Duel Commander: Guide - Aggro Metagame

Now that we already presented Duel Commander as a format, it's time to discuss the meta. We'll start with aggro lists (then move on to control and combo soon). This is not a deck tech, though, so don't expect in-depth commentary about the lists below or how they perform in certain matchups. Instead, we'll try to go over the staples that see play in these archetypes, their mana curves, and play patterns.

Please note: "aggro", "control", and "midrange" are confusing concepts in Duel Commander. DC decks use staples that can simply end the game by themselves, and sometimes that means these decks will behave differently in each matchup.

Another factor that makes all decks seem a little similar in Duel Commander is that there is no sideboard in this format (so, you need to add more removals by default because you can't add more in game 2 or 3). Furthermore, you'll always have your commander on turn 1, so these lists are a lot more consistent. These two details are an essential part of the format.

Another thing you'll notice is that aggro lists usually play commanders with a CMC of 1-2-3.

To define whether a deck is control, aggro, or combo, we need to consider the main play pattern. Decks that tap lands to put threats in play are considered aggro lists, and decks that open pass to interact with the opponent are considered control lists. Finally, decks that ignore the opponent to win through powerful synergies are considered combo lists. These definitions will be important when we discuss a few aggro lists later on, like Grist, the Hunger Tide.

Boros and Monored Aggro

These decks are considered the "format police" and can end games quite fast. Notice that their mana curve leans heavily into the fact you'll always have something to play on turn 1 (your commander), so most of the creatures in these lists have a CMC of 2.

Barrowgoyf exists, and that means MonoRed struggles a lot. One lifelink strike is enough to determine whether you win or lose, and trying to remove Barrowgoyf with Burn is considered a waste of resources. In this format, there are many other cards that give you life under certain conditions, like Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury and Cling to Dust, so MonoRed isn't that popular.

Yoshimaru lists, in turn, are super popular, including the version above and the versions that splash to green (Tana, the Bloodsower instead of Bruse so that you can use Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes, or Kraum, Ludevic's Opus so that you can use Spider-Woman, Stunning Savior and Mental Misstep).

These decks are super aggressive and don't do much except put pressure on the opponent's life points from beginning to end. You might struggle to get the most out of them, but they often steal wins even if you make a few mistakes, so they're favored by beginners.

Slimefoot and Rakdos Aggro

These decks are super aggressive as well, but they're a bit more nuanced. Notice that they still play about 35 creatures (creatures like Oliphaunt aren't really considered creatures because you'll use them to recycle and not cast them per se) and their goal is still to end matches fast. Nonetheless, they also play "support" strategies.

In Slimefoot's case, cards like Lazotep Quarry and Phyrexian Tower allow you to sacrifice your commander to activate its ability from the graveyard. So, they're effectively a way to bring Slimefoot back from the graveyard for just 4 mana. Some other synergies are simply too strong, like Survival of the Fittest getting a Carnage, Crimson Chaos, which can tutor another creature and enter play through Mayhem. Because of a few creatures with powerful abilities, like Mawloc and Wight of the Reliquary, this deck can do something else besides just end the game fast.

Deadpool, Trading Card's case is even worse. Nearly all decks use a legendary creature in the command zone (except for Elminster, for instance), and Deadpool's ability puts a lot of pressure by itself. Considering there are many ETB effects in DC (that is, abilities that trigger when the cards enter play) like Fury, Deadpool is a weapon of disruption and value in the command zone.

There are other aggressive Rakdos lists in DC, like Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar and Juri, Master of the Revue, but they are a bit more particular and less powerful than this beloved mutant mercenary.

Mono White Aggro

The title of "best White Weenie in the format" is still up for grabs, and two excellent competitors are still fighting for it. These two decks lean on the same mana curve and some extremely powerful abilities. They can also both last through long games by creating value and end a match fast.

Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd leans on strong ETB effects like Toby Beastie Befriender and Blade Splicer, but it still plays an unexpected synergy: a commander with a removal aura (like Ossification). After your opponent puts their commander in play, you may blink this aura to exile another creature! These decks also play Cataclysm as a way to put pressure on opponents that lean heavily into late game plays.

Cloud, Midgar Mercenary, in turn, takes advantage of a tutor in the command zone, and, believe me, plays targets that are much more versatile than they seem. You can get card advantage through Skullclamp, set up a powerful tempo play with Pre-War Formalwear, dominate the board with Umezawa's Jitte, or even put an "unstoppable" threat in play with protection (swords). Putting your commander in play is always a great call with this list.

These two decks are considerably slower than the other examples in this article, and they can create so much value a lot of players debate whether they're aggro lists or not. Some call them midrange, and some even call them control lists (!!!). Still, considering our definitions from the beginning of the article, I believe they're aggro lists, mostly.

Impure Aggro Lists

I love this deck. It is considerably slower than Slimefoot for an aggro list, but it plays the Acererak, the Archlich/Aluren/Witherbloom Apprentice combos with Chain of Smog. It also plays lots of tutors and even other combos, like Dark Depths/Vampire Hexmage (probably with land tutors as well, like Crop Rotation). This deck sacrifices Slimefoot's speed and brute strength for combos and Contamination.

Tai Wakeen follows the same logic: it's a Boros Aggro list with a legendary card in the command zone that is much worse than Yoshimaru. However, it also plays an interesting "combo" line (activating Tai Wakeen with a Lava Dart in hand can be lethal quite easily).

There are other reasonable options (also considered off-meta) that follow this same pattern. An honorable mention is Juri, Master of the Revue with Zuran Orb and Greater Gargadon.

Furthermore, there is another aggro/midrange list in the format.

I picked Satya as an example, but there are many Ux commanders that play out as tempo/midrange lists:

These decks usually set up threats and finish the game fast while they use cheap interactions: the definition of a tempo list.

Each of these decks has their own reason for existing. Satya creates value and ends matches quite easily (and completely "out of nowhere"), and Aragorn makes your creatures unblockable and also has Monarch (which often beats control lists immediately).

Because Aang and Plagon only have two colors, they can lock down the opponent's mana with Harbinger of the Seas, for instance, or even Winter Moon. Spider-Man 2099 simply explodes when you play him with Clout of the Dominus, Reckless Charge, and Wild Ride.

These are not exactly "aggro" lists, but I don't believe I have enough content to make an entire article about their particular archetype. Maybe I can write a deck tech for each of them with more details in the future.

There are many aggro lists in Duel Commander, and the meta is so diverse that "beating" them is a complicated task. Their synergies are quite specific and different from one another. A deck being considered "aggro" says very little about how many turns the match will last and the way it will interact with you.

I'd like to highlight once again that there are many definitions of tempo and aggro lists. For this article, we considered they are in the same category, but they're undoubtedly different.

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

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!