Pirated CopyPirated Copy | Art by Daarken

Hey, everyone! Last week I wrote about the most played cards in Phyrexia: All Will Be One, a booster set that had a sizable impact on Commander.

Today, I'm breaking down Jumpstart 2022, a set aimed at introducing newer players to Magic: The Gathering. While it contained mostly reprints, it also came with 51 never-before-seen cards.

And, while they aren't legal in Standard, Pioneer, and Modern, and while most of them probably wouldn't make the cut in those high-powered formats anyway, they have collectively made a splash in Commander.

But which cards see the most play after three and a half years out in the wild? Let's find out!

10. Kibo, Uktabi PrinceKibo, Uktabi Prince - 7,310 decks, 13,619 as commander

While Kibo barely makes the cut in terms of total play rate, he's actually the most played commander from Jumpstart 2022.

Based on EDHREC data, he's viable leading decks with an Ape and/or Monkey kindred theme or decks taking advantage of +1/+1 counter or artifact synergies.

Apes as a creature type tend to take after Uktabi OrangutanUktabi Orangutan, meaning you'll have a lot of ways to get rid of opponents' artifacts.

Gorilla ShamanGorilla Shaman is pretty effective there, while Kogla, the Titan ApeKogla, the Titan Ape and Silverback ElderSilverback Elder also answer enchantments.

Will the opponents even have artifacts to destroy and net you value? Well, it's Commander, the format where Sol RingSol Ring is the most played card, not to mention other "mana rocks" like Arcane SignetArcane Signet and various talismans.

Even when you're not playing against any artifact-heavy decks, Kibo has you covered, handing a banana to each player at the table in an apparent gesture of generosity.

This ability reminds me so much of Hearthstone's Mukla, by the way. You get a banana, you get a banana, everyone gets a banana!

9. Rodolf DuskbringerRodolf Duskbringer - 23,123 decks, 1,241 as commander

Six mana seems like a lot for a lifegain payoff that isn't a commander, but I think Rodolf has enough little things going for him that he performs admirably in different builds of lifegain decks.

In Shilgengar, Sire of FamineShilgengar, Sire of Famine and Betor, Ancestor's VoiceBetor, Ancestor's Voice, Rodolf is a big body that is often indestructible, can carry +1/+1 counters well, and helps keep your board filled with sacrifice fodder or other counter carriers.

Having flying and getting indestructible also makes it easier for him to get in for damage and help Astarion, the DecadentAstarion, the Decadent feed well.

In Orzhov (), you often utilize reanimation effects as a sub-theme, so having a threat that plays well with both lifegain and with recurring creatures from the graveyard makes the six mana investment worthwhile a lot of the time.

8. Primeval HeraldPrimeval Herald - 26,643 decks

The card this is riffing off of, Primeval TitanPrimeval Titan, is banned in Commander. If you want to know more about that, check out Alex Wicker's great analysis on the banlist.

Now, Herald isn't pulling up trees in the format, because its ability only lets you fetch one land out of the deck.

Even worse, the tree you can pull up has to be basic, making this closer to Wild WandererWild Wanderer than Golos, Tireless PilgrimGolos, Tireless Pilgrim, which is also pretty busted and is banned as well, to be fair.

Herald boasts two key differences, though; you get another land every time you attack and it has trample. Being a green creature, there are a ton of ways to make this into a threat by pumping it.

All in all, Herald is a fine, fun card that pays tribute to a fallen legend without walking down the same broken path.

7. Chains of CustodyChains of Custody - 27,396 decks

Strictly worse than Sheltered by GhostsSheltered by Ghosts, Chains is nonetheless strong as redundant Aura-based removal in decks that want critical mass of that effect.

Light-Paws, Emperor's VoiceLight-Paws, Emperor's Voice wants a ton of Auras, with Chains making the cut half the time, while Three Dog, Galaxy News DJThree Dog, Galaxy News DJ can probably take advantage of this family of card, which can also include Darksteel MutationDarksteel Mutation, the most.

6. Ashcoat of the Shadow SwarmAshcoat of the Shadow Swarm - 25,017 decks, 3,265 as commander

Jumpstart 2022 featured 46 distinct themes you could shuffle up and play out of booster packs. They came in different rarities, with classics like Merfolk, Blink, and Treasure among the common themes.

One theme that dropped at a mythic rare rate was Rats, and it included Ashcoat as a new printing that works really well the creature type and pretty much nothing else.

As you would expect, Ashcoat has since become a pretty handy inclusion in Rat typal decks led by the likes of Marrow-GnawerMarrow-Gnawer, Wick, the Whorled MindWick, the Whorled Mind, and Vren, the RelentlessVren, the Relentless.

5. Distinguished ConjurerDistinguished Conjurer - 33,327 decks

Many have come before the Conjurer: Soul WardenSoul Warden, Soul's AttendantSoul's Attendant, Lunarch VeteranLunarch Veteran, and many more.

While these cost just one mana and offer other kinds of upside, like triggering off any creature (not just your own) or the disturb mechanic, none of them can also blink a creature to save it from removal or re-trigger an enters-the-battlefield effect.

These three lifegain enablers appear in over 400,000 EDHREC decks. Conjurer's ability may not give it the advantage over its predecessors; after all, it's expensive and you can only activate it once per turn cycle.

But there are tons of decks, like Amalia Benavides AguirreAmalia Benavides Aguirre and Trelasarra, Moon DancerTrelasarra, Moon Dancer, that want to play critical mass of this effect, and that's where this 1/2 tends to show up.

4. Preston, the VanisherPreston, the Vanisher - 36,717 decks, 3,051 as commander

Conjurer is also a fairly common inclusion in monowhite Preston decks that really squeeze as much juice out of the blink theme as you can manage.

I'm talking EphemerateEphemerate, Conjurer's ClosetConjurer's Closet, Eerie InterludeEerie Interlude, and more as enablers, deliciously blinkable creatures like Wall of OmensWall of Omens and Inspiring OverseerInspiring Overseer, and combos like this one:

He can also be found vanishing opposing permanents by sacrificing five Illusions in more colorful blink decks led by Brago, King EternalBrago, King Eternal and Aang, at the CrossroadsAang, at the Crossroads, among others.

3. Benevolent HydraBenevolent Hydra - 48,503 decks

It can be hard to keep track of all the new Hardened ScalesHardened Scales variants we've seen in the last few years. My article on March of the Machine covered two of them, Kami of Whispered HopesKami of Whispered Hopes and Ozolith, the Shattered SpireOzolith, the Shattered Spire.

It's a great time to be a +1/+1 counters enthusiast. Interestingly, it looks like this counters payoff is utilized more as a Hydra card or X spell in decks that play around in that space, like Zaxara, the ExemplaryZaxara, the Exemplary, Gargos, Vicious WatcherGargos, Vicious Watcher, and Magus Lucea KaneMagus Lucea Kane.

Like Scales and other payoffs, its potential to contribute to infinite damage combos is a big part of its appeal.

2. Alandra, Sky DreamerAlandra, Sky Dreamer - 55,821 decks, 2,518 as commander

I adore Talrand, Sky SummonerTalrand, Sky Summoner, so it's cool seeing a variant that keys off drawing cards instead of casting spells.

Alandra creates 2/2 flying Drakes like Talrand, but she also threatens to end the game if she goes unanswered. In that regard, maybe she's closer to Jolrael, Mwonvuli RecluseJolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse, another one of my favorite creatures.

She works really well in Clue decks like Morska, Undersea SleuthMorska, Undersea Sleuth or Tamiyo, Inquisitive StudentTamiyo, Inquisitive Student, but there are also a bunch of commanders that are just good at drawing extra cards, like Vnwxt, Verbose HostVnwxt, Verbose Host or Kwain, Itinerant MeddlerKwain, Itinerant Meddler.

Being a threat that you don't have to jump through hoops to empower does wonders for a card's playability. She even scales well with the number of opponents, as long as you have ways to draw at least two cards at instant speed.

1. Creeping BloodsuckerCreeping Bloodsucker - 99,375 decks

I love seeing commons at the top of my lists, even when they come from sets that aren't meant to be drafted the normal way.

Being a Vampire, it's a great candidate for cheap threat in a draining or lifegain-oriented build of Edgar MarkovEdgar Markov alongside similar card Drana's EmissaryDrana's Emissary.

It also scales really well with the number of players at the table and is worth slotting in decks that get more drains out of it, like Obeka, Splitter of SecondsObeka, Splitter of Seconds, or in decks where the damage it deals nets you value, like Rakdos, Lord of RiotsRakdos, Lord of Riots or Gev, Scaled ScorchGev, Scaled Scorch.

I Told You This One Would be a HandfulI Told You This One Would be a Handful

While Jumpstart 2022 cards haven't shown up in decks in the same numbers as Phyrexia: All Will Be One and other sets released over the past few years, it's still made an impact by contributing fun cards to Commander that play well with popular themes like lifegain, Auras, and Hydras/X-spells.

It's a great example of how beginner products can be interesting, too! What's your favorite card from the set that didn't make the list? Let us know!