MTG: The Woods are Waking – Top Five Treefolk Commanders
Watch your step when exploring the woods in the MTG Multiverse. If you snap a twig, you might earn the ire of the arboreal Commanders.
Welcome Planeswalkers and Praetors to our ongoing series about the best casual experience in Magic: Commander.
From Treebeard to that unfortunately-named tree from Evil Dead (though I’m not sure it counts), Treefolk have always had a place in fantasy and fiction. Whether they’re slow-to-anger guardians or wrathful avengers, these large tree creatures are strong, tough, and dangerous. You want to make sure they’re on your side, lest you end up with your citadel flooded by a river.
Doran, the Siege Tower
Starting off strong, or tough rather, we have Doran. This mighty Treefolk may look weak with 0 power, but don’t let him fool you. Thanks to his ability, he’s actually a 5/5 for 3, and all your big booty Treefolk are going to get a huge boost. Indomitable Ancients, in particular, is a monster in a Doran deck, becoming a 10/10 with Vigilance. This is definitely the mightiest of the Treefolk, and it shows that he’s at the top of the pack.
Fangorn, Tree Shepherd
Another Treefolk with big bark, Fangorn wants to make sure all your Treefolk are awake. He gives all your Arboreal Avengers vigilance, meaning they can dish out some punishment and still hang out to stop the trackback. He has another secret trick, though. Whenever one of your Treefolk attacks, you get two Green mana, which you don’t lose as you pass through phases. You can fill up a massive tank of mana and then unleash a killer spell like Finale of Devastation or Overrun.
Colfenor, the Last Yew
Much like his companion Doran, Colfenor cares about big toughness. However, where Doran gave your trees power, Colfenor only cares when they die. He’s no slouch in combat as a 3/7 with vigilance and reach, but his real power is recursion. You can pitch one of your big booty creatures to a sacrifice ability and then get something smaller back to hand. Since you’re in Abzan, you’ll easily be able to get the sacrifice back as well, so it’s a win-win.
Sapling of Colfenor
If you have the big tree, you should include his deadly daughter. Sapling of Colfenor is another tree that (surprise, surprise) cares about high toughness. She’s an indestructible 2/5, and when she attacks, you get to look at the top of your library. If it’s a creature, you get to put it into your hand, as well as gain life equal to its toughness. Unfortunately, you also LOSE life equal to its power, so you’ll want to make sure your deck is stacked with mismatched fractions. Thankfully, Treefolk usually excel at that.
Treebeard, Gracious Host
Closing out the list is Treebeard with a different face. This isn’t the warlike Treebeard we saw before, but rather the one that took Merry and Pippin to safety in Fangorn. He’s a 0/5 with trample and ward, and he gives you Food on ETB. Whenever you gain life, one of your Treefolk or Halflings gets an equal number of +1/+1 counters. Pump up your life totals AND your creatures with this kindly tree man.
What do you think of these Commanders?
What is Commander?
For the uninitiated, Commander is a semi-casual format for Magic: the Gathering. 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 an excellent source for Commander info and can give you ideas on how to build your next Commander deck or tune an existing one.
