Best MTG Karlov Manor Cards for Commander

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 Anzrag, the Quake-Mole Whenever Anzrag becomes blocked, untap each creature you control. After this phase, there is an additional combat phase.
{3}{R}{R}{G}{G}: Anzrag must be blocked each combat this turn if able. 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 Leyline Binding Flash
Domain — This spell costs {1} less to cast for each basic land type among lands you control.
When this enchantment enters, exile target nonland permanent an opponent controls until this enchantment leaves the battlefield. and helping you maximize the power of cards like Territorial Kavu Territorial Kavu Domain — Territorial Kavu's power and toughness are each equal to the number of basic land types among lands you control.
Whenever this creature attacks, choose one —
• Discard a card. If you do, draw a card.
• Exile up to one target card from a graveyard. .

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.

#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 Sylvan Scrying Search your library for a land card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle. , except that you get the bonus of being able to put the Land into play for free. From Dark Depths Dark Depths Dark Depths enters with ten ice counters on it.
{3}: Remove an ice counter from Dark Depths.
When Dark Depths has no ice counters on it, sacrifice it. If you do, create Marit Lage, a legendary 20/20 black Avatar creature token with flying and indestructible. to Gaea’s Cradle Gaea’s Cradle {T}: Add {G} for each creature you control. , 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 Craterhoof Behemoth Haste
When this creature enters, creatures you control gain trample and get +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the number of creatures you control. is extremely valuable. This card has the potential to be a multi-format staple, and definitely earns a spot on this list.

#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 Baral, Chief of Compliance Instant and sorcery spells you cast cost {1} less to cast.
Whenever a spell or ability you control counters a spell, you may draw a card. If you do, discard a card. , 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.

#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 Panharmonicon If an artifact or creature entering causes a triggered ability of a permanent you control to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time. , 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 Karmic Guide Flying, protection from black
Echo {3}{W}{W} (At the beginning of your upkeep, if this came under your control since the beginning of your last upkeep, sacrifice it unless you pay its echo cost.)
When this creature enters, return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. to Solemn Simulacrum Solemn Simulacrum When this creature enters, you may search your library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
When this creature dies, you may draw a card. to Recruiter of the Guard Recruiter of the Guard When this creature enters, you may search your library for a creature card with toughness 2 or less, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle. 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 Sram, Senior Edificer Whenever you cast an Aura, Equipment, or Vehicle spell, draw a card. and Brago, King Eternal Brago, King Eternal Flying
Whenever Brago deals combat damage to a player, exile any number of target nonland permanents you control, then return those cards to the battlefield under their owner's control. 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.

#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 Dockside Extortionist When this creature enters, create X Treasure tokens, where X is the number of artifacts and enchantments your opponents control. (Treasure tokens are artifacts with "{T}, Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.") and Thassa’s Oracle Thassa’s Oracle When this creature enters, look at the top X cards of your library, where X is your devotion to blue. Put up to one of them on top of your library and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order. If X is greater than or equal to the number of cards in your library, you win the game. (Each {U} in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to blue.) .

What sets this card apart from other similar cards in the past, like Hushbringer Hushbringer Flying, lifelink
Creatures entering or dying don't cause abilities to trigger. , 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 Chrome Mox Imprint — When this artifact enters, you may exile a nonartifact, nonland card from your hand.
{T}: Add one mana of any of the exiled card's colors. or The One Ring The One Ring Indestructible
When The One Ring enters, if you cast it, you gain protection from everything until your next turn.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 1 life for each burden counter on The One Ring.
{T}: Put a burden counter on The One Ring, then draw a card for each burden counter on 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 Tymna, the Weaver Lifelink
At the beginning of each of your postcombat main phases, you may pay X life, where X is the number of opponents that were dealt combat damage this turn. If you do, draw X cards.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.) , 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.

Top 5 MTG Best Karlov Manor Cards for Commander

Zachary Fink

#5 New “Temples”

#4 Archdruid’s Charm

#3 Case of the Ransacked Lab

#2 Delney, Streetwise Lookout

#1 Doorkeeper Thrull