Magic Designer Says This Underrated Avatar MTG Commander Deserves More Play
Magic: The Gathering’s most popular Commanders typically feature self-sustaining value engines that provide consistent advantages. Examples include Ur-Dragon, which reduces dragon casting costs and draws additional cards, and Edgar Markov, which buffs all vampires while generating additional tokens. Other competitive Commanders like Vivi Ornitier and Y’shtola deliver steady value through damage output and other powerful effects.
However, a Magic designer argues that overlooked Commander options can deliver some of the format’s most engaging deckbuilding and gameplay experiences. The proliferation of Universes Beyond sets—collaborations featuring intellectual properties outside Magic’s traditional fantasy setting—has introduced numerous legendary creatures available as Commanders, many of which remain underutilized by the player base.
The article advocates for experimenting with these underrated Avatar-based Commanders from the Universes Beyond sets, suggesting they deserve greater recognition and play within the Commander community despite being overshadowed by more popular, value-heavy alternatives.