Austere Command
Sorcery
Why Play Austere Command
White control and midrange decks value the flexibility to clear specific types of permanents while protecting their own threats. The ability to destroy all artifacts and enchantments handles problematic non-creature permanents that white struggles to answer individually. Against creature-heavy matchups, combining the two creature destruction modes creates a one-sided board wipe by positioning your threats at the right mana values. Control decks often hold this as a late-game reset button when facing diverse board states.Format Notes
Commander represents the primary home for Austere Command, where its modal nature shines against varied multiplayer board states and the format's heavy reliance on artifacts and enchantments. Modern occasionally sees play in white-based control sideboards as a flexible answer to combo decks relying on artifacts or enchantments. Legacy applications remain niche due to the format's speed, though some prison strategies utilize it as a selective sweeper that preserves their own permanents.Combos & Synergies
Elspeth, Sun's Champion creates 1/1 soldiers that survive the small creature destruction mode while clearing opposing threats with higher mana values. Land Tax and other low-cost utility permanents benefit from selective destruction that leaves them intact. Teferi's Protection allows you to phase out your entire board before casting Austere Command, creating a completely one-sided effect that devastates opponents while preserving all your permanents.Featured in These Decks
- Virtue and Valor Commander
- Urza’s Iron Alliance Commander
- Science! Commander
- Political Puppets Commander
- Party Time Commander
- Obscura Operation Commander
