Best 1-drops?
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on Aug. 23, 2020, 11:43 p.m. by Omniscience_is_life
Recently, I've started to pay a lot more attention to mana curve in my decks, and added many more cards in the 2/3 CMC slots; but I still feel like I'm missing out on an opportunity on T1 to drop something, anything really. I was wondering, which one-drops do you all run in your EDH decks? Keep it budget-friendly, please, I don't care enough to drop $40 on a Sensei's Divining Top or $50 on a Mana Vault.
Mana dorks, mana dorks, mana dorks.
Also, mana dorks.
Lol.
Although there are some other staples at 1 cmc that commonly see play such as Mystic Remora, a wide range of interaction spells in every color, and some useful artifacts (depending on the metagame) such as Grafdigger's Cage, Manifold Key, or Soul-Guide Lantern. There are some useful hate pieces as well in some colors (mostly white) such as Deafening Silence or Dryad Militant.
August 23, 2020 11:52 p.m.
To add some to the above: Sol Ring, Land Tax, Exploration, Skullclamp (especially if you have lots of X/1 token generators), and Mother of Runes.
August 23, 2020 11:54 p.m.
SynergyBuild says... #7
Here are my favorites per color, and of course, colorless!:
(Not including obvious cards like Sol Ring, Skullclamp, Swords to Plowshares, Swan Song, Elvish Mystic, because... duh)
Colorless:
White:
Blue:
Black:
Red:
Green:
Now, as I mentioned, there are plenty staples I didn't mention, here are some of the less common, more budget cards. If you want a list of all the dorks, draw engines, etc. that are at 1 cmc and should be run, just ask!
August 24, 2020 12:29 a.m.
Omniscience_is_life says... #8
Yes please, keep them coming! This is exactly the sort of thing I need to see, and I'm getting ideas for interactions already!
August 24, 2020 12:38 a.m.
SynergyBuild says... #9
Are you okay with 0 drops like Gitaxian Probe and Noxious Grasp? Sorry if not, I added them xD
Budget Staples
White:
Blue:
Black:
Hex Parasite (kills walkers)
Red:
Green:
Multicolored:
August 24, 2020 1:28 a.m.
SynergyBuild says... #10
Whoops
I meant Noxious Revival, not Noxious Grasp xD
August 24, 2020 2:15 a.m.
Not a turn 1 drop, but Demonic Consultation is a pretty good card. Same goes for Mental Misstep.
August 24, 2020 3:50 a.m.
plakjekaas says... #12
Winds of Change in red
Authority of the Consuls in white
August 24, 2020 8:40 a.m.
GhostChieftain says... #13
Viscera Seer and Carrion Feeder are my absolute faves in black.
August 24, 2020 9:38 a.m.
o ya this thread is going to go 2-3 pages
some of my favorite to throw into the hat
Artifact Blast - Great game opener if you have a Simian Spirit Guide
Sakura-Tribe Scout - Greater then a Birds of Paradise if it hits t2 and t3
Manabond amazing opening play depending on your commander
Vicious Rumors - hard to believe but i have seen this shut down games as a t1 play
August 24, 2020 11:15 a.m.
For the most part, a useful 1 drop in EDH is either good because it is efficient removal, can be better when you have more mana (overload and flashback), or has some kind of activated/triggered ability that lasts throughout the game (like Land Tax or equipment). Good 1 drops see a lot of play and can be very expensive, but I'll try to bring up some of the ones I've used since I don't use very expensive ones.
Artifacts
Red
Black
Blue
Cantrips
Green
Mana Dorks. They're OP.
August 24, 2020 5:18 p.m.
FormOverFunction says... #16
Black Vise and The Rack are always rad. I’m super happy to see Will-o'-the-Wisp in the lists.
Flood is a trap I always fall into; as I always forget that the activation is more expensive than the CMC. Still a perfectly-flavored card. <3
August 24, 2020 8:30 p.m.
FormOverFunction says... #17
OH MY GOSH I forgot two fun ones: Altar of the Brood and Artificer's Hex (though I think we’ve already discussed the amazingness that is that hex).
August 24, 2020 8:36 p.m.
Oh yeah and I never got it play correctly but Slumbering Dragon is a 1 drop
August 24, 2020 10:20 p.m.
SynergyBuild oh hahaha whoops you had such and extensive list it got lost when I read it, so since were on the subject, have you ever got the slumbering dragon to pay off?
August 25, 2020 1:19 a.m.
SynergyBuild says... #23
Vash13 I ran it in Fumiko the Lowblood, it was sweeet!
August 25, 2020 1:30 a.m.
libraryjoy says... #25
I like
Blue:
Cosi's Trickster depending on meta (ran it in a Thada Adel, Acquisitor deck for a while)
Green:
Scattershot Archer (especially if you have ways to give it deathtouch)
Traproot Kami in mono-green
Red:
White:
Soulmender in any build that has "Whenever you gain life" triggers
Colorless:
Skyblinder Staff in flying heavy decks
Runed Stalactite in tribal builds to protect utility creatures
And I didn't forget black, I just don't play it so I don't have anything to add for that color.
August 25, 2020 5:39 p.m.
GenericToaster says... #26
my favorite two are Hexdrinker and Dragonmaster Outcast
August 25, 2020 6:10 p.m.
MagicWizard1993 says... #27
My suggestion is Mishra's Bauble. Not a one drop, but no mana. Maybe Welding Jar too.
enpc says... #2
It depends on deck (and access to colours of course) but either Birds of Paradise or Deathrite Shaman (assuming access to fetches) are amazing.
As a general rule, you want to be hitting ramp the first few turns as you transition into card draw to refill your hand, as well as starting to deploy your deck's main strategy. So turns 1 through 3, definitiely you want to focus on cheap ramp.
August 23, 2020 11:51 p.m.