Zurgo HelmsmasherZurgo Helmsmasher | Art by Aleksi Briclot

Hey everyone! We're back with next installment of top 10 most played three-color cards in Commander. Today is Mardu's () time to shine!

While definitely one of the most aggressive color combinations there are, Mardu offers a plethora of deckbuilding options and themes, from Sacrifice to Artifacts to giant monsters and Legends!

10. Shanid, Sleepers' ScourgeShanid, Sleepers' Scourge - 28,373 decks, 2,251 as commander

A commander that draws a card almost every time you play a creature, and on a lot of your land drops, seems attractive even for an aggressive deck. Still, you're probably going to want to slot Shanid into a more colorful deck led by a more potent commander while still having access to his card advantage.

Jodah, the UnifierJodah, the Unifier, Sisay, Weatherlight CaptainSisay, Weatherlight Captain, and Esika, God of the TreeEsika, God of the Tree are all popular Legends deck commanders that can make use of Shanid's card type and abilities.

Playing him early and drawing a bunch of cards is great, but don't sleep on playing him late in the game for his first ability to surprise the table with a difficult combat phase. This play pattern looks especially relevant in more aggressive decks, like Saskia the UnyieldingSaskia the Unyielding and Vial Smasher the FierceVial Smasher the Fierce + Yoshimaru, Ever FaithfulYoshimaru, Ever Faithful.

9. Jan Jansen, Chaos CrafterJan Jansen, Chaos Crafter - 26,469 decks, 4,691 as commander

You tend to see a lot of artifact-oriented commander options in blue. Jan Jansen is here to give you an option without the most obnoxious color in the format (according to many, not me).

It makes a lot of sense to run him at the helm of a Treasure-y, token-y, Reckless FireweaverReckless Fireweaver-y deck, because his haste and abilities can help you put a lot of material into play, and quickly, too! Without doing anything too crazy, a curve of Ichor WellspringIchor Wellspring into Jan into Academy ManufactorAcademy Manufactor yields you an an extra card, a Clue, and a Food on top of what the Chaos Crafter himself gets you.

You can also assemble infinite combos, including this token-generating engine:

As a member of the 99, Jan also provides excellent support to other Treasure-focused commanders. The theme is pretty prevalent in Mardu, so you have access to great options like Mr. House, President and CEOMr. House, President and CEO, Vihaan, GoldwakerVihaan, Goldwaker, and Breya, Etherium ShaperBreya, Etherium Shaper, who gives you additional flexibility with the material you generate.

8. Kaalia of the VastKaalia of the Vast - 5,216 decks, 29,713 as commander

Currently the fifth most popular commander on EDHREC, Kaalia is designed to do one thing, and one thing extremely well: put giant flying monsters, usually with devastating enters or combat damage triggers, into play.

She was a pretty new card when I started playing Commander, and I'll never forget the first time she attacked me on turn two with the help of mana accelerators and Lightning GreavesLightning Greaves. I don't remember which Angel, Demon, or Dragon card my opponent put into play, but I know I was too far behind to ever hope to win that game!

Speaking of losing on the spot, Master of CrueltiesMaster of Cruelties lets you eliminate an opponent immediately:

Even if you don't assemble a one-hit-knockout combo, you can cause opponents mostly irreparable damage with disruptive flyers like Serra's EmissarySerra's Emissary, Rakdos, Patron of ChaosRakdos, Patron of Chaos, and Ancient Copper DragonAncient Copper Dragon, just to name three examples.

Aside from playing a bunch of mana generators and monsters, protection spells are staples of Kaalia decks. It's effective to make room for cards like SilenceSilence, Deflecting SwatDeflecting Swat, and Dawn's TruceDawn's Truce, which almost ensure that Kaalia will get in for at least one big hit.

7. Edgar MarkovEdgar Markov - 554 decks, 37,185 as commander

The top Vampire kindred commander is even more popular than Kaalia, with Edgar MarkovEdgar Markov currently ranking third on the website and rarely featuring in decks that he isn't in charge of.

If you want to learn about how to build a deck around ol' Edgar here — or other options, if you like, check out my guide on this creature type here. Running Edgar or other Vampire commanders with black in their color identities importantly gives you access to some of the best combos in the format, including this exceedingly common one:

Likewise, with his eminence ability, you can run a critical mass of Vampires and quickly amass an army that enablers like Stromkirk CaptainStromkirk Captain, Legion LieutenantLegion Lieutenant, and Sanctum SeekerSanctum Seeker can take full advantage of.

For the killing blow, you can play Edgar before hastily swinging in with your host of Vamps for an absurd amount of damage!

6. Caesar, Legion's EmperorCaesar, Legion's Emperor - 23,540 decks, 17,223 as commander

Final Fantasy is cool, but Fallout is my favorite IP crossover with Magic. I'm so happy to see a card from the wasteland on one of these lists. Caesar is a fine representative from the series, too, as card-and-RPG gamers will recognize how his faction's pesky swarm tactics translate well to both Mardu colors and a Sacrifice/Tokens hybrid theme deck.

Broadly speaking, decks like these should run a healthy mix of sacrifice material generators like Secure the WastesSecure the Wastes, enablers like SkullclampSkullclamp and Deadly DisputeDeadly Dispute, payoffs like Bastion of RemembranceBastion of Remembrance and Zulaport CutthroatZulaport Cutthroat.

Here, since you're running red, you can lean more into token generation and end games with the Impact TremorsImpact Tremors and that family of cards. This type of deck is a blast to play, and Caesar leads you every step of the way by doing all three things.

5. Dihada, Binder of WillsDihada, Binder of Wills - 30,956 decks, 10,430 as commander

Like Shanid, Dihada slots into a Legends deck and provides combat abilities as well card advantage. The upside though, is that if she sticks around long enough, you get an InsurrectionInsurrection effect and win the game some amount of the time.

She also provides combo potential, including this sweet one that gets you infinite mana, storm, and magecraft triggers:

4. Queen MarchesaQueen Marchesa - 34,822 decks, 14,826 as commander

There are those who would turn their noses up at the monarchy mechanic, calling it too powerful, parasitic (because you have to play a lot of cards that involve the monarchy), or game-warping. I personally enjoy it in moderation.

Queen MarchesaQueen Marchesa provides that novelty to games while also just being very powerful, and also while solving another concern about the mechanic: that it doesn't do anything or is detrimental when you're behind!

And, because Commander offers infinite possibilities for deckbuilding, you can also get around the monarchy's downsides by making it difficult or impossible for you to get attacked and having the crown stolen from your head! Add to that the fact that Mardu is replete with sweepers and pinpoint removal, and you have a recipe for success.

3. Crackling DoomCrackling Doom - 56,341 decks

I love a good removal spell on these lists, and especially one that has been around for — gasp! — 11 years. Crucially, Crackling DoomCrackling Doom works on each opponent, ensuring that it scales well with a multiplayer game.

Just as important, the weakness of Diabolic EdictDiabolic Edict effects is that your opponents could blank your crucial removal spell by sacrificing a token or any old creature. This makes your opponents' sacrifice what is probably one of the best creatures on their side. The two damage is just gravy, but it's tasty.

2. Isshin, Two Heavens as OneIsshin, Two Heavens as One - 49,251 decks, 23,467 as commander

Just as Caesar lets you build a deck that features powerful synergies and intersections of Sacrifice, Tokens, and other themes, Isshin is another aggressive commander option that lets you go in different yet complimentary directions. His static ability goes well with his fellow Samurai, since attack triggers are kind of their thing.

Warriors blend in well, too, because they're aggro, so you get to draw from a pool of powerful attackers, like Mardu SiegebreakerMardu Siegebreaker, Auron, Venerated GuardianAuron, Venerated Guardian, and Alesha, Who Laughs at FateAlesha, Who Laughs at Fate, among many other options.

Equipment, too, works well with creatures that want to attack, with Boros () also being one of the best color pairs, if not the best, for the theme.

Check out my article on how to build an Equipment deck to learn more about one of the sweetest archetypes in the format.

1. Ruinous UltimatumRuinous Ultimatum - 144,594 decks

Yeah, okay, sacrificing stuff is cool, and so is making a bunch of tokens. But, you know what white, black, and red really love to do? Sweep the board! Ruinous Ultimatum takes Plague WindPlague Wind and turns it up to maximum while also taking out pesky non-creature permanents.

It's not always going to end the game, but it will do that sometimes. Even more times, it'll put your opponents so far behind on board that you'll be well on your way to a victory. That's why this seven-mana sorcery is the most played Mardu card in Commander!

In Power, in Hunger, in Cruelty — Insatiable.In Power, in Hunger, in Cruelty — Insatiable.

That was a destructive, hard-hitting, earth-scorching, blockbuster list! I'm happy to see not just one but two noncreature Mardu cards seeing a lot of play. Likewise, Fervent ChargeFervent Charge, All-Out AssaultAll-Out Assault, and Mardu AscendancyMardu Ascendancy are all not far behind amongst the next 10 most played cards. All of these complement the three color combo's proclivity for aggression.

What's your favorite Mardu card that didn't make the list? Let us know!

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