Duel Commander: Top 10 White Staples + Best Mana Base

It's not easy to define what are the "10 best cards" in any color. All criteria you can come up with will absolutely be subjective, even more so considering the same card can be less or more valuable depending on the deck.

Our main criteria for this article were the number of lists that play these cards on mtgtop8 (the "official database" for Duel Commander lists). Nonetheless, we adapted it as well. Some strategies need lots of the same effects, and that definitely affects the rankings. To keep our article a bit more diverse, we decided to only get cards that have different effects.

We'll also do things a little differently. Instead of going from the least relevant staple to the most relevant, we'll go from the most relevant to the least relevant.

1 - Swords to Plowshares

There are many reasons why this card can be considered the best removal ever printed. It only costs 1 mana, is an instant, and deals with indestructible/"recursable" creatures by exiling them. It needs no introduction, and no one is surprised to see it in this article or any ranking.

2 - Solitude

Is Solitude better or worse than Swords to Plowshares? It is a free spell (so you can catch opponents off-guard with it when you've tapped out), and we can't ignore it even when it's hard cast. A 3/2 with lifelink is pretty relevant when the combat phase matters. It's also not surprising it is our 2nd most relevant white staple, and it could definitely fight for the #1 spot with Swords to Plowshares.

3 - Parallax Wave

This card might be our 3rd best white card, but it is more "game warping" than the other two cards above, in my view. Parallax Wave is a one-sided board wipe that can even get rid of creatures that enter play after you use it. It buys time forever and leaves your creatures free to attack.

In the rare occasions it doesn't seem good (if you're facing decks that don't play creatures, for instance), you can use it to redraw your own.

Put your creatures in play and exile them as an answer to enemy removal. After a few turns, when you lose your Parallax, 2 or 3 of your creatures will come back and allow you to put pressure instantly.

This is not the most popular card in this list because it doesn't really work in decks that don't play creatures (Atraxa, for instance), but it is possibly the most powerful.

4 - Voice of Victory

Our first creature! Voice of Victory is everything that Grand Abolisher wanted to be. It doesn't cost , has 3 toughness (though this extra point doesn't make that much of a difference), and attacks for 1 more damage. It's a decent way to put pressure and also protects all your cards. I thought this card would be more popular in aggro archetypes, but practically all decks that play white end up using it.

5 - Mana Tithe

This card is a white counter, so it's already pretty strong because there aren't many white counters in the game. What are the odds of someone playing around a single card? If your deck plays blue and white, it's an extra copy of Force Spike. If it doesn't, then you'll catch the opponent off-guard and probably win. Don't be mistaken: you can play a Mana Tithe in practically all games, considering the format is extremely based around tempo and often plays cards on curve.

6 -Swift Reconfiguration

Swift Reconfiguration is a sort of Swords to Plowshares. It's an actual removal. On one side, it doesn't stop static abilities (for instance, a Hexing Squelcher's), but on another, it keeps the creature in question in play... Which can be good if you use it on a commander.

However, I believe that it is only this popular because of the Devoted Druid combo. After Nadu was banned, this combo got a lot worse, but it is still the best way to create infinite mana in Duel Commander.

7 - Enlightened Tutor

Surprisingly, Enlightened Tutor is only the 7th most popular white staple in DC. Considering Vampiric Tutor and Mystical Tutor are banned, Enlightened Tutor is actually pretty powerful. Recent artifacts and enchantments are a real toolbox by design nowadays, as they can be removals (like the aforementioned Parallax Wave and Swift Reconfiguration), combo pieces, equipment (Skullclamp or another Sword)... It's not like the "7th most popular white card" is a bad spot, but I thought this card would be even more popular than it is.

8 - Reprieve

Let's make something clear: Reprieve is worse than Mana Tithe, and that definitely affects its spot on this ranking. Still, it is great, and all the arguments we brought in favor of Mana Tithe apply to Reprieve. Reprieve also deals with spells that can't be countered, which is a small advantage.

9 - Skyclave Apparition

You know the expression "one size fits all"? Skyclave Apparition deals with all the types of permanents that we usually can't deal with (swords, enchantments), but even if you use it on creatures, it's still worth it.

Getting a 3/3 with no abilities in exchange for your Barrowgoyf is terrible. If you use it on a commander, then it will simply go over to the command zone (and that's why it won't give the opponent a Spirit later on), which makes the best Ravenous Chupacabra in the format a white card.

10 - Mother of Runes

Mother of Runes is up against Ocelot Pride for the title of best white 1-drop, but, because it is so versatile and sees play in so many decks, it earned a spot on this ranking. Creatures are already a rare sight on these articles, so imagine how good a card printed in 1999 has to be to make it.

This card is in practically all decks that play a decent number of creatures because it simply disables removals (well, it costs a lot to remove a Mother of Runes) and also makes unblockable creatures or undying blockers.

Honorable Mentions

Ok, I have to admit that Witch Enchanter was originally on this list and occupied a very high position too (4th place!). It is one of the less relevant cards that you could replace for a plains 99% of the time, but nearly all non-control lists use a lot of MDFCs to make sure they have their lands but don't risk flooding themselves. In particular, Witch Enchanter can also deal with a few very unpleasant permanents, such as Parallax Wave, and equipment like Umezawa's Jitte.

Drannith Magistrate is a very annoying Stax piece. Considering that, in Duel Commander, 99% of players want to cast their commanders, Drannith often buys you an entire turn (and forces your opponent to spend their removals) or simply locks them down (as they'll lose some important resources until they find a removal). It is often terrible against decks that don't need to put their commander in play quickly and play lots of removals (any control list, basically), and against these opponents it's a terrible way to put pressure as well. I believe that's why it didn't make the cut.

Finally, Cathar Commando really reminds me of black pepper: you use it in everything, it doesn't make that much of a difference, but everything gets better with it. It's a threat that hits for 3 with Flash, it's a blocker that can take down most of the attackers in its size, it can deal with permanents that are difficult to interact with, and, as a rule, it will carry the load so that your other "more powerful" cards can shine.

There are two truly useful lands in white. First, Flagstones, because it is resistant to effects like Ravages of War and Cataclysm, and it's extremely elegant when you play it with Dust Bowl.

Eiganjo needs no introduction. It's impressive how Kamigawa got this land cycle right, as they're all great but none of them are broken. Eiganjo is between a non-basic land and a mediocre removal, but it's totally free and functional. The best of all is that this removal goes over protection, as the land part of it is colorless (it's only a pity that nothing that plays protection from white sees play, but...).

The other options, like Monumental Henge and Eiganjo Castle, are unfortunately so situational that most players prefer using basic lands, moving away from Ruination, Harbinger of the Seas, and similar.

Some colorless lands end up seeing play in Monowhite, of course. Dust Bowl, War Room, Tectonic Edge, and many others, but they didn't make the cut.

It makes a lot of sense that this article has more answers than threats because threats are more diverse, but answers always have to be broad and efficient. You may pick whether you want to attack with Ocelot Pride, Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd, or Overlord of the Mistmoors, but the card you use to stop all 3 is the same.

If you enjoy building decks, this list is a pretty great starting point. Just don't forget that most multicolored cards don't make these cuts because of a statistical accident: not every white deck plays Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury, but all do!

What do you think? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!