Maelstrom ArchangelMaelstrom Archangel | Art By: Cyril Van Der Haegen

Players often say, "There's too many legendary creatures." With more and more legendary creatures printed with every set, there must be a creature out there for every player. Yet there are still creatures who were done a disservice in the past by not being granted the legendary tag.

Today, I take you through a list curated by me and other members of the community to discuss the top 20 creatures you wish were legendary.

1.) TamanoaTamanoa

Starting the list is a creature that I've always seen at the forefront of the "I wish it were a legend" conversation: TamanoaTamanoa. A cheap to cast creature in that gains you life with every instance of noncreature damage.

Turning every Lightning BoltLightning Bolt into a bonus Healing SalveHealing Salve, this creature is the original Firesong and SunspeakerFiresong and Sunspeaker. Giving this strategy a third color in green opens up many different opportunities and play patterns. Who wouldn't love casting a Squall LineSquall Line with upside attached?

2.) Lightning ReaverLightning Reaver

A Rakdos () creature that rewards a player for attacking and also shares the damage around the table? Tell me more.

Lightning ReaverLightning Reaver opens up an interesting play pattern for Rakdos by bringing in charge counters. Options would be abundant for this deck, from extra combats to giving the creature lifelink and benefiting from the end step trigger.

Or one that takes more setup, combining a card such as The Master, MultipliedThe Master, Multiplied and Mirror MarchMirror March as you hope to live the dream, winning coin flips.

3.) Ink-Treader NephilimInk-Treader Nephilim and Friends

Next up are a group of cards, the Nephilim. Possibly the most popular creatures used for Rule Zero commanders. Before the Commander 2016 decks, there were no legal options for a four-color commander, and even today there are still limited options.

It's an injustice that Ink-Treader NephilimInk-Treader Nephilim, Dune-Brood NephilimDune-Brood Nephilim, Glint-Eye NephilimGlint-Eye Nephilim, Witch-Maw NephilimWitch-Maw Nephilim, and Yore-Tiller NephilimYore-Tiller Nephilim can't live in the command zone to this day, even if Ink-Treader is one of the craziest decks I have ever seen.

4.) Soulfire Grand MasterSoulfire Grand Master and Pals

Rolling on with the trend of a group of disrespected creatures comes a suite of three-color cards from Fate Reforged. Standing in for the group will be the most game-breaking one of the bunch, especially if it were legendary, and my personal favorite: Soulfire Grand MasterSoulfire Grand Master.

This has some of the coolest combinations of effects, giving your instant and sorcery spells lifelink and paying mana to put a card back in your hand instead of the grave when you cast it.

All of these cards work great playing across the three colors they represent. Everyone can build an infinite turns deck with Soulfire, but not everyone can build it as a mono-white spellslinger. Brutal HordechiefBrutal Hordechief, Shaman of the Great HuntShaman of the Great Hunt, Torrent ElementalTorrent Elemental, and Warden of the First TreeWarden of the First Tree offer neat twists on decks in the current play space, and should be set free.

5.) Budoka GardenerBudoka Gardener and the Crew

The first time players visited the plane of Kamigawa, they were greeted with "flip" cards. Not the ones that players know, and possibly loathe, today, but creatures that spin around into another creature once conditions are met. There are a few of these in the set that can be played as your Commander; one of them, Erayo, Soratami AscendantErayo, Soratami Ascendant, is even banned. Unfortunately, a group of these become legendary once they flip and, as such, are not legal.

This is unfortunate because they feature interesting but not game-breaking effects. Kitsune MysticKitsune Mystic, Jushi ApprenticeJushi Apprentice, Nezumi ShortfangNezumi Shortfang, and Akki LavarunnerAkki Lavarunner should join the gardener outside the 99.

6.) Prince of ThrallsPrince of Thralls

A large creature with an insane mana cost of with an effect that gives your opponents a choice. There is no creature more representative of Demons in Commander than the Prince of ThrallsPrince of Thralls.

Sometimes a card art screams legendary creature, and this card fits that 100%. This might not be the best when it comes to power, but it could facilitate a fun game night, if only it were legendary.

7.) Uncle IstvanUncle Istvan

Ask any player, and they'll tell you that Magic: The Gathering's uncle should be allowed in the command zone.

This card should be a legend, and there isn't much to say otherwise. If Grandmother SengirGrandmother Sengir gets to be a legend, Uncle IstvanUncle Istvan should too. Some things are just that simple.

8.) Rottenmouth ViperRottenmouth Viper

Snakes are a reasonably supported creature type in the game. With 22 legendary creatures spread across the colors except for white, there are choices when it comes to legendary creatures. But Rottenmouth ViperRottenmouth Viper cares not for the danger noodles; this card screams combo.

When I look at this card and imagine it as a legend, all I see is a color-shifted Dargo, the ShipwreckerDargo, the Shipwrecker. It's not as good as Dargo for a laundry list of reasons, but all the words on the Viper scream to me that this card should have been a legend. If Bloomborrow focused on Snakes over Lizards, maybe this dream would be a reality, but sadly this is not the case.

9.) Risen ReefRisen Reef

"Simic commanders are boring. Simic commanders all do the same thing. Simic commanders only know land drop, value, and take game action."

All of this is true. None of that makes it okay that Risen ReefRisen Reef is not allowed to be my commander. Most of the legendary creatures that are Elementals don't even care about their creature type. Risen ReefRisen Reef does care, and it cares a lot.

If you've played with this card, you know how much fun it is to resolve and keep around. Plus, what's one more Simic legend that gets value just by "playing the game?" Give us a legendary Reef, WOTC!

10.) Maelstrom ArchangelMaelstrom Archangel

The term "fair" is often used in the game. While I don't use the term lightly, I believe it's fair to say that Maelstrom ArchangelMaelstrom Archangel is a "fair" card. Cheating mana costs of big cards is something players are well used to in the format, often through cards like Jodah, Archmage EternalJodah, Archmage Eternal, casting an OmniscienceOmniscience for cheap.

People would still do the same thing if Maelstrom ArchangelMaelstrom Archangel were rightfully made a legendary creature, but you have to connect. Attaching the restriction of dealing combat damage to a player takes a broken card and brings it back closer to the realm of fairness. Most importantly, this would be a five-color commander that you need all five colors to cast. Something that you see less and less with current card design.

11.) Boros ReckonerBoros Reckoner

We need a legendary creature with the Stuffy DollStuffy Doll ability. The problem with the Doll itself is that it is colorless. Unfortunately, colorless cards are not great at dealing high amounts of damage to creatures on the board. Red, however, is very good at doing this. White is very good at making sure your creatures don't die. This makes the obvious choice: for Boros ReckonerBoros Reckoner to become a legend.

I could have chosen Brash TaunterBrash Taunter, and not doing so will get me scolded by my editor. I like the Reckoner better. This is something the community has wanted for a long time, and sacrificing the fight ability to bring the strategy into two colors is a worthwhile trade.

12.) Apex DevastatorApex Devastator

It's big and splashy and everything that a Timmy/Tammy player wants; it's the Apex DevastatorApex Devastator. A Chimera Hydra for with a stat line of 10/10 that has the cascade four times.

This creature not being a legendary is such a shame. People genuinely enjoy it when someone plays this card at the table, and I think it might be even more enjoyable when it's in your command zone. Sometimes playing this card wins the game. Other times, this card gets you a ramp spell, a mana dork, and two different cards that can't be cast because there are no legal targets.

13.) Birds of ParadiseBirds of Paradise

As simple as it sounds, there's a reason that they try not to put mana dorks in the command zone: They tend to end up a bit broken. Even with this in mind, I think the game is overdue for a card like Birds of ParadiseBirds of Paradise to be your commander. Clean and elegant, but with a powerful effect.

14.) Lightning AngelLightning Angel

It would be cool for me if the first Magic card I remember seeing became a legend, but this would also become the first Jeskai Angel. There have been plenty of Angels in , and even a few mono-red ones over the years, but a color that they do not often show up in is blue.

For lore reasons, it makes as much sense as most of the lore, but I think it's something gameplay is lacking. Yes, this would give Angels access to counter magic, but it would also provide a resource needed strategy card selection and Coastal PiracyCoastal Piracy effects.

15.) Stoic AngelStoic Angel

The last Angel on the list and also the most stoic of the bunch. Stoic AngelStoic Angel would make the perfect legend for Angel typal decks. It brings the color blue to Angels, for reasons mentioned above, but it combines it with green and white.

While this doesn't introduce many new creatures to the strategy, it provides the ability to ramp. Angels can be a mana-hungry creature type, which is why cards like Giada, Font of HopeGiada, Font of Hope were so integral once printed. Ramp, card draw, and good creatures; it would be every Commander player's perfect deck.

16.) Crested SunmareCrested Sunmare

Often, when a creature grants abilities to all other creatures of that same type, the first creature would be legendary, like Lyra DawnbringerLyra Dawnbringer, Eladamri, Lord of LeavesEladamri, Lord of Leaves, Svyelun of Sea and SkySvyelun of Sea and Sky to name a few. This is not always true when a creature type is popular enough to have many creatures to choose from.

Horses have 48 total creatures, four legends, and only Shadowfax, Lord of HorsesShadowfax, Lord of Horses cares about Horses. Crested SunmareCrested Sunmare should be errated immediately to become a legendary Horse, and nothing will change my mind.

17.) ImmerwolfImmerwolf

What happens when you have a beloved creature type, one terrible commander, and one good commander using a hated mechanic? You get Werewolves. What could solve all of this? Making ImmerwolfImmerwolf a legendary creature.

This is quite possibly the perfect creature for the strategy. It lets a Gruul deck attack easier thanks to intimidate, it pumps all your creatures, and, most importantly, lets your cards stay on the Werewolf side all the time.

Tovolar, Dire OverlordTovolar, Dire Overlord isn't a horrible option, but since it comes attached to the day/night mechanic, it's not as good as ImmerwolfImmerwolf would be.

18.) Radiant ScrollwielderRadiant Scrollwielder

Similar to a card mentioned way up near the top of the list, Soulfire Grand MasterSoulfire Grand Master, this is another card that can give instants and sorceries lifelink. What Radiant ScrollwielderRadiant Scrollwielder does differently is instead of getting cards back to your hand, it lets you recast at random from your graveyard.

This opens up a world of play patterns not often seen inside the Boros () color combination. Self-mill spellslinger sounds extremely fun. Imagine all the life you would gain from an overloaded Mizzix's MasteryMizzix's Mastery.

This card does too many cool things to be just a rare.

19.) Doomed ArtisanDoomed Artisan

Some cards take a long time to figure out. Some cards might never get figured out until it's far too late. Doomed ArtisanDoomed Artisan is a card I have never figured out, but some have become obsessed with.

Making tokens with a downside leads you on a path to find the missing pieces of a deck's puzzle. It's better for a deck on average if one of the puzzle pieces can always be accessed thanks to the command zone. The incredible uniqueness of this card would make for some of the most interesting decks in the hands of the right players.

20.) Wandering ArchaicWandering Archaic

The last card on the list is a bit controversial. It would be another Group Hug commander. Some players find the concept of group hug worse than having all their spells countered, and others love it dearly.

Wandering ArchaicWandering Archaic would bring group hug to colorless. I would even take this card with the backside removed if it could be a legend. Copying all your opponents' instant and sorceries unless they pay two would lead to an incredible deckbuilding challenge. Do you help them cast spells with cards like Helm of AwakeningHelm of Awakening? Or do you tax them so that they can't pay with Thorn of AmethystThorn of Amethyst? I would love to find out.

Wrap Up

There are a lot of legends in the game of Magic. I think it would be fine if we had a few more. But what do you think? Let me know here or over on Bluesky. Tell me which cards you wish were legends. And why is everyone's answer Stuffy DollStuffy Doll?

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