Introduction
Have you ever found yourself craving victory in Commander while simultaneously battling hunger pangs? Well, look no further, because the world of Magic: The Gathering’s Commander (or EDH) format has cooked up a delicious new strategy: Food decks. Forget about just surviving the game; now you can feast your way to victory with an army of delectable Food tokens! The popularity of this flavorful approach to Commander has been steadily rising, and for good reason. It’s fun, flavorful, and surprisingly effective.
Before we dive into the main course, let’s briefly refresh our memories on what exactly Food tokens are in MTG. Food tokens are artifact tokens with the ability “Sacrifice this artifact: You gain three life.” Simple, right? But these humble tokens can become the foundation of a powerful and synergistic Commander deck.
In this article, we’ll explore the most appetizing choices for commanders that can helm your Food-centric deck, transforming these seemingly simple snacks into a source of immense power. These commanders aren’t just about generating life; they’re about creating card advantage, controlling the board, and ultimately, serving up a game-winning strategy that will leave your opponents hungry for mercy. Get ready to explore the world of Food-based Commander decks and discover the best commanders that will help you devour the competition!
What Makes a Good Food Commander
Not all commanders are created equal when it comes to leading a Food-themed army. Certain qualities elevate a commander from a simple ingredient to a true master chef capable of creating a culinary masterpiece on the battlefield. Here’s what to look for:
Synergies with Food
The most important aspect is, naturally, synergy with Food tokens themselves. A top-tier Food commander should either generate Food tokens efficiently or possess abilities that are triggered or enhanced by sacrificing Food. Look for commanders that can repeatedly create Food, ensuring a constant supply of these life-giving snacks. A commander’s color identity is also crucial. Green offers exceptional ramp and token creation capabilities, while white provides invaluable lifegain support and protection. Black adds reanimation, sacrifice outlets and sometimes token generation. Red can be used for aggressive decks that use food for burn effects and card draw. The best food commander will give you access to one or more of these colors.
Card Advantage and Resilience
In Commander, card advantage is king, and resilience is queen. Your Food commander should ideally help you generate card advantage, whether through drawing extra cards, tutoring for specific pieces, or recurring valuable resources from your graveyard. Furthermore, a good Food commander should be able to withstand removal spells and other forms of disruption. A commander that can protect itself or generate value even when targeted by opponents is far more likely to lead your deck to victory.
Game-Winning Potential
Ultimately, a good Food commander must be able to translate your Food engine into a decisive victory. This might involve a combo that leverages Food tokens, an overwhelming board presence built on Food-fueled creatures, or a direct damage strategy that drains your opponents’ life totals. The best Food commanders provide a clear path to closing out the game effectively once you’ve established a solid Food-based engine.
Top Food Commanders
Now, let’s sink our teeth into the main course and explore some of the most powerful and effective Food commanders in the Commander format.
Gyome, Master Chef
Gyome, Master Chef, is a fantastic choice for a Food-themed commander. He effortlessly creates Food tokens at the beginning of each end step if you have a nontoken creature tapped, giving you a steady stream of sustenance. His ability to give your creatures indestructible when you sacrifice a Food is also incredibly powerful, making him a resilient and formidable threat. Gyome is great in red, blue and white colors which gives access to powerful cards in those colors.
Strengths: Easy to create Food tokens, provides a benefit to creatures when you sacrifice Food, excellent in control archetypes, very resilient.
Weaknesses: Can be susceptible to aggro if you don’t have enough blockers, reliant on having tapped creatures.
Deck-Building Considerations: Include cards that benefit from having tapped creatures (like stax effects), cards that tap creatures strategically, and cards that synergize with sacrifice effects. Cards like [[Intruder Alarm]] can give you an endless amount of tokens.
Example Deck Archetype: Food Sacrifice Control.
Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar
Don’t let the intimidating name fool you, Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar is a surprisingly effective Food commander, especially when paired with The Underworld Cookbook. She allows you to sacrifice a creature and discard a card to deal three damage to any target and allows you to cast the cookbook from your graveyard. Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar is great in black and red colours.
Strengths: Has good direct damage capabilities, recurs cookbook, enables food combos, has interesting name.
Weaknesses: Somewhat reliant on having both herself and the cookbook to be effective, requires discarding cards.
Deck-Building Considerations: Focus on cards that synergize with discarding, cards that create lots of tokens, ways to recur and find cookbooks from the graveyard
Example Deck Archetype: Food Combo.
The Gitrog Monster
While not strictly a “Food” commander in the traditional sense, The Gitrog Monster becomes an engine of incredible power when paired with Food tokens. Each time a land enters your graveyard, you draw a card, and Food tokens provide a reliable way to trigger this ability. By repeatedly sacrificing Food, you can churn through your deck, find key combo pieces, and overwhelm your opponents with card advantage. Green and Black are great colours for this commander.
Strengths: Enormous card draw potential, works great with land based strategies, very powerful.
Weaknesses: Needs specific cards to truly shine, susceptible to graveyard hate.
Deck-Building Considerations: Lots of lands that want to go to the graveyard, card to sacrifice those lands, and ways to generate lots of value when lands hit the graveyard.
Example Deck Archetype: Landfall Food.
Isshin, Two Heavens as One
A bit of an unconventional choice, Isshin, Two Heavens as One turns all instances of an ability triggering into two abilities. In other words, all abilities that create Food tokens trigger twice. Green and White are great colours for this commander.
Strengths: Aggro strategies, token generation, very powerful.
Weaknesses: Susceptible to removal spells, less reliable than other food commanders.
Deck-Building Considerations: Card that gives multiple combat steps, cards that create lots of tokens, ways to protect isshen.
Example Deck Archetype: Food Aggro.
Honorable Mentions
While the commanders listed above represent some of the top contenders for Food-themed decks, there are other options to consider. Commanders like [[Oko, Thief of Crowns]] are food themed, but not enough to be considered a top commander for a food deck. These honorable mentions can still contribute to a Food strategy, but they may not be as consistently powerful or synergistic as the top-tier choices.
Building a Successful Food Deck
Now that you’ve chosen your commander, it’s time to assemble the ingredients for a delicious and effective Food deck.
Core Components
The foundation of any successful Food deck lies in these essential components:
- Food Token Generators: Include cards that reliably create Food tokens.
- Food Payoffs: Cards that benefit from sacrificing Food tokens.
- Support Cards: Ramp, card draw, interaction, and protection are essential for ensuring a smooth and consistent game plan.
Mana Base
A well-tuned mana base is crucial for any Commander deck, and Food decks are no exception. Consider including lands that provide color fixing, as well as mana acceleration to help you cast your key spells early in the game.
Staple Cards for Food Decks
Certain cards are simply too good to pass up in almost any Food-based strategy. Consider including cards like [[Academy Manufactor]], [[Feasting Hobbit]], and [[Trail of Crumbs]] to maximize the value of your Food tokens.
Budget Considerations
Building a Food deck doesn’t have to break the bank. There are many budget-friendly options available for generating Food tokens, sacrificing them for value, and supporting your overall strategy.
Example Decklist
Here’s a sample decklist outline for a Gyome, Master Chef Food Sacrifice Control deck:
- Commander: Gyome, Master Chef
- Ramp: Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Fellwar Stone
- Food Token Generators: Golden Egg, Gingerbrute, Servo Exhibition
- Food Payoffs: Disciple of the Vault, Marionette Master, Nadier’s Nightblade
- Control: Counterspell, Swords to Plowshares, Cyclonic Rift
- Utility: Skullclamp, Smothering Tithe, The Great Henge
Gameplay Tips and Strategies
To pilot your Food deck to victory, keep these gameplay tips in mind:
- Early Game: Focus on mana ramp and establishing a Food engine.
- Mid-Game: Generate value from Food tokens and control the board.
- Late Game: Execute your game-winning strategy.
- Common Pitfalls to Avoid: Don’t over-rely on your commander, ensure you have enough Food Token generators.
Conclusion
Food decks offer a unique and flavorful way to experience the Commander format. With a diverse range of commanders to choose from and a wealth of synergistic cards to include, you can create a deck that is both powerful and enjoyable to play. So, gather your ingredients, fire up the stove, and get ready to serve up a heaping helping of victory with your Food Commander deck! Now is a great time to craft your own Food deck and share your culinary creations with the Commander community! What will your Food deck be cooking up?
