Paradox HazeParadox Haze | Art by Greg Staples

Hello, everyone, my name's Jonathan, and today I'm dusting off that Paradox HazeParadox Haze I bought years ago and never played. That's right, today's article is about the five (plus two honorable mentions) best upkeep triggers in Commander!

As always, when I say "the best" I mean "the best in my opinion". This also means these are not absolute judgments: feel more than free to discuss my opinions and say whether you agree or not in the comments!

So, get ready, start praying your permanents survive a whole turn rotation and then let's jump right into this article.

First Honorable Mention: Minsc & Boo, Timeless HeroesMinsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes

I remember a time when this card took entire (60-card) formats by storm. In Commander it's definitely not that oppressive, but it's still a more than reasonable card to run as a commander or in the 99.

Its abilities are good but not absurd: you can pump your creatures and then sacrifice them to deal some damage wherever you want (and perhaps draw some cards).

This is pretty neat, but what ties it all together is its upkeep trigger: creating Boo. It may seem a small detail on a quite flashy card overall, but it actually is the key to Minsc & Boo, Timeless HeroesMinsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes's success.

Having access to the perfect target for both of its abilities on every single turn makes this card extremely reliable and self-supporting.

It's an army in a can, as you can pump your token on off turns, when nothing relevant is happening, and then you can sacrifice it to remove a pesky creature/planeswalker or even just to draw a bunch of cards.

And remember: you get to start this cycle again at the beginning of your next upkeep!

Second Honorable Mention: Court of GarenbrigCourt of Garenbrig

The "Court" cycles are both very good, and most of them have relevant upkeep triggers that could/should be showcased in this spot. Nonetheless, I decided to go with Court of GarenbrigCourt of Garenbrig because of how easily it can get out of hand.

First off it is cheap, with most decks being able to cast it on their second turn; of course, you may want to wait a bit to deploy it, so that you actually have creatures to buff.

Then, the base effect is quite good, slowly but steadily increasing your board's stats. This can be almost optimal during the first turns, when you don't have many creatures on the board anyway.

But if you untap with it while being the monarch in the late game, that's where things get messy. All the +1/+1 counters you've amassed on your creatures thus far suddenly double, transforming any body into a lethal threat.

What makes this effect good is that you don't need to trigger this improved effect right away: one turn at any point in the late game is all it takes to make your board a true army.

Also, my perception of this card may or may not be biased by it destroying me on multiple occasions. But I guess we'll never know.

Number Five: Sanctum of AllSanctum of All

I've tried so hard to place this card higher on the list, but I realistically couldn't justify it. And this really bums me, because Go-Shintai of Life's OriginGo-Shintai of Life's Origin is my favorite commander of all time. It is what it is.

Overall, Shrines don't have many good upkeep triggers. The only ones that have one are the Hondens; and while Honden of Infinite RageHonden of Infinite Rage and Honden of Seeing WindsHonden of Seeing Winds are good (although a bit expensive to cast), the others are mostly included to up the count of Shrines in the deck.

Sanctum of AllSanctum of All is the exception to this trend. Its upkeep ability is absurd, allowing you to tutor for what's probably the best card in your deck (aka, a Shrine) turn after turn, and even getting it out of the graveyard if it was destroyed.

The second half of the card is good but not quite as great: the six Shrines requirement can be difficult to meet, also because everyone will target them as soon as Sanctum of AllSanctum of All hits the battlefield.

In general, this is a very strong card and one dear to my heart. Still, its limits are undeniable. Other than the limitation on its second ability, this is a hyper-specific card, meaning it will only ever be good in dedicated Shrine decks.

Don't get me wrong, I do love this strategy and each and every deck revolving around it; but, if that's not your cup of tea, then you'll probably forget this card even exists.

Number Four: Land TaxLand Tax

This is quite the trip down memory lane. When I first started playing in late 2018/early 2019, this card was a staple of the format. White didn't have access to good ramp options, and Land TaxLand Tax filled this role perfectly.

It provides lands while also granting a somewhat noticeable deck-thinning advantage over the course of turns. This means that, if it stays in play long enough, you'll improve the quality of your draws, as you'll be less likely to draw lands.

The ability to basically guarantee your land drops for the rest of the game (granted you're running an adequate number of basic lands) was crucial for some color combinations (Orzhov, Azorius and Boros above all), as well as mono-white.

As years passed, more and more replacements for this card were printed. Additionally, nonbasic lands got better, making it hard for decks to play a high-enough basic lands count that justifies running Land TaxLand Tax.

Still, its storied past is untouchable, but also its present isn't all that bad either: the factors mentioned above can't take away this card's power, and, if slotted into the right deck, it can still do a ton of work!

Number Three: Descent into AvernusDescent into Avernus

This is a truly unique card in all of Commander. The way in which it speeds up the game is unmatched: not only does it whittle down life totals, but it also gives every player resources to reach the final line as soon as possible. What makes this card so strong is precisely its ability to make games spiral in the blink of an eye.

Additionally, it's cheap and easy to cast, which means it's not impossible for it to be on the battlefield on turn two. From that point on, other players better have a solution at the ready, or they're in for a very quick match.

The only downside I can find to this card is that it isn't an auto-include in every deck. Or, to be more precise, that you need to somewhat build around it to make it work as intended. You can theoretically put it in the 99 of any random red deck, but it won't be nearly as impactful as it could be.

Number Two: Revel in RichesRevel in Riches, Felidar SovereignFelidar Sovereign, Helix PinnacleHelix Pinnacle and more

This entry is for several cards that can win the game on your upkeep. Of these, the easiest to trigger are:

Revel in RichesRevel in Riches's condition has become trivial to match over the years, given the ever-increasing amount of support for decks centered around Treasures. Also, its first triggered ability is extremely good as well!

Felidar SovereignFelidar Sovereign isn't quite as good, but it can catch players off guard, especially newer ones, who won't see it coming. I think it is more suited for lower brackets, where the boards can get clogged easily, thus making it hard to reduce life totals.

Finally, Helix PinnacleHelix Pinnacle is the progenitor of these effects. It's cheap and resilient, but it also takes a while to get going. It's probably not a good win condition anymore, but its legacy should forever be remembered.

What makes all of these cards almost always good is the fact that they suddenly set a timer on the whole game. Either players find a solution during their next turn, or it's game over for them.

Number One: Defense of the HeartDefense of the Heart

At first, this might seem a weird pick. In the end, Defense of the HeartDefense of the Heart is a quite simple, not-that-flashy card. But it only took me one time playing it to understand why it is so powerful.

First off, it'll basically always be active, given how easily players deploy three creatures at a Commander table. Then, although expensive upfront, it can easily grant you access to creatures worth three or four times the mana you spent the turn before.

And finally, the ability to tutor your two best creatures is so unbelievably good. Of course, it can get you combo pieces, but even just big haymakers would do it for me.

Additionally, it doesn't require you to take any peculiar deckbuilding choice. While not a cEDH card, as long as you're running big, hard-hitting creatures, this card will have a use-case in your deck.

Also, it may seem slow, but its effect corresponds to such a great tempo swing in your favor that you'll most likely get ahead of your competition as soon as its trigger resolves.

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