One of my favorite formats to spend my time on after I complete a set through drafting and use my wildcards on is Brawl. While I always want to try the next new Commander a set brings, there are times when I just want to play to win, and in today’s article, I will go over the BEST commanders for Brawl in MTG Arena.
Intrigued by what these powerful legends may be? Let’s dive right into it!
What are the best Brawl decks in MTG Arena?
The best Brawl decks in MTG Arena often feature strong commanders like Teferi, Hero of Dominaria for control or Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer for aggressive strategies.
Other popular choices include Esika, God of the Tree or The First Sliver for multicolor ramp, Raffine, Scheming Seer for midrange disruption, and Slimefoot and Squee for value-based sacrifice decks. These decks excel at what they do by abusing the best cards printed on MTG Arena, which are cheap in terms of mana value and efficient and resilient win conditions.
As a rule of thumb, the best Commanders are the ones that can impact the board as soon as they enter the battlefield, rather than ones that are tier 2 or 3 like Phenax, God of Deception, or Krenko, Mob Boss. Some others are relegated to those tiers as there are better commanders already printed in the colors. For example, Zurgo Bellstriker vs Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, Ertai Resurrected vs Rusko, Clockmaker, or Niv-Mizzet Reborn vs The First Sliver, to name a few. With that in mind, let's now look at the ones I prefer the most when it comes to Brawl!
Which commanders are top-tier in MTG Brawl?
Brawl is a fun and strategic format, but not all commanders are created equal. Here's a look at some of the top-tier commanders that consistently deliver powerful results in the format.
Sythis, Harvest's Hand
Sythis is a powerhouse in enchantment-focused decks. With built-in card draw and life gain whenever you cast an enchantment, she ensures a steady flow of resources while keeping you ahead of aggressive strategies. Combine her with cards like Sterling Grove and Sigil of the Empty Throne for a deck that controls the board and overwhelms opponents with value.
Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
Derevi shines in decks that value combat and utility. Her ability to untap permanents makes her a nightmare for opponents, allowing you to reuse mana sources or key creatures. Pair her with counter magic and card draw effects like Bident of Thassa to keep your enemies locked out of the game while you steadily gain card advantage.
Esika, God of the Tree // The Prismatic Bridge
Esika offers incredible flexibility, either enabling five-color good stuff strategies with The Prismatic Bridge or, in rare scenarios, acting as a mana engine herself. I built this deck as a control deck with many powerful finishers like Griselbrand or Atraxa, Grand Unifier that can be cheated into play once you get to untap with The Prismatic Bridge.
Etali, Primal Conqueror
Etali brings chaos and power to the table. With its ability to exile and cast cards from both libraries, it provides incredible card advantage and unpredictability. Although the latter may be a drawback as you can just “cascade” into a ramp spell, you still need to deal with this big dino as once transformed into Etali, Primal Sickness, it becomes a game-ending threat thanks to infect. Since this is basically a ramp deck, you can instead use game-winning conditions like a kicked Tooth and Nail searching for a Xenagos, God of Revels and Emrakul, the Promised End, as most of the time, this combination will win games on their own.
Raffine, Scheming Seer
Raffine is by far one of the top-tier commanders for aggressive or tempo strategies. His ability to connive allows you to draw and filter cards while growing your creatures and sending them to the graveyard, which later can be returned with cards like Reanimate or Unearth. Since you are running Esper colors, you get access to the best cheap removals in the game in the form of Fatal Push and Swords to Plowshares, along with powerful countermagic like Wash Away, a top-tier Brawl card, or Mana Drain.
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
Ragavan is a menace in the early game, offering ramp and card advantage every time he connects. His low mana cost ensures you can deploy him quickly, while his Treasure generation helps you accelerate into powerful spells. Running him is a gamble though, as people will concede very often when they are set to play on the draw, so keep that in mind.
Slimefoot and Squee
My favorite brawler! Their ability to return to the battlefield ensures you'll always have a presence, while their token creation lets you flood the board. It's also packed with some of the best cards in the game such as Grief or Fury, which can be returned to play with many reanimation tools like Reanimate or your Commander's ability when they are played for their evoke cost.
The deck is very resilient and when navigated properly, it can win against almost any deck.
Which tier 2 commanders are also competitive in MTG Brawl?
While tier 1 commanders often steal the spotlight, many tier 2 commanders bring unique strategies and competitive potential to the table. These commanders might require a bit more playtesting to start winning with them, but once you get what’s the deal about them, you can win many games with ease!
Here’s a closer look at some tier 2 commanders that can hold their own in MTG Brawl.
Chatterfang, Squirrel General
You may want to build Chatterfang, Squirrel General in a token centered deck or a sacrifice theme one, but the reality is that this little squirrel is one of the best combo commanders the game has. The plan is simple yet effective: Pair it with Warren Soultrader and any Blood Artist effect and win the game. To do this reliably, the deck has tons of tutors like Assemble the Team or Beseech the Mirror to always search for the missing piece and disruption cards like Grief or Thoughtseize that will let you combo off freely. The key here is timing, and with some practice, you can go from an almost empty board to winning the game.
Amalia Benavides Aguirre
For a long time, I wanted to have a Commander for Brawl that can also be paired with a Companion, and as it happens, Amalia Benavides Aguirre is the perfect partner for Lurrus of the Dream-Den. This deck is insane as it's not just your regular life gain one, but it also is built as a pseudo-reanimator one that can benefit from your Commander's explore ability to send things to the graveyard, and later return many creatures to the field at once with the likes of Return to the Ranks or Raise the Past.
Illuna, Apex of Wishes
Lastly, one of my most successful tier 2 commanders is Illuna, Apex of Wishes. You run it as a Temur control deck that can win on the spot when you hit Omniscience out of the Cascade from Illuna, or pretty much any other of the big finishers this deck runs. Other cards like Indomitable Creativity or Transmogrify are your backdoor options for winning the game when your commander may be too late or not an option.
How do I build a competitive Brawl deck in Magic: The Gathering?
Building a competitive Brawl deck starts with choosing the right commander, as it sets the tone for your strategy and determines how your deck game plan will be. After that, focus on synergy and build it with cards that enhance your commander's abilities or align with the overall strategy as a whole. For example, continuing with the Thalia and The Gitrog Monster example, you want to run graveyard synergy cards that fit well with it like Bloodghast or Ramunap Excavator along with reanimation cards such as Unearth or Jolted Awake. Remember, a cohesive deck strategy amplifies your commander's strengths and keeps your game plan consistent.
This last part is critical, as your deck needs to have a solid game-plan in the early game to not fall behind since Brawl games can snowball hard if you are not prepared. As a personal rule of thumb, if your deck has not done something significant towards your game-plan consistently by turn three or four, then it's very likely you need to revisit your deck for changes.
What is the current Brawl metagame in MTG Arena?
The Brawl metagame on MTG Arena is heavily influenced by its matchmaking system, which separates decks into two main categories: tier 1 “hell-queue” commanders and the rest.
You'll frequently face other high-power commanders if you're using a tier 1 commander, such as Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, Raffine, Scheming Seer, or Teferi, Hero of Dominaria. These games are highly competitive, and building your deck with a focus on early-game interaction—such as one-mana removal—can give you a significant advantage, particularly against frequent threats like Ragavan.
On the other hand, if you're piloting a less competitive commander, like Thalia and The Gitrog Monster, you'll generally be paired against other non-tier 1 decks. This allows for a more diverse metagame, and you can focus on your deck's core strategy without needing to prioritize answers for hyper-aggressive threats.
Additionally, it's important to consider that some cards are adjusted specifically for Arena. For example, Orcish Bowmasters may lose some of their effectiveness compared to their paper counterpart, while others, such as The One Ring, remain strong and reliable options.
Where can I find the latest MTG Brawl decklists?
If you are looking for the latest decklists, then MTG Circle has you covered as you will see in real-time which decks are overperforming, along with gameplay videos tied to them that you can watch on its YT Channel.
Wrap Up
As you can see, the top Commanders for Brawl may be very intense in terms of wildcards, but they are worth the investment. After all, you just need one card and not a full set, unlike other constructed formats.
Thanks for reading up until now. Did you enjoy the list, or do you feel like some commander may have been missed? Let me know in the comments.
Take care, and I will meet you again in my next article.