Top 13 Commander Cards from 2025, What To Watch in 2026

Late in the year I pulled together a list of the most impactful new cards for Commander from 2025, focusing on pieces that change deckbuilding or slot into existing archetypes with unusual efficiency. At the top of the list is Badgermole Cub, identified as the single most impactful card of the year for Commander because of its potent mana dork synergy and a mana doubling risk and reward that can accelerate a broad set of strategies. Ranked just behind it are Redirect Lightning at number two, praised as a strong combat and interaction tool that fits into many decks as a superior redirect style answer, and Wan Shi Tong, Librarian at number three, an Avatar card that rewards library searching strategies and is likely to become an EDH staple.

Beyond those headline picks the year offered surprises. The Soul Stone and other Marvel prints have emerged as playable additions to Commander mana bases, bringing new options for color fixing and splash access. Several utility land prints, including Starting Town and Multiversal Passage, broaden multicolor deck design by smoothing access and enabling novel tempo plays. Unique payoff creatures such as Icetill Explorer and Horizon Explorer create new incentives for land focused builds and multicolor exploration, supporting land sacrifice ramps, landfall synergies, and value oriented mana engines.

Practical value is straightforward. Add Badgermole Cub to creature ramp shells and any deck that benefits from explosive early mana. Slot Redirect Lightning into decks that need defensive tricks or versatile interaction in red. Try Wan Shi Tong in tutors or library manipulation decks where consistent access to answers and threats matters. Consider Soul Stone and the utility lands when you need cleaner mana or alternate color access without sacrificing consistency.

This roundup aims to be directly actionable. Update your 99 with these targets if your deck can exploit their core themes, place the most game changing pieces on your preorder or watchlist lists, and experiment with the land and payoff cards in proxy builds to assess their fit before committing. Expect these picks to shape Commander choices in 2026 as players refine lists and discover new synergies.