Personally, I'm going for the former, and even when the hype slows down, I'll still go for Japanese sets instead
I call Akromas Will a kill spell in commander because it is brutal when cast during combat
To start, youll need to understand the value and rarity of the cards youre interested in, which can vary greatly depending on factors such as condition, edition, and specific character
We already play Firebrand Archer in EDH decks that buff damage, and some of those commanders are in Standard, like Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might / Temple of Power, Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin, Urabrask / The Great Work, Taii Wakeen, Perfect Shot, Judith, Carnage Connoisseur, and Imodane, the Pyrohammer
A slightly more exotic but flavorful pirate mechanic is stealing cards owned by other players