EDH Optimizer
Historic Commander decks
The "historic" type bundles legendaries, artifacts and sagas into a single trigger, so a deck already playing any of the three gets value without changing its plan. It is a glue archetype: rarely the main strategy, but it upgrades the ones already there.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urza's Ruinous Blast | 18 | 58% | +27 pts |
| Heroes' Podium | 17 | 51% | +26 pts |
| Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle | 17 | 52% | +25 pts |
| Flowering of the White Tree | 17 | 52% | +24 pts |
| Loran of the Third Path | 20 | 50% | +23 pts |
| Jhoira's Familiar | 17 | 48% | +22 pts |
| Minas Tirith | 16 | 48% | +20 pts |
| Relic of Legends | 13 | 50% | +19 pts |
| Foundry Inspector | 18 | 52% | +19 pts |
| Gandalf the White | 11 | 49% | +17 pts |
| Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire | 10 | 45% | +13 pts |
| Mines of Moria | 9 | 53% | +13 pts |
| Boromir, Warden of the Tower | 9 | 46% | +12 pts |
| Glóin, Dwarf Emissary | 8 | 61% | +12 pts |
| Delighted Halfling | 8 | 43% | +11 pts |
| Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful | 7 | 47% | +11 pts |
| Inventors' Fair | 10 | 51% | +11 pts |
| Reki, the History of Kamigawa | 7 | 53% | +11 pts |
| Monumental Henge | 7 | 46% | +10 pts |
| Seat of the Synod | 8 | 48% | +10 pts |
| Excalibur, Sword of Eden | 7 | 46% | +9 pts |
| Day of Destiny | 6 | 51% | +9 pts |
| K-9, Mark I | 6 | 50% | +9 pts |
| Plaza of Heroes | 6 | 42% | +9 pts |
| The Grey Havens | 6 | 44% | +9 pts |
| Etherium Sculptor | 7 | 55% | +9 pts |
| Darksteel Citadel | 10 | 49% | +8 pts |
| Boseiju, Who Endures | 7 | 49% | +8 pts |
Commanders for Historic
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
White · Red
Colorless
Blue
White · Blue · Black · Red · Green
White · Blue
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 Historic deck?
The most-built commanders for this archetype are Lara Croft, Tomb Raider, Arbaaz Mir, Raff Capashen, Ship's Mage. EDH Optimizer has the full list of 316 commanders with their recommended cards, ranked by how central Historic is to their decks.
Which cards are must-haves in a Historic deck?
The three most characteristic are Urza's Ruinous Blast, Heroes' Podium, Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle. 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 Historic played in?
The most common color identities are White, White · Red, Colorless. The "By color identity" section groups the commanders and links to the best cards for each combination.
How much does a Historic 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.