Are Dragon Decks Good in Commander?
The age-old question about one of the most iconic and intimidating magical creatures in the world of Magic: The Gathering – are dragon decks a force to be reckoned with in Commander? The answer is a resounding "yes," but with some important nuances to consider.
The Ur-Dragon’s Reign
At the Top of the Meta Game
Before we dive into why dragon decks are good in Commander, we need to talk about the meta-game. In Commander, a single cards’ power level is a major factor in determining its worth, and The Ur-Dragon, the most powerful dragon in the format, rules the roost. With the ability to create an endless supply of 6/6 dragons, it’s little surprise that Ur-Dragon becomes the focus of many Dragon-fueled decks.
Commander Considerations
While power level is crucial, Commander deck archetypes have their own set of needs and constraints. Creature Count, Token Generating, and Ramp themes are all popular in Commander, but for dragon decks, Draw Fixing is a crucial element in making those dragons impactful from an early turn.
Types of Dragon Decks
• Monogreen Tron: This style revolves around Meren of Clan Nel Toth, PrimeSpeaker Zee, or even Tawnos, Isle Maker to create an early tempo deck that churns out Trons and other dragon tokens. The mana-fixing provided by Jitte or other "Ramp-into-" type cards enables the late game where dragons take over. Ulamog, Tiamat. and Oloro’s Sky World support dragon swarms.
• Black-Red Dragon Firebirds: With Oreskos Acolyte, or combo pieces like Klothysi’s Jointer combined with Dragonlord Ojutai, Red-Draconic decks burst upon the scene with intense burn capabilities before ramping into Krarks, the Luminous Ones and other dragons to terrorize opponents. Kulrop supports dragon combos,
• Mono-Blue Triskaidekaphile – ‘Dino’: While relatively new to the scene, Trisha’s ‘Dino’ – Fathom variants focus on early ramp Triskaidekaphobes, Sea Sire, and the token generation prowess of Thermometer Assembly. Here Dragon’s Fire Charr, and Mer-Equines are primary support. Zur, Moredrag**, and other card draw helps to fuel further tempo and late game.
De-constructing Dragon Decks