Captain America, First Avenger: Commander Upgrade Guide

Captain America finally has his own official Magic: The Gathering card thanks to Secret Lair x Marvel’s Captain America releasing this November!

At MTG Insider, we’re longtime Marvel fans and are pumped to be brewing new Commander decks for each of the new Secret Lair Drop Commanders.

Yesterday, we covered the best Storm, Force of Nature Commander deck upgrades, and today we’re covering the very best Captain America, First Avenger Commander and EDH cards to add to any decklist.

Here’s a look at the new Captain America Commander:

This new Commander brings shield-slinging action to your table, letting you equip and fling equipment with the precision of Steve Rogers himself.

While equipment Commanders are nothing new, having access to three colors instead of two is a big deal and puts Cap a step up on most other legendary creatures in the archetype. He also has two very synergistic abilities, allowing him to continually act as targeted removal and save on mana by equipping for free.

So, suit up and get ready to assemble your deck with our list of the 20 Best Cards to Upgrade a Captain America, First Avenger Commander Deck With:

#1 Colossus Hammer

First, we have to address the elephant in the room: Colossus Hammer. Captain America, First Avenger can equip what would normally be an insurmountable 8 mana for free with his Catch ability. Much like the impossibility of a normal character lifting Mjolnir, Cap can do it for free with no effort.

Also, it’s a flavor win since Colossus Hammer looks an awful lot like Mjolnir, although a tad on the big side.

#2 Sigarda’s Aid

Included in Secret Lair x Marvel’s Captain America Secret Lair and near the top of our list of upgrades is Sigarda’s Aid. This is an all-star in any equipment-matters deck, and the on-theme rebranding is icing on the cake.

#3 Basilisk Collar

Basilisk Collar gives Cap deathtouch and lifelink. That means every card you throw with him is a guaranteed kill, and you’ll gain back the damage as life. I almost feel bad for Kelsien, the Plague Commanders. Cap is the new sheriff in town with this strategy

#4 Steelshaper’s Gift

Every equipment-based deck runs this card for good reason. For one mana, you get the best equipment in your deck!

#5 Sunforger

Sunforger is a reusable tutor for Boros decks! It’s one of the OG reasons to run Red and White in Commander, and that is as true today as it was ten years ago. Thanks to Captain America’s ability, we can unattach Sunforger in our first main phase, then re-equip for free to keep the tutors coming!

#6 Codsworth, Handy Helper

Fresh from the Fallout Commander Precons is Codsworth, Handy Helper. The Ward 2 here will make most opponents hesitate to burn their entire turn cycle to interact with your Commander.

In addition, you get some pretty reasonable ramp for your equipment spells, and you can double up on attaching equipment to Captain America. This is an all-star card for its versatility in any equipment or aura based Commander and EDH deck.

#7 Iron Man, Titan of Innovation

Every turn, Iron Man will tutor you the most powerful artifact to equip to Captain America. This is truly some Avengers-level synergy and perfect for a Captain America, First Avenger Commander deck. How fortunate are we that both these cards can be run in the same deck!

#8 Kaldra Compleat

You’ll want some top-end equipment in your deck, and Kaldra Compleat is one of the best. With trample, you can push through massive damage, and indestructibility will help your Commander survive most removal spells.

#9 Blacksmith’s Skill

You’ll want a few ways to protect Captain America, and Blacksmith’s Skill is among the best. While Flawless Maneuver can give him indestructible for free, Blacksmith’s Skill goes a step further in providing hexproof.

Between the two, you’re protected from just about everything other than Farewell and Toxic Deluge. For those, you’ll have to rely on Teferi’s Protection to save you.

#10 The Reaver Cleaver

The Reaver Cleaver is a setup card to propel you into a powerful mid-game. One successful attack with this on turn four will give you 4 treasure tokens, effectively doubling your mana for that turn. This is a legal Dockside Extortionist in a Captain America deck.

#11 Akiri, Fearless Voyager

Akiri draws you cards every turn and gives indestructible to your Commander for only one mana. She is a pretty versatile Swiss Army knife in a Captain America, First Avenger deck.

#12 Stoneforge Mystic

Some equipment spells like Kaldra Compleat have a rightly expensive mana value. Stoneforge Mystic will put them all into play for only two mana at instant speed. Plus, she tutors for the best equipment card in your deck!

#13 Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar

One of the biggest downsides of a voltron equipment Commander style deck is that you end up having to knock-out opponents one at a time through combat. With Kediss, you just have to attack the opponent that is wide open, and everyone else takes damage too! This basically triples your damage each turn.

#14 Dalakos, Crafter of Wonders

Dalakos effectively costs you only one mana once you use his tapped ability for the first time. He also causes every equipment you control to gain haste, and with flying, it will be hard for opponents to block. That’s a hard combination of abilities to beat.

#15 Lizard Blades

Doubling Captain America’s damage output per turn for only two mana is a steal! This is great equipment to surprise opponents with later in the game, when Cap doesn’t yet represent lethal damage.

#16 Caduceus, Staff of Hermes

Caduceus, Staff of Hermes makes Cap a 9/9 with lifelink, indestructible, and prevents all damage that would be dealt to him. Talk about an intimidating creature! Thanks to lifelink, you won’t have to worry about the crackback when attacking with the biggest creature in play.

#17 Mantle of the Ancients

It’s just about impossible to make it into the late game with an equipment-based Commander deck without a number of your equipment being blown up. Mantle of the Ancients helps you get back into the game in one fell swoop, and pump your Commander to new heights. Unfortunately, it still isn’t a rebuilding answer to Farewell, although nothing is, unless you really want to run a Pull from Eternity.

#18 Bludgeon Brawl

Bludgeon Brawl is both hilarious and effective in a Captain America deck. This turns every artifact you control into equipment, which you can then equip for free and unattach to hurl at opponents.

#19 Single Combat

Every deck needs some manner of board wipes. Single Combat is one of the best for a Captain America, First Avenger deck. Everyone will be reduced to a single creature, and opponents won’t even be able to rebuild for a turn. In the meantime, you’ll have the most powerful creature left in play that can dish out some major damage.

#20 Mjölnir, Storm Hammer

Last on our list is Mjölnir! Captain America equipping Mjölnir, Storm Hammer is perhaps one of the most epic applause moments in the entire MCU. For flavor reasons alone, Mjölnir absolutely deserves a slot in a Captain America build.

The equipment stats aren’t bad. You’ll likely net an extra 6-9 damage per attack, depending on how many tapped creatures the opponent you are attacking controls. Over three combat steps, that could be nearly 30 damage. Pretty good for only 4 mana.

If you are still looking for more epic equipment cards to add, check out our list of the Top 12 Equipment Cards in MTG.