Sokka Vs. Narset
There are many questions intrinsic to the human experience: “Why are we here?” “What happens once we die?” “Is it morally dubious to regularly bribe my friend with dog food to get him to investigate potentially dangerous, active crime scenes?” These are all questions that we as people are confronted with at one time or another in our lives, and although we may never truly find answers to some of these questions within our lifetimes, there is perhaps one universally pondered question that we can attempt to answer today.
Sokka Deck List
Here is a budget Sokka deck list for reference:
Narset Deck List
And also a budget Narset deck list (Narset herself is 1/3rd of the budget):
Prowess for all vs. Prowess for some
Recursion
The most obvious strength Narset has over Sokka is she can double-dip into the graveyard. Even better than that, Narset can recast your opponent’s noncreature spells by simply attacking. The fact that Narset recurs spells for free and Sokka does not is a solid reason to choose Narset over Sokka for your commander.
Evasion
One of the saddest things that can happen in Magic is when you swing out with your 62/62 creature and someone chump blocks it with a 1/1 token. Although menace isn’t the greatest keyword to have on a creature, it is a highly underrated one. In a go-wide strategy, it can even be devastating. One shouldn’t only rely on menace to get through, but every creature having menace can make or break a combat step. This extra keyword gives another point to Sokka.
Final considerations
Beyond that which has already been covered, the final difference between Sokka and Narset is that Narset has a slightly better stat line. Four toughness vs. three toughness can be important, and there might be some occasions where the extra toughness is beneficial, but since everything has prowess, that additional toughness isn’t as hard for Sokka to find in his time of need. At most, I’d be willing to give Narset half a point over this tiny detail, but this is only being considered in the name of thoroughness. Thus, the final tally is Sokka overtakes Narset at 2 points to 1½, making him objectively a slightly better commander. Let me (the moon, the arbiter of truth in all things magic) know what you think of this assessment in the comments below.
