Short answer: The most popular Grixis (blue-black-red) commander is Sauron, the Dark Lord, with 4,026 EDHREC decks in the past month and 40,935 all time. Next are Fire Lord Azula, Kefka, Court Mage, the new Marvel precon commander Doctor Doom, King of Latveria, and the classic Nekusar, the Mindrazer. Sauron costs about $15 as a single. The other four are $5 or less.
Updated October 24, 2026 · Rankings from EDHREC’s Grixis commander page (decks added in the past month) · TCGplayer market prices checked October 24, 2026
Who this is for: Commander players picking a Grixis deck to build, or curious what’s popular in blue, black and red 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 Grixis commanders right now?
| Commander | Decks (past month) | Decks (all time) | Plays like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sauron, the Dark Lord | 4,026 | 40,935 | Orcs and the Ring |
| Fire Lord Azula | 3,330 | 39,296 | Copy spells in combat |
| Kefka, Court Mage | 2,835 | 32,536 | Make everyone discard |
| Doctor Doom, King of Latveria | 2,610 | 11,435 | Connive and drain |
| Nekusar, the Mindrazer | 2,470 | 32,626 | Draw damage |
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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. Sauron, the Dark Lord
What it does: Ward: sacrifice a legendary artifact or creature. Whenever an opponent casts a spell, you amass Orcs 1. Whenever your Army deals combat damage to a player, the Ring tempts you, and whenever the Ring tempts you, you may discard your hand and draw four cards.
How the deck plays: Your Orc Army grows on everyone else’s turns, and every hit refills your hand. Most decks lean into the Ring and Orcs from the Lord of the Rings set. Our Sauron deck guide covers the full build. He’s also the most-built Grixis commander of all time.
Build around:
- Call of the Ring ($4.13, in 78% of decks): the Ring tempts you every upkeep, which means four new cards whenever you want them
- Orcish Bowmasters ($37.97, in 62% of decks): amasses Orcs and punishes extra draws, but it’s the priciest card here
- Witch-king of Angmar ($6.10, in 59% of decks): makes attackers pay and tempts you with the Ring
Popularity and price: 4,026 EDHREC decks in the past month (40,935 total, the most of any Grixis commander). Market price $14.72 (TCGplayer, Oct 24). Check today’s price on TCGplayer
2. Fire Lord Azula
What it does: Firebending 2: whenever she attacks, add {R}{R} until end of combat. Whenever you cast a spell while she’s attacking, copy that spell.
How the deck plays: A spells deck that does its work in combat. Attack with Azula, use her free red mana, and every instant you cast happens twice.
Build around:
- Big Score ($0.43, in 65% of decks): an instant that draws two and makes two Treasures, so four of each with a copy
- Storm-Kiln Artist ($1.80, in 62% of decks): a Treasure for every instant or sorcery you cast or copy
- Veyran, Voice of Duality ($2.14, in 51% of decks): makes your instant and sorcery triggers happen twice
Popularity and price: 3,330 EDHREC decks in the past month (39,296 total). Market price $1.05 (TCGplayer, Oct 24). Check today’s price on TCGplayer
3. Kefka, Court Mage
What it does: Whenever Kefka enters or attacks, each player discards a card, and you draw a card for each card type among the discarded cards. For {8}, each opponent sacrifices a permanent and he transforms into Kefka, Ruler of Ruin, a flier that draws you cards whenever opponents lose life on your turn.
How the deck plays: A discard deck that punishes your opponents for every card they throw away, then turns into a card-draw machine late in the game.
Build around:
- Waste Not ($5.34, in 64% of decks): Zombies, mana or cards whenever an opponent discards
- Harmonic Prodigy ($5.04, in 61% of decks): Kefka is a Wizard, so his discard trigger happens twice
- Tinybones, Bauble Burglar ($1.53, in 43% of decks): lets you play the cards your opponents discarded
Popularity and price: 2,835 EDHREC decks in the past month (32,536 total). Market price $4.63 (TCGplayer, Oct 24). Check today’s price on TCGplayer
4. Doctor Doom, King of Latveria
What it does: Whenever you discard one or more land cards, each opponent loses 2 life. At the beginning of combat on your turn, a Villain you control gains menace and connives.
How the deck plays: The face of the Doom Prevails precon: connive every turn, discard lands to drain the table. Our Doom Prevails upgrade guide lists 10 cards to add and 10 to cut.
Build around:
- Leader, Super-Genius ($0.33, in 70% of decks): a second connive every combat, plus an extra card
- Norman Osborn ($14.16, in 69% of decks): an unblockable two-drop that connives, then turns into Green Goblin
- Monument to Endurance ($12.61, in 56% of decks): each discard draws, makes a Treasure or drains 3
Popularity and price: 2,610 EDHREC decks in the past month (11,435 total). Market price $3.10 (TCGplayer, Oct 24). Check today’s price on TCGplayer
5. Nekusar, the Mindrazer
What it does: At the beginning of each player’s draw step, that player draws an additional card. Whenever an opponent draws a card, Nekusar deals 1 damage to that player.
How the deck plays: The classic “wheel” deck. Everyone draws more, and every card your opponents draw hurts them. Spells that make everyone discard and draw seven new cards turn into huge damage.
Build around:
- Windfall ($4.82, in 83% of decks): everyone discards and draws a new hand, and each card hurts
- Underworld Dreams ($1.95, in 80% of decks): a second Nekusar for every draw
- Fate Unraveler ($2.74, in 74% of decks): a third one, on a creature
Popularity and price: 2,470 EDHREC decks in the past month (32,626 total). Market price $3.19 (TCGplayer, Oct 24). Check today’s price on TCGplayer
Why play Grixis?
Grixis is the color combination of villains and spellcasters. Blue brings card draw and counterspells, black brings removal and reanimation, and red brings damage and burst mana. It’s weak at handling enchantments and gaining life, so Grixis decks usually win by out-drawing the table and burning or draining everyone out, like Nekusar and Doctor Doom do.
The cheapest way in is Fire Lord Azula. She costs about a dollar, and her key support cards are all under $2.15.
Honorable mentions
- Norman Osborn (1,756 decks in the past month, about $14.16): an unblockable two-drop that connives when he connects, then transforms into Green Goblin, who lets you cast cards you discarded this turn from your graveyard. He’s also the second most-played add in Doom Prevails decks.
- Saruman, the White Hand (1,269 decks, about $0.84): every noncreature spell you cast amasses Orcs equal to its mana value, and your Orcs and Goblins have ward {2}. He shows up in 69% of Sauron decks, too.
More three-color commander rankings: Jeskai, Bant, Esper, Mardu, Abzan, Naya, Sultai, Temur and Jund.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Grixis commander?
Sauron, the Dark Lord is the most-built Grixis commander on EDHREC, both in the past month (4,026 decks) and of all time (40,935).
What colors are Grixis?
Blue, black and red. The name comes from the shard of Grixis on the plane of Alara.
What’s the cheapest Grixis commander to build?
Fire Lord Azula, at about $1.05, with key support cards under $2.15 each.
Is Doctor Doom, King of Latveria a good commander?
He’s a popular one: the fourth most-built Grixis commander this month. His precon, Doom Prevails, is easy to upgrade, and our Doom Prevails upgrade guide shows how for about $53.
Sources: EDHREC Grixis 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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