As the year heads to a close, Kristen looks back at the year’s new Commander offerings, and shares a countdown of the Top 20 Commander Cards of 2024. Did your faves make the cut?
2024 has been a heck of a year for Magic, and by extension, for Commander. This year we got 2059 new cards legal in the format, which is an astonishing number. While each release had its fair share of bangers and hidden gems, there are some cards that standout to us as the clear frontrunners in power level, what they offer to the format, or even in infamy.
TOP 20 COMMANDER CARDS OF 2024
I felt like it was worth a look back across the year at the most impactful and interesting cards added to the format. The bar was high, and honestly? A top 50 would have been fairer, but ain’t nobody got time for that. I’m confident a lot of the cards you expect to be here will be here. One thing I noted when compiling this list was just how many uncommons competed for those 20 spots – maybe I’ll do a separate piece about those. If you want that, be sure to let me know.
So, without further ado… onto some honorable mentions.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
If we included the Surveil lands from MKM in this list, that would be half of the spots taken straight away. As such, I can’t justify including them. And, while we’re at it, I thought I’d just bump them into the Honorable Mentions instead. They’re amazing, they’re fun, they’re fetchable… and most of all, we got an actual factual full cycle.
Speaking of lands, another honorable mention are the MDFC land cards from MH3 in general. So many of these could have easily made the Top 20, but considering A) that would have skewed the 20 into a list of “most easy to include in all of your decks” and B) would have taken multiple slots away from other cards, they’re also getting an Honorable Mention. They’re great; you should run them. I killed a player with Legion Leadership earlier this week.
PRECON OF THE YEAR
The final Honorable Mention goes to the Precon of the Year: Modern Horizons 3’s Graveyard Overdrive. Precons in the same release as MH3 left people questioning why, but the answer was overwhelmingly: because these decks are cool. The coolest of the bunch as far as I’m concerned was Disa the Restless. She does all sorts of Goyf things, and makes Tarmogoyf tokens. Plus, Pyrogoyf and Barrowgoyf are currently tearing up Legacy, making this quite the pickup…
20. WITHERING TORMENT
Starting off our list is an uncommon from Duskmourn. It was honestly hard to pick just one uncommon from this set, as I have a lot of time for Nowhere to Run and Untimely Malfunction as well. The thing is, though… neither of those is a black instant that unconditionally blows up an enchantment. Withering Torment is pretty monumental for the format, being such a big upgrade over Feed the Swarm. Should it exist? Argue in the comments.
19. SPLIT UP
In a year where I only ranted about board wipes about four times, Split Up comes along to show us that yes, you can run cheap wraths, and that they can be one-sided a good proportion of the time. Commander has a bit of a boardwipe problem right now – in that players just can’t seem to stomach their vegetables and run enough good ones – so I’m glad that Split Up arrived to offer a fantastic tool in that box.
18. GENERAL KREAT, THE BOLTBRINGER
Squeaking in across the finish line, this J25 uncommon has Goblin players everywhere sitting up and saying “Hello there!”. It’s quite the monumental achievement, ending up on this list while being an ostensibly tribal card, but General Kreat managed it. I think the combination of Goblin typing, making its own tokens to trigger itself, and the fact it’s kinda splashable in off-type decks too really made it a standout add for the year.
17. WARLEADER’S CALL
When this card came out, I underestimated it a little. My take was that Skullclamp was still relevant enough to RW tokens decks that throwing an anthem onto an Impact Tremors was actually a bit of a disadvantage. Turns out that Boros has plenty of good card draw options outside of Skullclamp, and if anything, Skullclamp helps you draw into this. And, when you already have Warleader’s Call? You’re probably already winning.
16. COMMUNAL BREWING
The sixteen spot nearly went to Railway Brawler, a card I have played against on numerous occasions and been very impressed (and terrified) by. However, I wasn’t convinced, and went to my discord for some Communal Brewing. They convinced me that actually Communal Brewing should take the slot, because A) it’s really interactive, which makes it a fun and involved kind of card, and B) turning smaller bodies into larger ones is more impactful than turning larger ones doubly big.
I have to agree, and so Communal Brewing takes this slot. It’s a lot of value for just three mana.
15. TWENTY-TOED TOAD
Blue decks – and by extension Simic decks – that draw boatloads of cards often have a problem finishing. While it is tempting to make a joke about Simic players being sexually frustrated, I’ll concentrate instead on the tadpoles in this guy’s sack. Once you get twenty counters on it, BOOM, you’re winning the game. You can do this by attacking with two or more creatures, sure, but more commonly you’ll do this by just dropping your load of dice on the board through other means… or just saying nah and drawing 25 like the Simic player we both know you are.
Anyways, I think those decks deserved another win condition, if only to put us out of our collective misery.
14. KASSANDRA, EAGLE BEARER (AND THE SPEAR OF LEONIDAS)
Okay, sure, I’m cheating a little here. It’s two cards. But you’re never running Kassandra without the Spear. It’s free real estate.
Kassandra is a powerful Equipment card, offering a hasty body and card draw for the team for just three mana. Her rider of only drawing off of Legendary Equipment is more restrictive than some other draw options in Boros. But considering that by tutoring the Spear and putting it into play means she can fulfill it herself – you’re generally guaranteed card draw, which is what these decks want.
The reason she earned a spot here is because she also tutors out Double Strike, which is crazy good. It wins games.
13. STRONG BACK
Speaking of carrying games, let’s look at Strong Back from PIP. Strong Back may be yet another “creature gets increasingly large for each aura and equipment in play/attached to it/in your favorite sandwich”, but it’s also a huge cost reducer. Making Auras cost three less is quite the discount, and helps enable Enchantress decks to “storm off” by cantripping off of their Auras when they have Enchantress creatures in play.
I did consider Idolized for this spot, but Strong Back just does that much more.
12. NUKA-COLA VENDING MACHINE
Staying for a moment in the Fallout universe, I want to talk about Nuka-Cola Vending Machine. This is a hot piece of junk, and not just because it works so well with Academy Manufactor. It actually combos well with that darn robot, and a bunch of other things, really really easily. Food decks have become a popular archetype in Commander, and giving them a combo piece outside of the tried and tested pieces (but one that also combos with some of them – looking at you, Krark-Clan Ironworks) was a massive pickup.
11. VOJA, JAWS OF THE CONCLAVE
Yes, I refuse to put Voja in the Top 10. Yes, I’m doing it that disrespect. Why? Because as much as it’s a powerful card, I don’t really think it’s a well designed one. It appeals to casual players who love Tolsimir and the power of friendship between Wolves and Elves… but it allows those casuals to dick on every table with a pushed value engine that closes games just for curving out. It makes Beast Within cost SIX mana. It makes Path to Exile cost FOUR. If you’re taking time off to get rid of Voja, you’re losing so much tempo.
Anyways, read my article about how Aggro is Really Good in Commander Right Now.
10. GIGGLING SKITTERSPIKE
This card came out of nowhere to say “hey, want to try and win without going to combat?”. A collective of +1/+1 counters decks, Voltron decks and Enchantress decks cried out “Yes please, I hate Spore Frog!”
This reject from Toy Story is creepy, but also very effective at closing games. I feel like it’s currently skittering under the radar, and we’ll see more of it in due course.
9. DISORIENTING CHOICE
Tempt with Discovery was a format staple for the longest time, and a card I always felt was pretty iconic in the format. In recent years, it has shown its age, with players well wise to the lures of the green mage. Enter Disorienting Choice. This is basically a four mana removal spell that exiles artifacts and enchantments even through hexproof, or else you get to go and get any land of your choosing. Rather than a Tempt, this is more of a Villainous Choice, and I love it.
8. BROTHERHOOD REGALIA
The Shroud on Silver Shroud Costume made me pause for a moment, but really the overall utility of having a two mana equipment with an equip cost of only {1} to Legendaries (like your Commander) ended up winning out for Brotherhood Regalia. Unblockable is such a powerful “ability”, and it’s why cards like Trailblazer’s Boots saw so much play previously. This ACR equipment is better in almost every way, especially because it grants Ward {2}. The other reason I like this more than the Fallout card? It’s easier to get hold of.
7. AMPHIBIAN DOWNPOUR
The final blue card on the list today is Amphibian Downpour. This spicy little number can be cast both offensively and defensively, and reduces opposing board states to lowly 1/1 Frogs. Sure, they can slam into each other afterwards, but it’s still an extra step to the graveyard, and prevents mass Indestructible effects – or cards like Brought Back – from working at all. This is premium blue removal.
6. CARETAKER’S TALENT
Caretaker’s Talent is probably the best Class enchantment of the BLB bunch, and I think it’s more than earned its spot on today’s Top 20. It draws you cards, it has a way to double up on your best token, and it also gives a buff to your whole board. What’s not to love? This one is strong enough to have seen plenty of play in Standard too, and it’s a card I’ll be happy to play for a long time to come.
5. EXCALIBUR, SWORD OF EDEN
2024 was a big year for Equipment, and with the new Captain America that cares about high mana value equipment, all eyes are on Excalibur. Even without Steve Rodgers, this is a card to watch. It’s basically free to cast most of the time, which makes it a cheaper Blackblade Reforged – and it get to 10 damage way quicker. Trading off a toughness boost for Vigilance is fine in my book, especially as it is likely being used to close games.
You haven’t lived until you’ve used a Puresteel Paladin or Inventory Management to stick this thing on Inkmoth Nexus. Excalibur is the kind of card that just gets better and better.
4. WARREN SOULTRADER
Warren Soultrader is a spicy little combo piece, particularly as it has three heavily played and combo heavy types: Zombie, Goblin, and Wizard. It has a soft cap of “your life total -1”, but don’t let that stop you. I know you can figure it out.
Even at the floor, it’s 3/3 for three that lets you get a bunch of treasure after a wrath. But let’s be honest… you’re looking at running this for more nefarious reasons. And it’s okay. I would too.
3. CASE OF THE LOCKED HOTHOUSE
No, the final green card isn’t Dionus, strong though it may be. I figured that Dionus is busted, sure, but it’s also like… another Elf. Elves have so many busted cards and lines of play that Dionus isn’t really a “Card of the Year” material.
Instead, lets go back to the start of the year. Case of the Locked Hothouse is one strong Case, and that’s among other Case cards that are also kinda incredible. Exploration for four mana is a bit spendy, but when you solve it – which is really easy to do – you get a green Future Sight effect that lets you play the most common green build-around cards off of the top of your library. It even helps you dig past two lands by functioning kind of like Oracle of Mul Daya.
This card has won me many games, and I feel like you should try it if you haven’t already.
2. TROUBLE IN PAIRS
Rather fittingly our Number 2 goes to a pair of miscreants. Trouble in Pairs is quite the card. People were weirdly low on it when it came out because it was four mana, but so many people are low-mana-value-pilled that they miss out on obvious potential. Trouble in Pairs draws you a great many cards, in a color that is still a little lacking easy ways to draw more than one at a time, and it’s… well, it’s really, really good.
There’s also the fact that it lives on as an infamous example of plagiarism, which definitely helped it end up so high on the list.
1. PATCHWORK BANNER
And the number one Commander card of the year, for 2024? It’s Patchwork Banner.
Patchwork Banner is a sterling example of why three mana rocks are still good. It’s an anthem for any typal deck, on a Manalith. *Chef’s Kiss*
The reason I love this card so much is the same as why I love cards that help with monocolor builds – it lifts up less hyper optimized lists with a little nod and a pat on the head.
Please, more fine tuning like this.
END STEP
And that’s that – the Top 20 Commander cards of 2024. It’s not necessarily the most-played, or the most powerful, but a look at the 20 cards that on any given day of the week, float to the top of a slightly larger pool of cards that made waves this year.
What did I miss? Scream at me about it on BlueSky. You know you have nothing better to do.
Kristen is Card Kingdom’s Head Writer and a member of the Commander Format Panel. Formerly a competitive Pokémon TCG grinder, she has been playing Magic since Shadows Over Innistrad, which in her opinion, was a great set to start with. When she’s not taking names with Equipment and Aggro strategies in Commander, she loves to play any form of Limited.