Do you love the thrill of a powerful attack, the cunning of a well-placed spell, and the satisfaction of a swift victory? Then you might just be a Mardu player at heart! For those who crave aggressive strategies and a splash of everything, Mardu is a color combination that offers a fantastic range of choices in the world of Commander.
But let’s be honest, picking the *perfect* Mardu Commander can feel like navigating a battlefield with a blindfold on. Do you want to overwhelm your opponents with creatures? Control the game with spells? Or maybe a bit of both? The sheer number of amazing Mardu commanders can leave you scratching your head, wondering which one truly fits your playstyle and will lead you to glory.
Don’t worry, fellow planeswalker! This guide is here to cut through the confusion. We’ll explore some of the most exciting Mardu commanders out there, breaking down what makes them tick and how you can build a deck around them that’s both fun and fearsome. Get ready to discover your next winning strategy and unleash the full power of Red, White, and Black!
Our Top 5 Mardu Commanders Recommendations at a Glance
Top 5 Mardu Commanders Detailed Reviews
1. Magic The Gathering Dragonstorm Commander Deck – Mardu Surge
Rating: 9.2/10
Unleash the fury of dragons on the battlefield with the Magic The Gathering Dragonstorm Commander Deck – Mardu Surge! This deck plunges you into the heart of Tarkir’s epic dragon wars. You’ll fight alongside legendary dragons and discover the unique strengths of the Mardu clan. Get ready for fast-paced, aggressive gameplay as you harness the power of red, white, and black.
What We Like:
- You get two amazing foil borderless legendary commanders: Neriv, the Mythic Spirit Dragon, and Zurgo, the Mardu leader.
- The Mardu clan plays with exciting tactics. You can create attacker tokens and sacrifice them for awesome benefits.
- This deck introduces 10 brand new Commander cards to Magic: The Gathering.
- It includes a special 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack with alternate-border cards.
- Everything you need is in the box: a 100-card deck, tokens, and a deck box.
What Could Be Improved:
- For newer players, understanding the intricate synergy of a Commander deck can take some time.
- The aggressive nature of the Mardu might not suit every playstyle.
This Mardu Surge Commander Deck offers a powerful and exciting way to experience Magic: The Gathering. It’s a fantastic addition for any dragon lover looking for a strong, action-packed deck.
2. Elite Commander Mardu Samurai Deck – Red White Black – Isshin – EDH – 100 Card – Custom Magic The Gathering Deck – Very Strong!
Rating: 9.0/10
Unleash the power of the blade with the Elite Commander Mardu Samurai Deck! This 100-card custom Magic: The Gathering deck is built around the legendary Isshin, Two Heavens as One, and focuses on creating an unstoppable force of samurai warriors. It’s designed for fun, strategy, and overwhelming your opponents.
What We Like:
- Isshin’s synergy: Isshin’s ability to trigger your samurai’s abilities twice is incredibly powerful. It lets you buff a single attacker to huge sizes or double up on defensive buffs.
- Versatile offense and defense: The deck can efficiently attack with one massive samurai in the early and mid-game. Later, it can swarm the board with a huge army of samurai to overwhelm opponents.
- Equipment synergy: Several equipment cards are included to make your samurai even more dangerous, turning them into true game-ending threats.
- Strong support package: The deck includes excellent removal spells to deal with threats, anthem effects to boost your creatures, and value-generating cards like card draw and ramp to keep your hand full and your mana flowing.
- Creature protection: Spells and abilities are in place to protect your key samurai from enemy removal, ensuring your strategy stays on track.
- Themed and fun: This deck is a blast to play and offers a unique, thematic experience for anyone who enjoys samurai lore and powerful creature strategies.
- Commander/EDH legal and ready to play: Jump straight into the action without any extra preparation needed.
What Could Be Improved:
- Learning curve for new players: While powerful, mastering the optimal attack and defense sequences might take a few games for players new to this style of deck.
- Reliance on Isshin: While the deck functions without him, its full potential is unlocked with Isshin on the battlefield, making him a prime target for opponents.
This Elite Commander Mardu Samurai Deck offers a thrilling and potent gameplay experience. It’s a fantastic choice for players seeking a strong, themed commander deck that can win through overwhelming force and clever combat tricks.
3. Elite Mardu Vampire Commander Deck – Licia – Black Red White – EDH – 100 Card – Custom Magic The Gathering Deck – Very Strong!
Rating: 8.5/10
Unleash your inner vampire lord with the Elite Mardu Vampire Commander Deck featuring Licia! This custom-built 100-card Magic: The Gathering deck is a powerhouse of black, red, and white. It’s designed for maximum fun and serious wins in EDH. With over 50 years of combined deck-building experience behind it, this deck promises aggressive plays and a thrilling experience.
What We Like:
- This deck is packed with powerful, aggressive vampires. Many have awesome abilities like haste, lifelink, and deathtouch.
- It includes strong “anthem” effects from both creatures and enchantments to make your vampires even stronger.
- The lifegain theme is super fun. You’ll find cards that drain your opponents when you gain life.
- The deck has great creature removal to handle your opponents’ threats.
- Card draw spells are included to keep your hand full.
- It’s incredibly strong and efficient, generating lots of value.
- This deck is ready to play right out of the box and is Commander/EDH legal.
What Could Be Improved:
- Newer players might need a little time to learn all the vampire synergies.
- The aggressive nature might not suit players who prefer slower, control-style games.
This deck is a fantastic choice for anyone looking for a strong, fun, and thematic Commander experience. Get ready to dominate the battlefield with your vampire horde!
4. Ultra Pro – Tarkir Dragonstorm Zurgo Stormrender/Neriv
Rating: 8.8/10
Show off your love for Magic: The Gathering with this awesome Ultra Pro deck box! It’s made for the Tarkir Dragonstorm set and features cool art of Zurgo Stormrender and Neriv, Crackling Vanguard. This box keeps your cards safe and organized, whether you’re playing a casual game or heading to a tournament.
What We Like:
- It has super cool, official artwork from the Tarkir Dragonstorm set.
- The front and sides show Zurgo Stormrender, and the back and divider feature Neriv, Crackling Vanguard.
- It can hold over 100 cards, even if they are double-sleeved, which is great for Commander decks.
- The box is made of strong, safe plastic that won’t hurt your cards.
- It comes with a special divider that matches the theme.
What Could Be Improved:
- While it holds 100+ cards, some players with very thick double-sleeved decks might find it a tight fit for exactly 100 plus a commander.
- The artwork is awesome, but it would be even cooler if there were more designs from the set available.
This deck box is a fantastic way to protect your Magic cards and show off your favorite characters. It’s a must-have for any serious MTG player.
5. Elite Commander Dice Roll Deck – Mardu Red Black White – Mr. House
Rating: 9.2/10
Get ready for an exciting commander experience with the Elite Commander Dice Roll Deck! This 100-card custom Magic: The Gathering deck features the Mardu colors (red, black, white) and is built around the President and CEO, Mr. House. It’s designed for both EDH and cEDH play and promises to be a very strong and fun addition to your collection.
What We Like:
- Focuses on a fun and unique dice-rolling theme that triggers Mr. House’s powerful ability often.
- Quickly accelerates Mr. House onto the battlefield using a solid mana base.
- Includes many spells and creatures that roll dice, giving you a high chance to create creature and treasure tokens.
- Features strong artifact synergy with card draw, power boosts, and ways to win the game.
- Offers great utility with removal, mana rocks, and anthem effects.
- Creates massive value and can quickly overwhelm opponents with a swarm of creatures.
- Perfect for players seeking a fun, themed, and powerful deck that has been play-tested.
- Commander/EDH legal and ready to play right out of the box.
What Could Be Improved:
- Reliance on dice rolls means some games might be less consistent if rolls are unfavorable.
- Can be complex for absolute beginners due to the number of triggers and interactions.
- The “very strong” claim might set high expectations; performance can vary based on opponent’s decks and meta.
This deck offers a thrilling and potent way to play Commander, blending a unique theme with competitive power. You’ll have a blast rolling dice and building your army!
Choosing Your Perfect Mardu Commander: A Buyer’s Guide
Mardu decks in Magic: The Gathering are known for their powerful combination of Red, White, and Black. These colors give you access to aggressive creatures, removal spells, and ways to sacrifice your own permanents for big gains. If you’re looking to build a Mardu Commander deck, this guide will help you find the right commander and cards to make your deck a force to be reckoned with.
1. Key Features to Look For in a Mardu Commander
Your commander is the heart of your deck. It’s the legendary creature that sits in the command zone and can be cast multiple times. For Mardu, you want a commander that:
- Offers synergy: It should work well with the strategies you want to pursue.
- Provides value: It should give you an advantage, like drawing cards or making tokens.
- Fits your playstyle: Do you like attacking with creatures? Or do you prefer controlling the game with spells?
- Has good abilities: Some commanders have powerful activated or triggered abilities that can win you the game.
2. Important Materials (Cards and Colors)
Mardu decks are built around three colors: Red, White, and Black. Each color brings something special:
- White: Offers strong defensive creatures, life gain, and board wipes (spells that destroy all creatures).
- Black: Provides powerful removal spells, creature recursion (bringing creatures back from the graveyard), and ways to drain your opponents’ life.
- Red: Excels at aggressive creatures, direct damage spells, and artifact destruction.
When building your deck, you’ll need a good mix of lands that produce these colors. You’ll also want creatures, sorceries, instants, enchantments, and artifacts that fit your commander’s strategy.
3. Factors That Improve or Reduce Quality
The quality of your Mardu Commander deck depends on several things:
- Card Synergy: Cards that work well together make your deck stronger. For example, if your commander lets you sacrifice creatures, cards that create lots of creature tokens are very good.
- Mana Curve: This is the distribution of cards by their mana cost. A good mana curve means you have spells to cast at every stage of the game. Too many expensive cards and you won’t do anything early. Too many cheap cards and you might run out of steam late.
- Commander Choice: A well-chosen commander can significantly boost your deck’s power. A commander that doesn’t fit your strategy can hold you back.
- Card Rarity: While not always the case, rarer cards (like mythic rares) often have more powerful and unique abilities. However, budget-friendly commons and uncommons can also form the core of a strong deck.
4. User Experience and Use Cases
Mardu Commander decks can be built for many different playstyles:
- Aggro: These decks aim to win quickly by attacking with powerful creatures. Commanders like [[Edgar, Charmed Groom]] or [[Kaalia of the Vast]] are great here.
- Aristocrats: This strategy uses sacrifice effects to deal damage or gain other benefits. Commanders like [[Tymna the Weaver]] and [[Krav, the Unredeemed]] are popular choices.
- Control: These decks focus on stopping opponents’ threats with removal and counterspells, then winning with a few powerful finishers.
- Tokens: Some Mardu decks create many small creature tokens and then make them stronger or sacrifice them.
The user experience with a Mardu deck can be very rewarding. You get to play a wide range of powerful cards and execute exciting strategies. The deck can adapt to different situations, making it fun to play in various games.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What are the best Mardu commanders for beginners?
A: For beginners, commanders that are straightforward and have a clear game plan are best. [[Tymna the Weaver]] is great because she draws cards when your creatures deal damage. Pairing her with a commander that benefits from this card draw, like [[Kamahl, Heart of Krosa]] (though not Mardu, it shows the concept of synergy), can be effective. Another good option is [[Osgir, the Reconstructor]], which can bring back artifacts from your graveyard.
Q: Are Mardu decks good in Commander?
A: Yes, Mardu decks are very good in Commander. They have access to powerful removal, aggressive creatures, and unique synergies that can lead to strong victories.
Q: What are the main strengths of Mardu?
A: Mardu’s main strengths are its ability to remove threats, attack aggressively, and utilize sacrifice strategies for powerful effects.
Q: What are the main weaknesses of Mardu?
A: Mardu can sometimes struggle with drawing enough cards if its strategy doesn’t include specific card draw engines. It can also be mana-intensive if not built carefully.
Q: What kind of cards should I look for in a Mardu deck?
A: Look for cards that remove opponents’ creatures, deal direct damage, create creature tokens, and benefit from sacrificing creatures or permanents.
Q: How do I make my Mardu deck more powerful?
A: You can make your deck more powerful by finding cards that work well with your commander, ensuring a good mana curve, and including efficient removal and card draw.
Q: Is [[Kaalia of the Vast]] a good commander?
A: [[Kaalia of the Vast]] is a very powerful commander for an aggressive Mardu deck. She lets you put large, expensive creatures directly onto the battlefield.
Q: How important are lands in a Mardu Commander deck?
A: Lands are extremely important. You need lands that can produce Red, White, and Black mana reliably. Dual lands and utility lands can greatly improve your deck’s consistency.
Q: Can I build a budget Mardu Commander deck?
A: Absolutely! You can build a fun and effective budget Mardu deck by focusing on commons and uncommons, and finding commanders that don’t rely on very expensive cards.
Q: What are some common sacrifice outlets in Mardu?
A: Common sacrifice outlets include creatures like [[Viscera Seer]], artifacts like [[Ashnod’s Altar]], and enchantments like [[Dictate of Erebos]].
In conclusion, every product has unique features and benefits. We hope this review helps you decide if it meets your needs. An informed choice ensures the best experience.
If you have any questions or feedback, please share them in the comments. Your input helps everyone. Thank you for reading.
Hi, I’m Robert Contreras, a passionate archery instructor based in the USA. With years of experience under my belt, I’ve dedicated my life to mastering the art of archery and sharing its intricacies with enthusiasts of all levels. Through my website, 10Bows.com, I invite you to explore a treasure trove of tips, techniques, and personal insights that reflect my journey in the world of archery. Whether you’re picking up a bow for the first time or refining your skills, I’m here to help guide you toward precision, focus, and a deeper appreciation for this timeless sport.