Soldiers are a big part of the fabric of creature Magic. Just as Wizards are the avatar of spellcasters, Soldiers are the representation of the pawns and armies we send into battle against one another. Whether you’re jamming out skirmishes in 1v1 Magic or playing multiplayer Commander with all-out-brawls, these soldiers have been a part of the legacy of the game.
10. ETCHED CHAMPION
Etched Champion was one of the first cards my friend added to his Breya precon when we started playing Commander. Back then, protection from all colors felt unstoppable. It was invulnerability, and it was the reason I was bummed out I couldn’t add Iridescent Angel from my From the Vault: Angels to my first Aurelia, the Warleader deck. Protection from all colors!
Although Etched Champion was a card we picked up as a reprint in Modern Masters packs, its legacy in the game is actually through the Modern format, where it saw – and continues to see – play, in the Affinity archetype. Because your other creatures are colorless (and because Steel Overseer doesn’t target) you can use Modular creatures like Arcbound Ravager to grow this virtually unblockable and untargetable 2/2 into a game-winning threat.
Even today, it sees some play in Hardened Scales decks and Legacy Affinity lists.
9. MEEROW REEJEREY
While you might know Merrow Reejerey as the engine piece that enables Kumena decks to accrue huge amounts of value in Commander, it’s a card with a storied history. It made a splash onto the scene during Standard Pro Tour 2008, taking second place in the finals. It won a Legacy GP back in 2010, topped a Vintage championship a few years later, and today sees widespread play in Merfolk lists in Modern and Historic.
It’s not the typical Soldier you’d think of, but as a Lord that untaps or taps any permanent you like, it’s a real anchor in Merfolk decks and has earned a spot on this list – it’s a disruptive card and a value generator.
8. RICK, STEADFAST LEADER
Some cards on the list are infamous, and none more so than Rick, Steadfast Leader. Rick burst onto the scene in the ill-received Walking Dead Secret Lair back in 2020. People hated mechanically unique cards being in limited time products, and even more so in products that were restricted depending on global location (this Lair wasn’t available in Latin America, for example).
What’s worse was that some of these cards (including Rick) were played in Legacy at the time, and Rick in particular has gone on to feature in most Winota cEDH lists and Duel Commander lists too.
While Wizards did release a “Universes Within” version in Greymond, Avacyn’s Stalwart, it isn’t widely available and commands a very high price. I was lucky enough to crack one in the List slot of a Wilds of Eldraine booster, and it’s uncomfortably strong in my Humans Commander list. It should be more widely available.
7. RECRUITER OF THE GUARD
Recruiter of the Guard burst onto the scene in Conspiracy: Take the Crown, and was immediately worked into Legacy Death & Taxes lists as a toolbox enabler. A Cube and Commander favorite, this tutor commanded a high price due to such high demand, and eventually was printed in Modern in 2024.
In Modern, Recruiter has been played in various lists like Martyr lists and Death and Taxes, and has seen some decent finishes so far at major events.
In Commander, my current love with the card is using it to grab key combo pieces or a cheeky Solitude.
6. OLORO, AGELESS ASCETIC
Speaking of Commander, enter Oloro, Ageless Ascetic. If you played Commander before FIRE Design really took hold (so roughly before 2018-2020), you’ll recall some of the most infamous Commanders of that time period. Meren, Derevi, Damia… but for many, Oloro tops that list. Oloro had the first instance of a kind of proto-Eminence, having an ability that triggered even when he was off the field.
Oloro helmed lifegain control decks, and was infamous for his proto-Eminence ability. Bet you didn’t remember he was a Soldier, did you?
5. PALACE JAILER
Another entry from CN2, Palace Jailer has seen widespread play in Legacy and Vintage since release, with the addition of the Battle for Baldur’s Gate Initivative cards (White Plume Adventurer and Seasoned Dungeoneer) giving the card new life in 2022. While the banning of White Plume Adventurer has seen the card dropping right off in Legacy again, the Initiative/Monarch Package is so good that any format where it can be played is a format for Palace Jailer to succeed (namely Duel Commander and Canlander now, though).
4. PORCELAIN LEGIONNAIRE
Palace Jailer also sees a lot of play in Cube, the format that our next creature thrives in. Whether in Tempered Steel, UW Delver, or even BR Zombies, Porcelain Legionnaire put up consistent results for the time it was in Standard. A two mana 3/1 First Strike, at the time, was a really strong stat line. Even today, it’s a menace in Cube, and a great reason to go into white or weenie archetypes – and an impressive splash. Personally, if a more classic Cube doesn’t have this card, I’m not sure it’s doing it right.
3. THRABEN INSPECTOR
A card so iconic that it saw a functional reprint under a different name, Thraben Inspector has been at the heart of Pauper since it released. It was arguably at the forefront of white cards getting card advantage more generously, and has synergies with creating artifacts, and with Humans. Speaking of which, it featured in top Modern Humans lists for a time. Its most recent major event finishes are in Weenie White and Orzhov Blade lists in Pauper.
2. ESPER SENTINEL
A moment ago I mentioned card advantage and white, and so you might be able to connect the dots as to why Esper Sentinel is at spot #2 on this list. Esper Sentinel is almost as annoying as Rhystic Study and Smothering Tithe in Commander, and has earned the nickname “Rhystic Buddy” for its efforts.
This is perhaps the most reliable and bountiful form of white card draw available, especially for the investment. It’s played all across Commander, cEDH and Modern, and commands a respectable price tag because of how in-demand it is.
Is it a fair card? Is it that annoying? The jury is out, but either way, we’re all talking about it, and we all know about it.
1. THALIA, GUARDIAN OF THRABEN
I feel like many of you opening this article will have either immediately scrolled to see if this was #1, or been sat thinking that I’m full of it if it wasn’t #1.
Of course, Thalia, Guardian of Thraben is the most iconic soldier in Magic. Pro Tour after Pro Tour, whether in Modern or Legacy… whether in Dark Ascension Standard or in Crimson Vow Standard nine years later, Thalia takes names, titles, and our hearts.
All of her artwork is iconic too, whether the original, the WMC Qualifier Promo, the Secret Lairs by Magali Villeneuve and Johannes Voss, or the newer arts from VOW.
END STEP
That’s the most Iconic soldiers in Magic, according to me at least. How many do you play in Commander, or Cube? Did I miss one you’re surprised to see didn’t make our Top 10? Let us know on BlueSky.
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.