The Power 9 of Commander

by Taylor Ruble

If you have been playing Magic: The Gathering for more than a few months, you have probably heard of the Power 9. The Power 9 are the nine most broken cards ever printed. They are mistakes that the designers of Magic: The Gathering have pledged never to repeat. There is only one sanctioned format in which you are even allowed to play them: Vintage! Drawing one of the Power 9 increases your chances of winning that game sevenfold.

My question for you today is: “What are The Power 9 of Commander?” What nine cards are so overpowered that they significantly increase your chances of winning the game whenever you cast them? Now, I know that Commander is a ‘Casual’ format and there are many different philosophies and house rules when it comes to how cutthroat decks should be, but let’s just pretend for a second that the only goal is winning and you are willing to do anything, pay anything, and hurt anyones feelings to accomplish that goal (just a heads-up: the friendships you make playing Magic are always more important than winning a game; always treat everyone at the table kindly no matter what their preferences are when it comes to deck construction). What nine cards make the cut? What are The Power 9 of Commander?

I have come up with my list of the most broken Commander cards. Nine cards that you hope your opponent will never draw. I will go over each of them and explain how they set themselves apart as the best of the best.

 9: Mana Drain

Number nine on our list looks at first glance to be just another Counterspell. A relic of the ‘mana burn era’, Mana Drain allows you to unconditionally counter any type of spell for UU, but thats just the beginning. At the start of your next main phase you get colorless mana equal to the converted mana cost (CMC) of the spell you countered. It almost feels like mana ramp for blue! Counterspell is already a really good card, and is played in almost every blue deck. Mana Drain is strictly better! It is no wonder that this little counter costs upwards of $200 and makes our list of The Power 9 of Commander.

8: Consecrated Sphinx

For a six-drop to make this list, it really really needs to prove its worth. Consecrated Sphinx does just that. It reads “you may draw two cards whenever an opponent draws one”, but when your opponents are drawing a minimum of 3 cards by the time you get back to your turn it basically says “draw 7 at your draw-step instead of 1”! It was a good card in 1-v-1, but is broken in multiplayer. If Consecrated Sphinx hits the table, and it does not die immediately, its controller is most likely going to win the game.

7: Tooth and Nail

Would you play a card that cost nine mana and read, “You win the game”? Yeah? So would I. Tooth and Nail nearly says just that. Being able to search up any two creatures and put them into play enables so many infinite combos: Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker + PestermiteRune-scarred Demon + Palinchron (there are some more steps in there, but trust me, this combo will kill you); Triskelion + Mikaeus, the Unhallowed; the list of possibilities goes on and on. I have seen an entwined Tooth and Nails end more games than any other card. The fact that it costs nine is just a minor hurtle for green decks to overcome on their way to killing the rest of the table.

6: Necropotence

Necropotence isn’t a card you see that often in Commander. I don’t know why, as it costs only about ten dollars and it basically wins the game. When your life total starts at 40, paying life to draw as many cards as you want is nothing to loose sleep over. It is especially strong when used in conjunction with Forbid. Don’t let Necropotence resolve. Its controller won’t win that turn and they probably won’t win the next turn, but they are going to win soon. You just can’t compete with that kind of card draw.

5: Sol Ring

We all know what it feels like to have someone at the table start with a turn one Sol Ring. If you don’t have mana acceleration to match, you are already two turns behind! Sol Ring is a Vintage staple. It is almost considered an auto-include in Vintage deck lists alongside the Moxen and Black Lotus. And now, it has become omnipresent in Commander lists as well.

4: Mana Crypt

Coming in at number four on our list is another example of great colorless mana acceleration. Mana Crypt is good when you have 20 life, but it is broken when you have 40 life. Mana Crypt enables amazing starts like turn one Wheel of Fortune or Timetwister. It jumps you two mana ahead with zero upfront payment. Unfortunately, since it was originally a book promo, Mana Crypt has risen to $150 despite only being legal in Vintage outside Commander.

3: Imperial Seal

Why did Imperial Seal have to be printed in Portal: Three Kingdoms? Why!? It is strictly worse than Vampiric Tutor (both are banned in every sanctioned format but Vintage). But it costs a hefty $800 while Vampiric Tutor only costs $40. The laws of Supply and Demand are really hurting us with this one. Imperial Seal is another card you don’t see that often in Commander, but this time it IS because of the price. Imperial Seal is an unconditional tutor for one converted mana cost that places the card on top of your library. Unconditional tutors are so strong since they are versatile answers to any situation your deck is facing. Playing a lot of tutors allows you to run less removal spells, board wipes, and win-conditions, making room in your list instead for more productive inclusions.

2: Vampiric Tutor

As we just went over, unconditional tutors are good. Really good. Vampiric Tutor also places any card on top of your library for one converted mana cost, but it does so at instant speed. Being able to wait until your opponent’s end step to tutor lets you actually see what you are going to need to answer with your next draw. Vampiric Tutor sets up combos, it answers your opponent’s moves, and it lets you draw the perfect answer just when you need it.

1: Demonic Tutor

Have you heard how good tutors are? Well, Number One on my list is another tutor! Demonic Tutor lets you put any card from your library into your HAND for only two mana. You don’t even have to give up life to do it (not that that matters in Commander!). When you draw Demonic Tutor, you get to reap the benefits that turn. You don’t have to wait until the next turn like Vampiric Tutor or Imperial Seal. You get to win NOW! The nicest thing about Demonic Tutor is that it only costs $20. Almost anyone playing black can improve their overall consistency by running the most powerful card in Commander, even when they are playing on a budget.

 

And there you have it! My Power 9 of Commander. The observant will note that no White or Red cards made my list, but I call them like I see them. Save your counters and removal for these game ending spells, but more importantly, consider running a few of them yourself. If you thought of something I missed, or believe one of the nine didn’t deserve the distinction, comment below.

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