With Murders at Karlov Manor releasing in just a couple weeks, there’s a lot to look forward to. Whether you are planning to make a trek out to your local game store for Prerelease or are just planning on purchasing some sealed product or singles, this set is jam-packed with cool cards and unique murder-mystery elements.
One aspect of the set that really seemed to shine was just how many strong cards there were for an EDH environment. Awesome legends like Anzrag, the Quake-Mole and Judith, Carnage Connoisseur, for instance, are ready to add some extra spice to your Commander games. This doesn’t even take into account the awesome new cards from the Karlov Manor Commander Precons, which are sure to be a blast.
In recognition, we thought it would be nice to go over the best of the best when it comes to EDH. Notably, we will only be using cards from the Karlov Manor main set in our rankings, but there are plenty of powerful Commander cards available, nonetheless. With that out of the way, here are the top 5 MTG best Murders at Karlov Manor cards for Commander!
#5 New “Temples”
The new Surveil Lands are an excellent group addition to Commander. While they are unlikely to break the bank, they do serve an important purpose in helping to solidify your manabase. They function just like the Temples from Theros block, except for one key difference: they have the basic Land types. This allows you to use Fetchlands to find them, which is quite important. The basic Land types also help with Domain strategies, reducing the cost of cards like Leyline Binding and helping you maximize the power of cards like Territorial Kavu.
Of course, Surveilling is also an upgrade from Scrying as far as the comparison between these Murders at Karlov Manor lands and Temples go. Most strategies will prefer having the option to drop cards into your grave instead of to the bottom of your deck.
The reason these Lands aren’t higher on the list is that they will probably be overshadowed by original Dual Lands, Shocklands, and sometimes Triomes. Still, these new Lands are likely to see plenty of play, especially amongst players where Dual Lands are out of their budget. As such, we felt they deserved a collective spot on this list.
Read More: MTG Players Voice Frustration with Rules Change to Suspend!
#4 Archdruid’s Charm
Next up, we have Archdruid’s Charm. Archdruid’s Charm is a very flexible card. It can be used as a way to deal with pesky Artifacts, Enchantments, and opposing Commanders under the right circumstance. This alone is reasonable, but what really sets it over the edge is the first ability. First of all, this card can act just like Sylvan Scrying, except that you get the bonus of being able to put the Land into play for free. From Dark Depths to Gaea’s Cradle, there are a ton of elite Lands to search for in Commander.
If you’ve already ramped enough and are in need of action, there’s no need to fear, as Archdruid’s Charm also lets you tutor up Creatures to cast with all of that mana. Having a flexible tutor for mana sources as well as win conditions like Craterhoof Behemoth is extremely valuable. This card has the potential to be a multi-format staple, and definitely earns a spot on this list.
Read More: MTG Common is a Powerful Upgrade for Upcoming Cat/Dog Secret Lair Deck!
#3 Case of the Ransacked Lab
Unlike the last card on this list, Case of the Ransacked Lab does not showcase its value in its flexibility. Instead, this card exclusively works well in decks with lots of cheap Instants and Sorceries. Right away, you get a similar effect to Baral, Chief of Compliance, providing a discount to all of your Instants and Sorceries.
Where things get extra spicy, though, is if you can Solve the Case. You need to cast four Instants or Sorceries in one turn. While this isn’t super easy, the discount certainly helps. The payoff is immense for doing so, as every Instant or Sorcery you cast after Solving the Case generates card advantage. This card may be narrow, but it is highly effective in the right shell.
Read More: Exclusive Red-Bordered MTG Secret Lair has Surprising Reprint Value
#2 Delney, Streetwise Lookout
Delney, Streetwise Lookout is an awesome card that, despite appearing in the main set, feels almost especially designed for the Commander format. Much like Panharmonicon, Delney works perfectly with enters-the-battlefield effects of your Creatures. Sure, this is restricted to Creatures with power two or less, but trust me, this is less restrictive than it sounds. From Karmic Guide to Solemn Simulacrum to Recruiter of the Guard and so forth, there are plenty of cards that work well with Delney.
Where Delney deviates from Panharmonicon is that it doesn’t just double enters-the-battlefield triggers, but any triggered abilities. As such, Delney supercharges Commanders like Sram, Senior Edificer and Brago, King Eternal as a result. Delney even provides some nice evasion for your smaller Creatures like Brago, often making it trivial to connect in combat. There are so many cool ways to maximize Delney, so if you’re in the market for some extra value, make sure to take a closer look at some additional synergies here.
Read More: MTG Karlov Manor Legend Creates New Infinite Death Combo!
#1 Doorkeeper Thrull
As strong as Delney is at generating tons of value in conjunction with your enters-the-battlefield effects, Doorkeeper Thrull is capable of shutting that all down for the small price of two mana. Doorkeeper Thrull is most likely the most competitively slanted card on this list. It’s efficient, has evasion, and interacts quite favorably with cEDH powerhouses like Dockside Extortionist and Thassa’s Oracle.
What sets this card apart from other similar cards in the past, like Hushbringer, is that this card has Flash. The value of being able to catch your opponent off guard is immense. With cards like Hushbringer, your opponents may simply be able to kill it before playing anything of value into it. Doorkeeper Thrull is much harder to play around.
Doorkeeper Thrull even has the added bonus of stopping enters-the-battlefield triggers from Artifacts, such as Chrome Mox or The One Ring. Commander decks that can generate value in other ways beyond enters-the-battlefield triggers, such as those built around Tymna, the Weaver, seem very well suited to take advantage of this new tool. Doorkeeper Thrull has the ability to completely wreck your opponents’ gameplans for only two mana, which is strong enough to earn it the top spot on this list.
Read More: MTG Clue Exclusive Creates Multiple Two-Card Infinite Combos!
