Jace, Wielder of MysteriesJace, Wielder of Mysteries | Art by Anna Steinbauer

Planeswalkers get a pretty bad wrap in cEDH - and Commander as a whole, for that matter. These cards are often designed as grindy value engines with a late-game payoff built in, at the cost of their incremental value not being the most substantial effects in the world. In cEDH, however, that just doesn't cut it.

Planeswalkers need to either do something immediately and explosively impactful to make good on that mana investment, or their incremental value needs to be breakable in one way or another - a combo, a synergy, just something. Fortunately, a handful of planeswalkers are able to meet one or both of these qualities, carving out a niche for themselves amongst the halls of such broken engines as Rhystic StudyRhystic Study and end-game finishers as Ad NauseamAd Nauseam.

Before we go any further, one quick note: these are the planeswalkers that see play inside of decks, not as the commanders helming lists. No Jeska, Thrice RebornJeska, Thrice Reborn, Dihada, Binder of WillsDihada, Binder of Wills, or Tevesh Szat, Doom of FoolsTevesh Szat, Doom of Fools will be found here. So, with that in mind, which planeswalkers have made their way into cEDH? Let's take a look.

#10 - Professor OnyxProfessor Onyx

Professor Onyx is a Liliana planeswalker with five starting loyalty and three pretty decent abilities, but in the cEDH context none of that matters. Instead, all that matters is her magecraft trigger: whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell, each opponent loses two life and you gain two life.

This matters because it combos with Chain of SmogChain of Smog, as you can target yourself with Chain of Smog and copy it infinitely (as Chain of Smog allows whoever was targeted by it to copy it at no cost to them), causing infinite magecraft triggers and thus, infinite life loss for all your opponents.

In most decks, this combo is outclassed by Witherbloom ApprenticeWitherbloom Apprentice, as that has functionally the same role as Professor Onyx and only costs two mana. However, Witherbloom Apprentice is Golgari (), meaning non-green decks can't run it. So, for all the fringe mono-black cEDH decks out there, Professor Onyx stands as a legitimate closer.

#9 - Saheeli RaiSaheeli Rai

Next up is Saheeli Rai, a planeswalker with three starting loyalty that sees a decent chunk of play in Sisay, Weatherlight CaptainSisay, Weatherlight Captain decks thanks to her status as a legendary permanent that adds Izzet () to Sisay's color count.

Saheeli also synergizes well with cards like Faeburrow ElderFaeburrow Elder or Bloom TenderBloom Tender, as she can spend two loyalty counters to create a token copy of an artifact or creature you control, except it gains haste and it sacrifices itself at the end of turn. So, in Sisay, that means you can often use Saheeli's copy effect to generate enough mana to activate Saheeli by copying one of these mass-mana dorks, providing critical fuel for a combo turn.

#8 - Karn, the Great CreatorKarn, the Great Creator

Here at the eighth spot is Karn, the Great Creator - a , four loyalty planeswalker that has a static ability which warps games. “Activated abilities of artifacts your opponents control can’t be activated” is a brutal line in cEDH, where Treasures, mana rocks, and artifact combos abound.

Karn shuts off all of that, and - unlike most stax effects - only does so for your opponents.

As for loyalty abilities, his +1 turns a noncreature artifact into an artifact creature with power and toughness each equal to its mana value until your next turn, an effect that's just as good at creating blockers as it is at destroying any artifact with mana value zero.

Beyond that, the rest of his text is essentially nonfunctional: his -2 grabs your choice of an artifact you own in exile (that's face up) or one that you own from outside the game - something you can't actually do in Commander.

#7 - Ashiok, Dream RenderAshiok, Dream Render

Continuing the list of stax effects stapled to low-cost planeswalkers, we have Ashiok, Dream Render for , coming in at five starting loyalty.

Starting with the static effect, Ashiok prevents opponents from searching their libraries - a direct foil to tutors like Demonic TutorDemonic Tutor, Mystical TutorMystical Tutor, and fetch lands - essentially the glue of the format.

Backing this up is Ashiok's one and only loyalty ability, a -1 that causes target player to mill four cards, then exiles all cards from each opponent’s graveyard, wiping away any potential value for Underworld BreachUnderworld Breach, Yawgmoth's WillYawgmoth's Will, and reanimation lines.

#6 - Narset, Parter of VeilsNarset, Parter of Veils

Our last stax piece with the planeswalker card type, Narset, Parter of Veils costs and enters with five loyalty. Her static prevents opponents from drawing more than one card per turn, and her -2 lets you look at the top five cards of your library, pick a noncreature, nonland card to reveal and put into your hand, then you'll put the rest on the bottom.

Wheels don't see as much play these days as they used to, but Rhystic StudyRhystic Study and Mystic RemoraMystic Remora sure are everywhere - two cards Narset absolutely obliterates. If you're playing a low-color blue deck, this planeswalker might just be the one for you.

#5 - Jace, Wielder of MysteriesJace, Wielder of Mysteries

Here at the halfway point is our fourth contender from War of the Spark, and that's Jace, Wielder of Mysteries.

For , Jace is essentially a worse Thassa's OracleThassa's Oracle. His static effect causes you to win the game if you would draw a card from an empty library, his +1 causes target player to mill two cards and you to draw a card, and his -8 draws you seven cards, then wins you the game if their are no cards left in it.

So, since Jace costs twice as much mana as Thassa's Oracle, what's the appeal? Well, it all comes down to essentially one strategy: PolymorphPolymorph. There are a handful of decks out there that cut all but one creature from their deck lists, then use spells like Polymorph to turn their commander (or a creature their commander made, in the case of Urza, Lord High ArtificerUrza, Lord High Artificer) into a combo piece.

Jace, meanwhile, is not a creature, which means those Polymorph strategies can still run it as their closer without interrupting a Polymorph line.

#4 - Tezzeret the SeekerTezzeret the Seeker

So far, we've looked at some niche and/or deck-restricted planeswalkers - cards that players experiment with or turn to if their strategies require it. From here on out, we're getting into the generally powerful planeswalkers. First up: Tezzeret the Seeker.

For , Tezzeret the Seeker is a four-loyalty planeswalker that's pretty often either a ritual or a tutor once he's resolved. His +1 untaps up to two target artifacts, enough to go mana-positive if you've got a Mana VaultMana Vault and a Grim MonolithGrim Monolith out.

His -X grabs an artifact from your library with mana value X or less and puts it into play. And his -5 makes artifacts you control 5/5 Construct artifact creatures until end of turn, but that's rarely useful.

Tezzeret's loyalty abilities are immediate, impactful, flexible, and just plain good - that's all there is to it.

#3 - Tezzeret, Cruel CaptainTezzeret, Cruel Captain

Next up is another Tezzeret, this time the four-loyalty Tezzeret, Cruel Captain.

For , Tezzeret has the triggered ability that puts a loyalty counter on him whenever an artifact you control enters and, just like Tezzeret the SeekerTezzeret the Seeker before him, it's his first two abilities that have earned his spot in cEDH.

For no loyalty change at all, Tezzeret can untap an artifact or creature. If it's an artifact creature, put a +1/+1 counter on it. This grows Esper SentinelEsper Sentinel, gains extra usage out of Mana VaultMana Vault and Grim MonolithGrim Monolith, draws extra cards off of The One RingThe One Ring, and has the flexibility of doubling mana production from a mana dork.

All good, all common in cEDH, and all worth trying out.

His second ability costs three loyalty to activate and tutors your library for an artifact with mana value one or less to put directly into play. That includes classics like Sol RingSol Ring, combo pieces like Lion's Eye DiamondLion's Eye Diamond, and value plays like Esper SentinelEsper Sentinel. Again, all good and all common in cEDH.

#2 - Tyvar, Jubilant BrawlerTyvar, Jubilant Brawler

Our penultimate planeswalker is a bit more deck-specific than Tezzeret, Cruel Captain's ubiquity, but it is an absolute powerhouse in the decks that do play it, which is why Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler has made its way higher on our list.

For , Tyvar starts with three loyalty and has the unique static ability which allows you to activate abilities of creatures you control as though they had haste. As for loyalty abilities themselves, you can add a loyalty counter to untap a creature, or spend two loyalty to mill three cards, then you may return a creature card with mana value two or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.

Tyvar sees play across decks like Tayam, Luminous EnigmaTayam, Luminous Enigma and the aforementioned Sisay, Weatherlight CaptainSisay, Weatherlight Captain - both synergistic piles, both creature-heavy, and both excited by Tayam's ability to kick creatures into high gear a turn early.

Plus, in Tayam it's a source of graveyard fodder, while in Sisay it's a source of Golgari colors.

#1 - Teferi, Time RavelerTeferi, Time Raveler

Last but not least, our fifth contender from War of the Spark, Teferi, Time Raveler.

For , this four-loyalty planeswalker does two things really well: it protects combos and it serves as a combo piece. Coming with a built-in SilenceSilence effect thanks to the static ability which prevents opponents from casting spells other than at sorcery speed, a resolved Teferi means that you basically have free reign for the rest of the turn.

Backed up by a +1 that grants all your sorceries the ability to be cast as though they had flash until your next turn, and Teferi really warps the rules of the stack to your benefit.

As for combos, Teferi pairs nicely with another cEDH all-star: Displacer KittenDisplacer Kitten. By spending three loyalty, Teferi can return a nonland permanent to its owner's hand while also drawing you a card. If you bounce your own mana-positive rock (Sol RingSol Ring, Mox OpalMox Opal, etc.) and recast it, this will trigger Displacer Kitten's ability to flicker a nonland permanent you control - in this case, Teferi - which will reset his loyalty and ability to activate, letting you re-bounce the newly resolved mana rock.

Rinse and repeat for infinite mana and to draw your whole deck.

Wrap Up

Well folks, that's the status of planeswalkers in cEDH. They may not be everywhere, but they certainly aren't the dead card type most people assume.

Any other planeswalkers you're running in cEDH? Let us know in the comments.