Five More cEDH Decks for Beginners

So, you want to get into cEDH. Captain America dot gif and all of that. My first five deck recommendations weren't good enough for you, or maybe they just didn't fit your vibe or your goals. That's okay! I have even more intro decks for you here, focusing on different ideals for different players! Whether you come from a Commander background, a competitive constructed background, or some mix of both, we'll find the right deck to get you into the highest power experience that 100 card singleton Magic can offer, or at least something to explore a different aspect of it.

We've got low color stuff, high color stuff, simple stuff, complex stuff, and everything in between. As I emphasized in my last article, it's important to find something that you're comfortable playing as you enter a relatively complex format with stuff to master beyond just jamming your spells. Let's get into it!

The Top 5 cEDH Decks for Beginners

Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin

Two colors, both of which are pretty dang powerful, a strong Commander in our zone, and an intriguing gameplan. What's not to like? Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin

When I first started playing this deck soon after the release of Ob Nix, I was quickly amazed how many cEDH decks would effectively draw me many cards, growing him into a massive threat in the process. Besides commander damage, this deck can win through a variety of methods, the most easy being All Will Be One

Looking beyond the win cons,  you also get to play cards that you would never expect to see in a cEDH deck, with my favorites being Kederekt Parasite

Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator

/ Tana, the Bloodsower

Alright. I'm doing it. I'm recommending it. You want a creature-based win condition, half of which is in the Command Zone? You want Eldritch Evolution

I like this list as a beginner choice for two reasons: three colors is a nice middle ground between not having to think about your mana while also getting to manage your needs some and gaining a powerful range of cards and it gives you a solid, focused direction. That direction? Put Glint-Horn Buccaneer

Temur Pirates is an intriguing deck that will teach you to jam your win within your windows while also giving you a bit of mana trouble to manage; together with a cool creature-based win condition it makes for a great entry point. Did I mention you get all the free counterspells?

If you want more info on Temur Pirates, read my writeup here on Commander's Herald.

An Introduction to Malcolm and Tana (Temur Pirates) in cEDH

Tivit, Seller of Secrets

This Esper Sphinx haunts my dreams at night. His huge six-mana casting cost can make you think you're safe at first, thinking it will take a while to cast. Nope. It's pretty trivial to cast him on turn two or three, all the while setting up value engines and the like. Once Tivit is in play, he is the ultimate value engine himself, drawing cards and making Treasures galore. He also is part of a two-card combo, alongside Time Sieve

By sacrificing the five artifacts that are produced by his on-attack ability, you can take functionally infinite turns and kill your opponents with no trouble. There are other wincons in the deck as well, such as classic Thassa's Oracle combo and infinite mana loops with Hullbreaker Horror

It will teach you to be patient, bide your time, and how to look for and deal with other deck's win attempts and windows because, well, in a lot of games you'll need to get through them to not lose before you can cast your Hullbreaker Horror

If you want to learn more about Tivit, Seller of Secrets in cEDH, check out this extensive writeup from Ian Flannery, who piloted to Tivit to a major cEDH tournament win!

An Introduction to Tivit in cEDH

Magda, Brazen Outlaw

Magda, Brazen Outlaw

Magda helps navigate the gap between the beginning of the game and winning through the use of powerful artifact Stax pieces and related, all of them tutorable through her activated ability. I especially like cards like God-Pharaoh's Statue

You also can get a feel for what pieces disrupt opponents when and why they're at their most effective. All of the above, together with a pretty powerful plan and the ease of being single color, makes this a solid starting option. I like this deck so much that I named it the best mono-color deck you could play in cEDH in my last article! 

If you would like to get a real deep dive into this deck, check out Sam Black's feature on it from earlier this year!

Magda, Brazen Outlaw in cEDH - The Best Deck No One's Talking About

Najeela, the Blade-Blossom

Najeela is a deck I'll recommend for a very specific type of person only and that's those who are already pretty heavily invested in Magic in a competitive sense. Juggling complex decision trees (thanks to playing... basically all the best cards), managing your mana, and even the important choice every turn of who is best to attack can be overwhelming to players coming from an EDH background. But, if your Magic experience is in extensive Modern grinding or even more intense than that, Najeela will be my recommendation every time.

It is a deck that can do it all. Combat infinite combos, Thassa's Oracle

An Introduction To Najeela In cEDH

cEDH Is Your Oyster

Like I said in my last version of this article, the deck that is best for you to play in cEDH is the one that will keep you playing. Whether that's a unique deck of your own invention, one of the now ten decks I've recommended to new players, or a tournament standby, if it keeps you playing cEDH and wanting to play and learn more, that's the right deck for you. Get in there!