The Best Cards (and Commanders) for Hare Apparent in MTG

How to build Foundations’ hottest new Common in Commander.

We may have left Bloomburrow for a while now, but rabbits remain a popular aspect of Magic: The Gathering and Commander. With the upcoming release of Magic Foundations, the beginner-focused set introduces another card to the ever-growing cycle of “a deck can run any number of X” with Hare Apparent, the second white card to see this design with Templar Knight from Universes Beyond: Assassin’s Creed being the first.

Hare Apparent

Foundations, Common

Hare Apparent is a 2/2 and when it enters, it creates a 1/1 Rabbit token equal to the number of other creatures you control named Hare Apparent on the battlefield, and also, you can run as many copies of the card as you wish. These styles of cards are traditionally popular as they break the singleton deckbuilding norms in Commander, allowing you to create something unique and flavorful in the process. This sentiment was also true in Murders at Karlov Manor and Slime Against Humanity, where the Common remains a popular strategy led by Umori, the Collector even today.

And with Foundations previews wrapping up late last week, interest in the Rabbit Noble is strong as players begin to explore the best way to build a Hare Apparent strategy in Commander. Fortunately, there are a few different ways to approach it, along with some notable cards to incorporate into your own build of the wizened rabbit.

The Best Cards for Hare Apparent

Before we dig in, let’s hop through some of the best cards to play alongside Hare Apparent in Commander. It’s worth noting this list isn’t wholly exhaustive and focuses on white cards given the color identity of the adorable Foundations Common.

Thrumming Stone

Double Masters 2022, Rare

A must-have for any strategy that cares about breaking deckbuilding norms, Thrumming Stone has been a long-time staple for Commander builds featuring other cards in the “cycle” such as Slime Against Humanity, Persistent Petitioners, and Shadowborn Apostle just because you often run a high density of a card with the same name. What makes Thrumming Stone so good is that you can “chain-off” spells of the same name (thanks to Ripple) and cast them without paying their mana costs! As you’ll be running so many copies of Hare Apparent in your Commander deck, it shouldn’t be too hard to “hit” other copies of the card and cast them for free.

Tempt with Bunnies

Commander: Bloomburrow, Rare

A card from Commander: Bloomburrow that I snap the offer every single time is Tempt with Bunnies, which offers minor politicking and an additional layer to Commander gameplay. If your table is amenable to the deal that Tempt with Bunnies provides, you can draw up to four cards and create four 1/1 Rabbit tokens! Sure, each of your opponents gets to draw a card and create a 1/1 Rabbit token for taking the deal, but these styles of cards are often unassuming as you’re looking to get ahead on resources. Playing white in Commander can mean you struggle to replenish your hand and cast more Hare Apparents, so having access to something like Tempt with Bunnies is ideal, given the mana value of the card. Besides, how can people turn down an adorable bunny token? I know I can’t.

Raise the Past

Foundations, Rare

Appearing in Foundations, Raise the Past looks to be fantastic for any Hare Apparent strategy as you want to recur those Rabbit Nobles back to the battlefield. One aspect that you’ll often run into in Commander is board wipes such as Damnation or Wrath of God that “reset” the game, so having a backup plan is ideal when someone (rudely) decides to sweep your bunnies away from the battlefield. One thing to note about Hare Apparent is that the “create a 1/1 Rabbit token” trigger isn’t a cast trigger, meaning any recursion allows you to re-establish your board state of Rabbits without much issue. In Commander, having access to spells that offer insurance is ideal, as it gives you an out if you become the threat player. Furthermore, Dawn’s Truce is also a reasonable option to protect your bunnies in the face of interaction and board wipes from your opponents.

Caretaker’s Talent

Bloomburrow, Rare

Caretaker’s Talent from Bloomburrow is already a popular card for Commander as it generates passive resources through creating tokens, but it’s also excellent with a bevy of Hare Apparents. With Caretaker’s Talent, you want to focus on Level 1 and Level 3 in particular as you want to draw cards each time you play a Hare Apparent with the inevitability of turning those Rabbit tokens into 3/3 threats. There isn’t anything glamorous or fancy about Caretaker’s Talent, but it’s a fantastic engine that rewards you for playing a pile of Hare Apparents. There’s also a bunny in the art, meaning the card hits thematically just as much as it does on a synergistic level.

The Best Commanders for Hare Apparent

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We’ve looked at some of the cards that pair best with Hare Apparent, but now let’s dive into some of the best Commanders to lead a Hare Apparent strategy. Generally, any Commander that provides value through creating tokens is the way to go here, but there are some alternatives if you want to take a different approach.

Cadira, Caller of the Small

Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate, Uncommon

From Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate, Cadira, Caller of the Small is an excellent (yet flavorful) option to lead a Hare Apparent strategy, as you can essentially double-up on 1/1 Rabbit tokens for each token you control when Cadira deals combat damage to a player. It’s worth noting that Cadira doesn’t specify what kind of token you need to have under your control for her to trigger, meaning Food, Treasure, and even Clue tokens can help you create more 1/1 Rabbit tokens upon dealing combat damage to a player. As you do need to rely on Cadira to deal damage to create more tokens, you do need to incorporate some evasion in Whispersilk Cloak and Lightning Greaves to ensure she can connect with the opponent easily. That aside, the upside is worth it in my opinion, especially if you have a bunch of Hare Apparents and 1/1 Rabbit tokens in play already!

Finneas, Ace Archer

Bloomburrow, Rare

If you want to keep on-theme, then Finneas, Ace Archer from Bloomburrow is another decent option as a Commander as he rewards you for playing with a bunch of Rabbit and token cards, which Hare Apparent provides both quite comfortably. Finneas offers a ton of value as when he attacks, you put a +1/+1 counter on each other creature you control that is a Rabbit or a token, and if the combined power of those creatures is ten or greater, you draw a card. Essentially, Finneas becomes a fantastic value engine that grows your bunny board and (likely) draws you a card each time he attacks, which is excellent in my opinion. Similarly to Cadira, Finneas gives you access to green, meaning cards such as Doubling Season and Parallel Lives become powerful options alongside Hare Apparent and company.

Delney, Streetwise Lookout

Murders at Karlov Manor, Mythic

Delney, Streetwise Lookout from Murders of Karlov Manor is an exciting option to lead a bury of Hare Apparents as the Human Scout enables you to double-up on triggers with any creature you control with power two or less, meaning you can create double the Rabbit tokens for each Hare Apparent that enters play! Furthermore, Delney can make Hare Apparent and those 1/1 Rabbit tokens unblockable against any opposing with power three (or greater), giving your creatures some evasion that could break parity during clunky board stalls. It’s worth noting that Delney’s static effect does become worse with any effect that passively buffs your board, such as a Level 3 on Caretaker’s Talent or even Coat of Arms, which is worth acknowledging if you decide to play Delney as you Commander. However, the card also serves well in the ninety-nine of a Hare Apparent strategy.

Baylen, the Haymaker

Bloomburrow, Rare

If you want a Commander that expands into three colors, then Baylen, the Haymaker from Bloomburrow is a fantastic choice to lead a Hare Apparent strategy, as the card features a suite of effects that play into the token theme rather well. One thing to note about Baylen is that the card doesn’t come with the cumbersome “once per turn” clause, meaning you can use those 1/1 Rabbit tokens created by Hare Apparent to develop a ton of value across a turn, such as generating a bunch of mana or drawing a lot of cards. In some cases, tapping your 1/1 Rabbit tokens to add a pile of +1/+1 counters to Baylen can lead to a victory through Commander damage, especially if the Rabbit Warrior is unblockable or has some evasion such as Swiftfoot Boots or Mithril Coat.

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By adding red to the mix, you have access to Impact Tremors and Warleader’s Call, which can create inevitability (by just casting Hare Apparents and creating a ton of 1/1 Rabbit tokens) if dealing combat damage to your opponents isn’t an option. In my opinion, Baylen, the Haymaker is the best Commander for Hare Apparent as you can expand into green and red, allowing for more diverse win conditions that isn’t just turning all of your bunnies sideways.

Arabella, Abandoned Doll

Duskmourn: House of Horror, Uncommon

However, if you prefer to be aggressive in Commander, then Arabella, Abandoned Doll from Duskmourn: House of Horror is an excellent alternative if you care about dealing as much damage as possible. What makes the Boros Toy such a compelling Commander is her ability to deal damage to each opponent for each creature you control with power two (or less) whenever she attacks. And since Hare Apparent and the Rabbit tokens are less than two power, that damage can stack up very quickly with a board of bunnies!

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Much like Delney, Arabella, Abandoned Doll does become worse with passive effects such as Banner of Kinship on the battlefield because keeping your creatures under two power is crucial to ensure you can deal as much damage as possible. Damage dealing aside, Arabella also gains you life for each creature you control under two power whenever she attacks, meaning cards such as Aetherflux Reservoir become especially exciting as you’re looking to develop a wide battlefield of threats.