Top 7 Enchantment MTG Commander Cards You Should Be Playing

Move over, Smothering Tithe.

Enchantments have been a card type in Magic: The Gathering since its inception. According to Scryfall, MTG contains almost 3,000 enchantments from sets across MTG’s thirty-year history. All five of MTG’s colors include enchantment options for deck construction, particularly in Commander. 

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Enchantments are among the cards listed on EDHREC’s list of most-played Commander cards. Commander players should be familiar with potent enchantments, including Rhystic Study, Smothering Tithe, and Phyrexian Arena. Multiple staple enchantments provide card advantage, mana ramp, or a repeatable and valuable effect. Besides Commander staples, several enchantments offer benefits such as a value engine, combo piece, or Commander. 

Wizards of the Coast continues introducing new enchantments for Commander in supplemental products and premier sets. Adventures in the Forgotten Realms’ Aura of Courage and Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty’s Upgrades Unleashed introduced new enchantments and synergistic Commanders. Tocasia’s Welcome, Mechanized Warfare, and One with the Multiverse are enchantments with Commander potential printed in The Brothers’ War.

While players usually identify Commander-playable enchantments printed in recent sets when deckbuilding, some enchantments from past expansions may get overlooked. Peculiar rules text and narrow interactions are potential reasons a player may omit an enchantment card from a Commander decklist. Let’s review several enchantments printed from MTG’s early years that you should consider playing in Commander.  

#7 Grim Feast

Grim Feast

Mirage, Rare

Grim Feast is a Reserved List enchantment card from Mirage worth considering for Commander. In exchange for taking one damage during your upkeep, Grim Feast lets you gain life whenever a creature gets put into an opponent’s graveyard from the battlefield. The rules text on Grim Feast changed in 2004 to affect all opposing players in a multiplayer game instead of a target opponent. 

Grim Feast synergizes with Lifegain-themed Golgari Commander decks. Life loss from Savra, Queen of the Golgari’s first sacrificial ability can be offset by Grim Feast when each other player sacrifices a creature. Additionally, Sanguine Bond and Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose trigger each time an opponent’s creature dies with Grim Feast under your control. Golgari Sacrifice decks led by Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest, or Glissa, the Traitor may also benefit from Grim Feast.

#6 Hall of Gemstone

Hall of Gemstone

Mirage, Rare

Hall of Gemstone is a green world enchantment and Reserved List card from Mirage. For three mana, Hall of Gemstone requires each player to choose a color during their upkeep. Until the end of the turn, lands tapped for mana produce mana of the selected color instead of any other color. The one exception to Hall of Gemstone is colorless mana added to a player’s mana pool remains colorless.  

Restricting players to one color each turn will hinder anyone running a two-five color deck. Thus, an ideal home for Hall of Gemstone is in mono-green Commander decks. Commanders like Azusa, Lost but Seeking, Titania, Protector of Argoth, and Omnath, Locus of Mana can execute their game plans under Hall of Gemstone’s mana constraint.

5# Collective Restraint

Collective Restraint

Invasion, Rare

Collective Restraint is a four-mana blue enchantment first printed in Invasion. With Collective Restraint in play, creatures cannot attack you unless their controller pays X for each creature, where X is equal to the number of basic land types you control. Collective Restraint received a rules text errata in 2021 since its ability is now Domain.

At first glance, Collective Restraint is Propaganda for one additional colorless mana. The main difference is Propaganda requires opponents to pay two mana to attack with a creature, whereas, Collective Restraint can cost opponents up to five mana. Collective Restraint is a consideration in four and five-color decks that want to restrain opponents from attacking. Pillow Fort and Group Hug decks led by Kenrith, the Returned King, Karona, False God, and Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis may want Collective Restraint in the 99. Interestingly, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove’s ability makes lands you control every Basic land type synergizes well with Collective Restraint.

4# Bedlam

Bedlam

7th Edition, Rare

Originally from Urza’s Saga, Bedlam is a red enchantment that prevents creatures from blocking. Allowing players to attack each other freely may seem disadvantageous. However, Commanders able to generate value when dealing combat damage to opponents can maximize Bedlam’s ability. 

Commander decks featuring Slicer, Hired Muscle, Xantcha, Sleeper Agent, or Ruhan of the Fomori may want Bedlam to ensure they are not blocked. Marisi, Breaker of the Coil will easily goad opponents’ creatures with Bedlam on the battlefield. Bedlam also enables creature tokens created by Magar of the Magic Strings to create copies of instants and sorceries and cast them without paying their mana cost. 

3# Repercussion

Repercussion

Urza’s Destiny, Rare

Repercussion is a three-mana red enchantment with printings in Urza’s Destiny and In Memoriam: Jaya Ballard Secret Lair. Repercussion’s ability says whenever a creature gets dealt damage, it deals that much damage to that creature’s controller. Note that Repercussion’s ability can damage any player, including yourself. 

Repercussion is a potential inclusion in Burn-themed Commander decks. Firesong and Sunspeaker can take advantage of Repercussion by dealing three damage to a creature and its controller whenever you gain life off a white instant or sorcery. Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph is another Commander capable of repeatedly triggering Repercussion’s ability. If you only want opponents taking damage from Repercussion, consider pairing it with Rem Karolus, Stalwart Slayer. Playing Chain Reaction or Blasphemous Act with Repercussion and Rem Karolus, Stalwart Slayer on the battlefield can be game-winning. 

2# Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance

Exodus, Uncommon

1998’s Exodus contains the only printing of Reconnaissance, a one-mana white enchantment. Reconnaissance possesses a zero-mana-activated ability that removes an attacking creature you control from combat and untaps it. Since Reconnaissance’s ability costs no mana, you can target all of your attacking creatures if necessary. 

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Players are beginning to realize the power level of Reconnaissance considering its 14,000+ deck inclusions on EDHREC. Reconnaissance enables creatures you control to attack freely without fear of dying in combat and untaps them for additional utility. Any creatures you control with attack triggers are particularly effective with Reconnaissance. Commissar Severina Raine, Myrel, Shield of Argive, and Alesha, Who Smiles at Death are fantastic with Reconnaissance since they must attack to trigger their abilities and may receive lethal damage from blockers. Isshin, Two Heavens as One’s ability is outstanding with Reconnaissance since you can attack with all your creatures, trigger their attacking abilities twice, and then save them from any blockers. Aggressive white Commander decks looking for a way to protect attackers may want to try Reconnaissance.

1# Crackdown

Crackdown

Mercadian Masques, Rare

Crackdown is a white enchantment with one printing in Mercadian Masques. For three mana, Crackdown prevents nonwhite creatures with power three or greater from untapping during their controllers’ untap steps. Crackdown is a higher casting cost Meekstone with the upside of not affecting white creatures.

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Crackdown is an acceptable inclusion in Stax-themed mono-white Commander decks. Mono-white Stax decks led by Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero, Michiko Konda, Truth Seeker, and Heliod, Sun-Crowned may want Crackdown in the 99 to slow down opponents’ creature threats. Crackdown is also a consideration in Equipment-themed Mono-White Commander decks wanting to limit opponents’ blockers or punish their attacks.

Outside of Mono-White decks, Inquisitor Greyfax synergizes with Crackdown. Inquisitor Greyfax gives vigilance to your creatures and can tap opponents’ creatures. Any non-white creatures tapped by Inquisitor Greyfax will not untap with Crackdown on the battlefield. Also, two-thirds of the creatures in the Universes Beyond: Warhammer 40,000 Forces of the Imperium Commander Precon Deck are white. Interestingly, Marneus Calgar is unaffected by Crackdown and creates 2/2 white Astaras Warrior creature tokens with vigilance.