Top 5 Underrated Commanders You Should Proxy

We all know the powerhouses. Atraxa, Praetors' Voice, The Ur-Dragon, Kenrith, the Returned King. They are powerful, but sometimes they can feel a bit... repetitive.

If you are looking to build a new deck that surprises your friends and creates memorable game moments, why not try something weird? Since you can proxy the whole deck for the price of paper, there is no risk in trying a niche strategy!

Here are 5 underrated Commanders that are wildly fun to play.

1. Grenzo, Dungeon Warden

The Casino Boss. Grenzo plays like a slot machine. You interact with the bottom of your library completely bypassing standard drawing.

• The Strategy: Fill your deck with creatures that have power less than Grenzo's power.
• The Fun: You never know what you're going to get. It's gambling, but in Magic.
• Why Proxy: It requires a very specific deck build that doesn't translate to other commanders.

2. Obeka, Brute Chronologist

The Rule Breaker. "The player whose turn it is may end the turn." This innocuous text breaks everything.

• The Strategy: Play cards with terrible "End of turn" downsides (Sneak Attack, Ideas Unbound, Final Fortune). When the "sacrifice this at end of turn" trigger goes on the stack, TAP OBEKA to end the turn. The trigger is exiled, and you keep your stuff forever.
• The Fun: Cheating downsides is incredibly satisfying.
• Why Proxy: You get to play weird cards like Eater of Days that see play nowhere else.

3. Horobi, Death's Wail

The Board Wiper. "Whenever a creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, destroy that creature."

• The Strategy: Play cards that target freely. Cauldron of Souls? Target everyone's board to kill it. Squee's Toy? Tap to destroy target creature.
• The Fun: The game becomes a minefield where nobody can equip boots or buff their creatures without them dying.
• Why Proxy: It's a "hate" deck that changes the rules of the game fundamentally.

4. Shirei, Shizo's Caretaker

The Value Engine. Whenever a creature with power 1 or less dies, return it to the battlefield at the beginning of the next end step.

• The Strategy: Play tiny creatures with "Enters the Battlefield" or "Dies" effects. (Burglar Rat, Bottle Gnomes, Viscera Seer).
• The Fun: You create a Rube Goldberg machine of valuing opponents out of the game with 1/1s.
• Why Proxy: It turns "trash" commons into win conditions.

5. Norin the Wary

The Coward. When a player casts a spell or a creature attacks, exile Norin. Return him at end of turn.

• The Strategy: You can't kill him. But he enters the battlefield constantly. Abuse Confusion in the Ranks, Warstorm Surge, and Genesis Chamber.
• The Fun: Pure Chaos. Confusion in the Ranks with Norin means you steal a creature every single turn permanently.
• Why Proxy: Because sometimes you just want to watch the world burn.

---

Make Them Unique

Since these Commanders are off the beaten path, they deserve special treatment. You can print the original versions here, or give Grenzo a casino-themed art by creating a custom version!

Create Your Commander