Magic: The Gathering
I’ve been playing MTG since the release of 4th Edition in 1995. I was a super casual player back then, but my fondest memories were of 40-card decks (the minimum legal deck size at the time) slinging it out in huge multiplayer games on the kitchen table. Cards like Sol Ring, Royal Assassin, Demonic Tutor, and Swords to Plowshares were all staples in this early multiplayer casual “format”.
It wasn’t until the release of Khans of Tarkir that I started to play competitively. My best competitive results were a day two showing at a Modern Grand Prix, and top eight of a Legacy tournament at a LGS. But playing competitively in MTG is difficult. The truth is, I’m not that skilled at the game, and knowing my own limitations I decided I was happy with these competitive results and shelved those decks.
That leaves Commander, the best format in MTG. There’s nothing better than an afternoon of playing this format with friends, enjoying a beer or two, and the laughs that go along with it. These are my favourite decks in order of most favourite to least. Rank has nothing to do with power level, just how much I enjoy playing it.
1. Marchesa, The Black Rose⌗
Countermagic, turning cards sideways, disruption, and removal. This just ticks all the boxes for me. It’s not as powerful as a lot of other builds out there, but this build lets me play a very strong Grixis Control game.
1 Volcanic Island
1 Underground Sea
1 Command Tower
1 Opal Palace
1 Crumbling Necropolis
1 Temple of the False God
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Vandalblast
1 Damnation
1 Oblivion Stone
1 Imperial Recruiter
1 Temple of Deceit
1 Temple of Malice
1 Watery Grave
1 Counterflux
1 Steam Vents
1 Temple of Epiphany
1 Nekrataal
1 Polluted Delta
1 Reef Worm
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Liliana, Dreadhorde General
1 Chasm Skulker
2 Island
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
2 Swamp
1 Fiery Islet
1 Deadly Tempest
1 Sol Ring
1 Drana, Liberator of Malakir
1 Drowned Catacomb
2 Mountain
1 Flooded Strand
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Counterspell
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Ruinous Path
1 Dig Through Time
1 Mystic Remora
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Grave Titan
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Sulfurous Springs
1 Underground River
1 Narset, Parter of Veils
1 Skullclamp
1 Treasure Cruise
1 Dissolve
1 Cave of Temptation
1 Royal Assassin
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Olivia Voldaren
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Baleful Strix
1 Badlands
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Force of Negation
1 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
1 Rhystic Study
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Desolate Lighthouse
1 Notion Thief
1 Dreadbore
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Detection Tower
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Clever Impersonator
1 Thraximundar
1 Ob Nixilis, Unshackled
1 Blasphemous Act
1 Sidisi, Undead Vizier
1 Worn Powerstone
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Imperial Seal
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Dack's Duplicate
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Dack Fayden
1 Murderous Cut
1 Mana Drain
1 Mulldrifter
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Dockside Extortionist
1 Misdirection
1 Disallow
1 Blood Crypt
1 Ravenous Chupacabra
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Force of Will
1 Arcane Signet
1 Tragic Slip
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Marchesa, the Black Rose
2. Queen Marchesa⌗
A pillow fort deck that has rightfully been called a stax deck a few times. Stop my opponents from doing what they’re trying to do, then win with something like Approach of the Second Sun after they’ve been locked out. This deck tends to go very long - games lasting three hours or longer aren’t uncommon - so not a good choice for quick games. I like the flavour of this deck a lot too.
1 Wrath of God
1 Rest in Peace
1 Nahiri, the Harbinger
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Royal Assassin
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Land Tax
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Vindicate
1 Strip Mine
1 Sunbaked Canyon
1 Underworld Connections
1 Council's Judgment
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Badlands
1 Damnation
1 Plateau
1 Scrubland
1 Arid Mesa
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Flooded Strand
1 Marsh Flats
1 Polluted Delta
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
1 Blasphemous Act
1 Michiko Konda, Truth Seeker
2 Mountain
3 Plains
1 Swamp
1 Sphere of Safety
1 Temple of Malice
1 Temple of Silence
1 Island Sanctuary
1 Teferi's Protection
1 Fork
1 Smoke
1 Imperial Seal
1 Crackling Doom
1 Godless Shrine
1 Utter End
1 Assemble the Legion
1 No Mercy
1 Blind Obedience
1 Idyllic Tutor
1 Boseiju, Who Shelters All
1 Temple of the False God
1 Temple of Triumph
1 Stony Silence
1 Skyline Despot
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Anguished Unmaking
1 Merciless Eviction
1 Throne of the High City
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Maze of Ith
1 Kaya, Ghost Assassin
1 Command Tower
1 Authority of the Consuls
1 Solemnity
1 Rule of Law
1 Blood Crypt
1 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
1 Boros Charm
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Austere Command
1 Rebuff the Wicked
1 Withering Boon
1 Despark
1 Serra's Sanctum
1 Academy Rector
1 Solitary Confinement
1 Humility
1 Kor Haven
1 Approach of the Second Sun
1 Smothering Tithe
1 Xantcha, Sleeper Agent
1 Replenish
1 Greater Auramancy
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Hall of Heliod's Generosity
1 Stranglehold
1 Silent Clearing
1 Ruinous Ultimatum
1 Containment Priest
1 Savai Triome
1 Queen Marchesa
3. Hazezon Tamar⌗
I play this deck when I want to relax and turn cards sideways. Ramp early, spawn a bunch of tokens, and get in. If it doesn’t work out - oh well. Very easy to play and not too many decisions to make. Hazezon is a commander you don’t see too often, so it’s fun to play for the surprise value, too.
1 Martial Coup
1 Wood Elves
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
1 Divine Visitation
1 Cathars' Crusade
1 Anointed Procession
1 Academy Rector
1 Mirror Entity
1 Mentor of the Meek
1 Generous Gift
1 Sylvan Scrying
1 Path to Exile
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Urabrask the Hidden
1 Lovisa Coldeyes
1 Ogre Battledriver
1 Purphoros, God of the Forge
1 Impact Tremors
1 Goblin Bombardment
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Explosive Vegetation
1 Eternal Witness
1 Riftstone Portal
1 Boseiju, Who Shelters All
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Growing Rites of Itlimoc
1 Cultivate
1 Beastmaster Ascension
1 Beast Within
1 Exploration
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Rampant Growth
1 Nature's Lore
1 Plateau
1 Elvish Reclaimer
1 Sarkhan Vol
1 Knight of the Reliquary
1 Mirari's Wake
1 Knight of New Alara
1 Aura Shards
1 Eladamri's Call
1 Finale of Devastation
1 Craterhoof Behemoth
1 Crop Rotation
1 Boundless Realms
1 Doubling Season
1 Harmonize
1 Skyshroud Claim
1 Parallel Lives
1 Gavony Township
9 Forest
1 Field of the Dead
1 Command Tower
1 Fires of Yavimaya
1 Canopy Vista
1 Arid Mesa
1 Windswept Heath
1 Temple Garden
1 Sunpetal Grove
1 Stomping Ground
1 Sanctum of Eternity
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Rootbound Crag
5 Plains
2 Mountain
1 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
1 Krosan Verge
1 Expedition Map
1 Eldrazi Monument
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Panharmonicon
1 Strionic Resonator
1 Sol Ring
1 Skullclamp
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Three Visits
1 Nissa's Pilgrimage
1 Hunting Wilds
1 Mulch
1 Conqueror's Galleon
1 Worldly Tutor
1 Gaea's Cradle
1 Farseek
1 Savannah
1 Taiga
1 Hazezon Tamar
4. Xyris, the Writhing Storm⌗
I didn’t have high expectations for this when it was first released, but boy does this deck have legs. It’s an interesting combination of control and aggro, and it seems to ‘get there’ in ways that surprise me.
1 Chasm Skulker
1 Craterhoof Behemoth
1 Dragon Mage
3 Mountain
7 Island
1 Jace's Archivist
1 Kami of the Crescent Moon
1 Kaseto, Orochi Archmage
1 Arid Mesa
1 Niv-Mizzet, Parun
1 Ohran Frostfang
1 Psychosis Crawler
1 Purphoros, God of the Forge
1 Seshiro the Anointed
1 The Locust God
1 Whirlpool Warrior
1 Beast Within
1 Stomping Ground
1 Steam Vents
1 Force of Will
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Reality Shift
1 Timetwister
1 Blasphemous Act
1 Cultivate
1 Echo of Eons
1 Command Tower
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Molten Psyche
1 Prosperity
1 Breeding Pool
1 Reforge the Soul
1 Time Reversal
1 Wheel of Fate
1 Windfall
1 Winds of Change
1 Arcane Signet
1 Font of Mythos
1 Gruul Signet
1 Howling Mine
1 Teferi's Puzzle Box
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Simic Signet
1 Skullclamp
1 Sol Ring
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Izzet Signet
1 Temple Bell
1 Beastmaster Ascension
1 Cryptolith Rite
1 Dictate of Kruphix
1 Fevered Visions
1 Goblin Bombardment
1 Impact Tremors
1 Ominous Seas
1 Parallel Lives
1 Rites of Flourishing
1 Shared Animosity
1 Jace Beleren
1 Rampant Growth
1 Volcanic Island
1 Counterspell
1 Krosan Grip
1 Misdirection
1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
1 Ketria Triome
1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Chaos Warp
1 Arcane Denial
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Eternal Witness
1 Edric, Spymaster of Trest
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Taiga
4 Forest
1 Tropical Island
1 Commit/Memory
1 Farseek
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Flooded Strand
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Polluted Delta
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Windswept Heath
1 Xyris, the Writhing Storm
5. Arahbo, Roar of the World⌗
Deceivingly powerful aggro deck, and also very relaxing to play. Not too many decisions to be made here, just turn cards sideways and slam.
1 Adorned Pouncer
1 Alms Collector
1 Balan, Wandering Knight
1 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
1 Fleecemane Lion
1 Hungry Lynx
1 Jazal Goldmane
1 Jedit Ojanen of Efrava
1 Keeper of Fables
1 King of the Pride
1 Leonin Relic-Warder
1 Leonin Shikari
1 Leonin Warleader
1 Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist
1 Nazahn, Revered Bladesmith
1 Prismatic Vista
1 Pride Sovereign
1 Prowling Serpopard
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Qasali Slingers
1 Raksha Golden Cub
1 Regal Caracal
1 Sacred Cat
1 Seht's Tiger
1 Temple of the False God
1 Stalking Leonin
1 Temur Sabertooth
1 Temple Garden
1 Generous Gift
1 Heroic Intervention
1 Kindred Summons
1 Sunpetal Grove
1 Selesnya Sanctuary
1 Secluded Steppe
1 Cultivate
1 Divine Reckoning
1 Rogue's Passage
1 Hunter's Prowess
1 Rout
1 Soul's Majesty
1 Traverse the Outlands
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Behemoth Sledge
1 Bloodforged Battle-Axe
1 Hammer of Nazahn
1 Heirloom Blade
1 Herald's Horn
1 Icon of Ancestry
1 Krosan Verge
1 Command Tower
1 Blossoming Sands
1 Rancor
1 Sword of the Animist
1 Abundance
1 Guardian Project
1 Mirari's Wake
1 Sword of Vengeance
1 Zendikar Resurgent
1 Ajani, the Greathearted
1 Blighted Woodland
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Canopy Vista
1 Sol Ring
1 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Grasslands
1 Graypelt Refuge
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Mosswort Bridge
1 Argentum Armor
1 Path of Ancestry
1 Harmonize
1 White Sun's Zenith
1 Stirring Wildwood
1 Path to Exile
1 Condemn
1 Skyhunter Skirmisher
1 Oreskos Explorer
1 Unclaimed Territory
1 Kemba, Kha Regent
1 Jareth, Leonine Titan
1 Swords to Plowshares
10 Plains
7 Forest
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Arahbo, Roar of the World
6. Damia, Sage of Stone⌗
This Sultai Control deck tries to play things at instant speed. It’s built on a backbone requiring Alchemist’s Refuge, Vedalken Orrery, or Leyline of Anticipation. A little frustrating to play against once I reach the endgame: having all your shit bounced with Capsize over and over while I slowly grind my way to a win is not fun. If it wasn’t for that, this would be higher up in the rank for sure.
1 Alchemist's Refuge
1 Vedalken Orrery
1 Sol Ring
1 Exploration
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Cultivate
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Counterspell
1 Putrefy
1 Negate
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
1 Ramunap Excavator
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Forbid
1 Crop Rotation
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Sylvan Scrying
1 Expedition Map
1 Nature's Spiral
1 Imperial Seal
1 Force of Will
1 Strip Mine
1 Wasteland
1 Maze of Ith
1 Tolaria West
1 Spine of Ish Sah
1 Trading Post
1 Wilderness Reclamation
1 Mox Diamond
1 Bring to Light
1 Praetor's Counsel
1 Mana Drain
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Ancient Stirrings
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Grim Tutor
1 Mystic Confluence
1 Eternal Witness
1 Cryptic Command
1 Seedborn Muse
1 Disallow
1 Capsize
1 Regrowth
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Flooded Strand
1 Marsh Flats
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Polluted Delta
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Breeding Pool
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Watery Grave
1 Underground Sea
1 Bayou
1 Tropical Island
1 Control Magic
1 Teferi's Time Twist
1 Damnation
1 Brainstorm
1 Rampant Growth
1 Riptide Laboratory
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Desert Twister
1 Hunting Wilds
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Buried Ruin
1 Aether Mutation
1 Academy Ruins
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Temple of Mystery
1 Temple of Deceit
1 Temple of Malady
3 Island
2 Forest
1 Command Tower
1 Harmonize
1 Leyline of Anticipation
1 Demonic Collusion
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Emergence Zone
1 Winding Canyons
1 Nature's Lore
1 Mystic Sanctuary
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Nurturing Peatland
1 Waterlogged Grove
1 Damia, Sage of Stone
7. Kozilek, the Great Distortion⌗
I love colorless decks, I love Eldrazi, and I love control shinanigans. I’m surprised I don’t play this more often, I should definitely tune it up. Gets targeted often since Eldrazi are scary, and rightfully so.
1 Kozilek's Channeler
1 Eye of Ugin
1 Urza's Tower
1 Urza's Power Plant
1 Expedition Map
1 Inventors' Fair
1 Haunted Fengraf
1 All Is Dust
1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
1 Mana Vault
1 Eldrazi Temple
1 Ugin, the Ineffable
1 Warping Wail
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Maze of Ith
1 Worn Powerstone
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Unstable Obelisk
1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
1 Karn Liberated
1 Treasure Map
1 Titan's Presence
1 Dreamstone Hedron
1 Hedron Archive
1 Mind Stone
1 Rishadan Port
1 Voltaic Key
1 Nevinyrral's Disk
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Sculpting Steel
1 Planar Portal
1 Cryptic Caves
1 Oblivion Stone
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Seer's Lantern
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Scour from Existence
1 Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
1 Rogue's Passage
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Mage-Ring Network
1 Thespian's Stage
1 Glimmerpost
1 Cloudpost
1 Vesuva
1 Sea Gate Wreckage
1 Mishra's Workshop
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Icy Manipulator
1 Spine of Ish Sah
1 Arcane Lighthouse
1 Buried Ruin
1 Darksteel Citadel
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Urza's Mine
1 Temple of the False God
1 Ur-Golem's Eye
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Steel Hellkite
1 Trading Post
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Grim Monolith
1 Basalt Monolith
1 Sanctum of Ugin
1 Sol Ring
1 Duplicant
1 Detection Tower
1 Darksteel Forge
1 Command Beacon
1 Planar Bridge
1 Metalworker
1 Staff of Domination
1 Rings of Brighthearth
1 Goblin Cannon
1 Walking Ballista
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Emergence Zone
1 Vedalken Orrery
1 Zhalfirin Void
1 Winding Canyons
1 Sanctum of Eternity
1 Fractured Powerstone
1 Guardian Idol
1 Manakin
1 Semblance Anvil
1 Mind's Eye
1 Mirrorworks
1 Predator, Flagship
1 Ugin's Nexus
1 Scorched Ruins
1 Homeward Path
1 Conduit of Ruin
1 Manifold Key
1 Candelabra of Tawnos
1 Kozilek, the Great Distortion
8. Nicol Bolas, the Ravager⌗
Discard deck. My favourite card from M19. Not fun to play against once I make you discard all your cards, but usually it’s all over shortly after that. I was surprised at how powerful this is.
1 Nicol Bolas
1 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
1 Liliana of the Veil
1 Counterspell
1 Mana Drain
1 Commander's Sphere
1 Sol Ring
1 Brainstorm
1 Mind Twist
1 Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God
1 Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh
1 The Eldest Reborn
1 Deliver Unto Evil
1 Dark Intimations
1 Torment of Hailfire
1 Hour of Devastation
1 Crux of Fate
1 The Elderspell
1 Slave of Bolas
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Royal Assassin
1 Command Tower
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Strip Mine
1 Wasteland
1 Temple of Epiphany
1 Temple of Malice
1 Temple of Deceit
1 Arid Mesa
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Flooded Strand
1 Marsh Flats
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Polluted Delta
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Badlands
1 Underground Sea
1 Volcanic Island
1 Smoldering Marsh
1 Sunken Hollow
1 Blood Crypt
1 Steam Vents
1 Watery Grave
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Shivan Reef
1 Sulfurous Springs
1 Underground River
1 Blasphemous Act
1 Angrath, the Flame-Chained
1 Necrogen Mists
1 Choked Estuary
1 Foreboding Ruins
1 In Bolas's Clutches
2 Swamp
2 Mountain
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Damnation
1 Baleful Strix
3 Island
1 Rhystic Study
1 Dig Through Time
1 Treasure Cruise
1 Counterflux
1 Waste Not
1 Nicol Bolas, the Deceiver
1 Mirage Mirror
1 Visage of Bolas
1 Negate
1 Underworld Connections
1 Hostage Taker
1 Dragonlord Silumgar
1 Pain Magnification
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Grim Monolith
1 Vraska's Contempt
1 Bedevil
1 Ionize
1 Gem of Becoming
1 Vandalblast
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Mind Stone
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Oppression
1 Herald of Anguish
1 Cunning Lethemancer
1 Mana Vault
1 Propaganda
1 Megrim
1 Narset, Parter of Veils
1 Nicol Bolas, the Ravager
9. Prossh, Skyraider of Kher⌗
Kobolds are my favourite tribe, but the problem is, they suck. They’re really bad. This is the only deck that lets me play them. I’m wary of playing this since it was formerly a top tier deck and widely hated among Commander players, but with power creep, it looks like I might be able to start playing this with some regularity.
1 Avenger of Zendikar
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Blood Artist
1 Butcher of Malakir
1 Craterhoof Behemoth
1 Deathbringer Thoctar
1 Dockside Extortionist
1 Elves of Deep Shadow
1 Elvish Mystic
1 Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder
1 Eternal Witness
1 Goblin Sharpshooter
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Mayhem Devil
1 Mycoloth
1 Ogre Battledriver
1 Pitiless Plunderer
1 Poison-Tip Archer
1 Purphoros, God of the Forge
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Smothering Abomination
1 Viscera Seer
1 Wood Elves
1 Xenagos, God of Revels
1 Zulaport Cutthroat
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Beast Within
1 Krosan Grip
1 Putrefy
1 Terminate
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Imperial Seal
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Cultivate
1 Crux of Fate
1 Explosive Vegetation
1 Diabolic Tutor
1 Diabolic Intent
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Rampant Growth
1 Tempt with Vengeance
1 Arcane Signet
1 Ashnod's Altar
1 Golgari Signet
1 Gruul Signet
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Skullclamp
1 Sol Ring
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Beastmaster Ascension
1 Cryptolith Rite
1 Dictate of Erebos
1 Fecundity
1 Food Chain
1 Goblin Bombardment
1 Growing Rites of Itlimoc
1 Impact Tremors
1 Moldervine Reclamation
1 Parallel Lives
1 Xenagos, the Reveler
1 Blood Crypt
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Stomping Ground
1 Arid Mesa
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Marsh Flats
1 Polluted Delta
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Badlands
1 Bayou
1 Taiga
2 Forest
1 Cinder Glade
1 Command Tower
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Gaea's Cradle
1 Mountain
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Kher Keep
1 Luxury Suite
1 Rootbound Crag
2 Swamp
1 Smoldering Marsh
1 Spire Garden
1 Temple of the False God
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Woodland Cemetery
1 Phyrexian Tower
1 Sulfurous Springs
1 Karplusan Forest
1 Nurturing Peatland
1 Farseek
1 Prossh, Skyraider of Kher
10. Ramos, Dragon Engine⌗
This “lucky charms” deck isn’t too powerful, maybe 6 or so. It is fun to play, and Ramos does power up very quickly if left unchecked. I bring this out when asked to play a more casual commander.
1 Opal Palace
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Command Tower
1 Path of Ancestry
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Badlands
1 Bayou
1 Plateau
1 Savannah
1 Scrubland
1 Taiga
1 Tropical Island
1 Tundra
1 Underground Sea
1 Volcanic Island
1 Swamp
1 Plains
1 Island
1 Forest
1 Mountain
1 Arid Mesa
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Flooded Strand
1 Marsh Flats
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Polluted Delta
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Watery Grave
1 Breeding Pool
1 Godless Shrine
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Steam Vents
1 Temple Garden
1 Stomping Ground
1 Commander's Sphere
1 Sol Ring
1 Fist of Suns
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Mirage Mirror
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Door to Nothingness
1 Legacy Weapon
1 Cultivate
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Farseek
1 Trap Essence
1 Counterspell
1 Counterflux
1 Villainous Wealth
1 Bring to Light
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Rhystic Study
1 Painful Truths
1 Brainstorm
1 Jund Charm
1 Duneblast
1 Crux of Fate
1 Merciless Eviction
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Crackling Doom
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Utter End
1 Silumgar's Command
1 Deathrite Shaman
1 Crosis's Charm
1 Mana Drain
1 Abzan Charm
1 Blood Crypt
1 Sultai Charm
1 Hardened Scales
1 Doubling Season
1 Mirari's Wake
1 Mayael's Aria
1 Marchesa, the Black Rose
1 Atarka, World Render
1 O-Kagachi, Vengeful Kami
1 The Ur-Dragon
1 Corpsejack Menace
1 Progenitus
1 Transguild Courier
1 Vorel of the Hull Clade
1 Maelstrom Archangel
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Ramunap Excavator
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Forgotten Ancient
1 Bringer of the Black Dawn
1 Bringer of the Blue Dawn
1 Winding Constrictor
1 Conflux
1 Atraxa, Praetors' Voice
1 Sphinx of the Guildpact
1 Chromatic Lantern
1 Ramos, Dragon Engine
11. Derevi, Empyrial Tactician⌗
My ‘go-to’ deck when asked to play CEDH. Very decision heavy, and little decisions have huge impacts. You really need to know what your opponent is doing to pilot this properly. Every time I play this, I end up learning something new about it, the deck just has that much strategic depth.
1 Arbor Elf
1 Archon of Valor's Reach
1 Arid Mesa
1 Aura of Silence
1 Wild Growth
1 Aven Mindcensor
1 Weathered Wayfarer
1 Birthing Pod
1 Bloom Tender
1 Bountiful Promenade
1 Temple Garden
1 Brushland
1 Carpet of Flowers
1 Caustic Caterpillar
1 Tangle Wire
1 Chrome Mox
1 Sylvan Library
1 Collector Ouphe
1 Quirion Ranger
1 Copperhorn Scout
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Static Orb
1 Deafening Silence
1 Dovin's Veto
1 Sphere of Resistance
1 Sol Ring
1 Eldritch Evolution
1 Root Maze
1 Elvish Mystic
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Mana Crypt
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Faeburrow Elder
1 Finale of Devastation
1 Flooded Strand
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Forsaken City
1 Fyndhorn Elves
1 Kataki, War's Wage
1 Gemstone Caverns
1 Gilded Drake
1 Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Hokori, Dust Drinker
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Hushbringer
1 Gaea's Cradle
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
1 Snow-Covered Forest
1 Mana Confluence
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Manglehorn
1 Marsh Flats
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Mox Diamond
1 Mystic Remora
1 Nature's Claim
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Null Rod
1 Oakhame Adversary
1 Polluted Delta
1 Captain Sisay
1 Rest in Peace
1 Crop Rotation
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Sakashima the Impostor
1 Savannah
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Eladamri's Call
1 Edric, Spymaster of Trest
1 Rhystic Study
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Survival of the Fittest
1 Swan Song
1 Command Tower
1 City of Brass
1 Chord of Calling
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Breeding Pool
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Trinisphere
1 Tropical Island
1 Tundra
1 Utopia Sprawl
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Verity Circle
1 Vryn Wingmare
1 Waterlogged Grove
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Avacyn's Pilgrim
1 Windswept Heath
1 Winter Orb
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Worldly Tutor
1 Yavimaya Coast
1 Yisan, the Wanderer Bard
1 Stasis
1 Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
12. Urza, Lord High Artificer⌗
The top tier CEDH deck. I don’t like combo decks, but at least this is easy enough to pilot and has some interesting control characteristics too. I play this in CEDH games where I’m not in the mood to concentrate as much as would be needed to play Derevi.
1 Sai, Master Thopterist
1 Winter Orb
1 Unwinding Clock
1 Dramatic Reversal
1 Etherium Sculptor
1 Static Orb
1 Inventors' Fair
1 Howling Mine
1 Whir of Invention
1 Isochron Scepter
1 Reshape
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
1 Darksteel Citadel
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Manifold Key
1 Voltaic Key
1 Counterspell
1 Fabricate
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Mana Drain
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Brainstorm
1 Rhystic Study
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Swan Song
1 Sapphire Medallion
1 Mana Vault
1 Trinket Mage
1 Stoic Rebuttal
1 Ponder
1 Windfall
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Preordain
1 Transmute Artifact
1 Mystic Remora
1 Back to Basics
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Teferi, Temporal Archmage
1 Karn, Scion of Urza
1 Seat of the Synod
1 Academy Ruins
1 Buried Ruin
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Tolaria West
1 Urza's Mine
1 Urza's Power Plant
1 Urza's Tower
1 Lonely Sandbar
1 Strip Mine
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
1 Sol Ring
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Flooded Strand
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Polluted Delta
1 Scalding Tarn
20 Island
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mox Diamond
1 Extraplanar Lens
1 Mana Crypt
1 Basalt Monolith
1 Grim Monolith
1 Force of Will
1 Padeem, Consul of Innovation
1 Spellseeker
1 Memnarch
1 Walking Ballista
1 Rings of Brighthearth
1 Metalworker
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Timetwister
1 Mox Opal
1 Chrome Mox
1 Narset, Parter of Veils
1 Welding Jar
1 Force of Negation
1 Urza, Lord High Artificer
13. Diaochan, Artful Beauty⌗
Currently an experimental deck. It seems like Diaochan’s ability should make her the ultimate politics commander, but it rarely works out that way. Besides, trying to build a mono-red shell that isn’t aggro is difficult. I do enjoy experimenting with this, though.
20 Snow-Covered Mountain
1 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
1 Combustible Gearhulk
1 Dockside Extortionist
1 Dualcaster Mage
1 Strip Mine
1 Goblin Welder
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Humble Defector
1 Reiterate
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Thawing Glaciers
1 Forgotten Cave
1 Daretti, Scrap Savant
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Reverberate
1 Blood Moon
1 Whispersilk Cloak
1 Expedition Map
1 Blasphemous Act
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Thousand-Year Elixir
1 Zealous Conscripts
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Inferno Titan
1 Sol Ring
1 Vandalblast
1 Mind Stone
1 Cloak and Dagger
1 Darksteel Plate
1 Endless Atlas
1 Extraplanar Lens
1 Coldsteel Heart
1 Chrome Mox
1 General's Kabuto
1 Temple of the False God
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Gauntlet of Might
1 Ruby Medallion
1 Arcane Signet
1 Staff of Nin
1 Rolling Earthquake
1 Trading Post
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Fanning the Flames
1 Thornbite Staff
1 Gamble
1 Faithless Looting
1 Thrill of Possibility
1 Outpost Siege
1 Smoke
1 Stolen Strategy
1 Stranglehold
1 Vance's Blasting Cannons
1 Vicious Shadows
1 Spine of Ish Sah
1 Koth of the Hammer
1 Ugin, the Ineffable
1 Arcane Lighthouse
1 Buried Ruin
1 Detection Tower
1 Smoldering Crater
1 Rings of Brighthearth
1 Inventors' Fair
1 Hoarding Dragon
1 Feldon of the Third Path
1 Burnished Hart
1 Fork
1 Erratic Portal
1 Thought Vessel
1 Mishra's Workshop
1 Scrying Sheets
1 Scorched Ruins
1 Deserted Temple
1 Worn Powerstone
1 Fire Diamond
1 Fractured Powerstone
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Diaochan, Artful Beauty