Blue is the mana color of logic and technology, which translates into drawing cards and countering spells in Magic: The Gathering. You don’t think of blue as an offensive color, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t able to bring a serious beatdown on players. Blue decks tend to shine when the game takes a while, which is perfect for the Commander format since games are usually longer.
Related: The 10 best Mono-Red commanders in Magic: The Gathering
Mono-blue Commander decks may not have the advantages of drawing from other colors, but they are still capable decks in their own right. Mono-blue Commanders bring their own capabilities to the forefront, forcing other players to reconsider their strategies or lose the game. Here are ten of the best mono-blue Commanders in the format right now.
10) Talrand, Sky Summoner
Blue decks of every stripe will have many instant and sorcery cards. Talrand leverages that abundance to create tokens at the same rate as red and white decks. The blue Drake that is summoned doesn’t seem remarkable, but its strength becomes apparent as more tokens are generated. You have an army that can hold off attacks, buying you time to pull off other strategies.
9) Thada Adel, Acquisitor
Artifacts are not uncommon in the Commander format, and Thada Adel will take advantage of that. By attacking players, Thada Adel can prevent players from using their precious artifacts. You can turn those artifacts against their owners if you can pay the cost. Any deck with blue cards will struggle against this, though it will struggle against decks without artifacts.
8) Jadzi, Oracle of Arcavios
While not exclusive to mono-blue decks, spell copying is something that blue decks are often expected to do. Jadzi takes it to another level by allowing you to cast nonland cards for one mana after casting an instant or sorcery spell. While it is from the top of your library, it can also work like a scrying ability if you don’t want to cast it immediately. You can also play additional lands other than the initial one per turn, which is always a nice bonus.
7) The Reality Chip
Knowing what cards you are going to draw is a big advantage, and The Reality Chip lets you see the top card of your library. If you attach it to a creature, you can play lands and cast spells as if you had an extra card in your hand. The Reality Chip is also quick to come out, making an impact early on. It might be vulnerable, but attaching it to a creature prevents it from being treated as one, forcing players to find other ways to remove it.
6) Baral, Chief of Compliance
Reducing the cost of your spells is always a good thing, and Baral provides a great advantage for mono-blue decks. Instants and sorceries cost one less mana, giving you more resources to work with. Countering spells gives you the option of drawing and discarding a card, perfect for times when your hand isn’t working out for you.
5) Teferi, Temporal Archmage
Planeswalkers aren’t usually allowed to be Commanders since that is reserved for legendary creatures. Teferi is an exception to that rule and works as a great Commander since you can untap up to four target permanents. Untapping permanents is a big deal, giving you more land, refreshing attackers, or getting artifacts ready for use.
4) Emry, Lurker of the Loch
If you know what cards are coming or have a way of guaranteeing the next few cards, Emry can be a dangerous Commander to deal with. While the top four cards of your library go into your graveyard with every appearance, a proper plan can exploit that. Any artifact in the graveyard can be cast, helping you revive any destroyed artifacts.
3) Sakashima of a Thousand Faces
You can only have one copy of a legendary creature at any time. If two copies of a legendary exist under your control, you pick one copy and put the other one in your graveyard. Sakashima bypasses this rule, allowing you to have two copies of a legendary at once. While Commander decks can only have one copy of a card, Sakashima can copy another legendary creature, giving you more versatility and better insurance in case one creature falls.
2) Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator
Blue decks are known for having the Pirate creature subtype, and Malcolm is perfect for anyone who has a few Pirates. Malcolm allows your Pirates to generate tokens that can be sacrificed for mana of any color. This turns your Pirates into mana-making machines, giving you another mana source and more options for playing spells.
1) Urza, Lord High Artificer
Urza has several abilities that are useful to mono-blue decks. Upon entering play, you get a Construct that is as powerful as the number of artifacts you have in play. That’s a solid body that can be an offensive powerhouse right from the start. You can tap artifacts for blue mana, generating additional mana in a pinch. You can also pay mana to play the top card of your library for free, which is perfect if the card is greater than five mana.
