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 Multicolor cards from Commander Legends!
#10: Abomination of Llanowar
Golgari-colored elf tribal decks have received a lot of new toys in Commander Legends, with this elf horror being an excellent example. The design of Abomination of Llanowar is pretty reminiscent of Heedless One, with a few important distinctions. This three-drop only counts your own elves, but it does count any elves in your graveyard as well as those in play (and that’s any elf card, not just creatures). On top of that, this meandering monstrosity trades out trample for the solid pairing of menace and vigilance. I view this change as an improvement since 1) vigilance is a particularly powerful keyword in Oathbreaker, and 2) green is great at giving its own creatures trample anyways. Abomination of Llanowar was ranked low simply due to its effectiveness being limited to elf tribal lists, but I’m still pretty psyched to tinker with this card. (As a side note, the overall flavor of this card is both incredible and horrifying, so that’s an A+ from me.)
#9: Hans Eriksson
Hans Eriksson comes with a bit of a strange ability that can be a bit difficult to evaluate at first glance, but allow me to simplify it with a few key words; card advantage. The triggered ability on Hans is kind of like Domri Rade‘s +1 ability, except 1) it’ll give you the card even if it isn’t a creature, and 2) if it is a creature then you get to put it right into play. As for downsides, I do have to say that a 1/4 for four isn’t exactly the best rate the Gruul colors have ever seen; however, even this downside can work in your favor since it means that Hans will rarely kill whatever creature he fights. I know that my personal Gruul stompy deck is always looking for more forms of card advantage, and I’m sure that there are a number of other similar Oathbreaker lists that could make use of this effect. Also, RIP Hans.
#8: Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty
Imoti only wants one thing, and that’s for the card advantage engine to never stop. On top of having cascade herself, this naga druid will give all of your top-end plays even more value by slapping cascade onto them too. Cascade is usually a spin of the wheel, but casting a random spell for free is still free real estate—er, I mean value. Imoti didn’t earn a higher spot on the list since she’s only a 3/1, and she’ll likely only see play in dedicated ramp strategies. Even still, Simic-colored ramp decks are already fairly popular in Oathbreaker, so I have no doubt Imoti will see a reasonable amount of play in the format. (Also, playing Imoti in a self-bounce ramp deck with Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner is Galaxy Brain Energy.)
#7: Kangee, Sky Warden
Flying and vigilance are two of the strongest keywords in Oathbreaker, and this latest version of Kangee is here to capitalize on both of them! This bird wizard’s triggered abilities are obviously strong in a blue/white flyers build, but what makes those abilities even better is the fact that Kangee comes with vigilance. As far as creature-based beatdown decks are concerned, I’d say that being able to play offense and defense simultaneously is one of the most powerful things that can be done in Oathbreaker, and Kangee was clearly built with sort of gameplan in mind. This card is almost certainly going to see play exclusively in flying-themed decks, but my goodness will Kangee be a powerful addition to those lists.
#6: Reyav, Master Smith
Did anyone put in an order for “more damage”? Reyav looks like a pretty aggressive two-drop, though I imagine he’ll often prove more effective when saved for after you get your auras and/or equipment strategy going. On top of simply adding the benefit of doubling your combat damage, Reyav’s ability pairs particularly well with cards like Sword of Feast and Famine and Umezawa’s Jitte. I also like how this card triggers for each of your attacking equipped/enchanted creatures, which by extension will encourage players to diversify their on-board threats instead of putting all their eggs in one basket. There aren’t a ton of Boros-colored auras decks in Oathbreaker at the moment, but I’m sure that Reyav will become a new staple in Nahiri-style equipment builds at the very least.
#5: Hamza, Guardian of Arashin
Look at this absolute unit! Despite clearly being geared towards +1/+1 counters deck, Hamza is really a card that’s all about cost reduction. Just having a pair of creatures with +1/+1 counters will reduce Hamza’s casting cost to four mana, which is more than a fair price for a 5/5 with upside—and it won’t be difficult to make Hamza’s cost even lower in the right deck. This elephant warrior will go on to reduce the casting costs on all of your creatures, and that perk seems particularly relevant in an archetype that has access to so many different combat tricks (Feat of Resistance, Inscription of Abundance, etc). Like most of this list’s inclusions, Hamza will likely only see play in one specific archetype, but they’ll be a very welcome addition there.
#4: Juri, Master of the Revue
If you’re already aware of my affinity for sacrifice-based strategies then you’re probably not surprised to see this card on the list. Juri reminds me a lot of Dreadhorde Butcher, but I personally feel that this two-drop legend is a bit of a step up for sacrifice-heavy lists. Dreadhorde Butcher can only grow itself through dealing combat damage to a player or planeswalker; meanwhile, Juri will grow just by sitting back and watching you sacrifice your creatures for value. It’s also worth noting that this ability will trigger off of you sacrificing any kind of permanent, including things like fetchlands! As for Juri’s death trigger, this kind of effect can easily be used to either take down an opposing Oathbreaker or even knock an opponent out of the game entirely. The fact that Juri is one of my favorite cards out of Commander Legends may be influencing my ranking here a little, but I’m sure that Juri will be a very fun new card to brew around with in Oathbreaker.
#3: Thalisse, Reverent Medium
Most of the new multicolored cards in this set are designed with one thing in mind, and for Thalisse that thing is tokens. This human cleric may look like a 3/4 for five mana, but she can actually bring a lot more power and toughness to the board right away in the right list. On top of triggering at each end step, Thalisse will also count every kind of token you created during a turn, including any non-creature tokens (because, you know, Smothering Tithe wasn’t good enough already). The fact that these 1/1 spirit tokens come with flying also makes them pretty decent on both offense and defense. Dedicated token strategies are obviously best-suited to capitalizing on this kind of a card, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Thalisse pop up outside of that archetype as well.
#2: Lathiel, the Bounteous Dawn
Two legendary unicorns in one year?! Color me pleasantly surprised. Lathiel is one of the more exciting Ajani’s Pridemates I’ve ever seen, and they’re clearly very well suited for Oathbreakers like Ajani, the Greathearted. You can also divvy up the +1/+1 counters with this ability however you want, which could even include targeting an opponent’s creature. And yes, this ability does say each end step, making it all the more powerful in a multiplayer format like Oathbreaker. On top of having this powerful effect, this legendary unicorn even comes with lifelink, which can easily cause their other triggered ability to quickly snowball out of control. Lifegain is already pretty powerful in Oathbreaker, so I’m sure Lathiel will have no trouble finding a home of their own in the format.
#1: Liesa, Shroud of Dusk
I’ll admit that I wasn’t actually that excited by Liesa’s design when I first read it, but I’ve warmed up a bit to the card since then. A 5/5 with flying and lifelink is a fine rate on its own, and even more so in Oathbreaker since lifegain is so coveted in the format. On top of any incidental lifegain value, Liesa can cause a lot of damage over the course of the game without even having to attack. Her triggered ability does affect you too, but any deck running an abundance of lifegain won’t have too much to worry about. The downside of Liesa’s ability can even mostly be offset by gaining life with her in combat. Dedicated lifegain decks can definitely take advantage of this sort of effect, but Liesa could also fit well enough into death and taxes lists or other stax strategies. Liesa may not earn you many friends at the table, but I have a feeling she’s going to be a fine addition to the format, and woe be to any storm players in her path. (I’m also just glad to finally see the white/black angel sister from Innistrad get printed.)
What are your favorite multicolor cards from Commander Legends? Are there any multicolor cards you’re particularly excited to try out in Oathbreaker? Make sure to tell me on Reddit or on Twitter! My goal is to have my last Top 10 article for Commander Legends out tomorrow, so keep an eye out for that!
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