Vivi OrnitierVivi Ornitier | Art by Toni Infante

Hello everyone! I'm Levi from The Thought Vessel, and today we’re answering the question, “Which sets were actually successful for Commander players?” A few weeks ago, Saffron Olive raised this question on X.

Being that this is EDHREC, we can answer that very question using our deckbuilding data! A huge shout-out is due to our Duchess of Data, Julia Maddalena, as she was able to collect this information and put these visuals together for us. In this article, we'll be looking at these findings and what they can teach us about Commander players.

First Things First

The information that we're looking at today covers each set's legendary creatures that saw their first printing. This means that any deck list data for The Scarab GodThe Scarab God would not appear with Aetherdrift because it was originally printed in Hour of Devastation. We're also looking at the first sixty days after a set's release to keep the numbers more consistent. Finally, the Commander preconstructed decks are included in the data for their respective sets instead of on their own.

Statistics are fun, but they can also tell a story. Looking at how many decks were built doesn't just tell us which sets were popular. It gives us a glimpse into what Commander players were actually excited enough to sit down and brew. Sometimes those trends line up with the conversations happening online, and sometimes we get something entirely different.

Top Sets

Final Fantasy

The first thing that really pops out is the handful of sets that were far and away the most popular with the Commander community. Vivi OrnitierVivi Ornitier led the charge with 6,892 decks and is currently the number seven most popular commander in the entire format. Y'shtola, Night's BlessedY'shtola, Night's Blessed was also obviously a huge contributor and is the number one most popular commander. What's even more impressive about Vivi being so high up is that it wasn't the face commander of a precon, like many of the format's most popular commanders. Kefka, Court MageKefka, Court Mage was the third most popular with 5,281 decks.

While there were certainly some individual standouts, Final Fantasy also included an incredibly deep pool of commanders to choose from. Twenty-nine different commanders from the set saw at least 1,000 decks brewed and posted online. Rather than being carried by one or two breakout commanders, Final Fantasy succeeded because it offered quality and variety. That is not easy to pull off, and the results speak for themselves.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Avatar: The Last Airbender slightly edged out Secrets of Strixhaven for the second most popular set to date. The set was led by Fire Lord AzulaFire Lord Azula, which had a staggering 11,111 decks to its name within the first sixty days of release. That was the most decks built for a single commander from any set included in this list by nearly a 2,000-deck lead. Toph, the First MetalbenderToph, the First Metalbender and Avatar AangAvatar Aang followed with 8,966 and 6,266 decks.

Unlike Final Fantasy, whose popularity was spread across dozens of commanders, Avatar's success was much more concentrated around a handful of iconic characters. Those three commanders alone accounted for an enormous portion of the decks built from the set, showing just how excited players were to build around some of the franchise's biggest names. People clearly appreciated both the characters and the mechanics of Avatar, as this was the only set in the top five that didn't have any precons helping support its numbers.

Secrets of Strixhaven

While it's still early, Secrets of Strixhaven may very well end up being my favorite set from 2026. Strixhaven sets, much like Ravnica, combine mechanics with a strong sense of community and identity. It has always been more about the houses than any individual character.

House Witherbloom led the way with Witherbloom, the BalancerWitherbloom, the Balancer, Blech, Loafing PestBlech, Loafing Pest, and Dina, Essence BrewerDina, Essence Brewer, each having more than 5,500 decks to their names. The impact of having five distinct houses really showed through, as fifteen different commanders had more than 1,000 decks. That spread player interest across the set instead of funneling everyone toward one obvious commander. Much like Final Fantasy, that variety played a major role in the set's success, even if the overall numbers weren't quite as high.

Lorwyn Eclipsed

Between Lorwyn Eclipsed and Secrets of Strixhaven, it's clear there's still a strong appetite for in-universe Magic sets. The heavy lifting for Lorwyn Eclipsed came from its precons and typal themes. Ashling, the LimitlessAshling, the Limitless, Maralen, Fae AscendantMaralen, Fae Ascendant, and Auntie Ool, CursewretchAuntie Ool, Cursewretch each had more than 7,000 decks built. Part of the top-heavy nature of the set may come down to the number of legendary creatures available. Lorwyn Eclipsed only introduced twenty-one legendary creatures, which is substantially fewer than a Universes Beyond release like Final Fantasy, which had 165 legendary creatures with at least one deck built around them.

Commander players don't necessarily need hundreds of commanders. If the legends are exciting and well supported, players will build them. Of the twenty-one legends in Lorwyn Eclipsed, twelve had over 1,000 decks in the first sixty days.

Marvel Super Heroes

Marvel Super Heroes is a bit of a unicorn on this list. At the time of writing this article, it hasn't even reached the full sixty-day window used for the rest of the data, yet it's already sitting comfortably in the top five sets in recent history. There's a very real possibility that it climbs even higher once the full data comes in. Since this set has some very interesting outliers, we felt that we should add it to our list as it is for now. One obvious contributor to that popularity is the sheer volume of legendary creatures. Between the main set, Commander precons, and Jumpstart decks, 346 legendary creatures have at least one deck.

That incredible number of options lets players build around their favorite characters without being locked into a single strategy.

Doctor Doom, King of LatveriaDoctor Doom, King of Latveria, Tony StarkTony Stark, and The Unbeatable Squirrel GirlThe Unbeatable Squirrel Girl are currently leading the pack in decks built, but none of them have reached the staggering numbers that we saw from Fire Lord AzulaFire Lord Azula or Y'shtola, Night's BlessedY'shtola, Night's Blessed. Of course, there's still plenty of time for that to change, which is why it's important to remember that these numbers are only a snapshot, not the final picture.

Bottom Sets

Foundations

Foundations was a breath of fresh air when it debuted as a mechanically simpler set, much like the Core Sets of old. One possible explanation for its placement is that Commander players often gravitate toward splashier or more mechanically complex legends when they're building a new deck. Foundations intentionally occupied a simpler design space, which may have made it excellent for introducing players to Magic without inspiring as many dedicated Commander brews. Niv-Mizzet, VisionaryNiv-Mizzet, Visionary, Shroofus SproutsireShroofus Sproutsire, and Evereth, Viceroy of PlunderEvereth, Viceroy of Plunder were the three most popular commanders from the set and the only ones to surpass 1,000 decks during the first sixty days. Niv-Mizzet led the way with 1,398 decks, which is a far cry from the totals seen among the most popular sets.

What's interesting is that Foundations wasn't lacking in good cards. Quite the opposite. Many of its cards have become staples in the 99 of Commander decks, like Twinflame TyrantTwinflame Tyrant and High Fae TricksterHigh Fae Trickster. The difference is that players were much more interested in adding these cards to existing decks than they were in building entirely new decks around the legendary creatures themselves.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

There's a noticeable jump between Foundations and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but as it stands today, TMNT ranks as the second-lowest-performing set in this data. Leonardo, the BalanceLeonardo, the Balance was the most popular commander from the set with 6,073 decks, followed by Michelangelo, the HeartMichelangelo, the Heart, who typically partners with Leonardo, Splinter, Radical RatSplinter, Radical Rat, and Raph & Mikey, TroublemakersRaph & Mikey, Troublemakers, all of which surpassed 2,300 decks.

Several factors may have contributed to the set's lower popularity. We had recently received Marvel's Spider-Man, another Universes Beyond release centered around New York City, which may have reduced some of the excitement. It's also possible that the audience of people interested in jumping into Magic because of TMNT is simply smaller than the audiences for Final Fantasy or The Lord of the Rings.

I actually think one of the biggest factors may have been its precon. There was only one, and it was a five-color deck designed to let players include as many TMNT cards as possible. Instead of encouraging players to build four separate decks, Wizards essentially gave them one that already featured everyone. Heroes in a Half ShellHeroes in a Half Shell put all four turtles on one card.

Outside of commanders like Raph & Mikey, much of the set revolved around Ninjas and the new sneak mechanic. Between Splinter and Leonardo, many of the major build-around themes were already represented. I happily added several cards from the set to existing decks, but very few commanders made me want to build something entirely new.

Marvel's Spider-Man

Twenty years from now, if we look back at the history of Magic, positive or negative, Marvel's Spider-Man may end up being remembered as one of the most fascinating releases. Collectors certainly bought boxes of the set, but Commander players simply didn't embrace it the way they did Final Fantasy just a few months earlier. It wasn't because of a lack of options. Ninety-one different legendary creatures had at least one deck built during the first sixty days after release. The opportunity was certainly there. Players just didn't seem particularly excited by what many of those creatures actually did.

Norman OsbornNorman Osborn was the most popular commander with 4,489 decks, though that number was helped by both cEDH players experimenting with the deck and the MTG Arena meme surrounding Goben, Gene-Splice SavantGoben, Gene-Splice Savant. After Fleem, the next most popular commanders were Cosmic Spider-ManCosmic Spider-Man and Anti-Venom, Horrifying HealerAnti-Venom, Horrifying Healer, both more than 2,500.

Only nine commanders surpassed 1,000 decks during the first sixty days. For a Universes Beyond release, especially one carrying the Marvel name, that's a very low number. Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that simply offering a large number of options isn't enough if those options aren’t good.

Takeaways

The Precon Effect is Real

One of the biggest questions when looking at this data is how much of an impact Commander precons have on these numbers. While it didn't have quite as much of an impact as I initially expected, it can't be ignored that precon decks absolutely influence Commander engagement when a set releases. They give players an easy entry point, provide a strategy, and allow people to start playing immediately without having to hunt down an entire decklist. Many playgroups simply enjoy precon battles or playing at that level of power.

When a set doesn't include precons, it definitely shows in the data, but it’s not everything. Avatar: The Last Airbender is the perfect example of that. The set reached the top of the charts without precons supporting its commanders because the characters and designs were strong enough to carry the set on their own. Precons can raise the floor of a set, but they don't necessarily determine its ceiling.

Biggest Surprise: Aetherdrift

When the data was first being collected, I was preparing myself to have to dunk on Aetherdrift. For a lot of Magic players, Aetherdrift was their least favorite set of 2025. Between complaints about the mechanics, the setting, and the storyline, there was plenty of criticism surrounding the release.

Once the numbers came in, that narrative didn't match reality. Aetherdrift was actually the seventh-best-performing set out of the thirteen included in this data, putting it right in the middle of the pack. Hashaton was incredibly popular for a time, and Mendicant Core, GuidelightMendicant Core, Guidelight is currently the third most popular Azorius commander, surpassing Brago, King EternalBrago, King Eternal.

Online criticism doesn't always reflect the broader Commander community. A set can have a rocky reception online while still providing cards that players genuinely enjoy. That's an important distinction. The loudest voices aren’t always the majority of voices.

Quality Over Quantity

One of the clearest trends from this data is that having more commanders doesn't automatically lead to more success. Lorwyn Eclipsed outperforming Universes Beyond releases like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Marvel's Spider-Man shows that quality matters just as much as quantity. Yes, some players will build decks around their favorite characters regardless of power level or mechanics. I built The Ghoul, GunslingerThe Ghoul, Gunslinger for exactly that reason.

However, when looking at the larger Commander community, players tend to spend their time and energy on commanders that give them an exciting reason to build. Sometimes that comes from a powerful card. Sometimes it comes from a unique mechanic. Sometimes it's simply a character that someone has always wanted to play that also looks fun. If a commander comes out that isn’t designed in an exciting way, there’s a good chance it will be ignored. More choices are good, but meaningful choices are what drive players to action.

Voting with Your Feet

There is a saying that I have come to enjoy: "Vote with your feet." It's similar to the idea that actions speak louder than words. Sometimes the greater Magic community talks about being incredibly excited for a set, only for the data to show that very few decks are actually being built from it. Other times, we see a set receive a lot of criticism online, but players still find commanders they enjoy and start brewing. Looking at deckbuilding trends rather than social media conversations gives us a different view of how sets actually do.

Whether it's because of nostalgia, mechanics, power, or simply a commander that sparks someone's imagination, the decks people choose to build tell a story all their own. Not every deck list becomes a paper deck, but taking the time to build one on a site like Archidekt still reflects genuine interest.

I'm sure there are plenty of other factors that play a role in these results that we simply don't know about. There are also countless theories that we didn't have the time to cover in this article. Data can tell us what happened, but it doesn't always tell us exactly why. Still, it gives us a fascinating glimpse into what the greater Commander community gravitates toward.

At the end of the day, players will continue to build the commanders that excite them. Sometimes that's the creature everyone is talking about. Sometimes it's the one no one is. The best way to understand Commander isn't always by listening to what players say they like. Sometimes, you just have to look at what they actually build.

Until next time, happy brewing!