Hiding in the outskirts of the main Wilds of Eldraine set, among the overgrown woods and fields of the unexplored world, lies all sorts of new Commander-specific cards for players to explore. Mostly found in Wilds of Eldraine Commander products, these cards mess with conventional Magic rules to spread chaos across the battlefield, all the while putting you in a better position to dominate your opponents.
There are also a few cards that don’t quite fit into the archetypes of the preconstructed decks, Virtue and Valor and Fae Dominion. These cards, like a new version of Korvold and a cycle of monarch enchantments based on the five Courts of Eldraine, are all powerful additions to your decks and are worth a second look even if you’re not picking up the preconstructed decks.
Misleading Signpost
Three-mana mana rocks are becoming a lot more versatile in recent Commander releases, and Misleading Signpost is the latest example of that trend. Since it has flash, you can cast Misleading Signpost at any time—but doing so during the declare attackers step lets you get away with some shenanigans to throw your opponents off balance.
If Misleading Signpost enters the battlefield this way, you can move around which player or permanent one target attacking creatures is going after. You only get one attacker to swap, but it can save you from some potentially fatal commander damage or take out a bothersome planeswalker.
Songbirds’ Blessing
Voltron decks already have tons of utility cards to help accelerate their attackers, but one more couldn’t hurt! Songbirds’ Blessing attaches to a creature and then reveals the top card of your library until you find another Aura card whenever the enchanted creature attacks. You can choose to put it on the battlefield attached or into your hand.
You don’t even have to play a Voltron-style deck either, you can take a page out of Eriette’s book and load your deck up with auras that negatively affect your opponents. Imagine attacking with Songbirds’ Blessing and revealing an Overwhelming Splendor, then casting it for free!
Korvold, Gleeful Glutton
The oppressive big dragon boy is back in Wilds of Eldraine, this time with new abilities to keep you drawing cards. Korvold, Gleeful Glutton costs three more mana than his previous incarnation, though the cost is reduced for each permanent card types you sacrifice before you cast him.
You get to put +1/+1 counters and draw cards equal to the number of permanent types of cards in your graveyard when Korvold deals combat damage to a player. It’s pretty easy to get lands and creatures into your graveyard—though it’s a bit hard to do so with artifacts and enchantments, but not impossible. Cards with multiple card types help speed this up, so load up on a few enchantment and artifact creatures and you’ll be throwing Kovolds out every turn.
Throne of Eldraine
A fantastic inclusion to single-color or even two-colored decks, Throne of Eldraine is an expensive mana rock that adds a ton of value to your mana base. When it comes into play, you pick a color, letting you tap it to generate four mana of that color. Unfortunately, you can only use that mana to cast monocolored spells that share that color.
The card gets even better with its second ability, letting you pay three mana and tap it to draw two cards. You can only use mana that matches the color you picked to pay for the ability, but that’s not a problem if you build your deck right.
Court of Garenbrig
Monarch is a silly mechanic that throws a whole new element of the game into play, with plenty of cards caring if you have the monarch status to grant you bonus effects. The Court of Garenbrig makes you the monarch when it comes into play, and then at the start of your next upkeep, you get to dole out two +1/+1 counters across up to two creatures.
However, if you’re the monarch, you then get to double the number of +1/+1 counters among all creatures you control. If you’re the monarch when this ability triggers, you’ll be getting at least four counters the first time this happens. The next time, an extra eight counters, making this enchantment a brutal force to be reckoned with if not dealt with quickly.
Court of Locthwain
Another monarch card, the black Court of Locthwain provides card advantage at the expense of your opponents. On your upkeep, you get to exile the top card of one opponent’s library. For as long as that card is exiled, you can cast it and spend any mana to do so, which is a permanent addition to your hand for the rest of the game.
Even better, if you’re the monarch, you can cast that spell for free. Either way, you’re adding spells to your hand that your opponents can’t interact with until you go to cast it. The exiled card can still be cast even if a player destroys Court of Lochwain, letting you permanently steal cards, at least until the game ends.
Alela, Cunning Conqueror
The alternate commander in the Fae Dominion deck, Alela, Cunning Conqueror is a very strong Faerie commander that rewards a more draw-go approach to deck building. The first time you cast a spell on an opponent’s turn, Alela creates a 1/1 black Faerie Rogue token.
Playing with a bunch of counterspells and instant speed cantrips ensures you keep your opponents off tempo and your board full. Once you start swingin’ with your Faeries, Alela lets you goad a creature if you deal combat damage to a player.
Shadow Puppeteers
Despite its high casting cost, Shadow Puppeteers is one of the most fascinating creatures in Wilds of Eldraine. When it comes into play, you get to make two 1/1 Faerie Rogue creatures with flying, which is not bad, but not great given its cost.
The real power comes when you attack with a flying creature. Shadow Puppeteers transforms your flying creature into a 4/4 red Dragon creature. It keeps its other colors and creature types while it’s transformed, letting you keep any bonuses you might have for specific creature types.
Timber Paladin
An absolutely hilarious card, Timber Paladin starts off as a lowly little 1/1 when it first comes into play. Once you slap an aura on it, Timber Paladin jumps up in stats to a 3/3. At two auras, it gains vigilance and becomes a 5/5. With three or more auras on it, its base stats become a 10/10 and gains trample.
It isn’t hard getting a few good enchantments out, especially with all the Role cards floating around Wilds of Eldraine now. With a few cheap auras, you can power out a massive Timber Paladin as early as turn three or four, putting a huge amount of pressure on your opponents.
Ellivere of the Wild Court
Ellivere of the Wild Court—the main commander for the Virtue and Valor preconstructed deck—is a very fun creature that creates Virtuous Role tokens, special versions of Roles that are unique only to the commander deck. This role gives the enchanted creature +1/+1 for each enchantment you control, essentially a temporary All That Glitters.
Once you start swinging in, and an enchantment creature you control deals combat damage to a player, you get to draw a card. Building a wide creature base and getting them all enchanted helps keep your hand full, giving you more enchantments to cast.
Ryan Hay (he/him) has been writing about Magic: The Gathering and video games for years, and loves absolutely terrible games. Send him your bad game takes over on Twitter where he won’t stop talking about Lord of the Rings.