20 Best Treefolk Cards for Commander
From Saplings to Ents and From Antiquities to Foundations Jumpstart, These Treefolk Cards Will Make a Tree-Hugger Out of You
Treefolk have been around since the inception of Magic: The Gathering via its first set, Alpha, from 1993. Despite being an "original" Magic creature type, only
These towering creatures were predominantly focused in green for many years - fittingly, I'd say - until the Lorwyn-Shadowmoor block introduced white and black kindred support for Magic's leafy giants (though the Golgari-colored Ebony Treefolk
But what are the best Treefolk cards to employ in Commander? This top 20 features a canopy's worth of spells and creatures that perfectly suit decks with a strong Treefolk theme. So, tree-huggers unite! Let's explore the best Treefolk cards for Commander.
Honorable Mention
Verdeloth the Ancient
While the Treefolk creature type originated all the way back in Alpha, this kindred collection didn't receive its first lord (aka creature that boosts another creature type in some meaningful way) until Invasion released in 2000 with this legendary 4/7 Treefolk.
Though power creep has surely made this six-mana creature somewhat obsolete, it is still notable for being a dual Magic lord, boosting both Treefolk and Saproling creatures, and it also serves as an effective mana sink via its kicker ability, which can be used to invest when you cast it, which will creature that many Saproling creature tokens.
20. Willow Geist
This rare from 2021's Innistrad: Midnight Hunt serves as an excellent synergy piece in Golgari decks that want to explore the graveyard and use effects that recur or remove cards from your graveyard in order to boost this nifty little one-drop considerably.
Hosting trample already is a nice boon for this 1/1 Treefolk, and Willow Geist
19. Gaea's Avenger
The oldest card on this list by far is this Treefolk with variable power and toughness that originally released in 1994's Antiquities set, which had an explicit artifact theme. As such, Gaea's Avenger
Featuring awesome artwork by Pete Venters of an armor-plated Treefolk brandishing a rootlike sword and rallying the troops (i.e., trees), this card has never seen a reprint in paper (and never will due to being on the Reserved List). As such, acquiring a copy of this Commander-legal Treefolk will set you back around $60 on the secondary market.
18. Orchard Warden
For the most part, Treefolk in Magic are more of a defensive creature type. Unless paired with cards that let your creatures deal their combat damage via their toughness - such as Huatli, the Sun's Heart
Orchard Warden is a big help in that department, as it gains you life equal to any Treefolk's toughness that enters play on your side of the battlefield, whether it be a token copy, a 2/10 vanilla creature or a big, beefy Treefolk lord creature such as...
17. Fangorn, Tree Shepherd
2023's Universes Beyond: The Lord of the Rings was one of the most successful Magic sets of all time, as LotR remains one of the most popular and beloved fantasy franchises across all media. Of course, Treefolk, or in Middle-Earth, Ents, make up an important part of the series, and one of the most notable of these noble giants is Fangorn, whose forest plays a pivotal role in the trilogy.
In Magic, "Fangorn himself, he is perilous too; yet he is wise and kindly nonetheless," as J.R.R. Tolkien himself stated. This seven-mana Treefolk lord delivers some spicy effects, such as providing an Upwelling-style effect and giving all your Treefolk vigilance, which is eminently useful as they will almost all have extremely high toughness.
16. Indomitable Ancients
Speaking of a lot of toughness, this 2/10 vanilla creature for is a pretty incredible bulwark of a defender (though it doesn't actually have the defender ability), and it pairs wonderfully with any number of other Treefolk cards on this list, though it really sings when you slap a Gauntlets of Light on it, as you can attack for 10 right away, putting your foes on a swift clock.
This card was printed in 2008 as part of the Morningtide expansion and it has never been reprinted. Even though vanilla creatures aren't the most interesting in the world, this card is eminently flavorful, and the rate of getting a combined 12 power and toughness for only four mana is still an extremely good rate over 15 years after this card released. Couple that with brilliant Pete Venters artwork and you've got a classic Treefolk card.
15. Unstoppable Ash
While not technically a Treefolk lord, this card hailing from Morningside certainly suits Treefolk decks perfectly due to its triggered ability that boosts your all of your creatures' toughness by five whenever they get blocked, which will aid Treefolk creatures greatly as they already hold high toughness across the board as a creature type.
This card also features the champion keyword ability, which forces you to exile a card that shares a creature type with it - in this case, Treefolk or Warrior - due to the card being somewhat above-rate in terms of value. Certainly, a 5/5 trampler for with a notable triggered ability is nice, but sometimes that "drawback" can be a boon, such as if you also have an Orchard Warden on the battlefield and you get to gain life when Unstoppable Ash enters the battlefield as well as gain life when it leaves the battlefield since the Treefolk you exiled will return to play.
14. Ulvenwald Observer
While Treefolk decks might seem a little clunky and slow, they are certainly flavorful, and if your deck is filled with ramping spells and powerful mana rocks, you can be well on your way to victory as long as you find the right Treefolk when you need them.
This six-mana Treefolk from 2016's Eldritch Moon expansion will help on that front, as you'll get to draw a card whenever one of your Treefolk dies, as almost all of them have toughness greater than four. In fact, one could build an entire deck based around this card and sacrifice synergies related to Treefolk. Throw in some recursion or cards like Insidious Roots, Agatha's Soul Cauldron and Willow Geist, and you'll have a mighty fine brew.
13. Bosk Banneret
Bosk Banneret is part of a series of mono-colored Banneret cards that were unveiled in Morningtide (a top-flight set for kindred Treefolk shenanigans), one for each color, that cost two mana and reduced the cost of spells that shared a creature type with them.
Green's entry into this series reduces Treefolk and Shaman spells by , which might not sound like a lot, but it can certainly help smooth out Treefolk decks that feature mana-intensive bombs such as Fangorn or Verdeloth.
12. Dauntless Dourbark
Another Treefolk with variable power and toughness, Dauntless Dourbark can grow to impressive strength in a dedicated mono-green Treefolk deck, especially when paired with cards that nab you basic lands or, specifically, Forest cards from your deck.
At only four mana, you'll feel best about this card when it enters as about a 7/7. If it's larger than that, you'll feel amazing, as it will indubitably have trample in a Treefolk build. Sure, it's missing protection, but that's what cards like Heroic Intervention or Tamiyo's Safekeeping are for.
11. Lignify
One of a select few noncreature kindred cards, Lignify is an Aura that turns any creature into a 0/4 Treefolk creature, no questions asked. A brutal card to play on your foe's commander, this card also nets you any benefits that come from casting a Treefolk spell. It also can be played for a single if Bosk Banneret is on your side of the battlefield.
While effects such as these are fairly common in Magic these days, the fact that this is a Treefolk spell gives it an edge and provides myriad synergies with other cards on this list. It's also always entertaining to foil a foe's plans by turning their unblockable, indestructible monster into a simple, harmless, zero-power Treefolk.
10. Sapling of Colfenor
Another Treefolk that helps thin your deck, this one only nets you card advantage when it attacks. But that's fine, as Sapling of Colfenor has the handy indestructible keyword, so there's no way it's dying from combat damage anytime soon.
This card debuted in 2008's Morningtide expansion, and while it does technically ding you for life loss based on the creature card that's revealed from the top of your library, if your deck is chock-full of Treefolk cards with far higher toughness than power, you'll almost always be netting lifegain as opposed to losing life. Also, that art by notable Magic artist John Avon is brilliant.
9. Six
As one half of the famed planeswalker duo Wrenn and Six, Six is a legendary 2/4 Treefolk for three mana with reach and the ability to recur lands straight into play from your graveyard when it attacks.
Beyond that triggered ability, Six's main effect is likely giving all nonland permanent spells in your graveyard retrace, which allows you to replay them by simply discarding a land card from your hand in addition to paying their mana cost and any other costs associated with the card. This creates a built-in synergy of discarding lands from your hand to retrace permanents in your graveyard and then returning those lands to play when Six attacks. Neat!
8. Ancient Lumberknot
One of the premier win conditions for Treefolk decks on this list so far, Ancient Lumberknot was released in the Innistrad: Crimson Vow set from 2021 and provides that notable text line that Treefolk decks cry out for: "Creatures you control assign combat damage equal to their toughness rather than their power."
In this case, Ancient Lumberknot only affects creatures you control (which is a plus) with toughness greater than their power, but, come on, you're playing Treefolk: that's going to be all of them. While this card could surely get lost in the 99 if you're not careful, there are other ways to apply this effect depending on your commander, or you could tutor it up with...
7. Treefolk Harbinger
While most Treefolk Commander decks will surely be playing myriad mana-ramping one-drops, such as Wild Growth, Utopia Sprawl or the nominal mascot card of the Commander format - Sol Ring - this one-drop Treefolk Druid from 2007's Lorwyn set might be the best one-drop of all in a Treefolk build.
The utility of being able to search up any of Treefolk from your deck and placing it on top of your library is invaluable, unless of course your foe is playing some devious milling strategy. The gravy on top of this leafy green card is the fact that you can even tutor up a Forest card (which includes nonbasic Forests such as shocklands or surveil lands) if you're short on mana.
6. Faeburrow Elder
This Commander favorite originally released in 2019's Throne of Eldraine set and became a notable cog in five-color shells, as this three-drop would immediately come into play as a 5/5 with vigilance that can tap to add to your mana pool.
While Treefolk decks will likely only be two or three colors normally, this Treefolk Druid is still a notable mana-ramping creature that can capably aid your goal of getting as many foliage-fringed bodies onto the battlefield as quickly as possible.
5. Scurry Oak
A top-tier combo piece, this unassuming uncommon from Modern Horizons 2 goes infinite with multiple different cards. While the design of this card is surely elegant, the ability for it to pop off with any number of cards that plant +1/+1 counters on it makes it somewhat problematic.
Still though, there is surely something massively satisfying about surprising an unsuspecting player with an infinite combo built around this rather upset-looking Treefolk. While this card is best known for its presence in combo decks, it does play rather well in dedicated Treefolk decks as its evolve ability will surely ping numerous times throughout the game as Treefolk are known for their rather high toughness quotients.
4. Doran, the Siege Tower
Likely the best option as a commander for Treefolk decks, Doran, the Siege Tower introduced the ability for creatures to assign combat damage equal to their toughness rather than their power in 2007's kindred extravaganza Lorwyn. While this ability is symmetrical, meaning it affects all players, a Treefolk deck will surely be better equipped to benefit from Doran's ability than most other decks.
Though this card does require three colored pips as an Abzan Commander (), the fact that it will immediately swing for five when it can - as well as enabling many of your other high-toughness cards, such as Indomitable Ancients or Fangorn - to attack for big damage means that Doran is surely among the all-stars in a dedicated Treefolk deck.
3. Heartwood Storyteller
An intriguing "group hug" Treefolk creature, this three-mana Treefolk originally printed in 2007's engaging Future Sight set wants your deck to be focused solely on playing creature spells. The fact that this affects all other players will force opponents to think twice before casting Think Twice.
This might not be a Commander stalwart (1% usage on EDHREC), but it should be a must-add for Treefolk decks that feature a majority of creatures. Sure, these decks will have mana-ramping instants, sorceries and artifacts, but after that, you should be slamming creatures most or your other turns - while your foes' gameplans will be stuck in molasses until they answer this unassuming 2/3 jolly green giant.
2. Leaf-Crowned Elder
Yet another Treefolk standout from 2008's Morningtide set, this card is an absolute banger in the right circumstances, especially if you can duplicate your upkeeps through something like Paradox Haze or Shadow of the Second Sun - but why do that when you can just swing for the fences with an unstoppable army of anthropomorphized trees?
Being able to play big-time Treefolk threats for free is a huge boon in devoted Treefolk decks, and at only four mana, this card is a pretty solid deal. This card has only ever been reprinted on The List, so the original Morningtide version is worth a pretty penny, but if you're looking for maximum fun playing Treefolk, you simply must include it in your deck.
1. Timber Protector
Normally, creature lords are notable synergy pieces, but the fact that they immediately have a target on their backs makes them something of a liability in Commander. While that is somewhat true of Timber Protector, the abilities it bestows on your other Treefolk is simply too strong to ignore.
While a +1/+1 boost to power and toughness is surely impactful, it's this card's second line of text that truly makes it the best Treefolk card of all time: granting other Treefolk and ALL FORESTS YOU CONTROL indestructible. Pairing this with cards that make your lands creatures or even something as simple as Overrun, and you're well on your way to swinging for the fences with your Treefolk. Sure, it dies to Doom Blade, but if you're playing Treefolk, your goal should be getting as many wonderful woody bodies onto the battlefield as soon as possible, and this 4/6 Treefolk Warrior protects them better than no other.
I Speak For the Treefolk
Admittedly, Treefolk might not be the most competitively viable deck or the speediest archetype across Magic's history, but as anyone who speaks Old Entish knows, "it takes a long time to say anything in Old Entish. And we never say anything unless it is worth taking a long time to say."
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