Narset, Enlightened ExileNarset, Enlightened Exile | art by Marie Magny

Jes the Guy for the Job!

Hello, everyone! It’s your friendly neighborhood Jesguy here, and welcome to a bit of a milestone for me; article #100!

I wanted to do something a little special and different for this one. I couldn't just do another set review or the like for my 100th article, that wouldn't be fun! So instead, today, I'll be ranking all of the non-Partner Jeskai commanders by personal taste.

I'm sure I'll get plenty of disagreements or challenges to my list, but that's a-okay! If you think one of these cards should be ranked higher or lower, please let me know!

Without further adieu though, let's get into it!

38. Gnostro, Voice of the Crags

Like with any good tier list, we're starting with a real stinker.

I'd go as so far to say that Gnostro is one of the worst designed commanders ever made. If I was pitched to make a Therosian Chimera legend, I certainly wouldn't have made what amounts to a vanilla 3/3 that sometimes has some marginal upside. The life gain is forgettable, the scry is irrelevant, and the damage can't even go face.

Easily the worst Jeskai commander, period.

36/37. Doctor Who Commanders

A close second though is a tie between The Face of BoeThe Face of Boe and Kate StewartKate Stewart.

Both of these commanders are so specific in what they do. They only care about Suspend or time counters, both of which are weak, hyper niche strategies. They only are above Gnostro because they at least have the potential to be fun build arounds.

35. Immard, the Stormcleaver/Guile, Sonic Soldier

Immard/Guile seem interesting at first blush, but you have to put in a lot of work for not a lot of payoff.

If Immard/Guile entered with a counter and was able to take one off immediately, at least it would be a good blink target, but as it stands, you have to wait until you attack to be able to choose either ability...And even then, neither options are particularly great. Neat design, and I am sure it's flavorful, but it doesn't do much for me.

34. Dynaheir, Invoker Adept

Dynaheir, bare minimum is a Thousand-Year ElixirThousand-Year Elixir on legs, which is actually pretty interesting. The only problem here is, I don't know if that's something that I need or want in the command zone. Sure, there are a ton of tapping effects that get better with her out, but all that seems pretty small ball to me. On top of that, there are only so many four-or-more mana activated abilities you can add to the deck before your curve gets bogged down.

She is more interesting than any of the commanders I've talked about thus far, but I think she is just weak.

33. Tetzin, Gnome Champion

This one actually hurts a bit to put this low.

Tetzin isn't this low on the list because I don't like it, it's this low because, again, it's so specific and niche I can't justify putting it any higher. If it cared about all artifacts as opposed to just double faced ones, I think we'd be in business...But having the stipulation of having to be both an artifact and double faced? Way too niche for my tastes. Fun to build around I'm sure, but it seems very inconsistent.

32. Gandalf of the Secret Fire

Giving your instants and sorceries Suspend is cool...But it only works on your opponent's turns...And they'll know exactly what is coming three turns later. That's not great.

If you couldn't tell, I'm not a fan of Suspend in general. It's too slow for me, and gives your opponents too much information. At least you can do cool things with Leyline of AnticipationLeyline of Anticipation and other flash cards, but overall I think this iteration of Gandalf is pretty mid.

31. The Archimandrite

Alright, so I actually like what we're doing here. Lifegain is fun, and the reference to Ivory TowerIvory Tower is neat too...But this card is just all over the place.

Do you want life gain? Do you want kindred strategies? Are you a beatdown deck?

While cool, this commander just pulls in too many directions. It's certainly unique, and I am sure there are some cool builds with it, but I don't think it's for me.

30. Pramikon, Sky Rampart

Pramikon is cool in theory, but I've never really seen it do "the thing".

If it had some form of protection, that would be excellent, but as it stands, it either gets removed once the opportunity is right and you die, or it just slows the game to a crawl. I am a fan of consistency and being proactive, so something that is this swingy isn't for me. I know it is beloved by a certain subsection of the community though, and for its uniqueness, that's why it isn't lower.

29. Sevinne, the Chronoclasm

Sevinne is interesting and is much more open-ended that the others of its commander deck cycle, but the biggest issue I've had with Sevinne is trying to win.

You can get a ton of value from copying spells from the graveyard, but having to often rely on GuttersnipeGuttersnipe effects feels a bit too slow. I put a lot of value on closing out games, and when I've played Sevinne, I've struggled with that aspect. I quite like him, and you can do cute things with his first ability, I just find him to be a bit durdly.

28. Numot, the Devastator

Numot is an oldie, but a goodie.

He is straightforward, and I respect that. He does exactly what he says on the can: hit people, blow up pesky lands. I can't fault a card for knowing what it wants to be.

There isn't a lot to built around here, which is why it is low, but I have a soft spot for one of the first Jeskai commanders ever.

27. Ruhan of the Fomori

Speaking of one of the first Jeskai commanders ever, we have Ruhan!

Like Numot, Ruhan is straightforward; he's big, he's beefy, and he wants to hit people. You can make him unblockable, give him some equipment, put counters on him, the world is your oyster with this huge guy! That said, he is basically a vanilla creature, which I know I docked Gnostro points for, but at least this guy has the stats to back himself up. a 7/7 for 4 is big.

26. Kasla, the Broken Halo

I'm a big fan of Lightning AngelLightning Angel, meaning I am also a fan of Lightning AngelLightning Angel with upside.

Kasla, bare minimum, is a french-vanilla beat stick that can get cheated out pretty early, which is great. That right there could be the basis of a Flying deck. Add in the Convoke support, and now we're cooking! She's narrow, but can easily support a broad archetype or two very well which I think is real nice.

25. Saint Traft and Rem Karolus

Speaking of a card that can support two archetypes, we have Saint Traft and Rem Karolus!

Like Kasla, they are narrow due to their apparent reliance on Convoke synergies, but combine that with ample token support, and you have yourself a solid deck! Add in some tapping and untapping effects to the mix, and you can churn out 4/4 Angels each turn with ease! Stir in something like Purphoros, God of the ForgePurphoros, God of the Forge and Impact TremorsImpact Tremors and now you're cooking!

24. Akim, the Soaring Wind

Akim looks bad at first, and maybe it is, but I have a soft spot for it.

It isn't super flashy or powerful, but it has a clear build around direction: Tokens. It makes tokens, and importantly it can make your tokens deadly! Giving double strike to some 1/1s doesn't sound all that threatening, but if you can get a bunch of 2/2s and 3/3s on board? Well now we're in business! It's almost like a repeatable OverrunOverrun in the command zone!

We aren't breaking any ground here with Akim, but I think it is interesting enough to be this high.

23. Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest

Shu Yun is a Jeskai staple. He is one of the first Jeskai commanders, and one of the first commanders sporting hybrid symbols in their textbox. He is a piece of history!

Shu Yun is linear, but strong. Being able to give anything double strike is a really powerful ability, especially when he can grant it to himself as well. Knocking people out with commander damage isn't a pipe dream when you are sporting both Prowess and double strike! While straightforward, he has a build path and unique ability. Thumbs up from me!

22. Narset, Enlightened Master

Speaking of OG Jeskai commanders, here we have original Narset!

Maybe people are shocked to see her this low on my list when she is ranked seventh on the site, but I just find her to be too polarizing. Either you pop off with extra turns and a ton of value, or the table teams up against you and you're out of the game real fast. I'm sure she is consistent if you build her correctly, but I am also sure that involves taking way more game actions than everyone else at the table and locking them out of playing, two things I am not a huge fan of.

21. Zedruu the Greathearted

Zedruu hasn't kept up in power, but she has kept up in popularity over the years, being the fourth most popular Jeskai commander currently!

Zedruu is not only one of the most unique Jeskai commanders, but one of the most unique commanders of all time. I, like many players, have done my time with Zedruu, and I have to say, it is a blast. Donating permanents to people is such an interesting way to play the game! So why isn't she higher? Well, I've just outgrown her. I've done "the thing" plenty of times, and I am just tired of donating Stax pieces to people. It's a bit samey and everyone knows what's coming, but it's still fun.

20. Commodore Guff

I personally like planeswalkers as commanders, so having a planeswalker commander that cares about other planeswalkers is really cool!

Until Guff, the closest thing we could get to a planeswalker commander was Pramikon or original Narset. With the coming of Guff though? We have full on planeswalker support. From ramping to them, drawing cards off of them, or simply giving them extra loyalty, everything Guff does points you down the planeswalker path. He is linear, but he pushes an archetype that Jeskai had struggled with up until previously. I adore giving points for uniqueness!

19.Leori, Sparktouched Hunter

While I had high praise for Guff, I like Leori a bit more.

Not only is she the underdog- well, undercat, between the two of them, but I think having a flying, vigilant 3/3 is what 'walker decks want more. Don't get me wrong, Guff coming down and drawing a handful of cards is nice, but having a blocker out early that can double a bunch of your planeswalker triggers turn after turn is how I personally want to play the game, and can accrue you more value over time.

18. Dr. Madison Li

While she has a lot of moving parts, I really quite like Dr. Madison Li.

Jeskai as a color combination should be one of the best for interacting with artifacts, and prior to the Fallout precon, there wasn't a commander that can really take advantage of all the artifact synergies this color combination has to offer. While she also takes Energy to function, Dr Madison Li has one of the best abilities for artifacts: being able to reanimate them. Whether it some something as small as a Simulacrum SynthesizerSimulacrum Synthesizer or as big as a Portal to PhyrexiaPortal to Phyrexia, there are a ton of great targets for Dthe doctor to reanimate once you've wet the wheels with some cheap artifacts and energy!

17. Gavi, Nest Warden

While she seems to care about only Cycling at first blush, Gavi is actually an excellent tokens commander!

Cycling certainly helps achieve her goal of making cat dinosaurs every turn, but as long as you have a way to draw a second card on each turn, you can easily churn out tokens like nobody's business! Add in cards like Homunculus HordeHomunculus Horde, Mischievous MysticMischievous Mystic and Alandra, Sky DreamerAlandra, Sky Dreamer, and you'll have an army in no time! Triggers that care about drawing a second card a turn, as well as Cycling seem to be popular themes nowadays in modern sets, so Gavi decks are always getting constant upgrades. These constant new tools puts me a lot higher on her as opposed to other commanders that cares about a specific mechanics, like Sevinne.

16. Arthur, Marigold Knight

Winota, Joiner of ForcesWinota, Joiner of Forces he is not, but Arthur has the potential to accrue a lot of value over a short amount of time.

Right now, Arthur's most popular theme on the site is Blink, which is excellent, as Jeskai hasn't gotten a good commander for that strategy yet. Arthur works excellently with cards like MulldrifterMulldrifter, Angel of the RuinsAngel of the Ruins and Éowyn, Fearless KnightÉowyn, Fearless Knight who have enter the battlefield effects, evasion, and removal. You can also add in some big ol' monsters the Sire of Seven DeathsSire of Seven Deaths and combine it with blink effects like EphemerateEphemerate so it doesn't need to bounce back at the end of your turn!

Overall, I just think Arthur is really neat, and gives Jeskai some much needed blinky, cheaty shenanigans.

15. Liberty Prime, Recharged

Liberty Prime is like a suped up Lightning AngelLightning Angel with artifact synergies, and I think that's just great.

Liberty Prime's main draw in my opinion is its sacrifice ability, since it synergizes with so many artifacts. Mycosynth WellspringMycosynth Wellspring, Ichor WellspringIchor Wellspring, Solemn SimulacrumSolemn Simulacrum, The One RingThe One Ring, there are a ton of great artifacts to sacrifice to help fuel this massive robot. Jeskai also has a plethora of Trash for TreasureTrash for Treasure and artifact reanimating spells, so whatever you sacrifice probably won't stay in the yard for long! Throw in a couple Energy cards to help supplement your deck, and you're off to the races! I like this fella a lot!

14. Vadrok, Apex of Thunder

While it's devisive, I quite like Mutate, which is why Vadrok is so high on this list.

Vadrok can accrue a ton of value over time, thanks to not exiling the cards that it casts from the graveyard when it Mutates. It also has combo finishes with cards like Chef's KissChef's Kiss, or a combination of Cloud of FaeriesCloud of Faeries, TwinflameTwinflame and SnapSnap. Vadrok isn't the easiest commander to play, unless you are just looking to accrue straight up value, but it is very deep, allowing for some really interesting combos and play patterns.

13. Zurgo and Ojutai

Speaking of kindred strategies, Zurgo and Ojutai are here to show us how Jeskai plays with dragons!

I adore these two. Good stats, card advantage, protection, and the ability to reuse etbs is an excellent combination of effects. They are straightforward, but provide Jeskai with the first real dragon commander, which is great to see. My favorite thing to do with these two is to cheat out big dragons with Sneak AttackSneak Attack, and then bounce them back to my hand so I don't need to sacrifice them. If you haven't tried that out, I highly recommend it!

12. Hinata, Dawn-Crowned

Hinata is a real powerful card. It has great stats and great abilities, and looks excellent in its alternate frame! What more could you want?

Some of the best cards to use with Hinata are big ol' targeted spells like Magma OpusMagma Opus, Sublime EpiphanySublime Epiphany and Distorting WakeDistorting Wake. This provides Hinata with the niche of being an excellent Spellslinger commander, but one that wants to cast larger spells, as opposed to a bunch of cantrips like Talrand, Sky SummonerTalrand, Sky Summoner and his ilk. Very fun!

11. Brallin, Skyshark Rider/Shabraz the Skyshark

While I am not ranking any Partner commanders, Partner with is a different story.

Brallin and Shabraz are like peanut butter and jelly. Unsurprisngly, they two of them work very well together. These two combine to make the quintessential Wheels deck in Jeskai colors, churning through your deck quickly to deal damage, gain life, and make Shabraz into the biggest flying menace you've ever seen! The only reason they aren't higher is because they are a bit linear, but that doesn't make them any less powerful or fun. I mean, who doesn't want to ride a skyshark??

10. Aragorn, King of Gondor

I adore Monarch as a mechanic, so having Aragorn in the command zone as both an enabler and a game ender is awesome!

A 4/4 for 4 is an excellent stat line, and he only gets better from there. Two keywords, drawing you a card immediately at your end step, and the ability to easily get the Monarch back or end the game is awesome. Aragorn is only upside, and gives Jeskai multiple build paths, From a Monarch-centric style, to extra combats, to tokens, Aragorn can enable a lot, which is why he cracks the top 10 for me.

9. Éowyn, Shieldmaiden

I am a sucker for kindred decks, and Éowyn is excellent at enabling Human kindred as a strategy.

Éowyn is super powerful. She is big and has first strike, can draw you cards, and can put 4/4 worth of power and toughness on the board each turn. If she didn't cost five, I would say she was absolutely busted, but in this instance, I think she warrants her relatively high mana cost. Yes, she requires a bit of set up, but once you have her going, you're off to the races! You can easily trample down opponents with a massive board state with ease, especially when you combine Éowyn's humans with anthems and effects like Shared AnimosityShared Animosity.

Jeskai was lacking kindred strategies, so it was nice to see them push into the human's space.

8. Satya, Aetherflux Genius

On his face, Satya looks like an energy commander, but I think he is one of the best Blink commanders for Jeskai!

Satya thrives when you board is already established. He can come down and immediately create a copy of your best etb creature, giving you some amazing recursive value. It doesn't matter that the token will most likely need to be sacrificed at the end of the turn since you already got your use out of it. Satya is one of my favorite styles of commander, where they are not necessary for the deck to function, but is excellent in keeping you in the game once you've starting to run out of resources. There are plenty of ways to build him, and while I personally like the blink route, Energy is certainly his bread and butter.

7. Optimus Prime, Hero

Every time I have played against Optimus, I've gotten wrecked. Every time I've played my own Optimus deck, I have wrecked.

I think Optimus is just busted.

Bolstering on every turn is incredibly powerful. Due to having to kill him twice in order to get him off the battlefield, and the fact that he pumps up creatures regardless of what side he is on he is a force to be reckoned with. Yes, he has a lot of words, and his play pattern can be a lot to memorize at first, but he is definitely worth the mental gymnastics you may have to do. I can't say more good things about him, he is just a super powerful, fun card.

6. Captain America, First Avenger

While we may have had Ardenn, Intrepid ArchaeologistArdenn, Intrepid Archaeologist, and Kraum, Ludevic's OpusKraum, Ludevic's Opus as a Jeskai Equipment pairing before, Cap here is our first equipment commander that is the whole package deal by himself.

Auto-equipping is an excellent ability to have, especially when the other ability incentivizes you to toss equipment at opponents and their creatures. Cap placing this high on my list very well could be recency bias, but I've been waiting for a single, cohesive equipment commander for quite some time, and one that comes with removal stapled to him is *chef's kiss*.

I also love the idea of tossing Kaldra CompleatKaldra Compleat and Excalibur, Sword of EdenExcalibur, Sword of Eden at people. it's so funny.

5. Elsha of the Infinite

Elsha has been around for quite some time, and while she may have fallen off over the years, that doesn't make her any less powerful.

Giving all of your noncreature spells on top of you deck flash is incredibly strong. The main combo with Elsha is setting up Sensei's Divining TopSensei's Divining Top alongside something that can either reduce the cost of your spells, or generate mana, like Helm of AwakeningHelm of Awakening, Birgi, God of StorytellingBirgi, God of Storytelling, or Kykar, Wind's FuryKykar, Wind's Fury to get infinite card draw and a near infinite storm count.

If you want to forgo the combo route though, having a Future SightFuture Sight in the command zone is powerful enough to warrant her leading a deck. Add in some Top Deck manipulation, and you can go to town, flashing out as many noncreature spells as you can!

4. Kykar, Wind's Fury

Alright, show of hands, who thought Kykar was going to be number 1? It's alright if you did, I don't blame you. I thought he would be too.

Since his printing in Core Set 2020, Kykar has been the go-to Jeskai commander for any of your noncreature spell needs.

Spellslinger? Got it covered.

Polymorph? Perfect!

Vehicles? No problem!

Cantrips? Let's go!

Tokens? Say no more!

Kykar can helm all these strategies and more with ease. If you need a catch-all commander, Kykar is one of the best. Being able to leverage your noncreature spells and turning them into spirits that you can use to ramp later is very fun and powerful, making for some explosive, and sometimes, game winning turns.

My only knock against Kykar is that it is super weak to boardwipes. One well placed Wrath of GodWrath of God, and you can fold pretty easily if you don't have protection. That single negative doesn't really move the needle on how much I like Kykar though. It's one of, if not, the most iconic Jeskai legends out there.

3. Cayth, Famed Mechanist

While she is still super new, Cayth, Famed MechanistCayth, Famed Mechanist is a simple, and fun commander all around.

The combination of giving all of your nontoken creatures Fabricate, and then being able to Proliferate or Populate is so cheeky and synergistic. Kudos to whoever thought about putting these three keywords onto a single commander! Most of the time, from what I've seen, you will choose to make a 1/1 Servo, since expanding your board state will provide more synergies with your deck. She gets really out of hand though when you add in cards like Steel OverseerSteel Overseer, Arabella, Abandoned DollArabella, Abandoned Doll, and Losheel, Clockwork ScholarLosheel, Clockwork Scholar. +1/+1 Counters is also another route for her, though I think that one is not as strong as the token strategy, and I also believe Optimus Prime does that better.

Cayth shows us that simple designs are still some of the best in today's day and age. She's sleek and flexible, providing plenty of ways to build around her. Two thumbs up from me!

2. Zinnia, Valley's Voice

I'm sure some of you are surprised to see such a new commander in the number two slot, but man do I love this bird. The idea of a stork bringing baby Inferno TitanInferno Titans and MulldrifterMulldrifters just really tickles me.

Not only is the idea of baby creatures adorable, but it is positively powerful! Making tokens of any creature is a recipe for trouble, since there are so many powerful etbs and tap effects that you can double up on, not to mention all the token and small creature synergies Jeskai has to offer! Whether you are doubling up on tokens with Mondrak, Glory DominusMondrak, Glory Dominus, dealing extra damage with Impact TremorsImpact Tremors, or taking advantage of the small sizes of your creatures with Welcoming VampireWelcoming Vampire or Arabella, Abandoned DollArabella, Abandoned Doll, your deck will be full to the brim with power and synergy!

Overall, I think Zinnia is one of the more fun, open-ended Jeskai commanders on the market right now, and if you haven't brewed with her yet, I'd definitely suggest doing so. She is an absolute blast to pilot. Just make sure you have some Infinitokens handy for all your baby creatures!

1. Narset, Enlightened Exile

Alright, I'm sure it was pretty obvious by now, but the best, and my favorite, Jeskai legend is Narset, Enlightened ExileNarset, Enlightened Exile.

In my opinion, Narset can do everything Kykar does, and more. She is just so powerful and also so broad at the same time. She also fixes my biggest issue with Kykar, which is the weakness to boardwipes. Sure, she doesn't have haste, but what she does have is the ability to go through a player's graveyard and start casting spells for free depending on how high her power is. This is a quick way to accrue value and get back into a game if you're behind, or stay ahead if you're in the driver's seat.

She can do it all, from more common themes like Prowess and Spellslinger to more obscure ones like Mill and Enchantress, Narset can handle them all and succeed with ease! The only downside to her is that people know how strong she is, so she will likely be a target of removal often. I know I docked points on other legends for that fact, but I think considering how powerful this version of Narset is, I'll let it slide.

Overall, I think Narset is the quintessential Jeskai commander. She does everything the color combination wants, she is a reasonable mana cost, and she is incredibly flexible. She definitely deserved the #1 spot.

The Jeskai Way

Whew! And there we have it! All of the non-Partner Jeskai commanders ranked!

Doing a project like this was fun! It was great to go through my favorite color combination and rank all the commanders from least favorite to favorite! I'd love to know your thoughts on this list though? Is there anything I should have ranked higher or lower? Any of your favorites that got snubbed? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Until next time, here's to another 100!

You can reach me on Twitter or Bluesky (@thejesguy), where you can always hit me up for Magic- or Jeskai-related shenanigans 24/7. Do you have any comments, questions, or concerns?

Please don’t hesitate to leave them below or get in touch! Stay safe, make sure you vote, wash your hands, and keep fighting the good fight. I support you. No justice, no peace.

Angelo Guerrera

Angelo is a New England resident who started playing Magic during Return to Ravnica, and has made it his mission to play Jeskai in every format possible. Along with Commander, he loves Limited, Cube, and Modern, and will always put his trust in counterspells over creatures. He is still hurt by Sphinx's Revelation's rotation out of Standard.