EDH Optimizer
The best Mardu cards for Commander
Mardu is the identity of aggressive sacrifice and total removal: kill anything, reanimate it, sacrifice it again. Its classic gap is ramp, which it covers with artifacts and treasures.
Most played
Percentage of decks in this color identity that run them, according to EDHREC, with their reference price.
| Card | Played in | Price | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nomad Outpost | 28% | €0.18 | Land |
| Savai Triome | 23% | €14.75 | Land |
| Ruinous Ultimatum | 18% | €0.96 | Sorcery |
| Crackling Doom | 7% | €0.11 | Instant |
| Shattered Landscape | 7% | €0.11 | Land |
| Isshin, Two Heavens as One | 7% | €3.03 | Creature |
| All-Out Assault | 5% | €1.79 | Enchantment |
| Mardu Siegebreaker | 5% | €0.39 | Creature |
| Queen Marchesa | 4% | €0.73 | Creature |
| Zurgo Stormrender | 4% | €3.37 | Creature |
| Bone-Cairn Butcher | 4% | €0.18 | Creature |
| Fervent Charge | 3% | €0.31 | Enchantment |
| Dihada, Binder of Wills | 3% | €10.82 | Planeswalker |
| Zurgo, Thunder's Decree | 3% | €0.32 | Creature |
| Caesar, Legion's Emperor | 3% | €6.27 | Creature |
| Jan Jansen, Chaos Crafter | 3% | €0.28 | Creature |
| Neriv, Heart of the Storm | 3% | €1.36 | Creature |
| Shanid, Sleepers' Scourge | 3% | €1.53 | Creature |
| Fire Lord Zuko | 2% | €0.23 | Creature |
| Mardu Ascendancy | 2% | €0.36 | Enchantment |
| Brutal Hordechief | 2% | €1.84 | Creature |
| Inevitable Defeat | 2% | €0.32 | Instant |
| Mythos of Snapdax | 2% | €0.29 | Sorcery |
| Celes, Rune Knight | 2% | €0.51 | Creature |
| Kaalia, Zenith Seeker | 2% | €7.42 | Creature |
| Olivia, Opulent Outlaw | 2% | €3.24 | Creature |
| Alesha, Who Smiles at Death | 2% | €0.10 | Creature |
| Jirina Kudro | 1% | €0.47 | Creature |
| Mardu Banner | 1% | €0.07 | Artifact |
| Ankle Shanker | 1% | €0.31 | Creature |
| Mardu Devotee | 1% | €0.08 | Creature |
| Savai Crystal | 1% | €0.10 | Artifact |
| Mardu Monument | 1% | €0.10 | Artifact |
| Sonic Shrieker | 1% | €0.08 | Creature |
| Reigning Victor | 1% | €0.04 | Creature |
| Thunder of Unity | 1% | €0.18 | Enchantment |
| Vihaan, Goldwaker | 1% | €0.50 | Creature |
| Kaalia of the Vast | 1% | €2.08 | Creature |
| Piru, the Volatile | 1% | €0.12 | Creature |
| Tournament Grounds | 1% | €0.17 | Land |
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
By role in the deck
The same list, split by what each card actually does. That is the order to build in: cover the roles first, tune afterwards.
Best ramp cards in Mardu
Fire Lord Zuko · €0.23 Mardu Banner · €0.07 Savai Crystal · €0.10 Mardu Warshrieker · €0.06
Best card draw in Mardu
Queen Marchesa · €0.73 Shanid, Sleepers' Scourge · €1.53 Celes, Rune Knight · €0.51 Kaalia, Zenith Seeker · €7.42 Mardu Devotee · €0.08 Thunder of Unity · €0.18 Mathas, Fiend Seeker · €0.29 Neriv, Crackling Vanguard · €0.56 Syr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale · €3.24
Best removal spells in Mardu
Crackling Doom · €0.11 Inevitable Defeat · €0.32 Kelsien, the Plague · €1.36 Hide // Seek · €0.77 Push // Pull · €0.13 Smiting Helix · €0.08 Manacles of Decay · €0.10 Defibrillating Current · €0.10 Malik, Grim Manipulator · €4.33 Snapdax, Apex of the Hunt · €0.73
Best board wipes in Mardu
Ruinous Ultimatum · €0.96 Mythos of Snapdax · €0.29 Piru, the Volatile · €0.12 Oros, the Avenger · €0.34
Best recursion cards in Mardu
Alesha, Who Smiles at Death · €0.10 Ghen, Arcanum Weaver · €0.34 Terra, Herald of Hope · €0.43 Tariel, Reckoner of Souls · €0.52 Push // Pull · €0.13 Kroxa and Kunoros · €0.41 Offspring's Revenge · €0.21
Best lands in Mardu
Nomad Outpost · €0.18 Savai Triome · €14.75 Tournament Grounds · €0.17
Great and cheap
Heavily played cards under €2. Coming from a precon, this is the best value per euro you will find.
| Card | Played in | Price | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nomad Outpost | 28% | €0.18 | Land |
| Ruinous Ultimatum | 18% | €0.96 | Sorcery |
| Crackling Doom | 7% | €0.11 | Instant |
| Shattered Landscape | 7% | €0.11 | Land |
| All-Out Assault | 5% | €1.79 | Enchantment |
| Mardu Siegebreaker | 5% | €0.39 | Creature |
| Queen Marchesa | 4% | €0.73 | Creature |
| Bone-Cairn Butcher | 4% | €0.18 | Creature |
| Fervent Charge | 3% | €0.31 | Enchantment |
| Zurgo, Thunder's Decree | 3% | €0.32 | Creature |
| Jan Jansen, Chaos Crafter | 3% | €0.28 | Creature |
| Neriv, Heart of the Storm | 3% | €1.36 | Creature |
| Shanid, Sleepers' Scourge | 3% | €1.53 | Creature |
| Fire Lord Zuko | 2% | €0.23 | Creature |
| Mardu Ascendancy | 2% | €0.36 | Enchantment |
Commanders in this identity
Each one with its recommended cards and known combos.
Paste your list and we tell you what is missing: ramp, draw, interaction and a 10,000-game simulation to see whether the deck actually gets going.
📥 Analyze my deck for free 🛠️ Build a deckFrequently asked questions
What are the best Mardu cards for Commander?
The three most played right now are Nomad Outpost, Savai Triome, Ruinous Ultimatum. This page lists the top 40 with their real inclusion rate and price, plus the breakdown by role.
How much ramp does a Mardu deck need?
The most common picks are Fire Lord Zuko, Mardu Banner, Savai Crystal. As a reference, a balanced Commander deck runs 8 to 12 ramp sources on top of its 36-38 lands; paste your list into EDH Optimizer and we tell you how many you have and whether that fits your curve.
Which cheap Mardu cards are worth it?
Under €2, Nomad Outpost, Ruinous Ultimatum, Crackling Doom stand out. The "Great and cheap" section on this page has the full list, ranked by how much they are played.
Can I play any Mardu card in my deck?
Only if its color identity fits inside your commander's: in Commander both mana cost symbols and rules text symbols count. EDH Optimizer automatically flags cards that fall outside your commander's identity.