Unnatural GrowthUnnatural Growth | Art by Svetlin Velinov

There is a topic that's been on my mind for a long time, an unspoken understanding about color identity in casual Commander. If I were to ask you, What color is the best in casual Commander, what would be your answer?

Every color is supposed to have its strengths and weaknesses, right? That's the conceit of the color pie. Each color has things it does well and poorly, or not at all. I've noticed something, though. Green, for some reason does too many things well. I want to explore that.

White

What is white particularly good at? Protection, removal, and token production.

Cards like Path to ExilePath to Exile and Swords to PlowsharesSwords to Plowshares come to mind as some of the best targeted removal in Commander. The cost, , to its effect's ratio is unmatched. Most other colors are paying at least two mana to remove something and less permanently than exile.

Even FarewellFarewell should be mentioned as the best exile board wipe in the game. It's so backbreaking that players actively try to get it banned or put on the Game Changers list.

Dawn's TruceDawn's Truce and Clever ConcealmentClever Concealment are some of the best protection spells in the game. for hexproof on all your permanents and yourself, with the option to gift a card to give indestructible to all your permanents, is so flexible and strong. Clever ConcealmentClever Concealment allowing you to convoke it for no mana makes it so cracked. It also keeps your creatures safe until your turn.

Also, cards like Mondrak, Glory DominusMondrak, Glory Dominus, Elspeth, Storm SlayerElspeth, Storm Slayer, and Anointed ProcessionAnointed Procession are some of the best token doublers in the game. These are all things this color does really well.

Understand that the comparison I'm trying to make with green isn't necessarily one to one. Green is able to do all the things above, but in some cases in a different way. Follow me.

The way green removes creatures is typically through fight spells or combat. In this regard, white is far superior, but green has access to this ability. Kogla, the Titan ApeKogla, the Titan Ape, a card I adore, is an example of removal with a body attached. Kogla's power usually guarantees destruction of a creature. Granted, the ratio of removal to mana cost at isn't exactly great, but you get a 7/6 body with an attack trigger that removes artifacts or enchantments. That's not nothing.

With regards to protection, Heroic InterventionHeroic Intervention is probably the best spell in the game. It doesn't cost the gifted card. It also doesn't run in the pesky, yet specific, situation where you need to Clever ConcealmentClever Concealment but are worried about being swung at after your board is phased out. If it's an asymmetrical board wide effect like a Crux of FateCrux of Fate, Clever ConcealmentClever Concealment might be helpful to saving your stuff, but it leaves you wide open to attacks.

However, Clever ConcealmentClever Concealment might be better against something like a Cyclonic RiftCyclonic Rift. Ultimately, Heroic InterventionHeroic Intervention is very good.

Parallel LivesParallel Lives and Doubling SeasonDoubling Season are great token doublers, hands down. I don't know if it's necessarily better in some respects than Anointed ProcessionAnointed Procession, but it's comparable. My point with all of this is to say that green can do most of these things well, or half as well.

Blue

What is blue particularly good at? Card draw, counter magic, flickering, and bounce effects.

The majority of the best card draw effects are in blue. Rhystic StudyRhystic Study is some of the best draw in Commander slash light stax. Kindred DiscoveryKindred Discovery is an example of another situational draw effect that's explosive and game changing.

Blue is great at flickering with cards like Ghostly FlickerGhostly Flicker and Splash PortalSplash Portal. Most flicker decks are Azorius because of how good blue and white are at this ability. The ratio of mana cost to effect is almost unmatched.

An Offer You Can't RefuseAn Offer You Can't Refuse, Swan SongSwan Song, Fierce GuardianshipFierce Guardianship, and straight up CounterspellCounterspell are some of the best counters in the game. Other colors don't even come close. Tibalt's TrickeryTibalt's Trickery is probably the best.

It would be crazy not to talk about Cyclonic RiftCyclonic Rift and AetherizeAetherize when talking about things blue is good at. These are some of the best instant-speed, blow-out bounce effects in the game. It's a complete reversal of advantage in games. Blue is extremely effective at this. The cost ratio is pretty brutal to hold up, so it's often telegraphed, but honestly, what are they really going to do? They have to make you use it or you're held hostage by it.

Again, the comparisons are not one to one. Green is versatile. It won't do the same thing, but it will attempt to have a similar effect. First, card draw. Creatures are a huge portion of green's game plan. Great power to mana cost ratios are a given in green. Cards like Guardian ProjectGuardian Project, Garruk's UprisingGarruk's Uprising, Elemental BondElemental Bond, and Tribute to the World TreeTribute to the World Tree all have repeatable, effective situational card draw. I've almost decked myself many times because of cards like this. It's very situational to its color identity, but it's very effective.

I'll keep it real with you, green isn't going to counter a spell. What it will do is try to avoid being countered. Green doesn't need to be reactionary like a lot of counter magic is. It puts up a wall that protects its investments. Destiny SpinnerDestiny Spinner, Allosaurus ShepherdAllosaurus Shepherd, Last March of the EntsLast March of the Ents, and Veil of SummerVeil of Summer are spells that can function a lot like countermagic. It's not one to one, but it's something.

I'll keep it a stack, green isn't particularly good at flickering, but Temur SabertoothTemur Sabertooth isn't something to ignore. It's one card, but if you're able to make infinite green - which a lot of decks are capable of doing - that's infinite flickers. It's a huge combo piece in this color combination for this reason, and green has access to it.

Additionally, sometimes flicker effects are used as protection, which something like Tamiyo's SafekeepingTamiyo's Safekeeping and Tyvar's StandTyvar's Stand can also do for a similar cost. It's not exactly the same, but it's something.

Bounce effects are going to be the biggest cope portion of this section. Green can't do this. However, it can do some things related to it. What makes an AetherizeAetherize and Cyclonic RiftCyclonic Rift such a blowout? The advantage you can gain with a switch up like that is huge. It's hidden information that could turn the tide of the game.

Here comes the cope: Craterhoof BehemothCraterhoof Behemoth. Wait, come back! Here me out! I know I can't solve all my problems with Craterhoof BehemothCraterhoof Behemoth, but I can solve most of my problems with it. It's the sort of blowout card that can be played in a single turn with minimal setup and win the game. It's the sort of thing that either turns the tide of the game or wins you the game. Don't worry. I know how shaky this is, but it's something.

Black

What is black particularly good at? Board wipes, recursion, and creature removal.

The best board wipe in Commander is Toxic DelugeToxic Deluge. The versatility of paying life to hit bigger things or picking a number that keeps your commander alive is huge. The fact that it gets around protection and indestructible cannot be understated. And the cost is only . It's such a good rate for such an efficient board wipe.

Blasphemous EdictBlasphemous Edict is nothing to sneeze at either, probably the third best board wipe in Commander. Potentially costing only is crazy for what is essentially a complete board wipe, the sacrificing of 13 creatures. Recursion and Aristocrats strategies are really efficient in black too.

Additionally, creature removal, after Path and Swords, is most efficient in black. It's great at removing indestructible creatures and creatures with protection through -1/-1 counters and sac effects like Tragic SlipTragic Slip and Fleshbag MarauderFleshbag Marauder.

Green has one board wipe, and its Ezuri's PredationEzuri's Predation. It's a big dumb spell that doesn't even necessarily kill everything. It's interesting and worth playing sometimes, but is not even in the running for best board wipes in Commander. With Doubling SeasonDoubling Season out you might be able to do something cool as hell, but again it's not something to note. It's also not amazing coming in at , but it's something.

Green is great with recursion though. With cards like Eternal WitnessEternal Witness and Noxious RevivalNoxious Revival green outclasses a lot of other colors that attempt to recur. Notably, Eternal WitnessEternal Witness is a blinkable target that gets you any card, not just a permanent. It's easy to abuse. It's such an interesting card. Very powerful. And it's in green.

Red

What is red particularly good at? Burn damage, ritual mana, extra combats, and Blasphemous ActBlasphemous Act.

In certain situations, Blasphemous ActBlasphemous Act is a better board wipe than Toxic DelugeToxic Deluge. If we're not talking about indestructible or protected creatures, potentially paying only to deal 13 damage to everything is incredible. It's the second best board wipe in Commander.

Additionally, Chandra's IgnitionChandra's Ignition-type of effects are a huge way to close out games. Red is good at indirect, non-combat oriented damage.

Relentless AssaultRelentless Assault and Aggravated AssaultAggravated Assault are notable multiple combat cards. They can make or break a game, especially with red's ability to produce an ungodly amount of mana.

Mana GeyserMana Geyser is one of the best ritual spells in the game, next to a Dark RitualDark Ritual. It gives a bigger burst of mana than a Dark RitualDark Ritual, but costs a ton more to make happen.

Green cannot do indirect, non-creature based damage. It just compensates with some of the best combat based strategies in the game. Green can't do direct damage but it can make its creatures huge and give them trample. It can deal excess damage for value like with cards like Contest of ClawsContest of Claws and Windswift SliceWindswift Slice.

Green can't do ritual effects, but it has some of the best land ramp in the game. Why use rituals when you can put two Forests into play untapped with Skyshroud ClaimSkyshroud Claim?

Lastly, green can't do extra combats. It can, however, use Unnatural GrowthUnnatural Growth and Zopandrel, Hunger DominusZopandrel, Hunger Dominus to make its creatures twice as big. It can also give those creatures trample, dealing excess damage, and killing creatures in the process. It's not repeatable, but it's something.

Green and Conclusion

Okay. So maybe green can't really do it all, but it can do a lot! The point I'm trying to make here is that green has its fingers in a lot of pies. It's capable of providing some similar effects to other colors. Having that little edge in all those categories pushes it to the top in terms of versatility and power.

Green also has things it's especially good at. It's the queen of ramp, lands, and trample. Crop RotationCrop Rotation is the best land fetch spell in the game for and at instant speed. It's got its specialty and its ability to dip into other colors' effects.

But honestly, I want to know what you all think. Am I coping? Is white better? I want to hear your thoughts! I'm @Strixhavendropout.