(Lightning HelixLightning Helix | Art by Kev Walker)

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Hello everyone! Welcome to another Back to Basics article! Last time, I covered one of the most controlling two-color pairs, Dimir (). Today, I'm going in the opposite direction to bring you the top 10 most played Boros () cards in Commander! Indeed, I'd say that Boros is the most aggressive color pair in EDH. Of course, one of the great things about the format is you don't have to play exactly to type; there are many Legends and themes that can lead you down a different path. Speaking of which....

Honorable Mentions - Fighter ClassFighter Class and Akiri, Fearless VoyagerAkiri, Fearless Voyager

Okay, sure, Boros Equipment-themed decks are still pretty likely to lean aggressive by playing a lot of creatures and looking to deal lethal damage, but hear me out! Fighter ClassFighter Class and Akiri are two of the most played Boros cards outside the top 10, and they — alongside a slew of other synergy cards — present you with a more snowbally, Voltron-style build that can feel very different from a more typical curve-out-disruptive or go-wide strategy. All the color pairs have something they do better than the others, but there are still a ton of ways to proceed from there.

10. Rip ApartRip Apart - 39,381 decks

Kicking off the top 10-proper, we have a versatile but unexciting staple removal spell! Synergy with commanders General Ferrous RokiricGeneral Ferrous Rokiric and Firesong and SunspeakerFiresong and Sunspeaker aside, this is just a nice removal spell to have. Killing a creature with toughness 3 isn't great, but Rip ApartRip Apart really shines when you're using it to get rid of an artifact or enchantment that threatens to win the game for an opponent. Similarly, an aggressive deck will value having a way to combat permanents and strategies that stop your creatures attacking or otherwise shield from damage. There's a whole theme built around this!

9. Anim Pakal, Thousandth MoonAnim Pakal, Thousandth Moon - 3,403 as commander, 39,246 decks in the 99

As a commander, Anim Pakal can lead an incredibly fun Boros go-wide variant that kills opponents by dealing noncombat damage every time a creature enters. The color pair is full of these payoffs, including Impact TremorsImpact Tremors, Reckless FireweaverReckless Fireweaver, Witty RoastmasterWitty Roastmaster, Agate InstigatorAgate Instigator, Molten GatekeeperMolten Gatekeeper, and more. Heck, even SkullclampSkullclamp and Losheel, Clockwork ScholarLosheel, Clockwork Scholar will rewards you heavily for putting a bunch of 1/1 tokens into play!

As a card in the 99, she is pretty good in just about any deck with a red and white color identity that leans into go-wide strategies. These include Aurelia, the Law AboveAurelia, the Law Above (though Anim Pakal's tokens don't attack — they're created attacking already), Baylen, the HaymakerBaylen, the Haymaker, and Jetmir, Nexus of RevelsJetmir, Nexus of Revels.

There's also a neat way to wrap the game up in one attack, as you can see from this handy Commander Spellbook guide:

8. Assemble the LegionAssemble the Legion - 43, 474 decks

This is one of the best enablers for the go-wide "ping" deck I covered above. It's also just a powerful, annoying card that will provoke your opponents into removing it sooner rather than later. It synergizes very well with Impact Tremors and friends. But it also threatens game-ending damage when paired with Beastmaster AscensionBeastmaster Ascension, Parallel LivesParallel Lives, or Caretaker's TalentCaretaker's Talent, among other token payoffs.

There are also a bunch of new cards from Duskmourn: House of Horrors that key off small creatures, so you can look to build decks combining Assemble with Arabella, Abandoned DollArabella, Abandoned Doll, Spiked Corridor // Torture PitSpiked Corridor // Torture Pit, and Dollmaker's Shop // Porcelain GalleryDollmaker's Shop // Porcelain Gallery.

7. Warleader's CallWarleader's Call - 46,982 decks

Just like Assemble the Legion, this Glorious AnthemGlorious Anthem-slash-Impact Tremors goes very nicely with a bunch of Duskmourn cards. Bennie Smith wrote a great piece (part of a series!) on DSK commanders, including The Jolly Balloon ManThe Jolly Balloon Man playing Warleader's CallWarleader's Call, so check it out! More generally, it's one of the most played Boros cards in Commander because it boosts pretty much everything the color pair is trying to do. You want it in the "ping" decks alongside Assemble the Legion and possibly led by Anim Pakal. But an Anthem is also just excellent in any go-wide or aggressive deck.

Since I didn't mention this earlier, one way to make the most out of the ping ability while leaning away from a really aggressive style is to play a bunch of token multipliers like Mondrak, Glory DominusMondrak, Glory Dominus, Chatterfang, Squirrel GeneralChatterfang, Squirrel General (in a sweet four or five-color brew!), and Ojer Taq, Deepest FoundationOjer Taq, Deepest Foundation. This way, you aren't really planning on creating tokens and pinging over multiple turns; you want to end the game in one huge turn. Anim Pakal gets the ball rolling very nicely.

6. Iroas, God of VictoryIroas, God of Victory - 1,591 decks as commander, 45,987 decks in the 99

Pinging opponents to death with the Impact Tremor family of cards and token makers is fun, but sometimes you don't want to fiddle around with noncombat damage. This is Boros, after all, the premier attacking color pair! Number six on the list takes us back to Boros' combat step roots. Iroas does double duty, helping your attackers get through while also shrugging off blockers. This strategy goes great with other combat amplifiers like Blade HistorianBlade Historian, Hero of BladeholdHero of Bladehold, and Tajic, Blade of the LegionTajic, Blade of the Legion. I'm sensing a naming convention here.

This kind of "basic" Boros game plan also works well with Token and Equipment themes, among others, so feel free to express yourself. Soldiers can be a blast, for example. You get to play more niche cards like Myrel, Shield of ArgiveMyrel, Shield of Argive and Keeper of the AccordKeeper of the Accord, and you can branch out into blue for Harbin, Vanguard AviatorHarbin, Vanguard Aviator and all the Azorius Soldier cards from The Brothers' War. Iroas will have to cede leadership of the deck, but he won't mind crashing into opponents' faces as part of the 99.

Huh, Anim Pakal is a Soldier!

5. Deflecting PalmDeflecting Palm - 52,118

This instant is very much a traitor to the color pair, as it feels right at home in pillow-fort decks built around Ghostly PrisonGhostly Prison, Smothering TitheSmothering Tithe, and Trouble in PairsTrouble in Pairs, among other nasty permanents. Imagine: you used your Rip Apart to enable an attack with your giant Voltron creature carrying comically large amounts of equipment or auras. Victory is within reach, but, alas! A Deflecting PalmDeflecting Palm ruins your day, killing you or another unfortunate soul at the table.

If an enchantment-heavy, ultra-defensive deck isn't your thing, you can get a lot of value out of Palm and other controlling cards in a Queen MarchesaQueen Marchesa deck. Palm can stop an opponent from claiming the Monarchy in a pinch, but most of the time it will function as an unexpected removal spell and make your opponent think twice about attacking you when you have two mana up. It also plays nicely in the same space as other combat-control cards like Kardur, DoomscourgeKardur, Doomscourge, Take the BaitTake the Bait and InkshieldInkshield. Nasty stuff!

4. Gisela, Blade of GoldnightGisela, Blade of Goldnight - 2,302 decks as commander, 67,366 decks in the 99

Seven mana is a steep price to pay in an aggressive deck, but Gisela is worth it in the right build! As your commander, she's an ideal place to play one combo I'll discuss later in this list (no spoilers!). She also herself combines with Heartless HidetsuguHeartless Hidetsugu to kill all your opponents at once, as long as they have even life totals.

In the 99, she's very sweet in an Angel kindred deck, especially when Giada, Font of HopeGiada, Font of Hope and Starnheim AspirantStarnheim Aspirant offer you discounts on her mana cost. This type of deck — similar to Dragons in the way you overwhelm opponents with huge, flying monsters — can also leverage other doubling effects like Dictate of the Twin GodsDictate of the Twin Gods or City on FireCity on Fire to turn a little damage into a big, freakin' deal.

3. Aurelia, the WarleaderAurelia, the Warleader - 3,027 decks as commander, 78,226 decks in the 99

The second and last Angel on this list, Aurelia is a very Boros-ey, combat-focused card. Like Gisela, she also offers devastating combo potential. There are tons of them to choose from, so check out her page on Commander Spellbook.

She's the ideal aggressively-slanted Angel deck commander, but if you want to run her in the 99, you can use her as a turbocharger for attack triggers. Popular commanders based on EDHREC for this strategy include Djeru and HazoretDjeru and Hazoret, Kaalia of the VastKaalia of the Vast, and Cadric, Soul KindlerCadric, Soul Kindler. Anim Pakal merits yet another mention, too! You could even go all-in on attack triggers as a theme, utilizing Aurelia, Isshin, Two Heavens as OneIsshin, Two Heavens as One, and Sisay, Weatherlight CaptainSisay, Weatherlight Captain to glue everything together. Don't leave your Kutzil, Malamet ExemplarKutzil, Malamet Exemplars at home, folks.

2. Wear // TearWear // Tear - 86,916

If I've learned anything from writing these lists, it's that Anim PakalAnim Pakal should go in every Boros deck. But also, decks really want to devote slots to artifact and enchantment removal! Unlike Rip Apart, Wear // TearWear // Tear can't kill something that's just a creature. But, in exchange, you get to remove two problem permanents for just three mana. It also really bears repeating that there are tons of ways in this format to stymie aggression, and many of them come with either gray or sparkly card frames. A timely DisenchantDisenchant could mean the difference between winning and losing.

1. Boros CharmBoros Charm - 266,547 decks

To the untrained eye, Boros CharmBoros Charm might look like just another of these cheap utility spells that often crop up around the top of these lists. And you wouldn't be too far off, except that this instant also has infinite combo potential! What you need is a Boros ReckonerBoros Reckoner in play, plus two prerequisites: you can give the 3/3 lifelink, and you have a way to deal damage to it.

Pretty cool, eh? And even if you're not into having infinite life and forcing opponents to kill you another way, you can still get a lot of value out of Charm's modes. It can protect your team from a non-FarewellFarewell sweeper and give a giant, possibly-equipped creature double-strike. That's a lot for a two-mana instant!

There's always room for improvement.There's always room for improvement.

That's a wrap for Boros! A lot of my favorite red and white cards didn't make the list, so indulge me when I rave about Feather, the RedeemedFeather, the Redeemed, Winota, Joiner of ForcesWinota, Joiner of Forces, and Showdown of the SkaldsShowdown of the Skalds. These three cards all work well enough in an aggressive strategy while opening up a lot of possibilities for what a Boros deck can achieve. Let me know which Boros cards you love the most for EDH!

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Nick Price