Commander Legends might have been one of the most highly anticipated sets of the year, and it’s preview season recently came to a close! The set was designed for EDH, but it’s given Oathbreaker plenty of new toys as well, and I plan on covering the set’s highlights. To be more specific, I’ll be doing a Top 10 article for cards of each color, as well as one for multicolor cards. I’ll also being doing another Top 10 covering the remaining cards of the set along with the new cards exclusive to the Commander Legends preconstructed decks (plus my overall Top 10 cards from Commander Legends, of course). My Top 10s are based on 1) how strong I think a card will be in Oathbreaker, and 2) how many different types of Oathbreaker decks I expect the card to see play in. While I do try to be as objective as I can, these are ultimately just my own thoughts/opinions. With all that out of the way, let’s keep things moving with my Top 10 Green cards from Commander Legends!
#10: Apex Devastator
Fittingly enough, we’re kicking off this Top 10 with a ten-drop card! Most Oathbreaker decks don’t often go past six mana, let alone ten mana; however, this card does give a lot of value, and you’ll get those four cascade triggers even if the devastator ultimately gets countered. The tricky thing about valuing cascde triggers is that it’s often a spin of the wheel. This card might fill your board out with a bunch of other huge threats, or you might just hit four useless ramp spells. Apex Devastator is definitely only going to be showing up in the most dedicated of ramp Oathbreaker decks, but I’m sure that this . . . *checks notes* . . . this chimera hydra will lead to some fun gameplay stories.
#9: Kamahl’s Will
Most of the cards in the Commander Legends “Will” cycle are some decent new Signature Spell options, but I’ve got to say, Kamahl’s Will doesn’t actually excite me that much in comparison. Perhaps with the sole exception of decks running a lot of land ramp, I suspect that Kamahl’s Will is often going to simply function as a convoluted Murder. Even under the best of circumstances—when you can consistently turn on both modes while having a high quantity of lands in play—I can’t help but wonder just how many lands you’ll need to have in order for this card to be really good. The instant speed functionality of this card is a pretty nice upside, but I suspect it won’t be enough to make Kamahl’s Will see play outside of ramp-heavy lists.
#8: Kamahl, Heart of Krosa
So a lot of the cards on the first half of this list have one thing in common; they’re all cards that seem almost exclusively playable in dedicated ramp strategies, and Kamahl is no exception to this trend. On the bright side, I do appreciate how he can give you a bit of immediate value with that triggered ability. I also think one could reasonably expect to win the game after untapping with Kamahl thanks to the synergy between his two abilities. On the not-so-bright side, Kamahl costs eight mana, which is far above what most non-ramp-centric Oathbreaker lists are normally capable of paying. Even still, he seems like a fairly powerful addition to green’s ever-growing roster of ramp payoffs.
#7: Gilanra, Caller of Wirewood
On to “new card for ramp decks” number four! As a 1/2 for three mana, Gilanra certainly isn’t the most exciting of mana dorks; however, I do think it’s very possible to get a fair amount of value out of her ability. Six mana is a much more reasonable goal to reach in Oathbreaker than eight or ten mana, so it’s not unreasonable to expect this card to draw you one or more cards throughout the game. Furthermore, one issue that ramp decks often face is drawing too much ramp and not enough payoffs, and this form of card advantage can help keep the threats coming. I definitely wouldn’t call Gilanra a new ramp staple, but I suspect they’ll at least be a fine new option for budget lists.
#6: Slurrk, All-Ingesting
Finally, a card that isn’t exclusively playable in ramp decks! Slurrk is definitely on the pricer side—mana-wise, that is—for some Oathbreaker lists, but they do provide a very useful benefit for +1/+1 counter strategies. Any effect that can offer a bit of insurance against spot removal is often welcome in dedicated +1/+1 counter decks, and Slurrk can actually make your board stronger after losing a creature. This triggered ability will even trigger if Slurrk themselves die, meaning you’ll net a bit of consolation value even if they immediately get hit by a removal spell. This slimy boy is certainly not The Ozolith, but they’re still a fairly strong addition to the +1/+1 counters archetype.
#5: Dawnglade Regent
Huh, I didn’t really expect to see the monarch version of Archetype of Endurance in this set, but here we are. That being said, Dawnglade Regent is a bit of a step up from the archetype in that this elk gives all of your permanents hexproof (most notably, your Oathbreaker). It is a tad unfortunate that this big elk-y boy doesn’t come with trample, but green decks shouldn’t have any trouble getting around that little detail. The only other real downside to Dawnglade Regent is that it’s a seven-drop, meaning that it will likely only see play in ramp-heavy lists. Even still, Dawnglade Regent will be sure to bring some extra resiliency to any deck that can afford to play them.
#4: Halana, Kessig Ranger
This card may seem like an odd inclusion to see this high on the list, but I think it’s well justified. A 3/4 with reach is a fine rate, if a bit unexciting; however, Halana also acts as a repeatable source of creature spot removal for decks that are primarily creature-based. Best of all, Halana’s trigger specifically uses a “one-sided fight” effect, so you won’t even be putting your own creatures in harm’s way. The two mana is a very relevant cost, but there are actually some decks that could conceivably utilize this ability a couple of times per turn. I, myself, have a Domri, Anarch of Bolas stompy list that runs plenty low-cost creatures with 3+ power. If you want to be especially devious, you can even pair this ability with blink effects and proceed to drink your opponents’ tears. I wouldn’t call Halana a new staple of the format, but I still think she’ll be a fair and fun new option for several different types of Oathbreaker decks.
#3: Kodama of the East Tree
Okay, now we’re talking! Has a solid rate for its size? Is an excellent defender for your Oathbreaker? Can cheat on mana costs all day? Sign me up! In all seriousness, Kodama of the East Tree is a bit pricey by Oathbreaker standards at six mana, but my goodness are you getting a lot of value for that cost—assuming you either manage to untap with it or can immediately take advantage of its ability. This kind of creature is definitely a bit of a removal magnet, but if you even manage to keep it around for just one turn, you’ll be likely to get more than your mana’s worth out of it. Ramp and blink decks are the two most obvious sort of homes for Kodama of the East Tree, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see this spicy spirit show up outside of those archetypes as well.
#2: Magus of the Order
Yes, this creature comes with summoning sickness. Yes, you need to sacrifice the magus and an additional creature in order to use its ability. Yes, your tutor options with this card will be a bit limited due to color identity restrictions in Oathbreaker. No, I don’t especially care about any of those downsides. You know why? It’s because Natural Order—the card that this magus is based on—is currently banned in Oathbreaker, and this magus’s downsides will likely be enough to keep itself off the banned list in the future. That means Oathbreaker players will now finally get the chance to brew around with this kind of effect in the format, and having the effect stapled to a creature definitely has its perks (*laughs in Recurring Nightmare*). I’m sure there’s some amount of combo potential for this card, but I’m really just excited to get to play with this sort of effect in Oathbreaker, and I’m looking forward to see how other players get creative with this card.
#1: Court of Bounty
Jeez, for a color that’s all about mana, green sure does like to cheat on mana costs. It’s true that Court of Bounty will probably be most popular in ramp strategies, but I certainly don’t see this card being limited to that sole archetype. Landfall-centric lists and enchantress strategies could also potentially utilize this sort of card, but I think one could even justify running this enchantment in most any creature-based deck that isn’t on the aggressive end of the spectrum. Besides having a somewhat high creature-count, the only other factor that’ll strongly influence this card’s playability in a given list will likely be that deck’s ability to defend the monarchy. I don’t think I would go quite as far as to call Court of Bounty a new green Oathbreaker staple, but I’m sure plenty of Oathbreaker players will be brewing around with this card in the near future. Feel free to send me your stories about what creatures you manage to cheat into play with Court of Bounty!
What are your favorite green cards from Commander Legends? Are there any green cards you’re particularly excited to try out in Oathbreaker? Make sure to tell me on Reddit or on Twitter! I’m going to be taking a short break from article writing for this weekend, but I’ll be back on Monday with my Top 10 Multicolor cards from Commander Legends for Oathbreaker!
About the author: My name is Alex Enders. I am a college student that’s been playing MTG for almost eight years, though I only recently began experimenting with writing content. My personal formats of choice are Oathbreaker, EDH, and draft. My other interests include music, education, and most things nerdy. You can find me on Twitter (@AAAEnders) or email me at aenders2112@gmail.com