MTG: Top Five EDH – Izzet (UR) Commanders
It’s hard to be more hated than Azorius but Izzet finds a way by combining the power of fire with the power of nope.
Welcome Planeswalkers and Praetors to our ongoing series about the best casual experience in Magic: Commander. For the uninitiated, Commander is a semi-casual format for Magic: the Gathering, where you use a deck of 100 cards led by a legendary creature, your Commander.
Aside from basic lands, you are only allowed one copy of each card in the deck. Moreover, you can only include cards in your Commander’s “color identity” or artifacts. Each color and color combo has a unique playstyle and a wealth of mighty generals to lead your deck to victory. EDHRec.com is a great source for Commander info and can give you ideas to build your next Commander deck or tune an existing one.
When it comes to mighty spellcraft, there’s no double combo better than Izzet. By combining the two best “spellslinger” colors, you can make a deck that survives on few to no creatures and still wins. By combining the power of Red burn with the overwhelming force of Blue control, you’ll make a storm of spells so potent your opponent will be blown away. Just make sure your own defenses are strong enough to weather the return fire.
Niv-Mizzet, Parun
The original Dragon Wizard leads the charge, and he comes in his nastiest form. A 5/5 with flying that can’t be countered is pretty incredible, even if the mana is a little specific. However, where Niv really shines is in his ability to dish out extra damage. Any time you draw a card he pings a target for 1 damage, and any time a player casts any spell, you get to draw a card. You’ll be throwing out damage and drawing cards like a madman, the two things Red and Blue love to do more than anything else.
Veyran, Voice of Duality
Continuing the trend of rewarding you for casting more spells, we have the Efreet Veyran. Any time you cast or copy one of your spells, Veyran gets a little bigger for the turn. Even better, any time your spells activates an ability of one of your permanents, Veyran doubles it, including her own. There’s so many ways to double spells in these colors, so you’ll have an enormous and deadly genie at your disposal in no time.
Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph
This is definitely my favorite Commander on the list, and not just because I play Genestealer Cults in 40k. Ghyrson Starn is hard to take down, adds extra damage to spells AND creatures, and is surprisingly tough for a low to the ground creature. Underestimate this pistol-wielding wasteland warrior at your peril, because he can turn tiny chip damage into big bullet holes in no time flat.
Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain
This is a little surprising to see so high up on the list. It isn’t that Jhoira isn’t strong, just…not as strong as a lot of the other offering in this color combo. That said, being able to draw off ANY historic spell you cast is pretty great, and card advantage is never a bad thing. Jhoira is Izzet that…Izz’nt. She’ll want a deck packed to the brim with artifacts to make the most use out of her ability, so don’t plan to play typical spellslinger with her.
The Locust God
More draw shenanigans? Yes please! The Locust God gives you creatures, draws you cards, and NEVER DIES! While he’s highly expensive for a 4/4 flyer, he’s worth every penny you have to pay for him. The best part it, you’ll avoid that pesky Commander tax. It’s a win-win!
