While each color in Magic: The Gathering has its own strengths and weaknesses, the weaknesses of white are unfortunately more apparent in the Commander format. This is because while white's weak points of lackluster card draw and mana ramp can be overlooked in other formats, the importance of these areas is heightened in Commander. While white decks may have fewer card draw options than colors like blue and green, white still has a few solid card draw options — with the color even gaining new means of drawing cards in nearly every new set.
So, we're going to examine white's card draw options within the Commander format, and see which are the most integral to include in your next deck. Before we begin, we are only going to examine cards that can fit in any white deck, meaning those that only work as part of certain types of strategies — such as Sram, Senior Edificer — will be excluded.
5 Universal Card Draw
There are several cards in Magic's history, polarizing to some, that allow numerous players to draw cards. While such effects assist one's opponents and potentially provide them with new options, they simultaneously prevent a monowhite player's hand from running dry. They also allow a white player to potentially establish goodwill with other players, and avoid potential threats through political negotiations and deals.
As several of these cards such as Howling Mine, Temple Bell, and Font of Mythos are colorless artifacts, they can easily be included within a monowhite deck. Additionally, in recent years, white has received access to several cards that simultaneously allow the white player and their opponents to each draw cards. Secret Rendezvous allows its caster and one other player to each draw three cards, potentially creating an ally, while Flumph is a solid blocker that can allow its controller and a target player to draw a card whenever it's dealt damage.
4 Welcoming Vampire
Printed in Innistrad, Crimson Vow, Welcoming Vampire is an excellent monowhite Vampire capable of offering reliable card draw for many white decks. A 2/3 with flying for three mana, whenever the first creature with power two or less enters the battlefield under its owner's control each turn, that player draws a card.
As many white decks feature a wide range of smaller-scale utility creatures and tokens, a significant number of white decks are capable of reliably triggering this ability on each of its controller's turns. This allows Welcoming Vampire to potentially offer comparable value to a Phyrexian Arena, drawing its controller one additional card during each of their turns, all for the cost of three mana.
3 Mangara, the Diplomat
Mangara, the Diplomat is an excellent legendary monowhite creature capable of serving as a deterrent against an opponent's attacks. A 2/4 with lifelink for four mana, whenever an opponent attacks Mangara's controller (or a planeswalker they control) with two or more creatures, or whenever an opponent casts their second spell of a turn, Mangara's controller may draw a card.
As the vast majority of decks either want to be frequently attacking with several creatures, or casting a litany of spells to accumulate value, Mangara is capable of easily allowing its controller to draw three or more cards per turn rotation. While opponents can theoretically play around Mangara, they can significantly slow themselves down in the process if they do so, meaning many players will simply allow the additional cards to be drawn.
2 Smuggler's Share
Recently printed as part of the Obscura Operation preconstructed Commander deck, Smuggler's Share is a stellar white enchantment that can reliably draw additional cards for its controller, potentially even providing mana ramp. An enchantment for three mana, it allows the controller of Smuggler's Share, at the beginning of each end step, to draw a card for each opponent who drew two or more cards that turn.
Additionally, that player may create a Treasure token for each opponent who had two or more lands enter the battlefield under their control that turn. As card draw is a rampant commodity in Commander, this allows this card's controller to easily latch onto their opponents' card draw and ramp, turning it into their own benefit!
1 Esper Sentinel
Printed in Modern Horizons 2, Esper Sentinel is a card that has become synonymous with monowhite decks. A 1/1 white artifact creature for a mere one mana, whenever an opponent casts their first noncreature spell each turn, if that player doesn't pay an additional amount of mana equal to Esper Sentinel's power, its controller draws a card. As potent noncreature spells make up a significant number of the cards within Commander decks — even creature-focused decks often include their fair share of utility artifacts and mana rocks — this effect is incredibly easy to trigger, especially within the early stages of a game.
With the creature only costing a single mana, Esper Sentinel is often able to allow its controller to draw massive numbers of cards in a game, especially if it's cast on turn one. While not the only selling point of the card, Esper Sentinel even synergizes with decks capable of utilizing +1/+1 counters and other buffing effects, as through growing this creature larger, one's opponents will have more difficulty paying its tax.