Best Elf commanders

Lathril is the complete Elf commander. Menace helps her connect, each hit makes that many 1/1 Elf Warrior tokens, and her finisher is built in: tap her and ten untapped Elves, and each opponent loses 10 life while you gain 10. Tapping Elves as a cost works even with Elves you cast this turn, so a big turn of Elves can pay for it at once. Two activations take half of every opponent’s life. Golgari adds recursion for when a wipe hits.

Best for: Players new to typal decks who want a clear way to win.

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Marwyn gets a +1/+1 counter whenever another Elf enters under your control, and taps for green mana equal to her power. After a few turns of Elves she makes six, eight, ten mana — enough to empty your hand and still cast Craterhoof Behemoth or a huge X spell. Mono-green keeps the mana base simple and the deck affordable, and the mana is real from the turn she can tap.

Best for: Players who like ramping into explosive turns.

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Voja is a Wolf, not an Elf, but he rewards Elves like few others. Whenever he attacks, every creature you control gets a +1/+1 counter for each Elf you control — permanent counters, not a pump until end of turn. Each Wolf you control draws a card. A 5/5 with vigilance, trample and ward {3}, he is hard to remove and grows the team every turn. Naya adds white removal and red damage to the green Elves.

Best for: Players who want an aggressive Elf deck that snowballs.

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Whenever another creature enters under your control, Galadriel gives you one of three things you haven’t picked this turn: {G}{G}{G}, a +1/+1 counter on each creature, or scry 2 and draw a card. In an Elf deck the first Elf pays for the next ones, the second grows the board and the third draws. Bant adds counterspells and white protection, so the engine survives longer than in most green decks.

Best for: Players who enjoy flexible choices every turn.

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Dionus gives every Elf you control: whenever it becomes tapped during your turn, untap it and put a +1/+1 counter on it, once each turn. A Llanowar Elves taps for mana twice; an Elvish Archdruid makes its big burst of mana twice. Attacking Elves untap after the attack, too, so they can still block. The whole tribe grows a little every turn without extra cards.

Best for: Players who like mana engines and long, big turns.

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Tyvar gives each of your creatures a +1/+1 counter for every mana it produces, once each turn — mana Elves become real threats. When Elves attack they gain deathtouch, so blocking them costs the defender a creature. A Priest of Titania that taps for six becomes a 7/8 in one turn. Golgari colors add removal and recursion around the green core.

Best for: Players who want an Elf deck that turns ramp into a board.

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Ezuri is the old-school Elf commander: for {2}{G}{G}{G}, all your Elves get +3/+3 and trample until end of turn, and he can use it more than once. With an Elf deck’s mana, two activations on a wide board end a game. For {G} he regenerates another Elf, which saves your key creatures in combat and from destroy effects that allow regeneration. Simple, direct and mono-green.

Best for: Newcomers and players who like a straight attack plan.

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Whenever Maralen or another Elf or Faerie enters under your control, the top two cards of an opponent’s library are exiled. Once each turn you may cast one of those spells for free if its mana value is at most the number of Elves and Faeries you control. Cheap Elves become card advantage from the whole table, and a 4/5 flyer is a solid body. Sultai adds counterspells and removal.

Best for: Players who like value and surprises.

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Whenever Morcant or another Elf enters under your control, each opponent puts a -1/-1 counter on a creature they control. Every Elf you cast chips away at opposing boards, and token decks suffer most. Tap three untapped Elves to proliferate at sorcery speed: their -1/-1 counters grow, your +1/+1 counters too, and poison counters if you play them. A 4/4 for four that turns a typal deck into slow, steady removal.

Best for: Players who like grinding opponents down.

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Thranduil has every activated ability of the Elf cards in your graveyard. Mill an Elvish Archdruid and he taps for green mana for each Elf; mill a utility Elf and he uses it. Whenever another legendary Elf enters, you draw two and discard one — which also puts more Elves into the graveyard. A 5/6 for five in Sultai colors, built for players who like self-mill and toolbox decks.

Best for: Experienced players who enjoy graveyard puzzles.

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