EDH Optimizer
Flying Commander decks
Flying is the cheapest evasion in the format: most tables cannot block the air. A team of medium fliers plus an anthem closes games far sooner than it looks.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sephara, Sky's Blade | 20 | 48% | +21 pts |
| Dragon's Hoard | 19 | 61% | +20 pts |
| Path of Ancestry | 28 | 55% | +19 pts |
| Warden of Evos Isle | 17 | 67% | +18 pts |
| Haven of the Spirit Dragon | 17 | 55% | +18 pts |
| Lathliss, Dragon Queen | 15 | 64% | +16 pts |
| Winged Words | 15 | 47% | +16 pts |
| Dragonlord's Servant | 15 | 61% | +16 pts |
| Dragon Tempest | 15 | 69% | +16 pts |
| Favorable Winds | 14 | 58% | +15 pts |
| Empyrean Eagle | 14 | 61% | +15 pts |
| Dragonspeaker Shaman | 14 | 62% | +15 pts |
| Terror of the Peaks | 14 | 47% | +15 pts |
| Scourge of Valkas | 13 | 53% | +14 pts |
| Bident of Thassa | 16 | 49% | +13 pts |
| Watcher of the Spheres | 12 | 59% | +13 pts |
| Jubilant Skybonder | 11 | 54% | +12 pts |
| Gravitational Shift | 11 | 47% | +12 pts |
| Jackdaw Savior | 11 | 44% | +12 pts |
| Herald's Horn | 13 | 46% | +12 pts |
| Cartographer's Hawk | 11 | 48% | +12 pts |
| Goldspan Dragon | 12 | 49% | +12 pts |
| Emeria Angel | 11 | 49% | +12 pts |
| Carnelian Orb of Dragonkind | 10 | 48% | +11 pts |
| Utvara Hellkite | 10 | 47% | +11 pts |
| Ganax, Astral Hunter | 10 | 49% | +11 pts |
| Dragonmaster Outcast | 10 | 47% | +10 pts |
| Aven Mindcensor | 10 | 42% | +9 pts |
| Drakuseth, Maw of Flames | 9 | 56% | +9 pts |
| Giada, Font of Hope | 9 | 49% | +9 pts |
Commanders for Flying
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 Best cards by color →
White · Blue Best cards by color →
Blue Best cards by color →
Red Best cards by color →
White · Black Best cards by color →
Blue · 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 Flying deck?
The most-built commanders for this archetype are Kaalia of the Vast, Storm, Windrider, Errant and Giada. EDH Optimizer has the full list of 283 commanders with their recommended cards, ranked by how central Flying is to their decks.
Which cards are must-haves in a Flying deck?
The three most characteristic are Sephara, Sky's Blade, Dragon's Hoard, Path of Ancestry. 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 Flying played in?
The most common color identities are White, White · Blue, Blue. The "By color identity" section groups the commanders and links to the best cards for each combination.
How much does a Flying 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.