With Wizards of the Coast debuting 37 possible choices in The Wilds of Eldraine, only 7 are mono-colored commanders. Of the 37 legendary creatures, 31 are brand-new additions, and 6 are precon reprints. Unfortunately, Blue and Green players won’t find any new commanders in this set. Here are the 7 mono-colored commander options from WOE, in no particular order.
Imodane, the Pyrohammer
Imodane, the Pyrohammer is arguably one of the strongest potential commanders in the entire set, and it is easy to see why. She can give even more value to removal or creature-damaging spells by pinging your opponents for extra damage. The ability to turn any single targeting red spell into a burn spell is going to make Imodane a great addition to the 99 of any other burn deck.
Rankle, Master of Pranks
The original Eldraine set, Thrones of Eldraine is where Rankle got its first print , and only has a meager 738 decks uploaded on edhrec.com. The flying and haste keywords are helpful in order to get the combat damage trigger through, but this card feels like it be better suited as part of a Tinybones deck.
Syr Ginger, the Meal Ender
With all of the continued food token support over the LOTR set, there are no shortages of options for Syr Ginger deckbuilding. Its’ ability to potentially get big with +1/+1 counters is great by itself, but then the option to sac Syr Ginger for life if it gets in trouble is a fantastic bonus. The planeswalker defensive ability is niche, but in a 4 player pod you have a good chance of it becoming useful.
Danitha Capashen, Paragon
Another reprint, Danitha looks to be the catalyst for a classic mono-white Voltron commander. Her being a Human Knight will also lend itself to some tribal synergy, with some additional help from new spells like Unfinished Business and Stroke of Midnight.
Lord Skitter, Sewer King
There are no shortages of rats in Magic, the Gathering, and this latest set is no exception. With powerful new generators like Tangled Colony, Voracious Vermin, and Lord Skitter’s Butcher; there are plenty of ways to bring a swarm to the battlefield, at the expense of your opponents graveyards.
Old Flitterfang
Speaking of Rats, Old Flitterfang is another great option for mono-black rat tribal decks. 5 mana is a high cost as far as commanders go. However, with the built in protection with flying and a potential +2/+2 temporary boost, Old Flitterfang will be able to maneuver its way to safety. This card will see play in not only rat tribal decks, but in food token decks as well.
Goddric, Cloaked Reveler
Celebration is a new mechanic for this set, and Goddric uses it to turn himself into a dragon that can pump other dragons with +1 for 1 red mana. There are so many better choices for mono-red dragon tribal, and this card doesn’t bring enough value to earn the spot at commander. He would be a good include in a deck that has multiple permanents entering the battlefield each turn.
Final Thoughts on Wilds of Eldraine
This set wasn’t the most spectacular as far as mono colored fans are concerned, but it does have many other multicolored choices. Those patiently waiting for some Blue and Green options will have to wait until The Lost Caverns of Ixalan are spoiled in late October.