Namor the Sub-MarinerNamor the Sub-Mariner | Art by Chris Rallis

Ahh yes, Merfolk. "Wet Elves," if you will. One of Magic's most beloved creature types, and one of their most powerful, just got a brand new commander that's coming out in 2026. I might not know much about Marvel's Namor, but I can say for certain that Magic's Namor is one of the best Merfolk commanders we've seen since The Lost Caverns of Ixalan.

What Does Namor the Sub-MarinerNamor the Sub-Mariner Do?

For , Namor is a flying */4, and his power is equal to the number of Merfolk we've got on board. And whenever we cast a noncreature spell, we make a 1/1 Merfolk creature token for each in that spell's mana cost.

Namor may seem relatively tame on the surface, but he's a Voltron threat all on his own. When combined with his ability to clog the board with tricksy Merfolk, this commander sure makes a splash.

Although Namor is a strong, evasive creature that can end combats in just a few turns, he's not the focus of our game plan. We'll control the board, and then buff up our Merfolk to swing in for victory. Namor makes more 1/1s than most of our opponents will be able to deal with, and those creature tokens will be how we aim to win the game.

I've built a strong Bracket 3 list, and a cheap version of this list is possible if you cut just two or three pricey cards.

Let's get brewing, and see what Namor can do!

Key Cards for Namor

Merfolk have been a part of Magic since 1993, so there's a long history of powerful synergies to draw upon. Anthem effects like Lord of AtlantisLord of Atlantis and Master of the Pearl TridentMaster of the Pearl Trident are classics, and they work even better alongside newer releases like Vodalian HexcatcherVodalian Hexcatcher and Attuma, Atlantean WarlordAttuma, Atlantean Warlord.

I'm particularly excited about Attuma, who makes Seafloor OracleSeafloor Oracle seem like a relic. My favorite anthem effect, though, is Mindspring MerfolkMindspring Merfolk. Although it can only be used once, it's a fantastic finisher that we can make use of when it's time to close out the game.

We've also got a small collection of what I'll call "mean" creatures that provide repeatable interaction for our opponents' game plans. Silvergill DouserSilvergill Douser can shrink our opponents' best attackers over and over again, ensuring that they can't connect with their most powerful creatures. We'll usually have enough Merfolk to reduce an opposing creature's power to zero, which is a pretty sweet ability for this two-drop.

Then there's Harbinger of the SeasHarbinger of the Seas, which will pose a serious issue to our opponents who chose to play multicolored decks against us. It'll likely get removed pretty quickly, as most Commander decks run a bevy of nonbasic lands, but it can slow everyone else at the table down by a turn or two.

Finally, the meanest of the bunch: Lullmage MentorLullmage Mentor. I almost feel bad for including this card in the list, as this Wizard can lock down the game easily. Paired with Namor, we'll usually have enough Merfolk on the board to counter at least one spell per turn rotation. The threat of activation can prevent opponents from even attempting to cast their scariest spell, meaning Lullmage Mentor is even stronger than it appears at first blush.

To find these powerful creatures more consistently, Merrow HarbingerMerrow Harbinger and SeahunterSeahunter have found their way into the 99. Seahunter is actually part of a cycle of cards that tutor creatures of a specific type to the battlefield, and I've not seen any of these cards in person.

We'll be making a lot of tokens, often in bunches of three or four, so Moonlit MeditationMoonlit Meditation can be extremely powerful. If we manage to enchant a card like Merfolk SovereignMerfolk Sovereign with this Aura, we can generate a whole bunch of anthems to power up our board. Moonlit Meditation is a recent release, and I've been trying to find the perfect home for this unique card since it was first spoiled. I think this may be one of the best fits I've found yet.

We can use all the tokens we make to convoke out a huge Transcendent MessageTranscendent Message, creating four 1/1 Merfolk and drawing a ton of cards. This spell can even be cast for "free" if we've got enough creatures on the battlefield, letting us spend our mana on interaction before tapping down our Merfolk to draw a whole bunch of cards.

Similarly, we can tap our creatures for another powerful noncreature spell: Secret of BloodbendingSecret of Bloodbending. This new sorcery does a very good MindslaverMindslaver impression while also making four Merfolk if Namor is on the battlefield when we cast it.

To ensure that our commander works as well as possible we've got some spells in our list specifically for their high pip count.

First up is Fated InfatuationFated Infatuation, an above-rate clone spell that also gives us some valuable card selection. Reenact the CrimeReenact the Crime has also earned a spot. I like to include at least one piece of graveyard hate in each of my Commander decks, and this instant is my go-to for color combinations that don't include , , or . Those colors have access to more consistent, and lower-cost, anti-graveyard tech. But, Reenact the Crime is far from a bad option in this spellslinging-centric list.

I also wanted to shout out a pair of high-cost, high-impact sorceries: Mnemonic DelugeMnemonic Deluge and Sorcerous SquallSorcerous Squall. We've got a few ways to fill up graveyards, like Mental NoteMental Note and Thought ScourThought Scour, so these spells will usually change the game substantially when they resolve. Many of these spells likely can't see play outside of mono- decks, as their restrictive mana costs make them unattractive for pilots that play with more than one color.

How Does This Namor Deck Win?

Merfolk creature tokens don't have any inherent evasion. How can we ensure that we're able to connect with our opponents? Well, one-sided wipes like Raise the PalisadeRaise the Palisade can clear a path for us quite well. Outside of dedicated typal decks, Merfolk are quite rare. So, for just , we'll be able to get rid of almost all of our opponents' creatures while ours remain untouched.

There's also Summon: LeviathanSummon: Leviathan. While this Saga creature leaves a few more of our opponents' creatures on the board, it's also a 6/6 creature that lets us draw a whole heap of cards with its second and third chapters. We can also lock down the board with Junk WinderJunk Winder, one of the few cards with affinity for tokens!

But if our token-based game plan doesn't work out, we can always attack our opponents with Namor. He'll get up above seven power quite quickly, meaning that we'll only need three hits to knock a player out of the game entirely. Other large creatures, like River SneakRiver Sneak, can serve as an alternative path to victory.

Plus, Wanderwine ProphetsWanderwine Prophets lets us chain extra turns easily. Assuming we're able to cast at least one noncreature spell with a pip per turn, we string together as many turns as we please.

Namor the Sub-Mariner Commander Deck List

Conclusion

There are a few more cards that I didn't get to chat about earlier that I want to acknowledge now. One of my favorite creatures, Triton WavebreakerTriton Wavebreaker, just so happens to be a Merfolk! Bestow is a fantastic mechanic, both in flavor and function, and this enchantment creature can turn Namor into an even scarier Voltron threat.

Next up, Kindred DiscoveryKindred Discovery might be one of the best cards in this deck. It makes two Merfolk on cast, and will let us draw tons of cards as the game goes on.

The duo of Deeproot PilgrimageDeeproot Pilgrimage and Deeproot WatersDeeproot Waters will give us a constant stream of 1/1 Merfolk. The tokens they make even have hexproof, making them that much stronger!

Namor is such a good commander because he provides us with a substantial reward for taking normal game actions. We already want to cast a whole bunch of spells, usually ones that have a few pips in them, and our commander provides us with disposable creatures when we do so. Plus, there's lots of anthems available from this creature type's broad support over the years, meaning that we can turn those simple 1/1s into potent attackers with ease.

Did I miss any of the best Merfolk? Did my description of the creatures as "Wet Elves" make you uncomfortable? Let me know in the comments below!