attack. Her berserk ability is pretty good too for picking off particular threats when everyone's in a stalemate.
For those going 'but white/red love combat tricks themselves!', think of it this way; your opponent is inevitably going to want to get rid of her so they can do their own tricks, and in the mean time, you're forcing them to play by your rules and manipulating them in quite a few ways.
JanusAurelius
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I like her abilities,you just have to build around them. Using creature abilities, enchantments, seals, and stuff like that.
nunyaJs
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
damn this is probably the BEST angel art... ever.
DarthParallax
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I COULD be wrong....but I think, actually, it might be perfectly alright to put in some combat tricks in a Basandra deck....noooo, you can't 'load up' on them a super ton...but just because one of your 100 cards is asynergystic with a good handful of cards that, in general, her colors like having, why would you not go for just the very best of them?
Fight to the Death and Master of Warcraft seem to me like they should still make the cut in a Basandra deck. Moreover, Commanders are not normal creatures. You have quite a lot of control over which Zone they are in at any given time, especially if you are playing White. (Only Black has more Zone control, I think).
I say an interesting move would be to see if you can find the right combination of 'trick' cards to 'flicker' Basandra in just such a way that you end up 'cracking' her ability and turning the drawback into a One-Sided affair. It's what the first Pros learned how to do with Wrath of God. there really aren't any creatures that are 'great with Wrath of God', but it's also pretty hard to win completely without creatures. So what you do is you work out your timing so you have Basandra when you want her, and not when you don't, just like you fire Wrath of God when you don't have creatures, then go ahead and cast them after the coast is clear.
Diachronos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Quick question: If you use cards that force your opponents to do something in order to attack, like Norn's Annex or Ghostly Prison, do they have to attack if you use Basandra's ability, or can they simply choose to not pay the cost in order to not attack?
she must be a sl*t i mean, come on wizards, people don't wear push up bras to battle! Or do they?
El_Pared
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"Basandra, did you bring the WHip?" "I sure did bab... wait, what?"
patronofthesound
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The halo in the art contrasts strongly against how bad this *** is.
LordRandomness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@TheSwarm: It's all the beauty of {W} with none of the restraint.
Lord_of_phyrexia
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I have a r/w angel deck with her in it, here it is:9 Mountain 14 Plains 1 Angelic Wall 1 Emeria Angel 1 Sublime Archangel 1 Basandra, Battle Seraph 1 Archangel of Thune 1 Battlegrace Angel 1 Blinding Angel 1 Shattered Angel 1 Serra Angel 1 Baneslayer Angel 1 Aegis Angel 1 Aurelia, the Warleader 1 Adarkar Valkyrie 1 Exalted Angel 1 Pristine Angel 1 Deathless Angel 1 Angelic Skirmisher 1 Wayward Angel 1 Platinum Angel 1 Archangel of Strife 1 Akroma, Angel of Wrath 1 Angel of Salvation 1 Razia, Boros Archangel 1 Avacyn, Angel of Hope 1 Angel's Grace 1 Angelic Renewal 1 Aurelia's Fury 1 Angelic Blessing 1 Angel's Trumpet 1 Angel's Tomb 1 Angelic Voices 1 Angel's Mercy 1 Angelic Destiny 1 Angelic Accord 1 Angelic Benediction 2 Angelic Chorus
Sasooli
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Using cards with Bloodrush allows you to get in combat tricks in your attack phase despite her restriction. Hopefully your opponent will be all the less prepared for them too, since they're not expecting any tricks from your hand. And they can't respond by killing or unsummoning your attacker, either.
SeriouslyFacetious
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Card aside, every time I read this name I think of the scene from Workaholics when they talk to the real estate agent from the roof...
"Banessa?" "No it's Vanessa..." "I'm pretty sure you said Banessa. I thought it was weird, but whatever it's your name."
Comments (37)
As for her ability to force attacks, it's nothing special; red has several other cards that do that sort of thing.
The artwork is pretty, so it's probably best if you simply never look at the bottom half of the card.
If I were to list my top 10 favorite cards based on art alone... she would own half the spots, at least.
A shame, because this card has beautiful art.
Can't run Condemn? Use Oust.
No Wing Shards? Try something that skips combat altogether, like Moment of Silence.
Sure, it's not as effective, since you're limiting yourself to second-rate white removal and such, but with Basandra as your general, the discord created by her abilities should at least work in your favor. Long story short: if her abilities turn you off, pick someone else. Commander is cool like that.
Basandra can't be substituted in for any random RW general, she functions very differently, but that hardly makes her bad, it means you'll have to give your Basandra deck some original thought instead of just tossing in all the same white and red cards again.
Basandra is revered by warriors who seek truth through the purity and ordeal of combat. She forbids trickery and deception in favor of the sharpness of steel, the endurance of will, and the candor of muscle. All who are called rush into battle with unquestioning zeal.
Still, shes a really fun commander in my oppinion. Use blazing archon and ghostly prison in multiplayer to keep your opponents attacking eachother.
nice card, solid, great art, juz love it in WR + Sunblast Angel
And if built around her, your deck won't suffer and your opponent's will, since they probably wouldn't have built around her.
For those going 'but white/red love combat tricks themselves!', think of it this way; your opponent is inevitably going to want to get rid of her so they can do their own tricks, and in the mean time, you're forcing them to play by your rules and manipulating them in quite a few ways.
Fight to the Death and Master of Warcraft seem to me like they should still make the cut in a Basandra deck. Moreover, Commanders are not normal creatures. You have quite a lot of control over which Zone they are in at any given time, especially if you are playing White. (Only Black has more Zone control, I think).
I say an interesting move would be to see if you can find the right combination of 'trick' cards to 'flicker' Basandra in just such a way that you end up 'cracking' her ability and turning the drawback into a One-Sided affair. It's what the first Pros learned how to do with Wrath of God. there really aren't any creatures that are 'great with Wrath of God', but it's also pretty hard to win completely without creatures. So what you do is you work out your timing so you have Basandra when you want her, and not when you don't, just like you fire Wrath of God when you don't have creatures, then go ahead and cast them after the coast is clear.
If you use cards that force your opponents to do something in order to attack, like Norn's Annex or Ghostly Prison, do they have to attack if you use Basandra's ability, or can they simply choose to not pay the cost in order to not attack?
http://teresenielsen.typepad.com/.a/6a00e54fd89cec88340154332a4ab6970c-popup
i mean, come on wizards, people don't wear push up bras to battle! Or do they?
"I sure did bab... wait, what?"
14 Plains
1 Angelic Wall
1 Emeria Angel
1 Sublime Archangel
1 Basandra, Battle Seraph
1 Archangel of Thune
1 Battlegrace Angel
1 Blinding Angel
1 Shattered Angel
1 Serra Angel
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Aegis Angel
1 Aurelia, the Warleader
1 Adarkar Valkyrie
1 Exalted Angel
1 Pristine Angel
1 Deathless Angel
1 Angelic Skirmisher
1 Wayward Angel
1 Platinum Angel
1 Archangel of Strife
1 Akroma, Angel of Wrath
1 Angel of Salvation
1 Razia, Boros Archangel
1 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
1 Angel's Grace
1 Angelic Renewal
1 Aurelia's Fury
1 Angelic Blessing
1 Angel's Trumpet
1 Angel's Tomb
1 Angelic Voices
1 Angel's Mercy
1 Angelic Destiny
1 Angelic Accord
1 Angelic Benediction
2 Angelic Chorus
"Banessa?"
"No it's Vanessa..."
"I'm pretty sure you said Banessa. I thought it was weird, but whatever it's your name."