Secrets of Strixhaven spoiler season is finally over, and it’s safe to say that this set is jam-packed with awesome designs. For Commander enthusiasts, five new precons are on the way, each with its own unique charm. On top of that, the main set features a solid group of new legendary creatures that all make for strong build-arounds.
Despite sometimes being overshadowed by the various precon Commanders, many new legends from the main set are well worth building around. If you’re looking to do just that, we’ve got you covered, with our list of the best MTG Commanders in Secrets of Strixhaven.
8 | Blech, Loafing Pest
While Blech, Loafing Pest undoubtedly has narrower applications than some other Secrets of Strixhaven legends, it can still take over games. Alongside token makers like Pest Infestation and Arasta of the Endless Web, it doesn’t take long before each Blech trigger becomes incredibly threatening. From there, cards like Essence Warden and Blood Artist make it easy to trigger Blech repeatedly.
On top of this legend’s basic synergies, this Pest enables a variety of combos. For example, if you can turn Spike Feeder into one of the five creature types listed on Blech, you can activate Spike Feeder’s final ability as many times as you wish. In doing so, you’ll gain infinite life and grow all relevant creatures infinitely large. This may sound tough to pull off, but Maskwood Nexus, Spider-Suit, and Arachnoform all do the trick.
7 | Zaffai and the Tempests
Despite its simplicity, Zaffai and the Tempests’ ability is no joke. Big extra turn spells like Time Stretch and Expropriate are all you need, giving you more cracks at abusing Zaffai’s ability before your opponents can untap.
If taking extra turns isn’t your jam, Zaffai’s ability also synergizes nicely with Enter the Infinite. After casting the beefy sorcery for free, you should have mana to spare to resolve Thassa’s Oracle or other similar effects to instantly win the game. Ultimately, even though Zaffai is a bit clunky and has no built-in protection, you can still get your money’s worth immediately as long as you have a big spell rolled up.
6 | Aziza, Mage Tower Captain
Aziza, Mage Tower Captain gets a big edge due to its sheer efficiency. Thanks to cards like Hop to It and Hordeling Outburst, Aziza only needs one card to start copying instants and sorceries every turn.
Once you have a board of tokens assembled, Aziza can start creating value quickly. Copying big X spells like Finale of Glory and Forth Eorlingas! should put you in a good position to win. All the while, any Magecraft cards like Storm-Kiln Artist can set up even more casts.
5 | Prismari, the Inspiration
Of all the Commanders in Secrets of Strixhaven, Prismari, the Inspiration definitely has the highest ceiling. Storm is one of MTG’s most broken mechanics, and stapling that ability onto all of your Instants and Sorceries is incredible. The thought of casting a bunch of Rituals and cantrips, then taking a boatload of extra turns with Time Warp brings me joy.
The downside, of course, is that Prismari costs seven mana and doesn’t immediately generate value. The Ward cost is also extremely minimal in a 40-life format, so there’s a good chance Prismari will just get killed if you try to pass the turn after casting it. Still, if you can cast the Dragon ahead of schedule with cards like Jeska’s Will and protect it with free Counterspells, you should be able to win the game shortly after.
4 | Quandrix, the Proof
While Quandrix, the Proof’s upside isn’t quite as high as Prismari’s, giving your Instants and Sorceries Cascade is still a surefire way to dominate grindy games. This Elder Dragon pairs particularly well with high-cost spells that can be cast at a discount. This includes Delve spells, like Dig Through Time, as well as spells with alternate casting costs, such as Force of Will.
Given how easy it is to generate value with Quandrix, your opponents will still feel pressured to kill it. Yet, because this legend has Cascade stapled to it, you’ll always generate value whenever you recast it from the command zone. With some ramp cards to ensure you can keep recasting it, it’s hard to go wrong with this Commander at the helm.
3 | Berta, Wise Extrapolator
At its core, Berta, Wise Extrapolator gets most of its utility out of its final two abilities. Being able to get extra mana out of your +1/+1 counters is, frankly, enough to make this Commander worthwhile. Turning leftover mana into extra bodies is the cherry on top.
Proliferate cards like Inexorable Tide and Evolution Sage pair particularly well with Berta, since they help grow the Commander as well as the Fractals it makes. With basic untap effects like Freed from the Real in the mix, it won’t take long before Berta can flood the board with tokens. From there, traditional Counters-themed staples like Inspiring Call make it easy to cement your advantage.
Notably, what separates Berta from some other +1/+1 Counter Commanders is its combo potential. One effective way to end games is to combine Berta, Inexorable Tide, and Shrieking Drake to build up infinite Storm count. Alternatively, Intruder Alarm lets you activate Berta’s last ability for X=0 as many times as you want, setting up infinite death triggers.
2 | Lorehold, the Historian
For the low price of five mana, Lorehold, the Historian provides two incredible abilities that work wonderfully in tandem. When combined with some topdeck manipulation like Scroll Rack or Library of Leng, you can essentially cast an instant or sorcery for two mana every turn. Miracle, notably, even bypasses timing restrictions, allowing you to cast sorceries at instant speed. From Storm Herd to Call Forth the Tempest, there are tons of haymakers you can cast that will put you in the driver’s seat.
Factoring in all of these benefits, there’s no doubt that Lorehold, the Historian is among the best Commanders that Secrets of Strixhaven has to offer. Yet, there is still one legend that has this one beat.
1 | Witherbloom, the Balancer
Much like Lorehold, Witherbloom the Balancer also enables you to cast your Instants and sorceries at a big discount. In this case, the goal is to get on board early with mana dorks, getting Witherbloom out as early as turn three. Once in play, token producers like Pest Infestation and Awaken the Woods are your best friend. The more tokens you have in play, the more mana you’ll save on all of your future X spells via Witherbloom’s final ability. Eventually, setting up a lethal Exsanguinate is easier than you might think.
If these synergies weren’t enough, Witherbloom even lets you go infinite with Sprout Swarm. With four creatures already in play, you can reduce Sprout Swarm’s mana cost to just one green mana. Because this cost can be paid for with Convoke, Sprout Swarm’s token essentially pays for itself, letting you produce as many tokens as you want.
All of this upside already makes Witherbloom amazing, but the fact that this Commander can be cast for as little as two mana puts it over the top. The Affinity for Creatures ability even helps discount Commander tax if you maintain a big enough board, making spot removal much less concerning. All in all, Witherbloom, the Balancer, easily earns the title of best MTG Secrets of Strixhaven Commander.
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