Kyle here and today I am going to be bringing, to you, the Top 10 White staples for the Commander format. I don't think there is too much more to be said about this so lets get into it shall we?!
1. Austere Command $3.00
It even destroys the kitchen sink...
If I am spending 6 mana to wrath something I am either hard casting Terminus or Austere Command. This is whites toolbox card. Artifacts got you down. Austere can kill them. Enchantments bugging you? Austere is on the case! Of course it wouldn't be a wrath effect if it didn't kill creatures but you get to decide which creatures live and which die or if any live at all. "I will Austere Command killing all your artifacts and big creatures. Good thing my Hanna survived so I can start getting my artifacts back!" This is the opposite of a permission card because you are getting to decide what you want to nuke. This card is particularly effective against decks that revolve around auras as many time Greater Auramancy or Diplomatic Immunity render traditional enchantment hate obsolete. So versatile it fits into just about any deck running White. Obviously there are other six mana wrath effects but none is quite as powerful or versatile as this.
2. Swords to Plowshare $4.00
The Real Slim Shady
This card is not only one of the representative cards for White cards it is in many ways one of the representative cards of Magic right next to Force of Will and Demonic Tutor in my mind. This card was the first in a long line of White one mana exile target creature effects. These cards are some of the least conditional removal in the entirety of Magic. As long as that creature does not have shroud or hexproof this card is hitting it and exiling it. Indestructable? Does it say destroy? Recurrable? Not unless you have a Riftsweeper or I'm wasting my removal on Misthollow Griffin. Often times, even in Commander, a format where most one for ones are awful, the ability to point and say that is gone for good is undervalued. It is cards like these that put White in the same league as Black or Red in terms of removal. Shoutout to some of the descendants of Swords: Path to Exile, Condemn, Soul Snare.
3. Oblivion Ring $1.50
O-Ring targeting O-Ring...
Oblivion Ring is one of the reasons that so many decks are able to function. What about enchantments? I have O-Ring. Planeswalkers? O-Ring. Lands? O-Riiiiiiwasteland. White doesn't really need the extra removal for creatures but Oblivion Ring is a staple because not only can it hit a creature if need be it also hits all of the really hard to hit permanents. On top of that it is decently recurrable if put into the right deck and can do some funky shenanigans with Venser in a W/U deck. Overall there really isn't a reason not to run Oblivion Ring over just about any other removal because odds are it is easier to cast, hits more things, and is harder to get rid of than it's would be replacement.
4. Reveillark $4.00
Do I get bonus points if one is Snapcaster and the other is Witness?
The first creature on the list and rightly so. This guy is crazy! Reveillark once is pretty cool and you have gotten your money's worth right there however, rarely does Reveillark only come to the party once. As my little under photo blerb would seem to suggest I would argue that he is not doing his best work in a mono white deck (although Reveillark for Stoneforge Mystic & Mirran Crusader seems like a pretty big game). The stipulation that the creatures have less than 2 power means that more times than not you will be returning utility creatures that were removed or used to chump block. That is by no means a bad thing, in fact I might argue it is what makes Reveillark so good. Even when you are only returning little guys you are getting value and there is always next time when you bring Reve back a la Emeria or some other recurrsion device. Cards that are similar include Sun Titan, Karmic Guide, and Ranger of Eos.
5. Enlightened Tutor $12.00
How does she find you stuff with her eyes closed?
Now I chose Enlightened Tutor over Academy Rector because, Academy Rector, while powerful and an amazing rattlesnake is not the right creature for every deck. On the otherhand I have yet to see a deck playing White that does not have or does not want Enlightened Tutor in it. The card is just too versatile! That is a pattern throughout these staple cards in fact. When cards allow players to make decisions and have more than one way out the card generally sees a lot of play or can even ascend to the level of staple. Finding any enchantment (like say #3 on the list) or artifact from your deck is incredibly powerful. I can pretty much garuntee this now that the tutors in each color are probably going to find their way on to these lists one way or another. There is just too much power in seeing a threat and responding to it with the exact answer or grabbing the last piece to make your threat a reality. Other good tutors in white include Academy Rector (obviously) and Idyllic Tutor.
6. Yosei, the Morning Star $7.00
The moment where you realize "I'm not doing anything next turn".
Yosei, the Morning Star, definitely the second best of the Kamigawa Dragons (behind Kokusho). Now I sort of hesitate to put Yosei on this list only because one of the reasons he is so good is because of his applications in various lockdown strategies. I would like to evaluate him less as a combo piece and more as a creature that is nothing but upside. Yosei is actually one of the best mono White generals that White has avalible. He is a 5/5 flying beastie that you can attack or block with pretty freely. If and when Yosei dies you get the ability to Time Walk one guy by tapping down all of his permanents and then making him skip his untap step. A powerful effect even for a legendary dragon spirirt. The other White dragons are soemwhat mediocre with Eternal Dragon being the only other card of real note. If, however, we decide to list him in broader tems as a White bomb, cards like Baneslayer Angel and Akroma would become decent replacements.
7. Land Tax $10.00
And now we play the waiting game...
Land Tax is arguably the best in a bizarre line of White spells that ramp mana when behind on lands. I really love this card (other than the art which I personally think is atrocious) for its incredibly unique effect. When a player thinks of what mono White does ramping up on Plains is not generally the first thing that comes to mind. Can sometimes create a wierd subgame in smaller games where people will not play lands once they have enough just so you don't get to activte Land Tax. There are only a few cards that are even similar to this card: Weathered Wayfarer, Oath of Lieges, and Gift of Estates.
8. Terminus $5.00
Top-deck of the century
Now I am gonna make a bold statement and suggest that Terminus is better than Hallowed Burial, the card that might have filled this slot not a month ago. At their core these cards are what is called a "tuck" effect. The primary use for a tuck effect is to either get rid of a general, stop someone from doing some graveyard tomfoolery, or to get around natural recursion like flashback or undying. These effects, while good in other formats, are completely necessary in every Commander deck that can find them because it is one of the few ways to get rid of a general for any extended amount of time. Similar cards include Hallowed Burial and Oblation.
9. Stoneforge Mystic $8.00
We meet again!
Anyone who has played Magic for the past year or so knows exactly who this is. The best equipment tutor to every be printed Stoneforge allows a commander to re-live the good old days of Caw Blade. Add a dash of Jace and some Swords and it will be like she never got banned! Too bad you can only have one copy of Squadron Hawk. Not only does Mystic find the equipment for you she puts the equipment onto the field for less mana and makes it uncounterable barring a couple of fringe counterspells. For those on a budget Stonehewer Giant can fill a similar role in any deck running equipment.
10. Mother of Runes $5.00
Not to be confused with Mother of Goons
Sometimes the cards that are most useful are the cheapest ones. A common theme in these staples is the protection of your general. Generals are usually the centerpiece of a deck and without them many decks can feel a bit awkward or clunky. This is why it is often very wise to include in your 99 a couple of protection cards. For the White commander fewer options are cheaper than Mother of Runes. In the early game unless you are being focused by multiple people odds are your wouldbe assailant will have to go through Mother of Runes to get to your general. Now you may say to yourself "why does having to get through a 1/1 creature seem hard." My answer is that it doesn't the issue is resources. Most decks only run a small spot removal suite because, for the most part, spot removal is rather bad in large multiplayer formats. This means that an opponent has to have two forms of removal in his hand or your general gets to live to fight a turn or two. Sweepers don't even stop Mother of Runes as she can just give your general protection from the sweepers color. Also serves as a way for generals to get that last bit of general damage in by making your general unblockable to a certain color. This is defenitely one of the more undervalued abilities in Magic and can really frustrate people when done correctly. Other good color protecters include Glory, Eight-and-a-Half-Tails, and Story Circle.
Well I hope you have enjoyed my Top 10 White Staple cards. Remeber ladies and gents these are my own personal opinions on the format staples form my own experience. I am not claiming to be an expert. All of the prices are taken from starcitygames.com so take them with a grain of salt.
The Blue Staples will be coming either tomorrow or Wednesday (whenever I have enough time) so look out for that.
As always the deck is only as good as the Gentleman playing it.
