LavaleaperLavaleaper | Art by Ron Spears

Welcome to Too-Specific Top 10, where if there isn’t a category to rank our pet card at the top of, we’ll just make one up! (Did you know that Molten Man, Inferno IncarnateMolten Man, Inferno Incarnate is the only mono-red commander that searches for a basic land?)

Guys. Guys! Guys!

They printed a new Mana FlareMana Flare!

It's even a cute bunny-frog-deer! What's more important than the pictures on the card, however, are the words on the card. Mana FlareMana Flare has been around since Alpha, meaning its been a Group Hug staple since before Group Hug was invented.

That's not what's unique - there are all sorts of cards that have been around forever and see a lot of play. What is unique about Mana Flare is that for 30 years, it was the only version of its effect in red. That changed last year with the printing of Barbflare GremlinBarbflare Gremlin in Duskmourn, but with LavaleaperLavaleaper, what we now have is a trend.

In other words, Mana FlareMana Flare isn't some sort of color pie anomaly, it's now an accepted thing that red can do.

The question is: What commanders want to do it?

Top 10 Group Hug Commanders That Can Play Red

Criteria: Commanders with either red in their color identity, or that can partner into having red in their color identity, that have a beneficial ability that affects, can affect, or can be used by all players that will be somehow beneficial to said players (get outta here, Okaun, Eye of ChaosOkaun, Eye of Chaos!).

As is tradition, all results are ordered by EDHREC score, although in this case we will be going by decks helmed, rather than total inclusions.

10. Karona, False GodKarona, False God

(Helms 4,269 Decks, Rank #539; 821 Inclusions, 0.17% of 487K Decks)

Being an old head, I've built Karona, False GodKarona, False God more times than I can count. And while I wouldn't say I'd never thought of it, I will say that I have never built her as a Group Hug commander.

That said, if you're into the whole PropagandaPropaganda thing, I've heard worse ideas. Even if you are, though, you're talking about a Group Hug deck that wants to defend itself while handing out tokens to each player, not a deck that wants everyone to have a bunch of mana.

Combine that with LavaleaperLavaleaper's basic rider being a no-go in a five-color deck, and this one just doesn't add up.

9. Ian Malcolm, ChaoticianIan Malcolm, Chaotician

(Helms 4,530 Decks, Rank #517; 4.23K Inclusions, 0.23% of 1.81M Decks)

If you can't believe that it's been two years since Jurassic Park got Magic cards, well, I couldn't either. Nonetheless, I wrote about Ian Malcolm, ChaoticianIan Malcolm, Chaotician when he was spoiled in December of 2023, and can attest that he is a great Group Hug commander.

Not only that, he skews toward the card draw side of the spectrum, rather than the mana side of the spectrum that more or less all Group Hug commanders sit on. That means when it comes to LavaleaperLavaleaper, our favorite jackelope Elemental can double up on the amount of mana our basics make, which we'll have a lot of in a two-color deck, while our opponents are probably stuck with a lot of nonbasics that only make their normal mana.

In other words, LavaleaperLavaleaper provides a means to break the parity that is usually inherent in Ian Malcolm. My original Ian deck had 51 cards worth of ramp in it, so I could try to use my opponents' cards better and more often than they could use mine. Lavaleaper adds to that 50-card package quite well, and the 21 basic lands in the deck would keep me far, far ahead of my opponents.

8. Xantcha, Sleeper AgentXantcha, Sleeper Agent

(Helms 4,641 Decks, Rank #506; 37.3K Inclusions, 2.09% of 1.78M Decks)

Before I even started Too-Specific Top 10, I had already possessed a Xantcha, Sleeper AgentXantcha, Sleeper Agent deck. While I would have classified it more as Group Slug than Group Hug, given that it revolved around PoxPoxes and mass discard, it did still try to give the table as much mana as possible. Why? So it could be pumped into Xantcha, of course!

Still, whether you build Xantcha nicely or make everyone around you miserable while dangling activations to draw cards and kill a friend in front of them, there's no question that LavaleaperLavaleaper helps with both plans.

The only problem? It doesn't help as much as Barbflare GremlinBarbflare Gremlin. A lot of the decks at a given table are going to be playing few to no basics, and if that's the case, your plan to plop Xantcha down in front of the Archenemy and then watch as the table kills them isn't going to go too well.

Still, if it does make it back around to you, playing your two-color deck with 20+ basics, then you should have no problem taking care of things, so I'd still say go for it!

7. Winter, Misanthropic GuideWinter, Misanthropic Guide

(Helms 6,894 Decks, Rank #299; 3.70K Inclusions, 0.63% of 591K Decks)

WinterWinter, like Xantcha before him, stretches the definition of Group Hug. Yeah, you could build a Winter deck where you hand out cards, and everyone is having a really good time, but that's honestly not what the design of this card encourages you to do.

Instead, Winter's design screams to build Stax decks, where everyone draws cards, but isn't actually able to use them, and then discards those cards at the end step. Or maybe I'm being too cynical, assuming it's going to be Tangle WireTangle Wires and Crack the EarthCrack the Earths all the way down.

In fact, maybe that's just my sickness, because looking at Winter's EDHREC page, I'm actually seeing everyone take a Howling MineHowling Mine and MegrimMegrim approach. Which isn't exactly not Stax (although explaining away the OppressionOppression in 18% of Winter decks is going to take some work in this hypothetical), but isn't what you'd call "Hug" either.

All that said, the one thing Winter decks aren't doing is handing out mana. Sure, there's the odd Rites of FlourishingRites of Flourishing, but there's pretty much no question that folks are looking at the front half of that card, not the back half. Which is natural. Whether it be Group Hug or Group Slug, both strategies are about breaking parity, and the way to break parity with Winter is to give everyone a ton of cards they won't be able to use or hold onto, while your hand remains full.

The point is, however, that no matter how you build Winter, LavaleaperLavaleaper isn't part of it.

6. Yurlok of Scorch ThrashYurlok of Scorch Thrash

(Helms 9,695 Decks, Rank #179; 3.13K Inclusions, 0.43% of 737K Decks)

Hoo boy, you wanna talk about a match made in heaven? Yurlok of Scorch ThrashYurlok of Scorch Thrash loves them some Mana FlareMana Flare, and will take as many copies as it can get. Even better, though? Having some of your lands tap for one while your basics tap for two makes the Yurlok math a lot easier.

5. Kynaios and Tiro of MeletisKynaios and Tiro of Meletis

(Helms 10,873 Decks, Rank #153; 5.11K Inclusions, 0.92% of 555K Decks)

While Mana FlareMana Flare is pretty commonplace in Kynaios and Tiro of MeletisKynaios and Tiro of Meletis decks, LavaleaperLavaleaper will be substantially less good, given its caring for basics. That said, K&T decks tend to play a lot of lands, so it's not a complete no, either, especially if you can find room for a lot of ramp that puts basics on the battlefield.

4. Rocco, Street ChefRocco, Street Chef

(Helms 10,887 Decks, Rank #152; 6.88K Inclusions, 0.76% of 909K Decks)

While I liked Ian Malcolm, ChaoticianIan Malcolm, Chaotician a bit more, as he lets everyone cast everyone else's spells, making it harder for a deck to execute their game plan with the cards you give them, Rocco, Street ChefRocco, Street Chef isn't a complete no. At three colors, basics are still an available option, and while Rocco hands out cards to everyone, you'll still be able to better use them if you have more mana than everyone else.

You'll probably have to go pretty deep on the Evolving WildsEvolving Wilds of the world to get as many basics as you need, however, so if folks ended up skipping on LavaleaperLavaleaper and just having the other two Mana FlareMana Flares that are available, that'd be pretty understandable.

3. Kibo, Uktabi PrinceKibo, Uktabi Prince

(Helms 12,111 Decks, Rank #126; 7.55K Inclusions, 0.45% of 1.69M Decks)

Whether or not you want LavaleaperLavaleaper in your Kibo, Uktabi PrinceKibo, Uktabi Prince deck depends on what kind of Kibo deck you're going for. My original take on Kibo was an Ape/Monkey/Shapeshifter brew, but there is absolutely such a thing as just good-stuff Kibo, untap shenanigans Kibo, or what we should probably focus on today: Group Hug Kibo.

Giving out Bananas to the whole table is all well and good, but if you want them to have that much mana, surely you'd be okay with them having more? Lavaleaper can provide that, and with Kibo really only needing green mana to operate, given that your Bananas provide red, basics are no issue.

In other words, if you're doing Group Hug, or even untap shenanigans with Kibo, then Lavaleaper can make your big mana Gruul deck go even bigger.

2. Xyris, the Writhing StormXyris, the Writhing Storm

(Helms 17,456 Decks, Rank #63; 11.8K Inclusions, 1.41% of 838K Decks)

Before I'd assembled this list, if you'd asked me what the most popular Group Hug commander with access to red was, I would have answered Xyris, the Writhing StormXyris, the Writhing Storm without hesitation. So seeing them here at number two was a bit of a surprise. Still, there's no question that this giant Snake that makes Snakes is a favorite of folks, and that goes double for Group Hug folks.

As to the question of LavaleaperLavaleaper, there is a bit of a count against it at three-color, but it's not an outright no like four- and five-color are. The bigger question, however, is whether Xyris decks want everyone to have more mana.

Giving out cards that give you more Snakes is all well and good, but giving out extra mana with it means folks are going to be better able to use those cards. We are talking about Group Hug here, so that's not a complete deal breaker. But for me, more mana means a higher likelihood of having to deal with more board wipes.

Now, I've been pretty clear on my stance that Group Hug is actually control in disguise, so you should be playing a lot of interaction that can protect you against said board wipes, but giving out mana in addition to cards makes it more likely that the table can land two or three board wipe attempts in a row, which is where no amount of interaction is going to save you.

I'm not crazy about Lavaleaper here, and it doesn't seem like you guys are, either, given that Mana FlareMana Flare doesn't even show up on Xyris' EDHREC page.

1. Nekusar, the MindrazerNekusar, the Mindrazer

(Helms 26,393 Decks, Rank #15; 8.84K Inclusions, 0.97% of 911K Decks)

Well, let's put it this way: The King isn't dead, but there is a pretender on the throne. Whereas Xyris is the pinnacle of high society when it comes to Group Hug, Nekusar, the MindrazerNekusar, the Mindrazer is more like the folks begging for scraps out in the back alley behind the party.

Sure, you can build a Nekusar Group Hug deck, but no matter how hard you lean into it, it's not going to feel like one.

For all their differences, however, Nekusar is actually remarkably similar to Xyris when you go all "hug" with them. They want you to plop down every Howling MineHowling Mine, ProsperityProsperity, and Wheel of FortuneWheel of Fortune effect you can, which will then transfer into damage. That may be with direct damage with Nekusar, or eventual damage with Snakes when it comes to Xyris, but the end result is the same. Which has to mean that the strategy is more or less the same, as well.

In other words? Nekusar doesn't want LavaleaperLavaleaper any more than Xyris does.

Honorable Mentions

Wow, five out of ten of our list doesn't want our new Mana FlareMana Flare. Almost makes you feel like there isn't a call for this sort of thing. But we know that's not true, right?

Let's take a look at the rest of the list and find some more commanders that are looking for this option, shall we?

The Best of the Rest

11. Ludevic, Necro-AlchemistLudevic, Necro-Alchemist 3903 Decks
12. Jolene, the Plunder QueenJolene, the Plunder Queen 3432
13. The Second DoctorThe Second Doctor 2959
14. Red Death, ShipwreckerRed Death, Shipwrecker 2396
15. Karazikar, the Eye TyrantKarazikar, the Eye Tyrant 2027
16. Mog, Moogle WarriorMog, Moogle Warrior 1935
17. Ellie, Brick MasterEllie, Brick Master 1874
18. Rankle and TorbranRankle and Torbran 557
19. Xira ArienXira Arien 505

First off, our main list totally left partners out of the equation, with all of them not ending up with enough pairings to make the top 10. That said, it was a close thing, as number 11 was Ludevic, Necro-AlchemistLudevic, Necro-Alchemist, a partner that is all about folks drawing cards so long as they're attacking your opponents.

Ludevic as a Group Hug commander pairs up well with two different partners that care about lands in a fashion that might have you play LavaleaperLavaleaper: Thrasios, Triton HeroThrasios, Triton Hero and Toggo, Goblin WeaponsmithToggo, Goblin Weaponsmith. While Thrasios is obviously the better choice, I would go with Toggo to keep my colors down, and also because... Toggo. Who doesn't want to be hucking Rocks?

As for the other partner options in The Second DoctorThe Second Doctor and Ellie, Brick MasterEllie, Brick Master, I am uninspired on all fronts.

That doesn't mean there's not other stuff to work with down here, however. I am a known huge fan of Red Death, ShipwreckerRed Death, Shipwrecker, and it's already a very mana-hungry deck that would absolutely welcome Lavaleaper. Jolene, the Plunder QueenJolene, the Plunder Queen is already handing out Treasures, so flooding the zone wouldn't be unwelcome.

Karazikar, the Eye TyrantKarazikar, the Eye Tyrant might be more of a card draw commander in similar fashion to Xyris and Nekusar, but given that you're incentivizing your opponents to attack each other and you're also drawing more cards than anyone else, handing out some mana wouldn't be unwelcome. And finally, Rankle and TorbranRankle and Torbran do an excellent imitation of Jolene, while also keeping folks under control with the constant sacrificing of creatures.

Nuts and Bolts

There always seems to be a bit of interest in how these lists are made (this seems like a good time to stress once again that they are based on EDHREC score, not my personal opinion…), and people are often surprised that I’m not using any special data or .json from EDHREC, but rather just muddling my way through with some Scryfall knowledge! For your enjoyment/research, here is this week’s Scryfall search.

What Do You Think?

One thing we didn't talk about today is how folks felt about Lavaleaper in a more standard setting. No, not Standard the format, just... decks that aren't Group Hug. Honestly, with the basic restriction and how many decks aren't playing many basics today, you could get pretty far just playing this as a mana doubler in your one- and two-color decks, and I'm sure a lot of folks will be doing just that.

And finally, what is your favorite Group Hug commander? Does it play Mana FlareMana Flare? Will it play LavaleaperLavaleaper?

Let us know in the comments, and we'll see you at the standard white folding table that appears to be spouting a volcano from the middle that is, what's this? Creating more tabletop?