IntroductionClick here if you'd like to see the best white staples in DC.Click here if you'd like to see the best blue staples in DC.Click here if you'd like to see the best black staples in DC.Click here if you'd like to see the best red staples in DC.This article is quite different from the ones above. While all the others include gold cards in the top positions, there are 10 gold cards among the top 10 best green staples, mostly in Sultai colors (probably the result of the many Tasigur and Glarb lists in the meta).To be quite frank, green is undeniably the worst color in Duel Commander. It's ironic that some of the most viable Monocolored decks in the format are precisely green land archetypes (Azusa and Lumra). Recently, Nadu had to be banned, and it saw play in essentially a green list as well. Nonetheless, here's what green does in this format: it ramps and tutors creatures.Top 10 Green Staples in Duel Commander1 - Wild GrowthThe best ramp card in the format is a dork that can't be killed. That's what we get for Sol Ring not being available in DC.2 - Delighted HalflingIf the best blue staples are primarily counters, then a dork that makes your spells uncounterable is bound to be relevant. It also comes with a small advantage: it has 2 toughness, which means it's immune to Orcish Bowmasters and Wrenn and Six. It's also occasionally a relevant blocker (Dragon's Rage Channeler). It had to be. This is the best dork in the format.3 - Utopia SprawlThis card only enchants Forests, which definitely makes it worse. Losing your mana fix when a Magus of the Moon enters play is just too terrible. Still, considering fetchlands, dual lands, and shocklands, as well as cyclings (like Oliphaunt), we have enough Forests to use this nerfed Wild Growth.4 - Worldly TutorAs the and versions are banned, we had to settle for this. Highlander formats (those that only let you play one copy of each card) lean heavily into tutors, and Wordly Tutor is just too versatile.Nowadays, creatures are removals (Chaos Defiler, Fury), powerful spells (Metamorphosis Fanatic), powerful Stax pieces (Orcish Bowmasters), or ways to end the game (Headliner Scarlett). Besides all the reasonable and varied hate options. This card is simply fantastic (and thank God Nadu is no longer a valid target for it).5 - Green Sun’s ZenithWell, the last card already gave it away, didn't it? The best tutor targets aren't green (I'm sorry if I sound repetitive, but RIP Nadu). Still, Zenith is quite efficient. It only costs one mana, not a card (if you already have 1 in hand and you play a Worldly Tutor, you "lost a card", as the tutor target only shows up in the following turn). It gets you Grist, the Hunger Tide, a grave hate like Keen-Eyed Curator, a utility creature like Tranquil Frillback, a combo piece like Devoted Druid, and other relevant pieces.6 - Birds of Paradise +3These 4 cards are all among the best green staples, and they're all the same. There are practically no synergies with Elf cards in DC, and considering the popular bolt the bird strategy, no one really counts on this mana fix.These cards are ramp and give you tempo (even if the opponent destroys your ramp, it'll cost them some time to do it). 7 - Formidable SpeakerAn Elf in this ranking that doesn't give you mana could only be a tutor, right? Formidable Speaker is a great tutor because it is a 2/4, which is quite helpful for a blocker and an extra way to put pressure (20 life points in MTG is a funny thing). Eventually, its ability could even activate Birthing Pod a second time.8 - Crop RotationIt took a while, but finally we have a different effect! While players are used to tutors in other formats, in Duel Commander they are .Crop Rotation is an excellent proactive tool. It gets Planar Nexus, which automatically enables Urza's Tower, engines like Cabal Coffers and Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, as well as other lands that work by themselves, like Maze of Ith and Glacial Chasm.The fact you have to sacrifice a land to pay for its cost makes it an insanely powerful counterspell, so use it wisely.9 - EnduranceOne of the worst things in Duel Commander is that it has no sideboard. It's not like DC decks are ready to deal with an Archon of Cruelty popping up from the graveyard on turn 3, but practically all decks use the graveyard as a resource, either to pay for Delve, attack with Emperor of Bones, or use Snapcaster Mage.Endurance solves all of these issues and is a fantastic creature at the same time. It's a 3/4 that costs and has Flash, so it's an acceptable way to put pressure on the opponent and an amazing blocker. That's why it made it into this list.10 - Frenzied BalothThe 10th green staple in DC is another incredible creature, and it is perfect against blue decks. One of the best things about Baloth is that it has Haste but isn't , so it is quite surprising in terms of tempo for decks like Grist. Unlike Allosaurus Shepherd, Baloth is self-sufficient and a threat all by itself (instead of a "support" card).Honorable MentionsAzusa is green but sees play in Eldrazi decks, and Eldrazis are colorless. Flawless logic, isn't it?The truth is that colorless cards are not that relevant for a full article (they're very versatile, but I'm still not completely convinced...).In any case, I'd like to stress the importance of Skullclamp and Shadowspear. Equipment you can tutor through Urza's Saga is very strong, and these are no different. One is a way to gain life (try to look for an equivalent for decks and see how your options disappear), and the other... Well, Skullclamp is completely ridiculous. It doesn't need to be banned, but when you draw one, you can play the entire match around it.The Flute is different: it's like a Meddling Mage, but, honestly, it is the only way for a blueless deck to deal with a few problematic commanders, like Lumra and Azusa themselves. As a "colorless Stax piece" and "the only answer to combos", it has seen more and more play by the hour (particularly considering how The Fantasticar has been dominant recently).While Kozilek's Command sees play solely as a "green removal" (which definitely earned it a spot in this article), Emrakul is possibly the best finisher in the format. It sees play both in big mana lists and control lists (as well as combo decks, like Acererak).There are many other cool colorless cards that see a lot of play, like Ghost Vacuum, but they're essentially roleplayers. They show up basically because it's easy to include them in many decks.Best Mana BaseThere are just two real options, but they are strong.Shifting Woodland doesn't copy ETBs, but it's effectively a reanimation spell that can't be countered (and can also dodge wrath effects, considering the best ones are all sorceries, like Supreme Verdict, Damn, or Toxic Deluge), and Boseiju is simply a free Disenchant. It seems less useful than Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire (as there are less enchantments and artifacts than creatures in DC), but, in truth, it can deal with more problematic pieces and is less redundant in its decks, so it is often better.Final WordsNow we've gone through all the colors and staples in Duel Commander. Some of these effects definitely seem the same again and again, but please note that this format looks a lot more like Legacy than Commander itself. Decks are tied to specific archetypes and use the most effective cards in them. The only difference is that instead of 3 great cards (which would make a total of 12 if you include the playset, 20% of a 60-card deck), we have to play many different cards that play the same role.And, of course, each color has an identity. It's interesting to imagine what DC would look like if this rule didn't exist (the archetypes would probably feel flatter), but, as it exists, we have less tools to work with and have to consider what we need in each meta to use them well.Green is one of the best support colors in the format. It has the best ramp, the best manafix, and the best tutors. It's a pity that all the combos have to involve creatures (or, rarely, lands like Dark Depths), but that's what makes the format friendlier and vulnerable to removals as interaction (which can keep , undoubtedly the best color in the format, under control).What do you think? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.Thank you for reading, and see you next time!
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