Kenrith, the Returned KingKenrith, the Returned King | Art by Kieran Yanner

Hello Everyone! I’m Levi from The Thought Vessel, and this is Hidden Gems, the series that looks at commanders across the format and finds cards for their 99 that might not be getting the love they deserve.

To qualify as a hidden gem, a card must appear in less than fifteen percent of all registered decks for that commander here on EDHREC. The idea is to highlight cards that are solid additions for a commander, but are still flying under the radar for one reason or another.

Today, we’re looking at the Swiss Army Knife in the command zone, Kenrith, the Returned KingKenrith, the Returned King. Few commanders have shaped tables the way Kenrith has since his release, and even fewer manage to do so across nearly every possible power bracket.

Before we get into the list, let’s take a closer look at this iconic five-color commander and what makes him so special.

Why Do We Love Kenrith, the Returned KingKenrith, the Returned King?

Kenrith, the Returned KingKenrith, the Returned King is a five-mana creature with a whopping five activated abilities, one for each color, that can be useful in a wide range of situations:

• gives all creatures trample and haste.
• puts a +1/+1 counter on a creature.
• gains a player five life.
• draws a card.
• brings a creature from the graveyard back into play under its owner’s control.

Individually, none of these abilities are groundbreaking, but having them all on the same card can provide flexibility that would make Gumby jealous.

The most important thing to notice is that none of these abilities include the words “you control.” Every activation can target opponents just as easily as yourself.

That single line of text, or lack thereof, completely reshapes how Kenrith plays at the table. He isn’t just a value engine or a combo piece; he’s a negotiation tool. We can kickstart a combat, save a creature, bring one back, help an opponent find an answer or even give a player enough life to stay alive.

The cEDH Dilemma

Before we get to the list, there’s a minor point we need to address. While there are plenty of Group Hug versions of Kenrith out there, there are also a large number of cEDH and Bracket 4 lists using Kenrith as a streamlined five-color combo commander. Kenrith's access to all five colors, combined with his built-in win condition, makes it an incredibly efficient choice at higher power levels.

While I love a good combo deck as much as the next Commander player - honestly, probably more than - we're going to put the Birthing Pod and cEDH lists on the side for today. This article is centered on the Political and Group Hug side of Kenrith. Because of that, we’ll be using the Group Hug filter on EDHREC to surface cards that support deal-making, table management, and interactive play patterns.

The recommendations here are meant to enhance that experience, not race to a deterministic win. With that in mind, let’s start with an honorable mention.

Honorable Mention – Fire Lord ZukoFire Lord Zuko (10 Decks Total)

While Fire Lord Zuko doesn’t cleanly fit the Group Hug theme since it requires attacking, firebending as a mechanic has a lot of potential with Kenrith. Kenrith functions extremely well as a mana sink, and any card that scales with excess mana definitely deserves a look.

Zuko stands out because he has firebending X, where X is his power. Kenrith’s ability to place +1/+1 counters on creatures means we can steadily grow Zuko while also turning him into a mana-producing engine. Over time, this creates a creature that both threatens combat damage and fuels further Kenrith activations.

While this isn’t quite where we want to be for a true Group Hug list, it’s an interaction worth keeping in mind as firebending and similar mechanics enter the format.

Hidden Gems for Kenrith

10) Wandering ArchaicWandering Archaic (11%)

We’re primarily interested in the creature side of this card. Wandering ArchaicWandering Archaic naturally creates negotiation points without requiring us to say a word. When an opponent casts a spell like CultivateCultivate and doesn’t want to pay the additional two mana, we also get to ramp. If someone fires off a removal spell, we can copy it and help address a shared problem at the table.

In this type of deck, this can be very political. The possibilities might not be endless, but it will definitely feel like it.

9) Noble HeritageNoble Heritage (8.5%)

Next up on our list is Noble HeritageNoble Heritage, though there are several cards in this class like Orzhov AdvokistOrzhov Advokist worth considering as well. Noble Heritage works while our commander is on the battlefield and presents each opponent with a choice during our upkeep. They can either place two +1/+1 counters on a creature they control and lose the ability to hurt us until our next turn, or decline and keep their options open.

If only one player declines, everyone else gets ahead while that player stays put. If everyone declines, we get to place two +1/+1 counters on one of our own creatures each turn. With a commander that starts as a 5/5 and can give himself trample, this opens up commander damage as a legitimate plan B.

More importantly, it subtly incentivizes opponents to leave us alone without ever explicitly saying so, letting us continue to help the table.

8) Dawn's TruceDawn's Truce (8.3%)

For Kenrith players relying on Heroic InterventionHeroic Intervention, I highly recommend adding or swapping in Dawn's TruceDawn's Truce. In addition to protecting our permanents, Dawn’s Truce gives us hexproof. That extra line of text matters more than it looks, especially in a political deck where opponents may try to take our pointed support cards all for themselves.

Cards like Emrakul, the Promised EndEmrakul, the Promised End can completely dismantle a support-heavy board state. Dawn’s Truce gives us an out. To activate the indestructible clause, we must gift a card draw, which leans into our Group Hug theme.

We can help an ally, reward cooperation, or give a pity draw to our opponent who decided to keep that one-land hand. We told him that the heart of the cards was only a Yu-Gi-Oh! thing, and he should mulligan, but some players simply like to learn lessons the hard way.

7) Disrupt DecorumDisrupt Decorum (7.5%)

Group Hug decks often result in opponents building impressive boards thanks to all the extra ramp and card draw getting tossed around like we're at a taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Disrupt Decorum turns that excess into a weapon.

Forcing every creature under our opponents' control to attack each other is at least going result in a good number of destroyed creatures, and best case scenario, we see players eliminated in the process.

It's also a good way to open the board up if everyone gets too bogged down.

6) Leyline of AnticipationLeyline of Anticipation (7.5%)

Holding up mana is one of the most important habits to learn in a Kenrith Group Hug deck. Commander games can change drastically over a single turn cycle, and acting with imperfect information often leads to mistakes. Leyline of AnticipationLeyline of Anticipation lets us wait, observe, and act only when necessary.

Being able to cast spells at instant speed helps us avoid enabling combos, misjudging threats, or saving the wrong thing. If no deals present themselves, we'll just cash in our mana at the end step before our turn on Kenrith activations.

Flexibility is power, and Leyline of Anticipation maximizes it.

5) Illusionist's BracersIllusionist's Bracers (7.4%)

Activating Kenrith is good. Activating him twice is better. Illusionist’s Bracers doubles every activation, letting us amplify value, split benefits, or lean fully into advantage when the situation calls for it.

Sometimes we can help ourselves with one activation and an opponent with the copied ability, or in other words, "One for you, one for me." Other times, it means pulling ahead decisively and using both effects on ourselves over and over.

The correct choice of what to do changes constantly, but Illusionist’s Bracers gives us the agency to decide which role we should play at any given moment.

4) Virtus's ManeuverVirtus's Maneuver (5.8%)

Battlebond continues to be the gift that keeps on giving... except for NajeelaNajeela. Virtus's ManeuverVirtus's Maneuver is the poster child for how "friend or foe" cards shine in these kinds of decks. We can reward players who are helping us or leaving us alone while also punishing those who aren’t.

Even outside of Group Hug, forcing each opponent to sacrifice a creature while returning one from our graveyard to our hand is solid utility. In Kenrith, it becomes another lever we can pull to shape the table.

3) Bender's WaterskinBender's Waterskin (3.8%)

As we spoke about earlier with Leyline of AnticipationLeyline of Anticipation, holding up mana really keeps our options open, and Bender’s Waterskin reinforces this. Untapping during each opponent’s untap step ensures we always have access to at least one mana of any color. At its floor, this lets Kenrith give all creatures haste and trample. At its ceiling, it masks our intentions entirely.

By being able to tap for any color, if we have enough mana through Sol RingSol Ring or even lands, we can make deals on any of our abilities.

2) Nyxbloom AncientNyxbloom Ancient (4.9% of Total Decks, Less Than 1% of Group Hug Decks)

Nyxbloom AncientNyxbloom Ancient is where things start to get flashy. Being able to triple our mana can make it a lot easier to activate our blue or black ability and still have mana left over to activate more abilities or cast spells for our own board.

If we're lucky enough to get an activation cost reducer in play, like Training GroundsTraining Grounds, we're off to the races!

1) Glen Elendra ArchmageGlen Elendra Archmage (1.9% of Total Decks, Less Than 1% of Group Hug Decks)

Finally, we have Glen Elendra ArchmageGlen Elendra Archmage for the Group Hug decks that want to set healthy boundaries. Glen Elendra Archmage can sacrifice itself for one blue mana to counter a noncreature spell. It comes back into play with a -1/-1 counter on it. Since Kenrith can give creatures +1/+1 counters, we can give Glen Elendra Archmage one to wash the counters and reset the ability entirely.

If we use the effect only defensively, it tells the table that while we’re happy to help, we’re not going to be bullied. Sometimes that’s exactly what a political deck needs to get itself to the endgame.

Cut Candidates

Since we’re suggesting ten new possible inclusions, it wouldn’t be fair to leave you with the stress of figuring out what to take out. Group Hug decks already walk a fine line between generosity and chaos, and trimming cards is often where that balance is either reinforced or completely lost.

Below are three cards that see a lot of play in Kenrith Group Hug decks. They are undeniably strong cards, but they may deserve a second look when it's time to trim the list.

1) Braids, Conjurer AdeptBraids, Conjurer Adept (44%)

Many of the cards we’ve added in this list attempt to solve one of the biggest issues Group Hug decks face: what happens when one player gets too far ahead. Group Hug can either act as a stabilizing force at the table or as rocket fuel for the player already in the lead. Braids, Conjurer Adept is a perfect example of this tension.

In theory, Braids is symmetrical and friendly. Everyone gets to put an artifact, creature, or land into play for free. In practice, the player whose deck is built to abuse free permanents benefits far more than everyone else. Imagine a table where one opponent is on Superfriends, another is on Equipment, and the last player is on Eldrazi. When the Braids triggers resolve, the Eldrazi player is almost certainly getting the most value, and that advantage often snowballs quickly. Suddenly, the Equipment player is staring down annihilator triggers before they can even get going with the rest of the table's fates not far behind.

Many of the cards we’re adding in this article either let us selectively help players, shut off value when necessary, or protect ourselves from runaway board states. Since we’re already providing gas to the table, we want to be careful not to remove the steering wheel entirely. Braids can be fun, but she’s also one of the fastest ways to lose control of the game. Some Group Hug player might like losing control, and if that's how you want to play, more power to you.

From my experience, if there is salt for a Group Hug deck, it's usually because of a situation like this.

2) Howling MineHowling Mine (57%)

Howling MineHowling Mine falls into a similar category. Universal card draw is appealing, especially in a Group Hug shell, but it comes with the same underlying issue as Braids: Once it’s on the battlefield, we no longer get to choose who benefits. The player who's already ahead gets more options, more interaction, and more chances to find their win condition.

In a Kenrith deck, where card draw is already built into the command zone, we may not need a blunt instrument like Howling Mine. Instead, we can lean into cards that give us more agency. Mana rocks like Empowered AutogeneratorEmpowered Autogenerator help fuel Kenrith activations without gassing up the entire table. Being able to decide when and who draws cards is often more effective than giving everyone one extra card per turn cycle.

3) Collective VoyageCollective Voyage (69%)

Finally, we have Collective VoyageCollective Voyage, and this one comes with a very large asterisk. Whether or not this card belongs in your deck depends heavily on how your mana base is constructed.

As a five-color commander, Kenrith decks often rely on nonbasic lands to color fix. That usually means a lower basic land count. The danger with Collective Voyage is that players can pour a large amount of mana into it, and everyone else walks away with ten to fifteen basic lands, and we get seven or eight at best. Worse yet, if we get every basic land we have, future ramp spells like CultivateCultivate or Rampant GrowthRampant Growth are then completely useless.

In metas where games go long and mana bases are basic-heavy, this card can still shine. In many Kenrith lists, though, we would be helping everyone else more than ourselves.

Wrapping Up

With a five-color commander like Kenrith, the Returned KingKenrith, the Returned King, the pool of potential hidden gems is enormous. Nearly every card in the format is technically on the table, which is both exciting and challenging. The key to building Kenrith as a Group Hug or Political commander isn’t raw power, but controlling the chaos behind the scenes. The cards highlighted here aim to reinforce that philosophy. They encourage interaction, deal-making, and informed decision-making without pushing the game toward absolute chaos or king-making.

What’s your favorite card in your Kenrith Group Hug deck? Is there a hidden gem that’s been doing serious work for you that doesn’t get nearly enough attention? Let us know in the comments below. We’re here to celebrate the cards that make our decks special.

Until next time, happy brewing.