The Best Commander Card from Every Year of Magic: the Gathering (MTG)

[@miketokles9451]

Dakkon Blackblade was artistically my favorite magic card in the set. just thought it looked so cool when i was a teenager.

[@stevendemunck7507]

He was one of my first commanders. He also holds a spot in my heart forever.

[@SmashPortal]

It's actually kind of amazing-- 20+ cards from 1993 see _massive_ play in commander. Swords to Plowshares, Wrath of God; Counterspell Demonic Tutor, Dark Ritual; Lightning Bolt Llanowar Elves, Birds of Paradise, Wild Growth Sol Ring, Mana Vault; City of Brass, the dual lands Timetwister and Wheel of Fortune, if you count those as well.

[@SmashPortal]

Also, Mana Crypt came from 1995.

[@SmashPortal]

I think Command Tower was a much better card than Kaalia for 2011.

[@godjesus3232]

it's not it makes total sense lol they didnt have the foresight they do now with 30 years of gameplay to predict what effects would be overpowered, what is amazing is newer cards that can stand on the same ground as the older ones

[@-homerow-]

Love these Non-Gameplay Videos! Miss Seth on Commander Clash of course but extra Goldfish content is worth

[@talamran7499]

can you do another kind of this video for standard? the most played card in standard for each year could be quite interesting

[@makingnoises2327]

ask nizzahon, this guy can't do that much research

[@fredouellet3160]

Gamble over gaea's craddle?! That's a wild bet! Also surprised by oloro over edgar markov and atraxa over tymna/thrasios

[@Darkflamecrusader]

Oloro and Edgar Markov came out in different years.

[@whyareyoubothering]

Oloro would have said Eminence if he came out the same time as Edgar

[@duncanwalla7014]

I’ve actually played with gamble. I’ve only ever seen gaea’s cradle proxied.

[@fredouellet3160]

@@duncanwalla7014 that is because craddle is so good, it's too expensive! Tutors do have a important place in commander, but gamble's only good because it's red. I would have put imperial seal instead of three visits or maybe vampiric tutor, but not gamble.

[@MindstabThrull]

It seems that Seth decided to go for "most important to the format" as opposed to "most powerful". Cradle is really powerful but all it does is make mana, which Green already does very easily. Compare Gamble, which gives Red a tool it sorely lacks without going into artifacts (tutoring) - and even then, it's expensive. Based on that, I would agree with Seth's assessment, though if we're talking "most powerful" and not "most important", I'm sure there's better options.

[@AlluMan96]

The unique way in which Necropotence draws you cards also comes with a hidden benefit to it as well. With how much everyone is usually chomping at the bit to punish players for drawing cards too greedily, Necropotence let's you pay the minimum cost possible to dodge this while still getting your way. It starves the likes of Notion Thief and Alms Collector, dodges Orcish Bowmaster, evades Smothering Tithe, most strategies that prey on the greedy are evaded while still giving you your fill.

[@antivalidisme5669]

Unlike Modern, Pioneer, Standard or even Legacy I know barely nothing about Commander, but I can tell you Saffron that i love those Magic History videos. Plus Sol Ring is definitely one my pet cards alongside other cardboard rectangles like Basalt Monolith, Mystic Remora, Lake of the dead or Demonic Tutor, so the thumbnail hooked me in big times. Cheers!

[@Drakengod691]

Very nice and pretty good list. Only one I'd switch is force of will with the tutor cycle. I see those considerably more as force still costs so much it doesn't make it down to more casual tables.

[@brningpyre]

"There's still some debate over whether Phyrexian Arena's one extra card per turn is too slow for 2023 Commander." Classic Seth.

[@godjesus3232]

it really is when you are playing sylvan library, which is most decks now

[@andygoody2599]

Gaea's Cradle >>> Gamble. No question the multi-lands from Saga are the all stars in every format they're legal in.

[@schadenfreude4846]

playing my friends Xenagos deck got me into magic in general so you definitely picked correctly

[@Useraccount85]

This is the deck I always lend to new players Step 1: Ramp Step 2: Cast Xenagos Step 3: Cast beef and swing

[@misterplus306]

Although I'm not the biggest fan of wizards pushing all these new products in recent years, their effort on making commander a better format is really appreciated.

[@AAAAGGGGGHHHHsphere]

They should have renaimed it from “best” commander cards to popular/ format defining cards

[@clashcitycretin10]

For the clickbait

[@jaxsonbateman]

As a casual player, Eternal Witness is the bomb. As we've seen over and over and over again, an effect on a creature body is very often better than that effect not on a body (recently in modern with scam decks, with Fury being banned and Grief scam still being quite viable) - so Eternal Witness is very often better than Regrowth (the 1 mana cheaper, non-creature version). My current favourite deck on arena is a historic Simic enchantress deck, that uses Timeless Witness pretty much as a 4 mana Eternal Witness (I rarely ever Eternalize) - essentially, the effect is so good in many decks it's worth playing even if it costs an extra mana. For anyone wondering (probably noone 😋) in this enchantress deck it's used for general value (usually fetching back card draw or Cyclonic Rift), but it also creates a soft lock with Sublime Epiphany (repeatable 6 mana to counter a spell/ability, create a 2/1, bounce something and draw a card), and can eventually OTK with Omniscience. If you decide to run it in BGx, it also combines well with Blood on the Snow for a repeatable sweeper that can basically win immediately against creature decks without haste or exile.

[@lazercat6077]

I find Xenagos to be a funny card to discuss mostly due to the fact that everyone misreads him once or twice For 1 he does not give trample, only haste the confusion makes sense as with a green creature giving a huge boost would make sense to give trample. But what I think is the most common mistake I see is I have come across so many people who forget xenagos CANNOT target himself.

[@mr.mammuthusafricanavus8299]

Reading a card, multiple times, explains the card ;P

[@anthonydelfino6171]

@@mr.mammuthusafricanavus8299 unless you're reading a card with companion

[@LolaliciousSmiley]

These videos are phenomenal. It's fun to remember what decks I was playing and watching each year.

[@TheWizardSojourn]

Xenagos sadly does not provide trample, but I love me some Theros Gods!

[@BigDrew49]

The biggest problem with Elesh is it's mana cost. Only having 1 pip makes it ENTIRELY too splashable.

[@LolaliciousSmiley]

Would you ever do a history of Duels of the Planeswalkers or just mtg video games in general? What about alternate play modes like Planechase, Archenemy, Hero's Path, Garruk: The Slayer challenge, stuff like that. I think people would click on a thumbnail with weird extra card types they haven't seen in 10 years. Plus, with Planechase coming out in the next set, people should be more interested than normal. Maybe time it with Planechase spoilers, which would give you enough time to make the video anyway.

[@DylanHunter64]

I think he's currently researching it.

[@justinpermar9301]

LOVED this tour through MtG and commander history!

[@mr.mammuthusafricanavus8299]

2016 commander set was amazing! Poor planeswalker commander decks get no mention LOL :p

[@jonhoge153]

Ahh, rhystic study... the card that made my 'psychic venom' deck actually viable (casual only of course)

[@mbarker_lng]

The Extortionist is totally busted. Just about anyone running it seeks to abuse it by flickering on the same turn to gen obscene amounts of early mana, unloading their hand then cruising to victory. I can't think of a game where the person doing it didnt win. Your milage may vary.

[@VydeoGramesJunk]

Sol Ring is so important that commander is a 99 card format and not 100 since its an auto include in everything.

[@anthonydelfino6171]

I dunno man... it's not in Ashling and 99 mountains :P

[@lokedoutphiend6512]

@@anthonydelfino6171 I run it fr

[@Tylerbremner]

These non gameplay vids are my favourite stuff you guys put out

[@anthonydelfino6171]

I dunno if I agree that Kaalia is the right pick for 2011 man.... for sure she was incredibly powerful and iconic for her time, but if we're not counting Rafiq, Kresh, or Sharuum from their years, we really should have said Command Tower was the most ubiquitous card for the format from that year. Like Sol Ring, it's in almost every commander deck, and also like Sol Ring, it's been printed in almost every commander deck (with the exceptions being the mono-colored or colorless decks printed by Wizards in the 13 years since then)

[@LazyJukebox]

Isn't E-wit 5th dawn?

[@ubermusli]

Eternal witness over Skullclamp?! Let me feed the algorithm and say, I do NOT agree, sir.

[@anthonydelfino6171]

there were a few hot takes in this video not limited to that one. I feel like Edgar Markov probably is a bigger deal then Ur Dragon too and Command Tower much bigger than Kaalia.

[@bogdanrajkov]

A really sleek ad read, well done

[@Shivan_16]

Good video! I will say tho I would have picked ancient tomb over reanimate.

[@lordlucario8828]

turn 1 phyrexian arena in edh is awesome though! i've played with arena since it's release in any deck i make with black, one of my favorites forever!

[@johngalbicsek5567]

At first I thought ENMOM was broken while playing historic brawl (my fave gamemode) in MTGA, but then thought it was because I was playing a lot of mono red (valduk keeper of the flame is underrated for high WR/fast wins in the format imho, esp for a UC!!) and the 7 toughness body is hard to get rid of without something like Purphoros's Intervention or using 2 cards to get rid of one (like a roil and a obliterating bolt) but then I realized every other color (except maybe green unless they deathtouch/fight) can handle her for 2/3 mana with a counterspell, infernal grasp, or Fateful absence for instance. But yeah, very infuriating to forget about her bottom text and throw down a devilish valet only for him to sit at 1/3 when my Valduc starts putting tokens in lol. Making my own deck with her and stuff like teleport circle in theme I noticed she did well enough if my opp didn't have removal (most do)and I don't get my swiftfoot or mirrorshield but not quite on par with a well built golos , shrine, or either of the unifiers just to name a few of the better ones. With that said, it is quite chuckle worthy when the shoe is on the other foot and my opp plays something like borrowed time clearly intending to target her and then immediately resigning in indignation when it does zip. Maybe I could've worked more on optimizing it but I guess the fun factor just wasn't really there for me.

[@towelociraptor]

Top and skullclamp >> eternal witness and decree of pain >>> lightning greaves. I guess clamp and top require a specific kind of deck but eternal witness doesn't exactly guarantee that you get an amazing card back. And the boots don't save your creatures from decree, which also draws you a ton of cards basically always

[@godjesus3232]

top and greaves can go into any deck, witness is sooooo overrated, when i used it, it showed up in almost every opening hand i had.

[@DirtyDog97]

For 1993, Timetwister is legal in Commander. I'd say that's more powerful than Sol Ring, though obviously not played more often.

[@euronymousiv]

Gaea's Cradle not being the best card of 1998 and not even being referenced at all is kind of crazy to me.

[@frankcastle9691]

I love how there's almost no mono white staple cards for commander.

[@godjesus3232]

smothering tithe, swords and path are in literally every deck lol esper sentinel shows up most places too

[@frankcastle9691]

@God Jesus I think those are more of a ok its removal so I guess it can go in. Vs this card is so good we can't play without it.

[@Darkflamecrusader]

Cool, I'm gonna to turn this list into a deck list. 😎

[@gustavoportugal3763]

Xenagos don't give trample, it will be more bonkers than it already is

[@Dyllon2012]

I’m not so sure that Elesh Norn is even best from ONE. The dominae also have pretty ridiculous effects and have inherent protection. Elesh probably has the stronger effect, but she only has protection from ETBs.

[@imGrisky]

Phyrexian arena is so bad when games end faster every year. Not playing it on turn 3 makes it almost unplayable. If you play it on turn 3 it does not even feel that powerful. Idk just run painful thruths or necro

[@RobCoops]

Looking at this and the prices mentioned makes me a little sick... I used to have a full set of everything after 4th edition (not 5th edition) all the way up to and including tempest I had some 12 or so original dual lands and so on and on... sold it all when I moved countries for some $800 at the time... Yup just a little sickening to see the current prices.

[@ryanbn1427]

This man literally said smothering tithe was better than dockside.... I'm dead 🤣🤣

[@ToadimusPrime]

I know it's too early to talk about the best 2023 card, but I think Atraxa will just keep getting better as more cards are released, and when "battle" cards get added.

[@godjesus3232]

the mana cost is absurd, i wish they did a 5cmc with original atraxa colors and 1 colorless or phyrexian mana and maybe a less powerful draw effect to compensate for the reduced cost, cause unless you are reanimating or ramping 4-5 colors, good luck playing it

[@Jacksonmoyer7]

Wasn’t eternal witness from Fifth Dawn? Not darksteel

[@leuchtelicht4879]

Not Picking Command Tower for 2011 is a bold choice. It's pretty much the best card in the format other than sol ring.

[@spielrahoo]

This x1000. There are many debatable choices in this video, but only 1 I would call objectively wrong, and picking Kaalia over Commander Tower is it.

[@kevinjooss9348]

Kinda feel Cradle should be on the list being the single best land in the format, but I understand Gamble as a pick for its uniqueness and the high price of Cradle...

[@Pigotti94]

Pickin Mulldrifter isn't Seth bias at all lol

[@cedricappleby2006]

Mana Crypt not being the most powerful card from 1995 feels very strange to me. It's a better version of Sol Ring and arguably the best card in all of Commander.

[@jamespappas887]

I would argue it’s not better than sol ring

[@landenisalive7182]

In terms of power necropotence is stronger just think of how much fast mana there is even without mana crypt

[@kylegonewild]

It's an inferior version of Sol Ring in a format that has longer than average games. It's only better in CEDH where the intent is to finish the game in 4 turns or less. Not even close to the best card in all of Commander though.

[@ChrisLovesYahweh]

​@@jamespappas887 its not better than sol ring

[@DylanHunter64]

Doesn't matter how much better it is if you can't actually afford one for every deck.

[@TheDuckofLaw]

thank you for the video - I learned a lot!

[@darthparallax5207]

The 1993, 94, and 95 copies of Sol Ring are not $2. It's above bulk for I believe every copy with the original art. I suppose I believe Revised is a bit weak should still be like $5?

[@andrewwhite2123]

Love the Nitpicking Nerds love at 22:28

[@apoena-allnitemusic7203]

When will they ban Sol Ring....

[@jellywillreturn]

4:22 Treating ChatGPT as a source is an increasingly risky prospect, and I'd recommend against it. AI language transformers are prone to "hallucinations", wherein they generate grammatically correct but completely fabricated information. You would think that this would become less of an issue as AI advances, but it's in fact the opposite: ChatGPT went from being able to solve simple math problems 98% of the time to just 2% in recent months.

[@TheAngelRaven]

I still find the fact that Sheldon absolutely hated on Mommy Norn yet was perfectly fine with ThOracle and Dockside to be laughable.

[@raynmanshorts9275]

Commander _really_ emphasizes the benefits and downsides of each color. Yeah, white's underpowered for a number of reasons, and a lot of players knew why, but other people had other theories. Commander gives Wizards insight into what a color needs in order for balance.

[@Flyboy245]

Definitely some hot takes in this episode. But fun list either way

[@mrsnufflegums]

Wait, siege rhino didn't make a list where it's eligible? Same goes with 2016's panharmonicon

[@godjesus3232]

siege rhino is not a commander card bruh. the whole strength in siege rhino is running multiple copies or cloning it lol

[@RLKC8]

Lolol the year I was born is marked by mulldrifter, which makes me more than happy

[@Skrimmr]

I miss the times when EDH was not that much commercial, old, forgotten and normally useless cards were giving tons of fun. Also during that time you didn't have to sell your organs to the black market to afford a fun, well rounded deck.

[@JohnSmith-hs9ez]

2009 should have 110% been oracle of mull daya. That card is very good and reliquary tower is super super overrated

[@AllWraith]

Love these videos

[@ThaMobstarr]

18:23 Xenagos doesn‘t give trample, though. :P

[@JohnSmith-hs9ez]

why was chrome mox not mentoned in 2003. Chrome mox is insane in every format tbh

[@godjesus3232]

not in commander, the only decks that can really make use of it are blue artifact or urza decks, you will see mox opal in decks more than chrome mox. even mox diamond shows up more despite the insane price.

[@jamesfilyawDigginGabe]

I know a few nitpicking nerds who would have a mental hemorrhage seeing Grave Titan anywhere near this list

[@supertux2998]

Please bring back budget cedh decks

[@MforMovesets]

tOdAy wE lOoK aT tHe BeSt CoMmAnDeR cArD

[@derpyderperson2912]

"Wizards vowed to fix the white problem." -seth 2023.

[@NamelessFacelessWhoa]

The intro made me think the KZbin client was busted

[@enricobreveglieri397]

Bruh you forgot Ambush viper, a key card for my budget kaseto snake tribal edh

[@Aegar428]

I pulled a bosileju in my first tournament and sold it mid game for $25

[@eric4946]

If Sol ring wasn’t reprinted id guess itd be up there with cradles or hogher

[@lozkko]

I don't play commander but I play X-points Old School - a format where we only play cards from 1993-1994, basically everything is allowed but the most powerful cards cost points and you can build a deck worth at most 10 points. Sol ring is worth 3 points, the same as Black Lotus, and more than moxen. Only cards worth more are LoA, Ancestral and Mind Twist. So yes, had it not been reprinted the value would be crazy, although Sol Ring is uncommon rather than rare and it was printed continuously in ABU, revised, 4th, 5th, etc, not sure what happened afterwords as I only know sets up to 4th and 5th edition. So, a lot more supply even from the first 2-3 years of MtG than some of these vintage cards.

[@andrewbrasuell8589]

xenagos does not give trample

[@gabbathehut3235]

1997 should have been Wasteland and 98 should have been Gaea's cradle...

[@petercollins1122]

Eternal Witness is from Fifth Dawn, not Darksteel.

[@CaptnMikesAlot]

came here to say this!

[@Xrilliam762]

You're from Fifth Dawn!!!

[@RandomGuy-qr5jw]

Huh? Sol Ring can be my commander? And me dumb dumb always picked some creature....

[@thedanktank8434]

26:25 seth managing to mispronounce shorikai as sokori

[@Sawstinker]

wHy DoEs THis GUy TaLK LiKE tHIs

[@somepl3b]

now what if we put all these cards and put them in the same deck

[@professeurgideere5856]

It also doesn't help old legends that most are horribly bad XD

[@professeurgideere5856]

I'll be honest, I really don't find sol ring that interesting game wise. It makes rounds 1 both too explosive and too random. The difference between "I got sol ring" and "I didn't" are way too big.

[@David31679]

Wow no Sneak Attack love.

[@badgerff]

A bit risky releasing this before commander masters.

[@francoistestard2407]

The best joke from this video is gamble 😅

[@stevendefeo8424]

All my decks include white and I have Esper Sentinel in each one, but dam near every player pays the 1. It only affects the first non creature spell so it really ain’t that good. It’s white and it says draw a card, so it goes in the deck. Like Rhystic Study, players will pay the 1. Smothering Tithe is different. 2 mana is harder to pay than 1

[@alejandroguerrieri2924]

Thassas Oracle over great henge ?

[@hermodnitter3902]

Of course. Thoracle is the most important wincon in the most competitive form of edh. Henge is of course good, but Thoracle should clearly be the no.1 here.

[@jochenkirn9468]

Are you insulting Rubinia Soulsinger, my #1 commander heading the Bant Populate / untap combo deck? Granted, the deck would be stronger with Chulane at the helm, but then again, that's not what EDH is about.

[@MagicalHackerMTG]

Heyo! I got a Rubinia populate deck too! There's nothing sweeter than targeting a Risen Reef with a kicked Rite of Replication while you have Anointed Procession out.

[@jochenkirn9468]

@MagicalHacker Value is one thing. No space for Risen Reef when the goal is to populate hasty Kiora's Followers with Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage, untapping Ley Weavers to untap Bouncelands, Arcanis the Omnipotent. I guess the main thing is that I went for untap fun while having fewer ETBs. Jank over power? Find me on Moxfield as jochenkirn or on Mtgo as Elfenlied77. Glad to exchange ideas.

[@testthewest123]

Really Gamble over Gaia's Cradle? Not even a honorable mention?

[@jabberwockld4316]

Mondrak is better than norn, waaay better in my humble opinion

[@TheDuckfighter]

Yay

[@francoistestard2407]

Mana drain better than sylvan library

[@tymenvanessen3119]

subtitles at 16:15 say Cyclonic rift from return to ravnica, but it's not supposed to say 'return to'.

[@pixelsandscribbles]

Mark Tedin is OP

[@Zander2212]

Correction, Xenagos only gives Haste, not Trample

[@raedien]

You continue to misrepresent how Necropotence works and at this point I have to question if you even know. Either way it's a bad look. Smh

[@williamkeiser7562]

I still hate phyrexian arena. Usually is a three mana do nothing dead card in your hand most the time later in the game or draws you around 2 cards because you didnt get jt early enough which made it a clreally bad sign in blood. I avoid the card at all costs and never even consider it remotely good.

[@MatejHajnal]

Did you just try to boost your ego by showing us you can ask chatgpt what the card, you are trying to sell as a best of the year, is?

[@PittsburghRocks]

Commander was so much cooler before 2011.

[@JPPorcaro]

do you pronounce things this way to troll us?????

[@ODIRGO]

Almost nobody play sol ring in my playgroup, it dies to removal too easy. I only have it in 1 deck, and only because it is an artifact theme.

[@UnuUO]

this is a bit right

[@mathieutremblay6313]

Why does he talk like that? Is it a condition?