As nice as it can be to reminisce about the good old days, much of Magic’s past is best left forgotten. Early sets might have given us the Power Nine and some insane lands, but most creatures were absolutely awful. Thanks to power creep, the vast majority of these cards haven’t gotten any better, too; however, there are still some gems amidst the rough.
Thankfully, for modern MTG players, most of these older gems hail from a time when cards were legendary for balance reasons. This makes cards like Mageta the Lion extra exciting these days, as it’s a surprisingly compelling Commander option. Being mono-white might be a hurdle to jump through, but overcoming that gets you one hell of a reward.
MTG Mageta the Lion
Offering near-infinite board wipes for a remarkably reasonable cost, Mageta the Lion is a mean MTG card. With no extra tricks or support, at minimum, you can wipe the board every other turn, leaving only Mageta standing. In theory, this could lead to a very slow victory; however, your opponents are unlikely to sit by and let this happen.
Thankfully, there are a fair few ways to make Mageta the Lion more effective and significantly scarier. For starters, with more card draw, Mageta can wipe the board every single turn. While card draw used to be one of white’s shortcomings, cards like Mangara, the Diplomat and Secret Rendezvous have since solved this problem.
Beyond just filling your hand to fuel Mageta’s discard cost, which works wonders with Monument to Endurance, you can also exploit reanimation synergies. As one of white’s strong suits, there are tons of options here, like Resurrection and the new Restoration Seminar. Alternatively, you can leverage protection abilities like Selfless Spirit and Flawless Maneuver to keep your board intact.
As if all of this wasn’t mean enough already, you can even build a Stax shell around Mageta the Lion. Cards like Rule of Law and Authority of the Consuls slow your opponent’s rebuilding, keeping them down post-wipe. Coupled with threats with Indestructible like Zetalpa, Primal Dawn and Avacyn, Angel of Hope, your opponents are unlikely to recover.
If you really want to ruin your opponent’s day, you can even throw in extra board wipes on top. While these would have anti-synergy with Mageta, it’s unlikely you’ll have this spellshaper in play at all times. This is especially true if you’re running it in the 99, but it’s surprisingly versatile in the Command zone.
No Creatures, Only Support
While you can lean into protection, reanimation, and Indestructible synergies, Mageta the Lion doesn’t necessarily need other creatures. Instead, since Mageta the Lion only hits creatures, you can lean into enchantments, artifacts, and planeswalkers for support. This can effectively turn Mageta into an unorthodox Voltron Commander that thrives on an empty board.
Thankfully, as Light-Paws, Emperor’s Voice proves, mono-white isn’t a restriction when it comes to building this type of deck. Utilizing Ethereal Armor, All That Glitters, and Sage’s Reverie, you can make Mageta into a massive threat. If you give Mageta Vigilance with something like Daybreak Coronet, you can even wipe the board after declaring attackers to really catch an opponent off guard.
On top of making Mageta a huge threat, Planeswalkers can help to fill your board without too much investment. Cards like Elspeth, Sun’s Champion and The Eternal Wanderer are fantastic for this, with Wanderer being especially fitting alongside Mageta. The same is also true for Gideon cards like Gideon Blackblade, which can handily chip in extra damage.
In a similar vein, there are plenty of enchantments that can provide a steady stream of bodies to aid rebuilding. Skrelv’s Hive, Felidar Retreat, and Oketra’s Monument are all perfect for this, giving you even more threats post-board wipe. Ideally, all of this will coalesce into a
An Underrated Menace
No matter which way you play Mageta the Lion, this MTG card has a surprising amount of potential. Admittedly, it’s a little bit clunky, but as far as pet cards go, it’s undeniably capable. Even if you’re not sold on its potential as a Commander, it’s hardly a slouch in the 99 either.
Despite all of this potential, Mageta the Lion is miraculously underplayed in Commander. According to EDHREC, only 477 lists exist using this card, and it’s not massive in the 99 either, only appearing in 1,048 decks. Thankfully, not only is this likely to make Mageta the Lion a surprise at your table, but it’s remarkably affordable too.
Mageta may have only been printed once, 26 years ago in Prophecy, but near-mint copies start at $0.90. For those interested in foil copies, however, you’ll have to pay upwards of $60, and there’s only one near-mint foil copy left on TCGplayer. Thankfully, supply for non foil copies is a lot more prevalent, so Mageta the Lion should be a real budget gem for a while.
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