Last updated on August 28, 2025

Anowon, the Ruin Thief - Illustration by Magali Villeneuve

Anowon, the Ruin Thief | Illustration by Magali Villeneuve

Fans of roleplaying games are more than familiar with rogues of all kinds. Maybe youโ€™ve made a rogue for one of your Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. Maybe you chose the rogue class in a game like Dragon Age. And of course, โ€œroguesโ€™ galleryโ€ is a popular term for the many antagonists a character like Batman encounters.

Rogues in Magic are sly tricksters, likely to hang out with thieves, mercenaries, assassins, and other outlaws. Streets of New Capenna, Battle for Baldurโ€™s Gate, and Outlaws of Thunder Junction may seem like the obvious places to find rogues, but theyโ€™re plentiful everywhere else across the multiverse.

Keep an eye on your coin purse. These party members arenโ€™t all to be trusted.

Table of Contents show

What Are Rogue Commanders in MTG?

Alora, Merry Thief - Illustration by Aaron Miller

Alora, Merry Thief | Illustration by Aaron Miller

Rogue commanders are primarily creatures with the โ€œlegendaryโ€ supertype that can be your commander in a game of EDH. Rogue is a class, so rogue commanders can be goblins, humans, vampires, and more.

Rogues have the distinction of being batched with other creature types twice: the party mechanic introduced in Zendikar Rising, and the outlaw coupling introduced in Outlaws of Thunder Junction. Outlaw commanders can be rogue commanders, but I wouldnโ€™t recommend party commanders since they ask for variety.

Some cards are technically legendary rogues but canโ€™t be your commander. A flip card can only be your commander if its front side is legendary, so a Nezumi Graverobber that flips into the legendary rogue Nighteyes the Desecrator canโ€™t be your commander. Iโ€™d also stay away from silver borders and acorns. Sorry, Frankie Peanuts. Please donโ€™t send me to sleep with the merfolk.

Some non-rogues also generate tokens that are, like the Faerie Rogues you get from Alela, Cunning Conqueror or the Vampire Rogues from Baron Bertram Graywater. Some of these commanders could be built around a rogue typal theme, especially Alela and other faerie rogues, since thereโ€™s enough overlap there, but Iโ€™m not including them here.

Honorable Mention: Sakashima of a Thousand Faces

Sakashima of a Thousand Faces

Clone effects are incredibly strong, and a clone effect on a commander with partner that also eliminates the legend rule for you is incredible. Sakashima of a Thousand Faces is a great commander to pair with another, including the more popular Krark, the Thumbless, Vial Smasher the Fierce, and Kodama of the East Tree. Toggo, Goblin Weaponsmith can also be an interesting partner for an artifact token strategy. Sakashima just isnโ€™t a commander youโ€™re going to use for rogues, no matter who you choose as its partner.

#55. Sharkey, Tyrant of the Shire

Sharkey, Tyrant of the Shire

I only include Sharkey, Tyrant of the Shire to suggest that you could run a budget version of this Dimir commander to send a message to the lands player that itโ€™s time to pivot to another deck.

#54. Annie Flash, the Veteran

Annie Flash, the Veteran

Any creature with a triggered ability when it enters always gets me thinking of ways to get it over and over, but I think the relevant text is the tap trigger here. An ability like that points toward finding ways to tap Annie Flash, the Veteran without making it vulnerable in combatโ€ฆ why not spacecraft, vehicles, or mounts? A Naya commander () may not be the best colors for a vehicles or mounts deck yet, but I suspect that weโ€™ll get more support over time. Otherwise, Annie Flash, the Veteran is open-ended enough that you could do much more.

#53. Sami, Wildcat Captain

Sami, Wildcat Captain

Sami, Wildcat Captain is extremely costly for a cost reducer. So by the time you cast Sami, be prepared to follow up with multiple powerful artifacts. A balance of mid-cost artifacts like Ichor Wellspring, The Seriema, or Unwinding Clock go a long way in building up to huge colorless cards like Triplicate Titan or Portal to Phyrexia.

#52. Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats

Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats

This Zendikar Rising vampire commander gives your creatures deathtouch, plus something that could be called โ€œplaneswalker deathtouch.โ€ Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats relies on having party members to make it cheaper, but youโ€™re in good colors to find some clerics, warriors, wizards, and rogues. Granting deathtouch to a bunch of pingers can also be a good strategy to clear the way for something bigger to swing.

#51. Gwafa Hazid, Profiteer

Gwafa Hazid, Profiteer

Get cozy: Itโ€™s a pillow fort commander. And, as an Azorius commander, Gwafa Hazid, Profiteer is in the right colors to have the best counterspells and lots of cards that tax opponents trying to attack you. Youโ€™ve also got the right colors to blink, so you could (in theory) include a few ways to offer to remove a bribe counter for someone who canโ€™t. Not many, though. Itโ€™s business, not charity.

#50. Mr. Foxglove

Mr. Foxglove

I have to admit, a Bant commander () is probably the color combination I vibe with the least, but Iโ€™ve got some ideas for this sly fox. Mr. Foxgloveโ€™s attack trigger either rewards you with cards in hand or a creature on the battlefield. Haste enabling and protective equipment are important. Youโ€™ll want some impactful ETBs, but you can also play a political game by forcing your opponents to draw. Folio of Fancies and other infinite hand-size effects are crucial here.

Alternatively, pack in a suite of second and third card draw payoffs like Morska, Undersea Sleuth.

#49. Satoru, the Infiltrator

Satoru, the Infiltrator

Outlaws donโ€™t include ninjas, but Satoru, the Infiltratorโ€™s ability still works as a ninjutsu payoff. Thereโ€™s other ways to get your creatures onto the battlefield so this Dimir commander () gives you a card, but I see this more as a support piece than as your commander. Thematically, this Dimir card can be a ninja commander, but why not just run Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow in the command zone and Satoru, the Infiltrator in the 99?

#48. Locke, Treasure Hunter

Locke, Treasure Hunter

Locke, Treasure Hunter has a tricky ability that helps it evade and survive attacking. The mill caused by the attack trigger can turn into massive resource advantage though is likely to help an opposing deck or two, but any scries or top deck manipulation goes awry fast with Locke.

#47. Rankle, Master of Pranks

Rankle, Master of Pranks

Rankle, Master of Pranks is a hasty flier (duh, itโ€™s a faerie), and its saboteur combat damage trigger is perfect for a group slug deck. Discarding cards, sacrificing creatures, and trading life for cards are all trademark mono-black things.

#46. Tinybones, Bauble Burglar

Tinybones, Bauble Burglar

Tinybones, Bauble Burglar has three notable abilities so let's go one by one. The automatic exile of discarded cards hoses several reanimation and graveyard strategies and any players that want to put cycling or flashback cards into their graveyard for later use. The second ability gives this mono-black commander some color and flavor to go beyond black's color wheel shortcomings. The activated ability is a reliable way to force discarding, yet the ability to repeatedly cause discards is underrated. But the synergy with the previous abilities, almost turns it into a four-mana draw three with the big upside of stealing it from an opponent.

#45. Akul the Unrepentant

Akul the Unrepentant

Akul the Unrepentant is saved from being absolutely busted by having a timing restriction on its sacrifice outlet. Otherwise, this would be a Rakdos commander () that asks you to make a bunch of expendable creatures to cheat out bigger-mana creatures. Honestly, this maybe should be a demon typal deck, assuming you can slot in enough sacrifice fodder to cheat in your demons.

#44. Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff

Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff

This Orzhov commander () has been making waves as a support piece, helping you to ramp when your opponents cast more than one spell per turn. Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff wonโ€™t get your Exquisite Blood combos going, but you assemble a deck that plays with lifegain and life loss. Treasure is the other main route, but youโ€™re missing redโ€™s Treasure payoffs and synergies.

#43. The Celestial Toymaker

The Celestial Toymaker

The Celestial Toymaker breaks my little brain because itโ€™s a creature but it has no race, just classes. It ainโ€™t a human or an avatar or an alien or even a weird. Itโ€™s just a rogue and an artificer. Not the only Doctor Who tie-in to do that (this was a Secret Lair, so itโ€™s not officially a WHO card), but it certainly breaks the mold.

This Neil Patrick Harris lookalike is an Esper commander (), and its niche is caring about making your opponent guess or separate cards into piles. I have a hard enough time making my own decisions in Magic sometimes. How dare you make me make more decisions? Trying to distract me by preoccupying me with more thinking? Ugh, I need some electrolytes.

#42. Toluz, Clever Conductor

Toluz, Clever Conductor

Hey man. I like trains, too. Toluz, Clever Conductor is an Esper commander thatโ€™s centered on discard. Donโ€™t worry, youโ€™ll get it all back when Toluz dies. Discard payoffs like Bone Miser and Archfiend of Ifnir can give you other perks while your cards are on their way to exile.

#41. Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire

Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire

Looking at Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire didnโ€™t give me an immediate strategy to build around. Then I found out the top theme on EDHREC was Ad Nauseam. Yeah. So that means a bunch of lands and free spells. Three mana to cast Varragoth, 2 mana for each boast activation to put your combo pieces on the top of your library, and then Sickening Dreams to deal a ton of damage to a player or creature (probably a player).

#40. Gonti, Lord of Luxury

Gonti, Lord of Luxury

I think there must be a demon in me because Iโ€™m always interested to see card thievery at work. Gonti, Lord of Luxury gets you a choice from the top four cards of an opponentโ€™s library when it enters the battlefield. You donโ€™t have white to blink it, but you can lean aristocrats and toss in Feign Death, Supernatural Stamina, and similar effects to repeat that ETB.

#39. Me, the Immortal

Me, the Immortal

A Temur () rogue as your commander? Forget anything you know about black rogue payoffs if youโ€™re running Me, the Immortal. The Simic () part of this rogue gives you access to some +1/+1 counter synergies, while the Gruul () part lets you take advantage of Chishiro, the Shattered Blade and other modified payoffs.

#38. Gonti, Night Minister

Gonti, Night Minister

Tell me you're a goad commander without saying goad. I love how encouraging Gonti, Night Minister is. Your opponents are rewarded for theft. Gonti goes about wrecking opponents in the best way, by getting other players to do the dirty work. This is one of the more fun Commander politics discussion points to come from Aetherdrift.

#37. Rilsa Rael, Kingpin

Rilsa Rael, Kingpin

Rilsa Rael, Kingpin gives one of your attackers increasing perks depending on your progress in a dungeon. Itโ€™s a decent home for rogues and other creatures that have combat damage triggers and creature death payoffs.

#36. Tinybones, the Pickpocket

Tinybones, the Pickpocket

Tinybones, the Pickpocket is a great creature to have in your deck, since its low mana value helps your curve while giving you an impactful creature. As a black commander, Tinybonesโ€™s MV also helps since you can expect this guy to die, a lot.

Since youโ€™re taking advantage of your opponentsโ€™ graveyards, itโ€™s a good idea to help them fill it. Black has some excellent board wipes; discard effects and mill are other options, but I like discard since I get to run my Enchanting Tales Waste Not in there.

#35. Chevill, Bane of Monsters

Chevill, Bane of Monsters

A cheap Golgari commander that likes you to run creatures with deathtouch. Sign. Me. Up. Chevill, Bane of Monsters can put bounties on creatures and planeswalkers, but that doesnโ€™t matter so much if your opponents can blink their creatures. Worse yet, if theyโ€™re looking to kill their creatures anyway. Sure, you get life and a card, but what are their death payoffs?

Deep breaths. This is what my therapist calls โ€œcatastrophizing.โ€ Positives? Youโ€™ve got a reason to dig out Tempestโ€™s Bounty Hunter. And as I said, fun with deathtouch. Good times.

#34. Sygg, River Cutthroat

Sygg, River Cutthroat

Sygg, River Cutthroat is a decent commander for either rogues or merfolk. Black gives you more options to drain your opponents of life, or you can use small unblockable creatures instead.

#33. Missy

Missy

My personal favorite iteration of The Master (Doctor Who, not Fallout. Sorry, Richard) is unquestionably Missy. Itโ€™s the only version that can run all other versions of The Master; the gender commentary writes itself.

As a Grixis commander, Missy gives you an option for a morph deck, and you can build in a neat infinite combo with Ruthless Ripper that takes some setup but is really fun to activate. I love finding cards with alternate costs that are as simple as revealing a card from your hand, because those cards are just begging to be broken.

#32. Vren, the Relentless

Vren, the Relentless

Disgusting (complimentary). I especially want the anime version. At its base, youโ€™re hurting your opponentsโ€™ graveyards with Vren, the Relentless, shutting down decks that rely on that game zone for an advantage. Sure, the graveyard hate fuels the second ability, but the second ability also means youโ€™re taking advantage of other players who use exile. I can think of a few, like Altaรฏr Ibn-La'Ahad, blink decks, cascade decksโ€ฆ. Youโ€™ll have to work harder against some opponents than others, but I really want to build with this Dimir rat rogue. Itโ€™s more of a rats commander, but I donโ€™t care, I love it.

#31. Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive

Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive

Cheap. Smol. Mono-blue commander. Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive can be great in other decks that splash into blue, especially if youโ€™re doing tokens. On its own, mono-blue can get you creatures with combat damage triggers that draw cards (Neurok Commando, Tandem Lookout, Scroll Thief) and ninjas with ninjutsu and other combat damage triggers (Mistblade Shinobi, Mist-Syndicate Naga).

#30. River Song

River Song

Playing cards from the bottom of your deck sure is unorthodox, but River Song makes it work. Scrying is a great way to make sure that youโ€™re putting the cards that you want in the right place, and River Song punishes your opponents who scry, surveil, or otherwise search their library. In a format with fetch lands of all budgets, green ramp staples, tutors, and other library searchers like Solemn Simulacrum? Yeah, thatโ€™s a surefire way to wind up on a Wanted poster.

#29. Laughing Jasper Flint

Laughing Jasper Flint

Every time I look at this card, I think of Captain Nathaniel Flint from Treasure Planet. Pirate, not a rogue, but I canโ€™t shake the association.

Laughing Jasper Flint is clearly an outlaw commander. You can run a bunch of rogues if you so please, but youโ€™d be missing out on the perks that the other creature types can give you.

#28. Negan, the Cold-Blooded / Malik, Grim Manipulator

Malik, Grim Manipulator

Iโ€™ve only seen bits and pieces of The Walking Dead, but I know about Negan. If the point of Malik, Grim Manipulator is to strike fear the moment you see it in the command zone, I think that goalโ€™s been achieved. The ETB captures Neganโ€™s ruthlessness, and a Mardu commander gives you access to more death payoffs (Revel in Riches), Treasure doublers (Xorn), and blink effects (Teleportation Circle).

Malik, Grim Manipulator is the Universes Within reprint of Negan, the Cold-Blooded.

#27. Eloise, Nephalia Sleuth

Eloise, Nephalia Sleuth

Eloise, Nephalia Sleuth is a sacrifice themed commander, specifically token sacrifices. Surveiling before you draw the card from your Clues gets you some card filtering goodness to top it all off.  Itโ€™s a good place to run March of the Machines for infinite ETBs.

#26. Marvo, Deep Operative

Marvo, Deep Operative

Marvo, Deep Operative gives you a clash commander, which I just think is neat as an idea. Dimir is solid colors to manipulate the top of your deck, either through scrying or surveilling. Marvoโ€™s second ability also gives you a reason to run a lot of high-mana cards, and considering itโ€™s an octopus, that screams sea creature commander to me.

#25. Yisan, the Wanderer Bard

Yisan, the Wanderer Bard

Pack lots of creature untapping effects in Yisan, the Wanderer Bard โ€“ the best Pod commander you can get โ€“ if you want multiple activations per turn. A well-balanced curve is also essential so that you can pull bigger and better things out of your deck. Youโ€™ll also want diverse ETBs, whether thatโ€™s artifact destruction (Manglehorn), more creature tutoring (Woodland Bellower), or something else.

#24. Marchesa, Dealer of Death

Marchesa, Dealer of Death

Marchesa, Dealer of Death is a Grixis () commander, which is a perfect color identity for committing crimes. Thereโ€™s of course plenty of targeting spells for a spellslinger build, like counterspells and removal, but you could also build a goad deck. Most goad abilities are phrased as โ€œGoad target creature,โ€ so youโ€™re certainly fulfilling the crime requirement.

#23. Cormela, Glamour Thief

Cormela, Glamour Thief

Haste helps speed up Cormela, Glamour Thief, considering its 4-mana casting cost. Itโ€™ll give you mana for your spellslinging needs and return a spell to your hand as a death trigger. Halo Forager is one of the rogues you might run to reuse some spells from your graveyard, but throwing in some red or blue wizards can get you some spell copying.

#22. Edric, Spymaster of Trest

Edric, Spymaster of Trest

Edric, Spymaster of Trestโ€™s ability can give cards to the entire table, which suggests going for a group hug strategy. You can also try to avoid giving your opponents any cards at all by taking extra turns. Extra turns mean extra combats, which means digging for more extra turn cards. Turn it up to 11 by running unblockable creatures. And youโ€™ve already met Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive.

#21. Felix Five-Boots

Felix Five-Boots

This commander just oozes potential. Nope, not sorry.

Felix Five-Boots could be described as a saboteur commander, since this guy doubles your triggers on combat damage. Black and blue each have some good saboteur effects and some ways to make your creatures unblockable, so this Sultai commander () has got some legs. Five, to be precise. Strong support piece elsewhere, but Iโ€™d also consider it in the command zone without hesitation.

#20. Kellan, the Kid

Kellan, the Kid

I find it to be a bit of a flavor miss that Kellan, the Kid canโ€™t run all of the other Kellan cards from Wilds of Eldraine, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, and Murders at Karlov Manor. Its abilities care about casting cards from zones that arenโ€™t your hand, and adventures fit nicely in that space. Heck, it has the same mana value and identity as Gorion, Wise Mentor! You can of course use other themes that work with Kellan, like foretell and plot.

#19. Astarion, the Decadent

Astarion, the Decadent

Orzhov lifegain is a popular enough strategy, and Astarion, the Decadent can be an elven enabler for that. Youโ€™ll gain 4 life when it deals damage, and deathtouch helps make it lethal and intimidating. There are plenty of other vampires to look at here too, like Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose and Indulging Patrician.

#18. The Master, Multiplied

The Master, Multiplied

The Master, Multiplied gives you ways to get around sacrificing or exiling tokens that other effects give you. Myriad is on the card, so this Rakdos commander points in that direction, but thereโ€™s lots of other ways to take advantage of this.

#17. Bilbo, Birthday Celebrant

Bilbo, Birthday Celebrant

Abzan () lifegain is the way to go here. Bilbo, Birthday Celebrant is built rather thematically with an ability that cares about reaching 111 life, and itโ€™s an idea that gets your deckbuilding gears going. I donโ€™t think youโ€™re going to use that ability much, and itโ€™s not like it wins you the game immediately. But the times you actually get there are the kinds of stories we all chase and love retelling.

#16. Rev, Tithe Extractor

Rev, Tithe Extractor

Rev, Tithe Extractor restricts you to black, but does a great job of ensuring you have deathtouchers on the attack. While your opponents make what they think are fair trades, the second triggered ability turns you on to treasure and card advantage.

#15. Burakos, Party Leader

Burakos, Party Leader

Burakos, Party Leader has all the classes you could have in your party, and itโ€™ll pay you off for having a full one. A Folk Hero background makes this an Orzhov deck, which is a solid color pair to add life loss to an attack trigger. Haunted One, one of the best background enchantments, goes mono-black and pumps all your party creatures while giving them undying. And you can lean into the Treasures if your Burakos is a Guild Artisan. Yeah, Iโ€™d say thatโ€™s pretty good.

#14. Kamiz, Obscura Oculus

Kamiz, Obscura Oculus

Kamiz, Obscura Oculus enables your attackers by making one of them unblockable and giving another double strike. This begs to include unblockable ninjas and other rogues. It also suggests infect, if youโ€™re into that. Since Kamiz makes creatures connive, wheel effects can also fit. Flexibility can be very good or very meh, but I think Kamiz is in the โ€œgoodโ€ camp.

#13. Nalia deโ€™Arnise

Nalia de'Arnise

Sorry for party rockinโ€™. Nalia de'Arnise is best surrounded by cards from Commander Legends: Battle for Baldurโ€™s Gate, since thereโ€™s plenty of cards that can work with party dynamics. Remember Burakos, Party Leader?

#12. Gonti, Canny Acquisitor

Gonti, Canny Acquisitor

This aetherborn rogue takes some figuring, but I can totally see why it fronted the Grand Larceny Commander precon from Outlaws of Thunder Junction Commander.

Cost reduction on spells you donโ€™t own encourages you to work in a spell and card theft space. You can run Tasha, the Witch Queen in the 99 of your Gonti, Canny Acquisitor deck and only care about its static ability to generate some Demon tokens for you, but its loyalty abilities also work well in this deck.

#11. Grenzo, Dungeon Warden

Grenzo, Dungeon Warden

Lots of goblins are cheaper than Grenzo, Dungeon Warden, so itโ€™s as good a reason as any to go goblin mode. Grenzoโ€™s activated ability is cheap enough that itโ€™s got a few infinite ETB/LTB combos that it can enable.

#10. Evelyn, the Covetous

Evelyn, the Covetous

I think that The Beaches pretty much said it all. Evelyn, the Covetous from Streets of New Capenna encourages you to run a bunch of thieving vampires. The pair of abilities just oozes flavor: Steal something and put it behind glass, then take it out as needed (or perhaps just for fun). While not a vampire, Hoarding Broodlord can give your exiled spells convoke.

#9. Bria, Riptide Rogue

Bria, Riptide Rogue

Every time I look at this Izzet commander () from Bloomburrow, I canโ€™t help but think: โ€œOh, come on!โ€

Bria, Riptide Rogue is a spellslinging otter commander, but it makes things interesting by giving you a reason to run unblockable creatures and those with saboteur effects. Another route is to throw in creatures that already have prowess so that you stack the abilities. Giving prowess to your other creatures is the kind of thing thatโ€™ll make this Bloomburrow commander incredibly popular for a long time.

Besides, Bria, Riptide Rogue is a heckinโ€™ cute otter!

#8. Stella Lee, Wild Card

Stella Lee, Wild Card

Stella Lee, Wild Card is another Izzet spellslinger that happens to be a rogue. The face commander of the Quick Draw OTC precon doesnโ€™t particularly encourage you to run other rogues, unless you count the prowess legends (Lilah, Undefeated Slickshot and Bria, Riptide Rogue). Maybe stick all of these into a Marchesa, Dealer of Death deck if you want a bunch of rogues and spellslinging, but you canโ€™t go wrong with Stella Lee as the focus of your build.

#7. Nine-Fingers Keene

Nine-Fingers Keene

Nine-Fingers Keene is a Sultai commander that digs for gates. The Maze's End alternate win condition is a gimme here, as are landfall triggers and effects that dig lands out of your library.

#6. Tinybones, Trinket Thief

Tinybones, Trinket Thief

Considering the number of commanders that let you steal your opponentsโ€™ cards or permanents, โ€œTrinket Thiefโ€ feels like a slight misnomer. Tinybones, Trinket Thief is a discard-themed mono-black commander. While youโ€™re at it, why not punish empty-handed players with Davriel, Rogue Shadowmage? Tinybonesโ€™s cheap casting cost also makes it easy to get out early. And often, should it die.

#5. Anowon, the Ruin Thief

Anowon, the Ruin Thief

The typal commander for rogues. The built-in anthem on Anowon, the Ruin Thief is a good start, but it also enables milling and card draw through your roguesโ€™ combat damage. Better pack some infinite hand size effects!

Shapeshifters like Vesuvan Drifter from MOM: The Aftermath are also good options, and Dimir colors are perfect for accessing lots of the best rogues in the game, like Frogtosser Banneret for cost reduction. There are enough faerie and other assorted flying rogues that you can almost build a deck focused on that combat ability.

#4. Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief

Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief

Who doesnโ€™t like getting to talk about Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief? Ivy is a tricky lil 2-drop commander that copies the spells you use to buff and protect your other creatures. Auras and mutate creatures can target something else, so they can be copied as well. Those copies count toward devotion for that Aspect of Hydra, by the way. A Simic commander () has access to lots of cheap combat tricks and other instants that should make Ivy very happy.

#3. Marrow-Gnawer

Marrow-Gnawer

Ah, rats. Marrow-Gnawer is a typal commander, no doubt. Now that you can put Karumonix, the Rat King in a Marrow-Gnawer deck to give your mischief of rats infect, this kind of deck can get all kinds of disgusting. Hey, Iโ€™m not against rats in our world. Beautiful, intelligent little gremlins. If you really want to start having fun, I suggest making or buying some custom tokens of rats.

#2. Tivit, Seller of Secrets

Tivit, Seller of Secrets

Tivit, Seller of Secrets forces your opponents to choose their own adventures. Whatโ€™s the balance of Clues and Treasures that they want to give you? If youโ€™re leaning politics, cards from Conspiracy like Brago's Representative are going to go a long way. Time Sieve and Academy Manufactor can also get you an infinite turn engine with this excellent Esper commander.

#1. Henzie โ€œToolboxโ€ Torre

Henzie "Toolbox" Torre

Give me a reason to run big creatures and Iโ€™m there. Iโ€™ll make a deal with this devil. Henzie โ€œToolboxโ€ Torre gives your costlier creatures blitz, and it cheapens them the more your commander itself is taxed. Sacrifice strategies are a natural home here; if youโ€™re going to sacrifice them on your end step anyway, why not have a few other sacrifice outlets lying around?

Best Rogue Commander Payoffs and Synergies

Mari, the Killing Quill can give your rogues deathtouch and a combat damage trigger. It relies on hit counters, but the payoff comes in the form of cards and Treasure. Always a negotiation with these rogue types.

Combat damage is a recurring theme among rogue commanders, so filling your deck with combat damage payoffs, effects that can make your creatures unblockable, and other evasion abilities like flying, skulk, and menace are extra useful. Mirror Room, and Roaming Throne are not rogue-specific, but the unlock the Fractured Realm side and your triggers for dealing damage to an opponent get doubled. Roaming Throne pulls this off for less as long as you choose to make it a rogue golem.

Cover of Darkness uses fear as a method of evasion and is a flavorful way to encourage saboteur damage.

Any rogue deck that features black and cares about the number of rogues you have on the field can take advantage of the Shapeshifter tokens you get from Black Market Connections or Vaan, Street Thief. Other effects that add creature types, like Conspiracy, are another way to increase your rogue count, though thatโ€™ll only matter if you run a lot of support pieces that arenโ€™t already rogues. Thief's Knife also makes non-rogues go rogue.

Rogues are also one of the creature types included in party mechanics, so running any creatures from Baldurโ€™s Gate that care about your party can benefit you. Harper Recruiter, Solemn Doomguide, and Nimble Trapfinder are just a few of the cards that give you party perks.

Questโ€™s End

Burakos, Party Leader - Illustration by Caroline Gariba

Burakos, Party Leader | Illustration by Caroline Gariba

Rogues are untrustworthy, cutthroat denizens of the Magic multiverse, and yet somehow many of them are good at leading Commander decks. Whether theyโ€™re pilfering their opponentsโ€™ decks or ruthlessly sacrificing their friends, rogues have all kinds of fun tricks up their sleeves. That is, if you arenโ€™t on the sharp end of their blade.

Which rogues do you have in the command zone? Do rogues make you want a Universes Beyond card from Marvelโ€˜s X-Men or Star Wars? Would you run any of these differently than Iโ€™ve described? Let me know in the comments or over on Draftsim's Twitter!

Time to sheath our knives and have a round at the pub. Just never ask a rogue: โ€œWhoโ€™s buying?โ€

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