Magic Cards You're Overlooking for Commander

Ya Gotta Have Faith

Welcome back for another History, Restapled, a Commander-focused column that attempts to validate a newer card’s status as a staple by looking at how cards that are similar, synergistic, or competing have fared in the past financially. 

There was little respite in 2023 from the deluge of previews and announcements, to the point where it started to feel like background noise. No wonder the last few, silent weeks have felt eerie. Thankfully, Wizards of the Coast is not content to let players luxuriate on the cards they already own, and preview season for Murders at Karlov Manor is in full swing. More on that as previews continue and prices home in on an appropriate range. 

In the meantime, here are a few cards from previous sets that are worth revisiting.

Squirming Emergence

There is no shortage of reanimation spells in mono-black and Golgari, but Squirming Emergence is the first one to target any nonland permanent and put it right onto the battlefield. The card is also worded in a way that the target counts towards the mana value of what can be returned and considers lands in the yard, as well, towards that total.

Sure, it can be a bit awkward if you’d like to bring something back from a light graveyard, but later in the game it’s unlikely this card will have no targets. And any graveyard deck with a modicum of mill can get around the downside pretty easily. As a dedicated Golgari graveyard player myself, I’m psyched to bring back my Greater Goods and Altar Of Dementias without searching for my Eternal Witness (then having to cast them, of course). 

The restrictions on Squirming Emergence will likely keep the card from hitting the high price points of other reanimation staples, like Reanimate ($14), Animate Dead ($7, and a good target for Squirming Emergence), or Necromancy ($18). Though there’s not much comparison at this point, the closest we’ve got is probably Conduit of Worlds at the affordable price of $3.50, which likely represents the ceiling in the immediate future for Squirming Emergence—not too much more than its current bulk price. But it’s a rare, and as new and more powerful nonland permanents keep getting printed, there’s a good chance the stock of this card will continue to rise. 

STATUS: Niche, but one that’s growing

Squirming Emergence	CardKingdom $0.49	TCGPlayer $0.50
Squirming Emergence (Extended Art)	CardKingdom $0.79	TCGPlayer $0.63

Argoth, Sanctum of Nature

The Shire from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth is a new staple—there exists little difference, in most decks, between that card and a basic Forest, but its other ability can be activated in a pinch. Argoth, Sanctum of Nature is virtually similar to The Shire even though it only comes in untapped if you have a green legendary creature (a very low ask in a deck with at least a partially green Commander). 

Yes, Argoth mills you, but the annoyance of mill outside graveyard decks is greatly overblown. I know people get salty over it, but I’d rather know where a card is, even if it’s out of the game entirely, than have it buried somewhere in my deck where the chances of drawing it fall victim to variance. But, especially in a green deck, creature tokens in Commander are valuable currency, especially if they're produced off a free-roll of a card. 

Argoth also has the upside of representing half of a Meld card alongside Titania, Voice of Gaea, and when assembled, the resulting Titania, Gaea Incarnate is a game-ender on top of being a heck of a lot of fun. At $1.50, Argoth is a steal at this point, especially when considering the prices of other Meld pieces in the past. Bruna, the Fading Light is a $4 card while the other half, Gisela, the Broken Blade, is a whopping $20. Commander players will pay a premium for this kind of effect, so grab an Argoth before it rotates out of Standard and prices on it and Titania start inching up. 

STATUS: Green staple

Argoth, Sanctum of Nature	CardKingdom $2.29	TCGPlayer $1.80
Titania, Voice of Gaea	CardKingdom $7.49	TCGPlayer $7.41

Defiler of Vigor and Defiler of Faith

This cycle from Dominaria United was praised way back when the set was released, with many content creators and players ranking the cards in their top 10. All five have their uses in mono-color decks—paying two life is pittance compared to the mana you save and the value you accumulate—but the red and blue Defilers are lower impact in colors known for instants and sorceries over permanents, and the black Defiler holds probably the weakest payoff of the bunch. 

Both Defiler of Vigor and Defiler of Faith slot perfectly into what the green and white color identities are always trying to do: cast permanents, save mana, and go wide. And they have a habit of overperforming. Defiler of Vigor is the best of the bunch, boasting a substantial stat line, including trample, and the ability to buff itself in addition to all the mana dorks hanging about. Defiler of Faith isn’t far behind with its tokens and vigilance—not to mention that a single Soul Sister-type card, of which there are plenty, recoups at least half of the life you pay, if not more. 

Defiler of Vigor is sitting at $2.50 after declining steadily in price since release, and will probably stay here for some time. While there’s no urgency to pick up a copy, Defiler of Vigor dominates games and finishes opponents, and is sitting at its all-time low. It’s well worth the inclusion in most green decks. 

Meanwhile, maybe it’s because white has welcomed a cornucopia of great new cards over the last few years, Defiler of Faith is a bulk rare at half the price of Sun Titan. If the closest approximations—Oketra's Monument and, if you squint within an inch of your life, Keeper of the Accord—can be $2.50 cards, surely Defiler of Faith can do better, especially if reprints arrive slowly. 

STATUS: Mono-color staples for green and white

Defiler of Vigor	CardKingdom $4.49	TCGPlayer $2.50
Defiler of Vigor (Extended Art)	CardKingdom $4.99	TCGPlayer $2.85
Defiler of Faith	CardKingdom $0.59	TCGPlayer $0.51
Defiler of Faith (Extended Art)	CardKingdom $1.29	TCGPlayer $0.74

Vim and Vigor

Green has always been my favorite color in Magic, and I’m already psyched to see what the color will pick up in 2024. Any green gems you’ve discovered that seem to sail under the radar? Any that you think were far overhyped in 2023? Let’s go green together and dream of some Forests that aren’t snow-covered.

Further Reading:

Magic: the Gathering Trends in 2023

Hidden Gems for The Ur-Dragon

No AI Art Here - Artist-Themed Decks in Premodern