The 45 Best Voltron Commanders in Magic Ranked

Last updated on December 19, 2025

Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice | Illustration by Randy Vargas

Are you looking to build a formidable Magic deck to beat your opponents at your next game night? Consider a Voltron deck that can bulk up one unkillable creature to take out your opponents in just a couple hits.

Let’s go over how Voltron is intended to work, where the name comes from, and the best commanders to lead your next EDH list.

Suit up!

What Does the Name Voltron Come From?

Catti-brie of Mithral Hall | Illustration by Lius Lasahido

The term Voltron comes from a Japanese animated series released in 1984 named Voltron. The series was eventually dubbed in English and brought to North America for watchers to enjoy. The show featured tiny robots combining into a giant one when it was time for battle.

Voltron has become a popular archetype in the Commander format. With enough auras and equipment spells attached to the right commander, it can be easy to eventually inflict 21 commander damage to your opponents to win the game.

What Are Voltron Commanders in MTG?

Voltron commanders pump themselves or another key creature on the battlefield to one-shot opponents. They proficiently carry equipment and/or auras because they typically have great protection and combat abilities.

Many of the best Voltron commanders are mono-red, mono-white, or Boros . A Voltron commander can become so threatening that opponents have to cast an Austere Command to blow up what's attached to it or a Damnation to destroy all creatures and temporarily level the playing field, or risk dying in combat.

#45. Danitha, New Benalia’s Light

Danitha, New Benalia's Light gives your deck a lot of resilience. If an opponent removes your key win conditions from the game, as long as Danitha is still on the field, you can recast your auras and equipment from the graveyard. This is usually played in support of a different commander rather than leading the deck itself.

#44. Akiri, Fearless Voyager

Akiri, Fearless Voyager can provide up to one card draw per opponent, provided you're able to attack each player with an equipped creature. Beyond the obvious card advantage, Akiri also provides protection in the form of indestructible. The activation is cheap, but you'll have to re-equip whatever you unattach, so Akiri really wants to be surrounded by some cheap equipment.

#43. Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER

Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER is a powerhouse Voltron commander right out of the gate thanks to haste and a free equipment attachment when it enters. You can swing in immediately with something like Sword of Fire and Ice or Colossus Hammer without wasting time. Better yet, once Cloud attacks, you draw a card for every equipped attacker, and possibly make Treasure tokens if their power hits 7 or more. It’s a rewarding, aggressive, and snowballing commander built for explosive turns.

#42. Tifa Lockhart

Tifa Lockhart shines in Duel Commander, where speed and efficiency matter most. While it starts as just a 1/2, its landfall trigger doubles the power with each land drop—perfect for explosive turns. What makes it extra scary is how well it pairs with spells like Scale Up; cast it before Tifa’s landfall trigger, and suddenly it hits like a truck. Trample makes sure that power boost doesn’t go to waste, and since Tifa is only 2 mana, you can swing for lethal as early as turn 3 with the right hand.

#41. Cloud, Midgar Mercenary

Cloud, Midgar Mercenary brings consistency to your Voltron strategy. It tutors up any equipment when it enters, and it gives you whatever tool you need—whether it’s Swiftfoot Boots for protection or Umezawa's Jitte for control. Once equipped, Cloud doubles triggered abilities, which makes any equipment with attack triggers shine even more. For just 2 mana, this version of Cloud is one of the smoothest engines you can build around.

#40. Kemba, Kha Enduring

Meow! Build your board with artifacts and get free equips when cats enter the battlefield. Plus, if you don’t have any cat creatures in your hand, Kemba, Kha Enduring’s activated ability can make one for you, which also comes with a free equip when the cat token enters.

#39. Tuvasa the Sunlit

Tuvasa the Sunlit can get powerful fast if you prioritize low-cost auras. Ancestral Mask can expedite how fast its power grows with an additional +2/+2 for each enchantment on the battlefield. Cards like Transcendent Envoy and Danitha Capashen, Paragon can help you get enchantments on the battlefield even quicker, all while Tuvasa draws you cards and beats down on opponents.

#38. Reyav, Master Smith

What's better than a difficult-to-kill creature dealing a lot of damage? A formidable creature with double strike, of course!

Reyav, Master Smith allows your big equipped and/or enchanted creature to gain double strike until the end of turn whenever they attack. That can turn even a dorky creature like Champion of the Flame into a fast clock early on.

#37. Tiana, Ship’s Caretaker

Tiana, Ship's Caretaker is a graveyard recursion powerhouse. If your auras or equipment cards are swept off the battlefield, Tiana can bring them back to your hand at the next end step so you can start rebuilding. Again, more support than command zone fodder.

#36. Sigarda, Host of Herons

If you want to kill a bogles player, you need edicts to get around the miserable keyword that is hexproof. Sigarda, Host of Herons soars above such petty demands, forcing your opponents to have board wipes or accept angelic judgment. Auras are the best way to boost Sigarda’s power since a Selesnya commander has access to all the best enchantress cards, including Sythis, Harvest's Hand and other enchantresses to draw cards and spells with umbra armor like Snake Umbra to protect Sigarda from those board wipes.

#35. Danitha Capashen, Paragon

Danitha Capashen, Paragon offers cost reduction as your Voltron commander, able to reduce aura and equipment spells by . The set of keywords here means Danitha's not too bad of a target for those modifications, but this is still in support territory.

#34. Nazahn, Revered Bladesmith

When your one hard-to-kill creature attacks, you can tap down a problem creature on your opponent's side of the field thanks to Nazahn, Revered Bladesmith‘s attack trigger. Nazahn also has the benefit of tutoring its own equipment, and Hammer of Nazahn is one of the best pieces for any equipment deck due to its auto-equip ability.

#33. Catti-brie of Mithral Hall

Catti-brie of Mithral Hall can get catty very fast. The more equipment you attach to it, the more +1/+1 counters you place on it whenever it attacks. How’s that for one-shotting an opponent with commander damage? This card is best friends with Basilisk Collar and other deathtouch-granting equipment.

#32. Akiri, Line-Slinger

Akiri, Line-Slinger is an equipment-based Voltron deck that pumps up its power based on how many equipment cards and other supporting artifacts you have on the battlefield. This 2-drop Boros commander can pump up quickly with low-cost artifacts and equipment cards to swing in for the win, and pairs well with other artifact-centric partners like Silas Renn, Seeker Adept or Glacian, Powerstone Engineer.

#31. Halvar, God of Battle

Use all auras, all equipment cards, or a combination of both to turn Halvar into a giant beater to swing for lethal commander damage. Its power to move one aura or equipment from one creature to another gives you complete command over how you want to power up each creature in your army. Sword of the Realms gives this MDFC some flexibility if you need to resort to pumping up a different creature instead.

#30. Shagrat, Loot Bearer

Shagrat, Loot Bearer’s a rare Rakdos commander that cares about equipment. It gets to play offense and defense at the same time, since it'll amass an orc army that can block while Shagrat picks up equipment and attacks. Bear in mind that Shagrat will always make an army even if there's no equipment to pick up, which results in creating a 0/0 army that dies right away. Hey, that might be relevant for some death trigger payoffs like Blood Artist or Grave Pact.

#29. Voja, Jaws of the Conclave

One of the best Naya commanders, Voja, Jaws of the Conclave distributes counters at a terrifying rate. That paired with trample makes it a Voltron commander with very high potential, especially with the protection ward provides. Toss in some of Naya’s ample counter doublers and double strike effects and you could go from “who’s a good dog?” to “oh crap it has fangs!” in a single combat step.

#28. Wyleth, Soul of Steel

Wyleth, Soul of Steel is a card draw powerhouse that works best with cheap auras and equipment. Plus, its trample ability makes it easier to get damage through to other opponents no matter its size after attaching equipment.

#27. Sythis, Harvest’s Hand

As one of the best enchantment commanders, Sythis, Harvest's Hand helps you draw cards and keep your life total at a healthy number as you cast more enchantments. This legend more often takes the form of a pillow fort deck, but no one expects the Voltron version of Sythis.

#26. Bruna, Light of Alabaster

Bruna, Light of Alabaster can move around your aura cards attached to the other creatures on your battlefield or from your graveyard whenever it attacks or blocks. Auras like Auramancer's Guise and All That Glitters to make Bruna more lethal when attacking or blocking. My favorite quirk here is that Bruna can snatch auras from opponents and place them on itself.

#25. Raiyuu, Storm’s Edge

Any aggressive creature that also generates its own extra combat steps is going to have potential as a Voltron commander. Raiyuu, Storm's Edge’s got first strike already, but it'll probably need the help of cards like Hero's Heirloom and Mithril Coat to get through in combat effectively. You can also slot this into warrior/samurai decks, and it's one of the only real homes for Sigil of Valor.

#24. Nahiri, Forged in Fury

Usually you want creatures in play before casting equipment, but Nahiri, Forged in Fury‘s affinity for equipment wants plenty of equipment in play already. You're going to want a mix of cheap equipment to put into play early and discount your commander, and expensive haymakers like Kaldra Compleat and Dragon Throne of Tarkir to free-cast off of Nahiri's attack trigger.

#23. Valduk, Keeper of the Flame

Valduk, Keeper of the Flame is a mono-red, token-producing Voltron commander. It rewards you with temporary 3/1 Elementals equal to how many auras and equipment you have attached to it. Madcap Skills, Sticky Fingers, and Messenger's Speed are great examples of low-cost auras to include in a Valduk deck, and this can make for a fun Pauper commander.

#22. Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain

Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain doubles and triples down on all the best auras and equipment you can stack on a bird, likely with the aid of Sigarda's Aid and Puresteel Paladin. Your best results come from duplicating cards like All That Glitters and Thran Power Suit that stack incredibly well because they count all those copies you’re making.

#21. Zur the Enchanter

Having a flying commander like Zur the Enchanter means instant combat and commander damage if the opponent doesn’t have a flier or a creature with reach. Auras like Ethereal Armor, Battle Mastery, and Timely Ward can make Zur more formidable for an expedited win. It's not the most popular way to build Zur, but that's a testament to the flexibility of this Esper commander.

#20. Balan, Wandering Knight

Get two equipment attached to Balan, Wandering Knight and it gains double strike. Go in for the win by using its activated ability to attach all equipment you control to Balan. Use Darksteel Plate to make Balan indestructible to protect it from removal. The goal is to take people out in one combat step without ever having to pay an actual equip cost.

#19. Zurgo Helmsmasher

Pump Zurgo Helmsmasher with equipment like Commander's Plate and the quintessential Mirran sword cards to make it even more untouchable. This is also one of the commanders that best wields a Worldslayer, turning that mass destruction card into an actual wincon rather than a full game reset.

#18. Rhuk, Hexgold Nabber

Rhuk, Hexgold Nabber makes sure your equipment are always attached to something. It pairs nicely with cards like Vulshok Battlemaster and Armory Automaton which attach all equipment to themselves. Not only will that ensure every equipment in play is attached to something, but it's also a clever way to temporarily get the benefits of your opponents' equipment too, at least until that reattach them elsewhere.

#17. Chishiro, the Shattered Blade

Remember when Post Malone played Chishiro in the Command Zone’s Game Knights Kamigawa Dynasty video? Chishiro, the Shattered Blade rewards you for casting aura and equipment spells by giving you additional 2/2 Spirit tokens to act as blockers. You're more likely to want to spread out your modifications with Chishiro in play, but there's nothing stopping you from loading up on this snake samurai and going to town. If your opponents answer the commander, they have to deal with your pumped up Spirits next.

#16. Kodama of the West Tree

Whether you have auras, equipment, or both types on your creatures, Kodama of the West Tree gives them all trample. Even better, Kodama acts as a form of ramp because you can get basic lands from your library equal to the number of creatures that landed combat damage on your opponents that turn. Rarely do you see the Western Kodama in the command zone, but I'd be scared if I did.

#15. Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist

Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist lets you attach whatever auras and equipment you have on the battlefield to a specific permanent or another player. If you want to attach auras to a player, you can include curses like Curse of Exhaustion or Curse of Silence in the deck.

Commander decks featuring this partner usually include equipment like Colossus Hammer, Blackblade Reforged, and Argentum Armor. And don’t forget auras like Mantle of the Ancients and All That Glitters. You'll see this paired with Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh quite often, though it's also a decent pairing with Akiri.

#14. Kosei, Penitent Warlord

Kosei, Penitent Warlord asks you to get at least one aura, one equipment, and any type of counter on it. After that point, it becomes a card draw engine that also does a great Hydra Omnivore impression in combat. This mono-green commander works best with cards that cover multiple modifications at once. Forced Adaptation and Ring of Kalonia, for example, are relevant card types that also put +1/+1 counters on Kosei.

#13. Syr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale

Syr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale allows you to equip knight creatures for 0 cost, but the attack trigger works for any equipped creature. This Mardu commander from Throne of Eldraine is best built as knight typal with auto-includes like Knight Exemplar and Kinsbaile Cavalier. Embercleave, Sunforger, and The Circle of Loyalty are great synergistic artifacts to include in your build.

#12. Alexios, Deimos of Kosmos

Alexios, Deimos of Kosmos is kind of like Slicer, Hired Muscle, except you never have to worry about it attacking you. It’s super effective as a Voltron commander because it gets to attack four times a turn cycle, so you basically get three additional combats a turn. Toss on some auras and equipment and your opponents won’t stand a chance.

#11. Uril, the Miststalker

Uril, the Miststalker is almost like the creature version of Ancestral Mask. Uril’s hexproof ability made this beast commander one of the first notable Voltron commanders, and it still puts the beatdown on people if you're looking to dig up a commander from Magic's past.

#10. Yargle and Multani

Yargle and Multani might look like it’s just a meme, but….

The biggest appeal to using Yargle and Multani as a Voltron commander is how little work you need to do to it. All it takes is a Giant Growth to reach lethal power! Instead of filling the deck with equipment or counters cards or whatever to make this Golgari commander into a massive threat, you get to focus on protection spells and ways to give it trample. Should the Voltron game plan start looking sketchy, Greater Good and Rishkar's Expertise refill your hand with gas.

#9. Wolverine, Best There Is

Double damage is no joke, and Wolverine, Best There Is makes sure every hit counts. This version of Wolverine also regenerates and grows over time when it deals damage to other creatures, so it’s nearly impossible to remove once you’ve geared it up. Cards like Rancor, Loxodon Warhammer, or even Embercleave turn Wolverine into a lethal threat with both staying power and brutal offense.

#8. Skullbriar, the Walking Grave

Skullbriar, the Walking Grave is one of the most unique Voltron commanders ever printed. It keeps the +1/+1 counters no matter where it goes, so even if it dies or is blinked, it comes back just as strong. Every time Skullbriar deals combat damage, it grows, and with haste, you can start the pressure early. A deck full of counter synergies and equipment like Ring of Kalonia or Whispersilk Cloak takes Skullbriar to the next level.

#7. Galea, Kindler of Hope

Galea, Kindler of Hope accelerates how quickly you can access your auras and equipment by letting you play them from the top of your library. This is one commander that doesn't mind high equip costs so much since Galea makes them free to equip anyway. Helm of the Host and Colossus Hammer are great equipment to cast off the top.

#6. Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh

Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh tops the list because it’s a versatile, 0-drop Voltron commander. Who doesn’t love a commander that you can cast on turn 1? It comes in as a 0/1, but that's nothing that auras and equipment can’t fix.

Trample and menace increase the likelihood that Rograkh is getting through in combat. Plus, since it has partner, you can choose to include a secondary commander to enhance Voltron capabilities like Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist or Akiri, Line-Slinger.

#5. Captain America, First Avenger

If you want a flashy, cinematic Voltron commander, Captain America, First Avenger delivers. It auto-attaches equipment at the start of combat and can throw those same equipment later to deal targeted damage based on their mana value. That lets you turn things like Darksteel Plate or Blackblade Reforged into instant-speed removal. Between value, flavor, and firepower, Cap shines in any deck that wants to punch and protect at the same time.

#4. Kotis, the Fangkeeper

Even though Kotis, the Fangkeeper doesn’t scream “Voltron” at first glance, it’s a sneaky good choice for the strategy. With indestructible baked in, Kotis is hard to deal with, and once you start to buff it up with equipment or auras, the payoff is massive: You exile and cast spells from opponents’ libraries for free. A well-equipped Kotis with something like Quietus Spike or Vorpal Sword can end games while it steals threats at the same time.

#3. Slicer, Hired Muscle / Slicer, High-Speed Antagonist

Slicer, Hired Muscle is one of the wildest Voltron commanders you can play, especially in multiplayer. It starts off as a 3/4 double striker with haste, which is already amazing for dealing tons of early damage. But the real fun begins when you use its ability to pass it around the table and let each opponent take control of Slicer during their turn. After enough hits, it converts into Slicer, High-Speed Antagonist, a first-striking, hasty vehicle that swings hard and flips back at end of combat. Slap on something like Embercleave or Sword of Vengeance, and you’re weaponizing the whole table while keeping your commander in constant motion.

#2. Rafiq of the Many

Rafiq of the Many is one of the best Voltron commanders embracing the tactic of one large creature attacking alone. Giving a lone equipped attacking creature double strike until the end of your turn can hasten the win if your opponent doesn’t have any creatures to defend their life total. Rafiq joins Uril, the Miststalker as one of the early Voltron boogeymen of the format.

#1. Light-Paws, Emperor’s Voice

One of Magic's best aura commanders, Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice essentially lets you attach two auras per turn to it, one that you cast and one that you search for in your library afterwards. If your opponent can’t expeditiously handle this fox‘s increasing power level, you may win by turn 4 or 5.

Best Voltron Commander Enablers

Voltron commanders are competitive, dangerous, and fun. The best auras for Voltron decks include Ancestral Mask and Armadillo Cloak. Equipment like Banshee's Blade, Champion's Helm, and Swiftfoot Boots also gets the ball rolling for your Voltron strategy. Lightning Greaves is also a popular choice, but you have to be careful not to lock down your own strategy with shroud.

Since your Voltron commander will almost always be the best individual card on the field, board wipes that leave a single creature in play are powerful. Single Combat and Promise of Loyalty reduce the board to everybody’s best creature. Red has a few similar effects like Chandra's Ignition and Waltz of Rage that pair particularly well with lifelink.

You must consider how you’re getting your commander large enough to threaten your opponents with a quick 21 damage. Equipment and auras are super common; I recommend picking one and sticking with it so you can properly build around it. An equipment-based commander wants support pieces like Puresteel Paladin and Stoneforge Mystic that don’t interact with enchantments; on the same note, an aura commander can play out like a typical enchantress strategy with cards like Sythis, Harvest's Hand and Jukai Naturalist.

Lastly, Final Fantasy dropped a bunch of awesome support cards for equipment decks. Cards like Cloud, Midgar Mercenary, Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms, and Raubahn, Bull of Ala Mhigo make it super easy to find your best equipment, cheat them onto the battlefield, and even attach them for free. It’s a huge win for anyone that runs a Voltron-style deck.

Commanding Conclusion

Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist | Illustration by Jason Rainville

Voltron commanders are great fun because of how you can watch your opponents sweat while they watch your commander grow. Sure, they might be able to chip away at your equipment and auras with removal, but if you make the commander itself hexproof, all they can do is take off one piece just for you to tack on another.

What are your thoughts and experiences when it comes to Voltron Commanders? I want to hear all your thoughts and opinions in the comments below! Make sure to join the official Draftsim Discord to chat with other like-minded MTG players.

Until next time, stay safe, and stay healthy!