Riku of Two ReflectionsRiku of Two Reflections | Art by Izzy

Hello and welcome to another top 10 article! We're about waist-deep into my series on most played three-color cards in Commander. After covering fiery Mardu last week, today I bring you a flood of Temur () cards to wade through.

We're going through a bit of a stormy period where I'm from right now, so it's appropriate that I'm bringing you a color combo that showcases the sheer unstoppable force of elemental energy.

Let's dive right in!

10. Song of CreationSong of Creation - 23,442 decks

We're kicking things off with an enchantment that looks like it has a mighty drawback, but that really sets you up to be able to ignore it completely and just steamroll opponents with card advantage.

The ExplorationExploration ability means this slots quite well into a Landfall or Lands Matter deck, a theory backed up by its play rates according to EDHREC alongside theme staples and dovetailing cards like Azusa, Lost but SeekingAzusa, Lost but Seeking, Dryad of the Ilysian GroveDryad of the Ilysian Grove, and Lotus CobraLotus Cobra.

If a land deck led by Flubs, the FoolFlubs, the Fool, Child of AlaraChild of Alara, or other options doesn't float your boat, you could also take better advantage of the card draw effect and play a more combo-oriented deck or something like "Cheerios," which leverages the cheapest cards in the format, like OrnithopterOrnithopter and Crookshank KoboldsCrookshank Kobolds, to win with storm cards or other shenanigans.

9. Xyris, the Writhing StormXyris, the Writhing Storm - 10,949 decks, 15,775 as commander

Since Xyris is more popular as a commander than a card in the 99, let's talk about how this Snake Leviathan, like Song of Creation, facilitates some unfair Magic. 

Shenanigans can be pretty common in Temur colors, which feature the majority of draw effects, mana generators, and instant and sorcery synergies in the game. Xyris leans into this by being a sort of "Wheels" commander, who pays you off for casting cards like Wheel of FortuneWheel of Fortune, Echo of EonsEcho of Eons, Time ReversalTime Reversal, and that whole family of cards.

Xyris even gives you a way to win the game off that beyond whatever combos casting those cards helps you find. The tokens they make work incredible well with Impact TremorsImpact Tremors, Goblin BombardmentGoblin Bombardment, and the like. Heck, even OverrunOverrun gets you there in a deck that churns wheels into a big board presence. Xyris also offers The Locust GodThe Locust God a wonderful home for their combos, including this one:

8. Temur BattlecrierTemur Battlecrier - 26,883 decks

I'm pretty happy when I see nonlegendary cards on these three-color lists. Temur is quite the outlier so far, as you'll see later. Battlecrier is a big boy that's actually much more attractive for its ability. Having four power naturally already gets you a one-mana discount on your next monster, and things can just snowball from there.

I've talked about how cards like this, Goblin ElectromancerGoblin Electromancer, and Goblin AnarchomancerGoblin Anarchomancer can be better than creatures that tap for mana. Battlecrier is a great illustration of that principle!

I did say that Temur leans into unfair or combo strategies. While the 4/3 can generate a lot of mana, you're still often using it to play more of the biggest boys you've ever seen rather than to go off with wheels or storm cards. That's why you'll often see this in Eshki-style decks that just want to overwhelm the opponent with monsters, or in more focused typal decks like Dragons.

Fittingly, Battlecrier is also an excellent enabler for a lot of the commanders on this list.

7. Ureni of the UnwrittenUreni of the Unwritten - 18,314 decks, 10,031 as commander

Speaking of Dragons, this Natasha Bedingfield fan is a neat enabler for a typal deck, which you don't often say about seven-mana tramplers — but that's Dragons for you! Being able to put a kindred creature straight into play is serious upside though, so don't sleep on Ureni when building around The Ur-DragonThe Ur-Dragon, TiamatTiamat, Morophon, the BoundlessMorophon, the Boundless, and the rest of the gang.

As Michael Celani wrote in his Jank Rank article about Tarkir: Dragonstorm, we're a long way past expensive creatures like Palladia-MorsPalladia-Mors that had downsides.

6. Genesis UltimatumGenesis Ultimatum - 35,100 decks

Another noncreature - what a treat! As avid readers can attest, I'm a big fan of Standard. Genesis UltimatumGenesis Ultimatum was a wonderful, powerful top-end card in an eventually banned-out-of-existence deck starring my favorite card of all time, Omnath, Locus of CreationOmnath, Locus of Creation. In that format, I was ecstatic to put an Uro, Titan of Nature's WrathUro, Titan of Nature's Wrath, a Terror of the PeaksTerror of the Peaks, and a bunch of lands into play.

In EDH, things can get a little crazier than that....

For starters, the things you can put into play are quite a bit better: Etali, Primal ConquerorEtali, Primal Conqueror, Atraxa, Grand UnifierAtraxa, Grand Unifier, Primeval SpawnPrimeval Spawn, and ProgenitusProgenitus are all pretty nice hits. Though Omnath and Terror still synergize pretty well with Ultimatum.

There are also a ton of ways of casting it earlier or for even more value. Cascade, a theme that's pretty prevalent and powerful in Temur colors, loves hitting this card off all-stars like Maelstrom WandererMaelstrom Wanderer and Apex DevastatorApex Devastator. Illuna, Apex of WishesIlluna, Apex of Wishes is sort of a cascader, while Jodah, Archmage EternalJodah, Archmage Eternal gives you a steep discount on the card, especially in combination with Jegantha, the WellspringJegantha, the Wellspring.

5. Surrak DragonclawSurrak Dragonclaw - 41,034 decks, 1,998 as commander

I love Surrak because it's both an embodiment of Temur's love of gigantic creatures and a way to protect the unfair activities the color combo is also known for. Of course, having the legendary type while also granting a keyword to your team makes him great in a creature-focused Legends deck helmed by Jodah, the UnifierJodah, the Unifier and Aragorn, the UniterAragorn, the Uniter, among other options.

There's a lot of unity amongst Humans - or a lot of uniting to do, I guess.

You also see him pop up in five-color decks that are perhaps less focused on Humans and more on other big spells you'd want to protect from counters (Dragons included), like Ramos, Dragon EngineRamos, Dragon Engine, Jared CarthalionJared Carthalion, and Averna, the Chaos BloomAverna, the Chaos Bloom in a cascade shell.

4. Animar, Soul of ElementsAnimar, Soul of Elements - 25,851 decks, 19,791 as commander

Temur is also well-stocked with Elemental synergies. Animar is an Elemental and can certainly lead a kindred deck, but, based on EDHREC data, it's best-known for leading +1/+1-focused decks and Birthing PodBirthing Pod-style builds.

Just as Temur BattlecrierTemur Battlecrier can generate a lot of extra mana, Animar lets you play a ton of creatures ahead of schedule. So, why not keep the party going well into the wee hours by playing Beast WhispererBeast Whisperer, Soul of the HarvestSoul of the Harvest, and Hydroid KrasisHydroid Krasis?

He also gets gigantic in the process, which is what makes him such a good figurehead in a counters deck. You can end the game pretty quickly with Hardened ScalesHardened Scales and other doublers, while Forgotten AncientForgotten Ancient lets you make lethal threats out of other creatures. Once you have enough colored mana and a big Animar, Rhythm of the WildRhythm of the Wild takes you to victory by going wide.

That's all without even mentioning Animar's combo potential! While there are many synergies available, Ancestral StatueAncestral Statue when he's big enough can give you infinite counters, enters triggers, and storm count.

3. Maelstrom WandererMaelstrom Wanderer - 48,433 decks, 6,955 as commander

It's not an automatic inclusion by any means, but Maelstrom Wanderer might just be among my top five favorite Vintage Cube cards. Cascade is certainly one of my favorite strategies, and Wanderer is designed to lead EDH decks of that theme with great efficiency and ferocity.

Casting this, even into an empty board, is going to be a fun time no matter what, especially when you pack your deck with devastating cards like Ultimatum, Goreclaw, Terror of Qal SismaGoreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma, Etali, Primal StormEtali, Primal Storm, and the other Etali.

That's an incredible army-in-a-can situation, and one excellent reason to play Wanderer as commander, even when there are other options available in 2025.

Speaking of other options, Averna is attractive because of how cheap she is and how she ramps you, but she's also fine as a part of the supporting cast. Yidris, Maelstrom WielderYidris, Maelstrom Wielder lets you play an extra color and offers the upside of cascading multiple times in a turn. Imoti, Celebrant of BountyImoti, Celebrant of Bounty, while not a popular commander, is probably my favorite cascade enabler because of how she lets you double up.

2. Miirym, Sentinel WyrmMiirym, Sentinel Wyrm - 56,300 decks, 25,422 as commander

A very popular card both as an enabler in Dragons decks and as a three-color Dragon commander, Miirym is currently the 11th most played commander based on EDHREC data. Like Ureni before her, Miirym just has a devastating effect on the board, especially when so many Dragons have splashy enters effects.

I already mentioned Terror of the PeaksTerror of the Peaks, but Scourge of ValkasScourge of Valkas also exists, as does Lathliss, Dragon QueenLathliss, Dragon Queen.

If you haven't cobbled together a win with just those cards, Dragon TempestDragon Tempest also goes crazy with copies of Dragons with huge power stats. Talking about Tempest, the enchantment also turns Miirym into a potential win with just a little help from something like Atarka, World RenderAtarka, World Render or Drakuseth, Maw of FlamesDrakuseth, Maw of Flames.

1. Temur AscendancyTemur Ascendancy - 115,603 decks

Often enough, the most played card for a certain three-color combo is going to be a noncreature card and an enabler to boot, because these cards end up working well with pretty much any commander with that identity. Temur AscendancyTemur Ascendancy is the perfect example, as giving your giant creatures, whether they're ramped, cascaded, or Genesis Ultimatum-ed into play is an excellent way to take what the clan loves doing and turn it into a win.

Meanwhile, whether it's creatures or spells, Temur loves casting big things, as you can see from this list! Ascendancy even has combo applications, including this one that also boasts a ton of variants:

It says Temur right on the card, so you should probably be playing it in your decks!

Hold the High Ground, Then Bring It to Your EnemyHold the High Ground, Then Bring It to Your Enemy

Temur truly is a force to be reckoned with, whether the colors come at you in the form of cascading haymakers, a devastating storm count, or just a bunch of big boys.

I know I already shouted out my boy Omnath, but I can't not point out that his Temur incarnation, Omnath, Locus of the RoilOmnath, Locus of the Roil ranked 11th on the list and can lead an incredible fun Elemental kindred deck with such highlights as Risen ReefRisen Reef, Omnath, Locus of RageOmnath, Locus of Rage, and SmokebraiderSmokebraider.

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

Read More: