When it comes to the myriad formats of Magic: the Gathering, on paper, Commander is by far the most popular. Offering one of the largest card pools available, Commander is a playground for unrivaled creativity in MTG. Thanks to this, it is arguably the most fun format to build and brew decks for.
Whether you’re wanting to build around a specific typal theme or a beloved pet card, Commander allows you to do it. Should either of those options not take your fancy, however, you can also play to win. When aiming to build the best deck possible, Commander has countless awesome combos and cards to exploit.
When taking this competitive desire to win to the extreme, Commander decks will reach the status of cEDH. Within this sub-format, only the best of the best days survive, yet MTG players have a surprisingly good time playing it. So much so, in fact, that for some players it’s actually a nicer environment than typical Commander games!
As much as cEDH does have its benefits, unfortunately, this format is also tremendously expensive. Subsequently, for most MTG players, it’s best to stick to the more casual games that you’ll find at your local FNM. Here, games can still be plenty competitive, even if they’re not playing $3000 lands each turn.
If you want the best chance at winning at one of these tables, you’ll need to bring a competent, still causal, deck. Thankfully, if you’re looking to do this, we’ve got a handy cheat sheet for you to follow! Throughout this article, we’ll be highlighting some of the best casual Commander decks in MTG that you can build right now.
Honorable Mention | Preconstructed Decks
While we’ll be talking about decks you can build yourself throughout this article, we couldn’t resist mentioning preconstructed decks. As the name implies, these decks have already been made for you by the diligent team at Wizards. All you need to do is crack into the packaging, shuffle, and play!
For better or worse, preconstructed Commander decks in MTG are, typically, not the best decks around. So much so, that at many tables, you may find yourself struggling if you only bring along a fresh precon. While this is far from ideal, thankfully, there is an easy solution: upgrading your deck.
Through buying singles, even sub-par precons can be turned into viable and enjoyable decks! The question remains, however, which preconstructed deck should you spend your hard-earned money on and use? Ultimately, that is up to you, as there are so many different preconstructed decks to choose from.
Whether you’re looking to start off with a themed deck, or something more mechanically focused, Wizards has you covered. It’s also worth keeping in mind that some decks will need more upgrades than others since power levels do vary. If you’re looking for one of the most powerful precons around, check out the Hosts of Mordor deck.
At the end of the day, when using a preconstructed Commander deck, it is not mandatory that you upgrade it with singles. Choosing not to, however, may require you to be more careful about your table choice. After all, as you’ll see throughout this article, many casual-focused decks are seriously strong and don’t mess around.
If ease of access isn’t enough of a selling point for preconstructed Commander decks, there are also many Universes Beyond offerings! This can allow players to dive deep into their favorite franchises!
9 Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor
Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor is a powerful new typal Commander from the Wilds of Eldraine “Fae Dominion” Commander deck. While there have been other powerful Faerie Commanders such as Alela, Artful Provocateur, we finally have an elite payoff for playing a deck full of Faeries. Generally, Faeries are rather small on their own, but play quite well together. They are quite crafty, and a lot of them have Flash to pair well with holding up Instants, such as various Counterspells.
Tegwyll not only helps buff all of your small Faeries, but you get to draw cards whenever other Faeries you control die. This ability combines extremely well with Faerie token makers, such as Bitterblossom. You can even throw in a mini sacrifice theme to help convert some of your Faeries into extra cards when necessary.
In addition to Tegwyll, many of the other new cards from the Commander precon help this strategy quite a bit. Archmage of Echoes, for example, lets you get a token copy of any Faerie you cast! Wizards of the Coast really went all-in on the archetype, so if this is your style of deck, now’s your chance to capitalize.
Read More: The Best MTG Tutor Cards for EDH (Updated)
8 | Sauron, the Dark Lord
Following the release of The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, one new Commander card has reigned supreme. As you can see above, rather fittingly, this card is Sauron, the Dark Lord. Synergizing with the new Ring Temps You mechanic, this powerhouse of a new card absolutely excels in Commander. So much so, in fact, this new card is the most popular Commander of the past month.
Despite this impressive claim to fame, currently, Sauron, the Dark Lord only appears in just under 5,000 decks on EDHREC. Given enough time, however, this card is sure to earn a spot on this list properly.
As for the card, and accompanying deck, as mentioned, Sauron, the Dark Lord is fantastic alongside the Ring Temps you and Amass mechanics. Thanks to this, Dreadhorde Invasion is an obvious auto-include in the deck. Alongside this, it’s a good idea to play even more Sauron. Specifically, Sauron, Lord of the Rings is a great choice thanks to their powerful Amass Orcs ability.
Unfortunately, unlike many other typal-focused decks, there are literally no normal Army cards in MTG. Instead, the only cards which carry that subtype are the creature tokens created via Amass. Thankfully, Changelings can skirt around this problem, giving you a few more ways to activate Sauron, the Dark Lord’s main ability.
Outside of specifically building around, Sauron, the Dark Lord, this deck is a great opportunity for all things Lord of the Rings. Subsequently, many lists built around this Commander also contain cards such as Nazgûl and rather appropriately Lord of the Nazgûl. Of course, alongside these, it’d be downright foolish not to include The One Ring as well.
Ultimately, while decks themed around Sauron, the Dark Lord are not the strongest in all MTG, they are very flavorful. Subsequently, they can be a real joy to play, so long as you can find the right playgroup for them. Thanks to this highly flavorful fun, it’s no wonder that Sauron, the Dark Lord is the go-to commander right now. After all, The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth did just launch.
For an example of a deck built around Sauron, the Dark Lord, have a gander at Jacob Bertrand’s deck from Game Knights 62. If you want to watch this deck in action, you can do so below. Otherwise, a link to the deck can be found here.
7 | Shalai and Hallar
This doesn’t count as combat damage and won’t contribute to the 21 combat damage a Commander can deal to a player to take them out. Fortunately, if you can quickly get multiple counters onto your creatures, you can quickly eat away at a player’s life and mop them up in combat with your creatures.
Shalai and Hallar is particularly potent because of their access to infinite combos. The card will instantly win the game alongside The Red Terror, which creates a feedback loop, dealing infinite damage and gaining infinite counters. The card also performs incredibly well with Heliod, Sun-Crowned, who can give Shalai and Halar Lifelink. Once you can life, you can put a +1/+1 counter on Shalai and Halar from Heliod. This will make your Commander deal damage, gaining you life from Lifelink, creating another loop.
Even if Shalai and Halar can’t maintain its presence outside of the command zone for long, you still have powerful creatures capable of strengthening themselves. Abzan Battle Priest and Benevolent Hydra are great examples of creatures that can power up. This can quickly snowball into big threats that your opponents struggle to deal with. You also get some removal from red spells and the ability to add on more counters with green spells.
It’s a deck that will rely on building lots of counters, but you won’t need these creatures to stay around long. As long as Shalai and Halar is present, just the act of putting +1/+1 counters will put players in an uncomfortable position. They will either remove the creatures or stall your ability to add counters just to stay alive.
Here’s a sample deck from EDHREC:
Commander:
1 Shalai and Hallar
Creatures:
1 Abzan Falconer
1 Armorcraft Judge
1 Avacyn’s Pilgrim
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Bright-Palm, Soul Awakener
1 Champion of Lambholt
1 Conclave Mentor
1 Conclave Sledge-Captain
1 Defiler of Vigor
1 Dusk Legion Duelist
1 Esper Sentinel
1 Evolution Sage
1 Forgotten Ancient
1 Good-Fortune Unicorn
1 Guardian Scalelord
1 Gyre Sage
1 Halana and Alena, Partners
1 Hamza, Guardian of Arashin
1 Heliod, Sun-Crowned
1 Incubation Druid
1 Kalonian Hydra
1 Kami of Whispered Hopes
1 Kodama of the West Tree
1 Lae’zel, Vlaakith’s Champion
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Loyal Guardian
1 Managorger Hydra
1 Mikaeus, the Lunarch
1 Rishkar, Peema Renegade
1 Shalai, Voice of Plenty
1 The Red Terror
1 Walking Ballista
1 War Elemental
Instants:
1 Beast Within
1 Eladamri’s Call
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Generous Gift
1 Heroic Intervention
1 Inspiring Call
1 Path to Exile
1 Silkguard
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Worldly Tutor
Sorceries:
1 Cultivate
1 Damning Verdict
1 Farseek
1 Kodama’s Reach
1 Nature’s Lore
1 Rampant Growth
1 Three Visits
Artifacts:
1 Arcane Signet
1 Ozolith, the Shattered Spire
1 Sol Ring
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 The Great Henge
1 The Ozolith
Enchantments:
1 All Will Be One
1 Branching Evolution
1 Cathars’ Crusade
1 Felidar Retreat
1 Hardened Scales
1 Mayael’s Aria
1 Rhythm of the Wild
1 Tribute to the World Tree
1 Uncivil Unrest
Planeswalkers:
1 Ajani, the Greathearted
Non-basic Lands
1 Arid Mesa
1 Boseiju, Who Endures
1 Bountiful Promenade
1 Canopy Vista
1 Cinder Glade
1 Command Tower
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Fortified Village
1 Game Trail
1 Gavony Township
1 Jetmir’s Garden
1 Jungle Shrine
1 Karn’s Bastion
1 Rockfall Vale
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Spectator Seating
1 Spire Garden
1 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
Basic Lands:
3Plains
2Mountain
7Forest
#6. Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir
This deck will focus on attacking with your Knights while protecting them from any threats that could interfere. Cards such as Knight Exemplar grant benefits to all Knights (being Indestructible in this case), while spells like Negate stop any spell from ruining your momentum. You also have a variety of Artifact/Equipment cards to power up and protect your Knights or give them extra offense.
Vanquisher’s Banner can be used to strengthen your Knights and give you card advantage as you cast them. The Circle of Loyalty is also a great pick to produce some decent Knight tokens while strengthening your creatures. If you need a powerful combatant, you can use Silverwing Squadron or Wintermoor Commander to fight against larger threats. For late-game attacks, Akroma’s Will is perfect for letting your Knights slip past blockers and withstand most removal.You can also combine Haakon, Stromgald Scourge with Phyrexian Altar, and Knight of the Ebon Legion if you want to repeatedly play Knights. It’s perfect when used with cards such as Worthy Knight, Syr Konrad, the Grim, and Breathless Knight. You either flood the battlefield with Knight tokens, repeatedly damage a player, or strengthen a Knight to powerful levels.
Here is a sample deck from EDHREC:
Commander:
1 Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir
Creatures:
1 Acclaimed Contender
1 Adeline, Resplendent Cathar
1 Aryel, Knight of Windgrace
1 Ayara’s Oathsworn
1 Battle Angels of Tyr
1 Cavalier of Dawn
1 Cavalier of Night
1 Corpse Knight
1 Elenda and Azor
1 Ethersworn Adjudicator
1 Exsanguinator Cavalry
1 Foulmire Knight
1 Guardian of Faith
1 Haakon, Stromgald Scourge
1 Herald of Hoofbeats
1 Hero of Bladehold
1 Kinsbaile Cavalier
1 Knight Exemplar
1 Knight of the White Orchid
1 Locthwain Lancer
1 Marshal of Zhalfir
1 Midnight Reaper
1 Murderous Rider
1 Order of Midnight
1 Silverwing Squadron
1 Skyhunter Strike Force
1 Smitten Swordmaster
1 Syr Konrad, the Grim
1 Valiant Knight
1 Vodalian Wave-Knight
1 Vona, Butcher of Magan
1 Wintermoor Commander
1 Worthy Knight
Instants:
1 Anguished Unmaking
1 Counterspell
1 Negate
1 Path to Exile
1 Return to Dust
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Unbreakable Formation
1 Void Rend
Sorceries:
1 Distant Melody
1 Painful Truths
1 Promise of Loyalty
1 Read the Bones
1 Time Wipe
Artifacts:
1 Arcane Signet
1 Commander’s Sphere
1 Conjurer’s Mantle
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Herald’s Horn
1 Mind Stone
1 Orzhov Signet
1 Sol Ring
1 Talisman of Dominance
1 Talisman of Hierarchy
1 The Circle of Loyalty
1 Vanquisher’s Banner
Enchantments:
1 Chivalric Alliance
1 History of Benalia
1 Kindred Discovery
1 Knights’ Charge
1 Teferi’s Ageless Insight
Non-basic Lands:
1 Arcane Sanctum
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Choked Estuary
1 Command Tower
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Godless Shrine
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Morphic Pool
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Path of Ancestry
1 Port Town
1 Prairie Stream
1 Raffine’s Tower
1 Sea of Clouds
1 Shineshadow Snarl
1 Sunken Hollow
1 Temple of Deceit
1 Temple of Enlightenment
1 Temple of Silence
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Vault of Champions
1 Watery Grave
Lands:
6 Plains
2 Island
5 Swamp
Read More: The Best Wilds of Eldraine Commander Cards
#5. Omnath, Locus of All
For a powerful Phyrexian Commander, Omnath, Locus of All is a great choice for accessing all five colors. It gives you access to playing all five Praetors, but it also allows you to ramp up mana if you have several multicolored cards. You also retain any unspent mana as black mana, which always remains with you until Omnath leaves the battlefield.
This is great for cards such as Villainous Wealth, which can exile a considerable number of cards with the proper mana ramp. Creatures such as Nyxbloom Ancient will help generate that excess mana, which can be used immediately or stored to cast gigantic X spells like Torrent of Hellfire to end the game.
Omnath’s second ability relies on multicolored cards to be truly effective. You choose the three mana from the combination of colors revealed at the start of your precombat phase, allowing you to play various powerful cards quickly. It’s perfect for getting cards like Maelstrom Nexus or Maelstrom Angel out on the battlefield, as they have high multicolored costs.
Overwhelming your opponent with powerful creatures faster than they can respond is always a solid strategy. You can also rely on other Phyrexian cards to hurt your opponent, like the Vraska, Betrayal’s Sting, and Vorinclex, Monstrous Predator combination.
Here is a sample deck from EDHREC:
Commander:
1 Omnath, Locus of All
Creatures:
1 Animar, Soul of Elements
1 Atraxa, Grand Unifier
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Bloom Tender
1 Brimaz, Blight of Oreskos
1 Dryad of the Ilysian Grove
1 Elesh Norn
1 Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines
1 Etali, Primal Conqueror
1 Faeburrow Elder
1 Glissa, Herald of Predation
1 Ignoble Hierarch
1 Maelstrom Archangel
1 Maelstrom Wanderer
1 Muldrotha, the Gravetide
1 Nissa, Resurgent Animist
1 Nyxbloom Ancient
1 Omnath, Locus of Creation
1 Omnath, Locus of Rage
1 Omnath, Locus of the Roil
1 Rocco, Cabaretti Caterer
1 Seedborn Muse
1 Sheoldred
1 Thalia and The Gitrog Monster
1 Urabrask
1 Vorinclex
Instants:
1 Abzan Charm
1 Bant Charm
1 Brokers Charm
1 Crackling Doom
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Esper Charm
1 Naya Charm
1 Sultai Charm
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Void Rend
Sorceries:
1 Cultivate
1 Debt to the Deathless
1 Eerie Ultimatum
1 Farseek
1 Kodama’s Reach
1 Nature’s Lore
1 Rebuild the City
1 Ruinous Ultimatum
1 Three Visits
1 Torment of Hailfire
1 Villainous Wealth
Artifacts:
1 Arcane Signet
1 Chromatic Lantern
1 Chromatic Orrery
1 Doubling Cube
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Realmbreaker, the Invasion Tree
1 Sol Ring
Enchantments:
1 Maelstrom Nexus
1 Phyrexian Awakening
1 Rhystic Study
1 Smothering Tithe
1 Temur Ascendancy
1 Wilderness Reclamation
Planeswalkers:
1 Wrenn and Realmbreaker
Non-basic Lands:
1 Arid Mesa
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Breeding Pool
1 Command Tower
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Flooded Strand
1 Godless Shrine
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Indatha Triome
1 Jetmir’s Garden
1 Ketria Triome
1 Marsh Flats
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Polluted Delta
1 Raugrin Triome
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Spara’s Headquarters
1 Steam Vents
1 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
1 The World Tree
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Watery Grave
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Zagoth Triome
1 Ziatora’s Proving Ground
Basic Lands:
2 Plains
1 Island
1 Swamp
1 Mountain
3 Forest
Read More: Top 11 Best MTG Artifact Cards
#4. Lathril, Blade of the Elves
Elves are a popular choice in Commander, and after seeing Lathril, Blade of the Elves, you will see why. When Lathril deals combat damage to a player, you create 1/1 Elf tokens equal to Lathril’s power. After ten Elves are on the battlefield, you can tap them to take ten life away from all opponents.
Players don’t want Lathril to deal damage since Lathril dealing 21 cumulative combat damage will end in their defeat. Not only does the Commander damage add up, but Lathril also creates tokens equal to the damage dealt.
Summoning ten other Elves and draining players of life is the way to go. With cards like Elvish Warmaster, you can quickly flood the battlefield with Elf tokens and start draining life. Elvish Archdruid and Leaf-Crowned Visionary turn weak 1/1 Elves into decent fighters. Rather than use cheap removal like Lightning Bolt, it forces your opponents to wipe the board.
You can also turn your Elves into powerful armies with cards like Ezuri, Renegade Leader. Backed with naturally powerful Elves like Glissa Sunslayer and Abomination of Llanowar, players are forced to either exile or neutralize them. These cards aren’t cheap mana-wise, but cards like Llanowar Elves and Wirewood Channeler can help you cast them sooner. Combining some cards like Elvish Archdruid and Staff of Domination can even grant you infinite mana.
Protecting your Elves with equipment and enchantments keeps them alive and lets you focus on draining life from enemies. Lightning Greaves and Swiftfoot Boots can keep your more powerful Elves safe from harm. You can also use Coat of Arms or Beastmaster’s Ascension to boost your Elves’ power even further and overwhelm your opponent’s defenses.
With several methods to hurt your opponents, you will have them scrambling to react as you adjust your strategy to the circumstances.
Here’s a sample deck from EDHREC:
Commander:
1 Lathril, Blade of the Elves
Creatures:
1 Abomination of Llanowar
1 Beast Whisperer
1 Canopy Tactician
1 Circle of Dreams Druid
1 Dwynen, Gilt-Leaf Daen
1 Elves of Deep Shadow
1 Elvish Archdruid
1 Elvish Champion
1 Elvish Mystic
1 Elvish Warmaster
1 Ezuri, Renegade Leader
1 Fyndhorn Elves
1 Glissa Sunslayer
1 Harald, King of Skemfar
1 Immaculate Magistrate
1 Imperious Perfect
1 Leaf-Crowned Visionary
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Llanowar Tribe
1 Lys Alana Huntmaster
1 Marwyn, the Nurturer
1 Miara, Thorn of the Glade
1 Nullmage Shepherd
1 Poison-Tip Archer
1 Priest of Titania
1 Realmwalker
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Rhys the Exiled
1 Ruthless Winnower
1 Shaman of the Pack
1 Skemfar Avenger
1 Skemfar Shadowsage
1 Timberwatch Elf
1 Tyvar the Bellicose
1 Wirewood Channeler
1 Wolverine Riders
1 Wood Elves
Instants:
1 Assassin’s Trophy
1 Beast Within
1 Elven Ambush
1 Golgari Charm
1 Heroic Intervention
1 Putrefy
1 Tyvar’s Stand
Sorceries:
1 Bounty of Skemfar
1 Casualties of War
1 Elvish Promenade
1 Green Sun’s Twilight
1 Harvest Season
1 Pact of the Serpent
1 Return Upon the Tide
1 Shamanic Revelation
Artifacts:
1 Arcane Signet
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Skullclamp
1 Sol Ring
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Throne of the God-Pharaoh
Enchantments:
1 Binding the Old Gods
1 Crown of Skemfar
1 Elderfang Venom
1 Moldervine Reclamation
1 Pride of the Perfect
1 Prowess of the Fair
1 Tribute to the World Tree
Planeswalkers:
1 Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler
Non-basic Lands:
1 Command Tower
1 Deathcap Glade
1 Gilt-Leaf Palace
1 Golgari Rot Farm
1 Jungle Hollow
1 Llanowar Wastes
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Path of Ancestry
1 Skemfar Elderhall
1 Undergrowth Stadium
1 Wirewood Lodge
1 Woodland Cemetery
1 Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth
Basic Lands:
5 Swamp
14 Forest
Read More: Top 14 MTG Best Pioneer Decks! (September 2023)
#3. Tymna the Weaver (paired with Thrasios, Triton Hero)
If you are curious about the Partner mechanic that lets you use two Commanders, Tymna the Weaver is a great Commander to use. Partnered Commanders have several options, but Tymna the Weaver and Thrasios, Triton Hero, is a common pairing. You get the benefits of blue, green, white, and black mana while having two Commanders that complement each other.
Thrasios is excellent for ramping up your mana with his Scry ability. The main difference is it allows you to reveal the top card of your library. If it’s a land card, you play it while it is tapped, and you draw one card if it’s another card type. It’s a good way of controlling the cards that go into your hand while quickly bringing lands into play.
Cards like Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, Atraxa, Grand Unifier, and Razaketh, the Foulblooded, can quickly come out with the enhanced mana ramp. Since the Scry ability isn’t limited to basic lands, you can play cards such as Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth or Breeding Pool with this ability. Creatures such as Birds of Paradise and Noble Hierarch can pitch in if you need more mana.
Tymna helps you build card advantage after dealing damage to players. You can pay life to draw cards based on the players you damaged after your postcombat main phase. In larger games, this can quickly replenish your hand and provide more options after a drawn-out engagement.
Cards such as Serra Ascendant[tooltips] or [tooltips]Sheoldred, the Apocalypse will help you gain life to offset Tymna’s life drain. Other cards, such as Toxic Deluge, can help clear the board while benefiting from the extra life you gained. Protecting your creatures, artifacts, and enchantments will be important; using cards such as Counterspell or Heroic Intervention will ensure most threats won’t hurt you.
There are several ways to win with Tymna and Thrasios. Large creatures with powerful effects can end the battle like the aforementioned Atraxa, Grand Unifier. You can also exile difficult creatures away with cards like Swords to Plowshares, then strengthen your creatures with counters and break through.
Here is a sample deck from EDHREC:
Commanders:
1 Thrasios, Triton Hero
1 Tymna the Weaver
Creatures:
1 Archivist of Oghma
1 Avacyn’s Pilgrim
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Bloom Tender
1 Collector Ouphe
1 Dauthi Voidwalker
1 Deathrite Shaman
1 Drannith Magistrate
1 Elves of Deep Shadow
1 Elvish Mystic
1 Esper Sentinel
1 Faerie Mastermind
1 Fyndhorn Elves
1 Gilded Drake
1 Grand Abolisher
1 Laboratory Maniac
1 Ledger Shredder
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Notion Thief
1 Opposition Agent
1 Ranger-Captain of Eos
1 Seedborn Muse
1 Spellseeker
1 Thassa’s Oracle
Instants:
1 Abrupt Decay
1 An Offer You Can’t Refuse
1 Assassin’s Trophy
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Fierce Guardianship
1 Flusterstorm
1 Force of Negation
1 Force of Will
1 Mental Misstep
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Noxious Revival
1 Pact of Negation
1 Silence
1 Swan Song
1 Swords to Plowshares
Sorceries:
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Veil of Summer
1 Worldly Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Diabolic Intent
1 Eldritch Evolution
1 Finale of Devastation
1 Imperial Seal
1 Neoform
1 Reanimate
Artifacts:
1 Arcane Signet
1 Chrome Mox
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Mox Diamond
1 Sol Ring
Enchantments:
1 Carpet of Flowers
1 Mystic Remora
1 Swift Reconfiguration
1 Training Grounds
Planeswalkers:
1 Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler
Non-basic Lands:
1 Bayou
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Boseiju, Who Endures
1 Breeding Pool
1 City of Brass
1 Command Tower
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Flooded Strand
1 Gemstone Caverns
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Marsh Flats
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Otawara, Soaring City
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Polluted Delta
1 Savannah
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Temple Garden
1 Tropical Island
1 Tundra
1 Underground Sea
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Watery Grave
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
Basic Lands:
1 Island
1 Swamp
1 Forest
Read More: MTG Best Budget Decks For Major Formats
#2. The Ur-Dragon
For Dragon players looking for a powerful Commander, you can’t go wrong with The Ur-Dragon. It gives you access to every color, and it makes every Dragon cheaper to play by one mana. While the cost to bring The Ur-Dragon from the Commander zone to the battlefield is great, it’s often worthwhile. While it’s in play, any number of Dragons can attack and you draw that many cards, then put a permanent from your hand onto the battlefield.
Combining this effect with cards such as Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm can quickly fill the battlefield with powerful threats which amplify The Ur-Dragon’s existing power. Lathliss, Dragon Queen, and Utvara Hellkite will supplement your board with Dragon tokens, providing more attackers that your opponents must deal with.
Dragons aren’t cheap to play, and you must have some form of mana ramp. Scaled Nurturer and Faeburrow Elder can get onto the board early and start generating mana. Cultivate and Growth Spiral can get you the lands you need. Dragonspeaker Shaman doesn’t help with mana ramp per se, but it can reduce mana costs to get your Dragons out sooner.
This mana ramp can also help with combinations such as Old Gnawbone and Hellkite Charger, getting them out when opponents can’t do much against them. You can then generate multiple combat phases, which can overwhelm individual opponents.
Having several methods to revive your Dragons is important since players will use your removal to destroy them. Bladewing the Risen can revive a single Dragon while providing a body on the battlefield, while Patriarch’s Bidding can bring back all your Dragons from the graveyard. If you are in a challenging position (or encountering a mirror match), Crux of Fate can give you some time or give you the win.
Here is a sample deck from EDHREC:
Commander:
1 The Ur-Dragon
Creatures:
1 Ancient Copper Dragon
1 Ancient Gold Dragon
1 Ancient Silver Dragon
1 Atarka, World Render
1 Balefire Dragon
1 Bladewing the Risen
1 Blast-Furnace Hellkite
1 Dragonlord Dromoka
1 Dragonlord’s Servant
1 Dragonspeaker Shaman
1 Goldspan Dragon
1 Hellkite Courser
1 Klauth, Unrivaled Ancient
1 Lathliss, Dragon Queen
1 Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm
1 Morophon, the Boundless
1 Old Gnawbone
1 Ramos, Dragon Engine
1 Rith, Liberated Primeval
1 Rivaz of the Claw
1 Sarkhan, Soul Aflame
1 Savage Ventmaw
1 Scalelord Reckoner
1 Scion of Draco
1 Scion of the Ur-Dragon
1 Scourge of Valkas
1 Silumgar, the Drifting Death
1 Teneb, the Harvester
1 Terror of the Peaks
1 Tiamat
1 Two-Headed Hellkite
1 Utvara Hellkite
1 Zurgo and Ojutai
Instants:
1 Anguished Unmaking
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Heroic Intervention
1 Sarkhan’s Triumph
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Teferi’s Protection
Sorceries:
1 Crux of Fate
1 Cultivate
1 Farseek
1 Kodama’s Reach
1 Nature’s Lore
1 Rampant Growth
1 Skyshroud Claim
1 Three Visits
Artifacts:
1 Arcane Signet
1 Chromatic Lantern
1 Commander’s Sphere
1 Dragon’s Hoard
1 Herald’s Horn
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Orb of Dragonkind
1 Sol Ring
1 Urza’s Incubator
Enchantments:
1 Crucible of Fire
1 Dragon Tempest
1 Garruk’s Uprising
1 Kindred Discovery
1 Rhythm of the Wild
1 Smothering Tithe
1 Temur Ascendancy
Planeswalkers:
1 Sarkhan Unbroken
Non-basic Lands:
1 Arid Mesa
1 Blood Crypt
1 Breeding Pool
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Command Tower
1 Crucible of the Spirit Dragon
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Haven of the Spirit Dragon
1 Indatha Triome
1 Jetmir’s Garden
1 Ketria Triome
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Path of Ancestry
1 Raugrin Triome
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Savai Triome
1 Steam Vents
1 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
1 The World Tree
1 Unclaimed Territory
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Watery Grave
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Zagoth Triome
1 Ziatora’s Proving Ground
Basic Lands:
1 Plains
1 Island
1 Swamp
3 Mountain
1 Forest
1 Swamp
1 Forest
Read More: The MTG Best Format Choices Unordered (September 2023)
#1. Atraxa, Praetor’s Voice
Any Commander deck that uses counters will benefit from Atraxa, Praetors’ Voice. Atraxa has a good set of abilities such as Flying, Vigilance, Deathtouch, and Lifelink. The real draw is Atraxa’s Proliferate ability, which happens at a player’s end step. This allows Atraxa to choose any number of permanents with counters and add on an existing counter.
Atraxa doesn’t need to attack or do anything other than exist for Proliferate to kick in. Prologue to Phyresis puts a Poison Counter on your opponents without requiring combat, starting the threat quickly. If spells don’t work, cards such as Bloated Contaminator can break past early defenses to put a poison counter on players.
Cards such as Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus, and Inexorable Tide let you Proliferate multiple times, with Tekuthal having the option of getting an Indestructible counter to avoid most removal. Evolution Sage triggers Proliferate with every land that comes into play, while Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres helps you build card advantage while you proliferate.
Planeswalkers such as Teferi, Temporal Archmage, benefit from Atraxa and Proliferate as well. Combined with artifacts like The Chain Veil and mana-producing permanents, you could generate more mana and more Planeswalker loyalty ability uses. Vraska, Betrayal’s Sting and Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider is another combination that can take advantage of Proliferated poison counters on players to win.
If other players have cards that inconvenience you, Swords to Plowshares can eliminate them while keeping you alive. Other cards, such as Astral Cornucopia and, Shalai, Voice of Plenty have other types of counters (charge and +1/+1, respectively) that benefit from Proliferation and give you an advantage. As long as you have ways to Proliferate, other players must focus on you or lose the game.
Here is a sample deck from EDHREC:
Commander:
1 Atraxa, Praetors’ Voice
Creatures:
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Bloated Contaminator
1 Brimaz, Blight of Oreskos
1 Cankerbloom
1 Contaminant Grafter
1 Deepglow Skate
1 Elesh Norn
1 Evolution Sage
1 Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres
1 Flux Channeler
1 Glissa, Herald of Predation
1 Ichor Rats
1 Ixhel, Scion of Atraxa
1 Lae’zel, Vlaakith’s Champion
1 Shalai, Voice of Plenty
1 Sheoldred
1 Skrelv, Defector Mite
1 Tainted Observer
1 Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus
1 Thrummingbird
1 Venerated Rotpriest
1 Voidwing Hybrid
1 Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider
Instants:
1 Counterspell
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Experimental Augury
1 Infectious Bite
1 Path to Exile
1 Prologue to Phyresis
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Teferi’s Protection
1 Vraska’s Fall
Sorceries:
1 Cultivate
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Drown in Ichor
1 Farseek
1 Infectious Inquiry
1 Phyresis Outbreak
1 Sunfall
1 Tezzeret’s Gambit
1 Unnatural Restoration
Artifacts:
1 Arcane Signet
1 Astral Cornucopia
1 Chromatic Lantern
1 Contagion Engine
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Glistening Sphere
1 Ichormoon Gauntlet
1 Ozolith, the Shattered Spire
1 Sol Ring
1 Sword of Truth and Justice
Enchantments:
1 Brokers Ascendancy
1 Deification
1 Doubling Season
1 Inexorable Tide
1 Norn’s Decree
1 Oath of Teferi
1 Rhystic Study
1 Smothering Tithe
Planeswalkers:
1 Ajani, Sleeper Agent
1 Narset, Parter of Veils
1 Oko, Thief of Crowns
1 Tamiyo, Field Researcher
1 Teferi, Master of Time
1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
1 Vraska, Betrayal’s Sting
Non-basic Lands:
1 Arcane Sanctum
1 Breeding Pool
1 Command Tower
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Flooded Strand
1 Godless Shrine
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Indatha Triome
1 Karn’s Bastion
1 Marsh Flats
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Opulent Palace
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Polluted Delta
1 Raffine’s Tower
1 Rejuvenating Springs
1 Sandsteppe Citadel
1 Seaside Citadel
1 Spara’s Headquarters
1 Temple Garden
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Watery Grave
1 Windswept Heath
1 Zagoth Triome
Basic Lands:
2 Plains
3 Island
1 Swamp
3 Forest
Bonus: Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver
Looking to overwhelm your opponents with an undead legion of Zombies? You’ve come to the right place! Willhelt, the Rotcleaver is a four mana Commander that hales from the Undead Unleashed preconstructed Commander deck from Innistrad: Midnight Hunt. As long as you have Zombies to sacrifice, Wilhelt offers a legion of Decayed Zombie Tokens coupled with endless card draw.
What makes this Commander even better is that buying the preconstructed deck that Wilhelt comes with can give players getting into Commander a great place to start. Don’t worry though! There’s a ton of room to upgrade this Commander.
The strongest Zombies, in a synergistic sense, threaten to completely overwhelm your opponents. Rooftop Storm is a spooky enchantment that will allow you to cast all of your Zombies for free. Just make sure you do what you need to quickly, because opponents will not leave you alone with an enchantment this powerful. Should you combine this with Acererak, the Archlich and you get an infinite combo that is a real pain to play out online, but is just an explanation away from draining the table.
Getting out of magical fairy Christmas land for a bit, there are a lot of other Zombie synergies that can make this strategy purr. Gravecrawler’s ability to recast itself works wonders with Wilhelt’s sacrifice ability. The card can also get paired up with Phyrexian Altar to create infinite ETB and sacrifice effects – which will create infinite Decayed tokens with Wilhelt.
There are a ton of ways to take a Zombie deck, but the aggregate list from EDHREC should point you in the right direction. Copying this deck card-for-card may not have the intended results, but this decklist should help give you some ideas for your own Zombie deck!
1 Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver
1 Archghoul of Thraben
1 Carrion Feeder
1 Cemetery Reaper
1 Champion of the Perished
1 Cleaver Skaab
1 Cryptbreaker
1 Death Baron
1 Diregraf Captain
1 Diregraf Colossus
1 Drivnod, Carnage Dominus
1 Eternal Skylord
1 Fleshbag Marauder
1 Geralf, Visionary Stitcher
1 Gisa and Geralf
1 Gleaming Overseer
1 Gravecrawler
1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1 Headless Rider
1 Hordewing Skaab
1 Lord of the Accursed
1 Lord of the Undead
1 Midnight Reaper
1 Noxious Ghoul
1 Overcharged Amalgam
1 Plague Belcher
1 Poppet Stitcher
1 Ravenous Rotbelly
1 The Scarab God
1 Tomb Tyrant
1 Undead Augur
1 Undead Warchief
1 Vengeful Dead
1 An Offer You Can’t Refuse
1 Corrupted Conviction
1 Counterspell
1 Deadly Plot
1 Filter Out
1 Go for the Throat
1 Lazotep Plating
1 Annihilating Glare
1 Army of the Damned
1 Dark Salvation
1 Distant Melody
1 Dread Summons
1 Empty the Laboratory
1 Feed the Swarm
1 Ghouls’ Night Out
1 Zombie Apocalypse
1 Arcane Signet
1 Ashnod’s Altar
1 Commander’s Sphere
1 Crowded Crypt
1 Dimir Signet
1 Phyrexian Altar
1 Sol Ring
1 Talisman of Dominance
1 Wand of Orcus
1 Curse of the Restless Dead
1 Dreadhorde Invasion
1 Endless Ranks of the Dead
1 Liliana’s Mastery
1 Necroduality
1 Open the Graves
1 Rooftop Storm
1 Liliana, Death’s Majesty
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Choked Estuary
1 Command Tower
1 Darkwater Catacombs
1 Dimir Aqueduct
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Mortuary Mire
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Path of Ancestry
1 Shipwreck Marsh
1 Sunken Hollow
1 Tainted Isle
1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
1 Temple of Deceit
1 Unclaimed Territory
1 Watery Grave
5 Island
13 Swamp
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