MtG: 15 Best Strixhaven Cards for Commander

Strixhaven is the latest Magic: The Gathering set, which takes players into the realm of mages. Sorceries and instant spells are the focal points of the set, which gives you an idea where the commander format might be heading.

Obviously, there are a few powerful commander creatures in the new expansion, but those are not without the surprises of their own. However, for most of the part, Strixhaven's best commander cards are all non-creature spells that will benefit some archetypes more than others.

There won't be too many changes in the top tier EDH decks, but those that are one tier below may find new ways to shine with the help of our selection of the best 15 MtG cards from Strixhaven.

Culling Ritual

This removal spell is going to be one of the most important tools for many commander players this season.

It removes some of the most important cards in the format, such as Sol Ring, Tormod's Crypt, tokens, any of the Mox cards, and so much more. The list just goes on and on.

On top of that, it recoups its own mana cost for each destroyed permanent.

Culling Ritual can be played alongside most Golgari commanders, such as Lathril, Blade of the Elves and Atraxa, Praetors' Voice. But there is so much more room for it in many other black-green shells.

Dina, Soul Steeper

Here is a perfect addition to almost any Elves shell, where you can quickly generate a lot of creatures and sacrifice them, turning Dina, Soul Steeper into a serious threat early on.

This strategy can be combined with Exquisite Blood enchantment that will increase the overall damage dealt by Dina.

If you find Dina a lackluster commander, then you can use her with Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose. In that case it would provide the double effect alongside Exquisite Blood.

Strict Proctor

If you're trying to stop Thassa's Oracle combo decks from getting on with their plan, then Strict Proctor is a great card to have for disrupting those kinds of plays.

This card has been compared to Hushbringer from Throne of Eldraine set, but Strict Proctor is not limited to creatures only. It can deal with pesky lands, such as Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle and Bojuka Bog, as well as with enchantments and artifacts.

That's why Strict Proctor is a much better choice if you're looking for a cheap and effective hate card for your deck.

Wandering Archaic

Here is a different kind of a hate card. It's a bit too expensive for commander format, being a five mana card, but that effect can be played out really well in certain types of decks.

It can be used to a great extent alongside such commanders like Orvar, the All-Form and Kykar, Wind's Fury, generating plenty of tokens in both cases.

Unfortunately, the flip side of this modal double-faced card isn't as good and is a simple fetch spell that also gains you life.

Ecological Appreciation

Ecological Appreciation has a very strong tutor effect, but it is also quite expensive.

However, you could play it with commanders like Selvala, Explorer Returned that can generate a lot of mana really quickly and get your cards from the graveyard.

The lethal combo with this commander can be achieved in two ways. You can either combine Ashaya, Soul of the Wild with Quirion Ranger, or Mirror Entity with Wirewood Symbiote.

Ecological Appreciation can quickly get any of these two pieces and give you a quick win.

Galazeth Prismari

There aren't that many cards in Magic that could rival Urza, Lord High Artificer as the ultimate mana generator. But this Elder Dragon has a chance to prove it this season.

The biggest upside of Galazeth Prismari is the ability to produce any color of mana you need, while Urza can produce nothing but blue mana.

But these two exceptional cards don't have to compete, and you can combine the powers of both for something extraordinary.

Rushed Rebirth

Tutor spells have always been highly valued in various formats, and there happens to be a really cool combo with this card in commander that goes like this:

1. Play Tasigur, the Golden Fang
2. Cast Birthing Pod
3. Target Tasigur with Rushed Rebirth
4. Activate Birthing Pod using Tasigur
5. Search your library for Seedborn Muse and Nezahal, Primal Tide

When both of those cards land on the table, you can offer your opponent to concede, or just watch them struggle until they lose anyway.

Decisive Denial

You don't see flexible counterspells in Simic colors every day in Magic: The Gathering.

This would be an excellent addition to the Tasigur Control lists in commander format, where both of the given effects will be of great value.

Also, don't be surprised if you see it in Omnath, Locus of Creation or even Muldrotha, the Gravetide decks.

Players like to have plenty of options when it comes to counterplays, and Decisive Denial looks solid from top to bottom.

Extus, Oriq Overlord

Extus is a modal double-faced commander, which makes it possible to cast a sorcery on the flip side from the command zone.

That other side is Awaken the Blood Avatar that gets cheaper when you sacrifice creatures. So the best way to utilize this commander is the following:

1. Play at least three creatures
2. Cast Awaken the Blood Avatar by sacrificing them
3. Play Extus, Oriq Overlord from the commander zone
4. Cast spells to bring back the sacrificed creatures to your hand

It's a simple loop that can become a very powerful tool in almost any Mardu shell.

Codie, Vociferous Codex

Codie is another new commander from Strixhaven with huge potential.

It restricts you to play only sorceries and instants, and its mana base will require you to play lots of Mox artifacts just to be able to activate its ability.

But with all that work you will be able to do something amazing. For example, you could cheat the permanent spells restriction by using Hypergenesis that puts permanents onto the battlefield regardless of Codie.

In this way you could play any huge threat you wish, and then another one, and another one, and so on.

Witherbloom Apprentice

Witherbloom Apprentice is probably the safest choice for all Golgari decks in all of the Strixhaven. It's just that kind of simple design that commander players are looking for.

Life drain in combination with Magecraft is a very dangerous effect that can become absolutely devastating in the Storm shell.

It's really easy to overlook this card amongst all the amazing choices in Strixhaven, especially in the black and green colors, but Witherbloom Apprentice is by far one of the best new cards for competitive EDH.

Storm-Kiln Artist

Magecraft ability is the most valuable one on Storm-Kiln Artist. In a Storm shell it can produce an infinite number of mana via Treasure tokens.

Also each one mana spell can be basically cast for free, when Storm-Kiln Artist is on the table, as he will instantly recoup that cost by producing a mana token.

The first ability is also quite strong in an offensive way, but when you have such a powerful mana generator, you almost forget about the existence of that pump ability.

Resculpt

Exiling a creature at instant speed in blue color is a really big deal. But Resculpt also takes care of artifacts, which is a solid bonus.

The only downside is the 4/4 token, but when you can get rid of the biggest threat on board for just two mana, that is a downside that can be easily ignored.

The card is really powerful. It's actually so strong that even lead designer of Strixhaven, Mark Rosewater, decided not to release these types of effects in blue anymore in the near future.

Tempted by the Oriq

Here is another blue spell that will be quite impactful this season in commander.

It is clearly designed for multiplayer format, where you can steal commanders and other creatures or planeswalkers that your opponents control.

Note that this is a permanent effect, and you get to keep those cards until the end of the game.

The best targets for Tempted by the Oriq, except the cheap commanders, would be hate creatures, as those usually cost less than three mana.

Fervent Mastery

Fervent Mastery is by far the most controversial card in Strixhaven. Some players say it's one of the best cards in the set, while others can't stop hating it.

The best part about this spell is its multi-tutor ability, which allows you to grab three cards from your deck using a single spell.

It's a great tool for decks that rely on complex combos, but it also puts a lot of new cards into your opponent's hands.

But, if you know that you will win anyhow, and there is no way your opponents can crush your game after getting all of your combo pieces, then there is basically no downside.

That's all for the best 15 cards in MtG's Strixhaven set. In addition to this list of the best Strixhaven cards for commander, be sure to check out our other MtG guides and card lists here.