Y'shtola RhulY'shtola Rhul | Art by Immanuela Crovius

Hello, everyone! My name is Jonathan and a few weeks ago I talked about the best upkeep triggers in Commander. Today, I'm going down the same road to talk about the best end step triggers instead.

As per usual when sharing such lists of cards, always keep in mind these are only my own opinions and they might differ from your own.

For this reason, feel more than free to comment under the article and share your thoughts! Even more so in this case, because there are truly a ton of cards that could have been placed in this top 5, but there were only so many spaces.

So, get your Y'shtola RhulY'shtola Rhul (funnily, another card I considered putting on this list) at the ready and let's dive in this article!

First Honorable Mention: Mahadi, Emporium MasterMahadi, Emporium Master

As I said, It was extremely difficult to craft this list, because there are so many cards worth mentioning. One inclusion I was never willing to question was Mahadi, Emporium MasterMahadi, Emporium Master. This is because I still can't understand why this card is so overlooked to this day. Can you believe it leads only 1815 decks, being the 59^th most popular rakdos commander?

I know it's not the flashiest of the cards, but it's also so easy to get a lot out of its ability turn after turn. It's cheap, it's in the right colors and it produces a ton of mana, what else do you need to give it a try?

The only reason I didn't put it in the main list is that there are some truly broken cards out there. But trust me, Mahadi, Emporium MasterMahadi, Emporium Master is worth the time building it.

Second Honorable Mention: Chimil, the Inner SunChimil, the Inner Sun

This card is pretty much on the opposite side of the spectrum compared to the previous. It's not a fringe card people are sleeping on, but the epitome of a generically good card. Its abilities don't synergize all that much, but they're strong enough to make this card interesting and playable.

All in all, it's the ultimate "draw, go" card. You tap out one time and then you pile up value while keeping interaction open. Honestly, I'm not one of its fans, as it feels a bit uninspired in design. Still, I can't ignore its power, so it earned its spot on this list.

Number Five: Ocelot Pride

I haven't played much with this card, but when I did, boy did I love it. It needs so little to get going, and then it becomes an unstoppable force. Sure, it works best alongside other cards that gain life (which aren't rare in Commander). But it also fuels itself, working as a cheap, early game attacker.

Then, once you reach late game, the city's blessing does the rest. Certainly, some small Cat tokens aren't scary. But doubling all your tokens at the end of the turn? That's a whole other story.

As good as this card is, and as much as I like it, I can't really put it any higher. In 60-card formats, Ocelot PrideOcelot Pride can snowball very easily, taking over the game in just a few turns. But in Commander the situation is completely different. With three opponents, it's more than likely that someone will have an answer at the ready. Or, at the very least, all of them will team up against you the moment you get a trigger off with it.

Number Four: Wilderness Reclamation

We were talking about "draw, go" cards earlier, weren't we? Well, here's the card for this archetype.

Wilderness ReclamationWilderness Reclamation is a simple card, with only one ability. But the impact it has on the game is hard to understand, at least until you play against it. To put it in simple terms, it doubles the mana you have access to during every turn rotation. This means you can do everything you want on your turn, and then get all of your (land-produced) mana back. Most likely, this means having all the interaction in the world available.

Sure, it's no Seedborn MuseSeedborn Muse, nor it is as oppressive as it can be in one-versus-one. Still, the moment you get to play with it, you truly understand what all the tales were about.

Number Three: Meren of Clan Nel Toth

For a long time, it was the de facto golgari commander. To this day, it still terrorizes Commander tables with its horde of artistocrat-type effects. Meren of Clan Nel TothMeren of Clan Nel Toth isn't only a commander, it's a part of the format's history.

I remember stumbling upon this card soon after starting playing. The moment I understood how much value and recursion it generates was a turning point in my love for the game. In addition to everything it has going for it, it also benefits from Experience counters, a mechanic other players can hardly interact with. This means it can grind games better than most decks: even if it's turn 20, the moment you end a turn with Meren of Clan Nel TothMeren of Clan Nel Toth on the battlefield, you are getting something out of it.

Sadly, time is tyrant and this commander has started to feel somewhat outdated. Its design is powerful, but it seems to belong to different time period. Maybe I'm simply nostalgic and connect this card to my early Commander days. Still, I can't but feel the game's become way faster than this card. Sadly.

Number Two: Atraxa, Praetors' Voice

Talking about cornerstones of the game, here's one that revolutionized it. In all honesty, do I really need to explain why this card is good? I don't believe you if you say you have never heard someone talking about their "not-that-AtraxaAtraxa deck".

Once again, the design isn't flashy but it doesn't matter in the slightest. The continuous flow of proliferate triggers makes it sure whatever counter you have in play grows steadily. Poison, charge, +1/+1, energy: everything goes with AtraxaAtraxa.

It is one of the faces of the game, and maybe that's its only flaw. People have grown so tired of this card and how powerful it is that it'll be hard to find someone willing to play with you if you sleeve it up.

Number One: The Flicker Squad

This was the first position I locked in for this list. And it is shared by so many cards it's hard to list them all. SoulherderSoulherder, Conjurer's ClosetConjurer's Closet and Phelia, Exuberant ShepherdPhelia, Exuberant Shepherd are only some of the cards that blink something at the end of your turn. There are a ton of variations of this effect, and all of them are good.

Of course, flicker decks are a staple of the format, one of the most popular strategies overall. What's so good about these cards is that they thrive in redundancy. I mean, although you're running Teleportation CircleTeleportation Circle, you're also probably playing Thassa, Deep-DwellingThassa, Deep-Dwelling. You're never unhappy seeing them. Quite the opposite, the more you can cast, the better.

So, if Atraxa, Praetors' VoiceAtraxa, Praetors' Voice was a turning point in the format, all of these cards keep on shaping it. What's even crazier is that each new one that comes out will also find a home in the same decks. If that's not a testament to the power of this end step trigger, I don't know what is.

That's from me! What do you think? What cards would you add to the list? Let me know in the comments!