<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/davidgaillet">David Gaillet</a></span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we prepare to return to the plane of <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Arcavios">Arcavios</a> for a second set based around the magical school of <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Strixhaven">Strixhaven</a>, it makes sense to look at some of the abilities and themes that were featured last time in order to prepare ourselves to maximize any of those that are revisited. One of the abilities that crossed the curriculum was <em>Magecraft</em>, which made me think about my own deck designed around a similar ability.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The easiest comparison to draw for <em>Magecraft</em> is prowess. Both are abilities attached to creatures, both care about casting noncreature spells, and both encourage players to play a lot of spells in the same turn. As we saw with the <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-otter-typal-with-alania-divergent-storm">Otter Typal</a> deck a few weeks back, <em>Magecraft</em> and prowess ride that balance between creature decks and spellslinger decks, with typal synergies further complicating the math.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We’ll see how this <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck Tech finds its balance, while also highlighting the focus and power Monks are known for in <em>Magic</em> and <em>Dungeons and Dragons</em>.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Monk History</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Whenever <em>Magic</em> visits a set inspired by an Asian country, Monks seem to come with them. This makes sense, given the spread of Buddhism around the continent, as well as the focus on meditation present in several religions that originated there. Monks trace their lineage back to <em>Portal</em>, mostly in white, and then the <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Jukai">Jukai</a> region of <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Kamigawa">Kamigawa</a> gave them some green support. Neither of these gave them any sense of identity, however.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It wasn’t until <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Tarkir">Tarkir</a> that Monks really felt like a supported type, coinciding with the introduction of the <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Jeskai_Way">Jeskai</a> wedge and their signature ability, the aforementioned prowess. Returns to Kamigawa and Tarkir have helped shore up the numbers, and even <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em> added to our numbers, as did <em>Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate</em>. As a result, we have a hodgepodge of Monks that have some slight overlaps in abilities.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Most recently, several Monks were printed with the ability <em>Flurry</em>, which triggers when the second spell is cast on a particular turn. Since we are playing many cheap instants and sorceries in order to trigger prowess, this happens to work well with what we are doing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how do we make Monks unique from general spellslinger decks, and how do we win games with our synergies?</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest"></div></div>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Do?</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might not be the strongest Monk commander, but he is the most aggressive. Shu Yun is one of the <em>Fate Reforged</em> commanders that gives access to a wedge color identity because of his activated ability, but he only requires blue mana to cast and either red or white to activate. This means that we can have our commander out and usable without having to fix our mana, which is important for a nongreen aggressive three-plus color deck, as we can easily cast him turn three and use him turn four without help or even needing a fourth land.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While his prowess is a powerful passive ability, the triggered ability to give out double strike to any creature, not even just our own, is part of what makes Shu Yun such a fun and versatile commander. We can use our opponents’ aggression against each other, if we so choose, in what feels like a very Akido-like situation.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how do we win with our cheap little prowess creatures? And how do we keep from getting smacked on the crackback?</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Monks are a surprisingly versatile creature type, largely because their design has changed so much. The tricky part is limiting our scope. Since we are looking to be aggressive and cast multiple spells in a turn, we’re going to limit ourselves to Monks that cost three or less mana. Even with that limitation, there are still quite a lot of different Monks we have access to.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Monk Realist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Venerable Monk"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Monk Realist" href="#" target="_blank">Monk Realist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Venerable Monk" href="#" target="_blank">Venerable Monk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> were among the first Monks to see print, both of which are small white creatures with enters-the-battlefield (ETB) abilities. The Realist is a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Naturalize" href="#" target="_blank">Naturalize</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on a stick, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Venerable Monk" href="#" target="_blank">Venerable Monk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gains life. Both of these happen to work well with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unsummon" href="#" target="_blank">Unsummon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects, which fits me, Unsummoned Skull, to a T!</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Abbot of Keral Keep"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zephyr Scribe"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Abbot of Keral Keep" href="#" target="_blank">Abbot of Keral Keep</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zephyr Scribe" href="#" target="_blank">Zephyr Scribe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> represent the prowess and prowess-adjacent Monks. The Abbot has an ETB that lets us play the top card of our library, which makes it a solid topdeck or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unsummon" href="#" target="_blank">Unsummon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> target. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zephyr Scribe" href="#" target="_blank">Zephyr Scribe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a looting effect that lets us re-use the looting ability when we cast a noncreature spell.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mantis Rider"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fleet-Footed Monk"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mantis Rider" href="#" target="_blank">Mantis Rider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fleet-Footed Monk" href="#" target="_blank">Fleet-Footed Monk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are evasive Monks that make solid use of our commander’s ability to grant double strike. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mantis Rider" href="#" target="_blank">Mantis Rider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was a staple in Modern Humans decks because of its ability to come out swinging with evasive damage while still presenting a blocker. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fleet-Footed Monk" href="#" target="_blank">Fleet-Footed Monk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can’t be blocked by high-power creatures, kind of like a primitive version of skulk, and can become dangerous to block with double strike or any pump effect.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how do we trigger our commander’s ability consistently?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The short answer is, we use as many cheap noncreature spells as we do Monks, so any spell off the top has a 50/50 chance of being either a Monk, which can draw cards, or a cheap noncreature spell, which, in turn, has a 50/50 chance of drawing a card (cantripping).</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Opt"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faithless Looting"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our most common type of noncreature spell is cheap card draw. We want spells that cantrip, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Opt" href="#" target="_blank">Opt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or cards that let us dig deep into our deck, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faithless Looting" href="#" target="_blank">Faithless Looting</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We want to be able to leave mana up to activate our commander’s ability, so typical typal draw effects, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kindred Discovery" href="#" target="_blank">Kindred Discovery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, are less useful here.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Monk Class"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Snap"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Monk Class" href="#" target="_blank">Monk Class</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in a Monk deck seems obvious from a flavor perspective, but the card is surprisingly useful. Its first ability is like <em>Flurry</em>, reducing the cost of our second spell each turn. When we level it up, we can bounce a nonland permanent. And, with its last ability, we can simulate <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Abbot of Keral Keep" href="#" target="_blank">Abbot of Keral Keep</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>’s ETB each upkeep.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Snap" href="#" target="_blank">Snap</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another bounce spell, but a bit more of a straightforward one. Still, it was printed in the broken-in-half <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Urza%27s_block">Urza’s Block</a>, specifically <em>Urza’s Legacy</em>, and has seen play in a variety of formats, including…Legacy. What makes it so powerful? It has the ability to untap two lands when it resolves. While we’re not using it for broken effects, we can use it to fix our mana if we have too much blue, in addition to having a free prowess-enabler.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Command Tower"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exotic Orchard"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking of fixing our mana, like the Grixis (<span class="mana-container-container"><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 class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) Robots deck <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-robot-typal-with-dr-eggman">last week</a>, our manabase is primarily built around making sure our lands enter untapped and we can cast our spells on time. <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> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exotic Orchard" href="#" target="_blank">Exotic Orchard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are two of the best cards in the business at doing this, although <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exotic Orchard" href="#" target="_blank">Exotic Orchard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a bit risky because it makes us reliant on our opponents to fix our mana.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">How Does This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Commander Deck Win?</span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akroma&#039;s Will"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spare from Evil"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our win conditions are ways to break parity on board; we can absolutely win without them, but they make winning much easier. In particular, we want noncreature spells that enable us to continue to get in for damage when opponents have blockers. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Akroma&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Akroma&#039;s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> should have most modes active on any given turn, as our commander can come out on turn three regardless of whether our mana is fixed. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spare from Evil" href="#" target="_blank">Spare from Evil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives us and our creatures protection from noncreatures, which can be used defensively, as a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fog" href="#" target="_blank">Fog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or aggressively, as a means of making it really hard to block. As a two-mana means of invalidating blockers, which triggers prowess, we can use it to enable massive swings. With double strike, we can easily end a player or two!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In short, we’re looking to win by attacking with small Monks while players are setting up, then growing them while invalidating blockers when the game goes long. The early tenderizing damage enables big swings late, making Monks a solid aggressive typal deck despite being three colors.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest
[/Commander]
&nbsp;
[Creatures]
*1 Abbot of Keral Keep
*1 Bloodfire Expert
*1 Cori Mountain Stalwart
*1 Devoted Duelist
*1 Devout Monk
*1 Dragon Bell Monk
*1 Elusive Spellfist
*1 Enlightened Ascetic
*1 Equilibrium Adept
*1 Firebending Student
*1 Flamehold Grappler
*1 Fleet-Footed Monk
*1 Jeskai Devotee
*1 Jeskai Sage
*1 Jeskai Student
*1 Lone Missionary
*1 Mantis Rider
*1 Mistfire Adept
*1 Monastery Mentor
*1 Monastery Swiftspear
*1 Monk Realist
*1 Monk of the Open Hand
*1 Poised Practitioner
*1 Soulfire Grand Master
*1 Sunset Strikemaster
*1 Third Path Iconoclast
*1 Venerable Monk
*1 Wingblade Disciple
*1 Zephyr Scribe
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Instants]
*1 Akroma&#039;s Blessing
*1 Akroma&#039;s Will
*1 Azorius Charm
*1 Bounce Off
*1 Brainstorm
*1 Curate
*1 Faithful Mending
*1 Frantic Search
*1 Fumble
*1 Impulse
*1 Just the Wind
*1 Mental Note
*1 Opt
*1 Snap
*1 Spare from Evil
*1 String of Disappearances
*1 Thrill of Possibility
*1 Unsubstantiate
*1 Whispers of the Muse
*1 You Come to a River
[/Instants]
&nbsp;
[Sorceries]
*1 Bond of Discipline
*1 Cathartic Reunion
*1 Deep Analysis
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Serum Visions
*1 Tormenting Voice
[/Sorceries]
&nbsp;
[Enchantments]
*1 Levitation
*1 Monk Class
*1 Seal of Removal
[/Enchantments]
&nbsp;
[Artifacts]
*1 Aether Spellbomb
[/Artifacts]
&nbsp;
[Lands]
*1 Battlefield Forge
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Command Tower
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Flood Plain
*1 Glacial Fortress
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*1 Inspiring Vantage
*1 Island
*1 Mountain
*1 Plains
*1 Spectator Seating
*1 Sulfur Falls
[/Lands]
&nbsp;"></span></div></span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Conclusion</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Monks are a fun and flexible aggressive creature type, but they are a bit removed from the multi-strike class from <em>Dungeons and Dragons</em>. Extra combat steps could capture this, while Shu Yun’s abilities could lend to an interesting Voltron build if we wanted to lean into Equipment or Auras.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how would you build Monks? And who would you have command the other variants?</span></p>


Building Monk Typal With Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest

Dual Shot - Dynamic Stall

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Force of Nature" href="#" target="_blank">Force of Nature</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/gregstaples">Greg Staples</a>)</h6>
<h1>Keywords as a Keystone</h1>
<p>Welcome to <em>Too-Specific Top 10</em>, where if there isn’t a category to rank our pet card at the top of, we’ll just make one up! (Did you know that <em>Banding</em> is the best new mechanic out of <em>Alpha</em>?)</p>
<p>This year, Commander Christmas brought us a full helping of legends based around underutilized keywords. From <em>Flashback </em>to <em>Madness</em>, we got some build-around commanders specifically made to help out archetypes that weren't really viable before. But while we're looking for new goodies, are we missing other excellent mechanics right under our noses? Have we really used all the available keywords that are build-aroundable?</p>
<p>To find out, let's dive into what the best mechanically-minded commanders are.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Top 10 Commanders Featuring a <a href="https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Evergreen">Non-Evergreen Keyword</a></h2>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/1-resized.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37092" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/1-resized.png" alt="" width="350" height="278" /></a></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atraxa, Praetor&#039;s Voice"></div></div>
<p>If anyone was doing some quick mental math while reading the theme for this week, it probably wasn't hard to figure out that the number one card that fit the criteria would also be the number one commander of all time. While Atraxa has been knocked off of the top of the <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders#pastweek">Past Week</a> and <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders#pastmonth">Past Month</a> lists, she's still good enough and flexible enough that she continues to stick around the middle of them despite all the new and exciting commanders we've seen in the past few months. As for her featured keyword, <em>Proliferate</em>, it's only gotten more popular of late with the return visit to the plane of Ravnica and the +1/+1 counters and planeswalkers that came with it.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for this too-specific list, however, <em>Proliferate</em> may not be the main reason that everyone plays Atraxa: given just how good her keyword soup is, and the fact that she's in four colors, Atraxa can often built as a "goodstuff outside the color red" commander rather than around a central theme that takes advantage of her <em>Proliferate </em>ability.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37093" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2-resized.png" alt="" width="350" height="278" /></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Edgar Markov"></div></div>
<p>Perhaps we haven't gone specific enough with our top 10 this week, as our number two happens to be found on the second-most popular commander of the past two years. With the inclusion of <em>Eminence</em> as a keyword, however, it perhaps isn't much of a surprise that we ran into <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> so soon. Having a commander that can affect the game state without ever having to be cast is extremely powerful, even if that ability is restricted to a tribe. Maybe if a more obscure tribe than Vampires had been chosen, however...</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37094" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/3-resized.png" alt="" width="350" height="278" /></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Queen Marchesa"></div></div>
<p>Moving a little bit further down the popular commanders list, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Queen Marchesa" href="#" target="_blank">Queen Marchesa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is ranked the number ten commander overall, and number three on our list of keyword commanders. Often seen as a fun casual commander that allows for you to do pretty much anything you want in Mardu colors, Marchesa makes you the <em>Monarch</em> when she enters the battlefield, and then punishes others for taking the crown from you, thereby making it easier for you to take the crown back. Deathtouch Assassin tokens will do that, after all.</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/10-resized.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37095" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/4-resized.png" alt="" width="350" height="278" /></a></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div></div>
<p>Speaking of <em>Eminence</em>, here is the most powerful of Dragons, whose mere presence allows other Dragons to rush forth from your hand, and whose actual arrival to the battlefield can even bring forth more Dragons from the top of your library. While throwing Dragons (and other permanents) onto the battlefield is certainly a lot of fun, this isn't quite the "building around keywords" type of thing we were looking for, now was it? In another universe where <em>Wizards of the Coast </em>hadn't brought back Protection to evergreen status, we would have had our number four in this list appear in the form of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Animar, Soul of Elements" href="#" target="_blank">Animar, Soul of Elements</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. As it is, we'll have to wait for our number five ranking before we find a legend who gives us a keyword to build around, rather than just building around some (admittedly awesome) large flying reptiles.</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/10-resized.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37096" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/5-resized.png" alt="" width="346" height="278" /></a></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tasigur, the Golden Fang"></div></div>
<p>There we go! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tasigur, the Golden Fang" href="#" target="_blank">Tasigur, the Golden Fang</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is rather expensive when looking at his CMC, but in all actuality you're rarely casting him for that much thanks to the inclusion of <em>Delve</em>, which gets even better since his activated ability puts more cards into the graveyard. Indeed, in a Sultai deck built around getting things into and out of the graveyard, it's not uncommon to see him come down for a single black mana, even with a few instances of commander tax stacked on him. Speaking of cheap, he's also the first commander on the list under the $10.00 mark, coming in at only 35 cents (as of the posting of this article)!</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/10-resized.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37097" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/6-resized.png" alt="" width="350" height="278" /></a></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Omnath, Locus of Rage"></div></div>
<p>Perhaps one of the most popular and most commonplace keywords to grace commander tables everywhere, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omnath, Locus of Rage" href="#" target="_blank">Omnath, Locus of Rage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> brings us one heck of a <em>Landfall</em> trigger in the form of 5/5 Elementals; not only that, but he also gets to tack a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Bolt" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Bolt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> onto each death trigger. It probably comes as no surprise, then, that Omnath is number 23 on the most popular commanders list. Being rewarded for playing lands, something you were already going to do, looks to be quite powerful on its face, but once you start building decks around it, it gets to a whole other level of ridiculousness.</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/10-resized.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37098" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/7-resized.png" alt="" width="350" height="278" /></a></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder"></div></div>
<p>Speaking of things you were probably already going to be doing in a game of Commander, how about attacking? Casting spells, maybe? If you do manage to connect with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder" href="#" target="_blank">Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you're rewarded with your spells casting other spells for you! <em>Cascade</em> is another popular keyword, sometimes just acting as a train to value town, while other times finding specific combo pieces through careful manipulation of mana costs in your deck construction. Pairing either of those kinds of upside with four-colors-worth of resources leads to great options, no matter how you swing it.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/10-resized.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-37099" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/8-resized.png" alt="" width="300" height="238" /></a></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow"></div></div>
<p><em>Ninjitsu</em> is a keyword utilized exclusively by the Ninjas of the <em>Kamigawa</em> block. Or at least, it was, up until <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> crashed onto the scene in <em>Commander 2018.</em> Her slightly modified version of the Ninja keyword allows her to play switcheroo from the command zone when one of your creatures attacks and isn't blocked. The resulting combat damage allows both her and any other Ninja who happens to be getting through at the time to pull a reverse <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Confidant" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Confidant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, drawing you a card and having your opponents lose life equal to that card's mana cost. Add to that that the <em>Commander Ninjitsu</em> cost gets around commander tax, and it's not surprising that quite a few folks out there decided on dusting off their old Ninjas.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-37100" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/9-resized.png" alt="" width="300" height="195" /></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Trostani, Selesnya&#039;s Voice"></div></div>
<p>All right, so I may have exaggerated in the intro when I said that all of the new keyword commanders from <em>Commander 2019</em> allowed strategies that weren't possible before. In the case of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghired, Conclave Exile" href="#" target="_blank">Ghired, Conclave Exile</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer" href="#" target="_blank">Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it just allowed their keywords to be utilized in new color combinations. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trostani, Selesnya&#039;s Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Trostani, Selesnya&#039;s Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an example of another commander that could helm a deck based around the <em>Populate</em> keyword, which encourages you to play bigger tokens so you can keep on making copies of them. How <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Godsire" href="#" target="_blank">Godsire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> didn't make the cut in the <em>Naya </em>version is a bit beyond me, though....</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/10-resized.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37101" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/10-resized.png" alt="" width="350" height="278" /></a></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Inalla, Archmage Ritualist"></div></div>
<p>And... another <em>Eminence </em>commander, straight out of <em>Commander 2017</em> and warping a power curve near you. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inalla, Archmage Ritualist" href="#" target="_blank">Inalla, Archmage Ritualist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is centered around Wizards rather than keywords, although that doesn't mean you couldn't get up to some serious <em>Prowess</em> shenanigans if you put your mind to it!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Honorable Mentions</h2>
<p>Let's be honest, you're disappointed that a third of this list is <em>Eminence</em> commanders, and so am I. Abilities which operate from the command zone have long been a controversial topic, and the general increase in power level stemming from them is a large part of that controversy. With that in mind, then, let's take a look at what our Top 10 would look like without any cards that have the word "commander" or "command zone" on them. From that list we'll also remove any commanders that share a keyword with another commander in <em>that</em> top 10 (which edges out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karametra, God of Harvests" href="#" target="_blank">Karametra, God of Harvests</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xenagos, God of Revels" href="#" target="_blank">Xenagos, God of Revels</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kruphix, God of Horizons" href="#" target="_blank">Kruphix, God of Horizons</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Athreos, God of Passage" href="#" target="_blank">Athreos, God of Passage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Marchesa, the Black Rose"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phenax, God of Deception"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest"></div></div>
<ol>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Praetor&#039;s Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa, Praetor&#039;s Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <em>Proliferate</em></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Queen Marchesa" href="#" target="_blank">Queen Marchesa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <em>Monarch</em></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tasigur, the Golden Fang" href="#" target="_blank">Tasigur, the Golden Fang</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <em>Delve</em></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omnath, Locus of Rage" href="#" target="_blank">Omnath, Locus of Rage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <em>Landfall</em></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder" href="#" target="_blank">Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <em>Cascade</em></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trostani, Selesnya&#039;s Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Trostani, Selesnya&#039;s Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <em>Populate</em></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marchesa, the Black Rose" href="#" target="_blank">Marchesa, the Black Rose</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <em>Dethrone</em></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phenax, God of Deception" href="#" target="_blank">Phenax, God of Deception</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <em>Devotion</em></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <em>Historic</em></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <em>Prowess</em></li>
</ol>
<p>And there we have it! For those of you confused about our new #10, <em>Prowess</em> was dropped from evergreen status back in <em>Hour of Devastation</em>, allegedly for issues of complexity. That makes me doubt whether bringing back Protection was the right call, but I do still remember the old acronym D.E.B.T. (Damage, Equip/Enchant, Block, and Target), which makes remembering how Protection works a bit easier.</p>
<hr />
<h2>What Do You Think?</h2>
<p>With all of the keyworded commanders out and about from <em>Commander 2019</em>, are you excited that we're expanding on the list above? Are keywords something you'd like to see expanded on when it comes to future commanders, or would you rather <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> broaden their focus a bit?</p>
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<p>And finally, what are keyword mechanics you're building around?</p>
<p>Let us know in the comments, and we'll see you at the Mandatory <em>Monarch</em> tables soon!</p>


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