Cracked Avatar Legend Claims #10 Most Popular Commander Spot Over Giada and Pantlaza

Last updated on November 6, 2026

Fire Lord Azula | Illustration by Fahmi Fauzi

The top ten commanders on EDHREC saw a recent upset as a new commander joined their ranks: Fire Lord Azula has claimed spot number 10, knocking out fan-favorite typal commanders like Giada, Font of Hope and Pantlaza, Sun-Favored.

This makes Azula both the fourth Universes Beyond commander and the fourth commander from 2025 in the top ten, so nearly half of these most popular commanders can be sorted into either category.

Spellslinger Azula

Azula is most commonly built as a spellslinger commander. Since it copies spells cast while its attacking, you can get the absolute most from cards like Frantic Search and Big Score that draw cards and produce mana. All that spell copying works wonders with magecraft cards like Storm-Kiln Artist.

From there, you can win pretty much however you like. Magic has no shortage of spellslinger payoffs to make casting a bunch of instants and sorceries into a win. If you make lots of mana, a couple Electrodominances can be fun, Thousand-Year Storm is a blast at casual tables, and Vivi Ornitier is almost incapable of being bad.

Combo Azula

Combo Azula decks draw on many of the same synergies as the spellslinger variety, but leans towards a more convincing win condition. Maybe a couple of copied Seething Songs and other rituals into Crackle with Power, perhaps Underworld Breach lines that might not even rely on Azula.

Before you raise a storm about Crackle with Power being a sorcery, flash enablers are an important part of this, too. Cards like Borne Upon a Wind, High-Fae Trickster, and Emergence Zone let you do anything you want in combat. In addition to make certain lines feasible in combat, the spell-copying even provides protection from countermagic: If you cast Underworld Breach and copy it, your opponents need two counterspells to kill your combo line. Sure, there’s the odd Mindbreak Trap floating around, but it generally makes you quite resilient.

Voltron Azula

This is one of the weaker Azula builds, but it makes for a fine Voltron commander since you can double up on combat tricks to make it a huge threat. Many tricks offer lots of value when copied: Blazing Crescendo draws two cards, Reckless Ransacking and Sudden Breakthrough are mana-neutral, and Bulk Up becomes a double power doubler.

Since we’re talking Voltron, you’ll want all the protection you can get your hands on. Blue’s pretty good at this; in addition to countermagic, you get tricks like Slip Out the Back. I also recommend instant-speed Fireballs (little room for flash enablers here) like Traumatic Critique or Comet Storm to push damage and have win conditions beyond Azula.

Token Azula

This is maybe the most niche build I’ll recommend and arguably a sub-category of spellslinger Azula. The idea is simple: Make lots of tokens, either through spellslinger payoffs like Third Path Iconoclast and Sedgemoor Witch or token generators like Song of Totentanz so you develop a wide board.

Then, you’ll want to use Azula to double red mass pump effects like Goblin Surprise, How to Start a Riot, or Warhost's Frenzy—or maybe all of them at once—to blow your opponents out in combat. Since these effects are all instant-speed, your opponents might not block properly because they can’t calculate how much damage they’re taking. It’s a delightful mind game.