The Best Backgrounds in Magic: The Gathering – Power Up Your Commander Deck!

Commander players know the importance of choosing the right tools to make a deck shine. Among the more recent additions to the format, Backgrounds—introduced in Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate—have opened up new possibilities. These enchantments don’t just sit in the command zone for the vibes. They provide real gameplay muscle, but only if your commander has “Choose a Background.”So, let’s dive into which ones actually do work—and why they’re worth sleeving up (or proxying, we don’t judge). This isn’t theory-crafting; it’s actual value you’ll notice on game night.

How Do You Know a Background Is Worth It?

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to Backgrounds, but a few common traits pop up in the ones that actually see play:

Does it click with your commander’s plan?

Is it offering real, in-game value—not just “cute synergy”?

Can it fit multiple strategies, or is it pigeonholed?If the answer to at least two of those is “yes,” it’s likely a solid pick. Now let’s talk specifics.

Our Picks: Top Backgrounds That Actually Do Something

Candlekeep Sage

Draw two, discard one whenever you cast your commander.You want card draw? Here it is. If you’re playing something you can recast over and over—like [[Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful]] or anything with cheap re-entry—this Background becomes pure gas. Yes, it’s looting, not full draw, but the velocity you get is nuts.

Best with:

Low-cost, recurring commanders

Graveyard value engines

Folk Hero

Cast a creature that shares a type with your commander? Draw a card.Every tribal deck dreams of this. If your deck is 30+ creatures deep and shares types like Human, Elf, or Goblin, this turns into a steady stream of free cardboard. Works especially well with commanders like [[Torens, Fist of the Angels]] or anyone summoning an army.

Try it in:

Tribal creature decks

Human-centric builds

Scion of Halaster

End step: mill 2, maybe get a land back.This thing is sneaky. It looks like a weak mill enabler, but it’s secretly smooths your draws, fuels graveyard recursion, and makes sure you hit land drops. Excellent for decks like [[Sefris of the Hidden Ways]], or even [[Muldrotha, the Gravetide]] builds using a Background-compatible partner.

Goes great with:

Reanimator or land recursion strategies

Graveyard-hungry commanders

Dungeon Delver

Double dungeon venture triggers.Dungeons weren’t just a gimmick. This Background makes them truly threatening. Pair this with any Initiative commander, and you’re rocketing through rooms with bonus value on every trigger. [[Sefris]] shines here again, but it’s also relevant in newer dungeon-aggro brews.

Strong in:

Dungeon-focused builds

Anything with consistent “venture” triggers

Master Chef

+1/+1 counters whenever your commander ETBs or attacks.This is ridiculous in go-wide or +1/+1 counter decks. Suddenly, every time your commander does something, the whole board gets swole. If you like aggressive token builds or synergies like [[Lathiel, the Bounteous Dawn]], you’ll feel the value immediately.

Ideal for:

Counter-based decksToken armies looking for scaling

Noble Heritage

Give someone counters; draw a card.This one’s all politics. You get to make friends or quietly buff your own board while drawing cards. Voltron decks love this for boosting their commander, and group-hug players use it to make allies or redirect heat. One of the more clever utility Backgrounds.

Best suited for:

Multiplayer politics decks

Voltron-style commanders

Passionate Archaeologist

Commander cast = burn opponent.Great for decks that want to cast their commander again and again—especially if it’s a heavy hitter. Works almost like a commander damage backup wincon. Think [[Rakdos, Lord of Riots]] or [[Xenagos, God of Revels]] builds that go big and go fast.

Use it with:

Burn-oriented strategies

High-power commanders

Wrapping It Up: What Are You Playing With?

Backgrounds aren’t just flavor text—they’re game changers if you build with purpose. Whether you’re into looting with Candlekeep Sage, turning your creatures into a draw engine with Folk Hero, or burning faces off with Passionate Archaeologist, there’s something here that’ll slot right into your brew.

If you’re looking to spice up your deck or even snag a slick proxy version of your favorite Background, take a stroll through https://mtgetsy.com/. It’s where creativity meets card quality, and yes, we carry the goodies that Wizards forgot to reprint.

Which Background are you running? Got a sleeper pick we missed? Sound off. The command zone just got a little more flexible.