Silverquill, the DisputantSilverquill, the Disputant | Art by Antonio José Manzanedo| Prismari, the InspirationPrismari, the Inspiration | Art by Justin Gerard | Witherbloom, the BalancerWitherbloom, the Balancer | Art by Chris Rahn | Lorehold, the HistorianLorehold, the Historian | Art by Joshua Raphael | Quandrix, the ProofQuandrix, the Proof | Art by Lucas Graciano

Hey nerds! With the release of Secrets of Strixhaven, we're introduced to 36 new commanders from across the main set and preconstructed decks. While many people might ask which of these is the most powerful, I prefer to ask how fun they are.

Of course, each person's definition of fun differs, so I might rate a commander lower or higher than you. That doesn't mean I think it's bad or that you're bad for playing them, and, to be clear, this is for casual Commander only.

If you're looking for deck techs for any of the commanders you see below, you can find all of our Secrets of Strixhaven deck techs here.

The ranks are as follows:

• Want to Build: I'm interested in building these commanders. Their effect could be unique or a new take on an old mechanic I like.
• Fun: These are close to wanting to build, but I'm not going out of my way to brew a list for myself.
• Could Be Fun: These commanders are powerful and don't pull you in a single direction, but because of that, it allows you to build weird strategies with a powerful engine, or have unique build paths that could work.
• Fun in the 99: Sometimes commanders are printed for 60-card Magic or to support a theme. I don't want to call them not fun, since they usually are fun. But just not fun as the leader of a deck.
• Not Fun: This is usually reserved for older commanders who are seven-mana vanilla creatures, something way too jank, or are too salt-inducing for my taste.

The Commanders of Secrets of Strixhaven

Augusta, Order ReturnedAugusta, Order Returned

A straightforward commander that can get large quickly. Could make a good Voltron commander.

Fun Rank: Could Be Fun

Ennis, Debate ModeratorEnnis, Debate Moderator

An underwhelming Blink commander. It lacks powerful keywords and only triggers on your end step.

Fun Rank: Fun in the 99

Jadzi, Steward of FateJadzi, Steward of Fate

Unlike many of the rare prepared creatures, Jadzi doesn't have a way to prepare herself again. Blue does have plenty of ways to blink, but it's a lot of work for not a huge payoff.

Fun Rank: Fun in the 99

Orysa, Tide ChoreographerOrysa, Tide Choreographer

She kinda cheats on the command tax. I'd be happy to play her in the 99 of a Blink deck, but not at the helm.

Fun Rank: Fun in the 99

Arnyn, Deathbloom BotanistArnyn, Deathbloom Botanist

There are several Blood ArtistBlood Artist style commanders which are much stronger. But I enjoy the restriction of one power or toughness creatures. I do wish I could play this alongside Wild PairWild Pair.

Fun Rank: Fun

Moseo, Vein's New DeanMoseo, Vein's New Dean

A simple yet powerful Lifegain commander. Black has plenty of cheap ways to gain a chunk of life. They synergize with several of the new prepared creatures from Secrets of Strixhaven.

Fun Rank: Fun

Mica, Reader of RuinsMica, Reader of Ruins

Storm-Kiln ArtistStorm-Kiln Artist's stocks have never been higher. Mica works great as both an Artifact and Spellslinger commander. You can copy cards like Trash for TreasureTrash for Treasure to cheat big artifacts into play, then return the artifact you originally sacrificed.

Fun Rank: Fun

Emil, Vastlands RoamerEmil, Vastlands Roamer

If I were to build Emil, I'd want to include 36 different lands to maximize their ability. Green has plenty of ways to untap Elves to abuse Emil's ability.

Fun Rank: Want to Build

Nev, the Practical DeanNev, the Practical Dean

Notably, Nev triggers on each player's turn, so you could get multiple triggers in a turn cycle. But aside from that specific case, Nev doesn't strike me as an interesting commander.

Fun Rank: Fun in the 99

Abigale, Poet LaureateAbigale, Poet Laureate

Thanks to heroic, magecraft, and the new repartee, there are a ton of creatures that benefit from her prepared spell. And casting those creatures reprepares her spell.

Fun Rank: Fun

Killian, Decisive MentorKillian, Decisive Mentor

I had the pleasure of playing against Killian this last weekend. Goad is a great way to make people swing or to keep key pieces safe. It kept the game moving at a nice pace and drew a ton of cards.

Fun Rank: Fun

Nita, Forum ConciliatorNita, Forum Conciliator

There's a weird push-and-pull with this commander. You want to keep your creatures around to grow them, but you also need to sacrifice them for Nita's ability. You'll want more ways to cast spells you don't own aside from her ability.

Fun Rank: Could Be Fun

Scriv, the ObligatorScriv, the Obligator

I also had the pleasure of playing against Scriv last weekend. In my limited experience, Killian was the more fun out of the box. Scriv is a great support piece, and if built around, I'm sure it would be a blast to play.

Fun Rank: Could Be Fun

Silverquill, the DisputantSilverquill, the Disputant

This is an easy want to build commander. Casualty is an incredibly fun ability that can do some powerful things - especially with instants and sorceries that create tokens. I'm working on a deck tech for them, so be on the lookout for that in a few weeks. I'm sure it'll take you by storm.

Fun Rank: Want to Build

Muddle, the Ever-ChangingMuddle, the Ever-Changing

I actually picked up the Izzet precon this week, and Muddle was a blast. My biggest complaint is the lack of haste. Aside from that, Muddle brings a unique play pattern - despite putting itself at risk at times.

Fun Rank: Want to Build

Prismari, the InspirationPrismari, the Inspiration

Seven mana for an Izzet commander is a lot. The ward, while steep, isn't as big a deal with 40 life. I happily made room for Prismari in my precon, and that's where they'll stay.

Fun Rank: Could Be Fun

Rootha, Mastering the MomentRootha, Mastering the Moment

She's a great face commander for new players. She has a simple ability that synergizes with the rest of the deck. And the included tokens are really cute. If you're a more experienced player, I'd suggest giving Muddle a try.

Fun Rank: Fun

Sanar, Unfinished GeniusSanar, Unfinished Genius

Having a tutor in the command zone can be powerful, but I don't think that's where Sanar shines. His ability to repeatedly make Treasure tokens is what I'm interested in. His ability isn't restricted to once per turn or sorcery speed, so if you can untap him, you can make multiple or infinite Treasures.

Fun Rank: Could be Fun

Zaffai and the TempestsZaffai and the Tempests

Much like Prismari, Zaffai is a rather expensive commander, but unlike Prismari, he has no protection. You're restricted to one spell per turn, which can be powerful, but you need expensive spells to get the most value.

Fun Rank: Could be Fun

Blech, Loafing PestBlech, Loafing Pest

If you want to build a Pest themed deck, Blech is a solid option. Nothing fancy here, just lots of counters. If you can change the type on Spike FeederSpike Feeder from Spike to Pest, you get infinite life.

Fun Rank: Could be Fun

Dina, Essence BrewerDina, Essence Brewer

I can't wait to see someone sacrifice a Jumbo CactuarJumbo Cactuar and put 10,000 counters on a creature. Dina is a great starter commander, and I'm interested in seeing how people upgrade the deck.

Fun Rank: Fun

Gorma, the GulletGorma, the Gullet

This is my least favorite alternate commander from the set. Not that Gorma is bad, just a bit underwhelming compared to the others. Despite that, I'm going to find a home for it in my Cleopatra deck.

Fun Rank: Could be Fun

Lluwen, Exchange StudentLluwen, Exchange Student

I liked the original Lluwen, Imperfect NaturalistLluwen, Imperfect Naturalist, and I like this version. Tons of cards trigger when creatures leave your graveyard, and Lluwen provides a cheap repeatable way to trigger magecraft.

Fun Rank: Fun

Witherbloom, the BalancerWitherbloom, the Balancer

Sprout SwarmSprout Swarm stocks have skyrocketed. Normally, I'm lower on commanders that pull you in two different directions. However, Witherbloom does a great job of pulling you in a specific direction: creature tokens.

Fun Rank: Fun

Aziza, Mage Tower CaptainAziza, Mage Tower Captain

A two-mana creature that lets you copy spells is no joke. The cost isn't as high as it seems, especially in colors that can produce a ton of tokens.

Fun Rank: Fun

Excava, the Risen PastExcava, the Risen Past

An interesting enabler for the Lorehold's theme in the set. It's restricted to mana value, which stops some of the more egregious interactions. Notably, SolemnitySolemnity is a three-mana enchantment that removes the downside of Excava's ability.

Fun Rank: Fun

Kirol, History BuffKirol, History Buff

A great support piece of most Lorehold decks, but rather underwhelming as a commander.

Fun Rank: Fun in the 99

Lorehold, the HistorianLorehold, the Historian

I already have a deck put together for Lorehold with cards on the way. I love miracles and casting big dumb Boros spells. I'm avoiding cards like WorldfireWorldfire and ScrambleverseScrambleverse; instead I'm gaining life with Invincible HymnInvincible Hymn and burning with Explosive SingularityExplosive Singularity.

Fun Rank: Want to Build

Quintorius, History ChaserQuintorius, History Chaser

If I didn't already have two decks that care about cards leaving the graveyard, I'd have picked up this precon. Quintorius provides a powerful yet simple payoff for moving cards around. And has an easy way to close out the game by giving Spirits an OverrunOverrun style effect.

Fun Rank: Fun

Berta, Wise ExtrapolatorBerta, Wise Extrapolator

I want to like this commander. The art is great, and the ability is cool. But it just feels underwhelming for a commander. I could see it going hard with Intruder AlarmIntruder Alarm and something like Renata, Called to the HuntRenata, Called to the Hunt.

Fun Rank: Could be Fun

Primo, the UnboundedPrimo, the Unbounded

I love commanders that have weird abilities like this. Works great with Hydras and modular creatures.

Fun Rank: Fun

Quandrix, the ProofQuandrix, the Proof

Unlike Prismari, Quandrix is easy to ramp into. Cascade is easily one of my top mechanics, despite being incredibly broken. It only works with spells from hand, so you can't chain cascades like with The First SliverThe First Sliver.

Fun Rank: Want to Build

Tam, Observant SequencerTam, Observant Sequencer

It's like Tatyova, Benthic DruidTatyova, Benthic Druid, but way less broken. It's still great since you can trigger magecraft and provides an easy option if you want to power down a Tatyova deck in a pinch.

Fun Rank: Could be Fun

Zimone, Infinite AnalystZimone, Infinite Analyst

A solid X spell commander that works on each turn. Like most of the face commanders, she's simple yet powerful.

Fun Rank: Fun

Page, Loose LeafPage, Loose Leaf

While I don't want to put this in not fun, it's just a colorless mana rock.

Fun Rank: Not Fun

The Dawning ArchaicThe Dawning Archaic

With a total of 27 colorless instants and sorceries, I don't think there is enough to fully support Archaic as a commander. I'm excited to see it in the 99 of other decks, though.

Fun Rank: Fun in the 99

Overall, Secrets of Strixhaven feels like Magic going back to its roots. It introduces great mechanics, such as prepared and repartee, and has some incredibly pushed cards for the 99. I loved prerelease and I'm excited to jam more games with Muddle, the Ever-ChangingMuddle, the Ever-Changing.

I'd love to hear what you're looking forward to building and if you disagree with any of my rankings down in the comments. Make sure to come back every weekday for more great Commander articles here on EDHREC.

Also, if you want to see even more Magic content from me, you can find plenty of that on my YouTube channel BathroomBrewsMTG. Alrighty nerds, I'll see you in the next one!