Last updated on April 21, 2024
Admiral Beckett Brass | Illustration by Jason Rainville
The captain of a pirate ship is the most formidable of the whole crew. They have the most cunning and know the best tactics for attacking enemy pirates and plundering their treasure. That’s what these pirate commanders in MTG are all about.
It’s time to test the mettle of all 14 pirate commanders in Magic against each other. Learn the best tactics for building a pirate Commander deck so you don’t end up walking the plank and losing to your opponents. But first, let’s discover what pirate commanders are.
Heads up! In this lineup, we have three cards featuring the same pirate commander, of course with different abilities on each one. Keep an eye out for who it is, if you aren’t wearing an eye patch that is!
What Are Pirate Commanders in MTG?
Ramirez DePietro | Illustration by Phil Foglio
Pirate commanders in Magic: The Gathering have a penchant for stealing your opponent’s resources whether on attack or when they deal combat damage. Some create Treasure tokens under special conditions as well. I mean, why not? They’re pirates! That’s what they do: steal treasure!
Pirate commanders got their start in the MTG universe with the release of Aether Revolt and Ixalan in 2017. Most of the pirate commanders debuted in Commander Legends five years later. There are a couple of special pirate commanders that come from different sets outside of these usual ones including Modern Horizons 2 and Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate.
#14. Ramirez DePietro
Ramirez DePietro from Legends is an oldie but still a goodie printed a year after Magic: The Gathering’s birth. As a 6-drop pirate with only first strike and no other effects, you may wonder how to build around it as a pirate commander.
Bring down its high mana cost with Urza's Incubator, naming pirates as the creature type. Include The Immortal Sun to reduce Ramirez’s casting cost by 1 colorless mana and enjoy other benefits for overall utility in the build. If you have both these cards on the battlefield, Ramirez DePietro only costs to cast.
Have Dire Fleet Ravager enter to dock down a third of every player’s life total. Get an extra turn with Timestream Navigator.
#13. Dargo, the Shipwrecker
You must sacrifice at least three artifacts or creatures to dock down Dargo, the Shipwrecker from a 7-drop to a 1-drop. Look for ways to generate Treasure tokens for cheap early in the game such as the 1-drop Impulsive Pilferer that makes one when it enters the battlefield.
Consider 0-drop artifacts like Ornithopter and Memnite to reduce how much mana you have to spend to bring out Dargo from the command zone. All the mana you save with this strategy can be used to cast Angrath's Marauders to double commander damage output when Dargo attacks with its intimidating 7/5 body.
#12. Captain Ripley Vance
Captain Ripley Vance is best built with low-cost spells to trigger its ability when you cast your third spell on every turn. Chain some 1-drop spells together to place a +1/+1 counter on it and deal damage to whatever target you need to be dealt with.
On your opponent’s turn, cast low-cost instant spells so you can get a +1/+1 counter on Captain Ripley Vance before your next turn. You could take care of a problem creature or deal the final blow to your opponent’s life total if you have enough instant spells in your hand towards the end of the game.
#11. Captain Vargus Wrath
Captain Vargus Wrath is a unique pirate commander, pumping up your pirate crew based on how many times you've cast your commander from the command zone. This effect applies whether it's the acting captain or not.
Use an Urza's Filter to ignore commander tax the second time you cast it from the command zone. Name pirates as the creature type when you cast Herald's Horn to further reduce Captain Vargus Wrath’s cost if it needs to come out for a third or fourth time.
#10. Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
Kari Zev, Skyship Raider is always accompanied by a monkey friend, a 2/1 Ragavan legendary token, whenever it attacks. If you want infinite creature tokens that have haste and infinite combat phases, try this combo!
Make sure that Kari Zev, Helm of the Host, Phyrexian Altar, and Éomer, Marshal of Rohan are on the battlefield. Helm of the Host must be attached to Éomer and Kari Zev can’t have summoning sickness.
A non-legendary Éomer token enters via Helm of the Host on combat. Have Kari Zev be your attacker, making the Ragavan token. Sacrifice the monkey with Phyrexian Altar. This triggers Éomer to untap all your creatures and trigger another combat phase.
Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator gives you a Treasure token as long as one pirate in your army lands damage on an opponent. Combine it with Reckless Fireweaver and Maskwood Nexus as a win condition for infinite damage towards each opponent while also generating infinite Treasure tokens and infinite colored mana.
While Malcolm can be a commander in its own right, consider giving it a partner. Vial Smasher the Fierce as Malcolm's partner can enhance damage and Treasure token output.
#8. Captain Lannery Storm
Captain Lannery Storm paired with Reflection of Kiki-Jiki and Combat Celebrant on the battlefield makes a combo that creates infinite tokens with haste and infinite combat phases.
Declare attacks with Captain Lannery Storm and Combat Celebrant. Make sure to exert Combat Celebrant to get an additional combat phase. Lannery Storm causes combat damage and creates a Treasure. Sacrifice the Treasure to activate Kiki-Jiki, copying Combat Celebrant, and continue this loop.
#7. Zara, Renegade Recruiter
Zara, Renegade Recruiter snags the best creature from the defending player’s hand every time it attacks and places that creature alongside its crew to complete combat. No wonder it takes such command as a pirate commander in Commander Legends.
Take it a step further to know what your opponents are playing at all times with Telepathy. Coercive Recruiter is your most synergistic crewmate who helps you gain control of an opponent’s creature whenever a pirate enters to keep up the looting when Zara isn’t attacking.
#6. Ramirez DePietro, Pillager
We see Ramirez DePietro, Pillager get a little older in Dominaria United Commander compared to his young appearance in Legends. Ramirez DePietro, Pillager has more card-advantage potential than Zara, Renegade Recruiter because you can cast any card that you exile with it as long as it remains exiled, rather than the temporary control switch Zara provides.
Have Deadeye Navigator soulbound to Ramirez along with Nadier's Nightblade on the battlefield while you have at least 3 life and 2 mana, including at least 1 blue mana. Now you have a combo that results in infinite lifegain for you and infinite life loss for your opponents.
#5. Ghost of Ramirez DePietro
Ghost of Ramirez DePietro is more formidable than its teenage or adult form in the other two versions of this pirate. It’s unblockable if an opponent’s creatures have a specific toughness or higher, so it essentially has somewhat of a skulk feature. Such an evasion tactic makes it harder for opponents to ward it off if it has auras or equipment attached to it later in the game.
Try a self-mill strategy to benefit from your commander’s graveyard recursion ability when it deals combat damage. Include cards that mill one’s library with oracle text that says “target player” like Thought Scour and Diligent Excavator.
#4. Captain N’ghathrod
Captain N'ghathrod screams Davy Jones with Pirates of the Caribbean vibes just from the card art. This horror pirate supports a horror creature build because it gives them all menace, guaranteeing a higher probability of combat damage to gain control of one of their artifacts or creatures at your end step.
Popular horrors like K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth and Toxrill, the Corrosive are auto-includes for synergistic value. Mill with Traumatize, Tome Scour, and other sorcery spells in blue to increase your options on what to gain control of during each end step.
#3. Breeches, Brazen Plunderer
Breeches, Brazen Plunderer takes it to the next level in plundering your opponent’s library by being able to cast the spell using any color mana you have available. Now that’s useful!
Besides having enough mana open during your second main phase to cast your opponent’s spells from exile, don’t forget to have enough mana rocks for higher cost spells. Arcane Signet, Thran Dynamo, Sol Ring, and any Talisman or Signet that corresponds to your deck’s color identity based on the partner you pick for Breeches will work.
#2. Admiral Beckett Brass
Admiral Beckett Brass is a pirate-supporting commander that pumps up your pirate crew to swing with extra power. This admiral also steals your opponent’s best nonland permanent when at least three of your crew mates get combat damage through to one of your opponents.
Pump up your pirates more with Corsair Captain and Fell Flagship. Throw in Akroma's Memorial to give your crew flying and trample and guarantee combat damage from three or more pirates to trigger the plundering ability.
#1. Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer is the best of the red pirates and the best overall pirate commander in the MTG universe because of its dash ability. You can bring it out whenever the opportunity presents itself to land combat damage, get a Treasure, and plunder your opponent’s top card.
Ragavan’s dash ability returns it to your hand so it stays protected with less chance of targeted removal. Just be sure that it’s not the only card in your hand so that discard decks don’t force you to get rid of it.
Best Pirate Commander Payoffs
There are a few pirate-themed artifacts that you can add to your pirate commander deck for flavor and utility. Let’s not forget the key cards that give you Treasure tokens can also work well in these decks.
The raid mechanic that many supporting pirate crew members have can give you added benefits in a pirate commander deck. Counter a spell with only 1 blue mana with Admiral's Order as long as you attacked during your turn. Copy an instant or sorcery spell twice (i.e. Exsanguinate or Electrodominance) with Howl of the Horde after attacking to secure your win with non-combat damage.
Fell Flagship not only buffs your pirates, but also makes your opponents discard a card from their hand when it deals combat damage to reduce their resources. Pirate commanders like Zara, Renegade Recruiter and Breeches, Brazen Plunderer already come in as power 3 or greater, so they can help you crew Fell Flagship when it’s time for combat.
Pirate's Cutlass automatically attaches to a pirate after casting it so you don’t have to pay the equip cost. In the event this equipped pirate is removed, you only have to pay 2 mana to equip it to another pirate.
Captain's Hook can give a crew mate a temporary buff and the menace ability. However, if the equipment becomes detatches, this crew member is sent to the graveyard. Utilize in a Ghost of Ramirez DePietro pirate Commander deck of pirates with enter-the-battlefield effects so they can recur on each turn, like Dockside Extortionist and Prosperous Pirates.
Speaking of Dockside Extortionist, it works best in a 3- or 4-player Commander game because the more artifacts and enchantments your opponents have, the more Treasure tokens you score.
Pirated Copy from Jumpstart 2022 adds thematic flavor to any pirate commander deck while copying one of your best crew mates for enhanced utility. If you have a Mirror Box on board, you can copy your pirate commander with no problem!
Commanding Conclusion
Breeches, Brazen Plunderer | Illustration by Sveltin Velinov
Pirate commanders love combat, which is why many benefits of taking an opponent's resources happen during those steps within your turn. Ramp your deck strategy with pirates and other creatures that give you Treasure.
Do you know which pirate commander you want to build around for your next Commander deck? Tell us in the comments section below. Connect with our writers and staff and other commander players worldwide on the Draftsim Facebook page. Get updated on the latest content so you can learn new things about Magic: the Gathering every day.
Until next time, sharpen your equipment, rally your crew, and strategize for the next Commander battle!
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