Jeremy explores many topics as he juggles his passion for writing with his career as a chemical analyst and campus manager.

The Commander Legends Set

First introduced in Commander 2016, partners are valued creatures that let you have two commanders if both have the partner trait. Not only does this give you an extra card, but it also lets you tweak your deck's color identity.

Originally, partners were rares and mythics who fetched a pretty penny, but the Commander Legends set brought several uncommon ones that won't break the bank—which reign supreme? These are the ten best uncommon partner commanders in Magic: The Gathering!

10. Brinelin, the Moon Kraken

Try partnering with: Gilanra, Caller of Wirewood

Brinelin needs a ton of mana, and sadly lacks any keywords like hexproof or flying. While that's unfortunate, he compensates with 6/8 stats and an ETB effect, bouncing any non-land on entry. Plus, he'll repeat it whenever you cast a spell of cost 6 or more. He's also useful for adding blue to your team, arguably the best commander color.

Brinelin favors high-cost decks, so use lots of ramp to quickly build the resources needed for his continuous bouncing. If also using green, you may want to consider the companion "Keruga, the Macrosage", giving three guaranteed cards each game.

9. Slurrk, All-Ingesting

Try partnering with: Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker

Slurk is pretty expensive at six mana, but he enters with five +1/+1 counters, and whenever he or another creature you control dies, he places a +1/+1 on all creatures you control that already have one.

Which makes Slurrk a natural fit with proliferate strategies or counter-increasing ones; mix with cards like "Doubling Season" and "Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider."

8. Alena, Kessig Trapper

Try partnering with: Dargo, the Shipwrecker

Alena is a sturdy 4/3 with first strike, but you'll often want to use her for mana, as she taps for red equal to the highest power of a creature you played that turn. Pretty easy to see her potential; play a big creature, then generate enough mana for extra spells.

You can even enchant or equip a creature you just cast to boost its power and gain even more mana.

7. Nadier, Agent of the Duskenel

Try partnering with: Gilanra, Caller of Wirewood

Nadier needs several mana and starts weak at 3/3, but he gains a +1/+1 whenever your token leaves the field. Cool thing here is, this works with any token type (not just creatures) and regardless of how that token left, whether it was killed, sacrificed, exiled, or bounced.

Plus, when Nadier dies, he creates a number of 1/1 green elves equal to his power. If you recast him later, remember that he'll gain strength when these tokens leave the field. And since Nadier himself is an elf, you've got some tribal options here, especially if your other partner provides green.

6. Rebbec, Architect of Ascension

Try partnering with: Silas Renn, Seeker Adept

3/4 stats certainly aren't bad for Rebbec's cost, but it's her ability you're after, granting artifacts you control protection from all mana costs among them. This often makes your artifact-creatures unblockable and indestructible, and it'll apply to all your permanents (including Rebbec herself) if you make them artifacts with "Mycosynth Lattice."

5. Miara, Thorn of the Glade

Try partnering with: Nadier, Agent of the Duskenel

Miara is only 1/2, but offers one of today's cheapest cards mana-wise, needing just two. She also has great elf synergy, letting you pay one mana and one life whenever she or another of your elves dies to draw a card.

With black's numerous creature-sacrificing effects, you can easily kill your elves for extra draws, and black has enough lifegain to counteract the gradual lifeloss.

4. Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist

Try partnering with: Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh

Ardenn is only a 2/2, but at the beginning of your combat, she attaches any number of your auras/equipment to a permanent or player. This helps redistributes auras, but it's even better for attaching equipment without having to pay the equip cost.

White is usually paired with red when constructing equipment-based decks, so consider partners like "Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder" to maximize power for a commander-damage win.

3. Gilanra, Caller of Wirewood

Try partnering with: Kodama of the East Tree

Sure, Gilanra's weak for his cost at 1/2, but he can tap for a green mana. You can spend it on anything, but if used for a spell costing six or more mana, you also get to draw a card.

Mixed with his elf synergy, Gilanra's one of the most versatile partners around, working well in both green and green-black tribal elf decks as well as green-blue (with Brineline) for high-cost spells, and you can nab him for less than one dollar!

2. Tormod, the Desecrator

Try partnering with: Ghost of Ramirez DePietro

Tormod has respectable 4/2 stats plus zombie and wizard subtypes. He really works well as a zombie general, as he creates a tapped 2/2 zombie whenever one or more cards leave your graveyard. Black is great at reviving creatures, and you'll also get them with graveyard-casting effects like flashback and escape.

Picking a partner depends on whether you want to go for mono-black ("Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools") or black-blue (Ghost of Ramirez) zombies, both respectable options.

1. Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh

Try partnering with: Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist

Despite having no cost, Rograkh has a red color identity, unlocking the color despite not actually needing its mana. And he impresses with first strike, menace, and trample. Sure, he's a puny 0/1, but a few equipment and auras can quickly turn him into a big threat that can very well lead to a commander-damage win.

Pair with someone white for more equipment supports; if not Ardeen, try Boros partner "Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder."

Paired Partners in Magic

Today we examined the best uncommon generic partners, who work with any ally, but don't overlook the "partners with" cards, which have a specific card to use in tangent.

Whether using general or specific partners, you'll find both rares and uncommons, letting players of all budgets access their ranks. While the rares tend to be better, don't overlook the potential of today's cards, but for now, vote for your favorite partner and I'll see you at our next MTG countdown!

© 2021 Jeremy Gill