Commander is the most popular format in Magic: The Gathering and preconstructed Commander decks, or precons, offer one of the easiest ways to jump into the game. These decks come ready to play right out of the box with a legendary creature as the commander, a clear theme, and 99 synergistic cards. However, not all precons hold up equally well over time. Some are quickly outclassed while others remain powerful, fun, and highly upgradeable years after their release. That being said, precons are meant to be customized and upgraded.
Here are the ten best Magic The Gathering Commander precons you can still find and enjoy today. These decks are well-designed, offer strong themes, and are a great value for new and experienced players alike.
Commander: Kardur, Doomscourge
Theme: Group slug and chaos
Why it’s great: This Magic The Gatherin Rakdos deck focuses on causing opponents to damage each other while you benefit. Cards like Disrupt Decorum and Varchild’s War-Riders create fun multiplayer chaos. It contains many powerful reprints and is a blast in group settings. Good for players who love political and chaotic gameplay.
Commander: Brimaz, Blight of Oreskos
Theme: Incubate tokens and Phyrexian tribal
Why it’s great: This recent precon introduced the innovative Incubate token mechanic and supports Phyrexian synergies. It features powerful cards like Exsanguinate and Norn’s Choirmaster that provide resilience and value. Good for those who enjoy tokens and midrange creature strategies.
Commander: Anje Falkenrath
Theme: Madness and graveyard synergy
Why it’s great: Anje remains one of the strongest commanders for madness strategies. The deck accelerates card draw and graveyard interaction and holds up well with only minor upgrades. It is still competitively priced and widely available. Great for combo players who enjoy discard and graveyard loops.
Commander: Neyali, Suns’ Vanguard
Theme: Go-wide red-white tokens
Why it’s great: This Boros deck revitalizes token strategies with powerful synergies from cards like Myrel, Shield of Argive. It offers solid card advantage engines and strong aggressive potential. Ideal for players who love fast, token-based aggro.
Commander: The Ur-Dragon
Theme: Five-color dragons
Why it’s great: This Magic the Gathering deck is the classic five-color dragon tribal precon. The Ur-Dragon is one of the most iconic tribal commanders, offering incredible power and flexibility. While it benefits from mana base upgrades, it remains a fan favorite and a strong tribal option. Perfect for dragon lovers and five-color enthusiasts.
Commander: Ixhel, Scion of Atraxa
Theme: Poison, proliferate, and toxic
Why it’s great: This is the best infect-style precon Wizards has printed. Ixhel provides consistent card draw and aggressive poison counter application. The deck features strong staples like Contagion Engine and Vraska’s Fall, making it both powerful and easy to upgrade. Great for players who enjoy alternate win conditions and control.
Commander: Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver
Theme: Zombies and death triggers
Why it’s great: This Magic the Gathering zombie tribal deck is surprisingly strong right out of the box with excellent synergy. Wilhelt generates value through continuous zombie creation and card draw. The deck includes many premium reprints and supports grindy, value-based play. Perfect for tribal synergy fans.
Commander: Sefris of the Hidden Ways
Theme: Dungeons, venture, and graveyard recursion
Why it’s great: This Esper-colored precon is one of the best synergy-driven decks ever made. Sefris rewards players for venturing into dungeons and filling their graveyards with value triggers and free reanimation. The venture mechanic provides continuous benefits and the deck scales well with upgrades. Ideal for players who love graveyard interaction and flavorful Dungeons & Dragons themes.
Commander: Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
Theme: Tempo, flyers, and value
Why it’s great: Derevi is a famous Magic the Gathering commander from competitive EDH who received a much-needed reprint. This deck focuses on evasive creatures, tap and untap effects, and tempo control. It is one of the most upgradeable precons and strong from the start. Perfect for blue-white-green players who enjoy tricky tempo and flying creatures.
Commander: Atraxa, Praetors’ Voice
Theme: Proliferate, +1/+1 counters, and superfriends
Why it’s great: This is arguably the most powerful Magic the Gathering Commander precon ever printed. Atraxa supports multiple strategies including proliferate, infect, Planeswalkers, and counters. The deck is endlessly upgradeable and remains a top choice years after release. Suitable for virtually any player and strategy due to its versatility.
Whether you are a new Commander player or a veteran looking for strong precons that remain relevant, these decks offer great value and fun gameplay. Many of them can be found online or at local game stores and require minimal upgrades to perform well.
Did your favorite Magic the Gathering precon make the list? Let us know which Commander decks you recommend for new players in 2025. You should also check out our list of classic tabletop roleplaying games that are still in print.
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