Lorehold, the HistorianLorehold, the Historian | Art by Raymond Swanland

Hey nerds! We're a little over halfway through the year, and we've also been introduced to 525 new commanders. Which is crazy to think about, since we only had 484 in all of 2025.

But the release cadence isn't what I'm here to talk about. Instead, I want to showcase ten commanders I've had the most fun playing with and/or against so far. If your favorite commander doesn't make this list, don't worry. It just means I haven't had the pleasure of seeing it in the wild. Without further ado, let's get into it!

Number 10: Michelangelo, the HeartMichelangelo, the Heart

While I'm not a fan of the five-color commander for this deck, the character select commanders can be interesting. Michelangelo incentivizes combat, even if it's with a single creature, to generate value. And frankly, I'm all for speeding up games.

What's great is you don't need to partner it with Leonardo, the BalanceLeonardo, the Balance, even if that was the partner I played the most against. In fact, I'd be inclined to partner him with Raphael, the MuscleRaphael, the Muscle to lean into creature combat.

Deck Tech by Cooper Gottfried

Number 9: Splinter, Radical RatSplinter, Radical Rat

Ninjas are a beloved creature type that I'm glad has a new commander to build around. No shade to my Yuriko, the Tiger's ShadowYuriko, the Tiger's Shadow fans, but that deck, even on a budget, is quite mean.

Don't get me wrong, this deck is powerful, but not in the same way as Yuriko. Instead of dealing tons of damage to everyone, it chips away at your life while drawing cards from Ingenious InfiltratorIngenious Infiltrator and stealing spells with Fallen ShinobiFallen Shinobi. Also, Yuriko is great in the 99.

Deck Tech by Kurohitsuki

Number 8: Ashling, the LimitlessAshling, the Limitless

Ashling surprised me, despite being the generic five-color commander for Lorwyn Eclipsed. Turns out, I love value, and Ashling is an incredible value engine. This deck shows how much precons have improved over the years.

The mana base could be a bit faster, but given the abundance of cheap dual lands, it gives you something to upgrade. I always felt like I could interact with the deck in a meaningful way, without just removing the commander, which is great. And despite being five colors, it plays more like a Temur deck with a very small splash.

Deck Tech by Bennie Smith

Number 7: Witherbloom, the BalancerWitherbloom, the Balancer

The reason Sprout SwarmSprout Swarm jumped from a bulk rare into a few bucks. Even without Sprout Swarm, this deck has been a blast to play. I quickly threw a deck together with cards I had lying around, like Pest InfestationPest Infestation, Gelatinous GenesisGelatinous Genesis, and ChatterstormChatterstorm.

It worked way better than expected and is something I'm looking forward to tweaking over the next year or so. The tension between creatures and noncreature spells is an interesting deckbuilding puzzle. I might even try a creatureless vision of the deck, just to see if it can work.

Budget Deck Tech by Tyler Bucks

Number 6: Dina, Essence BrewerDina, Essence Brewer

In my Secrets of Strixhaven Fun Ranking, Dina landed solidly in the Fun tier. She's straightforward, which is what you want from a face commander. I also mentioned I couldn't wait for someone to sacrifice a Jumbo CactuarJumbo Cactuar. Well, it happened, and it was as glorious as I thought it would be. Granted, it was to knock me out of the game, but worth it.

I'm glad Wizards of the Coast is toning down the power of commanders by adding a once-each-turn clause to them. In this case, I've found it changes how you want to build the deck and play. You use it as a way to generate value over time, instead of actively trying to combo to draw your entire deck.

Deck Tech by Cooper Gottfried

Number 5: Muddle, the Ever-ChangingMuddle, the Ever-Changing

I picked up the Secrets of Strixhaven precon on a whim and it hasn't disappointed. I tried Muddle at the helm a few times, but decided that this cute lovable otter needed a home of its own. While I'm still tweaking the deck, the few times I've played it has been a blast. PyrogoyfPyrogoyf has done work in that deck, dealing tons of damage when it enters. And nothing quite beats the feeling of drawing four cards off a MulldrifterMulldrifter.

I've been considering adding Sundial of the InfiniteSundial of the Infinite, but going DiscontinuityDiscontinuity and Time StopTime Stop as budget and flavor options.

Deck Tech by Nicholas Lucchesi

Number 4: Quintorius, History ChaserQuintorius, History Chaser

I love when a deck does a graveyard shuffle like this, moving cards in and out for value. Quintorius has been a menace in my playgroup, requiring multiple people to shut it down effectively. And even then, it can have some crazy comebacks.

It turns out having a static ability that generates blockers is pretty dang good. It also comes down and can minus four right away. The first time I played against Quintorius, I didn't think, and killed it. Well, my opponent just recast Quintorius, pumped his board, and killed me. Lesson learned there. If you ever see one sitting across from you, make sure to respect it accordingly.

Number 3: Rootha, Mastering the MomentRootha, Mastering the Moment

At first glance, I was much lower on Rootha. It read like a pretty basic spells deck that had a meddling payoff. But after a few failed attempts at putting Muddle at the helm, I decided to give her a try. Turns out I was just wrong. Instead of playing as a storm deck, she wants you to cast one or two big spells.

As much as I love my dumb Egg combo decks, having an easy deck to pilot with decision points is a great way to end the night. The first win I managed to snag on the deck involved casting multiple TwinflameTwinflames with Redoubled StormsingerRedoubled Stormsinger out. I was certain I was dead, but a surprise 50+ damage got me across the finish line.

Deck Tech by Owain Roberts

Number 2: Silverquill, the DisputantSilverquill, the Disputant

Now if you're looking for a degenerate storm deck, well look no further. I built a creatureless storm deck that can do some nutty things. And my friend built a more traditional deck, and crushes our playgroup regularly.

It can go from 0 to 100 in a single turn, presenting a middling board and suddenly has 20+ tokens, or ExsanguinateExsanguinates for 20 twice. Silverquill can draw more than its fair share of cards, so you don't feel the need for tutors.

Deck Tech by Ben Levin

Number 1: Lorehold, the HistorianLorehold, the Historian

Coming in at number one, is Lorehold, the Historian. It did win me a Sealed game at prerelease, but it also hasn't quite won me a Commander game yet. Despite not winning, I always have a blast playing it and I've had no complaints from my playgroup...yet. I did have my Storm HerdStorm Herd copied from my graveyard thanks to ImpulsivityImpulsivity.

Actually that happened twice. Back to back. Against two different decks.

But in spite of that small setback, I still find myself going back to the deck again and again. And at the time of writing, my wife pulled a Monument to EnduranceMonument to Endurance, which I'm excited to add.

Budget Deck Tech by Tyler Bucks

Conclusion

You probably noticed quite a bit of Secrets of Strixhaven on this list and not as much Marvel. For me, Strixhaven has been the strongest set of the year. Many of the Marvel commanders feel rather parasitic in that they only care about cards in those sets. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I tend to enjoy sets like that less.

I'd love to hear what your favorite commander of 2026 has been so far! And make sure to check out the latest Marvel deck techs from many of our talented authors.

Also, if you want more Magic content like this, subscribe to BathroomBrewsMTG over on YouTube. Alrighty nerds, I'll see you in the next one!