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Ah, smell the piney breeze on the air. The crisp bite of a winter gust as it races by. We're well into the holiday season, and as such, why not add some festival flare to the Commander table? Serving mulled wine and little Urza n' Mishra gingerbread cookies is a good start, but what about the cards, themselves?
How do we build a deck that really captures the snowy season?
Let's start by dreaming of a white Christmas.
Cover of Winter by Wayne Reynolds
Debuting all the way back in 1995's Ice Age, the Snow mechanic was initially limited to only the five basic lands (Snow-Covered Plains, etc.). Despite this, multiple cards were printed to reward (Withering Wisps) or punish (Coldsnap) players for dusting their mana base with any icy glaze. Alliances would continue this theme (Winter's Night), but we'd then have to wait until 2006 before Wizards of the Coast would complete the block with Cold Snap, which formally established the Snow supertype. This extended past basic lands to multiple creatures (Wall of Shards), artifacts (Coldsteel Heart), enchantments (Glacial Plating), and nonbasic lands (Scrying Sheets). The unique Snow-Mana symbol also debuted here, so players looking to unlock the full potential of their Diamond Faerie had to call upon the original snow-covered basics, a new set of five allied-color snow dual lands (Frost Marsh), or other Snow-mana sources like Coldsteel Heart and Boreal Druid.
Since then, Snow's made a splash in the Nordic Kaldheim, befitting of the Ice Age origins that were initially based on Norse cultures. More goodies came with Modern Horizons, where Snow was a major theme of the Blue/Green color combo (Abominable Treefolk), but stretched into other colors, too (On Thin Ice, Dead of Winter). As time goes on, this supertype is bound to make new appearances, each bolstering the ranks of the synergy already available. Like we've previously discussed with dual-faced artifacts and dice-rolling cards, strategies with limited offering only get better with time, as more synergistic cards are released in new sets. We'll certainly see the Snow-supertype pop up again, and once it does, today's list might warrant a revision.
But seeing as we've no Ghost of Christmas Future to reveal what's yet to come, let's start by covering the current Top Ten Snow Cards for Commander!
Note: For this article, the focus will be on cards containing the Snow supertype. Synergistic staples like Into the North, Glacial Revelation, and Sunstone are all valuable tools in a Snow strategy, but our mission is to cover the Top Snow cards, not the top snow-adjacent cards.
So, zip up those parkas and take a bracing swig o' whiskey, preferably delivered via Snow Hound, cause we're venturing into the frozen wilderness!
Number Ten
"How could such a titanic Eldritch entity like Marit Lage have scored so low on the list?!"
"Were you even aware this was a Snow card?"
"Uh..."
Dark Depths is, without question, the stuff Timmy dreams are made of. Invest enough mana and time into this land, which can't tap for mana on its own right, and your reward is a massive world-devouring 20/20 to gobble up opponents. You get arguably one of the coolest creature tokens in all of Magic:
Commander sees plenty of sweet combos to ensure your 20/20 arrives to the party long before it has any right to, but while the likes of Thespian's Stage and Vampire Hexmage are tempting, they do little to fit the wintery theme of our list. Thus Dark Depths appearing so high. However, not all hope is lost, for a snow-centric alternative exists in Marit Lage's Slumber. While it's arguably more difficult to pop Marit Lage's Slumber than it is Dark Depths, the bonus Scrying it'll provide a Snow deck helps ensure subsequent draws are smoothed out on our way to a Lovecraftian behemoth.
Number Nine
This one really thrives in a four-player format, giving you three times as many opportunities to steal dead creatures. Though it might take a while to get going, the back-n-forth nature of Commander sees multiple creatures hit the graveyard each combat cycle, and with Draugr Necromancer on your side, you not only deny these fallen creatures access to their owner's graveyard, but also get the chance to bring them aboard your team. Mono-Black has countless removal options to ensure the tastiest enemy creatures don't last long, at which point your frosty recruitment drive can begin. Granted, this all depends on your ability to keep the necromancer alive, as you're only able to turn fallen creatures into White Walkers so long as Draugr Necromancer is on the battlefield. But bear in mind: creatures exiled with ice counters on them are still exiled, so even if your necromancer is slain before he has the chance to resurrect anything, you've still removed those creatures from enemy graveyards. No Muldrotha, the Grave Tide or Meren of Clan Nel Toth shenanigans to be had.
Number Eight
Isu the Abominable provides the Snow-strategy with a Voltron-style Commander that'll provide card advantage along the way. Provided you can keep him alive, as Isu's ability to let you play snow cards off the top of your library is a powerful engine that'll certainly draw removal. Fortunately, if you're running Isu as a battlecrusier-general, meant to vanquish opponents via Commander damage, odds are you're also running ample protective measures like Mithril Coat, Robe of Stars, and keeping with our theme, the snowy Adarkar Valkyrie. This legendary yeti naturally strengthens his offense for a minimal mana investment, so defensive measures will be your primary concern once he arrives to the battlefield. His ability to stack multiple +1/+1 counters over the game also opens up synergy with cards like Hardened Scales, The Ozolith, and Sword of Truth and Justice.
Number Seven
Search for Glory may be a limited tutor, but in a 100 card format like Commander, even restricted deck searching is powerful. Search for Glory does work in a Legendary- or Saga-centric deck, but it's the Snow strategy that benefits most. Being able to grab any Snow permanent means Snow-Covered lands, Replicating Ring, and Coldsteel Heart are on the table if you're hurting for mana. Mana base covered? How about some targeted removal to deal with enemy threats (On Thin Ice, Gelid Shackles, Winter's Rest, card]Priest of the Haunted Ridge[/card])? If you're looking to enhance your army, Glacial Plating, Ascendant Spirit, Narfi, Betrayer King, and Rimefeather Owl all provided increasingly powerful damage outputs as the game goes on. Card advantage is a little trickier, as Search for Glory can't find the likes of Graven Lore, but plenty of Snow creatures like Ohran Frostfang, Ohran Viper, and aforementioned Isu the Abominable keep your hand full. This card also offers frosting atop its tutoring cake in the form of bonus lifegain for each Snow mana spent to cast it.
Number Six
Jorn, God of Winter // Kaldring the Rimestaff allows us to have both creature and artifact in our Command zone. While Isu the Abominable clearly wants to bash in heads, Jorn walks the path of nuance. On his front side, he'll want to attack often, doubling up your mana production and giving all your other snow-creatures pseudo-vigilance. Sword of Feast and Famine is largely considered one of the best swords due to its untap-effect, and when you're running a snow-deck, Jorn essentially has that ability built right in. If you're feeling more the recursive avenue, Kaldring, the Rimestaff begins returning snow permanents from your graveyard each turn. This already works well with the handful of zombie-synergies in Kaldheim (Narfi, Betrayer King, Draugr Necromancer, Draugr Recruiter, Priest of the Haunted Ridge), but even if you're not after opponents' braiiiiinsss, options abound. Mouth of Ronom and Ice-Fang Coatl become repeatable removal, Phyrexian Soulgorger can be brought back once you've enough fodder to feed it, and if you're really up for the challenge, you can go all-in on the Mill route with Iceburg Cancrix and a series of follow-up Snow plays from the graveyard. Though to be fair, with a Kaldring, the Rimestaff on our side, we're likley going to want to Mill ourselves.
Number Five
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Blood on the Snow is a Snow card, though Dead of Winter technically isn't. However, let's be honest: If you're running one, odds are that you're running the other sweeper, too. This pair represents the Snow-mechanic's only mass removal spells (Sunscour is cool, but has zero wintery flare). Despite the difference in mana costs, you're probably going to be playing both cards at similar points in the game. Blood on the Snow has the flexibility to hit Planeswalkers, but most of the time you're going to aim for creatures. As a bonus, there's a good chance all that Snow mana you pour into Blood on the Snow will revive one of your own fallen troops. Dead of Winter costs only half as much mana, but its effect scales with your total number of Snow permanents, making it more lethal as the game progresses. Unlike Blood on the Snow, Dead of Winter completely ignores Snow creatures, potentially turning the spell into a one-sided sweeper. Most of your frosty forces will be overlooked while the -X/-X effect, which gets around Indestructible, Regeneration, and Protection abilities, whittles away at enemy armies.
Number Four
Coldsteel Heart beats out the likes of Eldritch horrors, abominable snowmen, and even Nordic gods to snag the Number Four spot on our list. It's not flashy. It's not game-breaking. But it is a two-mana rock that'll tap for the color you need most. Two-mana rocks are heavily sought after among Commander players, as while modern-design is certainly improving three-mana rocks (Wand of the Worldsoul, Cursed Mirror, etc.), having access to ramp a full turn earlier is incredibly valuable for setting up an early game's foundation. Coldsteel Heart is efficient utility, plain and simple. It's run in a huge variety of decks (more than 50k on EDHREC!), not just Snow builds, and thus deserves its spot on our list. Every Commander deck needs ramp, and Coldsteel Heart provides a cheap, flexible rock to meet that need.
Number Three
Ohran Frostfang, from a purely biological perspective, shouldn't even exist. Reptiles and cold temperatures go together about as well as chocolate and Brussels sprouts, so it's interesting to see a fantastical breed of serpent that can not only survive in the cold, but fully embrace its chilly influence. A big-brother to Ohran Viper, the Frostfang spreads both a venomous bite and card-drawing ability across your entire team. It may cost 5-mana, but with enough troops on the battlefield, Ohran Frostfang poses a nasty question to your opponents: Do you trade away your blockers to a swarm of Deathtouch-happy critters, or do you take the damage and let me draw a whole bunch of cards? Either way, you're probably happy with the outcome. Beware the snow-snake, folks, for it's bound to impact the board (or your hand size) in a big way once it hits the table. Your only mission is to ensure you've a sizable-enough army to take full advantage.
Number Two
Ice-Fang Coatl's next up at Number 2, giving Snakes a strong showing on our list. Where the Frostfang was all about threatening Deathtouch versus drawing cards, Ice-Fang Coatl's plan is far more direct. The combo of Flying, Flash, and Deathtouch make this frosty viper a veritable removal spell with power and toughness. True, your opponent will need to be attacking in order for the snake to intercept, but this drawback is more than made up for by Ice-Fang's other line of text: Draw a card. Those magical words ensure your snake replaces himself after valiantly taking down an Eldrazi titan. At only two mana, you really can't ask for more. Makes me wonder: does arctic snake venom contain anti-freeze?
Number One
Scrying Sheets, a humble land, beats out the snowy serpents to claim the Number 1 spot on our list. The reasons are much like those for Coldsteel Heart: It's not flashy, it's not game-breaking, but it is incredibly efficient. In a dedicated Snow deck, this land's activated ability essentially reads "Pay 2 Mana: Draw a Card". That is an incredible effect on a land that not only enters the battlefield untapped, but'll also provide Snow mana. You've zero opportunity cost, save perhaps that Scrying Sheets only produces colorless mana. But that's more than made up for after even one or two activations. And those activates can come at Instant-speed, as Scrying Sheets's ability can be used at any time. At only 2 mana to activate, Scrying Sheets makes for the perfect mana-sink to save for an opponent's endstep, right before you untap to reap the benefits of your newly-drawn Snow card. As we all know, card-advantage is king in Commander. So, gaining a repeatable source of draw for a low cost that also makes mana and eats up zero spell-slots in the rest of our 99' is an irresistible inclusion that warrants the top spot on our list.
Think of it this way: If Scrying Sheets read 'Artifact' instead of 'Snow', it'd be an instant staple in a mountain of Commander decks.
I hope you've enjoyed our foray into the wintery wonderland of the Snow-type. Be your next Commander deck helmed by Isu the Abominable, Jorn, God of Winter // Kaldring, the Rimestaff, or if you really wanna go classic, Heidar, Rimewind Master, you're certain to make a festive splash at your next game night. Your opponents will fast come to respect the bone-chilling might of your snowy arsenal. And whilst you pelt them with glacial blasts, you'll sit back to sip cocoa by the fire. Maybe grab a nice, cozy sweater while you're at it.
Thanks for reading, and may your holidays be snowy and bright!
Matt Lotti
