Don Andres, the Renegade

Strategy & Gameplay

Don Andres, the Renegade is a fascinating commander option that opens up entirely new strategic possibilities centered around temporarily controlling your opponents' creatures. This four-mana legendary creature from Lost Caverns of Ixalan creates a unique gameplan where the cards you don't own become your most valuable assets. The static ability provides tremendous utility by granting all borrowed creatures plus-two-plus-two, menace, and deathtouch, transforming even modest threats into formidable blockers and attackers while also ensuring they become Pirates for potential tribal synergies. The menace and deathtouch combination makes these creatures exceptionally difficult for opponents to block effectively, often forcing poor trades or board stalls in your favor. Beyond the static effect, the triggered ability generates Treasure tokens whenever you cast noncreature spells you don't own, creating a reliable mana acceleration engine that becomes exponentially more powerful as you fill your deck with effects like Act of Treason, Zealous Conscripts, and various theft effects. This card excels in Grixis control-theft strategies where you systematically steal your opponents' best creatures and convert that advantage into overwhelming board presence and resource generation. The Treasure production enables casting those expensive theft spells repeatedly while maintaining tempo, and the stolen creatures' enhanced stats make them superior win conditions compared to your own cards. In Commander format, Don Andres creates multiplicative value in the 99 of theft-focused decks, while in Legacy and Vintage the card offers competitive potential in creative tempo or control shells that incorporate theft mechanics. The card's strength lies in its ability to turn temporary advantages into permanent board control and mana advantage, making it an excellent inclusion for players seeking unconventional commander experiences.