Mardu EDH Seizes the Spotlight, Drives Price Movement on Several Staples

Last updated on April 17, 2025

Zurgo, Stormrender – illus. Lie Setiawan

The Mardu seem to be having their moment in Commander, as several cards that fit their aggressive, go-wide gameplan have been spiking in price. We'll be covering some of those today!

Mardu Surge Precon

But first, let's actually start with the Mardu precon itself which has seen a bit of upward price movement recently. Prerelease hype for Temur and Sultai made it easy to write off the Mardu Surge precon, but it's actually quite strong.

source: TCGplayer

After trending down a little after it's release, Mardu Surge is currently on the rise. It's not quite at the heights of the Sultai and Temur decks (both of which are a bit over $70!), but does cost a fair bit more than the Jeskai, which has been going straight down since release:

Mardu Surges to the Top

It's tough to say exactly why Mardu Surge is going up a bit. Precon prices are often driven by chase staples in those decks, which end up having broad applications elsewhere. Mardu Surge is a mixed bag in this regard, but did introduce some powerful new cards such as:

• Ainok Strike Leader
• Goldlust Triad
• Ironwill Forger
• Redoubled Stormsinger
• Will of the Mardu

These cards are good enough to see play in many kinds of token decks, not just the precon itself. The Mardu Surge precon is also fairly focused out of the box, and needs only a handful of upgrades to be battle ready!

Token Payoffs Trending Upwards

One class of card that has been trending up recently are Impact Tremors style effects that deal damage whenever creatures enter (or in the case of Bombardment, sac to ping). Two notable ones are the Goblin Bombardment:

source: MTGStocks

And a newer effect effect that pings for each token you create, Warleader's Call:

source: MTGStocks

Warleader's Call is also seeing a small amount of Standard play right now, as it's popular in RW Convoke, Jeskai Convoke, and Mardu brews that look to pair it with the new mobilize mechanic for big damage.

A Fallout Legend Ascends

This Fallout Legendary is an amazing upgrade for the Mardu precon, with each of the modes of his ability being a perfect fit for the deck. According to EDHRec, Caesar, Legion's Emperor is the #72 most popular Commander, so he's proven himself in that regard. Despite this, TDM is basically the official 3-color set. Perhaps that could explain the price movement we are seeing below?

source: MTGStocks

Dominate with Extra Combats

Another aggressive card that has been spiking lately is Aggravated Assault, which could be a decent inclusion in Mardu Surge.

source: MTGStocks

I say only “decent” because a better version was printed in Tarkir: Dragonstorm! If you're already three colors anyways, why play a mono-colored card when you can play the “extra combat” card of your dreams? It's only $4 too!

In Conclusion

Crackling Doom – illus. Yohann Schepacz

Mardu has kinda always been an underdog in Commander. Sultai, Temur, Grixis, and Jeskai all get access to blue, and we all know that card draw is king. However, with exciting new Commanders like Zurgo, Stormrender hitting tables, it's safe to say that the Mardu market will be simmering with new go-wide Aristocrat combat synergies. With Final Fantasy on the horizon, the promise of new Mardu action is strong, so stay tuned!