EDH Optimizer
Exile Commander decks
Exile is the answer that cannot be undone: it beats indestructible, regeneration and recursion in one go. It is also a resource of your own — plenty of modern cards exile from your library and let you play it, which is card draw in disguise.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild-Magic Sorcerer | 25 | 53% | +47 pts |
| Etali, Primal Storm | 26 | 58% | +45 pts |
| Laelia, the Blade Reforged | 23 | 58% | +42 pts |
| Passionate Archaeologist | 19 | 50% | +36 pts |
| Party Thrasher | 18 | 48% | +34 pts |
| Nalfeshnee | 15 | 49% | +28 pts |
| Plargg and Nassari | 14 | 43% | +26 pts |
| Jeska's Will | 18 | 45% | +24 pts |
| Delayed Blast Fireball | 13 | 47% | +24 pts |
| Professional Face-Breaker | 17 | 52% | +23 pts |
| Light Up the Stage | 12 | 52% | +22 pts |
| Ignite the Future | 10 | 46% | +19 pts |
| Flaming Tyrannosaurus | 10 | 44% | +19 pts |
| Keeper of Secrets | 10 | 51% | +19 pts |
| Interdimensional Web Watch | 8 | 45% | +15 pts |
| Reckless Impulse | 8 | 47% | +15 pts |
| Wrenn's Resolve | 8 | 49% | +15 pts |
| Cunning Rhetoric | 7 | 61% | +13 pts |
| Charred Foyer // Warped Space | 7 | 47% | +13 pts |
| Gonti, Lord of Luxury | 7 | 57% | +13 pts |
| Urabrask, Heretic Praetor | 6 | 42% | +11 pts |
| Pia Nalaar, Consul of Revival | 6 | 47% | +11 pts |
| Stolen Strategy | 6 | 44% | +11 pts |
| Tavern Brawler | 6 | 50% | +11 pts |
| Brainstealer Dragon | 6 | 58% | +11 pts |
| Felidar Guardian | 6 | 40% | +11 pts |
| Count on Luck | 6 | 39% | +11 pts |
| Spinerock Knoll | 6 | 41% | +11 pts |
| Cloudshift | 7 | 52% | +11 pts |
| Quintorius Kand | 5 | 46% | +10 pts |
Commanders for Exile
Ranked by how central this archetype is to their decks and by how played each commander is, according to EDHREC data.
By color identity
Red Best cards by color →
White · Red Best cards by color →
White Best cards by color →
Blue · Black Best cards by color →
Blue · Red Best cards by color →
Black Best cards by color →
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 Exile deck?
The most-built commanders for this archetype are Ketramose, the New Dawn, Loot, the Key to Everything, Tasha, the Witch Queen. EDH Optimizer has the full list of 148 commanders with their recommended cards, ranked by how central Exile is to their decks.
Which cards are must-haves in a Exile deck?
The three most characteristic are Wild-Magic Sorcerer, Etali, Primal Storm, Laelia, the Blade Reforged. 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 Exile played in?
The most common color identities are Red, White · Red, White. The "By color identity" section groups the commanders and links to the best cards for each combination.
How much does a Exile 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.