secrets of strixhaven | August 2026 | 8 Min Read

The Dilemma

Welcome to Commander Thoughts. It's the series where I want to challenge conventional deck building and improve your commander skills. Silverquill, the Disputant is one of my favorite dragons and has spellslinger archetype written all over the card.

The biggest problem with Silverquill, the Disputant is he can be boring if you stick with the recommended spells of card draw, tutors, X-spells, and removal. He really says efficiency but... I want to introduce you to "Dilemma" spells. These are spells which have effects of two bad choices. What makes Shadrix, which is the name of the elder dragon special is the ability to copy spells. He breaks the color pie because red or blue are known to copy spells NOT white or black in Magic the Gathering.

Now, I'm going to show you my favorite dilemma spell for Silverquill, the Disputant. Keep in mind, these spells if copied are devastating. The reason I recommend you add them is to add depth of powerful spells. Yes, you can have a Torment of Hailfire or a Debt to the Debtless in the 99 too.

Keep in mind the spellslinger archetype demands pilots to have cards in hand to cast. Of course there are ways to fetch your instant and sorcery spell - like tutors. This is why I mention it is fun when you can play the spell at the right time in commander.

2026 | Spellslinger

Choice of Damnations

One of the most fun things to do in Magic the Gathering is to play cards at the right time. Choice of Damnations is a devastating sorcery spell. When played at the right time, your opponent is either losing life or permanents. Permanents including lands can be victims to this sorcery. With Silverquill, the Disputant as your commander you can copy spells. If Choice of Damnations is copied, you can ruin an opponents entire board state or they're losing double the life.

This spell gets better with Silverquill, the Disputant. Since it can be copied, why not choose another opponent for the copy? The value Shadrix creates from copying spells in the black or white color pip goes crazy! Most of the time these spells can only target one player. If the opponent decides to use a counterspell on this splashy play, you are left stuck. Guess what? When spells are copied, your opponent has the option to use a counterspell on the original spell or the copied spell. This means either the original or copy is going to resolve. This is how I fell in love with copy spells because they circumvent counterspells.

Choice of Damnations is a black sorcery card from the Saviors of Kamigawa set in Magic: The Gathering, featuring a unique "punisher" mechanic where an opponent picks a number that dictates their penalty.