Planeswalkers already get a lot of attention in Commander. Now imagine putting one in the command zone and telling the table, “yes, you’ll be dealing with this every game.” That’s the vibe of planeswalker commanders.
They’re fun because they generate steady value, they reward planning, and they make you think about the board in a different way. They’re also a magnet for attacks. Not even salty attacks. Just normal, correct threat assessment.
This guide breaks down what planeswalker commanders are, which ones are worth your time, and how to build a deck that doesn’t fold the moment someone decides combat exists.
What are planeswalker commanders?
In MTG Commander, you can’t normally pick any random planeswalker as your commander. A planeswalker commander is one of three things:
A planeswalker that explicitly says it can be your commander.
This is the “printed for Commander” style, starting with Commander 2014 and expanding through later Commander products.A commander that becomes a planeswalker later.
These are usually double-faced cards that start as legendary creatures and transform into planeswalkers (the Origins “flip-walkers,” plus a few newer ones).A rules-quirk exception like Grist.
Grist, the Hunger Tide counts as a creature everywhere except the battlefield, which makes it legal as a commander even though it’s a planeswalker once it resolves.
If you’ve ever seen someone running something like Karn, the Great Creator as a “planeswalker commander,” that’s almost always a house-rule situation. Totally fine if your group is into it. Just don’t assume it’s baseline Commander rules.
The rules that matter (and the parts that trip people up)
Planeswalker commanders play Commander like normal, but a few details hit different.
Commander tax still applies.
If your planeswalker commander dies and you recast it, it costs 2 more each time. That’s rough when your commander already costs 5 or 6.
Planeswalkers don’t “block.”
They’re not creatures, so your defense is either:
creatures that block for you, or
effects that make attacking you expensive or awkward.
Combat is the biggest removal spell.
A lot of decks can’t easily remove a planeswalker on the stack or with targeted removal every time. But most decks can attack. So they will.
Commander damage usually isn’t your plan.
Since planeswalkers don’t attack (most of the time), you’re usually winning with tokens, emblems, inevitability engines, or combo-ish endgames. There are exceptions if you turn your walker into a creature, but treat that as a build choice, not a default.
Why planeswalker commanders get targeted (and how to keep them alive)
Here’s the honest truth: a planeswalker in the command zone reads like a long-term problem. Even when it’s not currently doing much.
So you need a defense plan that works without you begging the table to “just let me untap once.”
The protection checklist that actually matters
1) Early board presence
You want cheap bodies early. Not because you’re aggro. Because you need blockers and speed bumps.
Token-makers do double duty here. They protect your loyalty and give you a path to win.
2) Pillowfort and attack taxes
If your colors allow it, cards like Propaganda and Ghostly Prison are the difference between “my commander lives” and “my commander got punched by three random 2/2s.”
These effects also create a social incentive: opponents tend to attack the player who made attacking free.
3) Creature-only board wipes
One of the quiet upsides of planeswalker commanders is that many board wipes only clear creatures. If you can reset the board while your commander stays, you get to rebuild first and keep accruing loyalty value.
Just don’t overdo it. If every game becomes “wipe, wipe, wipe,” your group will start treating you like a weather event.
4) Combat tricks, fogs, and goad
Stopping attacks for one turn can be the difference between snowballing and recasting your commander for 8 mana.
Goad effects are also sneaky-good because they protect your planeswalker and keep the table moving.
A quick table: what protection looks like in practice
Picking the right planeswalker commander by playstyle
Not every planeswalker commander wants the same deck. Some want a full Superfriends package. Others want you to basically ignore other planeswalkers and build around one loyalty engine.
Card advantage and control planeswalker commanders
Teferi, Temporal Archmage
Teferi is the classic “I untap a bunch of stuff and now everything is worse for you” commander. His -1 untaps four permanents, which is absurd with mana rocks and utility permanents. And his ultimate emblem turns planeswalker activations into a full turn-cycle problem.
If you like blue control, artifact mana, and playing the long game, Teferi is one of the best planeswalker commanders. Just expect attention.
Aminatou, the Fateshifter
Aminatou is a blink commander in planeswalker form. She’s cheap, she manipulates the top of your library, and she flickers permanents for value. This is the kind of commander where your deck can feel like a machine if you build it right.
But you do need to build around her. Aminatou rewards synergy, not “goodstuff and vibes.”
Elminster
Elminster is a great “spells and big scry” commander that can flood the board with tokens while you sculpt your draws. He’s one of the friendlier planeswalker commanders for people who want a clear plan that isn’t just “jam 18 planeswalkers.”
Aggressive and swarm-style planeswalker commanders
Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes
This is one of the rare planeswalker commanders that actually closes games. You get Boo immediately, you grow threats, and you can convert power into cards. It plays like Gruul stompy with a card-advantage engine stapled to the command zone.
You will still get attacked. But at least you’re threatening to end the game, which changes how people spend removal.
Jeska, Thrice Reborn
Jeska is weird in the best way. She’s a planeswalker commander with Partner, and her whole job is to make someone’s combat math illegal. Triple damage turns random creatures into lethal threats.
Jeska is rarely the “main character” of the deck. She’s the amplifier. Pair her with a commander that supplies bodies or big hits, and your endgames get dramatic fast.
Graveyard and artifact synergy planeswalker commanders
Grist, the Hunger Tide
Grist is a value engine that can be built as Insect typal, self-mill, sacrifice, or some mix of all three. She fills the graveyard, generates bodies, and eventually turns into a removal and finisher package.
The big upside is that Grist plays a very “Commander normal” game. You’re not relying on a fragile emblem plan. You’re grinding value and turning it into inevitability.
Daretti, Scrap Savant
Daretti is one of the cleanest artifact commanders ever printed, and being a planeswalker is part of the appeal. Loot artifacts into the graveyard, then turn junk into real permanents.
This is the kind of deck where you’re happy to see Mind Stone on turn two and thrilled to see it on turn ten because it’s still a resource.
Saheeli, the Gifted
Saheeli leans into artifact tokens, big artifact spells, and cost reduction. If you want an Izzet artifact deck that isn’t just spellslinger, she’s a strong pick.
Lands, legends, and “midrange value” planeswalker commanders
Lord Windgrace
If you like lands decks, Windgrace is a staple for a reason. He loots, he recurs lands, and he fuels the grind. He’s also one of the planeswalker commanders that doesn’t require a “protect me at all costs” posture to function. Your deck is still a lands deck first.
Dihada, Binder of Wills
Dihada is a legends-matter engine with treasure, filtering, and graveyard value. She’s flexible, which is both a strength and a trap. If you pick her, decide what your deck is trying to do beyond “legends are cool.”
Superfriends-style planeswalker commanders
You can absolutely build Superfriends with a planeswalker commander. Just know what you’re signing up for.
Superfriends decks tend to be slower.
They draw more table heat.
They need more defensive cards than you think.
And you usually win by inevitability, not by surprise.
If you want a dedicated Superfriends leader in the command zone, Commodore Guff is one of the most on-theme options.
A simple deck template for planeswalker commanders
If you’re building planeswalker commanders and the deck feels flimsy, it’s usually because you’re missing one of these categories.
1) Ramp that matches your commander’s cost
A 6-mana commander needs real ramp. Not “i have three ramp spells, we’ll see what happens.”
Aim for a mix of:
2-mana rocks (especially in non-green shells)
land ramp (in green)
cost reduction if your commander supports it (artifacts, spells, etc.)
2) Defense before greed
This is where people mess up.
They fill the deck with extra planeswalkers and cute synergy pieces, then wonder why the commander dies on sight. Put your defensive cards in early, then earn the greed later.
Defense can be:
token makers
cheap blockers that matter
attack taxes
fogs
sweepers that keep walkers alive
3) Card advantage that does not rely on your commander living
Yes, your commander makes value. So does everybody else’s commander. Assume yours dies twice.
Build in enough draw so you can still play Magic when your planeswalker gets punched off the table. If you want a solid rule of thumb here, lean toward “more than you think,” especially for higher-curve planeswalker commanders.
4) A real win condition
Planeswalker commanders generate value. Value is not a win condition.
Pick one or two ways to actually end games:
a token swarm plan
a recurring engine that overwhelms the table
a finisher package
ultimates that matter, backed by proliferate
a Partner pairing that creates lethal combat quickly
And yes, proliferate is often worth it. Just don’t turn your deck into “proliferate tribal” unless your commander actually rewards it.
Common mistakes (so you don’t become the table’s punching bag)
Mistake 1: Thinking your planeswalker commander is “safe” because it dodges creature removal
Sure. It dodges some removal. Combat is still removal.
Mistake 2: Not running enough blockers
If you can’t block, your loyalty is basically a countdown timer.
Mistake 3: Overstuffing Superfriends
More planeswalkers does not automatically mean more power. It often means more clunky draws and more attention from opponents.
Mistake 4: Going for the ultimate too early
Sometimes the best play is using a minus ability for value and keeping your walker alive, not racing to an emblem while the table lines up attacks.
Mistake 5: Forgetting politics exists
If you’re the only person not contributing to board pressure, players will feel safe attacking you. Give them other problems to solve.
FAQ: quick answers on planeswalker commanders
Are planeswalkers good in Commander?
They’re good when your deck supports them. A random planeswalker tossed into a creature deck is usually mid. A planeswalker built as a core engine can take over games.
Can planeswalker commanders be “too strong”?
Some of them can feel oppressive because they generate repeatable value and can be recast. That’s why they draw heat. If your group hates long grindy games, choose your commander accordingly.
Do planeswalker commanders work better in 1v1 or multiplayer?
They can be great in multiplayer, but multiplayer also means three players can attack your loyalty. You need more defense than you would in 1v1.
Final thoughts
Planeswalker commanders are one of the most satisfying “build-around” spaces in Commander, because they force you to think about protection, tempo, and inevitability in a way creature commanders don’t.
If you want the short version: pick a planeswalker commander with a clear plan, build defense first, and make sure you have a real way to close. Do that, and your commander stops being a fragile value piece and starts being the reason the table has to play differently.