Magic: The Gathering's first Standard set of 2025 is Aetherdrift (DFT). In DFT, players get introduced to the Ghirapur Grand Prix, a race that spans the planes of Avishkar, Amonkhet, and Muraganda. Excitingly, DFT is the first set to explore the primitive plane of Muraganda fully. Teams of racers compete in the Ghirapur Grand Prix to win its top prize, The Aetherspark.
Chandra, Daretti, and other recognizable competitors from across the multiverse participate in the Ghirapur Grand Prix. Additionally, racers use multiple forms of transportation, such as Vehicles, creatures, and elements, to reach the finish line. Whatever ride a racer chooses must help traverse the treacherous landscapes and unknown dangers that lie ahead.
DFT's 41 new-to-MTG Vehicles account for 25% of all Vehicle cards in the game. While many of DFT's Vehicles may not see play beyond Limited formats, some have the aptitude for greatness in Commander. Let's discuss the six best Vehicles from DFT for Commander by casting cost.
It's a Vehicle. It's an Equipment. It's Rover Blades. MTG's first Vehicle and Equipment can become a 2/2 creature with double strike or grant a creature double strike. Rover Blades closely resembles Fireshrieker but with a higher equip cost and the ability to turn into a creature. Moreover, Rover Blades's flexibility and typing make it a reasonable choice for some strategies.
Vehicle-focused decks led by Kolodin, Triumph Caster and Mendicant Core, Guidelight really want this card. Kolodin, Triumph Caster turns Vehicles like Rover Blades and Parhelion II into hasty artifact creatures when they enter the battlefield. In subsequent turns, you can equip Rover Blades to another hasty Vehicle, like Nautiloid Ship or Weatherlight.
Mendicant Core, Guidelight wants you to play artifacts to increase its power and copy them for once max speed is active. Giving Mendicant Core, Guidelight another point of power and double strike with Rover Blades can be frightening. Other viable artifact creatures to equip with Rover Blades include Master of Etherium, Kappa Cannoneer, and Research Thief.
Equipment decks are another potential home for Rover Blades. Dogmeat, Ever Loyal wants equipped creatures with many keywords to attack. Galea, Kindler of Hope lets you equip Rover Blades for free when cast from the top of your library. If a creature equipped by Rover Blades dies, you may choose to use Rover Blades in its place. Two other synergistic commanders that may find a use for Rover Blades are Captain America, First Avenger and Nahiri, Forged in Fury.
Thunderous Velocipede provides a ton of value for . Attacking with a 5/5 trampling Vehicle is respectable. However, gifting many +1/+1 counters to other creatures and vehicles is magnificent.
If you care about power, add Thunderous Velocipede to Zilortha, Strength Incarnate. Notably, Zilortha, Strength Incarnate and other creatures with a mana value of four or higher enter with three +1/+1 counters. Interested in pushing the power level of creatures even higher? Layer on the abilities of Hardened Scales and Ozolith, the Shattered Spire to turn any creatures or Vehicles you cast into sizable threats.
Likewise, Thunderous Velocipede supports decks that want to go wild with +1/+1 counters. Shalai and Hallar will throw damage at your opponents each time +1/+1 counters get distributed by Thunderous Velocipede. Any support card giving +1/+1 counters to Skullbriar, the Walking Grave is a worthwhile consideration. In addition, Thunderous Velocipede will ensure Hamza, Guardian of Arashin and its companions cost as little mana as possible to cast.
Thopter Fabricator can generate much value without getting crewed. Whenever you draw your second card each turn with Thopter Fabricator under your control, you create a 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature token with flying. Three mana for a repeatable, creature-producing artifact is an excellent tradeoff. Attacking or blocking with a crewed Thopter Fabricator is an ancillary benefit.
One synergistic home for Thopter Fabricator is in Cycling decks led by Gavi, Nest Warden. The first time you cycle each turn, you could receive a 2/2 red and white Dinosaur Cat creature token and 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature token with flying. It won't take long to amass an army of creature tokens to use as you please. Want even more creature token shenanigans? Throw Alandra, Sky Dreamer into the mix.
decks led by The Locust God or Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind want Thopter Fabricator as a partner. Both commanders' looting effects also trigger Thopter Fabricator's ability. You can run redundancy by slotting in Matzalantli, the Great Door, Collector's Vault, or Currency Converter as colorless looters in the 99. Where supplemental card draw exists, Thopter Fabricator's tokens may follow.
Zombie players should be delighted to see Cryptcaller Chariot. A black 5/5 Vehicle with menace and crew two is acceptable, but its other ability is stellar. You create a tapped 2/2 black Zombie creature token for each card you discard. Amazingly, activating Cryptbreaker's ability with Cryptcaller Chariot under your control will net you three 2/2 Zombie creature tokens! Furthermore, Cryptcaller Chariot turns Faithless Looting into a draw two, discard two, and make two tapped 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens.
Cryptcaller Chariot is an obvious choice for Zombie commanders, especially Varina, Lich Queen. Attacking with Zombies with Varina, Lich Queen in play will cause you to draw cards, discard cards, and gain life. Turning Varina, Lich Queen's discarding drawback into a benefit with Cryptcaller Chariot is superb.
DFT's standout commander, [elHashaton, Scarab's Fist[/el], may want a copy of Cryptcaller Chariot. What's better than discarding a creature card and paying mana for a copy of it as a 4/4 black Zombie creature token? Receiving a 4/4 black Zombie copy and an extra 2/2 black Zombie creature token! Correspondingly, enablers, like Tortured Existence and Putrid Imp, help activate discard-triggering abilities.
Salvation Engine is a five-mana 6/10 Vehicle with a hefty crew cost. While crewing Salvation Engine requires two Pilot creature tokens or equivalent, attacking with it allows you to return an artifact card from your graveyard to the battlefield. Even if you cannot crew Salvation Engine, you still benefit from giving other artifact creatures you control +2/+2.
Salvation Engine is a valuable utility card in decks churning out artifact creature tokens. First, Urza, Chief Artificer synergies well with artifact tokens. It creates a 0/0 colorless Construct artifact creature token that can grow larger at the beginning of your end step. Second, Breya, Etherium Shaper, is a commander who enters the battlefield with two artifact creature tokens and wants you to make more.
Several other cards that take full advantage of Salvation Engine's abilities, including Stridehangar Automaton, Sai, Master Thopterist, and Urza, Prince of Kroog. Stridehangar Automaton gives you an additional 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature token with flying each time you create any artifact token. Similarly, Sai, Master Thopterist creates a 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature token with flying when you cast an artifact spell.
Intriguingly, Urza, Prince of Kroog offers the same +2/+2 effect to artifact creatures as Salvation Engine. It also goes one step further in creating a copy of Salvation Engine for six mana to increase the size of artifact creatures. As a side effect to Urza, Prince of Kroog's activated ability, the token copy of Salvation Engine becomes a 1/1 Soldier creature in addition to its other types.
There is much to like about a gigantic 7/7 flying Vehicle with lifelink and first strike. Seven mana to cast Valor's Flagship is steep, but you may cycle it to make a handful of Pilot creature tokens. It's also nice to have an alternative use for Valor's Flagship when it appears in an opening hand. Furthermore, many options exist to avoid paying Valor's Flagship's hefty price tag.
Greasefang, Okiba Boss and Valor's Flagship make a wonderful pair. Greasefang, Okiba Boss can return Valor's Flagship from the graveyard to the battlefield, give it haste, and crew it. Moreover, once Valor's Flagship attacks and returns to your hand, you can cycle it to repeat the process on your next turn.
You may want to consider Shorikai, Genesis Engine as an alternative Vehicle-centric commander. It's Pilot-generating ability makes crewing Valor's Flagship a breeze. Blue provides a pool of cards to cheat Valor's Flagship into play. For example, Anchor to Reality can exchange four mana and a Pilot creature token to pull Valor's Flagship from your library and onto the battlefield.
A second card used to avoid paying Valor's Flagship's casting cost is Master Transmuter. You can utilize Master Transmuter's activated ability to return an artifact you control to its owner's hand and put Valor's Flagship onto the battlefield from your hand. If you want to delve further into blue's sly tricks, consider experimenting with Shape Anew and Show and Tell.
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