Short answer: The most popular Mardu (red-white-black) commander is Edgar Markov, with 4,044 EDHREC decks in the past month and 52,168 all time. Kaalia of the Vast is right behind him this month (3,953), followed by Terra, Herald of Hope, Isshin, Two Heavens as One and Queen Marchesa. Edgar costs about $28 as a single. The other four are all under $5.
Updated October 24, 2026 · Rankings from EDHREC’s Mardu commander page (decks added in the past month) · TCGplayer market prices checked October 24, 2026
Who this is for: Commander players picking a Mardu deck to build, or curious what’s popular in red, white and black right now. For each commander you get what it does, how the deck plays, and three cards to build around, with the share of that commander’s EDHREC decks that run each one.
What are the best Mardu commanders right now?
| Commander | Decks (past month) | Decks (all time) | Plays like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edgar Markov | 4,044 | 52,168 | Vampires |
| Kaalia of the Vast | 3,953 | 40,536 | Free Angels, Demons, Dragons |
| Terra, Herald of Hope | 2,652 | 20,784 | Brings back dead creatures |
| Isshin, Two Heavens as One | 2,599 | 31,145 | Double attack triggers |
| Queen Marchesa | 2,124 | 21,038 | Monarch |
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We ranked by decks added in the past month because it shows what people are building now. The all-time column shows which commanders have stayed popular. Click any card below to check its price on TCGplayer.
1. Edgar Markov
What it does: Eminence: whenever you cast another Vampire spell, if Edgar is in the command zone or on the battlefield, you create a 1/1 Vampire token. First strike, haste. Whenever Edgar attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on each Vampire you control.
How the deck plays: The classic Vampires deck. Thanks to eminence, every Vampire you cast makes a second one before Edgar ever hits the table, and once he does, every attack grows the whole team. He’s the most-built Mardu commander on EDHREC, all time and this month.
Build around:
- Captivating Vampire ($2.01, in 82% of decks): pumps your other Vampires and can steal a creature
- Cordial Vampire ($2.27, in 82% of decks): every creature that dies grows all your Vampires
- Blood Artist ($2.91, in 82% of decks): every creature that dies drains an opponent
Popularity and price: 4,044 EDHREC decks in the past month (52,168 total). Market price $28.24, the priciest commander on this list (TCGplayer, Oct 24). Check today’s price on TCGplayer
2. Kaalia of the Vast
What it does: Flying. Whenever Kaalia attacks an opponent, you may put an Angel, Demon or Dragon card from your hand onto the battlefield tapped and attacking.
How the deck plays: Cheat huge Angels, Demons and Dragons into play for free every time Kaalia attacks. Keep her alive and give her haste, and the deck wins fast.
Build around:
- Lightning Greaves ($3.66, in 76% of decks): haste and shroud for Kaalia, with a free equip
- Gisela, Blade of Goldnight ($5.33, in 78% of decks): an Angel that doubles the damage you deal to opponents
- Rune-Scarred Demon ($1.13, in 71% of decks): a Demon that tutors for any card when it enters
Popularity and price: 3,953 EDHREC decks in the past month (40,536 total). Market price $4.04 (TCGplayer, Oct 24). Check today’s price on TCGplayer
3. Terra, Herald of Hope
What it does: Trance: at the beginning of combat on your turn, mill two cards and Terra gains flying. Whenever she deals combat damage to a player, you may pay {2} to return a creature card with power 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.
How the deck plays: A reanimator deck. Terra fills your graveyard every turn, flies in, and brings back a small creature each time she connects. Most players add bigger reanimation spells on top.
Build around:
- Reanimate ($8.19, in 83% of decks): one mana to bring back anything, any size
- Stitcher’s Supplier ($0.32, in 74% of decks): mills three when it enters and again when it dies
- Karmic Guide ($0.35, in 59% of decks): returns a creature when it enters
Popularity and price: 2,652 EDHREC decks in the past month (20,784 total). Market price $1.09 (TCGplayer, Oct 24). Check today’s price on TCGplayer
4. Isshin, Two Heavens as One
What it does: If a creature attacking causes a triggered ability of a permanent you control to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time.
How the deck plays: Every “whenever this attacks” or “whenever you attack” ability happens twice. Token makers double their tokens, and pump effects stack up.
Build around:
- Windcrag Siege ($0.35, in 61% of decks): choose Mardu and it does the same thing as Isshin, so attack triggers happen three times
- Adeline, Resplendent Cathar ($2.74, in 59% of decks): two Human tokens per opponent every attack instead of one
- Hero of Bladehold ($0.73, in 47% of decks): four attacking Soldiers and a double battle cry
Popularity and price: 2,599 EDHREC decks in the past month (31,145 total). Market price $3.67 (TCGplayer, Oct 24). Check today’s price on TCGplayer
5. Queen Marchesa
What it does: Deathtouch, haste. When she enters, you become the monarch. At the beginning of your upkeep, if an opponent is the monarch, you create a 1/1 Assassin with deathtouch and haste.
How the deck plays: A monarch deck. You draw an extra card every turn while you hold the crown, and if someone takes it, Marchesa makes Assassins to take it back.
Build around:
- Court of Grace ($1.06, in 55% of decks): makes you the monarch and creates a 4/4 Angel every upkeep while you are
- Ghostly Prison ($5.87, in 62% of decks): makes it expensive to attack you and steal the crown
- Breena, the Demagogue ($0.29, in 56% of decks): rewards players for attacking your higher-life opponents, and grows one of your creatures each time
Popularity and price: 2,124 EDHREC decks in the past month (21,038 total). Market price $1.14 (TCGplayer, Oct 24). Check today’s price on TCGplayer
Why play Mardu?
Mardu is known as the aggressive three-color combination. Red brings haste and damage, white brings tokens and removal, and black brings card draw, drain and reanimation. It has less ramp and card draw than most color combinations, so the best Mardu commanders either make their own advantage when they attack (Isshin, Kaalia, Edgar) or steal it, like Queen Marchesa does with the monarch.
The cheapest way in is Terra or Queen Marchesa. Both cost about a dollar, and Terra’s key support cards are cheap apart from Reanimate.
Honorable mentions
- Caesar, Legion’s Emperor (1,996 decks in the past month, about $4.37): from the Fallout set. Whenever you attack, you can sacrifice a creature to choose two: two hasty attacking Soldier tokens, a card, or damage equal to your token count. He’s a natural partner for Isshin, who doubles that trigger.
- Fire Lord Zuko (1,391 decks, about $0.36): from the Avatar: The Last Airbender set. Firebending gives you red mana when he attacks, and every spell you cast from exile, or permanent that enters from exile, puts a +1/+1 counter on each of your creatures.
More three-color commander rankings: Jeskai, Bant, Esper, Grixis, Abzan, Naya, Sultai, Temur and Jund.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Mardu commander?
Edgar Markov is the most-built Mardu commander on EDHREC, both in the past month (4,044 decks) and of all time (52,168).
What colors are Mardu?
Red, white and black. The name comes from the Mardu Horde, a clan from the plane of Tarkir.
What’s the cheapest Mardu commander to build?
Terra, Herald of Hope ($1.09) and Queen Marchesa ($1.14) are the cheapest commanders in this top five.
Why is Edgar Markov so popular?
Eminence. He makes a Vampire token every time you cast a Vampire, even from the command zone, so the deck gets going on turn two whether or not you can afford to cast him.
Sources: EDHREC Mardu commander rankings (past month and all time) and each commander’s EDHREC page, checked October 24, 2026; card text from Scryfall; TCGplayer market prices checked October 24, 2026. Card images: Wizards of the Coast, via Scryfall.
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