The Worst Color(s) In EDH?

You hear all kinds of things playing Commander at the kitchen table.

Of these, one of the longest running debates between players seems to be which color is just the worst, as in bad, as in not good(not "cool"), in EDH.

So, let's do like I do and Rank 'Em!

5. RED


Red, with only Land Destruction, Haste, and Burn, on paper looks like the worst- but that's not what totally makes it the low man on the totem here.

In my experience, what makes this color bad in Commander is the inconsistency. Whereas most other colors can find "happy mediums" and create an aggregate game amidst the EDH chaos, Red always has one plan of attack, and it's downhill. You're racing.

The problem with that is you're either drawing into what you need to end the game, or you aren't. You're not trying to find ways to stay alive, and you're not passing GO every turn for those beige Monopoly bills. You're either gonna get a Monopoly and slam Hotels on that bitch or you're filing for bankruptcy.

If you don't get board game humor, think Thor when he has his hammer. If he were an EDH deck, we're looking at Turn 5-7 wins. Now think about Thor when he doesn't. He's getting run over multiple times by Natalie Portman, and not in the way that anyone wants to be run over, even by Natalie Effing Portman.

4. BLACK

Yeah, I know it's a bit of a shocker. Most people would probably put White here.

Don't get me wrong. Cause this ain't a prejudice thing. I don't roll that way, hombres. 

It has become increasingly apparent to me that Black should be in talks for worst color because of 2 major weaknesses.

The first is utility dudes. I realized that in my mono black deck, often my curve starts at 3 or 4. Again, this isn't bad when you have all the Tutors in the world, and all the Entomb/Reanimate things.

But isn't that just it? You're just slamming Cabal Coffers + All The Tutors + Threats into a deck and hoping for the best?

Sorry to say, but all the creature tutors and all the Doom Blades in the world still won't stop relevant Artifacts and Enchantments from holding Swamp players hostage.

3. WHITE

White's got everything except decent card draw (Yeah, I know about Armistice), which can be solved with a little help from Stoneforge Mystic and his artifact-finding friends. Worst case, you draw Temple Bell or a Font of Mythos. That's worst case.

To prove my point, I currently have a deck predicated on white card advantage. My Kiyomaro, First To Stand EDH is all about that. And it wins.

I think whoever says White is the worst clearly has never heard of Land Tax, Endless Horizons, Weathered Wayfarer, Tithe, and Gift of Estates. Resolving these in a game will often be enough to get something going, so you can find all your Wraths and Paths.

 2. BLUE

Of course blue has that same Artifact/Enchantment weakness that black has, but they can be a little more proactive about it.








For a while, Blue was the unquestioned #1 leading-leader of all Commander color pies. 

 Though counterspells and the life total still make this a relevant and resilient deck all the way till the late-late game, I can't justify this on the top of the totem due to the flooding of decent Green spells.




1. GREEN
Green's rise to power begins, in my mind, with Cultivate. Second copies of Kodama's Reach, aka "Koko-Baby" are the death of anyone who truly knows the meaning of playing land and making your library look skinny.

Add Landfall, Omnath, Mimic Vat, Nim Deathmantle, The colorless Vindicate, Beast Within, Prime Time pre-banning, the token army-in-a-can stuff, more creature tutors, Thragtusk, and the Overwhelming Stampede, and we have just that. Green, overwhelming everyone with dudes.

I also heard Cavern of Souls stops blue decks, and green wrote the book on finding that card. Green's also home to the #1 Doctor Recommended TOP ASSASSIN.

While it may not be able to find the Skullclamps and card draw as easy, pulling land out of your deck is kinda the same thing. 


There's just not enough Wraths, not enough Counterspells, and not enough removal to contain Green- and honestly, though I love this color, it's getting out of hand.

In fact, I'd say that green sets the curve for most playgroups. Moreso than Blue, because of blue's preexisting apprehensions. Truth is Green is a whole lot more trouble.

If the game is all about card advantage, it'll go Green's way. If it's all about creature power, it'll go Green's way. If it's all about life gain, or noncreature permanents, it'll go Green's way.

Unlike Adele, Green does have it all, and it's rolling pretty deep at this point in the Magic Timeline.

That's the word. We'll be right back with something irrelevant that Stephen Colbert has to say, but first a word from Ovaltine, who's not so much a sponsor as much as the best healthy morning breakfast option that all the kids in 1950's America love.

Pass.

-UL