(Gyruda, Doom of DepthsGyruda, Doom of Depths | Art by Tyler Jacobson)

Mischief is its own reward.Mischief is its own reward.

Hello, everyone! Welcome back to Back to Basics, where I break down the most played Commander cards in different categories. After I covered Gruul () last time, we're right smack in the middle of the two-color pairs. Today, we're talking about my personal favorite color pair, Dimir ()! This guild offers a nice mix of controlling elements and fun types to play around with, like Zombies, Pirates, and Ninjas. Let's jump right into the most played Dimir cards in Commander!

10. Mnemonic BetrayalMnemonic Betrayal - 41,924 decks

We're kicking things off with a potent finisher that can scale well with the size of the table. It doesn't do too much early, except maybe recycle a removal spell when you desperately need it, but you really want to be holding onto Betrayal until late in the game anyway. Once you do have a boatload of mana—and after you and your opponent/s have traded off resources—you can cast this and rack up a huge amount of card advantage. Taking your opponents' win conditions and executing their combos are very Dimir ways to win, so I'm glad this sorcery made the list.

It doesn't take a lot of building around to make this work, but EDHREC players cleverly tend to run this Betrayal alongside cards like SilenceSilence, Grand AbolisherGrand Abolisher, and Ranger-Captain of EosRanger-Captain of Eos. It seems like a good idea to make sure you can take a gigantic turn uninterrupted.

For more ideas on how to build a control deck featuring this card, feel free to check out Sam Black's Dimir or Ian Flannery's Esper builds on Commander's Herald.

9. Fallen ShinobiFallen Shinobi - 44,334 decks

Speaking of taking your opponents' stuff, Fallen ShinobiFallen Shinobi is a haymaker creature that give you a huge advantage with combat damage and some luck. There are tons of commanders you can run that help ensure this 5/4 hits. The Outlaws of Thunder Junction Sultai precon deck it features in is led by Gonti, Canny AcquisitorGonti, Canny Acquisitor or Felix Five-BootsFelix Five-Boots. Both Outlaws love it when your stuff deals combat damage, so I'd check that deck out if Fallen Shinobi is your jam.

You can also stick to two-color commanders like Yuriko, the Tiger's ShadowYuriko, the Tiger's Shadow, Satoru UmezawaSatoru Umezawa, or Satoru the InfiltratorSatoru the Infiltrator, all of whom synergize with Shinobi. What I'm saying here is that the "saboteur" (Magic slang for creatures dealing combat damage) and Ninjutsu themes are very well-supported and a blast to play. I mean, who doesn't want to run Triton ShorestalkerTriton Shorestalker, Slither BladeSlither Blade, and Changeling OutcastChangeling Outcast in EDH and have them be good cards?

8. Diregraf CaptainDiregraf Captain - 44,523 decks

I absolutely love it when cards from Innistrad and Dark Ascension make these most played lists; Innistrad is my favorite plane and the first two sets about it ignited my love of the game. Now, Diregraf CaptainDiregraf Captain's an older card nowadays, with stats that don't necessarily hold up in 2024. Of course, as a "lord" for Zombies, you still want to run it in typal decks led by grisly commanders like Wilhelt, the RotcleaverWilhelt, the Rotcleaver, Gisa and GeralfGisa and Geralf, or Grimgrin, Corpse-BornGrimgrin, Corpse-Born, among others. The Zombie theme tends to play out in a grindy, recursion heavy fashion (GravecrawlerGravecrawler is the perfect example).

When combined with free sacrifice outlets, another zombie, and other prerequisites depending on the outlet, Gravecrawler can be recurred infinitely, which leads to a win with Captain's life loss ability. Check out the Commander Spellbook page for 'Crawler, which details a lot of ways you can put together a game-winning engine in a Zombie deck.

7. Lim-Dûl's VaultLim-Dûl's Vault - 45,459 decks

This card may be a little hard to evaluate for new players because the words printed on the card don't really help you figure it out what it actually does. Once you read it a few times, practice casting it, and ask the internet how it works, you'll realize that Vault basically lets you pay life to put the best card in your deck for the situation on top of your deck, as well as arrange the next four cards however you want. The end result is similar to a more time-consuming Vampiric Tutor. Vamp is one of the most played black cards in Commander, so it's no surprise Vault is among the most played Dimir cards.

This is a great card to have access to when you want more card selection options, as in a control or combo deck. Casting it with Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow in play can lead to some huge blowouts when you stack your deck with big mana value cards. Hidetsugu and KairiHidetsugu and Kairi and Marvo, Deep OperativeMarvo, Deep Operative offer similar synergy while being fun and unique cards in their own right.

6. Ashiok, Dream RenderAshiok, Dream Render - 50,633 decks

"Milling," or putting some number of cards from the top of the deck into the graveyard, has been a Dimir mechanic for a long time. Ashiok, Dream RenderAshiok, Dream Render plays into this theme while also giving you some extra bonuses. First, their milling comes with a graveyard-exile clause. Sure, you can only do this five times technically and four times without killing Ashiok, proliferate shenanigans aside, but it's still a nice effect to have in a format where the ‘yard is an important resource.

On top of that, Ashiok turns off powerful effects in different colors, including tutors and land-search abilities. You can even work with their Legendary supertype by building a deck around Sisay, Weatherlight CaptainSisay, Weatherlight Captain, as MD Alvis did using a "Stax" philosophy while building on a budget. Ashiok offers a lot of value for just three mana.

5. Consuming AberrationConsuming Aberration - 50,811 decks

This is one of the best nonlegendary finishers in a Mill deck, providing a consistent source of triggers while also threatening to kill a player with combat damage. Remember, it counts all cards in all your opponents' graveyards, meaning this will often threaten a one-hit-KO in late multiplayer games.

You can't just put Aberration in any Dimir deck, of course, but there are tons of commander options in Dimir that offer powerful synergy. Captain N'ghathrodCaptain N'ghathrod, for example, reads like he was built in a laboratory to combo with Aberration, Horror synergies and all. Likewise, Phenax, God of DeceptionPhenax, God of Deception will have it mill your opponents for lethal pretty easily unless someone has graveyard exile effects to keep Aberration in check.

Even if milling isn't your primary game plan, other commanders in these colors are better the more cards are in graveyards, including The MimeoplasmThe Mimeoplasm and Wrexial, the Risen DeepWrexial, the Risen Deep.

4. Hostage TakerHostage Taker - 55,847 decks

One of my favorite cards in my favorite color pair, Hostage TakerHostage Taker is a marquee card for Dimir's "steal your stuff" theme and one of the most played Dimir cards overall. As a creature with an enter-the-battlefield (ETB) effect, you can get extra value out of this 2/3 by blinking it with cards like SoulherderSoulherder — after you've cast the hostage, of course. Taker also synergizes well with Pirates-matters commanders like Admiral Brass, UnsinkableAdmiral Brass, Unsinkable and Don Andres, the RenegadeDon Andres, the Renegade. As an aside, having access to a three-color creature type like Pirates with a lot of commanders and a fleshed-out mechanical identity is very, very cool.

Taker also shows up as a powerful option in multicolor decks like Niv-Mizzet RebornNiv-Mizzet Reborn, where you can combine it with mana generators like Faeburrow ElderFaeburrow Elder, Doc Aurlock, Grizzled GeniusDoc Aurlock, Grizzled Genius, and Savvy TraderSavvy Trader. What these Hostage Taker decks have in common is a lot of ways to let you cast it again and steal more stuff, while making sure you have enough mana to cast the hopefully-gigantic things you grab.

3. Drown in the LochDrown in the Loch - 73,401 decks

Ah, here it is! Drown in the LochDrown in the Loch is the customary highly-played removal spell among all the sweet multicolor finishers. It thoroughly deserves its place among the most played Dimir cards, of course. Not only can it kill pretty much anything in the late game—again, barring graveyard exile effects—it also potentially counters your opponents' most dangerous spell. And it does this all for just two mana!

You can make sure it's turned on by running it in Mill decks. But, even in a normal control deck playing blue and black, you and your opponents are bound to trade resources. This flexibility without much of a downside means Drown will always be an excellent inclusion in Dimir EDH decks.

2. Notion ThiefNotion Thief - 86,329 decks

This flashy 3/1 is similar in philosophy to Hostage Taker, but it's also much more frustrating to play against because it affects all your opponents at the same time. In 2024, it's not just blue, green, and black that draw cards. This means that Thief is going to be a lightning rod for removal. That's why I suggest holding it for as long as you can, ready to spring its trap when an opponent goes for a Sphinx's RevelationSphinx's Revelation or the like.

Notion Thief isn't really a good synergy card, but like any spell in EDH you can build around it to some extent. For example, I love the idea of a flash-based deck withChromium, the MutableChromium, the Mutable as commander. You're likely to want Orcish BowmastersOrcish Bowmasters and Opposition AgentOpposition Agent in decks like these. But really, this Rogue is the type of card you're happy to play in any control build with EDH staples like Rhystic StudyRhystic Study, Smothering TitheSmothering Tithe, and Cyclonic RiftCyclonic Rift. Why let opponents have any fun, am I right?

1. Baleful StrixBaleful Strix - 154,639 decks

Sure, it's a creature, but like previous Back to Basics, lists, the most played Dimir card is a cantrip, or a cheap spell that replaces itself. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, as card draw and cheap cards are what hold decks together and enable us to run monsters like Consuming Aberration and Etali, Primal StormEtali, Primal Storm. Strix also boasts two card types, which can come in handy when you're interested in Delirium. In fact, Duskmourn: House of Horror brings this Innistrad-based mechanic back, so you'll want to keep this card in mind when figuring out how to build around the new cards.

As a cheap 1/1 flier with a potent enters ability and a combat keyword that dissuades blocking, Baleful Strix also slots right into the Ninja typal decks I touched on earlier. As an artifact, it also works with Urza, Chief ArtificerUrza, Chief Artificer and Silas Renn, Seeker AdeptSilas Renn, Seeker Adept/Armix, Filigree ThrasherArmix, Filigree Thrasher builds. The enters ability is likewise relevant for Legends like Yarok, the DesecratedYarok, the Desecrated and Sharuum the HegemonSharuum the Hegemon. It's also multicolor, so Rienne, Angel of RebirthRienne, Angel of Rebirth and various five-color commanders love Strix, too.

You can't swing a bird without hitting some synergy, and that's why the Strix is everywhere!

Words describing it fail. Pages relating it shrivel. Tales recounting it end.Words describing it fail. Pages relating it shrivel. Tales recounting it end.

That's all for Dimir! This is where I usually list my favorite cards from this pair that didn't make the list. Hostage Taker made the top 10, so I could refrain from doing so today. I won't though, because I also wanted to shoutout The Scarab GodThe Scarab God, Thief of SanityThief of Sanity, and Gyruda, Doom of DepthsGyruda, Doom of Depths, all of whom steal your opponents' stuff and thus have a special place in my heart. Until next time!

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Nick Price