Good blue commanders?
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on June 3, 2016, 5:28 p.m. by chirz2792
So blue is my least played color in magic and i'm looking to have a least one deck that has blue in it. I've built blue decks before but they are usually either splashing blue or reactive decks. I want to use blue heavily but I hate playing reactive decks. So my question is what are some good blue generals who support a proactive strategy and are genrally fun to play? It doesn't matter how many colors as long as I can use a lot of blue. Thanks in advance for responses.
Note: My meta is fairly competitive but we don't run infinite combos.
@MagicalHacker: I completely forgot that jalira existed. I'm definitely considering her.
June 3, 2016 5:37 p.m.
libraryjoy says... #4
I've been playing a lot of blue recently, including Bruna, Light of Alabaster. Very voltron, but a lot of fun. Cast Traumatize on yourself before you swing with Bruna for the giggles.
June 3, 2016 5:59 p.m.
Whenever I am having trouble deciding upon a new commander to choose and want specific colors, I browse This List of EDH Generals by tier for something that I want to play... Usually,
-Tier 1: Unplayable because they're the asshole-level good commanders, and not only will everyone hate you when you win so hard in a casual format, but you'll usually be immediately assessed as the biggest threat in a multi-player game and be taken down by people on the board as soon as possible.
-Tier 5: also unplayable because they can't do bum diddly squat, like Barktooth Warbeard, who is an utterly useless 
drop Vagabond.
-Tier 4: These decks are usually just as fun as tier 3 decks, and are the most fun commanders to play, typically. That being said, they usually need a little extra love and attention to details in order to compete well in a multi-player game. I play Ghoulcaller Gisa as one of my generals right now, for instance, and that deck list ran me around $500. Had I not put that much money into it, it wouldn't really compete as well with some of the tier 2 decks that I play against in my meta. These commanders will usually be very fun because they won't be assesed as a threat, allowing you to develop your board and combos to their maximum potential. That being taken into account, though, there are usually certain blind-spots, and wide open faults in their functions that make them easy to take down. Using Ghoulcaller Gisa as an example again, a simple Black Sun's Zenith, Damnation, All Is Dust, or any other board wipe, can usually solve the problem of me having several multiple zombies (sometimes hundreds).
-Tier 3: Usually the sweet spot on this list for me. These commanders are typically great for multi-player and you'll almost never be immediately considered a threat to the table when playing them, allowing you to have time to develop some really whacky and fun combos and board set-ups, they also have great color combinations that allow you to utilize a number of functions, and still win the game while playing on equal and fun terms.
-Tier 2: Usually I bring these guys out when somebody at the table is playing hardball, like an Omnath, Locus of Rage deck, for instance, can be pretty pesky in a large multi-player game. If you build the deck correctly, he can dominate the scene, even with everyone else targeting him. Still, Omnath, Locus of Rage is a tier 3, and although this list really comes down to "If I spend $3,000 on a deck maxing out every card and exploiting every combo that is avaliable, here is where these commanders place competitively", using a Tier 2 commander, like with my Kaalia of the Vast deck, can be a good measure for me to asses how well she will do against an Omnath, Locus of Rage deck.
So, all of this being said, remember, tiers are important, but they don't ALWAYS measure how good a deck is going to be in respect to other tiers of commanders, unless you maximize the budget and make them unbeatable, that is. This list of commanders does end up coming down to placing them in tiers in respect to them being "Maxed out" (or having spent $3,000+ on a deck to make it as good as it possibly can be). In my opinion, though, a maxed out tier 3 deck usually isn't going to be any match for a half-assed tier 1 deck, and a maxed out tier 3 deck will either never, or rarely be a match for a maxed out tier 2 deck, unless the tier 3 deck's functions are made to oppose the tier 2 deck that is in question.
EDH is fun because its so unpredictable, and it can only be assessed and though out to such a far degree, which is why I try not to follow this list religiously. I've seen good tier 4 decks win games against nothing but tier 1's and 2's. So, this list will allow you to have a general midst of how good your general will be, but again, always remember that nothing in EDH is concrete. Which is why its such a beautiful format.
Just my recommendation and my 2 cents.
June 3, 2016 6:04 p.m. Edited.
JohnnyBaggins says... #6
Memnarch is broken as hell.
Stitcher Geralf is a lot of fun and he gives you the ability to out-tempo "fatties" decks while still playing a classic blue role
Talrand, Sky Summoner is as blue as it gets. Casting all the amazing blue spells comes at a big profit here.
For something multicoloured:
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV might just be the best control commander
Oloro, Ageless Ascetic is close to Augustin
Keranos, God of Storms offer access to control and tempo
Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind has some neat combos and is overall good
Narset, Enlightened Master can do some really opressive nonsense
Melek, Izzet Paragon or Mizzix of the Izmagnus are both great if you want something that feels like or even is Storm
Momir Vig, Simic Visionary is a value-combo machine
Edric, Spymaster of Trest can do the aggroelfball thing pretty good
Bruna, Light of Alabaster is fun if you like selfmill and voltron
Rafiq of the Many is a fantastic card if you like different decks, he has so many options, but they're usually creature based.
Brago, King Eternal and Roon of the Hidden Realm both try to abuse ETB triggers and are really great. I love Roon.
I guess that's the commanders I'd look at. Blue can take every role, from Aggro to Combo to Control. Let me know if you want to know a little more on either of those.
June 3, 2016 6:27 p.m.
Deckologist says... #7
Kami of the Crescent Moon he may look like a little blue butt crack monster but I promise you he's a little blue bastard
June 3, 2016 9:19 p.m.
Thanks for all the responses everyone :). And Sicohippy that list was really helpful. Right now i'm looking at Maelstrom Wanderer, Melek, Izzet Paragon, and Jalira, Master Polymorphist. Although thinking about I have thought about running storm with Arjun, the Shifting Flame before. I need to think about this.
June 3, 2016 9:38 p.m.
Deckologist says... #9
Storm with Arjun is a trap. I would just use mizzix or melek in that case.
June 3, 2016 9:39 p.m.
Deckologist says... #11
His Mindmoil ability will end up doing one of two things. Emptying your hand or making you shuffle in your win cons.
June 3, 2016 9:42 p.m.
Raging_Squiggle says... #12
No one has mentioned Arcum Dagsson yet. He's a very proactive blue commander.
Azami, Lady of Scrolls is also a very combo-oriented commander.
June 3, 2016 10:21 p.m.
MagicalHacker has the right of it. Jalira, Master Polymorphist is one terrible commander to sit across the table from.Another blue commander that I have had success with is Vendilion Clique. Why: Tunnel Vision is a death sentence in a singleton format like Commander.
June 3, 2016 11:15 p.m.
iBleedPunk says... #14
My buddy runs a "Copied Power" Sakashima the Impostor deck and it's pretty brutal. Not as brutal as Jalira, Master Polymorphist can be though.
Muzzio, Visionary Architect is also a very fun Mono-
commander as well
June 4, 2016 12:07 a.m.
I've been trying to do some fun stuff with Patron of the Moon, but my playgroup doesn't respond well to land shenanigans.
June 4, 2016 1:38 a.m.
Gidgetimer says... #16
I'm with Squiggle. Arcum is just crazy, that is why they named an asylum after him. He is a very proactive deck and definitely feels "blue enough" that you won't ever feel like you need another blue deck just for the sake of color variety in your decks.
June 4, 2016 9:44 a.m.
Deckologist says... #17
Oh god...the inner nerd won't leave me alone if I don't post this...
I'm sorry. But like I said the comic book nerd in me wouldn't let it go...its spell Arkham not Arcum
June 4, 2016 10:16 a.m.
Thanks for all the replies everyone! Right now i'm looking at either Jalira, Master Polymorphist and Maelstrom Wanderer. Also wondering if anyone has any thoughts on Braids, Conjurer Adept and Teferi, Temporal Archmage?
June 4, 2016 2:14 p.m.
MagicalHacker says... #21
Both Braids and Teferi need a substantial amount of control to reach their full potential. Braids because you have to deal with opponents' free stuff and Teferi because he abuses stax effects and eventually gets to a Chain Veil combo.
Also, Maelstrom Wanderer doesn't use that many blue cards.
June 4, 2016 2:31 p.m.
@MagicalHacker: I hadn't thought about that with braids and teferi. If wanderer doesn't use that many blue cards then jalira it is. Thanks everybody! I'll post a decklist as soon as I have it.
June 4, 2016 2:48 p.m.
Empress Galina? She can be a bit obnoxious to everyone else but nonetheless pretty interesting
June 4, 2016 10:07 p.m.
Empress Galina? She can be a bit obnoxious to everyone else but nonetheless pretty interesting
June 4, 2016 10:08 p.m.
cannibalfood says... #26
This is my Jalira deck that I'm working on, so far so good... Jalira, Master Polymorphist
June 9, 2016 10:11 p.m.
@cannibalfood: Thanks! I'll definitely give that a look.
June 10, 2016 3:08 p.m.
Sorry it took so long there's been some stuff going on. Here's the deck Jalira, Master Polymorphist EDH. Let me know what you think.
June 21, 2016 1:31 p.m.
Sorry the link goes to the wrong deck. Here's the actual link I hope: Jalira or something.
MagicalHacker says... #2
Jalira, Master Polymorphist is as threatening as they come.
June 3, 2016 5:36 p.m.