EDH Optimizer
Group Hug Commander decks
Group Hug hands cards and resources to the whole table to make itself untouchable while it quietly assembles a way to end the game. It is a political archetype: you win because nobody wants to be the first to attack you.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reliquary Tower | 45 | 61% | +44 pts |
| Thought Vessel | 33 | 59% | +38 pts |
| Howling Mine | 22 | 63% | +37 pts |
| Scrawling Crawler | 20 | 55% | +33 pts |
| Psychosis Crawler | 18 | 54% | +27 pts |
| Ghostly Prison | 19 | 52% | +26 pts |
| Cut a Deal | 15 | 46% | +24 pts |
| Temple Bell | 14 | 59% | +24 pts |
| Loran of the Third Path | 18 | 51% | +23 pts |
| Mikokoro, Center of the Sea | 13 | 54% | +22 pts |
| Smothering Tithe | 15 | 40% | +21 pts |
| Wedding Ring | 12 | 45% | +20 pts |
| Arcane Denial | 17 | 55% | +19 pts |
| Approach of the Second Sun | 12 | 43% | +19 pts |
| Propaganda | 15 | 57% | +18 pts |
| Secret Rendezvous | 11 | 48% | +18 pts |
| Dictate of Kruphix | 10 | 64% | +17 pts |
| Kami of the Crescent Moon | 9 | 57% | +15 pts |
| Windfall | 10 | 57% | +14 pts |
| Wizard Class | 10 | 54% | +14 pts |
| Kwain, Itinerant Meddler | 8 | 47% | +13 pts |
| Font of Mythos | 8 | 59% | +13 pts |
| Geier Reach Sanitarium | 8 | 58% | +13 pts |
| Chasm Skulker | 9 | 51% | +12 pts |
| An Offer You Can't Refuse | 13 | 44% | +12 pts |
| Faerie Mastermind | 8 | 54% | +12 pts |
| Humble Defector | 7 | 60% | +12 pts |
| Windborn Muse | 8 | 47% | +11 pts |
| Teferi's Ageless Insight | 8 | 47% | +11 pts |
| Master of Ceremonies | 6 | 44% | +10 pts |
Commanders for Group Hug
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 →
Black Best cards by color →
Red Best cards by color →
Blue Best cards by color →
White · Blue Best cards by color →
Black · Red 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 Group Hug deck?
The most-built commanders for this archetype are Kenrith, the Returned King, Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis, Selvala, Explorer Returned. EDH Optimizer has the full list of 148 commanders with their recommended cards, ranked by how central Group Hug is to their decks.
Which cards are must-haves in a Group Hug deck?
The three most characteristic are Reliquary Tower, Thought Vessel, Howling Mine. 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 Group Hug played in?
The most common color identities are White, Black, Red. The "By color identity" section groups the commanders and links to the best cards for each combination.
How much does a Group Hug 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.