MTG: These Commanders Aren’t Real – Top Five Bird Commanders
If Alfred Hitchcock had played EDH, he probably would have used one of these feathery Commanders to terrorize game night.
Welcome Planeswalkers and Praetors to our ongoing series about the best casual experience in Magic: Commander.
Whether or not they’re spies for the government, Birds are some of the most numerous creatures on the planet. They come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny finches to massive cassowaries and ostriches. In the MTG Multiverse, those types are all expanded thanks to Avens. These birdmen can have features from all sorts of birds, though the most common are owls and eagles. It makes sense, then, that a few of the more battle-minded birds could easily lead an army. After all, if the media is to be believed, an angry flock of birds is more than enough to take out a small town.
Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
One of the most infuriating Commanders in all of EDH, Derevi sits comfortably at the top of the Bird herd for a reason. Other than being able to manipulate permenants and sitting in the most pillowy fort adjacent color combination, Derevi can simply ignore Commander tax. Sure, it doesn’t count as casting if you do that, but that will only matter in a handful of circumstances. Watch your opponents bury their faces in their hands when Derevi keeps avoiding death again and again.
Gwaihir, the Windlord
If you want a leader for your Bird army, you really can’t do better than the Lord of Eagles from Middle-earth, Gwaihir. Even looking past the obvious flavor win, Gwaihir is an incredible Azorius Commander. He gets a discount as long as you’ve drawn at least two cards in a turn, and he hands out Vigilance to your entire flock. You might not be able to ride him to Mordor, but you can certainly follow him to victory.
Kangee, Aerie Keeper
A bit of an older offering, Kangee is from a time when cards were pricey to cast and their effects matched their price. Kangee is a 2/2 with flying for four, which isn’t much on the tin. However, you can also pump a little extra gas in as you cast him, giving you additional feather counters. For each one, your Birds (but not Kangee, unfortunately) get a stat boost. In the age of proliferate, this is an incredible ability, and Kangee is not one to underestimate.
Kangee, Sky Warden
The Commander so nice he’s on the list twice, this version of Kangee is a bit closer to modern standards. He’s a 3/3 with flying and vigilance that boosts power when he attacks and toughness when he blocks. This man just wants you to follow his lead, and if you do, you’re rewarded for it.
Falco Spara, Pactweaver
Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law himself, Spara is here to weave pacts and deliver smacks. He has a lot of fun synergies and can give you special hand advantage through his library cast abilities. Make sure you pack his deck with backup, proliferate, and as many counters as you can muster.
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.
