Glasspool MimicGlasspool Mimic | Art by Johan Grenier

After bringing you the most played cards from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles last week, today I'm wrapping up a three-part series on double-faced cards (DFCs) in Commander. If you're unfamiliar with the term, DFCs are cards with a front face and a back face, like Etali, Primal ConquerorEtali, Primal Conqueror. You can check out my articles on most played DFC commanders and cards in general.

Now, this list is about a sub-class of DFCs called modal DFCs (MDFCs). What's the difference? MDFCs let you choose which side of the card you play, whereas non-modal DFCs transform or flip from their front half to their back half - and sometimes back and forth - while in play.

Hydroelectric SpecimenHydroelectric Specimen, which would have been 10th on this list had I not bundled together a cycle of cards, is a great example of this.

We call that foreshadowing in the biz. Let's dive right in, before I give away any more information!

10. Pinnacle MonkPinnacle Monk - 198,819 Decks

While this might be the pinnacle of MDFCs on Tarkir, it's going to have to settle for 10th on this list full of heavy hitters. Pinnacle Monk is actually the most played prowess card in Commander, beating out all-stars like Harmonic ProdigyHarmonic Prodigy, Stormcatch MentorStormcatch Mentor, and Monastery MentorMonastery Mentor.

This may sound surprising at first, because a five-mana 2/2 with an enter the battlefield effect (ETB) doesn't sound all that great, but this gives me a great opportunity to talk about what makes MDFCs so powerful.

Most MDFCs are essentially a spell-land split card (some have spells on both sides), which means they're never dead in your hand and will always be great both in the early game, when you're developing your mana, and late, when you need action. A lot of their utility comes even before you draw your opening hand — they're spells that count as lands during deckbuilding, making your deck more consistent and less prone to flood or screw. Incredible versatility.

9. Disciple of FreyaliseDisciple of Freyalise - 216,581 Decks

One way to evaluate how good MDFCs are is to look at what effect they have on the game when you draw one late and you cast them as spells. Well, Disciple knocks it out of the park here, because you can play her in a deck where you're pretty much assured of drawing a full grip.

A ton of green decks fit that bill, too, from Etali, Primal ConquerorEtali, Primal Conqueror and Kona, Rescue BeastieKona, Rescue Beastie Big Mana decks to Henzie "Toolbox" TorreHenzie "Toolbox" Torre and Meren of Clan Nel TothMeren of Clan Nel Toth Reanimator/Aristocrats mashups.

And what happens when a 3/3 that costs six mana isn't good. Play her as a land and use it to cast the other monster in your hand!

8. Valakut AwakeningValakut Awakening - 218,354 Decks

Michael Celani asked the question of whether red's nonbasic lands are the worst in this 2025 article with two parts. I won't spoil his analysis or results, but I will say that tacking a spell onto a land is a great way to ratchet up its power level.

Valakut AwakeningValakut Awakening's spell side gives red decks a way to trade lands for the odds of drawing more spells. Note that you can't use this as a reanimator payoff, because the binned cards go back into your library instead of into the graveyard.

That's fine, as decks that want more ways to filter cards or ones that just want to cast a lot of spells want this, from aggressive lists like Krenko, Mob BossKrenko, Mob Boss to Niv-Mizzet, ParunNiv-Mizzet, Parun or Kuja, Genome SorcererKuja, Genome Sorcerer-led Spellslinger decks. Niv is an especially nice home for this; you can build up a handful of cards and use this to deal a lot of damage and draw a ton of cards without worrying about decking yourself.

It's a utility spell, it's a land, and now, it's a finisher!

7. Birgi, God of StorytellingBirgi, God of Storytelling - 225,512 Decks, 1,432 as Commander

While Birgi leads a relatively small number of decks as commander, she really shines as an enabler and a combo piece in the 99. She combines with Seething SongSeething Song and ReiterateReiterate, for example, to generate infinite magecraft triggers and storm count.

With SnapSnap, Dualcaster MageDualcaster Mage, and a second color, you even get as much mana as your heart desires:

Her "Top Commanders" tab on EDHREC is a murderer's row of combo leaders, from Vivi OrnitierVivi Ornitier to Storm, Force of NatureStorm, Force of Nature. Her back half also finds you action and helps Prosper, Tome-BoundProsper, Tome-Bound chain spells together by generating multiple Treasure tokens a turn.

Now, I need someone to show me a deck where her boast-doubling ability is her most powerful line of text.

6. Witch EnchanterWitch Enchanter - 287,809 Decks

This Enchanter would be a fantastic card in pretty much any white deck. Its land half can come into play untapped, which is especially important for aggressive decks, and being a body with a DisenchantDisenchant ability makes it easy to extract additional value out of.

You can blink it with SoulherderSoulherder or Brago, King EternalBrago, King Eternal, reanimate it with Hashaton, Scarab's FistHashaton, Scarab's Fist or Terra, Herald of HopeTerra, Herald of Hope, and you can copy it with The Jolly Balloon ManThe Jolly Balloon Man.

Not bad for an uncommon 2/2!

5. Bala Ged RecoveryBala Ged Recovery - 305,780 Decks

More than any MDFC on this list so far, you're probably going to want to use Recovery as a spell and not have to play its back half, because recursion is powerful and a tapped land that produces only one color of mana isn't great. But, even getting that option is pretty busted, and you're only paying one more mana than you would for literal RegrowthRegrowth!

It's a nice inclusion in Lands Matter decks like Omnath, Locus of CreationOmnath, Locus of Creation or Flubs, the FoolFlubs, the Fool that really want a higher land count than the average deck, which sweetens the value proposition of the Sanctuary side. It's also a great option in decks that use the graveyard as a resource, like Muldrotha, the GravetideMuldrotha, the Gravetide and Teval, the Balanced ScaleTeval, the Balanced Scale.

4. Malakir RebirthMalakir Rebirth - 357,773 Decks

Okay, this is the MDFC you definitely want to cast as a spell. For just one mana, you can save high-value commanders like Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIERSephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER and K'rrik, Son of YawgmothK'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth, and exploit the abilities Henzie "Toolbox" TorreHenzie "Toolbox" Torre, who lets you play creatures for cheap with blitz that get sacrificed at end of turn, and others.

This type of card can even be a whole sub-plan, where you use this, Undying EvilUndying Evil, Feign DeathFeign Death, Not Dead After AllNot Dead After All, and other redundant effects to both blank removal spells and reuse enters abilities on sacrifice fodder. On the other hand, this is the type of effect that can rot in your hand without a way to take advantage of it, so, once again, getting to play this as a land makes it all the more powerful.

3. Fell the ProfaneFell the Profane - 381,062 Decks

See? MDFCs are so busted that you'll play a four-mana removal spell because it also helps you hit your land drops. Even Hagra MaulingHagra Mauling, which has a back half that enters tapped, sees play in more than 70,000 decks.

For another comparison, Murderous Rider doesn't force you to choose between two card types (you can get the 2/3 after you resolve Swift End) and still only sees play in about a quarter of decks as Fell the Profane. Lands are essential in the format.

2. Sink into StuporSink into Stupor - 419,870 Decks

This doesn't even deal with something permanently and it's in 10% of the potential decks it could be in, according to EDHREC data. I believe it compares favorably to Fell the ProfaneFell the Profane because blue removal tends to be much worse than that of the color black, and because blue decks tend to care more about casting a lot of spells than other colors. It's important to remember, too, that this also interacts with spells on the stack, making Sink such a flexible piece of cardboard, even if it does cost three mana.

1. The Pathways - Over One Million Decks

Is it cheating to give multiple cards, like the members of a cycle, a single place on my lists, let alone nonbasic lands? I certainly don't think so, especially in this case, because all the Pathways do the exact same thing and because lands are among the most important and impactful cards in Commander.

While they don't produce two colors of mana while in play, like the best dual lands in the format do, they still fix the color of mana you need the most in the early game, and they're untapped.

This tradeoff between raw power and versatility is something Trent Trombley covered in his amazing article on the Zendikar Rising MDFCs' impact on Commander. Check it out!

Always Have a Backup PlanAlways Have a Backup Plan

I probably sounded like a broken record with how many times I brought up MDFCs' flexibility. They're just that good, though. In fact, there are 32 of them that are played in at least 100,000 decks, ending with Shatterskull SmashingShatterskull Smashing.

What's your favorite one that didn't make the list? Let us know!