The Top 15 Artifacts in Commander (Non-Ramp)

We're counting down 15 of the strongest artifacts in all of commander!
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Welcome to a Commander Countdown, where we (The Nitpicking Nerds) discuss our choices for the top 15 non-ramp artifacts in all of the commander format. Will your favorite artifacts in EDH make our list? Do we actually include every powerful artifact or do we forget something completely outrageous and unforgivable? You'll just have to watch the whole video to find out!

[@nicolaslarranaga8721]

Joe "This card is completely insane" Cherries

[@NitpickingNerds]

That should be his new name

[@Ribbet_brown]

Joe “buuuuut” Cherries

[@Yontanian]

Blightsteel colossus is big and shiny, and is one of my first big shiny creatures i owned, so i will always like it.

[@SickOfItAll1988]

that's like the best reason to play it! I started playing during Onslaught, but I was six and don't really remember it. Mirrodin I remember though, so I always try to get my janky Mycosynth Lattice, Darksteel forge combo to work. (also I have a Chrome Mox, which dusted in a binder for years because I didn't realize how strong it was..)

[@demilembias2527]

platinum emperion is bigger and shinier (also worse)

[@Yontanian]

@@demilembias2527 it is certainly not at least one of those things. 11/11 is bigger than 8/8, surely? Shininess can be debated.

[@mrmrmeta3698]

There is one deck where it becomes a good card, ninjas

[@Calicrab]

​@@SickOfItAll1988 v up

[@Volbeat1117]

Love it when you guys go off topic for like a minute and a half talking about cards you just made up, keep up the good content guys!

[@morgoth2425]

how many six drops are auto-includes? me, a man of culture: grave titan

[@jhonathanmondragon7162]

Hahahahahaha

[@andrewrobles8814]

I’d like a best ramping permanent video

[@NitpickingNerds]

Ooo that's two!

[@ryanwaters6586]

smothering urza's dockside sol with some moxes and lotuses for his nyx crypt/tomb and monolith vault. done.

[@elipetrou9308]

Probably: Crypt Ring Mox opal Chrome mox Mox amber Smothering tithe Elves Talismans Signets In a rough order

[@ryanweston6182]

Love the content guys. Such great info for someone new or someone like me who walked away from Magic for 15 years. Thank you for all the great vids.

[@alslayer18]

At around 16:50 you said altar of dementia's ability in reverse (that it puts cards from the top of your graveyard into your library). Just thought it was funny :p Still a really good video, and I can also confirm that Chris is a very cool guy. Wholesome indeed.

[@NitpickingNerds]

That's classic

[@nickhughes8179]

Urza's Armor stops Walking Ballista cold. Each counter removed is 1 source of 1 damage, and Urza's Armor reduces each source of damage by 1. Walking Ballista therefore can't deal damage to you.

[@Maezhughes]

Ah yes the return of bolas's brick. Very good. 👍.

[@NitpickingNerds]

It's going to be top 10 in basically every category it can fit into lol

[@Maezhughes]

@@NitpickingNerds nice

[@yfw123]

Opponents tapped out confidently, EOT at their turn Cyclonic Rift followed by own turn main phrase Tezzeret the Seeker into Winter Orb always won me the game, enjoyable as it is, it raised hatred easily as well XD

[@badgerinthewood]

Altar of dementia is one of my favorites in Muldrotha for sure. In my head I probably catagorized Bolas Citadel as ramp/win but yeah it is just win. Oh I have felt that burn with Sensei's top all too often. It never finds me lands when I need them, and when I don't, that is all it finds me XD.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Sensei’s Divining Top can be a fickle mistress 😂

[@dh5156]

I would love to see a mana rock one! I’ve been playing for 6 months now and i always learn about new cards when I watch your videos!

[@zhanghia]

ty for the derevi shout out :3 She's enjoyable but ya, only in certain cases. There's other archetypes that you can enjoy without losing friends. But, sometimes you just want to win.

[@gustavgans403]

I really like the top 15 videos.. defenetly looking forward to see more :)!

[@crawdaddy2004]

Thanks for the call-out. 😂 I’m pretty sure (though I could be imagining things) I’m the one who mentioned Scroll Rack with Land Tax.

[@coleluecke7668]

Need a video on top 15 reasons why not to play the Grave Titan

[@NitpickingNerds]

We could never whittle it down to just 15

[@coleluecke7668]

Top 100???

[@gilliganallmighty3]

Scroll Rack+Teferi's Puzzle Box=fun stuff.

[@austyndiaz1796]

gnarly video per usual! a top (underrated artifacts) list would make a good watch!

[@serenab5707]

I like expedition map, it sounds like the perfect extra land tutor for my decks that suck at mana draw. I enjoy total board wipes and recovery is always hard so cheap tutors are always nice, I also use journey men's kite, travelers amulet, and a few others.

[@bch9124]

Keep the "best of" lists coming! I learn tons from them.

[@NitpickingNerds]

We are planning on doing more very soon

[@yumyumeatemup]

Nice video, but i feel Vedalken Orrery deserved an honorable mention. So much advantage being able to play any nonland spells on each of your opponents turns. Always nice to be able to answer anything your opponents try and pull on you.

[@randymotter51]

Glad I watched this, Cloudstone Curio is perfect for my landfall deck.

[@mhc706]

Good videos guys thanks for making it. Just to let you know when explaining alter of dementia you said cards go from gy to library.

[@mr.mammuthusafricanavus8299]

LOL I own 12/15 cards mentioned and I still play Grave Titan. Birthing Pod is typically better but if you don't have Green say hello to the new Pyre of Heroes :P

[@thomascollins5622]

I mean, Pyre only works effectively in a Tribal deck...

[@mehatestuesdays]

I just built an artifact deck for the first time and I'm only playing three of these, but I think that's plenty for the power level that I usually play at.

[@ostinclifford5094]

Love the video guys lets see just a casual commander deck you guys play.

[@esrohm6460]

so i once won with phyrexian metamorph while blightsteel was on field because i targeted the hedron archive next to it and found a way to go infinite because i had a mana rock that taps for 2 even-so the infinite combo was not in my hand at the moment i chose what to copy.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Absolutely amazing story!

[@randyvalentine134]

I love the subtitles cause it says “ice cream scepter”

[@agustinprosello4687]

For a minute there I thought You had forgotten about My boy Bolas' Citadel. But I never should have doubted the nitpicking nerds

[@NitpickingNerds]

It's just too ridiculous

[@ben_clifford]

Notice that both of the equipment on this list are from the block where equipment debuted. And the swords started there too. And Jitte came out in the very next block. My point is, I'd like Wizards to start taking chances on equipments again. When they're strong, it makes for fun games.

[@kaitooker5273]

Very underrated channel I think you guys should get more recognition. Also I am a man who likes blightsteel and no one can say otherwise

[@ben_clifford]

I didn't realize how high you had Scroll Rack until this video. And yes, I anticipated the clamp.

[@wtficantfindagoodnam]

I would personally have put senseis at #1 over skullclamp. My reasoning would be that the top goes in literally every deck, whereas there are creature lite decks where I think the clamp wouldn't be worth putting in. Love you guys' videos. Keep up the awesome work.

[@yumiorito]

I think the difference here is that while most decks get lots of value from top it’s rarely a critical piece of the deck. Even though skullclamp has fewer decks it fits in the value it brings to those decks is astronomical.

[@arthurvandenbergh1881]

Saw someone comment their own list on the previous video, so here’s my prediction before seeing the vid (not in any particular order): 1. Bolas’s Citadel 2. Birthing Pod 3. Ashnod’s Altar/Phyrexian Altar 4. Aetherflux Reservoir 5. The Great Henge (might count as ramp though 😬) 6. Skullclamp 7. Sensei’s Divining Top 8. Crucible of Worlds 9. Isochron Scepter (idk how much we’re counting cEDH) 10. Scroll Rack 11. Soul-guide Lantern (knowing you guys 😉) 12. Sword of Feast and Famine 13. Lightning Greaves 14. Winter Orb (I’m sorry) 15. Expedition Map Finding 15 really good non-ramp artifacts was harder than I thought lol Edit: 1 minute in the video and I already realized I totally forgot about artifact creatures. Ah well Edit 2: 10 right! Not bad :)

[@crawdaddy2004]

One of the funniest things that happened in a game against someone with Bolas’ Citadel - I had Ruric Thar...

[@hitbycars]

I've had one copy of Mind Slayer since 2011 and it has almost ruined 10-15 year friendships when played at the exact right time.

[@AldoTorresblexaz]

You guys hate more Blightsteel Colossus or Grave Titan?

[@NitpickingNerds]

both!

[@djjmandos]

My friends and I started a boxing league where we opened packs of Command Legends. I was excited to pull Scroll Rack since it was a card I never owned when I was younger. I put it in every deck variation I built from my card pool. I have yet to draw it in 8 games and I am a sad panda. As an aside, sealed Commander Legends was a blast. We're going to keep adding new packs to the pool over time starting with Kaldheim, then maybe Modern Horizons for that snow theme.

[@jonathankorus9649]

I absolutely want to see a video on the best artifacts that go get lands, I run a lot of lands matter decks

[@winden-3685]

This video made me appreciate the design of so many cool artifacts. Many of them are fairly simple, like alter of dementia but are both enablers and finishers in fair and competitive decks alike.

[@01MEGABOB]

Isochron scepter LOVES heroic intervention or respite. Hilarious with questing beast.

[@Arvensa]

if that made up super-Mindslaver was ever made, I'd have it altered for me into an Ender's Game reference "It's too late; he's in Command now."

[@Kbaby521]

Hell yeah I'd like to see the top 15 ramp artifacts.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Noted !

[@asmac96]

Another Banger!

[@golgariguy]

I consider Greaves to be far from an auto-include, but I've recently built Araumi and booy they do some work there! Also Altar of Dementia is a powerhouse for filling up your graveyard basically for free.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Araumi and Altar are BEST friends for sure

[@jagmasta2049]

17:10 "maybe one exception..." yeah that's ya boi, Skullclamp!!!

[@poofypeanut0221]

Great video as always ya nerds. Also, that Blight steel shout out was bait lmao! No but really I completely disagree on that take. While not definitely doesn't go in any deck, it IS that good in the right deck. Most recent example of where this is good is in Magic, all it needs is haste which isn't too hard. Especially since red is a key artifact color.

[@maximusofgalihand]

you guys need to do a podcast too, easy to listen too while working

[@caseylangstaff]

Blightsteel is amazing in Hans where you can kill a player turn 3 with it.

[@ygaudreault]

Only prerelease I won was the double bolas citadel deck. Holy crap that card is crazy hahaha.

[@beepboopkendo4206]

Cool vid. Maybe best Topdeck manipulation cards could be a future video.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Ah someone who enjoys seeing Sensei's Divining Top and Scroll Rack 😂

[@beepboopkendo4206]

@@NitpickingNerds yuriko is my favourite deck and elsha is top 5 for me

[@dr.pultandmrgrimm991]

Skullclamp would do very well in Kykar

[@NitpickingNerds]

Or, like... any deck :P

[@EJsGameplay]

I would like to see a Artifact Ramp list, but truth be told that's only cause I'm working on a Dakkon Blackblade deck, lol.

[@keiharris332]

About the boots without the fur: if I'm scaring my opponent to leave mana open, then I am doing a good job as a control player. They will think the boots are for my commander but there are things more dangerous than him...

[@alexava7075]

Bought scroll rack for my maelstrom wanderer deck for 20 bux. Really fresh reprint.

[@SogScaryman]

Can you guys make top 15 ramp cards for each colour and artifacts?

[@AwesomeJerkface]

Would you cut blightsteel from a polymorph deck? I run it in an Ephara deck. It’s token generation with like 4 big boys in the 99.

[@xaveristunderrattet4663]

I play field of the dead in my omnath commander deck and its just bustet with those land-tutors like the map

[@jacobwest7921]

Cloudstone and scroll rack are absolutely broken with the new white blue precon. Being able to fortell the same cards and exile cards from your hand to make those spirit tokens equates in to so much value.

[@NitpickingNerds]

I can see that Cloudstone Curio recently went up in price in anticipation of this very video

[@jacobwest7921]

@@NitpickingNerds thankfully I was able to get one months ago for a flicker deck I had brewing, but immediately took the two cards out for the deck. They're definitely game ending if unchecked.

[@kingginger3335]

If you're in white and you have Lightning Greeves then you should be running Leonin Shikari. It gives all of your creatures shroud and haste

[@chrisgroulx6071]

Awww, thanks for praise ❤️❤️❤️

[@NitpickingNerds]

We're over it by now

[@Pancake-x]

Would definitely watch a top ramp video. :)

[@NitpickingNerds]

Good to know!

[@acmiller25]

*We're never going to advocate for Blightsteel Colossus* ... Someday Beezy will have a Jalira deck!

[@sophieirisviel4100]

honestly that fake mindslaver upgrade commander could be four pips of each color and be like a 3/3 with that ETB trigger

[@aarongornalle29]

I have a blight steel colossus in my purphorus sneak attack deck, its the best card in the deck, it literally one shots people for 1 or 3 mana

[@tysonkrunek4132]

Emry Lurker in the loch for mindslaver, orums chant with isochron scepter. Top+Bolas citadel win

[@zhanghia]

btw trinket mage is great for walking ballista or anything under 1 cmc artifact

[@tomhealey6253]

I really like that full art land print. Is that a custom job or can I buy a copy somewhere?

[@sphj3493]

My buddy also hates Blightsteel...maybe that’s because it was swinging at him turn 3 from Illharg...🤣

[@gubigubigubigubi]

I have put Bolas Citadel in pretty much every deck I possibly could have in every format since it released. I have like a 95% win rate with it if the card resolves.

[@blackhorizon40k81]

As always... ahh you fill in the rest. Keep it up, gentlemen!

[@NitpickingNerds]

Thanks

[@nerdenthusiastashton8164]

I have Blightsteel Colossus as a finisher in my stax deck but can't imagine him in much else.

[@sphj3493]

Illharg. That feeling you get when you swing The Pig towards a player, then have a Blightsteel come in swinging at the “pillow Fort” player who’s completely unprepared for that? Priceless.

[@monomanamaniac]

Dramatic scepter is edh because it only costs like 3$ for both cards, oh and it goes infinite with 3 Mana worth of rocks, and is deadly with storm or aetherflux reservoir

[@NitpickingNerds]

Card is very good

[@kritique777]

I opened a game with Isochron into swords to plowshares. Soooooooooo good.

[@MrSamthefan]

I had to play against an infinite timewarp deck once who played Galazeth Prismari and winter orb so he could tap his own orb during his upkeep to let all his lands untap while we only get one. I hate that artifact ever since.

[@plain6677]

Scrollrack in Gishath :) it’s too fun

[@attackkataka6599]

I won with blightsteel the other day. I’m waiting for the price to go up to trade it because I do not want it.

[@joeldykman7591]

phyrexian mana taught me that paying life to cheat on costs of spells is generally pretty broken. Bolas' Citadel is wizards completely forgetting about one of the worst design mistakes of all time and deciding that it would be fine as long as they made it an oracle effect. So no, i never thought bolas' citadel was meh, i knew it was broken and so should have anyone else whos ever played any black in edh.

[@brandoncreek5709]

Blightsteel will never leave my Xenagos deck. A 22/22 trample infect haste is perfectly acceptable in my book :D

[@skynyrdjesus]

I don't see them actually printing a card like that, but a control the game for one turn cycle would fit really well in the Dnd set. Until your next turn, you become the DM. Rocks fall, everyone dies

[@ginichimaru001]

[Isochron Scepter + Dramatic Reversal ] + Voltaic Key is so busted to get 2 extra untaps every turn for all your rocks for like 7 mana total for start up, 3 each turn for 2 untaps

[@NitpickingNerds]

Dramatic Scepter is infinite with enough mana rocks

[@ginichimaru001]

@@NitpickingNerds I forgot it untaps itself 🤦🏻‍♂️ ofc I don't need voltaic Key lol

[@Wistbacka]

Wait .. doesnt the creatures only have haste as long as the equipment is attached? Or are you referring to having lots of creatures with tap abilities?

[@countgsox1179]

A player once cast a winter orb in a game where my Kaalia was out and everyone was tapped out... I obviously won because nobody could get rid of her

[@timtauber5557]

Skull clamp is too narrow to be number 1 imho. It’s great in certain decks.

[@neildubber9147]

What about ‘Sculpting Steel’ it is a new staple in all my commander decks!

[@timtauber5557]

Scroll racks is good with miracle cards as well.

[@thenewlollipopjam8248]

And please, folks, remember. If you got targeted with mindslaver, and then your commander gets exiled, the person controlling your turn can choose to let it remain in exile.

[@tiptapdrats8454]

If one were to put Helm of the Host on Phyrexian Metamorph, or Populate or create other token copies of it, would those tokens be able to become copies of other creatures/artifacts? Cause if so, that is absolutely bonkers in utility. God, you could make the token copies enter as copies of Helm of the Host *itself*, and get some expontntial stuff in there

[@ownageDan]

milling someone else with altar of dementia can very easily lead to a draw or even a loss depending on boardstate. nexus of fate is a thing.

[@vario6492]

16:50 from top of their graveyard into their library? 🤣

[@marksoto5423]

I was half expecting Grave Titan to be number one 😆😪

[@thenewlollipopjam8248]

I would like a best ramp pieces video.

[@Ultimateninjapig567]

Mycosynth lattice is my favorite. It ends so many games so quickly

[@orionschultz8644]

this is a certified sonic wallet classic

[@NitpickingNerds]

Hell. Yeah.

[@HomeCookinMTG]

Blightsteel is fine in something like an animar deck, after all, you're probably going to be casting it for free lol.

[@michaellui5108]

Joe is the Bro to count On ❤

[@Jakkgusa]

Ramp video? I'd watch that so hard

[@skodengaming2477]

Nn's: no ramp Also nn's: first artifact gets land to ramp

[@xaveristunderrattet4663]

Nice vid

[@olivierdebilde4292]

Scroll Rack is a bit too high on the list for my taste. I played it in every deck when I started EDH and soon started to remove it except from very specific build. (like you said, decks with lots of shuffling, top deck manipulation required, lots of card draw, etc) But yeah, I do LOVE that card. Don't get me wrong :D