<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CVictor+Adame+Minguez%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Victor Adame Minguez</a></em></p>
<p>Only a month and a few days since <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> took the mantle of <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/yshtola-becomes-4-most-popular-commander-bumping-krenko" target="_blank" rel="noopener">4th most popular commander</a> in the format, the <em>Final Fantasy</em> upstart struck again! After having deposed <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>, the <em>FFXIV</em> Cat Warlock overtook <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. In doing so, Y'shtola became the 3rd most popular commander on <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EDHREC's ranked list</a>. Will she ever plateau in popularity? Read on, as we look at the reasons for this massive upset and the future of this legend's prodigious ascension.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice"></div></div>
<h2>Atraxa, Mainstay of the Top, No More?</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been a top contender in the format for just about a decade now. It took the printing of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edgar Markov" href="#" target="_blank">Edgar Markov</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in <em>Commander 2017,</em> a year after Atraxa's first printing, for the Praetors' Voice to be hushed just a <em>little bit</em>. However, Atraxa is a commander known for her immensely versatile utility. If you've read my previous articles about the Top Commanders, you know by now that versatility largely makes up the cream of the crop, so to speak.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cream of the Crop"></div></div>
<p>However, it also needs stating that Atraxa <em>does</em> suffer from the same seniority that <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 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaalia of the Vast" href="#" target="_blank">Kaalia of the Vast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, both suffered when Y'shtola took them both down their respective pegs. These are all pretty tried-and-true commanders in this format, but the novelty of something new was each of their undoing.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krenko, Mob Boss"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaalia of the Vast"></div></div>
<h2>Y'shtola's Stellar Ascension</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> should need very little introduction by this point amongst my readership. Those who have read these articles know exactly why (at least to my surmising) the face commander of <em>Scions &amp; Spellcraft</em> is doing so well, but I'm happy to refresh those out of the loop.</p>
<p>For one thing, Y'shtola is not even a year old. Normally, this poses a challenge because of the sheer insurmountability of the numbers game. However, Night's Blessed also benefits from being part of the single most successful <em>Universes Beyond</em> set so far. As you may recall, <em>Final Fantasy</em> sold better than all of <em>Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth</em> in presale numbers alone.</p>
<p>These two factors, plus the overall appeal of Commander precons (and the face commanders thereof), make a difference here. All of that, <em>plus</em> the fact that <em>Final Fantasy XIV</em> is one of the most respected massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) of all time, all contribute to Y'shtola's popularity, itself a force to be reckoned with. In this way, it's hardly a surprise that she's doing numbers... so far.</p>
<h2>The Dragon and the Drac</h2>
<p>Of course, Y'shtola's journey is hardly over just yet. Her popularity is not waning in the slightest, and she still has two more mountainous obstacles in her path.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Edgar Markov"></div></div>
<p>The first obstacle is the ever-esteemed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edgar Markov" href="#" target="_blank">Edgar Markov</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, of <em>Commander 2017</em>. Edgar is a bit newer than Atraxa, but is still far older of a card than Night's Blessed. Both are tricolor commanders with similar versatility. Edgar can run a token build surprisingly well, even without resorting to the laborious role of typal commander. However, it so happens that Edgar Markov is even better when a player runs him with a typal bend. Wouldn't you know it: <em>Eminence</em> is a really strong ability! So our protagonist has her work cut out for her, frankly. I don't expect to see her plateauing too soon, however, and she may get through Edgar as shockingly as she did with Atraxa.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div></div>
<p>The second and final obstacle before Y'shtola take the reign of Top Commander on EDHREC is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Ranked at the very top <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">of our current list</a>, this is a five-color commander that <em>also</em> has an <em>Eminence</em> ability. The obstacle that The Ur-Dragon will ultimately present to Night's Blessed is threefold:</p>
<ol>
<li>The Ur-Dragon is in all colors, lending itself to the widest card pool possible,</li>
<li>it represents one of, if not the, most popular creature types in <em>Magic</em>, and</li>
<li>did I mention <em>Eminence</em>?</li>
</ol>
<p>Sure, reducing the costs of all Dragons by <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> isn't a <em>huge</em> thing to shout about, but with the efficacy of costs presented in the <em>Dungeons &amp; Dragons</em> sets as well as all manner of additional cost reducers, it kind of <em>is</em>.</p>
<p>But let's also keep an eye on Edgar for a bit, and worry about the Dragon in the room when the time comes. Will Y'shtola, Night's Blessed manage to overtake the progenitor of all Innistradi Vampiric bloodlines, or will her appeal's extents peter out at last?</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>A big congratulations to anyone making their wagers on how far Y'shtola will climb! You're doing very well here.</p>
<p>And with that, let's open the floor to you, dear readers! Have you played <em>Final Fantasy XIV</em>? How do you like it? Are you <em>still</em> playing it? Apropos of none of that, where do you foresee this Cat Warlock will be <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on the rankings list</a> by year's end? Sound off in the comments below!</p>


Y'shtola, Night's Blessed Rises to 3rd Most Popular Commander

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artofmtg.com/artist/magali-villeneuve/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Magali Villeneuve</a></em></p>
<p>It's finally happened; Kenrith has been dethroned! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a legendary creature from the <em>Final Fantasy</em> precons, has overtaken <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kenrith, the Returned King" href="#" target="_blank">Kenrith, the Returned King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s spot as the 10th most popular commander.</p>
<p>But how did this happen, and what's so special about this new card on the list? Read on, and we'll elaborate!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed"></div></div>
<h2>What's Going On?</h2>
<p>Before last night, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kenrith, the Returned King" href="#" target="_blank">Kenrith, the Returned King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was the 10th most popular commander in the entire format, according to <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EDHREC</a>. However, this esteemed position has since been overtaken by none other than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Y'shtola is currently the only legendary creature from 2025 to reach our Top 10. With only two weeks remaining in December, it's highly unlikely that any other legend printed in 2025 will reach that height.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kenrith, the Returned King"></div></div>
<h2>Y'shtola, and Her Surge in Popularity</h2>
<p>But what does this all mean, and why Y'shtola of all legends?</p>
<p>The answer could be practically anything, honestly. For one, Y'shtola's iconic art, illustrated by the incomparable Magali Villeneuve, has captivated many <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> and <em>Final Fantasy</em> fans alike. Villeneuve's iconic illustration style, in recent years, has allowed her work to skyrocket her in terms of popularity among <em>Magic</em> art connoisseurs.</p>
<p>Pairing Villeneuve's style with the iconic <em>FFXIV</em> character <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola Rhul" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola Rhul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was clearly a recipe for aesthetic success.</p>
<h2>Looks Aren't Everything</h2>
<p>Y'shtola's art has now become extremely intertwined with the <em>Final Fantasy</em> set and franchise. However, it's not the only reason that this legendary Cat Warlock is so popular in the command zone.</p>
<p>Mechanically, Y'shtola, Night's Blessed is an absolute home run of a commander. <em>Final Fantasy</em>'s main set had a very devoted noncreature spell theme to it, and this card, the face of the <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/scions-spellcraft" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Scions &amp; Spellcraft</em> precon</a>, suited that theme perfectly. This, in turn, lent itself well to running Y'shtola as not only a ubiquitous Spellslinger in Esper decks (<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-u" 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>), but also a great thematic commander for <em>Final Fantasy XIV</em>-centric builds.</p>
<p>Not to mention, the Cat Warlock is also an <em>extremely</em> potent card overall.</p>
<p>Those are some of the major factors that pulled Y'shtola, Night's Blessed into the Top 10. But what about the factors that pushed Kenrith, the Returned King <em>out</em>?</p>
<h2>Age <em>After</em> Beauty, Apparently</h2>
<p>From the estimates that I've noticed as to why some trending commanders surge in popularity more than others, a lot of it has to do with zeitgeist. Zeitgeist, as defined by the latest version of the online <em>Merriam-Webster Dictionary</em>, is "the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era." In other terms, the zeitgeist is also referred to as the "spirit of the times."</p>
<p>Kenrith, a commander from 2019's <em>Throne of Eldraine</em>, captured the zeitgeist of, well, 2019. He was an extremely popular commander then, and don't get me wrong, he is still remarkably in vogue for certain niches of the community.</p>
<p>However, all this to say, it's 2025, and the end of it at that. Six years of <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> is only just a larger slice than one-quarter of the game's life so far. 2026 marks the 33rd year of the game, with 2019 being only 26 years in.</p>
<p>So, by such a token, let's look at the not-so-arbitrary tail-end of 2028, <em>Magic</em>'s 35th year. That year, Kenrith won't even be in the most recent fifth of the cards newly printed. By contrast, Y'shtola will only be about three years old, a relative baby even then.</p>
<h2>There's Always a Caveat</h2>
<p>However, all of this hubbub over how cool this <em>Final Fantasy</em> commander is doesn't change the fact that her ascent is <em>really quite fresh</em>. Any day now, Kenrith might regrow in popularity. This may allow him to potentially overtake that #10 rank among the Top Commanders on the site. That said, by then, Y'shtola might be out of range to be usurped in turn. We estimate that it's entirely plausible that she might even make it as a 5th-ranked commander on the list.</p>
<p>That will obviously take some time, but it's a distinct possibility.</p>
<h2>Other <em>Final Fantasy</em> Giants</h2>
<p>Amid all this talk of Y'shtola, Night's Blessed's popularity, we don't want to overshadow the other great cards from the release that are in the Top 100. At Rank #20 is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vivi Ornitier" href="#" target="_blank">Vivi Ornitier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a fantastic and potent commander from <em>Final Fantasy IX</em>. As of December 16th, Vivi had a formidable 22,709 decks at players' disposal.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are continuously vying for superiority in the 60s of the list. Right now, Sephiroth is winning that conflict, proving that multicolor identities aren't all there is to format popularity.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vivi Ornitier"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER"></div></div>
<p>It's not clear whether any of these legendary creatures will ever reach Y'shtola's level of appeal. Truth be told, they missed the mark on being the spirit of the times, albeit just barely.</p>
<p>So now, let's hear from you, dear readers! How many of you reading this have an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander deck? Do you like playing with that commander? If so, why? Sound off in the comments below!</p>


nights blessed

Y'shtola, Night's Blessed Rises to 3rd Most Popular Commander

Y'shtola, Night's Blessed Is Now 10th Most Popular Commander