Why play with 1 Commander, when you can have 2? Having 2 certainly has benefits, as both Commanders can be cast directly from the Command Zone, and their collective nature expands your deck’s colour identity.
The Partner mechanic, which first appeared in the 2016 Commander preconstructed decks, allows you to do exactly that. Unlike the “Partner with” keywords that came later and only allow specific pairings, “Partner” allows any 2 Commander Partners to get together.
But since there haven’t been that many Commander Partners designed and made (some decent combos from 2020’s Commander Legends), it can be hard to find the absolute best pairings currently out there.
To save you some time, we’ve found 6 great Commander Partner combos that you can try out. They represent a mix of power levels from outright jank to competitive, so find one that suits your play style!
Commander Partners: Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker + Jeska, Thrice Reborn
Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker may look like a flimsy 1/1 flyer for 4 Mana, but his trigger is especially brutal in a multiplayer Commander game. Each time an opponent casts any spell, you put a +1/+1 counter on Ishai, and since casting spells is a guaranteed part of the game, there really is no limit to how big it can grow.
The best partner for Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker would be Jeska, Thrice Reborn. The fiery Planeswalker has a unique ability to triple the combat damage dealt by one of your Creatures (like Ishai).
For example, a 7/7 Ishai with triple damage would be an instant loss for any player that doesn’t or cannot block. It’s a slick combo that is not difficult to achieve – with Mana rocks like Jeweled Lotus, Mana Crypt or other Mox Artifacts, you could easily get Ishai out on turn 2 or 3 to start its growth formula.
Since the Commander partners give you access to white, blue, and red cards, you can stack your deck with plenty of protection pieces in the form of counter spells, phasing, or just good old colour protection.
Commander Partners: Malcolm, Keen Eyed Navigator + Breeches, Brazen Plunderer
We have a soft spot for pirates, since that is Tap & Sac’s mascot, but that doesn’t make Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator and Breeches, Brazen Plunderer any less effective!
These Commander partners are so good together that they were a 1st pick for any Commander Legends Draft game (where these cards were first introduced). The game plan is simple: Malcolm creates the Treasures, and Breeches steals cards from opponents. Then use those Treasures for extra Mana to cast those cards.
This partnership is all about pirates so you’ll need some early and low-cost Creatures to get going. Daring Buccaneer and Captain Vargus Wrath are great to have in your opening hand, and when Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator is cast on turn 3, you are well on your way creating 2 Treasure tokens.
On turn 4, unleash the little Breeches, Brazen Plunderer and you could easily be taking your opponent’s biggest spells and threats for your own use.
It’s a pity that Hullbreacher has been banned from Commander because it is a perfect fit for these Commander partners. The colour identity is right, it’s a pirate, and it helps to create Treasures.
Commander Partners: Tymna the Weaver + Thrasios, Triton Hero
One of the most common Commander partnerships in the competitive EDH/Commander environment is with Tymna the Weaver and Thrasios, Triton Hero. It’s not because of how well their abilities synergise with each other, but because their combined colour identities create a well-oiled engine for mid and long game control.
Excluding the offense-centric capabilities of red, Tymna and Thrasios rely on the power removal spells available in white and black, counter spells in blue, and Mana ramp from green to take control of the board.
Tymna the Weaver helps to fuel the hand with card draw, since she gains life and then spends it to draw cards.
The winning play often involves generating unlimited Mana (Basalt Monolith and Rings of Brighthearth is one way), and then using Thrasios, Triton Hero’s activated ability to draw your entire Library. Just before you lose by decking out, cast Thassa’s Oracle for an alternative win.
Commander Partners: Akiri, Line Slinger + Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist
Decks that have an Equipment or Artifacts focus are often in red and white, simply because there are key cards like Nahiri, Heir of the Ancients and Wyleth, Soul of Steel in those colours.
Well, instead of just using 1 card for your Commander, you can use 2 with the Commander partners Akiri, Line Slinger and Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist.
They work off each other incredibly well, since Akiri has power equal to the number of Artifacts (essentially all Equipment are Artifacts), and Ardenn lets you transfer any number of those Artifact Equipment onto Akiri.
This “voltron” strategy of play will make Akiri, Line Slinger a big target, but thankfully there is a whole range of sword Artifacts that can give her protection from various colours. Sword of Feast and Famine and Sword of Truth and Justice are just 2 of several swords that you can include in your deck.
Having both First Strike and Vigilance will make Akiri a great defender as well since it doesn’t need to tap and attack.
Commander Partners: Tana, the Bloodsower + Kamahl, Heart of Krosa
If you’re looking for some beatdown action, then Tana, the Bloodsower and Kamahl, Heart of Krosa are your best Commander partners. As a green-red pairing, they do fall under other tribal Creature decks like Tovolar (Werewolves) or the new Raggadragga, Goreguts Boss (anything that taps for Mana), but here the goal is to creates lots of tokens and then make them big.
Kamahl, Heart of Krosa costs 8 Mana, so it’s a safe bet you won’t be casting him soon. In the early game, use Tana, the Bloodsower and any kind of Auras to power through the opponents’ defences, and create 1/1 tokens in the process.
The deck is admittedly slow and will have to be loaded with Creatures that can add Mana (Llanowar Elves) and ramp spells (Cultivate, Kodama’s Reach) so that you can cast Kamahl, Heart of Krosa as soon as possible. From then on, you’ll be getting free +3/+3 and Trample abilities during your combat!
Commander Partners: Sakashima of a Thousand Faces + Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful
Out of all the Commanders with the Partner mechanic, Sakashima of a Thousand Faces has proven to be one of the most versatile, since his ability to negate the Legend rule can fit into many deck types.
Sakashima is often used in conjunction with copy spells such as Clone, Glasspool Mimic or Orvar, the All Form to copy your big Creatures. When you combine that with the 1-Mana Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful that gets bigger for every Legendary spell cast, you’re going to be dishing out Commander damage faster than all your opponents.
The Commander partners will work best if the majority of your deck is made of Legendary Permanents (yes, including Lands). Cast Yoshimaru on turn 1 and start casting more Legendary spells like Blackblade Reforged and Day of Destiny that will make your Commander even bigger.
If the game drags into a long one with your Sakashima of a Thousand Faces already out, it’s a good time to start copying some of your powerful Legendary Permanents. Sakashima will allow all of them to coexist thanks to its unique ability.
You can either try to fit in a few big Creatures in your deck, or just copy the opponents’! Phyrexian Metamorph, Phantasmal Image and Clever Impersonator can all target any Creature, not just your own, so whatever threats other players might have, just take it for yourself!
End Step
Partner is a fairly new mechanic that hasn’t been developed much recently, hence you might find that many do not synergise as well as the Commander partners we’ve listed above.
More competitive players tend to use Commander partners as a way to just use a broad colour identity and being able to access 2 Commanders directly from the Command Zone, rather than how their abilities synergise. If you have personally seen success with your own Commander Partner pairings, do share it with us!
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