Traditionally incapable of attacking, walls are by far the most defensive creature type in Magic: the Gathering. Walls traditionally come along with very little power but huge amounts of toughness proportional to their mana costs, they are perfect for players seeking to that the defensive rather than the offensive.
As Commander has blossomed into one of the most popular formats that Magic has to offer, its no surprise that wall-tribal decks have ingrained themselves into the format. So in honor of defensive players out there, we present the ten cards that no wall-tribal Commander deck would want to be without.
10 Brave The Sands
An affordable enchantment for only two mana, Brave the Sands provides all creatures under its owners control with vigilance and the ability to block an additional creature each combat. This allows defensive wall decks to block more creatures with each wall, assisting combat "go wide" strategies such as those which utilize tokens.
Additionally, as there are numerous cards that allow walls to attack, under these circumstances, Brave the Sands allows walls to simultaneously that the offensive and defensive.
9 Shield Sphere
One of the appeals of playing wall decks is that the vast majority of walls are significantly under-costed when compared to the toughness they provide. No card exemplifies this as well as Shield Sphere.
Costing the nonexistent cost of zero mana, Shield Sphere is a 0/6 wall with defender. While a -0/-1 counter is placed on shield sphere whenever it blocks, a 0/6 is still nothing to scoff at, especially one which can be cast for free.
8 Stalwart Shield-Bearers
A 0/3 with defender for two mana, Stalwart Shield-Bearers is a creature that provides all other creatures with defender under its owner's control with +0/+2. For only two mana, this creature provides a significant boost to the vast majority, if not all of the creatures under its owner's control when used in a wall deck.
As there are numerous cards that allow creatures to deal damage equal to their toughness rather than their power, this card can often essentially provide numerous creatures with +2/+2 for only two mana.
7 Meekstone
An artifact for only a single mana, Meekstone prevents creatures with power three or greater from untapping during their controllers' untap steps.
While this artifact will have little to no effect on a wall-tribal player, as the majority of walls have insignificant power, the card can be quite problematic for one's opponents. There are numerous strategies in Commander that utilize attacks from powerful creatures in order to defeat opponents. As long as Meekstone is in play, these creatures will be unable to attack more than once, making it quite useful for such a small investment of mana.
6 Wave of Reckoning
Similarly to Meekstone, Wave of Reckoning is a card with a universal effect that will more often than not, have no major impact on its caster.
A board wipe for five mana, Wave of Reckoning makes each creature deal damage to itself equal to its power. This means that any creature with power greater than or equal to its toughness will die as a result, while creatures such as walls that possess high toughness will remain unaffected.
This sorcery should not be underestimated, as casting a one-sided board wipe can often make a game-changing difference to a game of Commander.
5 High Alert
As one can see by the latter half of this list, High Alert is and cards of its nature are some of the most integral pieces to any wall deck. An Azorius enchantment for three mana, High Alert is a complete game-changer for a wall deck due to specific abilities it contains.
Firstly, High Alert allows creatures under its owner's control to deal with damage via their toughness rather than their power. Secondly, it allows creatures with defender to attack. This card immediately turns each wall into an undercosted monster that allows wall decks to easily out-value opponents. For example, with High Alert in play, Shield Sphere now functions as a 6/6 for zero mana!
4 Assault Formation
A card similar to High Alert, Assault formation possesses comparable abilities, but for two mana rather than three.
While Assault Formation does require its controller to pay one mana in order to allow a creature to attack, this cost often a non-factor in the late game when the deck would want to be attacking. Additionally, it also comes with the added benefit of allowing its controller to pay three mana in order to provide all creatures they control with +0/+1.
3 Tower Defense
Instant speed combat tricks are often a useful means of surprising opponents and finding an opening to attack. For only two mana, Tower Defense is an instant that provides all creatures under its caster's control with +0/+5. While this card may appear inherently defensive, able to make creatures more defensive during an opponent's attack, wall decks can often use this card offensively.
When paired with cards like High Alert or Assault Formation, this card can be highly impactful, essentially providing creatures with a temporary +5/+5 that can be used to close out games.
2 Axebane Guardian and Overgrown Battlement
One of the most critical resources in the Commander format is a player's access mana. Games of Commander are frequently decided by how much mana players have access to. Axebane Guardian and Overgrown Battlement are two cards with similar abilities that any wall deck would want to take advantage of.
Green creatures, both of these cards are capable of tapping in order to add an amount of mana equal to the number of creatures with defender under their owners' control to that player's mana pool. These cards are both excellent ways of converting walls in play into additional forms of value that can be used to further one's game plan.
1 Arcades, the Strategist
When it comes to wall-tribal commanders, few can compare to Arcades, the Strategist. The premier option for a wall deck, Arcades does all a wall deck would hope to accomplish and more. Like wall-tribal staples such as High Alert and Assault Formation, Arcades allows creatures with defender to deal damage via their toughness rather than their power and allows them to attack as though they didn't have defender.
More importantly, Arcades allows its controller to draw a card whenever a creature with defender enters the battlefield under their control. This ability in itself puts Arcades head and shoulders above any other wall-tribal commander, as an Arcades player will never run out of cards to play, as each wall replaces itself in its owner's hand as soon as it's cast.