Commander Staples You're Probably Overlooking in 2025
In the ever-evolving landscape of Magic: The Gathering's Commander format, certain cards rise to prominence, becoming staples in countless decks. However, amidst the spotlight, many powerful and synergistic cards remain underutilized. This article sheds light on some of these hidden gems that deserve a place in your Commander decks.
1. Shamanic Revelation
Set: Fate Reforged
This five-mana sorcery lets you draw cards equal to the number of creatures you control and gains you life if they're big. It's perfect in token or go-wide decks but is still passed over in favor of Return of the Wildspeaker or Rishkar’s Expertise. It's budget-friendly and scales well in casual pods.
2. Druid Class
Set: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms
This class enchantment helps ramp, gains life, and eventually turns lands into threats. While it doesn't look flashy at first glance, it's a versatile engine in any green midrange or landfall deck. It flies under the radar compared to Exploration or Oracle of Mul Daya, but it performs surprisingly well.
3. Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge
Set: Core Set 2021
A 5/4 flying dragon for 3 mana sounds great, but its treasure-generating ability is the real gold here. In decks that create tokens or have creatures dying frequently (Rakdos aristocrats, Goblins, etc.), Gadrak can quietly fuel your ramp while deterring attackers. Criminally underused.
4. Martyr's Bond
Set: Commander 2011
This enchantment acts like a white Grave Pact. When one of your permanents dies, everyone else sacrifices something of the same type. Often overlooked in favor of the black version, but it's devastating in token or artifact-heavy white decks and makes sacrifice strategies more oppressive in white than people expect.
5. Mystic Retrieval
Set: Dark Ascension
This flexible sorcery lets you rebuy instants or sorceries from your graveyard twice, thanks to flashback. It shines in Izzet or Jeskai spell-slinger decks but is consistently overlooked for more immediate recursion like Archaeomancer. It's cheap, scalable, and synergistic.
6. Song of the Dryads
Set: Commander 2014
One of green's cleanest answers to any problem permanent, turning it into a Forest. It bypasses indestructible, shuts down commanders, planeswalkers, and combo pieces alike. A cheap card that sees far less play than it should due to being in green instead of white or black.
7. Phyrexian Reclamation
Set: Urza's Legacy
For just one mana and two life, you can return creatures to hand, repeatedly. It's low-key recursion that enables grindy decks, aristocrats, or even combo loops. Incredibly efficient and underplayed compared to pricier or flashier recursion tools.
8. Skyclave Relic
Set: Zendikar Rising
This mana rock is indestructible and optionally kicks into a three-for-one. It doesn't come in tapped (unless kicked), doesn't get blown up by Vandalblast, and quietly offers solid fixing. Often overlooked for Chromatic Lantern or Coalition Relic, but it plays better than it looks.
Conclusion
While the Commander format boasts a plethora of powerful and popular cards, it's essential not to overlook the potential of lesser-known gems. Incorporating these underrated staples can provide unique advantages and fresh strategies, enhancing your gameplay experience. As the meta continues to evolve, staying ahead by exploring and integrating such cards can give you a competitive edge.