Top 10 Commander/EDH Cards for MTG Theros Beyond Death

MTG Best Commander Cards Theros Beyond Death

A new Magic: The Gathering set is only a few weeks away from releasing and it’s taking players back to the plane of Theros. Inspired by Greek mythology, this set boasts a plethora of superb cards for multiple formats including Standard, Pauper, and Commander. Ranging from indestructible gods to heroes of legend, Theros: Beyond Death offers players a ton of new deck and synergistic opportunities. Unfortunately, not all spells are created equal, so it’s time to dive into the set and select our picks for the top 10 Commander cards from Theros: Beyond Death.

Before we get into the list, we want to breakdown how we decided to select these cards. First off, we will not be picking cards that will only perform well in CEDH (Competitive EDH). This format is much faster and doesn’t adhere to the casual, yet competitive nature of the format.

Additionally, just because your favorite card isn’t on the list doesn’t mean it’s bad. Some of these cards are perfect for very niche decks or playstyles. However, we will be focusing on those that have a better chance of appealing to a wider audience and can slot into a variety of popular archetypes.

Here are our picks for the top 10 Theros: Beyond Death Commander cards:

(This list is in no particular order.)

1. Heliod, Sun-Crowned

Let’s get the most obvious card out of the way first. Yes, Heliod, Sun-Crowned is easily one of, if not the best Mono-White Commander ever printed. This indestructible Enchantment Creature boasts a staggering amount of combo potential that can just win games. It’s aggressive cost, built-in protection, and great abilities give this general a large amount of flexibility.

Even if you don’t want to go the combo route, Heliod is fantastic for a life gain or Mono-White aggro strategy. Alternatively, you could make Heliod a Voltron deck and simply focus on piling a ton of counters on this intimidating god. We have no doubt this will be one of the most popular cards of the entire set, so make sure to grab one.

2. Nyx Lotus

There are a lot of mana-focused artifacts in the Commander format and Nyx Lotus may be one of the best for mono-colored decks. Revolving around the Devotion mechanic, this artifact can give you a huge boost of mana if you have an already established board. Even though this artifact enters the battlefield tapped, it’s sheer potential cannot be underestimated.

Combining it with any untap effect will only increase its potency, allowing players to obtain tons of mana in a single turn. There’s a good chance that Nyx Lotus will become a staple in any mono-colored deck. Especially once that focuses on developing a big board presence!

3. Underworld Breach

Underworld Breach is a nutty card that is both extremely cheap to cast while offering huge upsides. Being able to cast any nonland permanent in your graveyard for their mana cost and a few exiled cards can easily turn the tide of a game. This works with virtually any type of red deck, but it really excels in ones helmed by commanders such as Feldon of the Third Path, Daretti, Scrap Savant, and Krenko, Mob Boss. It’s a great way to quickly refill your board after a wipe or to bring back a critical combo piece. This will undoubtedly become a staple in any deck that heavily used red.

4. Idyllic Tutor

Originally costing upwards of $30, Idyllic Tutor was a card that desperately, desperately needed a reprint. There are a fair amount of enchantment-focused tutors, but Idyllic remains the best of the group. Given the sheer popularity of enchantment decks, Idyllic Tutor will quickly become a must include for players. Plus, the massive drop in price will make this quite popular among both casual and competitive users. While it may not be the flashiest card on this list, Idyllic Tutor fills a much-needed and appreciated role in the format.

5. Hakos, the Unscarred

Okay, this one might be a bit of a pet card, but Hakos, the Unscarred is such an intriguing commander we had to include it. Being immune to every card but those of a specific mana cost make Hakos a nightmare to deal with. This makes it one of the best Voltron commander in Boros, since there is a very limited number of spells that can even interact with Hakos. Pile on all types of equipment to only enhance this creature’s stopping power. Even though Hakos has to attack each turn, it’s protection allows you to pick on someone who doesn’t have a spell with the chosen mana cost.

6. Nadir Kraken

One thing every Commander player wants to do is draw cards. There are a lot of spells that reward you for doing so, but Nadir Kraken has some serious potential. Not only do you get to put a +1/+1 counter on the Kraken, but you can also create a token. This helps the Kraken get quickly out of control, especially in the mid to late game where you have mana to spend. Nadir Kraken will work wonderfully in both Simic and draw-focused strategies. It’s also a potential staple in control decks since it lets you put up a small wall of tentacles to protect your life total.

7. Nyxbloom Ancient

There are a lot of effects that double your mana, but Nyxbloom Ancient is certainly the new best of the best. While the tripling of mana is fantastic, the real power behind Nyxbloom is that it affects any mana producing source. Creatures, artifacts, enchantments, everything, and anything. Are you looking for a potent reanimation target that will jump you ahead of your foes? Maybe you need to tap Gaea’s Cradle for even more mana or cast a massive X spell and decimate your foes.

Nybloom Ancient is the card that makes this all possible. Even though its seven mana casting cost may keep it from going into every deck, the sheer value it offers will certainly draw a lot of attention from players. Just make sure to have some protection for the Nyxbloom, as it will be a big magnet for removal.

8. Eidolon of Obstruction

The first of its kind, Eidolon of Obstruction is a hate card that forces opponents to pay mana to trigger their planeswalker’s loyalty abilities. Given some of the best generals are planeswalkers, being able to drastically slow down your foe is incredible. It forces the player using the planeswalker to really weigh their choices – especially if they’re short on mana.

It also helps that Eidolon is extremely cheap to cast, so you can deploy him early and really muck up your foe’s plans. This creature is also an enchantment, which means you can find it with spells like Idyllic Tutor or Enlightened Tutor.

9. Gravebreaker Lamia

My favorite card in the set, Gravebreaker Lamia will become a “must include” in every graveyard-focused deck. Reducing the cost of your spells in the graveyard by one is incredible since this includes mechanics like Unearth and Escape. Plus, Lamia also acts as a tutor for putting a card int he graveyard which is always nice. This snake having Lifelink is an added bonus, but that’s not the reason you’re playing it.

Expect to see this card in decks like Chainer, Nightmare Adept, Karador, Ghost Chieftan, Sevinne, the Chronoclasam, and Muldrotha, the Gravetide. If you’re a fan of interacting with the graveyard, then Gravebreaker Lamia is your new best friend.

10. Athreos, Shroud-Veiled

Speaking of the graveyard, our final entry is Athreos, Shroud-Veiled. This Buy-a-Box promo is certainly going to attract a lot of attention. While its recursion ability may be a bit odd, the fact that it works with both you and your opponent’s creatures is what really stands out. This lends a unique strategy around killing and stealing your foe’s best monsters, bolstering your forces. Alternatively, Atheros also works as a way to protect key creatures on your field that will draw a lot of hate.

Athreos is also superb for just being apart of the core deck, serving as a solid recursion mechanic that’s indestructible. This makes it quite difficult to remove, allowing you to have a potent recurring ability that your opponents cannot interact with. In a format where big mana spells are normal, Athreos’ cost isn’t a major issue. After all, how many people run cards that can exile enchantments?

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