Zendikar Rising has brought plenty of new Commander options. The set also adds some powerful new options for already established archetypes, from extra combat phase decks to colorless Eldrazi, and some exciting options for mono-red decks. Our list today we will be starting from the smallest impacting to the most impacting, and a few honorable mention. We won't be including reprints like Lotus Cobra.
Honorable Mentions
Soul Shatter is a Crackling Doom that has a less strict mana cost so it can be in any black deck. This type of effect is useful when you have multiple opponents that are popping of. Skyclave Relic is a supercharged Darksteel Ingot and of course, it will see play in decks that utilize mana rocks. It's not the spiciest card but it will certainly see tons of play and I would get clowned on if I didn't mention it.
#10 - Charix, the Raging Isle
Charix, the Raging Isle is the first legendary crab in the history of Magic, which means crab tribal now has a commander. That is a lot of fun but for me, this is super exciting for Phenax, God of Deception decks. Charix, the Raging Isle can mill seventeen cards by itself and has explosive potential with Dramatic Reversal and Thousand-Year Elixir. It also is also perfect for a toughness matters commander like Arcades, the Strategist. Putting it in a deck like that with High Alert, Assault Formation, and Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive will make it function as a 17/17 for four mana. Even alongside Towering Titan would be devastating.
#9 - Valakut Exploration
This is a speculation pick but I think it is a solid card advantage piece for mono red commander decks. You want to be hitting land drops in Commander anyways and this gets you extra cards on turns you ramp with Burnished Hart and Wayfarer's Bauble. I don't think it is better than Experimental Frenzy, but people are playing Underworld Breach to get cards from the graveyard so Valakut Exploration can't be too much a stretch.
#8 - Roiling Regrowth
Landfall decks, ramp decks, or lands matter decks will run this card. Especially land recursion decks that use the graveyard such as The Gitrog Monster and Lord Windgrace. These decks care about sacrificing lands for value and getting them back from the graveyard. Splendid Reclamation, Ramunap Excavator, Titania, Protector of Argoth, these are all staples in these kinds of decks. Overall, Roiling Regrowth is a solid ramp card and will be a staple of lands matter decks with graveyard synergies.
#7 - Leyline Tyrant
Being able to stack mana turn after turn is very powerful for red decks looking to make big mana plays later. Leyline Tyrant can come out early with early ramp by being costed at four mana. Being able to play an early Fiery Emancipation is crazy, or even a massive Electrodominance later to win the game. Neheb, the Eternal works very well with Leyline Tyrant by generating tons of mana every turn. Leyline Tyrant has political aspects with your opponents wanting to remove it, but don't want to be the one to take the damage in retaliation.
#6 - Myriad Construct
This thing just looks like it was made for Commander. The games go long enough in Commander where this thing being kicked is a regular occurrence. If the table is light in mono colored decks then this thing will be massive with everyone playing an assortments of dual lands, utility lands, and Command Towers. Even if it gets removed it separates into 1/1's that can be used for sacrifice reasons or artifact shenanigans.
#5 - Maddening Cacophony
A stellar card for mill decks as a strong early play by milling every opponent for eight. If it was kicked then it comes down as a Traumatize that hits every opponent at the table, which is an effect that has never been seen before at that power level. It won't have a broad impact on the format, but it is a very important card dedicated mill decks.
#4 - Lithoform Engine
This is a card I expect to see tons of play. Casual players will use this to take their jank to new levels and the temptation is there for spikes to abuse it make busted plays. Just the sheer scope of things this thing enhances. From activated or triggered abilities, instant or sorcery copying, or to straight-up copying permanents. All of these are the game plans of a variety of decks. From the Mizzix of the Izmagnus spells matter decks, to Yarok, the Desecrated ETB decks, Lithoform Engine will be an important card for years to come. It does too many things not to see a significant amount of play.
#3 - Moraug, Fury of Akoum
Moraug, Fury of Akoum has widespread implications for many decks in the format. Minotaur tribal decks headed by Sethron, Hurloom General can use Maraug at the top of the curve, or you can get it with Deathbellow War Cry before playing a land to takeout multiple opponents. Gruul extra combat phase decks will love this as a way to get extra combat phases turn after turn off of one card. Land-based decks like Lord Windgrace can really go off and get multiple extra combat phases in a single turn and end the game on the spot. This card might be up a little too high on this list but given that it helps tribes such as minotaurs or even warriors; while also being very dominant in extra combat phase decks, and potentially busted in land recursion decks makes me comfortable with its position.
#2 - Forsaken Monument
Forsaken Monument will be a staple in Colorless Eldrazi decks forever. It doesn't matter whether you're running Kozilek, the Great Distortion, or Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger you are playing Forsaken Monument. It pumps your team +2/+2 and accidental life gain is always powerful when attached to a card with extremely relevant abilities. The true most powerful and relevant ability is that middle ability. Doubling your mana production from your lands and giving mana rocks an extra mana is crazy. It is mono black levels of ramp-like Crypt Ghast and Nirkana Revenant. It even rivals green combinations of cards such as Ashaya, Soul of the Wild, and Nissa, Who Shakes the World. If you were ever thinking about trying out that Kozilek, the Great Distortion deck, then Forsaken Monument should push you all the way there. Not to mention that is card could be powerful in artifact-based decks as well.
#1 - Ancient Greenwarden
Just as Forsaken Monument might be the most important card for Colorless deck, Ancient Greenwarden might be the most important card to have been printed for lands matter decks. Six mana is reasonably costed for those types of decks and being able to add additional triggers for things like landfall, Tireless Tracker, and Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath is huge. The Gitrog Monster, Omnath Locus of Rage, and Lord Windgrace will all take this card. It evens acts as a redundant copy of Ramunap Excavator and Crucible of Worlds with its static ability. In these decks, it isn't hard to get two or three landfall triggers in a turn, and taking that number to all the way up to six or higher is monumental.
This list is the first of many for our Zendikar Rising set review. We will be posting articles throughout the week covering our picks for the best cards in Standard, Modern, Pioneer, and Pauper. With that said, make sure to follow us on social media to get notified for when those articles drop and so that you can join the fellowship. Comment as well to let us know what cards from Zendikar Rising you are most excited about in the Commander Format. I hope you enjoyed our list and enjoy the rest of your day.
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