Kenrith, the Returned King revealed in Throne of Eldraine Spoilers

Commander is a game of politics, to say the least. Knowing when to help your opponents and when to hurt them, making deals, and taking down the archenemy are all key parts to the format. In fact, these things are exactly what makes Commander so beloved as a format to many. However, not all legendary creatures are the best at doing this. Some are just too powerful, instantly becoming an enemy of the table on sight. Others are far too weak to make an impact. Kenrith, the Returned King strikes just the right balance. He’s a commander that brings a little bit of everything to the table. Let’s break him down!

Breakdown

For 5 mana in white, Kenrith, the Returned King is a 5/5 Legendary Human Noble with 5 abilities. All of these abilities use a different color of mana. Because of this, if he is your commander, you can play all 5 colors. Each ability is a different mana cost and can affect any player, giving you a lot of political power.

The first gives all creatures trample and haste. This can help you or an opponent get in a bunch of damage when the time is right. The second lets you buff a creature with a +1/+1 counter. It’s not amazing, but it can help certain decks or make a creature big enough to survive. The third ability gives a player 5 extra life, which can keep you (or an opponent you want to keep around) alive. The fourth lets someone draw a card, allowing you or another player to dig for an answer to a problem on the board. The final ability lets you reanimate a creature under its owner’s control, bringing back your key creature – or, for example, an opponent’s Reclamation Sage to destroy a problem enchantment. The possibilities and political leverage you wield with this card can go a long way.

As for other formats, I don’t think we’ll see much of Kenrith in Standard, let alone Modern or Legacy. His abilities just don’t do enough, and he’s a bit expensive.

Kenrith, the Returned King as your commander

The real question is, what do you put in a Kenrith deck? Honestly, whatever you want! 5 color good stuff comes to mind immediately. Your favorite creatures, sorceries, and artifacts all have a home here. You can be as mean or as gentle as you want. Want your deck to have a cool theme? This is a good commander for it. If you want to play with Kenrith’s synergies more, you could pick creatures you’d like to reanimate, or that love +1/+1 counters or gaining life, etc. It’s really up to you.

What do you think of Kenrith, the Returned King? Is there a sweet commander deck you plan on building with him? Let us know down in the comments below!