<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/tata" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tatiana Kirgetova</a></em></p>
<p>Hello, everyone, my name is Jonathan and today I’ll be talking about commons. Yes, you know, those silly, unplayable cards you usually find at the beginning of a booster pack. Exactly those.</p>
<p>In fact, it turns out that there are plenty of extremely good common cards for Commander. Hence why today I’ll be ranking the 10 best.</p>
<p>I’ll try as much as possible to consider all levels of play in my rankings, from casual to cEDH, without any of them outweighing the other in my final judgment. Surprisingly, quite a few cards on the list are staples of the competitive side of Commander, so I had to keep this factor in mind as well. I’ll discuss all of this in more detail when explaining the ranking for each card.</p>
<p>So, without further ado, let’s get into this list of the 10 best commons in Commander!</p>
<h2>#10: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod&#039;s Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod&#039;s Altar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ashnod&#039;s Altar|CHR|92"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pitiless Plunderer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grenzo, Dungeon Warden"></div></div>
<p>I wasn’t sure about including this card. There are quite a few factors working against it.</p>
<p>First, it’s only ever gotten a common printing way back in the day in <em>Chronicles</em>, with all the following ones (and the previous one in <em>Antiquities</em>) being at uncommon.</p>
<p>Then, it’s not exactly a staple at any level. It does see play and it’s very powerful, but it’s not an auto-include in any deck.</p>
<p>Still, I placed it 10<sup>th</sup> on the list to honor its legacy. It’s part of a <a href="https://commanderspellbook.com/search/?q=ashnod%27s%20altar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plethora of combos</a>, from simple ones with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pitiless Plunderer" href="#" target="_blank">Pitiless Plunderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reassembling Skeleton" href="#" target="_blank">Reassembling Skeleton</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> up to infinite <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grenzo, Dungeon Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Grenzo, Dungeon Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> loops.</p>
<p>Even when played fairly, it’s a very powerful card, able to produce a ton of mana out of nowhere. It’s true that it can’t be slotted into every single deck. But the ones that <em>do</em> benefit from it, boy do they like it.</p>
<h2>#9: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Ritual" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Ritual</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark Ritual"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Necropotence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ad Nauseam"></div></div>
<p>This is another card I couldn't quite rank at first. The fact is, it doesn't really have a home in casual Commander, but it's a powerhouse if you ask competitive players.</p>
<p>At lower power levels, when most decks aren't optimized, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Ritual" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Ritual</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is often sacrificed in favor of more stable ramp options. There are no crucial spells you absolutely want to cast as soon as possible. Instead, sticking some mana rocks onto the battlefield or getting ahead on lands makes sure you'll be able to cast almost all of your spells on any given turn.</p>
<p>That's not the case for cEDH, though. The possibility to go for a turn one <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swamp" href="#" target="_blank">Swamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Ritual" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Ritual</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necropotence" href="#" target="_blank">Necropotence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> line truly makes or breaks certain opening hands, as it'll provide so much card advantage that the rest of the table will hardly keep up.</p>
<p>But you can also use it to flash in an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Opposition Agent" href="#" target="_blank">Opposition Agent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> even if you only have one black mana available. Or you can add two more mana to present an (end step) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ad Nauseam" href="#" target="_blank">Ad Nauseam</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>It simply does so much in so many different scenarios; it's an iconic card and, although it's not nearly as popular in non-cEDH Commander games, it more than deserves this ranking.</p>
<h2>#8: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Impact Tremors"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krenko, Mob Boss"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Purphoros, God of the Forge"></div></div>
<p>There might or might not be a certain degree of bias in my ranking of this card.</p>
<p>I lost so many games to an unchecked <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> I don't want to see this card stick on the battlefield anymore.</p>
<p>First of all, it's extremely cheap: only two mana and you're off to the races. This means it can be played very early in the game and stick around for a while; but also, it can be deployed on a later turn to go along with explosive bursts of creatures.</p>
<p>Then, it adds up very fast. Nowadays there are plenty of effects that are redundant with this card. In other words, it's becoming easier and easier to have multiple versions of this effect on the battlefield at the same time, which makes the damage skyrocket.</p>
<p>Lastly, the two major offenders it always pairs up with: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko, Mob Boss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and, most importantly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Purphoros, God of the Forge" href="#" target="_blank">Purphoros, God of the Forge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The latter one in particular still haunts my nightmares: a friend of mine used to play a very budget-friendly version of this commander, but it didn't make any difference. A turn two Impact Tremors spelled death for all of us.</p>
<h2>#7: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crop Rotation" href="#" target="_blank">Crop Rotation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crop Rotation|C20|169"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gaea&#039;s Cradle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bojuka Bog"></div></div>
<p>This is another one that skews towards cEDH. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crop Rotation" href="#" target="_blank">Crop Rotation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a very simple, flavorful, and iconic card. You're simply exchanging one land you control for one land in your deck. This can't be <em>that</em> strong, right?</p>
<p>Allow me to introduce you to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gaea&#039;s Cradle" href="#" target="_blank">Gaea&#039;s Cradle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, one of, if not the most, powerful lands ever. The possibility to get access to such a powerful card at any point of the game for as little as one mana is one of the reasons why <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crop Rotation" href="#" target="_blank">Crop Rotation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is deemed a <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game Changer</a>. Lately, players have also discovered how good it is with other utility lands, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Talon Gates of Madara" href="#" target="_blank">Talon Gates of Madara</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but nothing can top the original pairing.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, it doesn't see nearly as much play at casual tables. In fact, in non-competitive environments, there are far fewer powerful lands. Still, it can easily adapt to any level of game. Low Brackets? Let's get those <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bojuka Bog" href="#" target="_blank">Bojuka Bog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s to stop the graveyard player. Brackets 3 and 4? Here's your ticket to the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Coffers" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Coffers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth" href="#" target="_blank">Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> train.</p>
<h2>#6: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feed the Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">Feed the Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Feed the Swarm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Withering Torment"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shredder&#039;s Technique"></div></div>
<p>On the surface, this might seem a weird pick. All in all, there are a lot of cards that are better than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feed the Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">Feed the Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, especially in other colors.</p>
<p>And that's the catch: <em>in other colors</em>.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feed the Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">Feed the Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gained this spot because it made history in the format: it was the first card allowing mono-black decks to interact with enchantments. Once again, on the surface, this might seem nothing more than a minor achievement. At the end of the day, how many mono-black players were actually desperately hoping for a way to interact with enchantments?</p>
<p>But that's not the point. The truth is that this card perfectly represents one of the most important features of Commander as a format: it is a possibility. In other words, since <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feed the Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">Feed the Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was printed, it's no longer been necessary to play additional colors to deal with a specific card type. Since it was printed, new possibilities have opened.</p>
<p>As time passed, new versions of this effect were introduced. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Withering Torment" href="#" target="_blank">Withering Torment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> made it instant speed and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shredder&#039;s Technique" href="#" target="_blank">Shredder&#039;s Technique</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> probably power-crept it. But no card can take this spot in the ranking from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feed the Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">Feed the Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (also because the other two cards are uncommons, so they couldn't have been put in the list in the first place).</p>
<h2>#5: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mystic Remora" href="#" target="_blank">Mystic Remora</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mystic Remora|ICE|87"></div></div>
<p>Here's one that most were likely looking forward to - and probably expected to be ranked higher.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mystic Remora" href="#" target="_blank">Mystic Remora</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an absurd card, capable of producing so much card advantage for such a small mana investment.</p>
<p>Still, just like other entries, its full power can only be seen at the cEDH tables. In fact, in that environment, you can expect players to cast a bunch of noncreature spells at any point of the game. Additionally, if they don't cast them to avoid "feeding the fish," then you're almost <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silence" href="#" target="_blank">silencing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> them.</p>
<p>On the other hand, at lower power levels, games aren't as predictable. You might cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mystic Remora" href="#" target="_blank">Mystic Remora</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and get absolutely nothing out of it, not because you're interfering with other players' plans, but because everyone cast creatures instead.</p>
<p>Still, all things considered, this card is so good that some argue it should be banned. Even ignoring this perhaps biased feeling, anyone who's seen a cEDH game knows how good it is, hence why it's right in the middle of this list.</p>
<h2>#4: The Two-Mana Ramp Spells</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Farseek"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nature&#039;s Lore|CMM|904"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rampant Growth"></div></div>
<p>There's no way to break this three-way tie.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Farseek" href="#" target="_blank">Farseek</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is maybe the best of the bunch, but it can't be played in mono-green decks. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nature&#039;s Lore" href="#" target="_blank">Nature&#039;s Lore</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, on the other hand, is limited by the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Forest" href="#" target="_blank">Forest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-only factor. Lastly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampant Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Rampant Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the least flashy of them, but it's always reliable and always will be.</p>
<p><em>Sea lo que sea</em>, these cards are the backbone of Commander, and they are one of the main reasons why the format is what it is. Efficient ramp options to cast on turn two to jumpstart your game are what basically every deck is aiming to do.</p>
<p>There's really not much to say about them. We've all cast them, and we all know just how good they are.</p>
<h2>#3: Rhystic Study</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rhystic Study|j22|114"></div></div>
<p>The bronze medal goes to what is perhaps the most ban-worthy card in the format. You know it, you love (or hate) it; it's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study|j22|114" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>It's true, most of its printings are at rare or mythic rare, but how could I exclude <em>the</em> card. It's always good if you play it, always bad if you play against it. That's just how warping it is.</p>
<p>Rhystic is the <em>de facto</em> best card advantage engine in the format, and likely no card will ever take this title from it.</p>
<h2>#2: Arcane Signet</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcane Signet|ELD|331"></div></div>
<p>The silver medal is for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcane Signet" href="#" target="_blank">Arcane Signet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. To be placed above two entries as strong as the previous ones, you have to be a truly generational card. And this one is.</p>
<p>When it was first printed, it drove the prices of the Brawl deck precons it was included in up to the moon, and its single price tag was just as high. Since then, a lot has changed. It's included in every precon now, and can be picked up for under a dollar.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, it's still the best mana rock in the game (just ignore that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> exists for a second). Since its introduction, we haven't seen any other card being this impactful.</p>
<h2>#1: Command Tower</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Command Tower|CMD|269"></div></div>
<p>Let's not beat around the bush: this is <em>the</em> best land in the format - probably even the best card. It's simple, to the point, and affordable for everyone. There's hardly any argument against including it in every single Commander deck that isn't monocolored.</p>
<p>It's the best land you can play at any point in the game. It's truly hard to explain how good it is because it's just so obvious. I truly believe no other common will ever be better than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Command Tower" href="#" target="_blank">Command Tower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>I've had a lot of fun creating this list. In the end, the top half was pretty much locked in a few minutes, just enough to realize they were all commons. The second half though, was tough and interesting to craft. I think spots 6-10 are all up for debate and there are several other cards I didn't include, but could be placed anywhere in that range.</p>
<p>For this reason, it's on to you now! Let me know in the comments below what you think. Do you agree with my list? Would you have swapped out some of the cards? And what would you replace them with?</p>


The Top 10 Best Commons in Commander

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Joven" href="#" target="_blank">Joven</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CDouglas+Shuler%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Douglas Shuler</a> | <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leonardo, Big Brother" href="#" target="_blank">Leonardo, Big Brother</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CInHyuk+Lee%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">InHyuk Lee</a></em></p>
<p>In the year 2024, <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/mh3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Modern Horizons 3</em></a> hit shelves and featured a true oddity. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skoa, Embermage" href="#" target="_blank">Skoa, Embermage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a six-mana Goblin Wizard that enters play and deals four damage to any target, while also having an activated ability to deal another four damage, providing you're willing to sacrifice lands and discard another copy of this card.</p>
<p>On its face, this is a pretty unremarkable legendary creature, except for one key quality: it's a common.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skoa, Embermage"></div></div>
<p>Legends at lower rarity have been popping up more and more over the years, but primarily at the uncommon level. In the modern era, we started to consistently get these possible commanders with silver set symbols in <em><a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/thb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Theros: Beyond Death</a></em>, leading into a major uptick of them in the first <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/cmr"><em>Commander Legends</em></a>. They are now a mainstay of recent <em>Magic</em> sets, usually acting as signpost cards for draft archetypes.</p>
<p><em>Common</em> legendary creatures are a different story.</p>
<h2>Strange Beginnings for Common Legends</h2>
<p>It all began here, with these two renowned artifact haters.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chandler"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Joven"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chandler" href="#" target="_blank">Chandler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Joven" href="#" target="_blank">Joven</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> graced the packs of <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/hml" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Homelands</em></a>, and for the longest time, they held the distinction of being the only common legendary creatures in the game. Some sources out there may try to list cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ramirez DePietro" href="#" target="_blank">Ramirez DePietro</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tobias Andrion" href="#" target="_blank">Tobias Andrion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from <em><a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/leg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Legends</a></em> as commons, however they only officially hold that rarity in the online exclusive set <a href="https://scryfall.com/sets/me3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Masters Edition III</em></a>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Prismatic Piper"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faceless One"></div></div>
<p>While we would get a few draft supporting common legendary creatures with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Prismatic Piper" href="#" target="_blank">The Prismatic Piper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and later <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faceless One" href="#" target="_blank">Faceless One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it wasn't until the aforementioned <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skoa, Embermage" href="#" target="_blank">Skoa, Embermage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> hit the scene that we got a standalone return of this peculiar type and rarity pairing.</p>
<p>But there was something on the horizon that would place a lot more cards like Skoa, Chandler, and Joven into booster packs: <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/spm" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Marvel's Spider-Man</em></a>.</p>
<h2>The Universes Beyond Effect</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spider-Man, Web-Slinger"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spider-Gwen, Free Spirit"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spider-Man, Brooklyn Visionary"></div></div>
<p>With the release of <em>Spider-Man</em>, we suddenly had ten new common legends swing into the format! Each one featured a well-known character from the Spider-Man multiverse, and typically worked well with one of the main mechanics from the set. While these weren't the strongest designs imaginable, they were merely there to help bolster the limited environment, and not necessarily sit in the command zone.</p>
<p>The most built commander out of the bunch is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spider-Rex, Daring Dino" href="#" target="_blank">Spider-Rex, Daring Dino</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which has 184 decks to its name.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Leonardo, Big Brother"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Donatello, Turtle Techie"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Michelangelo, Game Master"></div></div>
<p>Not to be outdone, the <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tmt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</em></a> (TMNT) set hit the scene, and brought with it eleven common legendary creatures. Most of them fit a similar mold as <em>Spider-Man</em>, providing assistance with enhancing games of limited, including a cycle of creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bebop, Warthog Warrior" href="#" target="_blank">Bebop, Warthog Warrior</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rocksteady, Crash Courser" href="#" target="_blank">Rocksteady, Crash Courser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> who can help with color fixing.</p>
<p>However, hidden in this list is a problem, which Wizards themselves knows about...</p>
<h2>What's Wrong with Common Legends?</h2>
<p>The problematic card in question is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="April O&#039;Neil, Kunoichi Trainee" href="#" target="_blank">April O&#039;Neil, Kunoichi Trainee</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="April O&#039;Neil, Kunoichi Trainee"></div></div>
<p>A two-mana common legendary creature that scries two on entry and offers up some evasion to bolster your sneak effects. Both the Boros <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and Orzhov <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> draft archetypes wanted this card in their ranks, but there's a problem: the legend rule. Having two Aprils on the field as early as turn three was totally doable, but many players had to limit themselves from casting their second copies, slowing down their game plans.</p>
<p>In a recent <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/feature/sneak-into-design-with-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article on Wizards' site</a>, one of the designers of the TMNT set Eric Engelhard goes into detail on how this version of April was created. In it, he stated:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>"The most awkward part of this card (and we know it) is her being a two-mana common legend. Most legends at common are four or more mana to lessen legend rule problems, but this slot needed to cost two or three mana to be a good sneak enabler."</em></p>
<p>Now I know what some of you may be thinking: this article is on <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/tyler-bucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EDHREC</a>, why should the legend rule concern Commander players? Well, you may be right, something that's an issue for 60-card formats usually isn't a problem for us (unless we're cloning). The concern that many players, myself included, have with these designs is that the term "legendary" and "common" don't tend to mix.</p>
<p>In that same article from Wizards, Eric went on to list the three qualities that have coalesced to make up the legendary supertype:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>"1. You can't have more than one copy of a legendary creature on the battlefield.<br />
2. </em><em>If a card includes the name of a specific character, it has to be legendary.<br />
</em><em>3. </em><em>A legendary creature can be a commander and lead a Commander deck.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>For the record, Mark </em>[Rosewater]<em> and I both favor either removing the second rule (so we could put a common Leonardo in a set and have him not be legendary, as the commons generally don't make for exciting commanders anyway) or creating a new term or symbol that means 'I'm a specific character and can lead a Commander deck, but I don't trigger the legend rule.' Our quest continues..."</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jarl of the Forsaken"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glint-Eye Nephilim"></div></div>
<p>I agree that if a character is named, it should be legendary. <em>Magic</em> players are so accustomed to that formatting that even cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jarl of the Forsaken" href="#" target="_blank">Jarl of the Forsaken</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> have been mistaken as a possible commander in the past, since Jarl seemed like this creature's name (it actually means Norse chief).</p>
<p>Another classic example of a line of cards that have made people ask the question "why isn't this legendary?" are the Nephilim from the original <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/gpt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Ravnica</em></a> block, which look and feel like they should be in the command zone. However, I do think there is a way to feature characters we know, without using the legendary supertype.</p>
<h2>Starting Off Small</h2>
<p>If we're capturing a well-known character at a common level, they should be at a point in their life where they're on the cusp of greatness. Featuring someone who is striving to become something more can be done with card design, and to showcase this, here's an example I put together:</p>
<p><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/April-still-had-a-lot-to-learn.-2.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-177913" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/April-still-had-a-lot-to-learn.-2-300x167.png" alt="" width="895" height="498" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/April-still-had-a-lot-to-learn.-2-300x167.png 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/April-still-had-a-lot-to-learn.-2-1024x570.png 1024w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/April-still-had-a-lot-to-learn.-2-768x428.png 768w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/April-still-had-a-lot-to-learn.-2.png 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 895px) 100vw, 895px" /></a></p>
<p>Here we have the same legendary April card, but now we see her at a point where she is working on stepping up to the next level of her development. Notice that the name of the character could be featured in flavor text to drive the point home that this <em>is</em> in fact the character we know. Fans of different universes may appreciate these flashbacks, where they get to see popular heroes and villains as they're on the rise.</p>
<p>Now, I'll admit, this isn't a perfect fix. In this case especially, I would put April at a point where she is starting off as a journalist, to place her even further back in the story. Plus, I also know that there isn't always room for flavor text, so adding the character's name may be harder in some places. However, I would much prefer seeing people represented in this way, versus seeing versions of them relegated to a common level, and cause all the issues we've already covered.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Insectoid Exterminator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Putrid Pals"></div></div>
<p>This is also something that was mentioned in that Wizards article, where Eric said they had to turn some characters like Scumbug into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Insectoid Exterminator" href="#" target="_blank">Insectoid Exterminator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and they even combined Muckman and Joe Eyeball into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Putrid Pals" href="#" target="_blank">Putrid Pals</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Both of these feel great as commons, and show that the TMNT universe has more depth, and even if the characters have names, they don't always have to be in the title of the card.</p>
<p>Much like how Dock/Xu/Bushi became <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Merchant of Many Hats" href="#" target="_blank">Merchant of Many Hats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tla" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Avatar</em></a> set, while still making reference to those names in the flavor text.</p>
<h2>We've Seen Cards Like This Before</h2>
<p>For years, there's been a debate in the Magic community on whether <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stoneforge Mystic" href="#" target="_blank">Stoneforge Mystic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is actually a non-planeswalker version of Nahiri.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stoneforge Mystic"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nahiri, the Lithomancer"></div></div>
<p>While there isn't a definitive answer on that (I looked for a very long time and couldn't find an official statement) it's a fun detail that keeps people engaged with the game. Theorizing on characters at different points in their lives makes them feel more three dimensional.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Firebending Student"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Azula, Ruthless Firebender"></div></div>
<p>When I brought this topic up to people in my own playgroup, my partner Taryn mentioned how they originally assumed that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Firebending Student" href="#" target="_blank">Firebending Student</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was just a younger (pre-blue fire) version of Azula. I think a lot of players have these small head canons, seeing a card that reminds them of someone else, and associating them with each other.</p>
<p>It helps us blend things together, and build connections between our game pieces.</p>
<h2>My Final Thoughts on Common Legends</h2>
<p>I want to make myself clear as I wrap things up today: I don't think we should <em>never</em> have common legendary creatures, I just think they should be rare (pun kind of intended...) As many of you know, I write about the best commons and uncommons from every new set in my article series <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-best-commons-and-uncommons-in-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Bulk Up</em></a>, and something I've learned from doing that is just how important the cards in those slots are for a set's success.</p>
<p>They are the foundation that supports the bigger themes and mechanics that make an expansion special.</p>
<p>Common creatures are typically used to highlight the smaller parts of a world, helping things feel more alive and authentic. Like you're walking down a street, surrounded by everyday people, catching glimpses of greatness, but not noticing it outright. In those cards we see individuals with dreams to become more than they are, to rise ranks, ascend rarity, and eventually, become legendary.</p>


https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Commons-arent-rare.png

common

The Top 10 Best Commons in Commander

Common Legendary Creatures Are No Longer Rare