Bolas's CitadelBolas's Citadel | Art by Piotr Dura
Magic: The Gathering has had powerful artifacts dating all the way back to Alpha.
Black LotusBlack Lotus, Time VaultTime Vault, and ForcefieldForcefield were so powerful it didn't take long for them to rotate out of future base sets. But the standard of artifacts being castable by any color mana lasted for most of the early era of the game.
2007's Future Sight brought us Sarcomite MyrSarcomite Myr, the first artifact that required colored mana to cast. It heralded the next year's Shards of Alara, where there were tons of artifacts that had colored mana in the casting cost, such as ScourglassScourglass. Since then we seem to be getting more and more powerful artifacts that require specific color mana to cast.
So today I'd like to highlight the most powerful ones you can play in Commander.
Honorable Mentions
Before we get to the list, I'd like to mention The Soul StoneThe Soul Stone. This card is so incredibly efficient and powerful that any black deck would run it if not for it's very high dollar cost, even though this was just released last year. If this were more affordable I think it would easily make a run towards the very top of this list.
And since it's basic function is a mana rock, there are tons of alternatives to it for people who haven't been fortunate enough to pick one up.
I also wanted to mention Caduceus, Staff of HermesCaduceus, Staff of Hermes, which fell just outside of the Top 10 according to EDHREC's ranking. It costs to cast and to equip, making it very much a white deck card, and it is an excellent payoff card for white's lifegain strategies.
Okay, let's get to the list!
10. The Wind CrystalThe Wind Crystal
Speaking of lifegain synergies, The Wind CrystalThe Wind Crystal does a lot of work. Like each of the artifacts in this cycle from Final Fantasy it discounts spells of its color by , so it will pay for itself quickly over the course of a few turns. And if you would gain life, you gain twice that life instead.
The activated ability gives all of your creatures flying and lifelink until the end of the turn, which can be used offensively or defensively.
I would like to mention that three of the five Crystals in the cycle have punched into the Top 10, even though Final Fantasy was released just last year. You can read about them in the article The Best New Artifacts of 2025 for Commander.
9. The Fire CrystalThe Fire Crystal
Red's The Fire CrystalThe Fire Crystal is the second of the cycle on this list, offering the discount for red spells, and giving all your creatures haste.
Haste is incredibly useful in Commander for giving a powerful follow-up after the battlefield has been cleared out by something like Wrath of GodWrath of God.
I really like the activated ability, which makes a copy of the best creature you control that you'll need to sacrifice at the beginning of the next end step - unless you're doing some shenanigans with Sundial of the InfiniteSundial of the Infinite or The Master, MultipliedThe Master, Multiplied.
8. The Earth CrystalThe Earth Crystal
The third card from the Crystal cycle to make the list is The Earth CrystalThe Earth Crystal, which focuses hard on the very popular and well-supported +1/+1 counter synergies.
The activated ability seems rather small at first glance, until you realize the Crystal itself puts twice the number of +1/+1 counters among one or two target creatures you control.
7. The Reality ChipThe Reality Chip
Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty's The Reality ChipThe Reality Chip is the only artifact on this list that could be your Commander, but it's also just a really powerful card you can run in the 99 of various Commander decks.
It has two modes. The first is just a 0/4 artifact creature that lets you look at the top card of your library any time, which is actually very solid. But once you pay its reconfigure cost to attach to it a creature you control as an Equipment, you've now got an improved Future SightFuture Sight, letting you play lands and cast spells from the top of your library.
If you've never had a chance to play Magic with this effect, let me assure you it is quite powerful and worth the effort!
6. Whip of ErebosWhip of Erebos
Whip of ErebosWhip of Erebos has a lot of text, but honestly the best part of this card is that very first sentence: Creatures you control have lifelink. Giving your creatures lifelink is incredibly powerful in black because the color has a lot of cards that give you a strong effect at the cost of life. Think Black Market ConnectionsBlack Market Connections or ReanimateReanimate.
The activated ability is no slouch either, giving you a one-shot reanimate effect on a creature in your graveyard on your turn and giving it haste, with Whip's static ability giving it lifelink. You'll need to exile it at the beginning of the next end step, but hopefully it has a potent enters ability or is big enough to give you a solid boost in life.
5. Ozolith, the Shattered SpireOzolith, the Shattered Spire
The abilities of Ozolith, the Shattered SpireOzolith, the Shattered Spire is so close to The Earth CrystalThe Earth Crystal you have to wonder why Wizards of the Coast doesn't get a bit more creative in their design. But it just goes to show how powerful and popular +1/+1 counters are in Commander (and Magic in general).
Don't overlook that it has cycling, which seems like a throwaway ability, but there will be occasions when you need to dig for an extra card more than you need to cast it.
4. The Reaver CleaverThe Reaver Cleaver
The Reaver CleaverThe Reaver Cleaver requires a fair amount of mana investment, with a casting cost of and an equip cost of , but the benefits is worth the trouble.
If you're playing high power creatures or a bunch of other Equipment cards that can improve the power of equipped creatures, that +1/+1, and more importantly gaining trample, is going to punch damage through blockers quite effectively. Which is awesome because that plays into the other added ability that says "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player or planeswalker, create that many Treasure tokens." That huge influx of mana is going to let you take more game actions even while you've invested in that equip cost.
Even better? Equip a creature with double strike, or play extra combat cards like Aggravated AssaultAggravated Assault, which could even let you keep making extra attacks depending on the number of Treasure tokens you're creating.
3. Bident of ThassaBident of Thassa
If you're playing a bunch of creatures that have evasion of some sort, or other ways to get combat damage past blockers, Bident of ThassaBident of Thassa is an excellent way to refuel your hand with more cards. Maybe they'll be more creatures to deploy, or to hold back to recover from a battlefield sweeper. Or, since you're playing blue, draw into counterspells to stop an opponent from resolving that battlefield sweeper.
The activated ability is a bit less useful, but if you've got defenses set up (hello, PropagandaPropaganda) it's a nice way to make it more difficult for your opponents to have blockers available. Like The Reaver CleaverThe Reaver Cleaver it gets more powerful with double strike or extra combat steps.
Another thing to keep in mind, this is both an enchantment and an artifact, so it plays nicely with either enchantment synergies or artifact synergies, and since it has two card types it can feed delirium if it ends up in the graveyard.
2. Bolas's CitadelBolas's Citadel
Bolas's CitadelBolas's Citadel is a Game Changer for a reason! The card is incredible; it's basically a Future SightFuture Sight in black artifact form, but you don't need mana to cast spells from the top of your library, instead you pay life! Remember what I said above under Whip of ErebosWhip of Erebos how black can use any extra lifegain you can fit in? Well, here you go!
The one limit to the power of the Citadel, outside of your life total, is if you run into a land when you're run out of land drops, or a spell you don't want to cast (such as a DamnationDamnation when you don't want to destroy your creatures). Combine this with Sensei's Divining TopSensei's Divining Top or NecropotenceNecropotence and you can reset the top of your library to your heart's content.
The activated ability isn't going to be used much in a multiplayer format like Commander, but occasionally it can pop off an opponent or two if you've gotten them low enough in life. Especially if you're also playing something like Profane TransfusionProfane Transfusion or Mister NegativeMister Negative and exchange life totals once you've spent all your life casting spells with the Citadel!
1. The Great HengeThe Great Henge
It probably won't surprise you that The Great HengeThe Great Henge is the number one colored artifact on this list. The card is incredibly powerful, and has been a rock star in Commander since it's debut in Throne of Eldraine.
Ostensibly uncastable at nine mana, it costs less to cast, where X is the greatest power among creatures you control. If you're playing green in Commander, you're probably playing creatures that have a high power, which can easily pull this down to a more reasonable four mana or even less. Put my fave Grothama, All-DevouringGrothama, All-Devouring in your deck and you can cast The Great HengeThe Great Henge for just !
The Great HengeThe Great Henge can also tap to add , which is handy for casting a spell the same turn you cast it, and you'll gain two life as well. Ideally you'd want to cast a creature spell, because that unlocks the last ability of The Great HengeThe Great Henge: Whenever a nontoken creature enters the battlefield under your control, put a +1/+1 counter on it and draw a card. Drawing that card whenever a creature enters under your control is what really pushes this over the top, accelerating your game towards victory.
It's no wonder this card is on the watch list to add as a Game Changer for Commander.
Now, you may notice that the price for The Great HengeThe Great Henge is nearly as high as The Soul StoneThe Soul Stone, and I mentioned that high expense was one of the reasons I knocked it out of contention for Top 10. But I think the Henge is much, much better than The Soul StoneThe Soul Stone, which can effectively be replaced with something like Arcane SignetArcane Signet. There is no real equivalent replacement for all the Henge does.
So which colored artifact cards are your favorites in Commander? Are there any you think belong in the Top 10?
Read More:
Bennie Smith
Bennie's played Magic since 1994 and has been writing about it nearly as long. Commander is his favorite format, but he's been known to put on his competitive hat to play Standard and Pioneer. Recently he's dabbled in Oathbreaker and Pendragon.
Your opinions are welcome. We love hearing what you think about Magic! We ask that you are always respectful when commenting. Please keep in mind how your comments could be interpreted by others. Personal attacks on our writers or other commenters will not be tolerated. Your comments may be removed if your language could be interpreted as aggressive or disrespectful. You may also be banned from writing further comments.