The 40 Best Cleric Commanders in Magic Ranked

Ravos, Soultender | Illustration by Zezhou Chen

Looking to build around clerics in Commander? We have you covered! Here’s our ranking of the best cleric commanders, based on how well they lead typal decks and the cool strategies they enable.

Let’s dive into it!

What Are Cleric Commanders in MTG?

Taborax, Hope's Demise | Illustration by G-host Lee

Cleric commanders in are legendary creatures with the cleric creature type—or cards commonly used to lead cleric typal decks. These commanders often revolve around lifegain or aristocrat-style sacrifice strategies, but there’s plenty of variety in how they can be built. Some buff your team, some drain your opponents, and others keep your creatures coming back from the grave. This guide ranks the best cleric commanders based on how often they’re played in dedicated cleric decks.

#40. Folk Hero

While not a commander itself, Folk Hero is a background often paired with non-white clerics like Shadowheart, Dark Justiciar or Amber Gristle O'Maul. It gives you card draw whenever you cast a creature that shares a type with your commander—perfect for typal decks.

In cleric-focused lists, it keeps your hand full while you keep casting cheap, impactful creatures. It’s a key piece in background-supported builds for keeping your engine running.

#39. Shelinda, Yevon Acolyte

Shelinda, Yevon Acolyte might not look flashy at first, but it’s a solid engine for growing your board fast. With lifelink and a unique buff effect, it rewards you for playing small creatures by either making them bigger or beefing itself up. Pair Shelinda with token-makers like Spectral Procession or Elspeth, Sun's Champion to flood the field, and watch those +1/+1 counters pile up. It shines in Selesnya () counters or lifegain decks.

#38. Banon, the Returners' Leader

If you enjoy graveyard recursion with a twist, Banon, the Returners' Leader delivers a fun way to keep your creatures coming back. Its Pray ability lets you cast a creature from the graveyard each turn—if it got there without dying first. Use self-mill or discard outlets like Faithless Looting to fuel it.

#37. Aerith, Last Ancient

Aerith, Last Ancient cares about gaining life and rewards you for it big time. Not only does it have lifelink, but if you gained life during your turn, it grabs a creature from your graveyard—either to hand or straight to the battlefield if you hit that 7-life sweet spot. It’s a natural fit with Soul Warden, Ajani's Pridemate, and other lifegain staples.

#36. Maester Seymour

Maester Seymour continually buffs your board thanks to its counter-slinging combat trigger. Each turn, you’re beefing up a teammate based on it own power, and later you can make it monstrous for a giant pile of counters based on your whole army’s strength. It’s great with green counter cards like Hardened Scales and The Great Henge.

#35. Yuna, Grand Summoner

Any deck that loves counters wants Yuna, Grand Summoner as a support piece. Its tap ability gives you mana and pumps up your next creature with bonus counters—awesome for big splashy plays like Avenger of Zendikar or Verdurous Gearhulk. Plus it recycles counters from your fallen permanents onto other creatures, keeping your board scary even after they are gone.

#34. Rosa, Resolute White Mage

Rosa, Resolute White Mage keeps your team healthy and growing. Every turn, it hands out a +1/+1 counter and lifelink to one of your creatures, which might not seem flashy, but it adds up fast. It pairs perfectly with the likes of Voice of the Blessed.

#33. Mangara, the Diplomat

Card draw in white? Yes please! Mangara, the Diplomat gives you cards just for playing defense and watching your opponents get greedy. Whether they’re swinging wide or casting multiple spells a turn, Mangara helps keep your hand full.

It doesn’t require a build-around strategy, but fits right into cleric decks that lean into pillow fort or control, pairing nicely with Ghostly Prison and Authority of the Consuls.

#32. Samut, the Driving Force

With haste, vigilance, and first strike, Samut, the Driving Force hits fast and often—but it’s the speed mechanic that really revs up the fun. The more damage opponents take, the higher your speed gets, which means bigger buffs for your team and cheaper spells. In a cleric-leaning aggro shell, Samut boosts creatures like Torens, Fist of the Angels, letting you go wide and go fast.

#31. Kaalia of the Vast

Kaalia of the Vast may not scream “cleric typal,” but don't be fooled—it’s a cleric with one of the most explosive attack triggers in Commander. Swing with Kaalia, and you can drop an Angel of Despair, Rune-Scarred Demon, or even a massive Balefire Dragon straight onto the battlefield. Its ability to cheat mana costs makes it the centerpiece of a high-powered, Mardu angel/demon/dragon build with plenty of removal and protection.

#30. Mikaeus, the Unhallowed

Mikaeus, the Unhallowed wants one thing: To make sure your non-human creatures never stay dead. Its undying ability keeps your threats coming back with +1/+1 counters, and it even buffs them with a passive +1/+1.

Toss in a few sacrifice outlets like Viscera Seer or Ashnod's Altar, and suddenly you’ve got infinite loops brewing. Just watch out for any humans—they aren’t invited to this dark party.

#29. Whisper, Blood Liturgist

Whisper, Blood Liturgist is a fantastic budget option for graveyard recursion. Sac two creatures—ideally tokens or ones with death triggers—and bring back any creature from your graveyard right to the battlefield. It fits naturally into cleric decks that want to loop ETB creatures like Gray Merchant of Asphodel, and works well alongside sacrifice outlets and death payoff cards. Whisper is all about recycling your best stuff over and over.

#28. Mikaeus, the Lunarch

Mikaeus, the Lunarch dsitributes +1/+1 counters across your team. It enters with as many counters as you can afford, and from there either bulks up or shares the love by passing counters to the rest of your creatures. This makes it a solid pick for white weenie or token decks.

#27. Yawgmoth, Thran Physician

Yawgmoth, Thran Physician is pure gold for anyone who loves turning creatures into resources. It sacrifices your creatures for -1/-1 counters and card draw, then proliferates with a simple discard. Despite being mono-black, Yawgmoth offers a wide toolkit, and it can combo off easily if left unchecked.

#26. Geist of Saint Traft

With built-in hexproof and an Angel token every time he attacks, Geist of Saint Traft is one of those low-cost commanders that punches way above its weight. It’s technically a cleric, but often gets played in aura or Voltron decks as cards like Shielded by Faith or Spectra Ward can help it get in safely. Though the Angel disappears after combat, it’s great at applying pressure without overextending your board.

#25. Trelasarra, Moon Dancer

Trelasarra, Moon Dancer rewards you for gaining life by growing bigger and scrying. It might not sound flashy, but it’s deceptively strong—especially in decks that gain small bits of life repeatedly with cards like Soul Warden, Lunarch Veteran, and Prosperous Innkeeper. Trelasarra is a great budget commander for anyone who wants a mix of consistency, card selection, and inevitability right in the command zone.

#24. Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons

Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons is a sneaky and deadly cleric who loves -1/-1 counter decks. When it hits an opponent, you can place a -1/-1 counter on any creature, and then you get a deathtouch Snake token as a bonus. Hapatra combos incredibly well with cards like Nest of Scarabs, Carnifex Demon, or Blowfly Infestation to flood the board with snakes while shrinking enemy creatures. It’s especially nasty in grindy, attrition-based games.

#23. Angus Mackenzie

Angus Mackenzie is a classic control-style cleric that shuts down combat entirely. With the right mana open, it prevents all combat damage, making it a strong deterrent against aggressive decks. Angus pairs incredibly well with cards like Seedborn Muse to untap it and use the ability every turn. If you enjoy pillow fort or Turbo Fog strategies, Angus is your peacekeeping commander.

#22. Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle

If your deck revolves around casting historic spells like artifacts or legendary cards, you’ll love what Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle brings to the table. Every time you cast one, you get to bring back a small creature from your graveyard straight to the battlefield. It’s a natural fit with cards like Mox Amber, Ornithopter, or low-cost legendaries, but it doesn’t stop there. With the right setup, Teshar goes infinite with combos that include cards like Myr Retriever, Blasting Station, and a 0-mana creature.

#21. Emmara, Soul of the Accord

Emmara, Soul of the Accord brings token value every time it becomes tapped, so you’ll want to build around ways to tap it outside of combat. Think Springleaf Drum, convoke spells, or Earthcraft if you want to get fancy. The 1/1 soldiers come with lifelink, which ties nicely into cleric typal decks or any build that cares about going wide.

#20. Torens, Fist of the Angels

Torens, Fist of the Angels makes going wide even better. Every time you cast a creature, it creates a 1/1 Human Soldier with training—which means those tokens grow over time if supported right. Combine Toren with anthem effects like Intangible Virtue or support pieces like Cathars' Crusade, and suddenly you have a growing army that builds itself.

#19. Minwu, White Mage

Cleric typal decks get a big boost with Minwu, White Mage on the battlefield. It does plenty of work with vigilance and lifelink, but the real power comes from the team-wide buff that triggers every time you gain life. Pair Minwu with something like Soul's Attendant and things snowball fast, especially if you’re pumping out tokens or stacking up life triggers each turn.

#18. Aerith Gainsborough

Aerith Gainsborough brings a heartfelt blend of lifegain and sacrifice to the Commander table, with a nod to her iconic role in Final Fantasy VII. In Magic, this grows stronger every time you gain life, and when Aerith dies, just like in the game, they don't just fade away quietly. Instead, Aerith passes their power on, distributing +1/+1 counters to your other legendary creatures.

#17. Amber Gristle O'Maul

Amber Gristle O'Maul is a fiery red cleric that loves going all-in on aggressive strategies. Every time it attacks, you can discard your hand and draw new cards based on how many players you’re attacking. That makes Amber a perfect match with a background like Folk Hero to keep the card draw going. Red cleric typal isn’t common, but with Amber at the helm, it’s absolutely possible—and wild.

#16. Jerren, Corrupted Bishop / Ormendahl, the Corrupter

Jerren, Corrupted Bishop has a demonic secret—it transforms into Ormendahl, the Corrupter if you hit exactly 13 life and pay the cost. Until then, Jerren floods your board with 1/1 humans and gives them lifelink when needed. Pair it with sacrifice outlets and life manipulation cards like Children of Korlis or Blood Artist to control your life total and get the transformation on cue. Once Ormendahl shows up, it takes over the game.

#15. Shaile, Dean of Radiance / Embrose, Dean of Shadow

Versatility is the name of the game with Shaile, Dean of Radiance. On one side, it helps go-wide decks by handing out +1/+1 counters to creatures that entered that turn, while the flip side, Embrose, Dean of Shadow, offers a more control-oriented engine that buffs your creatures, damages them, and draws cards when they die. Together, they work well in counters-based cleric decks or hybrid builds that value both sides of the cards.

#14. Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose

Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose turns every point of life you gain into damage aimed directly at your opponents. It’s a nightmare in decks that repeatedly gain small amounts of life, making cards like Exquisite Blood and Authority of the Consuls extremely dangerous. Vito also gives your whole team lifelink, making even tiny creatures deadly in combat. It’s simple, powerful, and great for a mono-black lifegain-drain build.

#13. Zoraline, Cosmos Caller

Zoraline, Cosmos Caller is a unique take on clerics with a bat typal twist. It gains life every time one of your bats attacks, and reanimates small permanents if you pay some life and mana. That’s especially useful with low-cost utility creatures like Selfless Spirit or Esper Sentinel.

#12. Heliod, God of the Sun

You don’t just get a god with Heliod, God of the Sun—you get a cleric-making engine. For just 4 mana, it churns out 2/1 white Cleric enchantment creatures, fueling cleric typal strategies with ease. With all your creatures gaining vigilance, you can stay aggressive without giving up defense. Whether you’re running token synergies or anthem effects like Glorious Anthem, Heliod fits right in and keeps the value flowing every turn.

#11. Viconia, Drow Apostate

Viconia, Drow Apostate rewards you for letting your creatures die—and die often. Once you have four or more creature cards in your graveyard, its starts bringing one back each upkeep. That makes Viconia a solid choice for grindy black decks with lots of self-mill, sacrifice outlets, or disposable creatures like Doomed Dissenter. Pair it with a background like Haunted One for even more death synergy, or Agent of the Iron Throne if you’re leaning into aristocrats. It’s a quiet value engine with a sneaky-strong late game.

#10. Sivriss, Nightmare Speaker

Sivriss, Nightmare Speaker adds political spice to your cleric deck. By sacrificing a creature or artifact, you force opponents into a choice: either give you a card from your graveyard or pay 3 life. It’s especially nasty in multiplayer games where someone usually caves in. Add token producers like Ophiomancer or Bloodghast for cheap fodder and keep the pressure going. Sivriss plays well with sacrifice and recursion, and adds a little mind game on the side.

#9. Nalia de'Arnise

With party-based synergy, Nalia de'Arnise is a clever cleric commander that lets you cast clerics (along with the other party types) from the top of your library. That’s already strong, but if you complete a full party, it buffs your whole team and gives them deathtouch in combat. Cards like Vizier of Remedies (cleric), Thieves' Guild Enforcer (rogue), and Al Bhed Salvagers (warrior) fill out the party and enable a value-heavy, grindy game plan.

#8. Minthara, Merciless Soul

Minthara, Merciless Soul brings the experience counter mechanic to clerics in a sneaky and powerful way. As long as something left the battlefield during your turn—be it a creature, Clue, Treasure, or enchantment—you get an experience counter on your end step. Then Minthara pumps your entire board based on those counters. Cards like Spirited Companion, Deadly Dispute, and Kor Skyfisher are great for triggering it reliably while that scaling ward tax makes Minthara harder to remove as it grows stronger.

#7. Shadowheart, Dark Justiciar

Shadowheart, Dark Justiciar is a cleric with powerful draw potential. Sacrificing a creature lets you draw cards equal to its power, which makes it excellent in black decks that care about big bodies or tokens. It’s especially strong when paired with the Haunted One background for a massive pump with recursive threats.

#6. Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim

One of the best cleric commanders for aristocrats-style play, Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim mixes lifegain with sacrifice. You can cash in creatures for life early, and once you hit 10 life above your starting total, Ayli turns into a nonland permanent-exiling machine.

Cards like Blood Artist, Cruel Celebrant, or Elenda, the Dusk Rose work perfectly here. Just keep the engine going, and it does the rest—quietly devastating the board while keeping you ahead.

#5. Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim

Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim is one of the cleanest aristocrats commanders out there. It turns every creature entering the battlefield into a small lifegain trigger and every death into life drain from your opponents. That means tokens, ETB effects, and sacrifice payoffs all shine in this deck. Use Doomed Traveler, Pitiless Plunderer, or Pawn of Ulamog for an engine that gains and drains all game long.

#4. Taborax, Hope's Demise

Taborax, Hope's Demise quickly turns into a flying beatstick in a deck full of clerics. Each time a creature dies, Taborax grows—and if it was a cleric, you get to draw a card at the cost of 1 life. In a sacrifice-heavy build with cards like Whisper, Blood Liturgist or Skullclamp, Taborax turns into both value and threat. Once it hits five counters, lifelink kicks in, and Taborax keeps you alive while dishing out pain.

#3. Tymna the Weaver

Card advantage meets combat with Tymna the Weaver, a legendary cleric with lifelink and one of the best draw engines in the format. After combat, you can pay life to draw a card for each opponent you damaged. That makes it excellent in go-wide or evasive creature builds. Tymna’s often paired with commanders like Thrasios, Triton Hero or Kraum, Ludevic's Opus, but it also fits snugly into any Orzhov list that wants value and consistency.

#2. Ravos, Soultender

Ravos, Soultender is an anthem plus recursion in your command zone. It pumps your creatures and brings one back to your hand each upkeep. That lets you reuse your best creatures, whether they’re ETB bodies like Skyclave Apparition or beaters like Champion of the Parish.

#1. Orah, Skyclave Hierophant

Orah, Skyclave Hierophant is pure cleric typal value. Each time it or another cleric dies, you reanimate a smaller cleric. This makes sacrifice loops with cards like Viscera Seer or Phyrexian Altar extremely potent. Orah’s especially deadly with clerics that have strong death or ETB triggers—Fiend Hunter or Academy Rector fit right in.

Commanding Conclusion

Jerren, Corrupted Bishop | Illustration by Yongjae Choi

As you can see, while lifegain and recursion are among the most common ways to build around cleric commanders, there are many other abilities they can bring to the table, especially with the introduction of backgrounds.

I hope this list was helpful in crafting your next deck, and if so, consider joining our Discord and following us on social media to never miss any news!

Take care, and we will meet again in my next article.