Commander Comparison: Atraxa vs Edgar Markov
Commander can be a lot to take in, especially when you’re deciding on your next leader. Two commanders that see a lot of table time are Atraxa, Praetors’ Voice and Edgar Markov. They both have strong identities, but they lead to very different decks. Here’s a breakdown of how each one shapes deck construction, what they excel at, where they stumble, and which might suit you best.
Introduction to Commander Impact
The commander you pick can steer your entire game plan. Some commanders encourage massive combos, others revolve around tribal synergy, and some like to do a bit of everything. Atraxa and Edgar Markov feel like they’re at opposite ends of the spectrum. One is a four-color juggernaut that can support multiple strategies at once, while the other is all about driving forward with a fast, Vampire-heavy assault.
If you’re new to Commander or you’ve just never seen these two in action, it might help to imagine a chess match. Atraxa is a well-rounded player who can pivot into many different lines. Edgar Markov is an aggressive opponent who rushes across the board, trying to pin you down before you can even figure out your defenses.
Atraxa, Praetors’ Voice
Atraxa is notorious for her end-step proliferate trigger. This one line of text seems innocent, but it drives a ton of strategies that revolve around counters: +1/+1 counters, loyalty counters on planeswalkers, poison counters, charge counters on artifacts, and more. It feels like every set printed since Commander began has something that interacts with counters, so you can guess how many choices Atraxa deck builders have.
Strengths of Atraxa
One of Atraxa’s biggest strengths is how she can hold the table’s attention. When you cast her, you usually have a plan for those counters, and each turn you might build up to a board that’s too big to handle. You can spread out your threats in a way that leaves people wondering which piece to remove first. The planeswalker version of Atraxa decks can be intimidating because you get to untap with multiple loyalty counters on each ‘walker. The Infect version can come out of nowhere if an opponent doesn’t watch their poison intake, especially if you have ways to give your Infect creatures double strike or if you combine Infect with proliferate triggers.
She also comes with a toolbox effect because of her color identity (green, white, blue, black). If you like the idea of running strong removal, ramp, draw, and combo pieces all in one list, Atraxa has you covered. She doesn’t mind if you slip in a handful of cards to deal with your local metagame while also pursuing your core strategy.
Weaknesses of Atraxa
Atraxa decks can feel slow if you try to do too many different things. It’s tempting to jam every planeswalker, Infect creature, and “counters matter” card you own into a single list. Before you know it, you’re relying on a dozen synergy pieces that rarely line up perfectly. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up with a deck that does a little bit of everything but never wins quickly or consistently.
She can also draw intense hate. Some opponents see Atraxa in the command zone and assume you’re about to drop a Doubling Season followed by a wave of planeswalkers, or maybe you’re going to Infect them out of nowhere. They might gang up on you just to avoid that scenario. In that sense, Atraxa’s reputation can overshadow the truth of whatever version you’re playing.
Building an Atraxa Deck
When you sit down to build Atraxa, you first have to decide which angle you want to focus on. Do you love planeswalkers? If so, consider a “superfriends” approach with lots of loyalty-based combos. Are you more interested in Infect or +1/+1 counters? Then you’ll probably run creatures like Viral Drake and Evolution Sage to help you proliferate.
Because you have four colors, you can include a flexible set of utility spells. You might choose to run spells like Cyclonic Rift or Toxic Deluge for board wipes, plus a creature-based synergy package. Or you can go heavier on planeswalkers, adding cards like Oath of Teferi that help you activate loyalty abilities multiple times. The main key is to pick a direction and try not to get lost in the options.
Key Atraxa Combos and Synergies
Atraxa is a magnet for combos that involve proliferate. One classic strategy is to pair proliferate triggers with something like Astral Cornucopia or Everflowing Chalice. You keep stacking counters on those artifacts each turn, producing a wild amount of mana that fuels game-ending spells.
You can also try big synergy pieces such as Doubling Season. If you land Doubling Season and then follow it with a planeswalker, you might ultimate your walker immediately. That can swing the game in your favor. It feels absurd if you manage to keep Doubling Season on the battlefield for more than a turn cycle.
If you love planeswalkers, you can lean toward “superfriends.” The deck can run multiple big-name planeswalkers—like Teferi, Hero of Dominaria or Tamiyo, Field Researcher—then proliferate them all. Opponents usually freak out when you have four or five planeswalkers on board, especially if any of them are close to their ultimate abilities.
Edgar Markov
Edgar Markov is all about Vampires. It’s kind of refreshing in its simplicity compared to Atraxa’s broad scope. Edgar has a built-in ability that whenever you cast a Vampire spell, you create a 1/1 Vampire token. This might not sound huge at first, but if you play a few low-cost Vampires in a row, you’ll flood the board with tokens. Each additional Vampire you cast builds up your numbers.
Strengths of Edgar Markov
The main reason people love Edgar Markov is speed. You don’t have to wait around for combos or large synergy pieces. You can start dropping cheap Vampires on turns one and two, which means you’ll have multiple bodies on the board faster than most opponents. That swarm can often translate into an aggressive push.
Another strength is that Edgar’s triggered ability doesn’t cost mana. As soon as he’s in your command zone, you have that effect. You don’t even need to cast him to get the benefit. People sometimes forget that his ability works from the command zone, which can give you a head start. By the time you actually cast Edgar, you might already have a small army ready for him to buff.
Weaknesses of Edgar Markov
If you’re not into tribal themes or quick battles, Edgar might not be your best choice. He demands that you fill your deck with Vampires, and that can limit your flexibility. If your local group loves huge, late-game interactions with fancy combos, you might feel behind if opponents are repeatedly wiping your board or blocking your swarms.
Another issue is that some players pack heavy creature-hate spells or even tribal-hate cards. It’s not uncommon for a table to run at least one board wipe. That can quickly set you back, especially if you’ve gone all in on the swarm. Without a good way to rebuild, you might run out of gas.
Building an Edgar Markov Deck
When building Edgar, you’ll want a ton of low-cost Vampires. Cards like Voldaren Epicure, Indulgent Aristocrat, or Champion of Dusk can fill your early turns. You’ll also want lords or “buff” creatures that pump your Vampire tokens. Captivating Vampire is a classic choice since it also threatens to steal opposing creatures, turning your swarms into a means of permanent theft.
You can add a few aristocrat-style effects. That term basically refers to strategies that sacrifice creatures to gain some benefit, like draining opponents or drawing cards. Vampires often excel at that, with creatures like Blood Artist or Falkenrath Noble making sure every death counts.
It’s also good to include ways to rebuild if your board gets wiped. Cards like Patriarch’s Bidding let you reanimate all your Vampires, while Command the Dreadhorde can bring back multiple creatures from any graveyard. This approach helps you avoid the frustration of falling behind after someone casts a well-timed Wrath of God.
Key Edgar Markov Combos and Synergies
Edgar decks aren’t typically known for complex infinite combos, though it’s not impossible to run them. You can loop creatures with an altar effect—like Phyrexian Altar—and a reanimation piece to create infinite death triggers if you have something like Blood Artist out.
But often the real synergy is about building an overwhelming army. Every single Vampire you cast brings a friend. Cards like Legion Lieutenant make all your Vampires stronger, so each new token quickly becomes a bigger threat. If you’ve included ways to draw cards, you can keep your hand stocked enough to cast one Vampire after another. Before you know it, your board is wide enough to handle multiple blockers.
Atraxa vs. Edgar Markov: Which Fits Your Style?
Atraxa is a flexible, four-color star that can be adapted to many strategies. She can be your Infect commander, a planeswalker commander, or a counters-matter commander. If you’re someone who enjoys deck-building challenges and you’re not afraid of some complexity, you might love her. You’ll probably get a kick out of assembling combos and deciding how to best use proliferate. If you want to show off a deck that feels like a puzzle or you like the idea of a Swiss Army knife approach, Atraxa might be a good pick.
On the other hand, Edgar Markov is a fast and decisive leader. You’ll be attacking early, casting cheap Vampires, and adding to your token swarm with every spell. Some folks enjoy that immediate tension. If you relish combat and you want to see results by turn four or five, Edgar is right up your alley. He’s also easy to learn if you’re new to Commander because the deck basically tells you what to do: play Vampires, fill the board, attack, and don’t let up.
It’s worth noting that if your local group has a lot of board wipes or mass removal, you might need to adapt your Edgar build to include recursion or ways to protect your creatures. And if your local group has a bias against Infect or planeswalkers, you might need to tweak your Atraxa deck so that it’s less reliant on gimmicks that draw too much hate.
Final Thoughts
In my opinion, the biggest difference between Atraxa and Edgar Markov is flexibility. Atraxa can branch out in multiple directions, while Edgar focuses on Vampire tribal. Atraxa might feel more rewarding if you enjoy synergy pieces that stack on top of each other to create massive combos or unstoppable boards. Edgar might feel more rewarding if you want to turn creatures sideways early and often.
Commander is all about finding what speaks to you. Do you love the idea of a methodical plan that slowly crushes your opponents under proliferated counters, loyalty abilities, or Infect? Atraxa can do that. Do you prefer the thrill of racing across the battlefield with an army of Vampires you created in just a few turns? That’s Edgar Markov’s style.
There’s no wrong choice. Both can win games and both have powerful abilities that might give your friends nightmares. Just understand that they have completely different approaches to doing so. Atraxa will often reward patience and careful card selection, while Edgar pushes you to keep attacking and keep the pressure on.
So which one should you pick? If you like variety and you enjoy building complicated board states, go for Atraxa. If you want an aggressive deck that deals plenty of early damage and forces opponents to react fast, Edgar will serve you well. You may even end up building both at some point, because the Commander format encourages experimentation.
Each new set can bring fresh toys for Atraxa’s proliferate or new Vampires for Edgar Markov. The game evolves. Maybe that’s why both of these commanders continue to show up, even though they’ve been around for a while. They each have their own identity, and they both open the door to dynamic, memorable games.
If you ask me, I think it’s worth trying them both eventually. You’ll learn different lessons about synergy, curve, and how to navigate typical hate cards in your meta. You might find yourself leaning toward one or the other as you discover what kind of Magic you like to play. Maybe you’re all about that huge army of Vampires, or maybe you’d rather keep your opponents guessing each turn with counters that keep piling up.
Either way, it’s fun. Just be sure you’re prepared for your friends to aim plenty of removal at whichever commander you choose. After all, both Atraxa and Edgar have earned their reputations for a reason.