15 Commander Staples Every Deck Needs (2026 Updated)
The 15 most-played cards in Commander that belong in virtually every deck, regardless of strategy or colors.
Some cards are so universally good they belong in almost every Commander deck. Here are the 15 most essential staples for 2026.
Colorless Staples (Every Deck)
- Sol Ring — Two mana for one. The best card in the format. Run it.
- Arcane Signet — Two mana for any color in your identity.
- Command Tower — Taps for any color your commander uses. Zero downside.
- Lightning Greaves — Protects your commander, gives haste. Zero equip cost.
- Swiftfoot Boots — Hexproof and haste. One mana to equip.
White Staples
6. Swords to Plowshares — One-mana exile removal. The best removal spell ever printed. 7. Generous Gift — Destroy any permanent for three mana.
Blue Staples
8. Counterspell — Two mana to counter anything. Classic. 9. Cyclonic Rift — Bounce all opponents' nonland permanents. Game-ending.
Black Staples
10. Toxic Deluge — The most efficient board wipe. You choose the size. 11. Feed the Swarm — Black enchantment removal. Finally.
Red Staples
12. Blasphemous Act — One red mana for 13 damage to everything. 13. Chaos Warp — Tuck any permanent into its owner's library.
Green Staples
14. Cultivate — Two lands for three mana. One to hand, one to battlefield. 15. Beast Within — Destroy any permanent. They get a 3/3 bear. Worth it.
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