Streets of New Capenna Commander Decks: Are They Worth It?

Last updated on March 14, 2024

Smuggler's Share | Illustration by Aaron Miller

Streets of New Capenna is finally here, and this time we’re getting a total of five new Commander decks! While I admit the whole ‘30s New York vibe of the set isn’t really my thing, I love both the Maestros and the Riveteers for their mechanics and aesthetics. 

Let’s take a tour around the big city and look at all five families’ decks, their mechanics, their playability, and of course, their value.

Ready? Let's jump right in!

Magic The Gathering Streets of New Capenna All 5 Commander Decks (Minimal Packaging)–Includes 1 Obscura Operation, 1 Maestros Massacre, 1 Riveteers Rampage, 1 Cabaretti Cacophony, 1 Bedecked Brokers

• Bundle of all 5 Streets of New Capenna Commander Decks—Obscura Operation, Maestros Massacre, Riveteers Rampage, Cabaretti Cacophony, Bedecked Brokers
• Minimal packaging for reduced waste
• Includes 5 Collector Booster Sample Packs (total of 10 cards)—1 with each deck
• All 5 ready-to-play MTG decks contain 100 Magic cards (2 traditional foil + 98 nonfoil)
• Each deck comes with 1 foil-etched Display Commander, 10 tokens, 1 life tracker + 1 deck box

Buy on Amazon

All About Streets of New Capenna Commander

Rain of Riches | Illustration by Evyn Fong

What is Streets of New Capenna Commander?

Wizards of the Coast has been releasing preconstructed Commander decks for each new set the past few years. These decks throw us into the world of the set, with their commanders being important characters from these worlds. They’re a great way for new players to introduce themselves to Commander while also giving older players valuable reprints, new cards that may be great for the format, and even support for unusual strategies and archetypes.

New Capenna offers five tri-colored EDH decks that belong to each of the factions from the plane. Without getting into too many spoilers, this set of decks has a pretty good power level with some interesting cards when it comes to both reprints and new prints. 

The SNC precons also come with two Collector Booster sample packs. These are 2-card packs that have a foil common or uncommon and a rare or mythic. Both have some kind of showcase treatment. They’re not as good as something like a set booster, but they’re still a nice little gift to find with your deck.

How Does Streets of New Capenna Commander Compare to Other Sets?

It’s fair to say that there have been three very clear kinds of Commander products since these decks became a regular thing. First we have the Zendikar Rising, Kaldheim, and Commander Legends 2-deck sets. These had lower prices and lower power levels but were a very accessible way to get into the format or take advantage of the cards in the decks to start building around an archetype you like.

Then there are the decks from sets like the last two Innistrad sets and Neon Dynasty. These had a slightly higher power level, but also a higher price. Despite this they still had a ways to go before being truly powerful.

And finally we have the 4- or 5-deck sets, like the ones from Ikoria, Strixhaven, and Forgotten Realms. These usually have higher power levels and better reprints, with varying results in the end product. I personally think this is where Streets of New Capenna falls.

I highly doubt we’re getting any new cheaper decks like the Kaldheim ones so it’s always preferable that the decks are in this last category. But I’ll let you decide for yourselves once we get into the decks.

Best Value

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Most Competitive, Most Fun

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Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Obscura Operation | Minimal Packaging Version

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Maestros Massacre | Minimal Packaging Version

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Riveteers Rampage | Minimal Packaging Version

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Cabaretti Cacophony | Minimal Packaging Version

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Bedecked Brokers | Minimal Packaging Version

$33.73

$38.58

$43.09

$43.21

$45.99

-

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Best Value

-

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Obscura Operation | Minimal Packaging Version

$33.73

Buy on Amazon

Most Competitive, Most Fun

-

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Maestros Massacre | Minimal Packaging Version

$38.58

Buy on Amazon

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Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Riveteers Rampage | Minimal Packaging Version

$43.09

-

Buy on Amazon

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Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Cabaretti Cacophony | Minimal Packaging Version

$43.21

Buy on Amazon

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Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Bedecked Brokers | Minimal Packaging Version

$45.99

Buy on Amazon

Should I Buy the Streets of New Capenna Commander Decks?

As is the case with almost all of the Commander precons, the New Capenna EDH precons are great decks for players who want to get into the format. The strategies are very clear and functional while not being too complex. And they’re great ways to get started if you’re an experienced player that has wanted to build around any of these strategies.

Obscura Operation

Commander, Theme, and Strategy

Kamiz, Obscura Oculus | Illustration by Chris Rallis

I find Obscura Operation‘s commander, Kamiz, Obscura Oculus, an interesting card for its color combination. It rewards you for attacking with more than one creature and has some interesting interactions with those attacking creatures.

This means that the deck has a strong attack-focused strategy. There are plenty of unblockable cards to make attacking easier and less risky. There are also plenty of cards that give you some extra advantages when damaging your opponents, like Fallen Shinobi and Shadowmage Infiltrator. Card draw and stealing your opponents’ cards are the two main advantages that you’re gonna be getting, which makes sense in both black and blue.

There’s also a graveyard subtheme to take advantage of your discarded cards and the new connive ability.

Notable Cards: Reprints and $$

The most interesting value card is Smuggler's Share, a white source of card draw and mana. At this point, seeing a new card spike in value should come as no surprise considering we get one of these every few decks.

Here are the other cards in Obscura Operation that you should look out for:

• Wrexial, the Risen Deep
• Fetid Heath
• In Too Deep
• Silent-Blade Oni
• Currency Converter
• Fallen Shinobi
• Life Insurance
• Strionic Resonator
• Aerial Extortionist
• Lethal Scheme
• Writ of Return
• Chasm Skulker
• Tivit, Seller of Secrets
• Alela, Artful Provocateur
• Quietus Spike
• Drana, Liberator of Malakir
• Cephalid Facetaker
• Custodi Lich
• Oskar, Rubbish Reclaimer
• Dimir Signet
• Obscura Confluence
• Misfortune Teller
• Jailbreak
• Creeping Tar Pit
• Skyway Robber
• Change of Plans

The Verdict

I’m not a big fan of this deck’s colors, but I think it has a very interesting strategy that isn’t common for this combination. Price-wise, Obscura Operation more than makes up for its cost. The deck’s most expensive card already covers half of its MSRP which is always great.

The deck is pretty good overall with a more than reasonable power level and an interesting archetype.

Sale

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Obscura Operation | Minimal Packaging Version

• 100-card ready-to-play Streets of New Capenna Commander deck—Obscura Operation
• 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack—2 special treatment cards in every pack
• White-Blue-Black deck—includes 2 traditional foils + 98 nonfoil cards
• 1 foil-etched Display Commander, 10 double-sided tokens + life tracker
• Introduces 2 foil + 15 nonfoil MTG cards not found in the SNC main set

$33.73

Buy on Amazon

Maestros Massacre

Commander, Theme, and Strategy

Anhelo, the Painter | Illustration by Aurore Folny

Maestros Massacre is a very Grixis () deck through and through. The two main strategies of this deck are spellslinging and getting creatures in and out of your graveyard. Anhelo, the Painter is very concise and defines the deck’s strategy very clearly by giving your first spell each turn casualty 2. Casualty lets you sacrifice a creature with power X (in this case 2) to copy the spell being cast.

Creatures like Squee, the Immortal, Rekindling Phoenix, and Bloodsoaked Champion are important in this deck. You can copy your spells without much trouble and it’ll hardly mean a significant drawback for you. But if you don’t want to sacrifice your very important creatures there are also spells like Army of the Damned, Dread Summons, and Waste Management which generate creature tokens to give you some casualty fodder.

Notable Cards: Reprints and $$

The most expensive card is Anhelo, the Painter at around $10. Lightning Greaves also makes an appearance as a welcome reprint.

One reprint that I want to point out not thanks to its value but how good it is, is Kess, Dissident Mage. This is by far one of the best spellslinging commanders out there and widely hailed as the best Grixis commander. Getting a copy of it in a spellslinging precon really feels like a treat.

Some of the most valuable cards in Maestros Massacre include:

• Determined Iteration
• Spellbinding Soprano
• Cascade Bluffs
• Body Count
• Syrix, Carrier of the Flame
• Extravagant Replication
• Make an Example
• Smuggler's Buggy
• Flawless Forgery
• Dimir Signet
• Cryptic Pursuit
• Rite of the Raging Storm
• Twinning Staff
• Xander's Pact
• Sinister Concierge
• Clone Legion

The Verdict

Maestros Massacre is a deck that very strongly plays into its own strengths. The spellslinging and graveyard combination works really well and the cards that come in the deck are very well chosen. They all play into the archetype one way or another and benefit the deck somehow.

Value-wise it isn’t too bad but it’s definitely the lowest of the set. The $10 price mark on Anhelo, the Painter is pretty good nonetheless, and the cards that follow it aren’t too bad either.

I really like this deck but I’ll admit to my own bias of Grixis being one of my favorite color combinations. Most of the cards interact seamlessly with each other and the deck feels like a well-oiled machine ready to cast a ton of spells.

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Maestros Massacre | Minimal Packaging Version

• 100-card ready-to-play Streets of New Capenna Commander deck—Maestros Massacre
• 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack—2 special treatment cards in every pack
• Blue-Black-Red deck—includes 2 traditional foils 98 nonfoil cards
• 1 foil-etched Display Commander, 10 double-sided tokens life tracker
• Introduces 2 foil 15 nonfoil MTG cards not found in the main set

$38.58

Buy on Amazon

Riveteers Rampage

Commander, Theme, and Strategy

Henzie “Toolbox” Torre | Illustration by Johannes Voss

Not unlike Maestros Massacre, Riveteers Rampage is a deck that chooses to play strongly into its color combination’s archetypes. Henzie “Toolbox” Torre makes this deck focus on attacking with very large creatures very quickly.

Giving all of your creatures blitz while simultaneously reducing that blitz cost for each time your commander was cast makes playing huge cards like Artisan of Kozilek and Woodfall Primus really easy. This obviously means having to sacrifice them at the end of your turn, but there are cards like Kresh the Bloodbraided, Deathreap Ritual, and Industrial Advancement to take advantage of your creatures dying.

Notable Cards: Reprints and $$

Curiously enough, this deck’s most expensive card is a reprint of Twilight Mire. This is actually great because Commander precons don’t have very good lands a lot of the time, and in this case there was a step forward.

Some of the more valuable cards in Riveteers Rampage include:

• Protection Racket
• Rain of Riches
• Avenger of Zendikar
• Kresh the Bloodbraided
• Jolene, the Plunder Queen
• Industrial Advancement
• The Beamtown Bullies
• Turf War
• World Shaper
• Weathered Sentinels
• Henzie “Toolbox” Torre
• Mezzio Mugger
• Blasphemous Act
• Next of Kin
• Wave of Rats
• Life's Legacy
• Kessig Wolf Run
• Caldaia Guardian
• Dodgy Jalopy
• Mitotic Slime
• Grime Gorger
• Temur Sabertooth
• Riveteers Confluence
• Windgrace's Judgment
• First Responder

The Verdict

Jund () is one of my favorite color combinations, and this deck plays right into its strengths. Very big creatures being very aggressive while also having some graveyard interaction? Sign me up! It also makes Riveteers Rampage one of the easiest to upgrade or modify out of the five decks. You just need big creatures and a will to hit your opponents hard and fast. 

This deck’s most expensive card stays in the 1-digit limit but it still has a pretty nice price, and the sheer number of valuable cards also makes it a good investment.

I personally like this deck but I’m not entirely sure how strong it is. There aren’t all that many ways to get your creatures back from the graveyard and you may end up getting yourself stuck if you sacrifice one too many creatures at the wrong time. But you also get to deal ridiculous amounts of damage in a single turn if you play your cards right.

It’s a high-risk high-reward kind of deck, and that’s a big part of what makes it fun.

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Riveteers Rampage | Minimal Packaging Version

• 100-card ready-to-play Streets of New Capenna Commander deck—Riveteers Rampage
• 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack—2 special treatment cards in every pack
• Black-Red-Green deck—includes 2 traditional foils 98 nonfoil cards
• 1 foil-etched Display Commander, 10 double-sided tokens life tracker
• Introduces 2 foil 15 nonfoil MTG cards not found in the main set

$43.09

Buy on Amazon

Cabaretti Cacophony

Commander, Theme, and Strategy

Kitt Kanto, Mayhem Diva | Illustration by Fariba Khamseh

Cabaretti Cacophony is a goad deck through and through. It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen this strategy in a Naya () deck since Marisi, Breaker of the Coil played into it before (coincidentally a great addition to this deck). Kitt Kanto, Mayhem Diva plays into the archetype in a relatively passive way. While Marisi wanted you to attack your opponents and thus goad their creatures, Kitt Kanto plays a more manipulative role, goading specific creatures during your opponents’ turns.

The deck also has a smaller subtheme of tokens which are relevant to the Cabaretti as a faction. It also has some decent support for your own attackers so you won’t be exclusively depending on goading your opponents.

Notable Cards: Reprints and $$

The two most notable cards in the deck besides Indulge // Excess are Beastmaster Ascension and Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs, two great reprints.

Some of the most valuable cards in Cabaretti Cacophony are:

• Seize the Spotlight
• Grand Crescendo
• Phabine, Boss's Confidant
• Rugged Prairie
• Master of Ceremonies
• Bess, Soul Nourisher
• Rose Room Treasurer
• Prosperous Partnership
• Path to Exile
• Life of the Party
• Selvala, Explorer Returned
• Call the Coppercoats
• Thunderfoot Baloth
• Awakening Zone
• Scute Swarm
• Gahiji, Honored One
• Castle Ardenvale

The Verdict

This deck’s strategy is a really fun one. It’s the first time we get a Commander precon built around goad as a mechanic and I love the idea. I think Cabaretti Cacophony loses a bit of its focus in its execution. While tokens are great in a deck like this they end up taking up a lot of space while not really interacting with the deck’s main theme.

It does have a reasonable number of value cards along with great reprints, so Cabaretti Cacophony’s sheer value isn’t terrible at all. I think the deck could use a few upgrades and retouches here and there. The tokens are useful for taking advantage of Kitt Kanto’s ability but I feel like too much focus on them can end up being harmful to the overall strategy.

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Cabaretti Cacophony | Minimal Packaging Version

• 100-card ready-to-play Streets of New Capenna Commander deck—Cabaretti Cacophony
• 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack—2 special treatment cards in every pack
• Red-Green-White deck—includes 2 traditional foils 98 nonfoil cards
• 1 foil-etched Display Commander, 10 double-sided tokens life tracker
• Introduces 2 foil 15 nonfoil MTG cards not found in the main set

$43.21

Buy on Amazon

Bedecked Brokers

Commander, Theme, and Strategy

Perrie, the Pulverizer | Illustration by Joshua Raphael

+1/+1 counter decks have been a staple of Commander since forever, and Perrie, the Pulverizer brings a twist on that archetype. Bedecked Brokers cares about all kinds of counters on your creatures, not just +1/+1 ones. This means you could fool around with any and all kinds of counters from throughout the game’s history.

This deck’s strategy is very focused on its counters theme, although the main focus is put on +1/+1 counters. This was expected but the strategy still works really well. It’s also open-ended enough to allow you to modify the deck with a variety of cards that create interesting counters.

Notable Cards: Reprints and $$

Resourceful Defense stands as this deck’s most valuable card at around $9. This is easy to understand since it’s a card that lets you move counters when creatures die or for a small mana cost. And as I mentioned before counters have been a staple of the format for quite a long time.

The most valuable cards in Bedecked Brokers are:

• Brokers Confluence
• Contractual Safeguard
• Flooded Grove
• Slippery Bogbonder
• Devoted Druid
• Steelbane Hydra
• Gavel of the Righteous
• Karn's Bastion
• Damning Verdict
• Nesting Grounds
• Family's Favor
• Gavony Township
• Jenara, Asura of War

The Verdict

I like the idea behind this deck a lot. Counters are a fun thing to play around with and getting more cards that care about more than just +1/+1 counters is always nice. Bedecked Brokers wouldn’t be my first choice when deciding which of the precons to get, but it’s definitely an interesting idea and I always support Wizards making precons around original or unexplored archetypes.

The deck’s value isn’t exactly staggering but it’s still more than reasonable for a precon. But I'd definitely advise against this one if value is your main reason for getting one of these decks, but it’s a fine deck with a fun strategy overall. It’s really solid and has some nice cards in it even if it's far from my favorite in the set.

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Bedecked Brokers | Minimal Packaging Version

• 100-card ready-to-play Streets of New Capenna Commander deck—Bedecked Brokers
• 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack—2 special treatment cards in every pack
• Green-White-Blue deck—includes 2 traditional foils 98 nonfoil cards
• 1 foil-etched Display Commander, 10 double-sided tokens life tracker
• Introduces 2 foil 15 nonfoil MTG cards not found in the main set

$45.99

Buy on Amazon

The Best Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck

For Value

Obscura Operation is by far the best SNC Commander deck when it comes to value. Smuggler's Share will probably lower its price a little as decks get sold, but my bet is that it’ll stay close enough to the $2 mark and might even go higher at some point. It’s an amazing card and there is going to be a ton of demand for it.

It’s also followed by a considerable number of valuable cards, so you’re not getting just one strong card. I’d definitely pick Obscura Operation over the rest if value is what you’re going for.

Sale

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Obscura Operation | Minimal Packaging Version

• 100-card ready-to-play Streets of New Capenna Commander deck—Obscura Operation
• 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack—2 special treatment cards in every pack
• White-Blue-Black deck—includes 2 traditional foils + 98 nonfoil cards
• 1 foil-etched Display Commander, 10 double-sided tokens + life tracker
• Introduces 2 foil + 15 nonfoil MTG cards not found in the SNC main set

$33.73

Buy on Amazon

For Competitive EDH

If you’re into cEDH, Maestros Massacre is your best bet. It includes Kess, Dissident Mage which is a very popular competitive commander and it even comes with some solid support for its spell-centric theme.

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Maestros Massacre | Minimal Packaging Version

• 100-card ready-to-play Streets of New Capenna Commander deck—Maestros Massacre
• 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack—2 special treatment cards in every pack
• Blue-Black-Red deck—includes 2 traditional foils 98 nonfoil cards
• 1 foil-etched Display Commander, 10 double-sided tokens life tracker
• Introduces 2 foil 15 nonfoil MTG cards not found in the main set

$38.58

Buy on Amazon

For Fun

My personal favorite of the five decks fun wise is probably Maestros Massacre. There’s a few upgrades that could and should be made to it but it’s an all-around fun deck and I love when spellslinging builds synergize with other themes and archetypes well.

I’d put Obscura Operation right under as the second most fun. I have a soft spot for decks that use “undercover” attacks with creatures that are unblockable or have ninjutsu. I especially like it when they allow you to either draw your own cards or steal things from your opponents.

At the end of the day I think all five decks are fun and well designed. They each have interesting strategies and powerful cards, and what matters most is that you play what you find fun.

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Maestros Massacre | Minimal Packaging Version

• 100-card ready-to-play Streets of New Capenna Commander deck—Maestros Massacre
• 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack—2 special treatment cards in every pack
• Blue-Black-Red deck—includes 2 traditional foils 98 nonfoil cards
• 1 foil-etched Display Commander, 10 double-sided tokens life tracker
• Introduces 2 foil 15 nonfoil MTG cards not found in the main set

$38.58

Buy on Amazon

Where to Buy Streets of New Capenna Commander

You can buy Streets of New Capenna Commander decks on Amazon or at your local game store. As demand for certain cards increases or decreases over time, so does the price of these products.

Commanding Conclusion

Kess, Dissident Mage | Illustration by Izzy

I think this is a great set of precons. It’s closer to the Ikoria and Strixhaven decks which had higher power levels and were extremely fun to play. There are some interesting reprints across all decks, but the reprint value may be a bit lower than in previous decks which isn’t the best. 

I like the new Streets of New Capenna cards a lot. They feel powerful and useful without getting too broken like some previous Commander cards did. This is a format that should care more about fun than power after all.

Best Value

-

Most Competitive, Most Fun

-

-

-

-

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Obscura Operation | Minimal Packaging Version

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Maestros Massacre | Minimal Packaging Version

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Riveteers Rampage | Minimal Packaging Version

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Cabaretti Cacophony | Minimal Packaging Version

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Bedecked Brokers | Minimal Packaging Version

$33.73

$38.58

$43.09

$43.21

$45.99

-

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Best Value

-

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Obscura Operation | Minimal Packaging Version

$33.73

Buy on Amazon

Most Competitive, Most Fun

-

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Maestros Massacre | Minimal Packaging Version

$38.58

Buy on Amazon

-

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Riveteers Rampage | Minimal Packaging Version

$43.09

-

Buy on Amazon

-

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Cabaretti Cacophony | Minimal Packaging Version

$43.21

Buy on Amazon

-

Magic: The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Commander Deck – Bedecked Brokers | Minimal Packaging Version

$45.99

Buy on Amazon

But enough about me! What do you think about these precons? Do you like their strategies or the cards they bring? Do you dislike them? If so, why? Feel free to leave a comment with your opinions down below or over on Twitter.

That’s all from me for now. Have a good one, and I’ll see you next time!

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