A total of 10 Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate Draft archetypes exist, allowing players to focus on a variety of Magic: The Gathering Limited gameplay strategies.
The second MTG Commander Legends set, Battle for Baldur’s Gate (CLB), features a Draft option similar to the first CL set. Players Draft in pods, building decks that contain a total of 60 cards and are allowed to use duplicates—unlike Commander Constructed which has 100 card decks and no duplicates. A large number of Uncommon rarity support legendaries and gold signpost cards support the 10 Baldur’s Gate Draft archetypes, providing players a solid foundation for building a successful Commander Legends Draft deck.
There are a total of 10 Uncommon rarity gold signpost cards to command or support each of the CLB archetypes. Players will also find Uncommon Rarity legendary creatures with the Background mechanic, supported by one Mono-colored Enchantment with Background that can also get included in any deck, even if the commander doesn’t have Background.
From dragons and tokens to graveyard shenanigans and spell combos, here are the 10 CLB Draft archetypes.
White and Blue (WU) Flicker
Oji, the Exquisite Blade is the Uncommon rarity gold card for the WU Baldur’s Gate Draft archetype, enabling Flicker shenanigans when you cast your second spell each turn. The Rare gold card, The Council of Four, synergizes with wanting to cast a second spell each turn by creating 2/2 knight creature tokens when any player casts their second spell.
The Uncommon White legendary Abdel Adrian, Gorion’s Ward supports the archetype via exiling your own stuff upon ETB, along with the Blue legendary Alora, Merry Thief who returns a creature to hand after ensuring it can’t get blocked when attacking. And Far Traveler, a Background Enchantment also supports the archetype.Â
Green and White (GW) Tokens
The colors Green and White want to go wide with token synergies via the gold Uncommon signpost Cadira, Caller of the Small. Also supporting the token GW archetype within Baldur’s Gate Draft are the Uncommon legendary creatures Halsin, Emerald Archdruid, and Ellyn Harbreeze, Busybody. And Inspiring Leader is a solid Background to include, providing your commander with the ability to pump all creature tokens +2/+2
White and Black (WB): Leaves battlefield matters
Leaving the battlefield can occur through a creature dying, getting exiled, blink effects via Flicker, and even phasing out. When those MTG cards leave the battlefield, the Uncommon gold signpost for the Commander Legends Draft in WB is Minthara, Merciless Soul.
Also supporting the WB Draft archetype is Sarevok Deathbringer, who punishes players with life loss if a permanent of theirs didn’t leave the battlefield that turn. And Lulu, Loyal Hollyphant scales the power of creatures that are tapped, who then untaps them, if a permanent you control left the battlefield at the beginning of your end step.
Red and White (RW): Attack matters
The colors Red and White love to attack via Aggro strategies and the gold Uncommon Commander Liara Portyr is the human soldier for the job. Attacking with Portyr on the battlefield reduces the cost of spells you cast from exile this turn while also exiling cards from the top of your library.
Amber Gristle O’Maul is great for gaining card advantage when you have either a dead hand or no cards in hand upon attacking. Rasaad yn Bashir supports any big butt creatures by having toughness equal power upon attacking and the Background Flaming Fist gives your commander Double Strike when attacking until the end of the turn. Also supporting the archetype is Duke Ulder Ravenguard, a Rare RW noble who provides Haste to Myriad to another creature you control at the beginning of combat.
Blue and Black (UB) Initiative
Having the Initiative in Baldur’s Gate Draft can impact a game, especially when the Uncommon gold signpost Rilsa Rael, Kingpin is all about taking the Initiative. Having Inititaitve can lead to additional payoffs via support cards like Imoen, Mystic Trickster and Safana, Alimport Cutthroat.
Players should pick Dungeon Delver if building in the UB archetype, a Background Enchantment that gives your commander the ability to trigger room abilities in the dungeon for an additional time.
Blue and Red (UR): Adventures
The Adventure mechanic returns within Commander Legends Baldur’s Gate, supported in UR via the Uncommon gold card Lozhan, Dragons’ Legacy. The legendary dragon shaman deals damage to any target that isn’t a commander based on the mana cost of an Adventure spell when cast.
Livaan, Cultist of Tiamat boosts the power level of a target creature when you cast non-creature spells while Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher provides colorless mana upon tapping to help cast Adventure spells.
Green and Blue (GU): Dragons matter
The Uncommon gold signpost for GU in Baldur’s Gate Draft, Korlessa, Scale Singer, enables casting dragons off the top of your library. And your dragons can have Flash via Renari, Merchant of Marvels. All dragons get a reduced cost of two mana with the inclusion of Acolyte of Bahamut, a Mono-Green Uncommon Background that provides the cost reduction ability to its commander.
The payoff to having a deck full of dragons comes through the dragon ranger Skanos Dragonheart, whose power and toughness increase until the end of the turn, based on the number of dragons you control on the battlefield or in your graveyard.
Black and Red (BR): Sacrifice and Treasure
Sacrifice and Treasure synergies combine within the colors Black and Red via the Uncommon gold signpost Mahadi, Emporium Master. The cat devil creates a Treasure token for each creature that died during a turn at the beginning of your end step.
Sivriss, Nightmare Speaker supports sacrifice synergies and graveyard shenanigans, milling a card for each opponent upon sacrificing a creature, and then returning that card to your hand unless that player pays three life. And Gut, True Soul Zealot encourages attacking, then sacrificing a creature or Artifact to create a 4/1 Black Skeleton creature token with Menace that’s tapped and attacking.
Black and Green: (BG): Graveyard shenanigans
Casting lands and permanent spells without Flashback occur via the Uncommon gold BG signpost Kagha, Shadow Archdruid. But only lands or permanents that were put in the graveyard during that turn, which Kagha mills two upon attacking.
Supporting self-mill strategies is the Mono-Black Uncommon legendary Viconia, Draw Apostate, returning a create card a random from the graveyard to hand if there are four or more creatures within your graveyard. And milling lands isn’t an issue with Erinis, Gloom Stalker, who returns lands from the graveyard to the battlefield upon attacking.
Red and Green (RG): Dragon power
Dragons gain power boosts within the RG Commander Legends Baldur’s Gate Draft archetype via the Uncommon gold signpost Thrakkus, the Butcher. Whenever the dragon peasant attacks, you can double the power of a dragon you control. Similar to the GU archetype, Acolyte of Bahamut provides your commander with the ability to reduce dragon creature costs by two.
Skanos Dragonheart, a Mono-Green creature works within the RG archetype, as well as the GU dragon CLB archetype. Ganax, Astral Hunter is all about helping you cast more dragons by creating a Treasure token whenever a dragon enters the battlefield. And Dragon Cultist is a Background that has your commander create a 4/4 Red Dragon token with Flying if at the beginning of your end step a source you controlled dealt five or more damage that turn.
