PDC Meta

Pauper Duel Commander metagame analysis: most played commanders, color distribution and trends by tournament.

  • 16 tournaments
  • 214 player entries
  • 97 different commanders
  • 13 October 2025 to 3 October 2026

These numbers describe the tournaments published on this site, not the format as a whole. Updated whenever a tournament is published.

Ranking

The meta at a glance

Each tile is sized by its number of players.

Most Played Commanders

# Commander Share
1 Crackling Drake Banned 6%
2 Baleful Strix 6%
3 Mayhem Devil 4%
4 Juri, Master of the Revue 3%
5 Third Path Iconoclast 3%
6 Sailors' Bane Banned 3%
7 Garland, Knight of Cornelia 3%
8 Fynn, the Fangbearer 2%
9 Heartfire Hero 2%
10 Satyr Enchanter 2%
11 Soulherder 2%
12 Sphinx of the Guildpact 2%
13 Gut, True Soul Zealot + Inspiring Leader 2%
14 Tor Wauki the Younger 2%
15 Black Waltz No. 3 2%
Show the 82 other commanders
  1. 16 Palace Jailer 1% · 3
  2. 17 Queza, Augur of Agonies 1% · 3
  3. 18 Skirmish Rhino 1% · 3
  4. 19 Siona, Captain of the Pyleas 1% · 3
  5. 20 Balmor, Battlemage Captain 1% · 3
  6. 21 Huskburster Swarm 1% · 3
  7. 22 Exdeath, Void Warlock 1% · 3
  8. 23 Gut, True Soul Zealot 1% · 3
  9. 24 Dionus, Elvish Archdruid 1% · 3
  10. 25 Slippery Bogle 1% · 2
  11. 26 Wilson, Refined Grizzly 1% · 2
  12. 27 Voracious Tome-Skimmer 1% · 2
  13. 28 Raffine, Scheming Seer 1% · 2
  14. 29 Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim 1% · 2
  15. 30 Arabella, Abandoned Doll 1% · 2
  16. 31 Tannuk, Memorial Ensign 1% · 2
  17. 32 Long Feng, Grand Secretariat 1% · 2
  18. 33 Dina, Soul Steeper 1% · 2
  19. 34 Brushfire Elemental 1% · 2
  20. 35 Sedraxis Specter 1% · 2
  21. 36 Tenth District Legionnaire 1% · 2
  22. 37 Ravenous Squirrel 1% · 2
  23. 38 Horrid Shadowspinner 1% · 2
  24. 39 Wilson, Refined Grizzly 1% · 2
  25. 40 Loyal Apprentice 1% · 2
  26. 41 Speedball, New Warrior < 1% · 1
  27. 42 Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward < 1% · 1
  28. 43 Ruination Rioter < 1% · 1
  29. 44 Forsaken Miner < 1% · 1
  30. 45 Butch DeLoria, Tunnel Snake < 1% · 1
  31. 46 Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar < 1% · 1
  32. 47 Quaketusk Boar < 1% · 1
  33. 48 Izzet Guildmage < 1% · 1
  34. 49 Savvy Hunter < 1% · 1
  35. 50 The Emperor of Palamecia < 1% · 1
  36. 51 Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive < 1% · 1
  37. 52 Tomik, Izzet Sparkmage < 1% · 1
  38. 53 Ghalta the Immovable < 1% · 1
  39. 54 Gut, True Soul Zealot < 1% · 1
  40. 55 Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer < 1% · 1
  41. 56 Dragon's Rage Channeler < 1% · 1
  42. 57 Arnyn, Deathbloom Botanist < 1% · 1
  43. 58 Monastery Swiftspear < 1% · 1
  44. 59 Stormchaser Mage < 1% · 1
  45. 60 Enthusiastic Mechanaut < 1% · 1
  46. 61 Spider-Man India < 1% · 1
  47. 62 Enigma Drake < 1% · 1
  48. 63 Adeliz, the Cinder Wind < 1% · 1
  49. 64 Mm'menon, Uthros Exile < 1% · 1
  50. 65 Kang, Temporal Tyrant < 1% · 1
  51. 66 Glaring Fleshraker < 1% · 1
  52. 67 Sprouting Thrinax < 1% · 1
  53. 68 Indulging Patrician < 1% · 1
  54. 69 Hemosymbic Mite < 1% · 1
  55. 70 Gut, True Soul Zealot < 1% · 1
  56. 71 Mica, Reader of Ruins < 1% · 1
  57. 72 Junkyard Genius < 1% · 1
  58. 73 Phyrexian Censor < 1% · 1
  59. 74 Tidehollow Sculler < 1% · 1
  60. 75 Silver-Fur Master < 1% · 1
  61. 76 Ethersworn Sphinx < 1% · 1
  62. 77 Ingenious Infiltrator < 1% · 1
  63. 78 Lotleth Troll < 1% · 1
  64. 79 Nazgûl < 1% · 1
  65. 80 Arwen Undómiel < 1% · 1
  66. 81 Khenra Spellspear < 1% · 1
  67. 82 Zoyowa Lava-Tongue < 1% · 1
  68. 83 Gyre Engineer < 1% · 1
  69. 84 Sprite Dragon < 1% · 1
  70. 85 Cormela, Glamour Thief < 1% · 1
  71. 86 Dargo, the Shipwrecker < 1% · 1
  72. 87 Boggart Cursecrafter < 1% · 1
  73. 88 Shaman of the Pack < 1% · 1
  74. 89 Greta, Sweettooth Scourge < 1% · 1
  75. 90 Marsh Crocodile < 1% · 1
  76. 91 Skyfisher Spider < 1% · 1
  77. 92 Venomthrope < 1% · 1
  78. 93 Survey Mechan < 1% · 1
  79. 94 Descendant of Storms < 1% · 1
  80. 95 Hobgoblin, Mantled Marauder < 1% · 1
  81. 96 Oji, the Exquisite Blade < 1% · 1
  82. 97 Lagrella, the Magpie < 1% · 1

3 entry(ies) with no commander recorded, counted in the total.

Meta by Color Identity

One color on the diagonal, two above it. The lighter the square, the more the identity is played.

  • 5 Colors2%
  • Esper2%
  • Abzan1%
  • Grixis1%
  • Colorless1%
  • Jund0%
  • Bant0%

Color presence

  • 25%White
  • 42%Blue
  • 47%Black
  • 50%Red
  • 27%Green
  • 1%Colorless

Share of players whose commander includes the color. A two-color commander counts for both.

The top 4 at a glance

Each tile is sized by its number of top 4 spots.

Commanders that reached top 4 across 18 tournaments · 67 top 4 spots

Top 4 Commanders

# Commander Share
1 Crackling Drake Banned 13%
2 Sailors' Bane Banned 6%
3 Mayhem Devil 6%
4 Gut, True Soul Zealot + Inspiring Leader 6%
5 Baleful Strix 4%
6 Heartfire Hero 4%
7 Balmor, Battlemage Captain 4%
8 Palace Jailer 3%
9 Long Feng, Grand Secretariat 3%
10 Third Path Iconoclast 3%
11 Soulherder 3%
12 Gut, True Soul Zealot + Agent of the Iron Throne 3%
13 Dionus, Elvish Archdruid 3%
14 Horrid Shadowspinner 3%
15 Loyal Apprentice Banned 3%
Show the 19 other commanders
  1. 16 Quaketusk Boar 1% · 1
  2. 17 Izzet Guildmage 1% · 1
  3. 18 Slippery Bogle 1% · 1
  4. 19 Wilson, Refined Grizzly 1% · 1
  5. 20 Tomik, Izzet Sparkmage 1% · 1
  6. 21 Siona, Captain of the Pyleas 1% · 1
  7. 22 Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer 1% · 1
  8. 23 Dragon's Rage Channeler 1% · 1
  9. 24 Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim 1% · 1
  10. 25 Juri, Master of the Revue 1% · 1
  11. 26 Tannuk, Memorial Ensign 1% · 1
  12. 27 Sedraxis Specter 1% · 1
  13. 28 Fireglass Mentor 1% · 1
  14. 29 Ravenous Squirrel 1% · 1
  15. 30 Tor Wauki the Younger 1% · 1
  16. 31 Tenth District Legionnaire 1% · 1
  17. 32 Satyr Enchanter 1% · 1
  18. 33 Greta, Sweettooth Scourge 1% · 1
  19. 34 Hobgoblin, Mantled Marauder 1% · 1

2 entry(ies) with no commander recorded, counted in the total.

Top 4 Color Identities

One color on the diagonal, two above it. The lighter the square, the more the identity is played.

  • Grixis2%

Top 4 Colors

  • 20%White
  • 45%Blue
  • 31%Black
  • 63%Red
  • 17%Green

Share of players whose commander includes the color. A two-color commander counts for both.

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