Tom BombadilTom Bombadil | Art by Dmitry Burmak

When Sagas debuted in Dominaria in 2018, they were an instant hit. The art was striking, the designs were intriguing, and the progression of abilities told stories better than any card type before.

The enchantment subtype returned in Theros: Beyond Death in 2020, and since then we haven't had a year without new Saga cards. There's just so much design space available, and especially with the rise in Universes Beyond sets where cards need to show vastly different media, they can represent narratives from an episodeepisode to a fightfight to a songsong.

In Commander, Sagas intersect with several popular strategies, leading to many of them seeing widespread play. They're all enchantments, making them good candidates for the nearly 56,000 Enchantress decks on EDHREC. They deal with lore counters, meaning they interact well with abilities like proliferate. Many of them create tokens, leading to their inclusion in Tokens decks, and so on.

Sagas are not a monolith, either; The Princess Takes FlightThe Princess Takes Flight works great in a Garnet, Princess of AlexandriaGarnet, Princess of Alexandria deck that looks to repeat its early chapters without ever reaching the end of the story, but wouldn't be the best for an Atraxa, Praetors' VoiceAtraxa, Praetors' Voice deck looking to speedrun its chapters. Summon: LeviathanSummon: Leviathan is a house in a Sea Monsters deck full of huge aquatic beings, and Firja's RetributionFirja's Retribution will end the game in an Angels deck, but neither fits well into an Enchantress deck.

The Best Sagas

With all that being said, for a Saga to make the list of the best in the format, it'll have to be one that can fit into a wide variety of strategies and provide enough raw power to stand on its own. It may still have unique, interesting effects, but the ideal Saga is one that uses its multi-chapter format to create turn after turn of advantage.

This list will include cards that are Sagas on their front face. While UrabraskUrabrask is a cool card, most of the decks running him are trying to take advantage of his front side, and the Saga side of him doesn't even show up in most of the games he's played.

#10: The Legend of YangchenThe Legend of Yangchen

Starting off this list is a Saga that works particularly well in our format, The Legend of YangchenThe Legend of Yangchen.

The first chapter can will almost always remove four separate permanents our opponents control, and always gets of the one that scares us the most. The second chapter lets us ally with another player to fight against a common opponent, putting us up six cards combined against the threat at the table.

The transformed side, Avatar Yangchen, is just gravy, and delicious gravy at that, continuing to disrupt our opponents or letting us recast our own permanents with airbending.

Where does this card see play? In over 18,500 decks already, and it's only been out a few months. Most of these decks are led by Avatar commanders like Avatar AangAvatar Aang and Fire Lord ZukoFire Lord Zuko, but Group Hug decks like Ms. BumbleflowerMs. Bumbleflower and dedicated Saga decks like Tom BombadilTom Bombadil also make the Top Commanders list.

Given how well it fits into our multiplayer format, I would consider The Legend of YangchenThe Legend of Yangchen in any white deck looking for some splashy interaction.

#9: The Eldest RebornThe Eldest Reborn

Let's count the card advantage on The Eldest RebornThe Eldest Reborn. Chapter one makes each opponent sacrifice a creature, putting us up three cards. Chapter two makes them all discard, putting us up another three. Now, both of these effects let our opponents choose what they give up, but that is a serious squeeze on their resources.

The final chapter lets us ReanimateReanimate the best creature in any graveyard, giving us yet another card directly on the battlefield, and this time it's of our choice. Just like The Legend of YangchenThe Legend of Yangchen, The Eldest Reborn is a conveyor belt of value that works even better in multiplayer.

The Eldest Reborn sees play in dedicated Saga decks, of course, but it's also a spicy include in Aminatou, Veil PiercerAminatou, Veil Piercer, which would love to cast it for a single mana for miracle. It's also played in 52% of Nicol Bolas, the RavagerNicol Bolas, the Ravager decks, probably because the Saga tells the story of that Elder Dragon.

And I don't blame anyone for lingering on the art; Jenn Ravena Tran knocked it out of the park here, and art like this is certainly part of what made players clamor for more Sagas after the first run.

#8: Song of FreyaliseSong of Freyalise

Another OG Saga with beautiful art. Chapters one and two of Song of FreyaliseSong of Freyalise turn all of our creatures into mana-producers, and the final chapter gives them a mini-OverrunOverrun, plus vigilance and indestructible so that there's no risk to attacking.

This Saga has probably gotten even better as the format has sped up over the past few years. Rather than paying seven mana for a finisher, this comes down early for cheap, lets us produce more mana to build out our board, and then gives us a damage boost for no additional mana on the third turn, letting us hold up interaction or add more threats post-combat. At 27, 853 decks, this Saga might be underplayed these days.

Song of FreyaliseSong of Freyalise is great in any kind of Tokens deck as a way to turn expendable pieces of cardboard into precious mana. Urtet, Remnant of MemnarchUrtet, Remnant of Memnarch and Najeela, the Blade-BlossomNajeela, the Blade-Blossom work particularly well with it since they both untap our creatures and give us a mana sink, and Najeela even goes infinite as long as we can repeatedly attack with five Warriors.

I also enjoyed seeing Emmara, Soul of the AccordEmmara, Soul of the Accord and Kumena, Tyrant of OrazcaKumena, Tyrant of Orazca on the Top Commanders page as legends who care about getting creatures tapped and going wide.

#7: The Legend of KyoshiThe Legend of Kyoshi

Maybe one day we'll have enough Soul's MajestySoul's Majesty effects, but today is not that day. Chapter one is one of the best genre of card draw effects in the format, and one of the reasons that green is the most powerful color.

From Rishkar's ExpertiseRishkar's Expertise to Return of the WildspeakerReturn of the Wildspeaker, these cards always feel good. And this Saga keeps on going from there. Chapter two earthbends a land into a massive threat, and the transformed side protects that land while making us more mana to use all the cards we've drawn.

Almost all of the top commanders for The Legend of KyoshiThe Legend of Kyoshi focus on animating lands, from Bumi, UnleashedBumi, Unleashed to Black Panther, Wakandan KingBlack Panther, Wakandan King, but that might be overthinking this card. Put it in a deck with big creatures, and it will draw a grip of cards and then put another creature on the board the next two turns.

#6: Elspeth Conquers DeathElspeth Conquers Death

This card dominated Standard, and the jump to Commander was easy. Elspeth Conquers DeathElspeth Conquers Death immediately removes a threat, and can almost always target the most pressing problem on the board. The second chapter slows down all of our opponents, making their interaction clunky just after we've untapped to press our advantage.

And the final chapter brings back the best creature or planeswalker we've managed to put in our graveyard, even giving it a little bonus. That's at least two cards' worth of value, with the middle ability often adding another card worth of tempo.

Where does this Saga see play? Aside from the many Saga and Enchantress decks that happily slot in this on-plan avalanche of value, many Blink decks such as Brago, King EternalBrago, King Eternal and Yorion, Sky NomadYorion, Sky Nomad play Elspeth Conquers DeathElspeth Conquers Death, hoping to reset it every turn or two and keep using its first one or two chapters.

#5: Summon: BahamutSummon: Bahamut

Undeniably powerful, Summon: BahamutSummon: Bahamut's puzzle is its mana cost. Nine mana is not impossible if that's our deck's entire goal, but this Saga has an advantage over most huge colorless threats: unlike Eldrazi titansEldrazi titans and Blightsteel ColossusBlightsteel Colossus, it doesn't remove itself from graveyards.

If we can reanimate it early, it will certainly be the scariest thing on the battlefield. Destroying a permanent two turns in a row, throwing in a DivinationDivination, and then tossing a huge amount of damage at our opponents' faces will put us miles ahead. Plus, it gives us two attacks with a 9/9 flyer to boot.

Yuna, Hope of SpiraYuna, Hope of Spira is a great commander for this Saga, as she returns it from the graveyard on her own, and the lifelink she grants synergizes with Summon: BahamutSummon: Bahamut's abilities. Ultima, Origin of OblivionUltima, Origin of Oblivion is another good Final Fantasy option. It rewards us for loading our deck up with expensive colorless cards, making Bahamut's final chapter even more powerful.

And don't forget that Summon: BahamutSummon: Bahamut is a Dragon as well, making it a good include in a Kaalia of the VastKaalia of the Vast deck that can cheat it out.

#4: Binding the Old GodsBinding the Old Gods

Have I mentioned that I love Saga art? Victor Adame Minguez killed it here. Binding the Old GodsBinding the Old Gods makes the list for its efficiency more than anything else. Four mana is only a little more than we'd expect to pay for chapter one's removal effect, and the second chapter of searching for a Forest is worth about two mana on its own.

The final chapter is certainly the weakest, but it's purely gravy at that point, and deathtouch will matter in some games. The whole package is well above rate, and in the speedy format of today, four mana is so much less than the five that many of the other cards on this list cost.

Binding the Old GodsBinding the Old Gods' Top Commanders page shows what a universal card it is. Yes, it shows up in Narci, Fable SingerNarci, Fable Singer and in Anikthea, Hand of ErebosAnikthea, Hand of Erebos (and in green and black, it's well set up to support Enchantress decks), but it also sees play in 17% of Lathril, Blade of the ElvesLathril, Blade of the Elves decks. This Saga says nothing about Elves, and the closest thing I can see to synergy is that the deathtouch of chapter three works pretty well with a wide board.

It's simply a staple in green and black, like Assassin's TrophyAssassin's Trophy or Golgari SignetGolgari Signet, and I for one am glad that I get to see that art in so many of my games.

#3: Summon: TitanSummon: Titan

This Saga is certainly more focused than Binding the Old GodsBinding the Old Gods, and it's more powerful as well. The second chapter can put a truly crazy number of lands onto the battlefield, especially since the first chapter digs five cards deep to set it up.

In a dedicated lands deck, every version of Splendid ReclamationSplendid Reclamation is a slam dunk, and this one throws in some other serious perks. For one, it gives us one turn of attacking with a giant 7/7 trampler, and for another, chapter three can turn any creature into a life-threatening attacker.

Summon: TitanSummon: Titan calls back to The Mending of DominariaThe Mending of Dominaria, one of the original Sagas, but it ports those abilities into a more aggressive design, trading slow value for on-the-board efficiency.

As for what decks run this card, Yuna, Hope of SpiraYuna, Hope of Spira shows up again as a card that cares about enchantments and the graveyard. Teval, the Balanced ScaleTeval, the Balanced Scale and Hearthhull, the WorldseedHearthhull, the Worldseed both love lands coming back from the graveyard, and The NecrobloomThe Necrobloom loves all of those lands entering the battlefield at once.

#2: Fable of the Mirror-BreakerFable of the Mirror-Breaker

Everything I said about efficiency for Binding the Old GodsBinding the Old Gods applies here, and then some. Chapter one is already a solid deal for three mana, giving us avenues to ramp with TreasureTreasures and get in some damage. Chapter two is good smoothing on its own, and combines great with anything that rewards us for drawing or discarding cards.

And the transformed face is a must-kill threat, promising to make extra copies of all of our enters triggers and let us use our creatures as if they had haste. There's a reason this card won five Pro Tours in a row and was banned in Standard.

Most red decks would benefit from including this card, but it does have some even more welcoming homes. The Jolly Balloon ManThe Jolly Balloon Man and Ghired, Mirror of the WildsGhired, Mirror of the Wilds double up on the copying ability, and Ghired even appreciates the tokens created in chapter one. Obeka, Brute ChronologistObeka, Brute Chronologist works great with the back facethe back face by ending the turn in response to the copy's sacrifice trigger, letting us keep our tokens around.

And of course, Krenko, Mob BossKrenko, Mob Boss eloquently points out that Goblin should go in Goblin deck.

#1: Urza's SagaUrza's Saga

Restricted in Vintage; a format-defining staple in Modern and Legacy; named aspirationally after one of the most broken sets of all time; Urza's SagaUrza's Saga is the real deal.

And the best thing about it? It's just a land. Chapter one is not much, but chapter two means this Saga can churn out oversized beaters in any kind of Artifacts deck, or make some blockers in any deck. The final chapter also ranges in power level, but at worst it can always fetch up the best card in the formatthe best card in the format.

In other formats players have to construct their decks so that Urza's SagaUrza's Saga isn't a liability as a land that only lasts three turns, but in Commander it acts as ramp by leaving behind a better mana maker. And that's without counting the manymany otherother coolcool cardscards it can find.

Some cEDH decks grace the Top Commanders page, as do Artifacts powerhouses like Urza, Chief ArtificerUrza, Chief Artificer and Shorikai, Genesis EngineShorikai, Genesis Engine. But any deck that can afford to run a colorless land (and any player that can afford to spend $40 on said colorless land) could be upgraded with this most powerful of Sagas.

What Sagas do you think should have made the list? Did The Flame of KeldThe Flame of Keld get snubbed? In a quickening format, how do Sagas and their inherent incremental value hold up? Let me know your thoughts.

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