We, of course, need Equipment in our 99. But we also need some powerful creatures to equip, payoffs for equipping those creatures, and enablers to make equipping even easier. Let's expand on each category's importance.

1. Equipment

These cards are what make the archetype work. They're the lifeblood of these decks. But, different decks want different kinds of Equipment. Some decks, like the one we'll be building, want cheaper Equipment that can be equipped easily.

This may entail the use of cards like Mask of MemoryMask of Memory or Mandibular KiteMandibular Kite, or the aforementioned Lavaspur BootsLavaspur Boots.

Other decks want individually powerful Equipment that they can reduce the equip cost of, like Colossus HammerColossus Hammer or SunforgerSunforger. These decks are typically built around specific Equipment, rather than being content with a critical mass of lower-quality Equipment on the battlefield.

Neither of these paths is more correct than the other, they're just different ways to achieve a similar Equipment-based victory. You can take a peek at this list of the most popular Equipment to get a feel for what you like!

2. Creatures to Equip

You can, technically, put Equipment on any creature. But it's often better to suit up a creature that will maximize the effectiveness of a piece of Equipment. That may mean the creature has evasion, like flying or trample, or it may mean the creature has double strike (literally doubling the power of an Equipment in some cases). A list of creatures that fit this category can be found here.

There are other creatures that benefit specifically from Equipment: creatures that get larger when they have Equipment placed on them, and creatures that are easier to put Equipment on to.

As an example, let's look at Champion of the FlameChampion of the Flame and Fervent ChampionFervent Champion. These are both prime targets for our equip abilities, and have fantastic artwork to boot.

3. Payoffs

Payoffs reward us for doing things with Equipment. This may take the form of ramp, like with Kodama of the West TreeKodama of the West Tree, extra triggers, like with Cloud, Midgar MercenaryCloud, Midgar Mercenary, and even extra life gain, like with Envoy of the AncestorsEnvoy of the Ancestors. The payoffs are almost as diverse as Equipment themselves, and can be selected to fit both your preference and your deck's needs.

A list of Equipment synergies can be found at this link.

4. Enablers

Enablers let us enact our game plan in a more efficient way. This usually takes the form of cost reduction, letting us cast Equipment and activate their equip abilities for less mana.

To give an example, Bureau HeadmasterBureau Headmaster does both of these things! This sort of effect can even be found on Equipment, like with Bladehold War-WhipBladehold War-Whip. A list of equipment synergies can be found at this link.

Now let's talk about some specific cards to fill these roles. Most Equipment decks in Commander include and , so I'll focus on cards from those colors (while also giving special shout-outs to standout includes from other colors).

1. Equipment

I'll focus first on some more generically strong Equipment. Cards that can go in most any deck centered around this card type.

First up is Sword of Feast and FamineSword of Feast and Famine, which can let us essentially take a mini extra turn if the equipped creature connects with an opponent. Untapping all of our lands is ridiculously strong, and we can run away with the game after just a few combats with this Sword.

Thran Power SuitThran Power Suit is a great include in any deck that runs a critical mass of Equipment, and can turn any creature into a monster for just once it's on board.

Finally, there's the Buster SwordBuster Sword. This is one of the strongest Equipment I've ever seen, and it's fitting that it's Cloud's weapon. This artifact is so generically strong, and gets even better in a deck built to equip it early.

There are also cards that work well in specific strategies. SkullclampSkullclamp is one of the best sacrifice outlets available to Commander players, turning any X/1 creature into two cards at the cost of just . Conqueror's FlailConqueror's Flail is also great in competitive decks, locking opponents out of meaningfully interacting with our board during our turn.

And, as a final example, there are entire decks built around SunforgerSunforger. I can't sing this card's praises enough; it's exactly the kind of unique design that I want to see more of.

2. Creatures to Equip

Whether he's at the helm of his own deck, or simply in the 99 of another, Kellan, the Fae-BloodedKellan, the Fae-Blooded is a fantastic card. He can search up our best Equipment for just , has double strike to maximize the effectiveness of our other cards, and even amplifies our whole board once he's suited up.

Godo, Bandit WarlordGodo, Bandit Warlord is strong as a combo piece with Helm of the HostHelm of the Host, but he also provides a tutor and extra combat step outside of that game-ending synergy.

And, for a slightly simpler card, I really like Bladegraft AspirantBladegraft Aspirant. It's a cheap, evasive creature that saves us a lot of mana over the course of a long Commander game.

3. Payoffs

Among the simplest payoffs, but also among the most effective, is Sram, Senior EdificerSram, Senior Edificer. Making sure that each Equipment we cast replaces itself is stronger than it seems, especially on a creature that costs just .

Golden-Tail TrainerGolden-Tail Trainer is a fantastic payoff, providing a neat anthem to our board when it attacks. This Fox Samurai also enables our strategy, reducing the cost of our Equipment more and more as it gets stronger and stronger.

4. Enablers

The most common kind of enabler lets us equip creatures at a discount. Hammer of NazahnHammer of Nazahn is a classic, equipping our creatures for free. That effect is relatively common, also appearing on Puresteel PaladinPuresteel Paladin and Sigarda's AidSigarda's Aid, for example.

The other type of enabler lets us get our Equipment onto the battlefield at a lower cost. My favorite card in this group is Stoneforge MysticStoneforge Mystic, one of the best cards in Magic history. This Kor Artificer lets us cheat Equipment out for just , a rate that's pretty hard to beat.

Artifact Synergies

Equipment are, conveniently, artifacts! That opens up a whole world of synergies with some of Magic's best cards. We can make large Constructs with Urza's SagaUrza's Saga, ping down our opponents' life totals with Reckless FireweaverReckless Fireweaver, and maybe even win the game with Hellkite TyrantHellkite Tyrant.

Artifact synergies are primarily concentrated in and . If you'd like to build an artifact deck that's focused more heavily on Equipment than other artifacts, that's absolutely possible! One of the best commanders available for such a list is Dalakos, Crafter of WondersDalakos, Crafter of Wonders.

Power Matters

Many Equipment boost the power of the creature that they're equipped on (see: Colossus HammerColossus Hammer and many, many others). That means cards like Kutzil, Malamet ExemplarKutzil, Malamet Exemplar and Sovereign Okinec AhauSovereign Okinec Ahau become super effective when paired with power-boosting Equipment.

But those cards aren't in the best color combination to lead an Equipment deck focused on augmenting creatures' power. Although he's slightly less powerful than some other commander options, I'd use Baird, Argivian RecruiterBaird, Argivian Recruiter to lead this deck. He's cheap (both in real money and mana cost), straightforward, and effective. He could be a great option for players looking to get into Pauper Commander!

I'd like to take this opportunity to boost one of my favorite commanders: Nahiri, Forged in FuryNahiri, Forged in Fury. She's currently ranked #287 on EDHREC, but I think she deserves to be in the top 200.

For , Nahiri is a 5/4 creature that lets us cast Equipment off the top of our library for free. Whenever an equipped creature we control attacks, we exile the top card of our library. If it's an Equipment, we get to cast it for free (and we can cast it for its mana cost otherwise)!

Nahiri is a sneakily strong creature that will provide us with the card draw we'll need to close out games in this aggressive archetype.

Although we won't be focusing on them today, I want to give a few other commander options for players looking to play in other color combinations. Valduk, Keeper of the FlameValduk, Keeper of the Flame is a fun option. Decks led by him tend to be extremely aggressive, and can fizzle out in longer games. He's a fun option for those looking to play extremely aggressively.

I'm also partial to the recently released Sokka and SukiSokka and Suki. While I haven't fully explored all the crazy things this card can do, automatically equipping all of our Equipment seems like a pretty sweet deal.

I included a few of the cards that I spoke about in the "Getting Specific" section earlier, but here are a few extra special includes:

Cori-Steel CutterCori-Steel Cutter

This Equipment does most everything we want. It's cheap, (meaning it hits the battlefield before Nahiri and can reduce her cost through affinity), it automatically puts itself on a creature (meaning we can attack with it to trigger Nahiri), and it gives combat-relevant abilities to the equipped creature (trample and haste are quite nice together).

Genji GloveGenji Glove

This is a newer Equipment, and I'm very surprised that Wizards chose to put this effect on a colorless card. With Genji Glove, Commander decks of every color identity now have access to an extra-combat effect.

Bitterthorn, Nissa's AnimusBitterthorn, Nissa's Animus

A callback to the much-beloved Sword of the AnimistSword of the Animist, Bitterthorn provides a 0/0 body so we can trigger this Equipment right away. This is one of my personal favorite cards, and it just so happens to have the ability to trigger Nahiri all on its own.

Akiri, Fearless VoyagerAkiri, Fearless Voyager

If we want to attack with a weaker equipped creature like a Leonin ShikariLeonin Shikari to trigger our commander, there's a chance that creature will die. Akiri helps protect those vulnerable attackers, and draws us a few extra cards for our troubles.