Magic: The Gathering's robust Commander format features decks within a myriad of archetypes that use countless different strategies. One common strategy within Commander is self-mill. While the act of milling, putting cards from a player's library directly into their graveyard, can be used against an opponent as a win condition, the act of milling one's self can be quite advantageous if a deck is built around it.
This is because by putting several cards into one's own graveyard, they can easily be accessed through the use of reanimation and recursion spells. However, while self-milling is quite popular in Commander, there are quite a few self-mill commanders to choose from. So today, we're going to examine the various self-mill commanders that the format has to offer and see which are the best!
10 The Mimeoplasm
A Sultai commander for five mana, while the Mimeoplasm isn't capable of milling its controller, it's quite powerful once their graveyard has been filled through other effects. A 0/0 ooze, upon entering the battlefield, this creature can exile any two creature cards from graveyards. It then becomes a copy of one of those cards while gaining a number of +1/+1 counters equal to the other exiled card's power. With a big enough graveyard and several options, the Mimeoplasm can flexibly serve several roles or even enter the battlefield as a massive and impactful threat like a Blightsteel Collossus.
9 Tasigur, The Golden Fang
Tasigur, the Golden Fang, is a black creature with a Simic-activated ability, meaning it can be used to helm a Sultai deck. An efficient and powerful self-mill commander option, Tasigur, the Golden Fang is a 4/5 for six mana with delve. While Tasigur doesn't excel at milling itself, when paired with self-milling effects, it can be a potent commander choice.
Thanks to delve, by exiling cards from its controller's graveyard, this commander can potentially be cast for a single mana! Once in play, Tasigur's activated ability for four mana allows its controller to mill two cards, then return a nonland card of an opponent’s choice from their graveyard to their hand. Due to Tasigur's delve, Tasigur can be used to exile unwanted cards, so opponents have no choice but to allow the Tasigur player to return powerful cards from their graveyard to their hand.
8 Old Stickfingers
Old Stickfingers is a Golgari commander that is able to mill significant numbers of cards from its controller's deck. With power and toughness equal to the number of creature's in its controller's graveyard, Old Stickfingers costs two mana and X to play. Upon being cast, it's controller mills cards from their library until they've milled X creatures. While including a multitude of creatures in a deck increases how large Old Stickfingers can be, if a player builds a deck with few creatures, this commander is capable of potentially milling massive numbers of cards from its controller's deck with a single cast.
7 Araumi Of The Dead Tide
An efficient Dimir commander printed in Commander Legends, Araumi of the Dead Tide can provide impactful value if its controller can fill their graveyard. A 1/4 merfolk wizard for three mana, Araumi's activated ability allows it to be tapped to exile a number of cards in their graveyard equal to the number of opponents they have. If they do, they can give a creature in their graveyard and encore cost equal to its mana cost, meaning several temporary copies of that card can potentially be put into play for a high-impact turn.
6 Syr Konrad, The Grim
The only mono-colored option on this list, Syr Konrad, the Grim is a commander capable of dealing substantial damage through the act of self-milling and milling one's opponents. A Mono-Black 5/4 for five mana, Syr Konrad deals one damage to each opponent whenever another creature dies, a creature is put into a graveyard from anywhere other than the battlefield, or a creature card leaves your graveyard.
This means that whenever a creature is milled from any player's graveyard, each opponent loses one life. Syr Konrad even has access to an activated ability for two mana that causes each player to mill one card, allowing consistent mill access in a pinch.
5 Grolnok, The Omnivore
Printed in Innistrad: Crimson Vow, Grolnok, the Omnivore is a legendary frog that directly converts self-milling into value. Whenever Grolnok or another frog under its owner's control attacks, they mill three cards. This is key as whenever Grolnok's controller mills permanent cards, those cards are exiled with croak counters on them. While normally exiling cards when they're milled would be problematic, Golnok allows lands and permanent spells with croak counters on them to be played, meaning that Grolnok effectively converts mill into card draw.
4 Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
Much like Syr Konrad, Sidisi, Brood Tyrant is a commander that provides its controller with value for self-milling. A four-mana Sultai Commander, Sidisi states that whenever it enters the battlefield or attacks, its controller mills three cards. Additionally, whenever Sidisi's controller mills one or more creatures, they create a 2/2 zombie token. Due to how this ability is worded, milling several creatures at once only nets its controller one zombie token, so a Sidisi deck benefits from include numerous ways to mill small numbers of cards, as to create a massive zombie army.
3 Nethroi, Apex Of Death
While Nethroi, Apex of Death is incapable of milling itself, it is a stellar payoff for a mill-heavy deck. An Abzan 5/5 with deathtouch and lifelink for five mana, Nethroi has a mutate cost of seven. This is important, as whenever Nethroi mutates, its controller can return any number of creature cards with total power 10 or less from their graveyard directly to the battlefield.This can bring back a massive board state from the graveyard with the effect of a single card, potentially swinging the game in its controller's favor.
2 Phenax, God Of Deception
The Dimir god of Theros, Phenax, God of Deception is a potent commander that excels at milling its controller and their opponents alike. An indestructible 4/7 enchantment creature for five mana Phenax doesn't count as a creature if its controller doesn't have sufficient devotion to blue and black, making it incredibly difficult to remove. Whether or not Phenax is a creature, it allows all creatures under its owner's control to be tapped to mill target player a number of cards equal to that creature's toughness. This means that any and all creatures under a Phenax player's control can be used as a source for milling, with Phenax itself being able to mill seven cards per turn when it's a creature.
1 Muldrotha, The Gravetide
Muldrotha the Gravetide is one of the quintessential graveyard commanders of the format and is an excellent option for a self-mill commander. A 6/6 elemental avatar for six mana Muldrotha allows its controller to cast a permanent card of each permanent type from their graveyard during each of their turns. This effectively allows a player to treat their graveyard as a secondary hand, meaning that self-milling effects become quite comparable to drawing cards.