Highlights

• Gruul offers a wide selection of legendary creatures that make great commanders for aggressive, creature-based decks.
• Agatha of the Vile Cauldron and Raggadragga, Goreguts Boss provide powerful abilities and synergies for mana ramp and creature pump strategies.
• Chishiro, the Shattered Blade and Kibo, Uktabi Prince offer unique commander dynamics with equipment, aura cards, and artifact interactions.

Traditionally toting large and aggressive creatures, the red and green color pairing of Gruul has had a storied lineage throughout Magic: The Gathering's history. Within two of the most aggressive and creature-centric colors are numerous strategies and mechanics, many of which possess a corresponding commander.

From Elves to burn to mana ramp, Gruul contains more depth than some may believe. So, today we're going to look through the wide selection of legendary creatures that Gruul has to offer and point out some great commanders.

Updated January 19, 2024, by Ryan Hay: As red and green decks get more fuel for their fires, the amount of decks available for players to build continues to grow. In order to keep this list relatively in check, we trimmed some of the lesser played Commanders and threw in some new fun ones while we're at it. If you're fans of incredibly aggressive decks that are generally creature based, go ahead and sleeve up one of these commanders to take down locals with.

15 Agatha Of The Vile Cauldron

Activated Abilities Galore

Activated abilities get a huge discount when you're playing with Agatha of the Vile Cauldron. Anytime you want to activate an ability, it costs X less mana to do so, with X equaling Agatha's power. It doesn't take much to pump Agatha up either, since you're in both green and red, practically guaranteeing you'll only be paying one red and one green for Agatha's built-in ability.

For six mana, capable of being reduced down to just one red and one green, Agatha gives your other creatures +1/+1, trample, and haste until the end of the turn. All this synergy lets you go wild with other abilities that can pump up your creatures, letting you attack with a huge army for relatively little mana.

14 Raggadragga, Goreguts Boss

Ramp And Damage All In One

Raggadragga, Goreguts Boss is a Gruul commander option who heavily incentivizes the use of mana dorks, which are traditionally smaller creature that may be tapped to produce mana. A 4/4 for four mana, Raggadragga not only provides creatures with mana abilities with +2/+2, but it states that whenever such a creature attacks, it untaps, meaning they may be used to attack and produce mana within the very same turn.

While this is a solid benefit, Raggadragga also provides a payoff for having access to a sizable amount of mana. Whenever you spend seven or more mana to cast a single spell, you may untap a target creature (such as one of your mana dorks), providing that creature with a staggering +7/+7 and trample. This allows for particularly explosive and aggressive plays that can potentially knock an opponent out of a game out of seemingly nowhere.

13 Chishiro, The Shattered Blade

Printed in the Upgrades Unleashed preconstructed deck for Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, Chishiro, the Shattered Blade is a commander that simultaneously synergizes with both equipment and aura cards. Traditionally, a downside of using equipment and auras is that they require you to put all of your eggs in one basket, your plans falling apart if a key creature is removed from play.

However, Chishiro creates a 2/2 Spirit token with menace whenever an equipment or aura card enters the battlefield under your control, providing a backup plan in case your Voltron dream doesn't come to fruition. If you're able to keep your equipped and enchanted permanents on the board, Chishiro causes them to grow more dangerous with time, providing them with a +1/+1 counter during each of your end steps.

12 Kibo, Uktabi Prince

Group Hug: Banana Edition

Though Apes and Monkeys aren't known as a particularly synergistic creature type in Magic, Kibo, Uktabi Prince is a deceptively powerful commander. A 2/2 Monkey Noble for three mana, Kibo may be tapped to provide each player with a Banana artifact token that may be sacrificed to provide you with one green or red mana as well as two life.

While providing your opponents with mana sources comparable to treasures may seem counter-intuitive, whenever an artifact an opponent controls is put into a graveyard (such as when they sacrifice a Banana), each Ape and Monkey you control gains a +1/+1 counter, meaning your opponents' treasures can cause your creatures to grow to massive sizes. While this already makes for a particularly unique commander dynamic, Kibo also states that whenever it attacks, the defending player must sacrifice an artifact, allowing you to deprive opponents of key resources as you apply pressure in combat.

11 Halana And Alena, Partners

Stronger Together

If you've never had a chance to play with this card, be prepared for some of the most powerful and aggressive plays you can possibly make with Halana and Alena, Partners in the Command Zone. At just four mana, Halana and Alena can come down as early as turn three more often than not with some mana ramp, and then immediately start turning things into a threat.

At the start of combat on your turn, you get to put +1/+1 counters on another creature you control equal to their power. The real power comes from the fact that they also give that creature haste for the turn. While two +1/+1 counters isn't a whole lot to start, pumping their power with any sort of spell suddenly gives your other creatures a huge upgrade, as well as basically giving everything in your deck haste.

10 Xenagos, God Of Revels

The God Of Pump

Another God of Theros, Xenagos, God of Revels's power is much more inherently clear than the previously mentioned Klothys. Possessing the trademark indestructibility found on all Theros Gods, Xenagos has the ability to double the power of any creature you control each turn, also providing that creature with haste.

This ability allows for the quick weaponizing of many powerful creatures, especially those with double strike. There are few cards that are capable of making already potent cards yet even more threatening to your opponents than Xenagos.

9 Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald

Turn Your Spells Into Wolves

In recent years, impulsive draw (the act of exiling the top card of your library and gaining the ability to cast it that turn) has become an incredibly popular and powerful feature of red's color identity. Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald is a Gruul commander for the reasonable cost of three mana who not only allows you to reliably impulsive draw but it benefits you for doing so.

For the cost of one mana and one discarded card, Faldorn can be tapped in order to impulsive draw the top card of your deck. In addition to providing access to additional cards, whenever you cast a spell from exile while Faldorn is in play, you create a 2/2 Wolf token. This means that, by utilizing several impulsive draw effects, as well as abilities like Cascade, Faldorn can be used to create a sizable pack of wolves.

8 Ruric Thar, The Unbowed

What Are You Going To Do, Cast Spells?

Many of the most powerful commanders are those who are capable of accruing a great deal of value with little to no effort on the end of their respective controller. While a 6/6 with vigilance is nothing to scoff at, it's Ruric Thar, the Unbowed's second ability that puts him this high on this list.

Whenever a player casts a noncreature spell, Ruric Thar deals six damage to that spell's caster. This damage can accumulate extremely quickly and can often deter players from casting numerous impactful spells out of precaution of taking too much damage from Ruric Thar.

7 Omnath, Locus Of Rage

Play Your Lands And Watch Your Army Grow

Similar to the aforementioned Ruric Thar, Omnath, Locus of Rage is a commander who creates great sums of value from you simply playing the game the way you already would have had it not been present. However, while Ruric Thar is heavily dependent on the spells being cast by your opponents to be of specific types, Omnath's ability is based off of the cards that you cast, putting its triggers entirely within your control.

Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you create a 5/5 Elemental token. These tokens are quite substantial and can be utilized in a variety of ways. However, this is not all that Omnath contributes to a given game plan. Whenever Omnath or another Elemental dies, you deal three damage to a target of your choice. This ability, paired with a sacrifice outlet or even a board wipe, can often be a deciding factor in a game of Commander.

6 The Howling Abomination

Let The Damage Pour In

Here's a truly terrifying commander that represents Gruul's identity as a home for Magic's baddest monsters quite well. This Abomination was made to do one thing and one thing only, and that's swing in for tons of damage.

The key here is to fill your deck with cheap combat tricks that will trigger the Abomination's abilities and turn it into an attacker that can take out an opponent in a single swing while also dealing damage to everyone else at the table. There are also a couple of different instant-win combos available in this deck, making for a strategy that can easily snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

5 Etali, Primal Conqueror / Etali, Primal Sickness

Steal Everyone's Spells

Released in March of the Machine, Etali has quickly proven that Dinosaurs are no longer a creature type to joke around about. There's nothing subtle about this card as all of its value comes from the very act of casting it in the first place.

Thanks to its ridiculous enter the battlefied trigger, as soon as you cast Etali you get to play the first nonland card you find from the top of each of your opponents' libraries completely for free. As you're probably well aware, if Etali is in your command zone, that means you can cast it again and again as long as it keeps getting destroyed.

This enter the battlefield effect is so powerful on its own that simply casting Etali repeatedly can easily win you a game. Consequently, Etali is best at the head of ramp decks that are looking to cast the Dinosaur quickly, sacrifice it, then cast it turn after turn for the remainder of the game.

4 Jolene, The Plunder Queen

An Unequal Distribution Of Wealth

Since their introduction in Ixalan Treasures have become one of the most impactful token types in the Commander format. Jolene, the Plunder Queen is a Commander that puts Treasure front and center. While Jolene incentivizes opponents to attack each other by providing a Treasure token to a player whenever they attack one of your opponents, Jolene benefits you to a greater degree. Whenever you create a treasure token, you create an additional treasure token. This means, by simply attacking an opponent, you immediately create two treasure tokens.

Though Jolene may initially enter the battlefield as a 2/2 for four mana, once you've amassed enough treasure, at any time, you may sacrifice five treasures to put five +1/+1 counters on the creature, turning it into a sizable combative threat. For those looking to make the most out of treasure tokens, Jolene, the Plunder Queen may be for you.

3 Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes

Two Heroes For The Price Of One!

Printed in Commander Legends, Battle for Baldur's Gate, Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes is an incredible Gruul commander capable of dealing significant damage and drawing you a sizable number of cards. A three-loyalty Planeswalker that can be your commander for four mana, when this Planeswalker enters the battlefield and at the beginning of each of your upkeeps, you can create a 1/1 legendary Hamster token with trample and haste named Boo.

Both of this Planeswalker's activated abilities synergize with Boo in a powerful fashion, as its +1 puts three +1/+1 counters on a creature with trample or haste. While this can allow Boo to grow to quite a dangerous size, Minsc's -2 allows a creature to be sacrificed, dealing X damage to any target equal to the sacrificed creature's power.

This can be a solid form of direct damage but if the sacrificed creature happens to be a Hamster, you also draw a number of cards equal to its power. This simultaneously allows Minsc & Boo to function as not only a solid form of direct damage but an additional form of card draw as well.

2 Meria, Scholar Of Antiquity

A Blending Of Machine And Nature

Though artifact synergies tend to be most synonymous with the likes of blue and white mana, Meria, Scholar of Antiquity is an incredibly powerful Gruul option for an artifact-based commander. For the low cost of three mana, Meria converts each of your nontoken artifacts into mana rocs, allowing them to be tapped to produce one green mana.

While this mana ramp is already a stellar benefit for any artifact deck, Meri also provides access to card advantage. By tapping two untapped artifacts you control, Meria can impulsively draw the top card of your library. This means that, by simply playing efficient artifacts, Meria can consistently help dig through your deck while providing mana ramp in the process.

1 Tovolar, Dire Overlord

Werewolves Finally Have A Hero

Tovolar, Dire Overlord is the long awaited Werewolf commander that players wanted for nearly a decade. For the low cost of three mana, this double-sided Werewolf states that whenever a Wolf or Werewolf under your control deals damage to a player, you can draw a card. This allows for each Werewolf under your control to function as reusable card draw.

While one difficulty Werewolf decks of the past had dealt with was the ordeal of transforming their Werewolves, Tovolar states that, at the beginning of your upkeep, you can transform each Human Werewolf you control. Once transformed, Tovoloar not only grows in power and maintains its card draw ability, but it gains an activated ability that allows you to temporarily bolster the offense of a Wolf or Werewolf. Who's ready to howl at the moon?