Bello, Bard of the Brambles is the most built Gruul commander, with 26,740 decks on EDHREC, well ahead of Etali, Primal Conqueror (17,649) and Tovolar, Dire Overlord (16,269). Gruul is red and green, Magic’s colors for big creatures, lands and smashing face. The top 12 run from a Raccoon bard to the Ninja Turtles. Here they are ranked by decks, with today’s prices, the best budget picks and a brand-new Gruul legend coming in Nauctis.
My take: if you only build one, build Bello. It costs $2.94 and turns your big artifacts and enchantments into hasty 4/4s that draw cards. On a tighter budget, Tovolar ($0.40) and Omnath, Locus of Rage ($0.31) are both top-12 commanders for under a dollar.
Updated November 14, 2026. Deck counts: EDHREC’s Gruul commanders page, November 14. Prices: TCGplayer market price of each card’s cheapest regular printing, via Scryfall, November 14.
Table of Contents
The 12 best Gruul commanders
| Commander | Decks | Price |
|---|---|---|
| #1 Bello, Bard of the Brambles Big artifacts and enchantments attack | 26,740 | $2.94 |
| #2 Etali, Primal Conqueror Free spells from every library | 17,649 | $28.75 |
| #3 Tovolar, Dire Overlord Wolves and Werewolves | 16,269 | $0.40 |
| #4 Kibo, Uktabi Prince Monkeys and Bananas | 15,295 | $13.19 |
| #5 Wolverine, Best There Is Double damage fighter | 12,507 | $14.86 |
| #6 Tannuk, Memorial Ensign Landfall damage | 9,978 | $0.86 |
| #7 Roxanne, Starfall Savant Artifact token mana | 9,899 | $1.97 |
| #8 Raggadragga, Goreguts Boss Mana creatures attack | 9,150 | $0.22 |
| #9 Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes Planeswalker and hamster | 9,142 | $3.58 |
| #10 Omnath, Locus of Rage Landfall 5/5 Elementals | 8,968 | $0.31 |
| #11 Xenagos, God of Revels Haste and double power | 8,858 | $9.01 |
| #12 Raph & Mikey, Troublemakers Free attacking creatures | 8,373 | $2.63 |
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26,740 decks · $2.94
17,649 decks · $28.75
16,269 decks · $0.40
15,295 decks · $13.19
12,507 decks · $14.86
9,978 decks · $0.86
9,899 decks · $1.97
9,150 decks · $0.22
9,142 decks · $3.58
8,968 decks · $0.31
8,858 decks · $9.01
8,373 decks · $2.63
Tap any card to see it on TCGplayer.
Why the top 3 lead
Bello, Bard of the Brambles (#1, $2.94) was the face commander of Bloomburrow’s Animated Army precon. During your turn, every artifact and enchantment you control with mana value 4 or more (not Equipment or Auras) becomes a 4/4 Elemental with indestructible and haste that draws a card when it hits a player. Your expensive rocks and enchantments turn into an army.
Etali, Primal Conqueror (#2, $28.75) is a 7-mana trampling Dinosaur. When it enters, every player exiles cards from the top of their library until they hit a nonland card, and you cast any of those spells for free. Later it can transform into an even bigger threat. It’s the priciest card in the top 12.
Tovolar, Dire Overlord (#3, $0.40) leads Wolves and Werewolves. You draw a card whenever one of them hits a player, and once you control three, it turns night and your Werewolves flip to their stronger sides.
Right behind them: Kibo, Uktabi Prince (#4, $13.19) gives every player Banana tokens, then grows your Monkeys and Apes whenever an opponent’s artifact hits the graveyard, and it makes defenders sacrifice an artifact when it attacks. It costs only green mana, but the Banana text gives it a red-green color identity. Wolverine, Best There Is (#5, $14.86) doubles all the damage he deals and regenerates, and Tannuk, Memorial Ensign (#6, $0.86) pings every opponent for each land you play and draws a card on the second one each turn.
The rest of the top 12:
- Roxanne, Starfall Savant (#7, 9,899 decks, $1.97): every time she enters or attacks, you get a Meteorite token that deals 2 damage and taps for mana, and artifact tokens you tap for mana make double.
- Raggadragga, Goreguts Boss (#8, 9,150 decks, $0.22): your mana creatures get +2/+2 and untap when they attack, and any spell that cost seven or more mana untaps a creature and gives it +7/+7 and trample.
- Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes (#9, 9,142 decks, $3.58): a planeswalker that can be your commander. It makes Boo, a 1/1 hasty Hamster, every upkeep, then flings creatures at your opponents for damage and cards.
- Omnath, Locus of Rage (#10, 8,968 decks, $0.31): every land you play makes a 5/5 Elemental, and whenever an Elemental dies, Omnath deals 3 damage.
- Xenagos, God of Revels (#11, 8,858 decks, $9.01): an indestructible God that gives another creature haste and doubles its power at the start of each combat.
- Raph & Mikey, Troublemakers (#12, 8,373 decks, $2.63): the Ninja Turtles pair: a 7-mana trampler with haste that pulls the next creature from your library onto the battlefield attacking.
Gruul commanders from other worlds
Crossover sets have given Gruul some of its most popular legends. Wolverine (#5) is from the Marvel set, Minsc & Boo (#9) from Dungeons & Dragons’ Baldur’s Gate, and Raph & Mikey (#12) from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Avatar: The Last Airbender set added two more: Toph, Hardheaded Teacher (#19, 5,970 decks, $0.88), who earthbends a land into a creature every time you cast a spell, and Bumi, Unleashed (#25, 4,536 decks, $3.45), who untaps your lands and attacks again with land creatures.
$0.88
$3.45
Coming in Nauctis: Goramou the Coral-Taken
Wizards showed a new Gruul legend at MagicCon Atlanta: Goramou the Coral-Taken, a 3-mana 3/4 Shark from Nauctis: The Sunken Realm (February 5, 2027). When it enters, you get a Blood token. Whenever you discard one or more land cards, you can exile one of them from your graveyard and put it onto the battlefield tapped at the next end step. The Blood token doubles as a discard outlet, so Goramou turns extra lands into ramp and card draw. It looks like a strong new option for lands decks. It isn’t on EDHREC yet, so it’s not ranked here.
See every card revealed so far in our Nauctis spoilers list.
Budget Gruul commanders under $1
Gruul has plenty of cheap commanders. On top of Tovolar and Omnath in the top 12, these six all cost under a dollar:
$0.99
$0.37
$0.19
$0.58
$0.44
$0.28
- Chishiro, the Shattered Blade ($0.99, #15 with 7,009 decks): every Aura or Equipment you play makes a 2/2 menace Spirit, and your modified creatures grow each turn.
- Atarka, World Render ($0.37, #18 with 6,027 decks): a 7-mana flying Dragon that gives every attacking Dragon double strike.
- Ruby, Daring Tracker ($0.19, #22 with 5,024 decks): a 2-mana hasty mana creature that gets +2/+2 when it attacks alongside something big.
- Halana and Alena, Partners ($0.58, #24 with 4,545 decks): puts +1/+1 counters equal to its power on another creature each combat and gives it haste.
- Zilortha, Strength Incarnate ($0.44, #26 with 4,297 decks): your creatures die based on their power instead of toughness, so big bodies are almost impossible to kill in combat.
- Balthier and Fran ($0.28, #41 with 2,862 decks): from Final Fantasy: a Vehicles commander that pumps your Vehicles and can take an extra combat.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Gruul commander?
By number of decks, Bello, Bard of the Brambles is the most popular Gruul commander, with 26,740 decks on EDHREC as of November 14, 2026. Etali, Primal Conqueror and Tovolar, Dire Overlord are second and third.
What is the best budget Gruul commander?
Tovolar, Dire Overlord ($0.40) and Omnath, Locus of Rage ($0.31) are both in the top 12 and cost under a dollar. Chishiro, Atarka and Ruby are other popular picks under $1.
What colors are Gruul?
Gruul is red and green. The name comes from the Gruul Clans guild on Ravnica.
Is there a new Gruul commander coming?
Yes. Goramou the Coral-Taken, a red-green Shark, comes out in Nauctis: The Sunken Realm on February 5, 2027.
More color guides: best Simic commanders, best Golgari commanders, best Rakdos commanders, best mono-red commanders, and the best commander for every color combination.
Gruul commanders
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