Tribal decks that focus on a specific creature type are some of the most popular deck choices in Magic: the Gathering’s Commander format. Tribal decks are both flavorful and synergistic, each possessing their own intricacies and identity depending on which given type is being used. However, not all tribes are viewed as equal.
While countless players love to utilize tribes like elves, dragons, goblins, and slivers, there are numerous other viable commander that do not get the same love as their contemporaries. So today, we’re going to shine the spotlight on the lesser appreciated tribes of Magic and examine the 10 most underrated tribal commanders that Magic: The Gathering has to offer.
10 Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign
In modern Magic, Sphinxes have become one of the most iconic creature types within blue’s repertoire. Whenever a new set comes around, its safe to assume that at least one new sphinx is coming with it.
Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign is a commander for players seeking to utilize numerous powerful sphinxes is one cohesive deck. While sphinxes tend to possess impactful abilities, the vast majority of them come alongside a hefty mana cost. Luckily, Unesh serves as a pseudo Urza’s Incubator, reducing the costs of sphinxes by two mana. Furthermore, whenever Uneshe’s controller casts a sphinx spell, they are treated to an effect very reminiscent of the card Fact or Fiction.
9 Kangee, Aerie Keeper
Though mana intensive, Kangee, Aerie Keeper is a commander capable of making for an impressive and useful bird-tribal commander. Possessing multi-kicker, when casting Kangee, its controller can pay any amount of additional mana. For Kangee then enters the battlefield with an amount of feather counters equal to the amount of mana that was paid.
These counters are quite advantageous, as all birds under that player’s control get +1/+1 for each feather counter on Kangee. As this ability can be quite costly on one’s resources, we recommend the utilization of spells with proliferate, as they are capable of adding additional counters of any type to permanents and players.
8 Neheb, The Worthy
Neheb, the Worthy is currently the optimal choice for players seeking to play Minotaur tribal. For the low cost of three mana, Neheb is a Rakdos commander who provides all minotaurs under its owner’s control with first strike.
Additionally, as long as Neheb’s controller has one or fewer cards in hand, all minotaurs they control gain +2/+0, synergizing well with the aforementioned first strike. Due to this abilities hand-size requirement, Neheb decks can often take advantage of cards that cause each player to discards cards, as while other player’s will be unable to cast vital spells, a Neheb player will grow stronger.
7 Depala, Pilot Exemplar
While one of the most prominent problems faced by Boros decks is their difficulty in drawing cards, Depala, Pilot Exemplar is a dwarf-tribal commander capable of patching up some of these obstacles.
A 3/3 for three mana, Depala provides all dwarves and vehicles with +1/+1. More importantly, whenever Depala becomes tapped, her controller may pay any amount of mana. They can then reveal that many cards from the top of their library and put any dwarves and vehicles revealed this way into their hand, serving as a consistently available means of filling one’s hand.
6 Celestial Kirin
While Spirits are a creature type that have appeared across numerous Planes and across every color, Magic does not contain a be-all end-all spirit-tribal commander. Perhaps one of the most underrated and slept-on of available spirit commanders is Celestial Kirin.
Possessing a mana cost of four, Celestial Kirin’s ability states that whenever its controller casts a spirit spell, all permanents that share a converted mana cost with that spell are destroyed. This allows every spirit to serve an additional purpose, allowing them to be used as mini board wipes and kill spells.
5 Rakdos, The Showstopper
The most recent incarnation of the Rakdos’s namesake demon, Rakdos, the Showstopper is an interesting potential commander for those seeking to play demon-tribal decks. A 6/6 with flying and trample for six mana, when Rakdos enters the battlefield, it flips a coin for each creature that isn’t a demon, devil, or imp.
Each creature that fails its coin flip is then destroyed. Similarly to Celestial Kirin, Rakdos allows its controller to have consistent access to board wipes. However, unlike with Celestial Kirin, Rakdos’s effect has the potential to be entirely one-sided, adding to its strength.
4 Ayula, Queen Among Bears
The low costed option for those seeking to play bear-tribal decks, Ayula, Queen Among Bears is simultaniously flexible and simplistic. Whenever another bear enters under the control of Ayula’s owner, they are given two options; that player can put two +1/+1 counters on target bear, or they can have a bear fight target creature.
This ability allows bears to be used as both buffs to pump up bears, or removal to deal with problematic creatures. This ability does not dictate which bears the counters are placed on, so a player could even employ a Voltron-style to the strategy, putting all of the counters on Ayula herself.
3 Kaseto, Orochi Archmage
A commander who’s quite subversive in its power, Kaseto, Orochi Archmage is an evasive snake-tribal commander capable of pulling a game out from under one’s opponent. A Simic 2/2 for three mana, Kaseto allows its controller to pay two mana, preventing a creature from being blocked until the end of turn.
Furthermore, if that creature was a snake, that creature also gets +2/+2 until the end of turn. This ability is paramount in a Kaseto deck, especially because the same creature, making it grow larger and larger whilst an opponent can’t block it. The ability can even be used defensively, pumping up a blocker during an opponents attack.
2 Seton, Krosan Protector
While druids tend to have little to no synergy between eachother, Seton, Krosan Protector is a commander who single handedly validates the entire tribe. A 2/2 druid for three mana, Seton allows any druid under its owner’s control to be tapped in order to add one green mana to its controller’s mana pool.
This ability should not be understated, as if each creature under a player’s disposal is a druid, Seton can provide massive quantities of available mana with which a player can cast huge and impactful spells early into a game. Furthermore, due to to wording of Seton’s ability, Seton is the one tapping these druids, meaning that even if they still have summoning sickness, they can still be tapped for mana.
