When I saw this topic, I was hoping for a more creative discussion. We all know
Sol Ring and Dockside and
Kodama's Reach and
Smothering Tithe and
Cyclonic Rift are staples. I don't think anyone's going to be surprised by seeing a
Teferi's Protection or a Rhystic Studies. I'm curious to hear what your off the beaten path staples are. Are you always quick to add a
Verity Circle in any blue deck? Do still find it worth it to run
Gray Merchant of Asphodel even when you're in two or three colors? Is
Eerie Interlude your all time favorite protection spell? I'd love to hear more of what everyone really thinks of a staple besides just the popular classics.
By the way, of those cards I listed so far,
Verity Circle is probably the one I love the most. Some other great staples for me personally, that I believe are off the beaten path, are
Martyr's Cause,
Spawning Pit,
Guardian Project,
Wash Out,
Fertile Ground,
Soul Barrier,
Shielded by Faith... though, I do agree that just running a bunch of staples isn't my idea of playing commander. I really like to go far, too far generally, into my deck's themes and synergies, often to the point of deoptomizing them, but that's what Magic's all about, right, having fun doing cool, interesting, powerful, or just unexpected things.