New "Staples"

[Shredwick]

So I was browsing through the forums the other day (read: everyday), and I read something somewhere someone said Hero's Downfall replaced Murder in all of their black decks.  While not exactly new, having come out in the Theros block, I had no idea the card existed, and that it was strictly better than Murder.  So that got me thinking, what else have I missed?  I've been in and out of standard (mostly out since I got into EDH two-ish years ago), and don't know which cards one should have at least one of, regardless of price, or at least a playset of to throw in decks their building with certain colors.

Let's talk.

[Judaspriester]

What format are we talking about? Modern Staples don't need to be good at EDH and vice versa.

[Shredwick]

Could be staples in any format.  I simply favor EDH but that's not the only format people follow here on these forums.

[WWolfe]

Smothering Tithe has became a staple in almost any EDH deck with white.

[Soren841]

Arid Mesa
Bloodstained Mire
City of Brass
Command Tower
Exotic Orchard
Flooded Strand
Forbidden Orchard
Gemstone Caverns
Gemstone Mine
Mana Confluence
Marsh Flats
Misty Rainforest
Polluted Delta
Scalding Tarn
Verdant Catacombs
Windswept Heath
Wooded Foothills
Arbor Elf
Avacyn's Pilgrim
Birds of Paradise
Carpet of Flowers
Chrome Mox
Dark Ritual
Deathrite Shaman
Elves of Deep Shadow
Elvish Mystic
Fyndhorn Elves
Llanowar Elves
Lotus Petal
Mana Crypt
Mox Diamond
Noble Hierarch
Sol Ring
Brainstorm
Dark Confidant
Mystic Remora
Necropotence
Ponder
Preordain
Sylvan Library
Timetwister
Wheel of Fortune
Demonic Tutor
Diabolic Intent
Gamble
Imperial Seal
Lim-Dûl's Vault
Merchant Scroll
Mystical Tutor
Vampiric Tutor
Worldly Tutor
Abrupt Decay
Autumn's Veil
Chain of Vapor
Dispel
Force of Will
Mental Misstep
Nature's Claim
Noxious Revival
Pact of Negation
Silence
Swan Song

These are the main ones (for a 5 color deck.. there are more for mono colored but whatever) if you're in the colors for then you should probably always run most of these.

[Morganator 2.0]

Going backwards from the last two years...

I know that Modern Horizons brought in a lot of new staples for commander. Mainly Force of Negation, Force of Vigor, Prismatic Vista, and the talisman (Talisman of Curiosity) and draw land (Sunbaked Canyon) cycles. We'll see a lot of the talismans in decks from now on, but the other cards might be out of most people's price range. I'm also sure that Generous Gift and Tribute Mage will weave their way into most decks.

The latest Ravnica block had Narset, Parter of Veils and Ashiok, Dream Render as hate pieces, Bolas's Citadel, Narset's Reversal, and Smothering Tithe make cool new toys, Guardian Project and Beast Whisperer are new draw effects, and Plaguecrafter, Assassin's Trophy, Return to Nature and Goblin Cratermaker are excellent removal spells.

Commander 2018 gave... like... nothing. Windgrace's Judgment and Treasure Nabber will see fringe play, but there were no other good new cards, and nothing that can be called a staple. It's mostly the commanders from this set that will shine.

Core 2019 had Cleansing Nova, Runic Armasaur, Satyr Enchanter (for enchantment decks), and Colossal Majesty. But the real treasure of that set is Nexus of Fate.

Battlebond may as well been called "Commander Masters". The bond-land cycle (Luxury Suite) is amazing. Spellseeker and Game Plan are also seeing play in blue decks. It's a shame that I haven't seen anything special done with Arena Rector.

Dominaria didn't have much for "staples" but it did give some powerful legendaries, and some cards that see play in the right decks (namely Helm of the Host, Blackblade Reforged, Mox Amber, and Shalai, Voice of Plenty).

The Ixalan block gave us Growing Rites of Itlimoc, Journey to Eternity, Twilight Prophet, Unclaimed Territory, Primal Amulet, and Sunbird's Invocation. None of these are staples per se, but you might have a deck that they would work well in.

Finally, Commander 2017 gave good tribal cards like Path of Ancestry, Herald's Horn, Kindred Discovery, and Kindred Dominance, as well as some generally good cards like Teferi's Protection, Curse of Opulence, and Curse of Verbosity.

So that's everything in the last two years. Do you want me to go back further?

[Shredwick]

I'd consider myself satisfied, but I won't stop you Morgie

[Morganator 2.0]

Very well. Let's see how good I am at this.

The Amonkhet block had some interesting cards for commander players. Solemnity, Anointed Procession, As Foretold, Mirage Mirror, Combat Celebrant, Ramunap Excavator, and Razaketh, the Foulblooded see play in specific decks. The only staple card is Abrade, and maybe Scavenger Grounds and Manglehorn. Aven Mindcensor also got a reprint, so that was cool.

The Kaladesh block brought some really powerful artifacts. First and foremost, Paradox Engine, followed by Aetherflux Reservoir and Panharmonicon. There was also Walking Ballista (a combo outlet), Metallic Mimic for tribal decks, and Lifecrafter's Bestiary. The good non-artifact cards included Authority of the Consuls, Dramatic Reversal (combos with Isochron Scepter), Felidar Guardian (combos with Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker, and Aminatou, the Fateshifter), Baral Chief of Compliance (counterspell decks), and Trophy Mage. The real staples include Rishkar's Expertise and Heroic Intervention. The fast land cycle was also completed (Spirebluff Canal).

Commander 2016 gave us 4-color commanders in an explosive way. There wasn't much for staples, but Ancient Excavation, Curtains' Call, Runehorn Hellkite, and Manifold Insights are all worth mentioning. The only card that really qualifies as a staple is Ash Barrens, and by that I mean it goes in almost any deck.

Take the Crown had some powerful cards, but I don't think any of them are staples. Recruiter of the Guard is a good search effect. Regal Behemoth and Custodi Lich are good monarch cards. Selvala's Stampede and Expropriate are amazing voting cards (Expropriate wins games on it's own). And Selvala, Heart of the Wilds is not only a powerful commander, but also works in the 99.

The Shadows over Innistrad block was... underwhelming. We got a werewolf commander, Ulrich of the Krallenhorde. He's good right?
All joking aside, the reveal land cycle (Port Town) is good for lower powered decks, Imprisoned in the Moon and Anguished Unmaking are definitely staples. Cryptolith Rite, Open the Armory, Eerie Interlude, Sigarda's Aid, Selfless Spirit, Eldritch Evolution, and Thalia, Heretic Cathar also see play in the right conditions.

Commander 2015 gave at least three cards that can be called staples; Thought Vessel, Grasp of Fate, and Command Beacon. Mystic Confluence also sees more play than it deserves. Pathbreaker Ibex and Arachnogenesis can also end games in the right circumstances.

So that's the last 4 years of commander, summarized in less than 2 minutes.

[Shredwick]

Morganator, you are truly awesome.

[Soren841]

Morg ur casting a shadow on my beautiful list of staples

[Morganator 2.0]

I'ma keep going then. Party bus has no breaks. Shredwick missed a card from Theros, so I have to go back at least that far.

I almost feel like I can skip the Battle for Zendikar Block. We got, like, Zendikar Resurgent, Zulaport Cutthroat, and... Void Winnower? I guess? The Tango lands (Cinder Glade) are good though. They are staples, while the rest of this block is not.

Magic Origins brought some interesting cards. Jace, Vryn's Prodigy is probably the highlight, but also Caustic Caterpillar is a staple in green decks (it's instant-speed, and a turn sooner than Reclamation Sage). There is also Managorger Hydra for +1/+1 counter decks, Elemental Bond for creature decks, Chandra's Ignition for voltron decks, and Sword of the Animist for... people that don't know better ramp exists.

Moving on, the Tarkir block brought in some tri-color lands (Mystic Monastery) that many people consider to be staples. Not me. Don't ever associate me with those lands. But this block also gave removal spells like Utter End, Reality Shift, and Merciless Executioner. There were also some amazing draw spells like Treasure Cruise, Shamanic Revelation, Dark Deal, and Dig Through Time (these are staples). Green decks also got a combo card (Temur Sabertooth) and a ramp card (Shaman of Forgotten Ways).

So from this point on, things might get fuzzy, because these cards were released before I started playing Magic.

Commander 2014 produced a true staple, Commander's Sphere. Song of the Dryads could also be a staple, but it's price is a limitation for most. There are also people that like Myriad Landscape. Again, not me.

Core 2015 gave some staples for specific decks, like The Chain Veil (planeswalker decks), Waste Not (discard/wheel decks), and Chasm Skulker (+1/+1 counters/card draw). There was also Genesis Hydra and Reclamation Sage for green decks. Generator Servant works well in any red deck where your commander benefits from haste. Lastly, Hushwing Gryff is sometimes used as a stax piece.

Conspiracy didn't give anything in the way of "staples", but Selvala, Explorer Returned, Dack Fayden, Deathreap Ritual, and Treasonous Ogre all deserve a special mention. Council's Judgment would see play in most white decks, if it didn't have such a high price tag.

And we arrive at the Theros block! You've already brought up Hero's Downfall, which is a very good removal spell. This block also gave the temples (Temple of Malady) which work well in some decks (not a lot, and they should not be considered staples). We also saw some staple lands in the form of Nykthos, Shine to Nyx and Mana Confluence. Mana Confluence fits well in any deck with more than 1 color. Sylvan Caryatid, Karametra's Acolyte, and Kiora's Follower are staple ramp cards. Some people include Burnished Hart and Astral Cornucopia on that list. Swan Song is a counterspell that works wonders in commander. Definitely a staple. There is also Read the Bones for a staple draw spell, and Gray Merchant of Asphodel as a finisher. Other cards worth mentioning are Dictate of Erebos, Courser of Kruphix, and Archetype of Endurance.

Wrapping this up, Commander 2013 gave the staple boardwipe Toxic Deluge. This is arguably the best boardwipe in commander. There was also Darksteel Mutation as a staple removal spell.

[BoBWiz]

Just a few modern/legacy staples since Tarkir that come to my mind.

Kolaghan's Command is modern staple.

Fatal Push is staple in each format (exept cEDH maybe) - This is the (non-land) card that got the most impact in nearly every format since Tarkir.

Chandra, Torch of Defiance is even played in legacy.

I think those three are the most important.

[BoBWiz]

I forgot Collective Brutality and Thing in the Ice.

[Marshstepper78]

I'm not convinced that the new canopy lands from Modern Horizons are Commander staples. So far, they are pretty meh in the decks I have them in. Maybe you can argue the case for cEDH.

However, I am testing playsets of Nurturing Peatland and Sunbaked Canyon in my BG elves and Norin/soul sisters decks respectively. I'm fairly certain they will be great in my Modern decks.