Few of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Magic: the Gathering's many formats are as flexible as Commander. This multiplayer format is quite possibly the most unique compared to the other formats the game provides, featuring larger deck sizes, higher life totals, and more players to interact with in a given game. The presence of multiple opponents provides for interesting in-game politics and other interactions that can only really be found within Commander.
Some commanders within the format actively seek to function as key political pieces that can assist you in making deals with opponents. So, today we're going to talk about the best of the best when it comes to politically oriented commanders.
Updated by Chris Stomberg on June 5th, 2023: The political aspect of Commander games is a unique part of the format that's unlike any other Magic: The Gathering offering. For some, negotiating with other players to levy an edge is the whole reason why they play Commander. Consequently, several new commanders have been printed, allowing for such shenanigans. After all, who needs to build the best deck when you can instead build one that convinces your opponents to fight one another?
13 Xyris, The💫 Writhing Storm ꦺ
Xyris may have an expensive casting cost, but the ability to choose an opponent and provide them with three cards makes for a ton of leverage. Granted, you have to attack them with Xyris in order for them to receive this benefit, but three life isn't a high cost for three cards.
Plus, you need to put your opponents' life totals to zero anyways, so it's a win-win situation. Xyris' downfall is the fact that he is a bit too obvious about giving you more value than your opponents because he 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:draws you cards as well and spits out Snake tokens.
Nevertheless, an opponent with little to no cards in hand will gladly take a hit from Xyris in order to get back into the game. Just make sure that they're going to use what they draw on your mutual enemies.
12 Nin, The Pain Artist 😼 ♐
Perhaps one of the most underrated Izzet commanders in all of Magic, Nin, the Pain Artist is a Wizard capable of dealing direct damage to creatures. In turn, the creature's controller draws cards equal to the amount of damage that was dealt.
While Nin is a reliable source of removal, Nin's ability is also very flexible, capable of targeting your own creatures without killing them to draw cards. However, the same can be done as a bargaining tool in multiplayer games, in which Nin can draw cards for opponents in exchange for various favors.
11 Queen Marchesa 🍸
Queen Marchesa is a comma♏nder who creates an interesting political dynamic with the other players at a table simply by entering the battlefield.
Upon entering the battlefield, you become ಌthe monarch, meaning you draw a card at the end of each of your turn𒁏s. However, if another player deals combat damage to you, that player becomes the monarch.
Thankfully, if you're not the monarch at the beginning of your upkeep, you create a 1/1 Assassin token with deathtouch and haste, providing an immediate means of attacking to regain the title of monarch. Marchesa's mere presence within a game has the potential to spark interesting political dynamics and turmoil.
10 Selvala🦂, Explorer Returned ♋
One of the more straightforward options on this list, for the low cost of three mana, Selvala, Explorer Returned is 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:a Selesnya commander who can benefit opponents and serve 𝐆as a bargaining chip, benefiting🌼 you more in the long run.
Possessing an activated ability that taps herself, Selvala makes each player reveal the top card of their library. Each player then puts that card into their hand, beneficially drawing each player a card. However, for each nonland card that was revealed, you gain one life and have one green mana added to your mana pool. This is a powerful means of ramping and helping to stay afloat, all while remaining in the good graces of the table. Selvala's ability can even be held up due to it being an activated ability, allowing it to be used in negotiations or as a response.
9 Zedruu The Greathearted𒐪
An incredibly unique commander unlike any other in the format, Zedruu the Greathearted benefits you from giving your permanents to your opponents. Specifically, you gain an amount of life and draw a number of cards during each of your upkeeps equal to the number of permanents you own controlled by your op🌳ponents.
This is made achievable by Zedruu's ability to bestow a permanent onto an opponent at the cost of three mana. While this ability may initially appear counterintuitive, many cards, such as Steel Golem, provide hindrances to their owners, such as the inability to cast creature spells.
8 Xantcha, S🌃leeper Agent ꧙
The most political option for a commander within the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Rakdos color identity, Xatcha has the distinction of being forced upon an opponent as soon🍸 as she enters the battlefield. A 5/5 for only three mana, Xantcha is forced to attack each turn if able but cannot attack you, meaning that Xantcha will be dealing damage to your🦩 opponents.
Additionally, Xantcha comes along with an activated ability that can be utilized by any player. It causes that player to draw a card and Xantcha's controller to lose two life. This ability allows players to band together and slowly use their own resources to deal damage through Xantcha.
7 ꦉ Braids, Conjurer Adept
Braids, Conjurer Adept is a mono-blue commander whoဣ provides an incredibly powerful universal effect to each player in the form of letting players pu♚t cards of specified types directly into play each turn.
However, Braids's controller can benefit more from such an ability by constructing a deck to plan accordingly for this ability and always get the optimal value out of the effect, directly playing cards like the infamous Blightsteel Colossus 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:and Eldrazi titans for free. Despite this, the universal effect from Braids will often appear appealing to other players who, in many cases, will opt to leave Braids be, as they seek out the benefit s🍌he provides.
6 🍸 Gluntch, The Bestower
Gluntch is a great Selesnya commande♌r that will provide your opponents with recurring benefits throughout the game. While it might seem strange to use this Jellyfish as your commander, seeing as it forces you to help your opponents, the important thing here is that you get to choose who receives which benefits.
You can use this choice as a bargaining chip with other players. Alternatively, you can slyly make sure that opponents aren't receiving the benefit that's best for them while still giving them a helping hand. While Gluntch is your commander, everyone will want you in the game, thanks to the goodies you continuously hand out. That in itself is a bit of a superpower.
5 🦩 Kynaios And Tiro Of Meletis
Like the aforementioned Selva🥂la, Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis universally benefit each player over the course ꩲof the game while providing twice as much value to you.
At the beginning of your end step, Kynaios and Tiro allow each player the choice of putting a land from their hand into play or drawing a card. However, you have the added benefit of access to both abilities simultaꦆneously, meaning that you can draw a card and play an additional land. Notably, you can still benefit from the land drop without any lands in hand by hoping to draw a land from this effect.
4 Atraxa, Praetors' Voice
Besides giving you access to every color in the game aside from red, Atraxa is an easy commander to build a deck around that will result in you seeing greater returns from her political effect than all of your opponents. Proliferate is a powerful mechanic, but it's only useful when you are casting permanents that have counters.
It's extremely likely that your opponents will have some permanents with counters, and you can use those to build relationships and garner favors. Meanwhile, your own deck will be filled with counter cards that Atraxa makes many times better.
The biggest issue with Atraxa is that you'll sometimes play against an opponent that simply doesn't use counters. In these cases, the opponent has no reason at all to keep you around, so it's smart to try and get them out of the game first.
