There are plenty of ways to build a Commander deck, and many Legendary creatures to choose from to be your commander. However, almost always there will be some mana rocks included. That’s why today I’ll talk about the best mana rocks you’ll want to include in your Commander decks.
I’ll start this top 10 list with the good mana rocks and move up all the way to the best ones. As there are so many good ones, I’ll also include some honorable mentions.
As always, this list should be taken with a grain of salt as many of the cards in this list will not necessarily work best for your deck and you should play the card that you think fits best with your strategy and theme. This is just a general picture of what the best mana rocks in Commander are.
Honorable Mentions
Before we get started with the main list, let’s explore the cards that unfortunately had to be cut.
Commander’s Sphere
Let’s start off this list with an absolute classic of a card. Commander’s Sphere is one of the most popular mana rocks in the format. It gives you one mana of your commander’s colors. It also has the added benefit of giving you a card if you choose to sacrifice it.
The fact that you don’t need to tap it to sacrifice it makes it possible to be used for mana and then sacrificed for card draw in the same turn.
It seems that this card has no set backs, but the biggest one is its converted mana cost. In the past this wasn’t a huge problem, but the format has become faster and more efficient. So paying three mana to get just one back isn’t always enough to make the card worth it.
More competitive decks can easily have cards that give you more in return for mana spent (pay two mana get one back).
Nyx Lotus
Arguably one of the best additions to mono colored commander decks. These types of decks usually consist of excellent top ends and finishers, but are hardly able to get to them specially if they are any color other than green.
This makes this artifact incredibly useful to capitalize on the permanents already on the field for mana. The more devotion to that color you have, the more mana you will get out of Nyx Lotus.
Nevertheless it has two major drawbacks – its high CMC of 4, and the fact that it enters the battlefield tapped.
The Diamonds
This group of cards are another example of classic Magic design. They are simple 2 mana artifacts which enter the battlefield tapped and give you one mana back of one specific color. Very simple design.
They are a great addition to a beginner’s deck or a budget build, as they are useful and their market price is low. The biggest downside to the cards is the fact that they enter tapped.
The Talismans & The Signets
These two groups of cards were incredibly difficult to be left outside of the main list. They absolutely deserve to be there, but unfortunately there were better options and there’s limited space on the top 10 list. Both groups of cards have similar qualities and abilities, which makes them equally good.
The Talismans are two-mana artifacts which tap for one colorless, you can also get colored mana by paying 1 life.
The Signets, on the other hand, are a little bit more complex. They are also two-mana artifacts, but they turn one generic mana into two mana in a certain combination depending on the guild the signets represent. This makes them artifact great for any two color deck.
In general, both are great groups of cards which can be good in any deck with two or more colors in it.
Mox Opal
Finally, this is the final card on the honorable mentions, and it was the coolest card that didn’t make it to the main list.
This is a free artifact that can give you one mana of any color. This sounds powerful, so the biggest set back is getting enough artifacts for Metalcraft.
So in certain artifact themed decks, this card can be very strong, but in does suffer in other build. It’s just not good enough on its own and it needs support. If there are no other artifacts on the board or in your hand, this card is dead. That’s why it did not make the cut.
With that out of the way, let’s get to the top 10 best mana rocks for Commander.
#10 Thought Vessel
This artifact is a sleeper card in many decks. On the surface it looks extremely bland being a 2 mana artifact which gives you one colorless mana, but in reality this ability in the current state of the format is pretty good and efficient.
As mentioned before, the game right now has a faster pace and this card stands its ground against others similar to it. The biggest thing this card has to offer is its ability to eliminate the maximum hand size, which in specific situations and decks is powerful and game changing.
#9 Mind Stone
The first old school staple on the list. Mind Stone is an absolute beauty of a card. Introduced in 10th edition and reprinted in many other times since, this card has produced value in every format it has been a part of.
It is an artifact that costs two and gives one colorless mana back, which makes it similar to Thought Vessel. What differentiates this card from others and from Though Vessel is its better ability to get a card back when you don’t need the extra mana. This makes it an excellent resource in any situation.
#8 Fellwar Stone
Another absolute staple in Commander. This is a 2 CMC artifact which taps for one mana of any color your opponents lands can produce. In most multiplayer games, this means that you can tap this artifact easily for any colored mana.
Most games will include at least three colors and some of them will turn out to be your colors. This card is an excellent way to capitalize on your opponent’s lands at the same time as ramping yourself.
However, you’ll usually know against which colors your opponents are playing beforehand, so you can decide if this mana rock is a worthy inclusion, depending on your play group.
#7 Arcane Signet
The newest addition to the format, and arguably the card with the biggest impact. Arcane Signet has changed the game due to its insane stats. It is a two-mana artifact which taps for one mana of any color in your commander’s identity.
This means that once you play this card you have access to any color you might need. It has no downsides and its price has, thankfully, dropped due to reprints. In general there is nothing bad about this card. The only reason this card is not higher is due to the higher efficiency on the cards to follow.
#6 Grim Monolith
This is the first artifact in the list which gives you more mana than what you put into it. It costs two, but taps for three. This gives you the surplus of one colorless mana, which is incredibly efficient. It’s an excellent accelerator for any deck.
The obvious downside is that it doesn’t untap during the untap phase, but costs 4 mana to do so. However, in the right deck (maybe with some cards that untap your stuff, like Voltaic Key), that won’t be a problem.
In general, the return for the investment is greater than any other card previously on the list. So if you can get over the hurdle of managing to untap it, then it’s a very worthy inclusion.
#5 Mana Vault
This card has double the value of Grim Monolith. It is a one mana card which gives you three mana when tapped. This makes the return value incredibly efficient for any deck.
The downside to it is similar to that of Grim Monolith. However, you can only pay four mana to untap it in your upkeep. If you’re unable to untap it, it deals one damage to you.
However, you have a high life total in Commander and the return for the mana cost is unavailable. It is a faster acceleration than any other previously on the list and that’s why it’s number five on the list of best mana rocks for Commander.
#4 Chrome Mox
This card is the first in the big hitters. This card is insanely good in any deck. It is a free artifact, which taps for one mana of any color. This is only possible if you Imprint a card from your hand, which means that you exile a non-artifact, nonland card and get one mana of that cards color in return.
The fact that this card is free is what puts it above any other previously on the list.
#3 Mox Diamond
Yet another Mox in the list. This card is almost exactly the same as Chrome Mox. It just has some little differences which gives it the edge.
Instead of exiling a non-land card, you have to discard a land. Discarding lands if usually not that big of a deal, as you can get them back with cards like Crucible of Worlds. Tiny difference, but it often end up mattering.
#2 Mana Crypt
Second and first place where the hardest to choose. I had to settle for Mana crypt as second. It can be argued that this card is better than first place, and it wouldn’t be wrong to say so.
It is a free artifact that taps for two mana. This in itself is extremely impactful, and it is what makes it one of the best cards of all times in Magic. It is the best free spell in Commander, and its set back is almost insignificant.
You have a 50% chance of taking 3 damage in your upkeep. In Commander, this amount is insignificant and surely a more than fair price to pay for the effect. There is more benefit than disadvantage.
#1 Sol Ring
It is true that there is more benefit than disadvantage when it comes to Mana Crypt, but Sol Ring has no disadvantage at all.
This card is basically the face of Commander. It is what the format is known for. There is no game without Sol Ring being a player or being a part of a deck. It is on every list as the most influential cards in the format and for good reason.
Sol Ring strikes walks a thin line between balance and overpower madness in a card. It is the best at what it does; ramp. It is efficient and simple. Some people might hate it, but I think no one really should.
There is really not much to say about it, because it is so well known by everyone who plays the format. Most people will agree that this card is simply the best.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Commander is one of the most fun formats with the most entertaining and diverse card pools in Magic. It can be played in many different ways, but some patterns are still the same.
Mana rocks are associated with this format, and for a good reason. There are great ways to sort out the mana base in a deck with two or more colors, and they are a great way to speed up the pace of the slow format.
For this reason, it is important to choose the right mana rocks to play in a deck. I hope this list has provided you with a clear picture of the options you can have when it comes to mana rocks.
As always, if you agree or disagree with any of the additions in this list or have any ideas for further content you will like to see, feel free to leave a comment.
Anyways, I hope this has been helpful, l and go on and have fun playing the best format in Magic!
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