Top ten most enjoyable commanders printed in 2025

I assembled a feature highlighting the ten most enjoyable commanders printed in 2025, focusing on play experience rather than popularity or power rankings. With nearly 484 new commanders released last year, the selection prioritized memorable lines of play, unique decision points, and how each commander actually felt at the table.

The picks span a wide mechanical range. My number one pick, Teval, the Balanced Scale, tops the list for the satisfying decision loop it creates and for inviting meaningful tradeoffs every turn. Other entries celebrate a variety of themes players gravitate toward: mill engines that create tense, interactive clocks; Saga-focused commanders that reward timing and patience; go-wide Equipment strategies that reward board development and incremental upgrades; and the oddball, thematic decks emerging from Universes Beyond products. Several of the chosen commanders perform well straight out of the box in preconstructed decks, making them excellent starting points for pilots who want a ready-to-play experience.

Selection criteria leaned heavily on direct playtesting and observing games in local groups and online pods. Rather than raw popularity metrics, I looked for commanders that produced repeatable, fun decision spaces, invited creative deckbuilding, and led to memorable tabletop interactions. Each entry in the feature explains why the commander is fun, lists archetypes it supports, and outlines the play patterns that make it distinct.

Practically speaking, the list is structured to be immediately useful. If you’re hunting for a new commander to pilot, the writeups give archetype ideas and tactical hints so you can build or tweak a deck without starting from scratch. If you’re buying a precon as a gift or a jump‑start, the notes explain when a precon is fine to keep as-is and when it’s worth prioritizing upgrades like mana fixes, tutors, or targeted interaction to unlock the commander’s full potential. For table-level decisions, the guide calls out when a commander creates interesting political and sequencing choices that change how you negotiate and attack.

This is a play-first list: it’s about decks that make games feel alive, not just dominate the scoreboard. Our two cents? If you want a commander that creates stories rather than simply ends games, try one of these picks at your next pod—keep the precon if you want immediate fun, but plan a focused upgrade path if you want the deck to grow with your playgroup.