Speaking of counters, play Mana Thite, Force Spike and similar effects as early as possible, as they are usually terrible after your opponent has 5 lands in play
For a long time, before Commander was a hit, being a casual player meant belonging to a broad group of people who didn't necessarily play a defined format
If you can give Kaalia haste, your chosen commander can start handing out freebies as early as turn four
Xenagos can spawn 2/2 Satyrs with Haste, which compliments Faldorn's wolf-spawning ability, while his +1 grants red or green mana equal to the number of creatures the player has on the field
Note that you cant play lands that you exile off the top of your library, since the ability says cast, and lands are played, but you can still cast cards of any color
Every time we see these strong ties to art historical items, like The Great Wave off Kanagawa for Rampant Growth, the stage is set for a great work