As 2024 unfolds, the landscape of Magic: The Gathering is experiencing a remarkable surge, especially with the rise of new products catering to the Commander format. This expansion allows players an abundance of choices when crafting their decks.
This year’s offerings range from major sets like Bloomburrow and Duskmourn to pre-constructed decks in the Universes Beyond series such as Fallout, not to mention other titles like Modern Horizons 3, which have also injected powerful Commander options into the mix.
In this analysis, we evaluated the new Legendary Creature cards introduced throughout 2024 and compiled a list of the top ten Commanders that emerged this year. Although deck-building preferences can vary widely among players, certain Commanders have distinguished themselves through innovative mechanics, the revival of existing archetypes, and raw power.
1. The Wise Mothman — Universes Beyond: Fallout
The Fallout crossover has become a significant hit in the MTG community, aligning seamlessly with a popular Amazon series release. While its popularity could account for the success of its pre-cons, The Wise Mothman amplifies that appeal by offering potent abilities and synergy with Sultai mechanics.
This Commander excels at enhancing your creatures with +1/+1 counters, particularly when used alongside cards such as Danny Pink, Bloodchief Ascension, and Mesmeric Orb. A novel mechanic introduced with Rad counters positions this Commander for continued relevance, especially given the popularity of Proliferate strategies.
2. Voja, Jaws of the Conclave – Murders at Karlov Manor
Although the Murders at Karlov Manor set received mixed reviews from players, it successfully introduced the formidable Voja as a Commander. Voja’s ability to support both Elf and Wolf Creature types creates a dynamic draw engine and provides significant boosts to your board state.
Voja is capable of generating game-winning power surprisingly quickly, and despite its high cost Ward 3 mechanic, which complicates early-game removal for opponents, it remains one of 2024’s most impactful Commanders.
3. Arna Kennerud, Skycaptain – Modern Horizons 3
Modern Horizons 3 delivered a plethora of powerful Commanders, but Arna Kennerud stands out for her versatility in deck-building. Players can focus on Equipment, Enchantments, or a hybrid approach, leading to lethal damage through traditional combat or clever use of mechanics like Bestow.
Arna also integrates +1/+1 counter strategies to enhance your entire board, providing quick power increases. With a Ward ability that instigates strategic consideration without being overwhelmingly frustrating, she embodies balance and strength in the Esper color identity.
4. Ulalek, Fused Atrocity – Modern Horizons 3
2024 marked a notable resurgence of the Eldrazi archetype, spearheaded by Modern Horizons 3. While Eldrazi cards are typically colorless, Ulalek and the Devoid mechanic introduced a five-color Commander option, enabling players to replicate massive threats already in their decks.
This flexibility empowers Eldrazi to occupy a more prominent role across various archetypes, allowing for the utilization of high mana production strategies, particularly in Simic builds. With its increasing popularity, we expect Ulalek to maintain a strong presence in the game.
5. Stella Lee, Wild Card – Outlaws of Thunder Junction
Recent years have seen a significant boost in the power level of pre-constructed Commander decks, yet few have exhibited the raw strength present in Stella Lee. Her design allows for seamless execution of multiple infinite combos, pushing past conventional pre-con limits into more competitive realms.
Stella’s ability to copy spells is not only straightforward but grows increasingly potent as players optimize her deck. This has firmly established her among the most formidable Izzet Commanders in the game.
6. Storm, Force of Nature – Secret Lair X Marvel’s Storm
The initial collaboration between Magic and Marvel ignited a mix of excitement and controversy but ultimately delivered Storm, a high-impact spellcaster. Working within Temur colors, Storm effectively utilizes her namesake ability to duplicate your Instants and Sorceries.
This strategy enables players to amplify individual spells, transforming standard gameplay into an overwhelming onslaught of magic through effects like double strike and additional combat phases.
7. Obeka, Splitter of Seconds – Outlaws of Thunder Junction
Once thought to be unrivaled, Obeka moves into contention as a compelling time-manipulating Commander. By enabling multiple upkeep steps after dealing damage, Obeka alters the traditional game flow, unlocking opportunities for amazing effects, such as generating flying tokens or seizing spells directly.
While she requires setup to initiate her combo, the momentum Obeka can build is formidable, making her difficult to contain once fully operational.
8. Baylen, the Haymaker – Bloomburrow
The enchanting world of Bloomburrow charmed audiences with its whimsical design while also delivering impactful Legendary Creatures, among which is Baylen. This Naya Commander harnesses the potential of creature tokens, a concept that has historically thrived in this color combination.
By utilizing tokens for diverse effects, ranging from card draw to mana generation to dealing Commander damage with Trample, Baylen proves to be a dynamic and valuable centerpiece for any Naya deck.
9. Caesar, Legion’s Emperor – Universes Beyond: Fallout
While not achieving the same acclaim as The Wise Mothman, Caesar, Legion’s Emperor is a worthy contender within the Fallout lineup. This Commander excels in cultivating a rapidly-growing token army that can be sacrificed strategically.
With the ability to generate new tokens and replenish your hand, Caesar maintains a relentless offensive approach, supplemented by his ability to deal damage to opponents. Mardu colors benefit significantly from his introduction, making Caesar an excellent choice for players interested in a quick, aggressive strategy.
10. Aminatou, Veil Piercer – Duskmourn
For those who enjoy building Enchantment-focused decks, Aminatou, Veil Piercer emerged as a noteworthy option in late 2024, standing out for her unique deck management capabilities. She enables the stacking of cards to achieve significant casting discounts.
While Aminatou may not be the most powerful Commander of the year, her innovative surveil-based mechanics offer enjoyment for players of all experience levels, paving the way for impactful Enchantments such as One with the Multiverse ahead of the game.
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