Wilds of Eldraine Commander Decks: Are They Worth It?

Last updated on April 29, 2024

Gylwain, Casting Director | Illustration by Aurore Folny

You know ‘em, you love ‘em. The precons are back, this time with two new additions from Wilds of Eldraine Commander (referred to by its set code of “WOC”). Coming hot off the coattails of Commander Masters and its somewhat controversial line-up of Commander precons, we get to take a breather and sit back with a pair of pretty simple decks that highlight some of the enchanting themes from Wilds of Eldraine (WOE).

Let’s go over the goods, both new and old, and gain some insight into the reprint value, new cards, and overall appeal of each deck. I think you’ll find some faerie good things on offer!

What Are the Wilds of Eldraine Commander Decks?

Malleable Impostor | Illustration by Alessandra Pisano

The set releases with a pair of preconstructed Commander decks designed to tie into the themes of the main WOE set. As with most set-specific precons, these are meant to be onboarding decks that serve as an on-ramp for new players to get into the Commander format, though they’ve become increasingly complex over time. These two happen to be on the simpler side and are excellent for new players.

Each precon contains:

• 100 total cards
• 2 foils – one face commander and one alternative commander
• 10 new-to-Magic cards
• 1 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack – only available in sealed products
• 1 Foil-Etched Display Commander – printed on thicker cardboard stock, not tournament legal
• 10 double-sided tokens
• 1 life counter and deck box
• A lifetime of fun, memories, and a bunch of basics for the bulk box

It’s worth noting that these two precons are immediately succeeding the over-priced and over-hyped Commander Masters precons. For all their faults, those decks were at a higher complexity level than most, and they showcased some pretty novel themes overall. By comparison, the two WOC decks might seem a bit simplistic, but Commander Masters was more of an exception and WOC is more the norm.

The two decks on display here are some of the least complicated decks Wizards have designed in a while, which is a net positive if you ask me. If the intention is to use precons like this to onboard new players into Commander, it makes sense to slide in a few basic themes here and there. I think that’s something that the designers have lost sight of in recent offerings. Complexity is great for jaded and enfranchised players like me, but it’s nice to cater to the new players on occasion.

Virtue and Valor

Commander, Theme, and Strategy

Virtue and Valor is a Selesnya () aura-themed enchantress deck, showcasing the new role tokens from WOE. It’s full of constellation cards, totem armor auras, and generic enchantment payoffs and attempts to win by making one or two enormous, evasive threats.

Ellivere of the Wild Court is the face commander of the deck and the only card in print that creates Virtuous roles. It’s great at pumping up your creatures and creating enchantments, and it even has a good card advantage ability stapled on. It’s just about everything you want in a precon commander.

Gylwain, Casting Director is the alternative commander, and while it’s a perfectly fine card at generating constellation triggers and pumping up your creatures, it doesn’t have nearly the same raw power or card advantage output as Ellivere.

The deck is highly committed to the theme, with 22 auras including bestow creatures, as well as other cards that create role tokens. It’s trying to play in a space that’s somewhere between straight Voltron and go-wide since both commanders incentivize you to play more creatures to the board. The deck wants to take opponents out in combat with huge swings, though it has all the usual weaknesses of most aura-based decks. A single removal spell can undo a lot of your work, so it’s best to spread out your auras and threats when possible.

Notable Cards: Reprints and $$

As always, it’s hard to speculate on pre-sale prices for new-to-Magic cards from Commander products, so I won’t be discussing the monetary value of those cards.

As for reprint value, you’re looking at five cards in the $2-$5 range, seven cards in the $5-$10 range, and Hall of Heliod's Generosity squeaking in as the only card just over $10. If you take these numbers at face value, that’s already covering the cost of a roughly $40 precon, though it’s worth noting some of these prices are likely to drop. Cards like Retether and Umbra Mystic fall into that middle range of cards, but this is their first proper reprint, so their price tags were mostly high due to scarcity and should fall accordingly. It's still good value overall, especially when you factor in whatever price that the new cards end up settling in at.

Kor Spiritdancer, Mantle of the Ancients, and Pollenbright Wings all received new art on their reprints.

The Verdict

This is a fine little deck that shows off the new role mechanic well enough and adds a couple new cards to the EDH enchantress roster. It’s a bit narrow as an out-of-the-box experience and has some obvious weaknesses, but it has plenty of room for upgrades.

It’s a bit hard to overlook the fact that we just got another enchantment-based precon with the Commander Masters’ Enduring Enchantments, and Virtue and Valor isn’t really that different from the Adaptive Enchantment precon from Commander 2018 or even the Aura of Courage deck from Forgotten Realms Commander. That’s more of an issue with the oversaturation of Commander precons than a fault of this deck, but it does diminish the appeal for enfranchised players who already bought into those products. Still, it’s a fine onboarding deck for newbies and a solid precon overall.

Magic The Gathering Wilds of Eldraine Commander Deck - Virtue and Valor (100-Card Deck, 2-Card Collector Booster Sample Pack + Accessories)

• A TALE ONLY YOU CAN TELL—Venture into the untamed Wilds of Eldraine, a fairy tale-inspired world in the Magic multiverse, and free the kingdom from a curse of endless slumber
• VIRTUE AND VALOR—Buff your creatures and crush your foes with Syr Ellivere’s loyal woodland creature squires at your side
• EPIC MULTIPLAYER BATTLES—Commander is a multiplayer way to play Magic, an epic, free-for-all battle full of strategic plays and social intrigue
• INTRODUCES 10 COMMANDER CARDS—This deck introduces 10 never-before-seen Commander cards to Magic: The Gathering
• COLLECT SPECIAL TREATMENT CARDS—Each deck also comes with a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack containing 2 special treatment cards from the Wilds of Eldraine set, including 1 Rare or Mythic Rare and at least 1 Traditional Foil Borderless card

$35.48

Buy on Amazon

Fae Dominion

Commander, Theme, and Strategy

Fae Dominion is a Dimir () faerie typal deck, keeping in line with the theme from the main set. It’s all about faeries, flying creatures, and casting spells during your opponents’ turns. It wants to play a control game, reacting to opponents with instants and flash creatures, all while assembling an army of tricky faeries.

Your lead commander is Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor, with Alela, Cunning Conqueror as the backup. Tegwyll is more of a traditional lord that draws cards as your faeries die, whereas Alela plays more into the instant-speed shenanigans part of the deck and keeps threats off your back. They both fit the deck well and are interchangeable as the commander of the precon.

This deck offers a more strategic approach to gameplay than its aura-based counterpart. Virtue and Valor is very much a “cards face-up on the table” strategy that casts spells, attacks, and passes the turn. Fae Dominion plays defense and interacts more on other players’ turns. It’s also heavily favored in the head-to-head matchup between the two. My guess is that’s why Tithe Taker was included in the precon, because it looks like a fish out of water otherwise.

Notable Cards: Reprints and $$

The reprint value of the set is concentrated into a few notable cards. Overall there are five cards in the $2-$5 range, four cards in the $5-$10 range, and Brazen Borrower as the only $10+ card. A few of these are faerie-specific cards like Scion of Oona and Secluded Glen that won’t have much playability outside the precon.

Normally I’d spend some time talking about new staples from the precons, but the themes are so specific this time around that there really weren’t any new additions that stand out as potential top-tier cards moving forward. Aside from maybe Blightwing Bandit and Loamcrafter Faun in the other deck, there isn’t much here that fits outside of very specific archetypes.

Secluded Glen received new art in this deck. One new art for the faerie deck, three new arts for the aura deck. I see how it is.

The Verdict

This deck appeals to a very specific type of player, namely one who either really wants a focused faerie deck or one who likes a creature-based control plan that mostly plays during other players’ turns. If you look at Nymris, Oona's Trickster and don’t immediately start rubbing your hands together and scheming, this probably isn’t the deck for you.

Despite having some cool new cards and decent reprint value, it’s also somewhat inflexible in terms of the cards you add to your collection. There are plenty of generically fine faeries, but many of these cards won’t translate well into other decks, and there aren’t too many staples you probably don’t already have. Pick it up for a fun, upgradable out-of-the-box precon experience, but don’t expect too much from it in the long run.

Magic The Gathering Wilds of Eldraine Commander Deck - FAE Dominion (100-Card Deck, 2-Card Collector Booster Sample Pack + Accessories)

• A TALE ONLY YOU CAN TELL—Venture into the untamed Wilds of Eldraine, a fairy tale-inspired world in the Magic multiverse, and free the kingdom from a curse of endless slumber
• FAE DOMINION—Ally with Tegwyll to summon flocks of faeries and play mischievous tricks on your foes
• EPIC MULTIPLAYER BATTLES—Commander is a multiplayer way to play Magic, an epic, free-for-all battle full of strategic plays and social intrigue
• INTRODUCES 10 COMMANDER CARDS—This deck introduces 10 never-before-seen Commander cards to Magic: The Gathering
• COLLECT SPECIAL TREATMENT CARDS—Each deck also comes with a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack containing 2 special treatment cards from the Wilds of Eldraine set, including 1 Rare or Mythic Rare and at least 1 Traditional Foil Borderless card

$54.94

Buy on Amazon

The Best Wilds of Eldraine Commander Deck

For Value

The reprint value of both decks is close, but Virtue and Valor narrowly edges out Fae Dominion, and the new cards exclusive to the Selesnya deck are more diversely playable than the faerie-only synergy cards from the Dimir deck. Overall, great value for normally-priced precons, with at least one solid “money card” from each deck.

For Competitive EDH

Neither of these decks are really geared to make a splash in cEDH. Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor and Ellivere of the Wild Court both say “draw a card” somewhere in their textboxes, so that probably gives them more of a chance than anything else.

Aura-based decks aren’t really primed for cEDH, and the faerie deck has more instant-speed plays and interaction in general. My gut tells me if either of these decks comes close to playable in cEDH, it’ll be Fae Dominion. That’ll likely take a hefty amount of maintenance, so much that it might as well end up being a different deck by the time you’re done with it.

For Fun

The fun award goes 100% to Fae Dominion. It operates effectively at instant speed, and the more opportunities I have to interact and cast my spells, the more fun I have. I’m a bit biased since I’m keen on instant-speed shenanigans, and I’m sure the aura deck’s straightforward gameplan appeals to a different type of player, but the faerie deck just looks like a more enjoyable time to me. Faerie typal is also new territory for a Commander precon, so the deck has some amount of novelty working in its favor as well.

No offense to Virtue and Valor. It’s a rock-solid precon, but it’s very linear, and outside the use of role tokens on three new cards, it does little to differentiate itself from enchantment-based precons of the past.

Commanding Conclusion

Nettling Nuisance | Illustration by Kevin Sidharta

The price tag on the Commander Masters precons made me a bit nervous about the future of Commander products, but it seems we’ve righted that ship and are back in familiar, affordable territory. Both Wilds of Eldraine Commander decks are wins in my book. They’re not rivalling the best precons of all time, but their reprint value, interesting new cards, and commitment to simple themes are exactly the ingredients I’m looking for in main-set precons. Now whose eyes do I have to sprinkle with faerie dust to get a sea monster precon?

Best Value

Best for Competitive and Most Fun to Use

Magic The Gathering Wilds of Eldraine Commander Deck - Virtue and Valor (100-Card Deck, 2-Card Collector Booster Sample Pack + Accessories)

Magic The Gathering Wilds of Eldraine Commander Deck - FAE Dominion (100-Card Deck, 2-Card Collector Booster Sample Pack + Accessories)

$35.48

$54.94

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Best Value

Magic The Gathering Wilds of Eldraine Commander Deck - Virtue and Valor (100-Card Deck, 2-Card Collector Booster Sample Pack + Accessories)

$35.48

Buy on Amazon

Best for Competitive and Most Fun to Use

Magic The Gathering Wilds of Eldraine Commander Deck - FAE Dominion (100-Card Deck, 2-Card Collector Booster Sample Pack + Accessories)

$54.94

Buy on Amazon

Of course, I’m always interested in your opinions about these decks. Which one appeals to you the most, and are there any new cards that are making their way into your existing decks? Why do we get a Virtuous role but no Valorous role? Where’s the Valor Wizards? Let me know in the comments below or over in the Draftsim Discord.

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