Women are magical! Women are also Magic: The Gathering-ical! We are in the final days of Women’s History Month, and before it’s out, I wanted to dedicate an article to some of the most powerful women of Magic. There are hundreds upon hundreds of legendary ladies, some you know and others you might not. These are the leading ladies of Commander, the baddies who beat face and conquer pods.
Aisha of Sparks and Smoke
Okay, so let’s get this out of the way. Yes, Aisha of Sparks and Smoke is the Universes Within reskin of Ken, Burning Brawler from the Street Fighter Secret Lair; however, I find all of the reskins to be way more digestible and aesthetically pleasing. It isn’t really an art thing so much as an issue I have with the opacity of the text box.
Universes Beyond and text boxes aside, I absolutely adore Aisha. The moment I saw her art, I fell in love. She is so dang beautiful and cool, and her abilities aren’t anything to look down on either. A deck built around her would make for one explosive spellslinger build. From the usual contenders of impulse draw to small instances of pinging, this deck can go hard in the blink of an eye. Sunforger, Chandra’s Ignition, Temur Battle Rage! Need I say more? If I didn’t have two Boros decks, she would be on my short list to brew.
Raffine, Scheming Seer
Next we have Raffine, Scheming Seer, one of New Capenna’s baddest lady Demon mob bosses. Raffine is one of the most powerful and playable cards to come out of the set (next to the other leading lady, Ziatora, the Incinerator).
I have had my butt handed to me dozens of times by people piloting this commander. She gives you insane card advantage and beefs up creatures in the process. She pops off with Esper Sentinel, Archfiend of Ifnir, and any reanimation spell. In all honesty, I have never seen her in the 99, and with good reason. Raffine is an all-star commander. She brings her A-game and doesn’t disappoint. What can I say? The girl doesn’t need much of a wingman.
Mondrak, Solphim, and Zopandrel
Yes, that’s right. Mondrak, Solphim, and Zopandrel are all canonically women. Check the mothership (as I’m sure you are doing right now), but I’m right. The three best Domini out of that Phyrexia: All Will Be One cycle are women and that is not lost on me.
Not only are they incredibly playable, they are truly powerful. Mondrak, Glory Dominus is a powerhouse white card that can stand on her own as a commander or shine in the 99. She is an insane token doubler, honestly, one of the best out there. I have her in my Cadric, Soul Kindler deck, and she definitely goes hard.
Solphim, Mayhem Dominus is yet another powerhouse, falling under the damage doubler category. Solphim shines in my Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh deck, where noncombat damage is abundant. She would make an excellent leader for your commander deck.
Lastly, we have Zopandrel, Hunger Dominus. God, I love her. Zopandrel is green incarnate. This baddie helped me get over my aversion to green. It’s an Unnatural Growth on a body, and let me tell you, this commander ends games. If you were to choose any of these to brew around, she would be my recommendation!
Samut, Vizier of Naktamun
Next, we have my girl Samut, Vizier of Naktamun. I know that March of the Machine: The Aftermath gets a lot of flack for being lackluster, but we can’t deny that there are some certifiable bangers in the mini-set. This commander loves creatures with haste, giving you tons of value if those creatures deal combat damage to a player.
A deck built around her goes hard and quick. Cards like Deathleaper, Terror Weapon; Grand Warlord Radha; and Rhythm of the Wild are no joke. The design behind Samut, Vizier of Naktamun is incredibly elegant in my opinion. In a world where legendary creatures are their own novels, it makes you really appreciate cards like Samut.
Muldrotha, the Gravetide
When you see Muldrotha, the Gravetide at the table, a chill goes up your spine. This commander is serious and seriously beloved by casual and competitive players alike. Of course I had to spotlight her during Women’s History Month! How could I not talk about her?
Muldrotha is the biggest baddie on this list, the ultimate graveyard commander. She consistently allows you to recur permanents from your graveyard to the battlefield. She goes hard with Spore Frog, Plaguecrafter, Secrets of the Dead, you name it! I only recently got the opportunity to play her in my The Wise Mothman deck, and I was blown away. But I don’t really have to sell you on Muldrotha. Odds are, you already love her.
Only the Beginning
When it comes to women in Magic, there is no shortage of creatures or creators. In all honesty, this is only a drop in the bucket.
To some, the gender of a Magic character is meaningless. After all, they’re fictional. However, representation matters. Seeing yourself represented in a Magic card feels empowering. And yes, I know that I listed Sphinxes, Demons, and Horrors in this article (this is a fantasy game, after all), but seeing yourself in cards like Samut, Thalia, Niko Aris, or Ashiok matters a lot to the individuals within those communities. I thought it would be nice to put the women of Magic in the spotlight for a change.
Happy Women’s History Month, deckbuilders.
