Hi folks! We've got another Top 10 list here for you! I'm gonna be highlighting some of Magic's best Wizards! The catch is, these ones are going to be the best ones (in my humble opinion, come at me on socials if you disagree; I love arguing Magic!) in cEDH! cEDH (Competitive EDH) is essentially Bracket 5 Commander, which basically means that we're trying to win the game as fast as possible. We're still being nice about it, but we're trying to do the most broken and efficient things allowed within the format's banlist. It's not for everyone, but if there's one thing I'll tell you about a cEDH pod, it's that people aren't usually upset when they lose. In fact, in my personal experience, I've had people more excited and happy for you when you win quickly or with a combo compared to some reactions you can get by doing the same in lower brackets. Wizards in Magic are notorious for being some of the most efficient creatures that can do some wild things from drawing cards to straight winning the game. Let's get into it!

Honorable Mentions!

I've got three honorable mentions today! All of these see some fringe cEDH play, but aren't too strong and likely have better options. These would also likely be much better in a non-cEDH Top 10, but that list is massive compared to this one, since cEDH is so powerful and Limited. In any case, here we go!

HM #1 - Pollywog Prodigy

This cute little Frog debuted in a Bloomburrow Precon Commander deck! It's a 1/3 with Evolve, which means it gets bigger when you play something stronger or chunkier than it. Its real ability though, is that whenever an opponent plays a noncreature spell with mana value less than its power, you draw a card. While this might seem like it would draw a ton of cards in the format, it unfortunately doesn't. If it was a 1-drop you'd have a better shot, but if you've got the ramp to play it on turn one, you'd likely have it to just play a Rhystic Study, which is the best engine. At one mana, you'd rather just play Mystic Remora, and this fills an unasked for void at two mana, where your opponents have probably already played out most of their low cost noncreatures, so it rarely draws too many cards. For that reason, he's just an honorable little frog. But the art is so delightful!

HM #2 - Vivi Ornitier

Ah, Vivi. Vivi Ornitier made waves originally as a new Izzet Storm Commander, which the format has tons of. Between Stella Lee, Wild Card and Ral, Monsoon Mage (an ACTUAL top 10 Wizard here), the format was a bit saturated. When it debuted, it had a few good showings, but that has died down a decent amount in favor of Ral, Monsoon Mage. While Vivi did wild things with Agatha's Soul Cauldron in 60-card formats, in cEDH, Ral is just better, so play Ral. Besides, there's a better Final Fantasy legend that made the top 10!

HM #3 - Spellseeker

Spellseeker is one of those cards that I can acknowledge is good, but just doesn't scream Top 10 to me. It often finds combo pieces like Brain Freeze, Demonic Consultation/Tainted Pact, or Dramatic Reversal, but tutors are just not that exciting. This is one of those cards that I want in all of my Blue decks, but I just wish I could play it cheaper. It's a good wizard, but not top 10 good.

#10 - Glarb, Calamity's Augur

Kicking things off is Glarb, Calamity's Augur! Glarb is a 3-mana 2/4 Frog Wizard Noble with approximately a thousand abilities. It has deathtouch, which makes attacking into it bad. It lets you look at and play cards from the top of your deck as long as they cost 4 or more. It can tap to Surveil 2. It does so much! The main draw, though, is that top deck ability. Being able to play cards off the top of your deck essentially gives you access to more cards in your hand. The 4 or more part isn't too bad; there are quite a few free spells you get to cast from the top of your deck, like Force of Will, Force of Vigor, Misdirection, and Snuff Out! There are many different value engines at 4-mana in the format as well, from Talion, the Kindly Lord and Notion Thief to Culling Ritual and Dark Petition. Try this little frog out if you wanna try a Sultai deck out!

#9 - Kefka, Court Mage

My buddy started playing Kefka, Court Mage as his new Grixis cEDH deck. I had noticed that it was putting up results here and there, but then I actually played against it and man, oh, man. Kefka, Court Mage is sweet! The main idea behind Kefka is his Titan-esque trigger (on ETB or attack) that has each player discard a card. You then get to draw a card for each card type discarded. Normally, attack triggers aren't crazy strong, but it's also an ETB, so it's easier to trigger. On top of that, you have Blue in your colors, so you have a plethora of clone effects, like Phyrexian Metamorph and Phantasmal Image. Grixis is also one of the strongest color combinations, giving you access to Underworld Breach lines and Thassa's Oracle lines. Kefka is a great value engine, earning its spot in today's top 10.

#8 - Dualcaster Mage

I have a bit of a bias here, as an Etali player, but that's fine, this is my list anyway! Dualcaster Mage, is notorious in cEDH for being one half of many different two-card combos! Before we get to those, it's important to note that it's also another option in counter war, which some non-Blue decks (like my Etali, Primal Conqueror // Etali, Primal Sickness list) need. As for the combo, there are many Red cards that create a token copy of a creature you control, give it haste, and then get rid of them at the end of the turn. By targeting anything else with those, then holding priority to copy that with Dualcaster Mage, you can then use the Dualcaster Mage's copy to create another hasty Dualcaster Mage, and rinse and repeat. Cards like Twinflame, Molten Duplication, Heat Shimmer, Electroduplicate work with it, along with Saw in Half in Black if you're playing that (it just makes 1/1's, but still infinite!).

#7 - Oboro Breezecaller

Bet you didn't think you'd see a Saviors of Kamigawa common here, did you? Oboro Breezecaller is a 1/1 Moonfolk Wizard with Flying and the ability to untap a land by paying two and returning one of your lands to your hand. Basically any deck playing Blue and Green will likely have this in it, along with Gaea's Cradle and Talon Gates of Madara. Talon Gates of Madara has a neat ability that lets you put it into play from your hand for 4 mana. By using the Oboro Breezecaller's ability to return a land and Gaea's Cradle's ability to net tons of mana, you'll untap the Cradle and put a land back into your hand that you can keep putting into play. This can lead to infinite Green mana, which is a popular win condition in decks like Rog/Thras and Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy.

#6 - Derevi, Empyrial Tactician

Derevi, Empyrial Tactician debuted back in the Commander 2013 precons and was super cool, because it was able to avoid Commander tax with its activated ability! In the 99 in cEDH, there are a few Derevi Stax decks that do some cool things with Birthing Ritual, but they're not that great. Where Derevi shines, is actually in the 99 of decks like Tymna/Thrasios and Sisay, Weatherlight Captain! In Tymna/Thrasios, Derevi is just a great value creature that attacks in the air, untaps your mana rocks, and helps trigger Tymna the Weaver.

In 2020, Emiel the Blessed was printed in Jumpstart, and Derevi got its new best friend. There are many lines in Sisay decks involving Derevi and Emiel, because the two of them together along with something that taps for a lot of mana (like a Gaea's Cradle, Chromatic Orrery, or Bloom Tender/Faeburrow Elder) gives you infinite mana, which you can then use to kill your opponents any number of ways, usually with Mount Doom these days. Since Derevi is Legendary, it's searchable with Sisay, and it being 3-color is great for buffing Sisay even more!

#5 - Drannith Magistrate

I used to look at this card and just groan, collectively, with every other player that read it. Drannith Magistrate is probably the most boring wizard here, even more than Spellseeker. It makes it so that your opponents can't cast their Commander. That might seem mean, but we're playing cEDH here, not Bracket 3. Its impact on cEDH can't be understated though, as a card that shuts down so many strategies and opponents. It doesn't affect you, which can be so useful in White-based midrange decks. As an Etali, player, I'm scared of this card because it makes it so that my Commander does nothing, assuming I can even play it (it's literally the reason I have Lightning Bolt in my list). It also interacts with Underworld Breach, which is an important card in the format as well. Not much else to say here; it's powerful for sure, albeit boring.

#4 - Valley Floodcaller

I love otters. This otter has so many words on it, and they're all relevant in cEDH. First, it's a 3-mana 2/2 with Flash. Basically, you can play it anytime. Next, you can play noncreature spells as though they had flash. Okay, cool, we can win the game at instant speed too. Last, whenever you cast a noncreature spell, a lot of animals get bigger and untapped. Hmm. Okay.

Let's unpack it here. To start with, Valley Floodcaller, Retraction Helix/Banishing Knack, and any mana positive mana rock will get you infinite mana. Think Sol Ring, Mox Opal, Mox Amber, etc. This is good because this is a mono-Blue infinite combo, so it's easily slottable in any deck playing Blue, since Retraction Helix/Banishing Knack would be the only extra card we'd have to include for it. Next, you can cast noncreature spells as though they had flash. This is important because the format currently has a fixation on Necropotence! Necropotence requires you to discard at your end step after you've filled your hand, but it's a trigger to exile the cards. This means that with the exile trigger on the stack in your Cleanup Step, you can win the game with your 7-card hand you've kept. Since it happened in the cleanup step, a few things have happened as well. All "until end of turn" effects have ended, which includes Silence, a prominent White card played. Also, you got to shape your hand after a massive Necropotence, so it's likely you'll have everything you need to win the game! This little otter has been so good, try it out!

#3 - Ral, Monsoon Mage

I told you that Ral, Monsoon Mage made the list! Ral, Monsoon Mage is notorious for being the format's best Izzet Storm deck. His ability to make instants and sorceries cost one less is HUGE, and stacks up very quickly. It's not uncommon to see Ral Storm decks winning on turn two or 3 with ease, because you're just that much faster than everyone else. Ideally, you want to flipping Ral on the sixth Instant/Sorcery, so that you can immediately use his ultimate on the back. I love casting Mind's Desire, and if you also do, you should totally try this deck out, it's a blast!

#2 - Thrasios, Triton Hero

Our Top 10's only Partner, we have Thrasios, Triton Hero. Thrasios is a 2-mana Merfolk in Simic colors with Partner, and an activated ability that is nuts. For 4 generic, you get to scry 1, then reveal your top card. If it's a land, you put it in play tapped, otherwise, you draw it. That may not seem like much until you realize a few things. Thrasios is an infinite mana sink in the Command Zone, in some of the best colors in the format. As a partner, it's seeing regular play with Tymna the Weaver, Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful, and Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh. From Turbo style decks like Rog/Thras to Midrange style decks like Tymna/Thrasios, this Merfolk gives you tons of options and value in the Command Zone. It's even good in the 99 for decks like Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy! Partner Commanders have dominated the format for quite some time, and I'd put Thrasios in Top 5 legendaries in the format, for sure. Try it out with something like Tymna the Weaver or Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh!

#1 - Thassa's Oracle

Any regular cEDH player had to know this one was coming at some point. Thassa's Oracle (colloquially known as Thoracle) is a format defining all-star at the moment. So many win conditions in this format involve winning the game with its trigger, which is solely because it is easy to achieve and hard to interact with. Essentially, if Thoracle's trigger resolves and you have no library, you win the game. There's a little nuance there with devotion, but it doesn't really matter. Most of the time when the trigger hits, you've found a way to mill your whole deck with Demonic Consultation, Tainted Pact, or Brain Freeze + Underworld Breach, and then you get to win! This card is so prominent in the format right now that there have been constant talks of the card being banned. I'd love to know where you stand on that topic, so reach out to me and tell me how you feel!

Thanks for reading this top 10! Best of luck in your games, let's play sometime! I'm mattynewns on just about all of the platforms (X, Facebook, Instagram, Discord, etc.), so drop me a line if you've got something to say or just wanna tell me why Thoracle should or should not be banned!