MTG: Top Five EDH – Red Commanders
The MTG color wheel has all types, but some players just want to watch the Multiverse burn. Let’s talk EDH Red Commanders.
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, tune an existing one, or build up your first library from scratch.
Red is the color of passion, fury, and impulse on the MTG color wheel. As such, most of the Red commanders want you to be playing fast, small creatures and powerful burn spells. The idea is to reduce your opponent to zero before they can react. Whether you do this with spells, critters, or the coveted Treasure tokens, Red is not into the slow game. There are over a hundred mono-Red commanders ready to ignite that spark, and these five stand above the others as the kings (and queens) of chaos.
Krenko, Mob Boss
At the top of the list is the nastiest Goblin out there, Krenko. His ability to double your Goblins makes him a threat that needs to be dealt with immediately. Any cards that can untap the Mob Boss will make an unstoppable wave of green meanies. Even better, since you’re in Red, there are tons of ETB damage triggers, like Impact Tremors and Warstorm Surge, and tons of ways to give your new army haste. If you want to bury your opponent in a green tide, Krenko is the Boss for you.
Magda, Brazen Outlaw
A warrior from Kaldheim, this Dwarven lass can do a little bit of everything. She buffs her fellow Dwarves, digs up Treasure whenever they’re tapped, and can pull out powerful hitters once you’ve generated a treasury. It’s worth noting that Magda triggers whenever a Dwarf is tapped, not just when they attack. If you can find a way to tap down your Dwarves, like Convoke, you can start digging for gold immediately. Once you have enough, drop a Shivan Hellkite or Inferno of the Star Mounts and blast your opponent off the board.
Torbran, Thane of Red Fell
Another Dwarf, this gent cares less about his fellow warriors and more about blasting your opponent in the face. Whenever a red source deals damage to your opponent or any of their stuff, that damage is increased by two. That means spells, creatures, or enchantments all have a little extra punch. Red already has a ton of ways to increase damage potential; the key with Torbran is to stack triggers in the right order. Adding a City on Fire or Solphim to his 99 will take him from medium threat to the primary enemy in just a few moves.
Zada, Hedron Grinder
On the heels of the second Dwarf, we have a second Goblin, and this one loves spells just as much as Torbran. Zada, however, wants to multiply spells that target YOUR creatures. That means quick cantrips like Rush the Room or Accelerate suddenly become board-buffing power cards. Add in things that like spell casting, like Fiery Inscription, and even your mildest spell could become a game-ender.
Neheb, the Eternal
This one is admittedly a surprise; you don’t usually see Zombies in Red. However, this mummified Minotaur has all the power of a typical Red commander, plus a nasty follow-up. Even if your opponent blocks him, he deals a little damage. After that, he generates mana for you based on how much damage your opponents have been dealt that turn. Of course, in Red, that just means MORE damage. Whether you prefer creatures or spells, Neheb has an answer for you.
