Breya, Etherium Shaper | Illustration by Clint Cearley
MTG designers often tell us that it’s very difficult to design a 4-color gold card in MTG, let alone an interesting, legendary character worthy of being a commander. That’s why most precons are 2- and 3-color decks.
Four-color Commander precons are very rare, and only seven have been released as of the end of 2026, two as recent as 2026. Today we’ll take a look at all of them, examining their themes, pros, and cons to see what kind of experience you get out of the box. And of course, rank them.
Let’s dive in!
What Are 4-Color Commander Precons?
The Fantastic Four | Illustration by Yasmine Putri
Four-color Commander precons are preconstructed, 100-card decks that are legal for Commander and have a 4-color color identity. We’re talking commanders like Yidris, Maelstrom Wanderer and Saskia the Unyielding.
Commander 2016 (C16) was released at the end of 2016, aiming to supply more ways for players to play 4-color decks. At that time, there were no 4-color legendary creatures, so the nephilim from the original Ravnica set were often used instead. Offerings for 5-color commanders also weren’t that high, though players would simply jam good stuff in 5-color Commander decks, loosening the format’s color restrictions a bit.
It’s interesting to note the color pie choices, because four colors are basically all but one:
- Without white, order, you have chaos;
- Without blue, reason, you have mindless aggro;
- Without black, selfishness, you have team play and group hug;
- Without red, aggression, you have a slow and steady controlling strategy;
- Without green, nature, you have artifice – or in Jace’s case, another multiverse.
Note on Commander 2016 Precons
I want to make some quick notes about all Commander 2016 decks in general, considering they make up half the list. All C16 precons have a main commander, which is a 4-color gold card, but they also have some 2-color partner commanders that, when combined, produce a 4-color color identity.
For example, the GWUB deck has a WU partner creature and two BG partner creatures, so there are two partner possibilities if you want to play all four colors. I’m also assuming that the definitive version of the deck is with the face 4-color commander.
As for the mana bases, all of them have a tapland mana base, which makes decks painfully slow. Of note, Ash Barrens was first printed in C16 precons, and it’s an important budget mana fixing piece, especially in formats like Pauper and Cube.
#7. Entropic Uprising (Commander 2016)
Entropic Uprising is a UBRG C16 precon with Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder at the helm. All colors but white here.
Deck Themes
The main theme of this deck is chaos. Mechanics like coin flips, cascade, and “top-of-library” matters are present here. When you deal damage with Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder, spells you cast have cascade for the turn, so you can have pretty powerful and explosive turns. You can also whiff; such is the randomness of cascade.
This deck also has a lot of wheels effects, which combine with cards like Waste Not. Entropy is chaos, and it can be really fun sometimes. Alternate themes include draw and discard synergies, and ramp for big spells, among others.
Commanders
Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder is the main commander of the deck that embodies the chaos aspect. Vial Smasher the Fierce can partner up with Thrasios, Triton Hero or Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix as alternate commanders. It’s interesting that Vial Smasher the Fierce punishes opposing players when you cast expensive spells, while Yisdris can give you a better shot at cascade. Cascading a 7-mana spell into a 6-mana spell is very strong, but sometimes you’ll get a worse result.
Strengths and Weaknesses
This deck can be very fun to run, and the turns are indeed explosive. One interesting way to upgrade this deck is to replace cards that cost 6+ mana with really powerful cards printed in recent years. You can do much better than Runehorn Hellkite and Blood Tyrant, for example.
For weaknesses, whenever we have chaos as a main theme, anything can happen, and the deck can be inconsistent. There are many mixed themes in the deck, like a typical 2016 Commander precon, as well as a lower card quality overall. Another pretty well-known chaos commander, Maelstrom Wanderer, costs 8 mana, but it gives you cascade right away. It may also be a problem to connect consistently with Yidris, and sometimes you won’t be able to use its main ability.
Notable Cards
Both partners, Thrasios, Triton Hero and Vial Smasher the Fierce are still heavily played in cEDH. Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder is a nice 4-color card as well. Boompile can be a cool take on an artifact wrath, and it has some minor synergies with coin flipping.
As for reprints, the most valuable are Burgeoning and Chain of Vapor. Wheel of Fate and Past in Flames are also solid reprints.
#6. Open Hostility (Commander 16)
Open Hostility is a C16 deck with the BRGW colors, or everything but blue. It’s an aggressive deck with Saskia the Unyielding at the front.
Deck Themes
Saskia the Unyielding allows you to deal damage to more than one opponent at the same time, so you can focus on beating a weaker player and deal extra damage to the stronger player, or distribute your attacks across the table. How you attack is up to you. For support, the deck has token generation, +1/+1 counter spreading, and even some graveyard recursion.
Commanders
Saskia the Unyielding is the main commander. For partner alternatives, we have Tana, the Bloodsower combined with either Tymna the Weaver or Ravos, Soultender. No matter which commanders you choose, this deck will be aggressive and profit from dealing damage to more than one opponent. Tymna allows you to pay life and get cards based on how many opponents received combat damage, while Tana will give you a lot of 1/1 saprolings.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The best aspect of this precon is its focus on attacking. It’s not trying to do a bunch of different things, just get into the red zone, although in different and conflicting ways. Plus, there’s some fun to be had when you play some politics and choose a player to damage.
This is a Jund-ish () deck at its core, but depending on the commander and partner configuration, you can get different things. Maybe focus on Tana, the Bloodsower, token generation, and go-wide effects? Or focus on Saskia the Unyielding and make a more Voltron build to maximize cards like Sunforger.
Like most old precons, they wanted to reprint a lot of different cards, so we see Blind Obedience and Necrogenesis in the same deck alongside something like Mirror Entity. Alesha, Who Smiles at Death is a nice card, but your main commander has 3 power.
Notable Cards
Tymna the Weaver is a classic partner commander in cEDH, usually pairing up with Thrasios, Triton Hero. Ravos, Soultender is also a nice partner, but for a more recursive style.
For reprints, we have cards like Conqueror's Flail, which can give +4/+4 in this deck, and Iroas, God of Victory, which has only been reprinted here.
#5. Invent Superiority (Commander 16)
Invent Superiority is a WUBR C16 artifact precon with the famous Breya, Etherium Shaper as the face commander. Here, it’s everything but green.
Deck Themes
Artifacts, mainly. Breya, Etherium Shaper is an artifact creature commander that creates two thopter tokens, and you can sacrifice two artifacts to get a spell-like effect. Most cards in this deck are artifacts or synergize with them. You’ll always have utility artifacts around, and many of them draw a card when they enter or leave, so you’re not sad to lose them.
Commanders
Breya, Etherium Shaper is the main commander, and the card you want to develop all the artifact synergies around. The partner commanders for this deck are Silas Renn, Seeker Adept, which is more recursive, combined with either Akiri, Line-Slinger or Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder. Akiri hits harder the more artifacts you have, while Bruse Tarl boosts an attacking creature.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Having a deck centered around artifacts helps a lot to focus the theme. Cards like Master of Etherium are strong if you’re surrounded by artifacts, and the deck does a good job of fueling Breya’s abilities.
My main gripe with this deck is that, aside from getting value with Breya’s activations, it looks like you’re doing nothing. This deck is kind of open ended: Godo, Bandit Warlord is fetching what, Loxodon Warhammer? Sharuum the Hegemon has one “good” target in Myr Battlesphere. Thopter Foundry is here but not Sword of the Meek.
Many great artifact cards weren’t available at the time of this precon’s printing, so I’d say its biggest fault is the card quality. This deck would benefit a lot from sets like Modern Horizons 2.
Notable Cards
Besides Breya, Etherium Shaper, which is a very popular commander, Faerie Artisans is a noteworthy card, considering that you can make artifact token copies of your opponents’ creatures.
There’s not a ton of great reprints here, but Baleful Strix and Myr Retriever are worth mentioning, as well as Hellkite Tyrant, which can be a win condition in a deck full of artifacts.
#4. Stalwart Unity (Commander 16)
Stalwart Unity is a WURG C16 precon, or everything but black, with Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis as its main commander.
Deck Themes
The main theme of this precon is group hug, a Commander deck that generates advantages to all players so they perceive you as an ally. This style of deck usually makes everyone draw, gain life, hit land drops, and more. Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis is a highly defensive card, so you’re not attacked that often. Each turn you’ll draw a card, and you may put a land into play, while every other player may do one of these two things. Players who are behind will appreciate the extra help, and they may use their resources in an entirely different matter. You also have classic cards like Zedruu the Greathearted that allow you to give players your permanents and draw more cards.
Commanders
Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis is the face of the precon. Possible partners include Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa and either Ludevic, Necro-Alchemist or Kraum, Ludevic's Opus. The partner commanders have a slightly different gameplan than the main commander, caring about what your opponents do.
Strengths and Weaknesses
This deck is built to make everybody draw cards, with effects like Temple Bell and Howling Mine. You can try to defend yourself and pillow fort with Sphere of Safety and Propaganda, as well as your 2/8 commander. Your Izzet () partner commanders also benefit you when your opponents act, whether they’re casting spells or attacking each other. You basically want to fuel the entire table to fight amongst themselves. You even have some ways to benefit from cards in their hands.
As for critiques, I’d say it’s not the best style of deck if you’re into politics and negotiations. Many precons have different strategies built into them, and here we have some stax, some pillow fort, and some cards that care about lands and ramp, but the themes are diluted. Sphere of Safety with eight enchantments in the deck? Keening Stone should be a mill incentive, but here we’re giving cards to our opponents and making them discard to hand size. Adding some true finishers would help the deck, too.
Notable Cards
Kraum, Ludevic's Opus and Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis are great choices for commanders. Benefactor's Draught is an excellent combat trick in green.
As for reprints, this precon offers cards like Selvala, Explorer Returned and Psychosis Crawler, and a very valuable reprint in Swan Song, plus a classic Cube/Vintage card in Oath of Druids.
#3. Breed Lethality (Commander 16)
Breed Lethality is a WUBG – no red – C16 precon deck with the mighty Atraxa, Praetors' Voice as the commander.
Deck Themes
The main theme of this precon is growth, notably through +1/+1 counters. Atraxa, Praetors' Voice is a commander that gives you a free proliferate every turn. Hydra-like creatures that already enter with +1/+1 counters are interesting, as are spells that put +1/+1 counters onto every other creature. Although Atraxa can be used in planeswalker decks or infect decks, the focus here is the +1/+1 counters on creatures.
Reyhan, Last of the Abzan makes the +1/+1 counters on dead creatures go to another, so it’s similar to how the modular mechanic works. Although Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker starts very weak as a 1/1 flier for 4 mana, it can grow really fast, or your opponents aren’t playing MTG at all.
Commanders
Atraxa, Praetors' Voice is the main commander for this deck. It’s very hard to argue with a good 4/4 flying body, four good mechanics, and a free proliferate on top. Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker aligns with Reyhan, Last of the Abzan or Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper for the partner combinations. Ikra Shidiqi in particular is the odd duck here, as this deck doesn’t have any particular way to explore high toughness besides the snake wizard itself as a 3/7.
Strengths and Weaknesses
This deck is for the player who loves to see their board grow from turn to turn, like a big Eurogame engine. Put a +1/+1 counter here, move a counter there, attack with a 15/15 trample creature. You can easily take your creatures to the sky with Abzan Falconer, or make them enter with +1/+1 counters via Cathars' Crusade.
Considering the deck’s proliferation, I wouldn’t mind some infect creatures or poison cards, but back then, there weren’t that many good options. Planeswalkers or level-up creatures would also be fair game. The deck could also use more steady proliferate cards besides just Thrummingbird.
Notable Cards
Atraxa, Praetors' Voice is one of the most played commanders by EDHREC’s numbers. Reyhan, Last of the Abzan is an interesting BG +1/+1 counters commander.
Deepglow Skate was a Vintage Cube card for a long time, and interesting when you have permanents with counters worth doubling, from planeswalkers to creatures. We also have Kalonian Hydra and Champion of Lambholt as classic green creatures that support +1/+1 counter strategies.
#2. Multiverse Reforged (Reality Fracture)
Multiverse Reforged is the only Reality Fracture Commander precon, and it’s a 4-color WUBR deck with a planeswalker commander, Jace, Multiverse Architect.
Deck Themes
This deck has a couple of different themes. The main one is related to Jace, Multiverse Architect’s -3 ability, a Polymorph variant, which is when you sacrifice a creature and swap it for the first creature card you reveal from the top of your library. This theme is extended to planeswalkers, and it’s an excellent way to turn a token into a beefier creature. As you can imagine, many expensive planeswalkers and creatures can be cheated into play this way. There’s a Jace subtheme too, thanks to your commander and the empower Jace mechanic.
Commanders
Jace, Multiverse Architect is the main commander, and the precon is build around its polymorph ability. This deck has 18 creatures and a planeswalker, and all of them cost 5+ mana. Nissa, Leyline Tamer is a backup commander, a 7-mana creature that has a powerful landfall ability that brings to mind Omnath, Locus of Creation.
Strengths and Weaknesses
This deck is part ramp, part control. It has the best 4-color mana ramp of all the precons. The cheapest cards interact or produce tokens, so you can Polymorph them into bigger creatures. Darksteel Angel is a 9-mana card. Avacyn, Angel of Horror is an 8-mana card. You get the point.
But some expensive cards in this deck aren’t that strong of a polymorph target and don’t carry their own weight. Like, I want to cheat out a Platinum Emperion or an Eldrazi titan, but not a card like Akroma, Angel of Fury, which doesn’t affect the board all too well. It’s easier to upgrade this deck once you take out the chaff and questionable cards and slot in some real cheat targets.
Notable Cards
This deck has excellent new printings. Darksteel Angel is a new, more powerful Platinum Angel. Dack Fayden, Helping Hand is making waves in EDH and cEDH. Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel can be a card draw machine in a lifegain deck.
We also have fantastic reprints like Archon of Cruelty, Overlord of the Mistmoors, Elspeth, Sun's Champion, and most of the duals in the mana base.
#1. The Fantastic Four (Marvel Super Heroes)
The Fantastic Four is a WURG Marvel Super Heroes Commander precon built around the Fantastic Four heroes. Each member is a mono-colored commander with a 4-color ability, and you can slightly change how the deck works depending on which of the main commanders you choose.
Deck Themes
This is where the precon gets interesting. The main theme of the precon is to cast noncreature spells before attacking, but each commander rewards you in a different way. The Thing is good at +1/+1 counters (green), Mister Fantastic is better at copying triggered abilities (blue), and so on.
You have many creatures in this deck like Lockjaw, Slobbering Teleporter and Alicia Masters, Skilled Sculptor with basically the same rules text, showing that the theme is widely supported.
Commanders
This precon has four main commanders, and they’re all Fantastic Four members: Invisible Woman, Mister Fantastic, Human Torch, and The Thing. They each have abilities you get when you cast a noncreature spell before combat and a different WURG ability. Many people online argue that Mister Fantastic is the most supported and easiest to play based on the precon’s contents alone.
Other commander options are Crystal, Inhuman Princess and Power Pack. Of note, there’s a card called The Fantastic Four, but it’s not a part of the precon, which is a flavor miss.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The Fantastic Four was released almost 10 years after the C16 offerings, and in the meantime, WotC boosted Commander products a lot. The mana base still isn’t ideal, with many basic lands, not many ways to fix four or five colors, and “bad” duals, but a huge improvement over C16 decks. The card quality here is very high, and the noncreature spells are powerful enough that you want to cast them, as well as to reap the rewards from your legendary creatures and commanders.
The main weakness is that different parts of the deck only play well with certain commanders, like how The Thing and Human Torch benefit more from a Voltron build, while the other two FF members are more methodical and plodding.
Notable Cards
Crystal, Inhuman Princess is an excellent mana dork that fixes your colors. Galactus, Devourer of Worlds is a strong, expensive colorless card that fits many colorless EDH decks. The Fantasticar has been restricted in Vintage because it’s too explosive in a format with fast mana and free spells.
As for interesting, valuable reprints we have Monologue Tax, Annie Joins Up, Mind's Dilation, and Three Visits.
Commanding Conclusion
Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis | Illustration by Willian Murai
It’s not easy to make a 4-color Commander precon that’s interesting and flavorful, and that’s why there are so few of them. If not for Commander 2016 and the partner mechanic, there would be even fewer! Regardless, I think WotC’s done a cool job with these precons, and these 4-color Commander cards defined a lot of the format’s 2016-2022 era, especially Breya, Etherium Shaper and Atraxa, Praetors' Voice. But most of the precons and their cards are slightly old and outdated at this point.
What do you think about these 4-color precons, guys? Do you have or play any of these? Let me know what your thoughts are in the comments section below, or over in our Draftsim Discord. And don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter, The Daily Upkeep.
Until next time, stay safe!
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