The 35 Best Elf Commanders in Magic Ranked

Last updated on December 26, 2024

Miara, Thorn of the Glade | Illustration by Johannes Voss

When it comes to iconic fantasy races, elves are among the most well-known. It’s not a coincidence that the same is true for Magic: The Gathering. Magic's elves are a mainstay of Dominaria, the plane on which MTG’s first players fell in love with the game and its world. Since Magic’s inception, elves have appeared all over the multiverse. No matter where they are, elves are a beloved creature type, remaining the most popular theme for typal Commander decks.

With elves being so popular, especially among casual players, and Commander being the leading casual way to play Magic, it only makes sense that elf typal is one of the most popular deck themes in the format. There’s dozens of legendary creatures that could lead a deck like that, so knowing where to start can be difficult – that’s why we’re looking at the best elf commanders in MTG.

Let’s get the elfball rolling!

Why Go with an Elf Commander Deck?

Marwyn, the Nurturer | Illustration by Chris Rahn

Elf commanders are legendary creatures (and one planeswalker!) that either have the “elf” creature type or otherwise interact with elf cards. Elves are traditionally green creatures that rely on power in numbers and/or produce extra mana. They’ve done a lot more than that over the years, but when players think of elves, they’re thinking of cards like Elvish Archdruid and Priest of Titania. They’ve been around since Llanowar Elves all the way back in Alpha, the very first Magic set, and have appeared all over the multiverse across over 600 creature cards.

I’ll mainly be focusing on elf typal strategies when discussing these elf commanders, since that’s what many of them were designed for. Most of these commanders plan to put as many elves as possible on the board to grow your creatures and generate value.

Honorable Mention: Raggadragga, Goreguts Boss

Raggadragga, Goreguts Boss is an honorable mention because it isn’t an elf and doesn’t say “elf” anywhere on it. But it does buff mana dorks. You probably know where I’m going, but no creature type has more mana dorks than elves. This makes a fantastic Gruul commander to play powerful elves like Marwyn, the Nurturer and a critical mass of mana dork elves. There’s never been a better place for Viridian Joiner!

Dishonorable Mention: Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary

This mono-green elf commander is one of the best when it comes to mana production. Lands, especially basic lands, aren’t all that commonly interacted with in Commander. With some early Three Visits style ramp and a protected Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary, you’ll be able to make tons of mana. Use all of that to resolve absurdly huge spells or put a ton of elves on the battlefield. Alas, that’s probably why this lad has been a victim of the Commander ban hammer.

#35. Nath of the Gilt-Leaf

I’m not sure how many casual commander tables enjoy the strategy Nath of the Gilt-Leaf encourages. You want to make your opponents discard as much as possible to make Elf Warrior tokens. If your table won’t wince at the idea of this being your Golgari commander, ramp this 5-mana creature out as soon as you can and start casting discard spells.

#34. Rhys the Exiled

As far as Golgari () elf commanders go, Rhys the Exiled just isn’t particularly impactful. Being able to regenerate itself doesn’t matter too much when your opponents have no real reason to get rid of it. There’s just far better elf commanders these days.

#33. Dwynen, Gilt-Leaf Daen

The only real reason to put Dwynen, Gilt-Leaf Daen in your command zone is for the elf lord ability. The lifegain is even less impactful than that of Rhys the Exiled, so I consider it more of a bonus.

#32. Arwen Undómiel

The first of the scry-matters elves on the list, Arwen Undómiel is pretty underwhelming. If you want to support a creature-based strategy while still casting your Opt and Preordain, put this Simic card in your command zone.

#31. Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea

As a green commander, Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea wants you to cast big creature spells, but that isn’t very synergistic with elf typal since most elves start small. In this deck, you want to ramp and cast big beaters like Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma and Ghalta, Primal Hunger to get as much as possible out of Gwenna.

#30. Bennie Bracks, Zoologist

This mono-white commander isn’t particularly interested in elf typal. Bennie Bracks, Zoologist is a token deck. You’ll want to convoke your elf commander quickly with small creatures and tokens like Resolute Reinforcements. Break out that Mondrak, Glory Dominus and Legion's Landing!

#29. Galea, Kindler of Hope

This elf commander is all about equipment and auras. Voltron is a classic Commander strategy, and Galea, Kindler of Hope is a great Voltron commander, acting as a card advantage engine that also cheats equip costs.

#28. Abomination of Llanowar

I’m a huge fan of elves being Golgari cards. Abomination of Llanowar’s graveyard theme exemplifies that perfectly. This commander can get absolutely massive over the course of a long game. Unlike a lot of elf strategies, this commander is actually pretty resilient to board wipes, since elves in the graveyard still contribute to its power. If you want your elf deck to finish the game with commander damage, Abomination of Llanowar is worth a shot.

#27. Ayara, First of Locthwain

Ayara, First of Locthwain wants to be the commander for an aristocrats deck. Elf typal is off the table, since as a mono-black commander there’s no green in the color identity. This deck would be filled with cards like Greedy Freebooter and Shambling Ghast for all that deliciously sweet sacrificial value.

#26. Ezuri, Renegade Leader

I much prefer Ezuri, Renegade Leader in the 99 of my elf deck than in the command zone. Other elf commanders have abilities that turn them into an engine, where they consistently provide value as you continue to take game actions. The regeneration ability is especially helpful when it’s protecting those value-engine creatures. That second activated ability makes a solid outlet for an absurd (or even infinite) amount of mana if you have a way to make that happen.

#25. Galadriel of Lothlórien

Galadriel of Lothlórien isn’t really an elf-typal commander. If you’re interested in scrying a lot and ramping when you do it, this is the commander for you. Quite a few of the legendary elves from Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth had a scry-matters theme, so this is built to synergize with cards like Elrond, Lord of Rivendell and Celeborn the Wise.

Of those scry-matters legends, this is my pick for the strongest. If your idea of an elf deck is heavily rooted in these denizens of Middle-earth, Galadriel of Lothlórien is the Simic commander for you.

#24. Jaheira, Friend of the Forest

Elf typal isn’t the most powerful thing to do with Jaheira, Friend of the Forest, but cards like Tireless Provisioner and Elvish Promenade make a pretty strong case. Often, this commander is played alongside powerful artifact token generation like Academy Manufactor and Peregrin Took.

#23. Arwen, Weaver of Hope

I like how Arwen, Weaver of Hope synergizes with elf lords – with the right setup your creatures can enter quite a bit more powerful. You’ll want to be loaded up on +1/+1 counter synergies like Hardened Scales and Innkeeper's Talent.

#22. Tyvar, the Pummeler

Rather than generate card advantage or mana, Tyvar, the Pummeler acts as a finisher in the command zone. I really wish that second ability granted trample as well, but maybe then it’d be too easy. A board full of elves gets taller as it gets wider, meaning that the power and toughness of many elves grow larger as you accumulate more creatures. By the late game, you’ll want a wide board with plenty of elves and elf lords like Imperious Perfect and Elvish Archdruid.

#21. Aragorn and Arwen, Wed

Costing 6 mana makes Aragorn and Arwen, Wed a bit expensive, but that’s no problem for elves. Once it comes down, this Selesnya commander is a strong centerpiece for your board of creatures. I recommend having a way to protect it since you won’t be wanting to spend 8 or 10 mana after commander tax.

#20. Haldir, Lórien Lieutenant

You’ll want to put tons of mana into Haldir, Lórien Lieutenant. Alongside some +1/+1 counter synergies, this card can get big enough for that 6-mana ability to be mighty threatening. Ultimately, the play patterns are similar to most of the mono-green elf commanders.

#19. Galadriel, Elven-Queen

This legendary elf noble was the commander for one of the Commander precons from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, themed around abilities that make the table vote. As a result, Galadriel, Elven-Queen isn’t particularly strong for plain elf typal. But it’s a solid Simic commander (), and it might be for you if you like the idea of voting around the table.

#18. Freyalise, Llanowar’s Fury

The only planeswalker commander on this list, Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury unfortunately doesn’t offer enough to make up for the downside of being a 5-mana planeswalker. It takes two entire turns of glorified Llanowar Elves before you can activate that ultimate—but that’s two complete turn rotations for your opponents to attack Freyalise directly.

#17. Imaryll, Elfhame Elite

This is a pretty self-explanatory elf commander to build around, which is a common quality for most of these mono-green legends. Just cast all the elves, get Imaryll, Elfhame Elite out there, and try to eliminate players with commander damage.

#16. Selvala, Explorer Returned

Selvala, Explorer Returned is another legend that doesn’t necessarily care about elves but happens to be one. Commanders that draw cards and generate mana at the same time tend to play pretty well, and this is no exception. I don’t mind that the entire table draws from parley, either – that keeps your commander off your opponents’ removal radar.

#15. Nissa, Resurgent Animist

Lotus Cobra is one of my favorite Commander cards, and Nissa, Resurgent Animist is like having that ability in the command zone. If that weren’t enough, your second land drop on each turn finds an elf or elemental out of your deck. That makes this commander generate both mana and cards, which are the most important resources in any game of Magic.

#14. Yeva, Nature’s Herald

Flash is a powerful ability for creatures in Magic. Yeva, Nature's Herald grants it to all your creature spells. Cast some tricky blockers during your opponent's combat phase or wait to cast your creatures until after a devastating board wipe has resolved. This isn’t typically played as an elf-themed deck, but it certainly can be. Either way, this is a powerful mono-green commander if you’re the type of player that likes having tricks up their sleeve.

#13. Rhys the Redeemed

The only 1-drop elf commander on the list, Rhys the Redeemed can double up all your creature tokens. Elves love making more elf tokens, so use this alongside effects like Elvish Warmaster or Elvish Promenade. Since you're in Selesnya () your top end can include Emmara Tandris to keep a huge army of elves protected and crash through the finish line.

#12. Numa, Joraga Chieftain

I don’t like how much mana Numa, Joraga Chieftain needs to work. Two mana per +1/+1 counter is just a pretty bad rate. I prefer Miara, Thorn of the Glade by far, but pairing them together is respectable.

#11. Tyvar the Bellicose

Tyvar the Bellicose wants you to play all the mana-generating elves that you can. Spend the early turns tapping mana dorks and passively buffing your team, until eventually you can start to swing wide with deathtouch. This can make elves like Gyre Sage pretty huge. I wish it were a little cheaper so that you could spend more of the early game maximizing this ability.

#10. Lonis, Cryptozoologist

Elf decks undoubtedly love casting tons of creatures. Lonis, Cryptozoologist, One of Magic's the best investigate cards, can be a wonderful clue commander. Build up your board, and eventually use that tap ability to steal powerful permanents from your opponents’ libraries.

#9. Kethis, the Hidden Hand

It doesn’t look exactly like an elf-typal commander, and it certainly doesn’t have to be, but Kethis, the Hidden Hand takes advantage of the raw number of powerful legendary elves in this color identity. There are almost 100 legendary elves that are eligible for this list. Not all of them are incredible, but there’s more than enough to build a powerful legend-themed elf-typal deck with this Abzan commander. This might be the best home for Legolas Greenleaf.

#8. Eladamri, Korvecdal

I’m a pretty big fan of cards that let you play from the top of your library. Eladamri, Korvecdal serves as a nice card advantage engine in a deck with a lot of creatures. Once you’ve got something powerful on the top of the deck, cheat it out with that tap ability. Try skipping the mana cost on Disciple of Freyalise or Wolverine Riders.

#7. Ezuri, Claw of Progress

While it doesn’t have to be elves, Ezuri, Claw of Progress wants you to play small creatures and generate experience counters. With so many elves being small creatures that get bigger later, this commander can leave you with an absolutely massive Gyre Sage. It’s not an elf, but there’s also a powerful combo with Sage of Hours that finishes out a game easily if you’ve got enough experience counters.

#6. Edric, Spymaster of Trest

Edric, Spymaster of Trest asks the entire table: “Hey, you want to draw some cards?” Be honest, are you saying no to that? I’m not. Be wary of the card advantage you’re supplying your opponents, though – make sure you’re the one taking best advantage of this powerful triggered ability. In elf typal, this likely means making tons of elves and swinging wide to draw a bunch of cards.

#5. Eladamri, Lord of Leaves

Put a Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth in the list and Eladamri, Lord of Leaves rewards you handsomely. This straightforward mono-green elf commander exists to protect your entire board of elves, both from blockers and removal. Keep a Heroic Intervention handy for the inevitable board wipes.

#4. Miara, Thorn of the Glade

Elves aren’t usually the creatures for an aristocrats deck, but Miara, Thorn of the Glade flips the script. You’ll almost definitely want to play this with a green partner commander so that you can actually play enough elves in your deck. The most common pairing is Numa, Joraga Chieftain, but I prefer Thrasios, Triton Hero (one of Magic's best merfolks) or Tana, the Bloodsower for a better color identity.

Whether sending your elves to die in combat or sacrificing them to something like Skullclamp, you want to trigger Miara, Thorn of the Glade often.

#4. Galadriel, Light of Valinor

Galadriel, Light of Valinor doesn’t demand to be an elf typal commander, but it’s a great option. Elves love green mana and +1/+1 counters, and everyone loves drawing cards. A Bant commander gives you access to all sorts of great elves across more colors than usual, too. It even synergizes with some of the underwhelming scry-matters elves like Elrond, Master of Healing, so this is a great home for those.

#3. Marwyn, the Nurturer

If you’ve been a fan of Magic’s elves for a long time, you’ll surely appreciate Marwyn, the Nurturer’s classic, mono-green approach to an elf typal strategy. Play elves, your commander gets bigger and produces more mana. It’s simple, but it’s powerful. All that extra mana makes casting spells like Regal Force trivial. Try making your commander massive with Elven Ambush and finishing the game with Haldir, Lórien Lieutenant!

#2. Voja, Jaws of the Conclave

This Murders at Karlov Manor legend assembles the combined forces of wolves and elves. Voja, Jaws of the Conclave does everything. It has ward to protect itself, it draws cards, and it buffs your entire team. Your opponents will be scrambling to remove it before you run away with the game. Give it a pair of Swiftfoot Boots as soon as possible and you’ll be difficult to stop. Even if they can wipe the board after, you’ll still have drawn a handful of cards. Not to mention the powerful and aggressive color identity this Naya commander gives you access to! Voja, Jaws of the Conclave is just an overall powerhouse.

#1. Lathril, Blade of the Elves

Many players' first elf commander is still the most popular by far. Lathril, Blade of the Elves made its first appearance as a Kaldheim preconstructed commander. The goal with Lathril is to deal damage, make tons of elves, and use that life-draining tap ability to finish the job if necessary.

Use cards like Dolmen Gate to get safe damage in and make tons of elves. Those elves are, of course, liable to be Skullclamped for card advantage or made into mana dorks with Jaheira, Friend of the Forest. If the tap ability doesn’t cut it to finish the game, you can use a Craterhoof Behemoth style effect to overrun the table.

Voja, Jaws of the Conclave is a bit scarier to play against, but Lathril, Blade of the Elves’s consistent elf token generation is extra synergistic with the actual elf cards in the deck. If Lathril deals 2 damage, Marwyn, the Nurterer and Elvish Archdruid now add 2 more mana. Make Lathril bigger with good equipment, counters, or lords, and all your elf synergies will snowball out of control.

Commanding Conclusion

Emmara Tandris | Illustration by Mark Winters

A lot of powerful legendary elves dwell in the forests, and many of them make respectable commanders. Elf typal is one of the most beloved strategies in the history of casual Magic, so I hope that I was able to help find the right commander for your deck. No matter the commander, elves are incredibly synergistic with one another – many of the options you didn’t pick here will likely make your 99. Cast elves, generate tons of mana, grow your army – it’s hard to go wrong with an elf typal strategy.

Which elf commander is your favorite? Do you prefer your elves mono-green or with more colors? Is Voja, Jaws of the Conclave a little over-tuned? Let us know in the comments or on the Draftsim Discord.

Thanks for reading, and until I see you again, be a friend of the forest!