If you look at the Commander deck lists shared on social media or even among your playgroups, chances are every new deck idea is helmed by a multi-coloured Commander. The new 4-colour Aragorn is becoming a popular choice for its huge value gain regardless of what you cast, then there’s all the 13 Doctor Whos who are also at least made up of 2 colours.

There’s a good reason for that – more colours mean a greater pool of card to choose from, subsequently leading to a more flexible arsenal of cards to play. Colours can also complement one another, with one providing support to another that is weak in a particular area. For example, red is completely useless in removing Enchantments (save for a few cards like Chaos Warp, but if you pair red with green or white, they have plenty of answers to Enchantments that you can put into your deck.

That doesn’t mean mono-coloured Commander decks are bad – they just need some extra work and precise fine-tuning to compete with the multi-coloured Commanders.

Benefits of Playing a Mono-Coloured Commander:

1. Less Chance of Getting Screwed on Mana

With mono-coloured decks, you no longer have to worry about playing Lands that will cover all colours in your Commander’s identity. You’ll find that playing Commander decks with 3 or more colours gets tricky as your opening hand may only have Lands that can add Mana for 2 colours, but not the others. A lot rides on the shuffle and the opening draw, but with mono-coloured decks, the only concern is getting enough of the same Basic Lands in your hand.

2. Save Money on Land Cards

It’s no secret that Lands can take up a hefty chunk of a Commander deck’s overall cost. The more colours in your Commander’s identity, the more you’ll have to spend on Land cards that can tap for 2 or more colours. Thank to reprints, prices of single cards have fallen, but imagining still paying $15 or more for a single Fetch Land like Misty Rainforest or a Shock Land like Steam Vents. It all adds up, and with at least a third of your Commander deck made up of Lands, going mono-colour can be a true money saver.

3. Laser-Sharp Focus and Strategy

When you’re playing a multi-coloured Commander deck, you often have many lines of play, thanks to the versatility of your Commander. That can be good in its own way. When your Creatures can’t get through, then perhaps it’s time to cast some big non-Creature spells to deal the killing blow. However that means your deck could be a mix of different cards trying to fulfill its own purpose. You can still have a very optimised, multi-coloured deck, but careful consideration has to be made when constructing it.

On the other hand, mono-coloured decks must have a core focus and key strategy to win the game, simply because it is already at a disadvantage by playing a single colour. In order to win, the deck strategy needs to be clear, and that sharpens your play decisions as well as choosing which cards to go into your deck. And with a smaller pool of cards, the limited options also forces you to pick only the best.

The 5 Hottest Mono-Coloured Commanders to Try Out:

We’ve already established that the majority of new Commanders released in the last 12 months are multi-coloured, but there are a handful of mono-coloured Legendary Creatures that are making waves thanks to their unique abilities. We looked at some of the hottest new mono-coloured Commanders that not just popular but also a pack a punch and will put you in good stead at the next game:

Mono Red – Ter Axonil, Deepest Might

Mono-red gets a lot of stick not just in Commander but in the 60-card constructed formats because it’s often seen as a one-trick pony. If it’s not burn, stax through burn, or burn through Chandra Planeswalkers, there’s not much left in the red tank. Last year’s Slicer has made some waves in the competitive Commander (cEDH) scene, but lately it’s been quiet. The hottest new mono-red Commander comes from the Lost Caverns of Ixalan – Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might

The best part about playing Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might is that it’s one of the new Commanders that can partially evade Commander tax after it dies. When Ter Axonildies, it returns as Temple of Power and can easily transform back to its front face when you deal 4 non-combat damage. That means you really only have to worry about Exile effects, but in most other situations, you’ll be able to get your Commander back with just 3 Mana each time.

Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might does use burn damage, but in a neat way not often seen. It doesn’t add a fixed amount of burn damage like Torbran, Thane of Red Fell does, but raises the damage to match Ojer Axonil’s power. The deck shown above has a focused strategy or using pingers to deal 1 damage to each opponent, letting Ter Axonil pump that up to 4 (or more). There are so many pingers in red that you do have to be selective. Spear Spewer costs just 1 Mana and can tap for 1 damage to each player. Then there’s Thermo Alchemist, Reckless Fireweaver, Brimstone Trebuchet[/c], Electrostatic Field and so many more that serve as decent blockers and amazing offensive power (as long as Ojer Axonil is on the Battlefield.

For even spicier plays, find ways to pump Ojer Axonil’s power to further increase each instance of damage that goes to your opponents. There are many Equipment options out there that boost a Creature’s Power, and there favoured over one-time Sorceries or Instants because they can reequipped onto your Commander whenever it dies and returns. Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might‘s strategy is simple and effective – build up your pingers, soak up a little pressure, and fire away at range once your Commander hits the Battlefield.

Mono Black – Sheoldred, the Apocalypse

The black, bad praetor needs no introduction, as Sheoldred, the Apocalypse has been causing justified reactions of fear and disgust in Standard constructed and other formats. In Commander, Sheoldred has become one of the hottest mono-coloured Commanders to play, simply because she offers so much value in a relatively low-cost body and is able to affect all opponents without actually needing to anything.

Sheoldred. the Apocalypse‘s 2 passive abilities are highly effective, because every player will be drawing cards each turn (even multiple cards on certain occasions). Many Commander decks love to draw cards, and with Sheoldred, they’re punished with 2 damage for each card drawn, and this includes the 1st card drawn on their draw step.

You gaining life as you draw is the nice, add-on bonus that can’t hurt, even if it doesn’t directly win you the game. The deck list provided above is built to make use of all that extra life to drain the enemy. Cards like Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose and Marauding Blight-Priest can make good use of all that life gain. Many players also utilise the reliable Aetherflux Reservoir that can pretty much kill any opponent with one shot – just watch out for spells or abilities that prevent or redirect damage, as your cost of 50 life cannot be taken back.

To gain life, you need to draw cards, and this deck is full of spells that net you cards. Not only are you gaining life as you draw more cards, you find answers to opponent’s threats. Black is filled with Creature removal spells, which will set the opponents’ game plan back as you get ready for the final kill. If you do draw Peer into the Abyss, that is also a one-hit kill to any opponent if Sheoldred, the Apocalpyse is on the Battlefield. At 4 Mana, Sheoldred is cheap to cast, especially when you have Mana pumps like Dark Ritual in the deck. Her 5 Toughness is so slouch either, so as long as you can protect her, this will one of the toughest mono-coloured Commanders out there to beat.

Mono Green – Fynn, the Fangbearer

Winning Commander games with big, stompy Creatures has always been green’s forte, and you may have been expecting the new Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant to be one of the hottest mono-coloured Commanders today. On the contrary, there’s a little contender – much smaller in Power and Toughness – that’s been gaining popularity while providing a nice alternative way to win. Here’s the latest green Commander with a deadly bite: Fynn, the Fangbearer.

Fynn, the Fangbearer wants to win by Poison counters, and he does so effectively well, allowing all your Deathtouch Creatures to inflicts 2 counter each whenever it deals Combat damage to a player. Again, playing to the strength of its colour, green is filled with low-cost Creatures with Deathtouch, making it easy (and cheap) to build your deck. Because Fynn, the Fangbearer only costs 2 Mana to cast, it’s not uncommon to start giving an opponent Poison counters on turn 2 (if you had cast a Deathtouch Creature on turn 1). Opponents are reluctant to block with any of their key Creatures, much less their Commander.

This deck also utilises plenty of Creatures with Toxic, the related keyword to Infect that also gives Poison counters. Tyrranax Rex leads the charge with a massive Toxic 4 (giving 4 Poison counters if it connects) and has Haste, Ward, and Trample. Tainted Grafter[c] and [c]Bloated Contaminator can both Proliferate, adding more Poison to different opponents.

Green is great at dealing with Artifacts and Enchantments, but it does struggle a lot against Flying Creatures. That’s why you’ll need to deploy spells that let your Creatures fight or deal damage to an opponent’s Creature. Ram Through and Infectious Bite work well in this case, because Deathtouch will kill any Creatures without putting your own at risk. There is also a particular vulnerability to board wipes – our main advice is to not deplete your hand so quickly and let those already on the Battlefield try to take a player first before reassessing the situation.

Mono White – Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines

Elesh Norn has been a popular mono-white Commander for years, thanks to its earliest iteration – Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite – that can easily obliterate an opponent’s board of small Creatures. There’s been a couple other new Elesh Norns popping, and Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines is a very powerful mono-coloured Commander that should be seriously considered if you play white.

Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines not only doubles “Enter the Battlefield” triggers (just like Yarok, the Descrated), but it also stops the same triggers if it belongs to your opponent. Just like Sheoldred, the Apocalypse shown earlier, Elesh Norn has the ability to both benefit you and restrict the opponent. In a way, there are a lot more ways to take advantage of Elesh Norn’s unique skills. Casting Inspiring Overseer? Now you can draw 2 cards and gain 2 life, instead of 1 each. How about Loran of the Third Path? Two Artifacts and/or Enchantments destroyed please. The possibilities are vast, and there are many ways to build a winning strategy out of these triggers.

White is filled with Enchantment-based removal, and with Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines, you can kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Grasp of Fate removes 1 threat from each opponent – now that becomes 2. The same goes for Ossification and other cards such as Portable Hole. The goal of a deck led by Elesh Norn is to simply outvalue your opponent, while putting some restrictions on what they can do. Over time, you will gain the upper hand as you cast your bigger spells. There’s Sun Titan that can bring back a Permanent with each attack (thus gaining even more Enter the Battlefield triggers[/c] or you could add a finisher card such as Moonshaker Cavalry.

White is a nice all-rounder when it comes to capabilities. It has small and big Creatures, protection and Indestructible against board wipes and the ability to remove any non-Land threat on the Battlefield. If you can only build 1 mono-coloured Commander but not confident in overcoming the weaknesses of other colours, white’s Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines is a good option to pursue.

Mono Blue – Lier, Disciple of the Drowned

It would be very easy to name Urza, Lord High Artificer as the hottest blue Commander in MTG today. While Urza is highly popular thanks to its stature as a top competitive Commander, there are newer mono-blue Legendary Creatures that also have huge potential. One to look out for is Lier, Disciple of the Drowned.

Lier, Disciple of the Drowned may seem counterintuitive, considering that you can no longer counter spells (the very thing that blue loves to do). But Lier’s ability to give Instants and Sorceries in the Graveyard Flashback means every explosive spell you put in your deck can potentially be cast twice. Blue is well known to take extra turns through cards such as Time Warp, Nexus of Fate and Karn’s Temporal Sundering and these are all spells that can be taken advantage of by Lier. Imagine taking 1 free turn after another, preventing the opponents from attacking while you continue to draw more cards.

This particular deck’s strategy actually wins by drawing out your entire Library and casting key cards like Thassa’s Oracle, Laboratory Maniac and Jace. Wielder of Mysteries to snatch the win. A self-Mill strategy like his is exclusively in blue’s domain, and works best when your deck is mono-blue. Since Lier, Disciple of the Drowned can only take advantage of Instants and Sorceries, you’ll find there are over 50 such spells at your disposal. Evacuation[/c and an overloaded [c]Cyclonic Rift can buy you some time, but you’ll likely have to make some deals on the table to keep other players off your back.

Just like mono-red, mono-blue’s weaknesses are very apparent. It usually struggles in combat defence, though it does like big Flying Creatures. This deck has a fewer number of Creatures, and all are pretty small. Dig into blue’s strengths, which are card draw to fuel your hand, and tricky Instants to remove threats. Expect longer games in mono-blue, but when you are able to pull off a Mill game plan successfully, the satisfaction is unparalleled.

End Step

If you’re tired of seeing the same old multi-coloured Commanders on the game table, be the change and try out of these mono-coloured generals. These 5 are arguably the hottest around thanks to their distinct abilities, and are far from considered weak. Playing a single colour deck will have its drawbacks but with careful planning and playing a political game, you can definitely still sneak in a win. Have your home-brew, mono-colour Commander that you’re proud of? Share with us at lets@tapandsac.com.