Rhystic StudyRhystic Study | Art by Tatiana Kirgetova

Hello, everyone, my name is Jonathan and today I’ll be talking about commons. Yes, you know, those silly, unplayable cards you usually find at the beginning of a booster pack. Exactly those.

In fact, it turns out that there are plenty of extremely good common cards for Commander. Hence why today I’ll be ranking the 10 best.

I’ll try as much as possible to consider all levels of play in my rankings, from casual to cEDH, without any of them outweighing the other in my final judgment. Surprisingly, quite a few cards on the list are staples of the competitive side of Commander, so I had to keep this factor in mind as well. I’ll discuss all of this in more detail when explaining the ranking for each card.

So, without further ado, let’s get into this list of the 10 best commons in Commander!

#10: Ashnod's AltarAshnod's Altar

I wasn’t sure about including this card. There are quite a few factors working against it.

First, it’s only ever gotten a common printing way back in the day in Chronicles, with all the following ones (and the previous one in Antiquities) being at uncommon.

Then, it’s not exactly a staple at any level. It does see play and it’s very powerful, but it’s not an auto-include in any deck.

Still, I placed it 10^th on the list to honor its legacy. It’s part of a plethora of combos, from simple ones with Pitiless PlundererPitiless Plunderer and Reassembling SkeletonReassembling Skeleton up to infinite Grenzo, Dungeon WardenGrenzo, Dungeon Warden loops.

Even when played fairly, it’s a very powerful card, able to produce a ton of mana out of nowhere. It’s true that it can’t be slotted into every single deck. But the ones that do benefit from it, boy do they like it.

#9: Dark RitualDark Ritual

This is another card I couldn't quite rank at first. The fact is, it doesn't really have a home in casual Commander, but it's a powerhouse if you ask competitive players.

At lower power levels, when most decks aren't optimized, Dark RitualDark Ritual is often sacrificed in favor of more stable ramp options. There are no crucial spells you absolutely want to cast as soon as possible. Instead, sticking some mana rocks onto the battlefield or getting ahead on lands makes sure you'll be able to cast almost all of your spells on any given turn.

That's not the case for cEDH, though. The possibility to go for a turn one SwampSwamp, Dark RitualDark Ritual, NecropotenceNecropotence line truly makes or breaks certain opening hands, as it'll provide so much card advantage that the rest of the table will hardly keep up.

But you can also use it to flash in an Opposition AgentOpposition Agent even if you only have one black mana available. Or you can add two more mana to present an (end step) Ad NauseamAd Nauseam.

It simply does so much in so many different scenarios; it's an iconic card and, although it's not nearly as popular in non-cEDH Commander games, it more than deserves this ranking.

#8: Impact TremorsImpact Tremors

There might or might not be a certain degree of bias in my ranking of this card.

I lost so many games to an unchecked Impact TremorsImpact Tremors I don't want to see this card stick on the battlefield anymore.

First of all, it's extremely cheap: only two mana and you're off to the races. This means it can be played very early in the game and stick around for a while; but also, it can be deployed on a later turn to go along with explosive bursts of creatures.

Then, it adds up very fast. Nowadays there are plenty of effects that are redundant with this card. In other words, it's becoming easier and easier to have multiple versions of this effect on the battlefield at the same time, which makes the damage skyrocket.

Lastly, the two major offenders it always pairs up with: Krenko, Mob BossKrenko, Mob Boss and, most importantly, Purphoros, God of the ForgePurphoros, God of the Forge. The latter one in particular still haunts my nightmares: a friend of mine used to play a very budget-friendly version of this commander, but it didn't make any difference. A turn two Impact Tremors spelled death for all of us.

#7: Crop RotationCrop Rotation

This is another one that skews towards cEDH. Crop RotationCrop Rotation is a very simple, flavorful, and iconic card. You're simply exchanging one land you control for one land in your deck. This can't be that strong, right?

Allow me to introduce you to Gaea's CradleGaea's Cradle, one of, if not the most, powerful lands ever. The possibility to get access to such a powerful card at any point of the game for as little as one mana is one of the reasons why Crop RotationCrop Rotation is deemed a Game Changer. Lately, players have also discovered how good it is with other utility lands, such as Talon Gates of MadaraTalon Gates of Madara, but nothing can top the original pairing.

Nevertheless, it doesn't see nearly as much play at casual tables. In fact, in non-competitive environments, there are far fewer powerful lands. Still, it can easily adapt to any level of game. Low Brackets? Let's get those Bojuka BogBojuka Bogs to stop the graveyard player. Brackets 3 and 4? Here's your ticket to the Cabal CoffersCabal Coffers-Urborg, Tomb of YawgmothUrborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth train.

#6: Feed the SwarmFeed the Swarm

On the surface, this might seem a weird pick. All in all, there are a lot of cards that are better than Feed the SwarmFeed the Swarm, especially in other colors.

And that's the catch: in other colors.

Feed the SwarmFeed the Swarm gained this spot because it made history in the format: it was the first card allowing mono-black decks to interact with enchantments. Once again, on the surface, this might seem nothing more than a minor achievement. At the end of the day, how many mono-black players were actually desperately hoping for a way to interact with enchantments?

But that's not the point. The truth is that this card perfectly represents one of the most important features of Commander as a format: it is a possibility. In other words, since Feed the SwarmFeed the Swarm was printed, it's no longer been necessary to play additional colors to deal with a specific card type. Since it was printed, new possibilities have opened.

As time passed, new versions of this effect were introduced. Withering TormentWithering Torment made it instant speed and Shredder's TechniqueShredder's Technique probably power-crept it. But no card can take this spot in the ranking from Feed the SwarmFeed the Swarm (also because the other two cards are uncommons, so they couldn't have been put in the list in the first place).

#5: Mystic RemoraMystic Remora

Here's one that most were likely looking forward to - and probably expected to be ranked higher.

Mystic RemoraMystic Remora is an absurd card, capable of producing so much card advantage for such a small mana investment.

Still, just like other entries, its full power can only be seen at the cEDH tables. In fact, in that environment, you can expect players to cast a bunch of noncreature spells at any point of the game. Additionally, if they don't cast them to avoid "feeding the fish," then you're almost silencingsilencing them.

On the other hand, at lower power levels, games aren't as predictable. You might cast Mystic RemoraMystic Remora and get absolutely nothing out of it, not because you're interfering with other players' plans, but because everyone cast creatures instead.

Still, all things considered, this card is so good that some argue it should be banned. Even ignoring this perhaps biased feeling, anyone who's seen a cEDH game knows how good it is, hence why it's right in the middle of this list.

#4: The Two-Mana Ramp Spells

There's no way to break this three-way tie.

FarseekFarseek is maybe the best of the bunch, but it can't be played in mono-green decks. Nature's LoreNature's Lore, on the other hand, is limited by the ForestForest-only factor. Lastly, Rampant GrowthRampant Growth is the least flashy of them, but it's always reliable and always will be.

Sea lo que sea, these cards are the backbone of Commander, and they are one of the main reasons why the format is what it is. Efficient ramp options to cast on turn two to jumpstart your game are what basically every deck is aiming to do.

There's really not much to say about them. We've all cast them, and we all know just how good they are.

#3: Rhystic Study

The bronze medal goes to what is perhaps the most ban-worthy card in the format. You know it, you love (or hate) it; it's Rhystic StudyRhystic Study.

It's true, most of its printings are at rare or mythic rare, but how could I exclude the card. It's always good if you play it, always bad if you play against it. That's just how warping it is.

Rhystic is the de facto best card advantage engine in the format, and likely no card will ever take this title from it.

#2: Arcane Signet

The silver medal is for Arcane SignetArcane Signet. To be placed above two entries as strong as the previous ones, you have to be a truly generational card. And this one is.

When it was first printed, it drove the prices of the Brawl deck precons it was included in up to the moon, and its single price tag was just as high. Since then, a lot has changed. It's included in every precon now, and can be picked up for under a dollar.

Nonetheless, it's still the best mana rock in the game (just ignore that Sol RingSol Ring exists for a second). Since its introduction, we haven't seen any other card being this impactful.

#1: Command Tower

Let's not beat around the bush: this is the best land in the format - probably even the best card. It's simple, to the point, and affordable for everyone. There's hardly any argument against including it in every single Commander deck that isn't monocolored.

It's the best land you can play at any point in the game. It's truly hard to explain how good it is because it's just so obvious. I truly believe no other common will ever be better than Command TowerCommand Tower.

I've had a lot of fun creating this list. In the end, the top half was pretty much locked in a few minutes, just enough to realize they were all commons. The second half though, was tough and interesting to craft. I think spots 6-10 are all up for debate and there are several other cards I didn't include, but could be placed anywhere in that range.

For this reason, it's on to you now! Let me know in the comments below what you think. Do you agree with my list? Would you have swapped out some of the cards? And what would you replace them with?