EDH Optimizer
ETB Commander decks
If your creatures do something when they enter, the card is not wasted when they die: you already got paid. The archetype repeats those triggers with blink, recursion and doublers, and it is one of the most removal-resilient in the format.
Cards that define the archetype
Ranked by how much MORE they are played inside the archetype than in the rest of Commander. Generic staples (Sol Ring, Arcane Signet…) fall out for exactly that reason: they are played everywhere equally.
| Card | Commanders | Avg. inclusion | Excess |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solemn Simulacrum | 9 | 59% | +50 pts |
| Ephemerate | 8 | 62% | +48 pts |
| Panharmonicon | 7 | 60% | +45 pts |
| Cloudshift | 7 | 54% | +42 pts |
| Mulldrifter | 6 | 61% | +40 pts |
| Eerie Interlude | 6 | 47% | +39 pts |
| Peregrine Drake | 5 | 53% | +35 pts |
| Conjurer's Closet | 5 | 51% | +31 pts |
| Aether Channeler | 4 | 55% | +27 pts |
| Ghostly Flicker | 4 | 56% | +26 pts |
| Charming Prince | 4 | 55% | +25 pts |
| Cloudblazer | 3 | 43% | +21 pts |
| Dour Port-Mage | 3 | 55% | +20 pts |
| Circuit Mender | 3 | 52% | +20 pts |
| Flickerwisp | 3 | 42% | +19 pts |
| Inspiring Overseer | 3 | 47% | +18 pts |
| Cathars' Crusade | 3 | 53% | +17 pts |
| Wall of Omens | 3 | 49% | +17 pts |
| Teleportation Circle | 3 | 52% | +16 pts |
| Sun Titan | 4 | 52% | +16 pts |
| Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx | 4 | 39% | +16 pts |
| Spirited Companion | 3 | 57% | +16 pts |
| Enduring Innocence | 3 | 59% | +15 pts |
| Soul Warden | 3 | 39% | +14 pts |
| Land Tax | 3 | 47% | +11 pts |
Commanders for ETB
Ranked by how central this archetype is to their decks and by how played each commander is, according to EDHREC data.
By color identity
White
Red
White · Blue
Blue
White · Red
Green
Paste your list and we tell you whether the deck actually does what it wants to do: curve, ramp, interaction and a 10,000-game simulation.
🛠️ Build a deck like this 📥 Analyze my deckFrequently asked questions
What is the best commander for a ETB deck?
The most-built commanders for this archetype are Munda, Ambush Leader, Photon, Lady of Light, The Wasp, Janet Van Dyne. EDH Optimizer has the full list of 131 commanders with their recommended cards, ranked by how central ETB is to their decks.
Which cards are must-haves in a ETB deck?
The three most characteristic are Solemn Simulacrum, Ephemerate, Panharmonicon. They are not the most-played cards in the format, but the ones that appear far more inside this archetype than in the rest of Commander — which is what actually makes them essential here.
What colors is ETB played in?
The most common color identities are White, Red, White · Blue. The "By color identity" section groups the commanders and links to the best cards for each combination.
How much does a ETB deck cost?
It depends on the price cap PER CARD you set. Each commander page lists the best cards in three tiers (up to €2, up to €10 and no cap), and the optimizer only suggests swaps that fit the cap you pick.