The Best Vehicle Commanders For MTG

Magic: The Gathering has plenty of unique cards and mechanics. In Commander, an eternal format where every card (sans banned and illegal cards) is legal, deck expression is at its highest. Thanks to the Commander format, mechanics that never saw much play in traditional formats are able to flourish.

Among these are Vehicles. Vehicle commanders tend to support artifacts in a broad sense or the Vehicle type directly. Vehicle commander decks have a bonus of their creatures being primarily Vehicles, protecting themselves from board wipes and targeted creature destruction. While they are susceptible to artifact destruction, there are many powerful Vehicles that make Vehicle decks worth playing.

Updated March 11, 2025, by Ryan Hay: Magic: The Gathering has plenty of really cool vehicles to mess around with, and in Commander, there are plenty of legendary creatures to pilot those vehicles. Between a sneaky assassin, a little trash panda, and an enterprising hunter, there are some great new additions to the archetype. If you’re looking to go cruising with a few of your favorite creatures, you can’t go wrong with these commanders.

18

King Macar, The Gold-Cursed

All That Glitters Is Gold

King Macar, The Gold-Cursed is a mono-black commander, something that is uncommon for a Vehicle commander. However, what makes it great as one is its inspired ability, that triggers when it becomes untapped. Vehicles require you to tap a commander to crew them, to make them into creatures, giving you a safe way to constantly tap King Macar so you can untap it later.

Since many Vehicles are colorless, the mono-color restriction is hardly a downside. King Macar can crew your Vehicles while acting as exiling removal that also provides you ramp, by turning them into Treasure tokens for your use.

17

Urza, Chief Artificer

A Myth Turned Real

Urza, Chief Artificer is a fantastic commander for decks running artifact creatures. While Vehicles are required to be crewed to become creatures, that is hardly an issue. Once you have a solid crewing engine on the battlefield, all your Vehicles can discount Urza for each one you control that’s currently a creature, to get it onto the battlefield quicker.

Once used, Urza, Chief Artificer gives all of your Vehicles menace, making them even more of an issue to block. Since it has an Esper (white/blue/black) color identity, you can play all the best Vehicles for maximum value.

16

Lita, Mechanical Engineer

Take To The Skies

Lita, Mechanical Engineer was specifically crafted to be a fantastic Vehicle commander. At the start of your end step, all your artifact creatures become untapped, except for themselves. Once a Vehicle has been crewed, they remain a creature until your turn officially ends. As such, Lita, Mechanical Engineer will always untap your Vehicles before they go back to being artifacts, allowing you to use them offensively and keep them able to be used as blockers later.

Lita can even make its own Vehicles for just four mana, one of which that it can crew on its own. This effect can happen at instant speed, allowing you to create a 5/5/ Vehicle with flying for use when you start your turn.

15

Mishra, Eminent One

The Fallen Brother

Mishra, Eminent One is another commander that is focused more on traditional artifacts. However, its ability can turn your Vehicles into creatures without ever needing to crew them. They become exact copies, except becoming a 4/4 Construct artifact creature as well. If a Vehicle has a strong enter-the-battlefield or ability trigger when attacking, this allows you to use them while ensuring the Vehicle stays safe or getting the triggers twice in one turn.

Though the tokens Mishra creates are sacrificed at the next end step, they can be used before then. So if you have ways to sacrifice creatures for value — something that Grixis (blue/black/red) has plenty of ways to do — you can get even more value out of them.

14

Astor, Bearer Of Blades

Everyone Has A License

Astor, Bearer Of Blades is a unique commander that doubles as a commander for both Vehicle and Equipment-based decks. It’s in Boros (red/white) colors, which is one of the best colors for Vehicle decks. What makes Astor fantastic is that it makes it so all your Vehicles have crew one.

This allows small creatures that are easy to cast to be able to crew powerful Vehicles that normally require a large crew investment. Astor, Bearer Of Blades is a low casting cost on its own, making it so you can start taking advantage of its ability early on in the game and start swinging your Vehicles in your damage as soon as possible.

13

Elsha Of The Infinite

Straight From The Deck

Elsha Of The Infinite is a Jeskai (blue/red/white) commander, allowing you to play the best Vehicle support cards available. All Vehicle cards are noncreature cards when they are not crewed, enabling you to cast Vehicles from the top of your library, and with flash to catch your opponents off guard.

All your Vehicles will trigger Elsha Of The Infinite’s prowess as well, as they are noncreature spells. This allows you to power up Elsha Of The Infinite with each Vehicle you cast while setting up your battlefield with them.

12

Rip, Spawn Hunter

Spawn Camper

Sort of the reverse of King Macar, Rip, Spawn Hunter has a special ability that triggers on your second main phase so long as Rip is tapped. If they are, you can take a peek at the top X cards of your deck, with X equal to Rip’s power. From there, you can snag any of the creatures and vehicles you find and put them into your hand.

The big thing to watch out for is that they all have to have different powers, but that’s not too bad to work around. Rip only gets better the more power they have, so keep pumping them up with all sorts of enchantments and equipment and you’ll be digging through huge chunks of your deck every turn.

11

Archelos, Lagoon Mystic

Tax Them All

Achelos, Lagoon Mystic is a great commander, as to crew a Vehicle you have to tap a creature(s). This allows you to easily tap Archelos safely so that all other permanents will tap when entering the battlefield. This allows you to play a unique Vehicle strategy that’s more Stax-like. This slows your opponents down while not affecting you since it will be untapped for your upkeep, tapped for your opponents.

Archelos, Lagoon Mystic is a bit low power, but when mixed in with a few equipments and auras, this allows it to easily crew Vehicles all on its own. Permanents include land, allowing you to play normally slow-tapped lands and make them much faster.

10

Rebbec, Architect Of Ascension

A Commander Made For Two

Rebbec, Architect Of Ascension is a fantastic Vehicle commander, as they will be more protected the more artifact mana values you have on your battlefield. It has three power as well, making it rather easy to crew whatever Vehicle you want. Its primary color is white, allowing you to play the best Vehicle support cards.

What makes Rebbec, Architect Of Ascension special is that it has partner. This allows you to pair it with another partner commander to have two commanders. This lets you play whatever extra color(s) you want, though is best paired with Silas Renn, Seeker Adept which also supports artifacts while gaining Vehicle support colors.

9

Alela, Artful Provocateur

Build Your Faerie Crew

Alela, Artful Provocateur lets you flood the field with tokens just by playing your deck. Whenever you cast an artifact, which all Vehicles are, you get a 1/1 token with flying. These can then be used to crew all of your Vehicles, turning 1/1s into massive threats.

If your Vehicle has flying, Alela will give it a boost as well. The effect doesn’t trigger only once either, allowing for each artifact or enchantment you cast to build up more value. It’s in Esper (white/blue/black) colors, giving you the three best colors for Vehicles as well.

8

Kykar, Wind’s Fury

Command From The Safety Of Your Car

Kykar, Wind’s Fury gives you a 1/1 token not just for any Vehicle spell, but for any noncreature spells you cast. This allows you to build a battlefield presence easily, all while giving you creatures to crew. This turns all of your utility noncreatures into creatures that can be used to easily play into the Vehicle strategy.

Kykar, Wind’s Fury lets you ramp as well, as you can sacrifice a token for one red mana, allowing you to easily turn your small creatures into ramp for your best Vehicles.

7

Bello, Bard Of The Brambles

Turning Trash Into Treasure

Raccoons are an adorable creature type that has gotten a fair amount of support from the Bloomburrow set, chief among them for vehicle fans being Bello, Bard of the Brambles. This little guy has a special ability that will take all your non-equipment artifacts, and your non-aura enchantments that cost four or more mana, and turns them into 4/4 creatures. There are a couple of cards that can help Bello power out more free attackers, so consider running some of these cards in your deck:

• Molten Echoes
• Kodama of the East Tree
• Unnatural Growth

The nice thing is that all those newly formed creatures gain indestructible and haste and as an added bonus, come loaded with an ability that lets you draw cards when they deal damage to a player. You won’t have much need for mana rocks or smaller artifacts in these lists, freeing up more space for ramps spells and other larger artifacts.

6

Greasefang, Okiba Boss

Save Your Vehicle From The Junkyard

Greasefang, Okiba Mob Boss is a unique commander in that it’s built around reanimating Vehicles from your graveyard. While they do normally return to your hand at the end phase, they can be avoided if you have a way to blink them (removing them from the battlefield and returning it there).

There are plenty of ways to put cards directly into your graveyard in black, allowing you to easily dump any Vehicle you want there. Since Greasefang, Okiba Mob Boss only costs three mana, it can be brought onto the field early to start taking advantage of it right away.

5

Depala, Pilot Exemplar

A Dedicated Pilot

Depala, Pilot Exemplar was at a time one of the best Vehicle commanders. While others have come, Depala is still the best for the Boros (red/white) colors. Depala pumps up both your Vehicles when they are creatures as well as Dwarfs.

If you have extra mana, when Depala gets tapped you can add multiple Vehicles and Dwarfs from the top of your deck into your hand. Since it gives boosts, this makes all of your Dwarfs into great cards to use for crewing. Depala, Pilot Exemplar is a fantastic commander to use for Dwarfs and Vehicles and is built with them being used together in mind.

4

Sydri, Galvanic Genius

Who Better To Drive Than The Vehicle Itself

Sydri, Galvanic Genius is a fantastic commander for Vehicles, as you can cheat around the crewing cost easily. Since they are not considered creatures, you can pay one blue mana to turn them into an artifact creature. They will keep their abilities but will have their power and toughness altered to their mana value.

Sydri, Galvanic Genius can also give artifact creatures deathtouch, turning your Vehicles into creatures that can be scary to block. Sydri only cost three mana to cast, allowing it to hit the battlefield early so you can start taking advantage of your effects right away.

3

Kotori, Pilot Prodigy

Easy Crew All Around

Kotori, Pilot Prodigy was one of the commanders included in the Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty commander deck, and a fantastic one at that. While many powerful Vehicles generally have high crewing costs, Kotori will make them all two, allowing for many creatures to easily crew any Vehicle.

Kotori, Pilot Prodigy can also give lifelink and vigilance, allowing for Vehicles to be saved as blockers for your opponents while gaining life. Kotori on its own lets you crew any Vehicle thanks to its effect. In Azorius (blue/white), there are plenty of phenomenal Vehicle support cards, making Kotori, Pilot Prodigy a fantastic choice for a Vehicle Commander deck.

2

Edward Kenway

We’re Commendering That Vessel

The Assassin’s Creed Universes Beyond set has plenty of cool cards in it, with vehicle fans immediately latching on to Edward Kenway, and blue, black, and red Human Assassin Pirate that can power you up in no time. At the end of each of your turns, you make a ton of Treasure tokens, one for each Assassin, Pirate, and vehicle you have tapped.

Then, anytime one of your vehicles slips through your opponent’s defenses to deal damage to them, you can steal the top card of their deck, exiling it face down and letting you play it so long as it is outside the game. Look for ways to give your vehicles doublestrike or to make them unblockable, and you’ll be swimming in your opponent’s cards in no time.

1

Shorikai, Genesis Engine

The True Vehicle Commander

The other commander included in the Buckle Up preconstructed deck, Shorikai, Genesis Engine is the only Vehicle that can be your commander. Thanks to its effect, you can filter out your hand while putting creatures that can crew three onto the battlefield.

Shorikai, Genesis Engine is a unique commander in that while its in the Command Zone, it isn’t a creature. The special ruling at the bottom of the card lets you use it as a Commander.

With how many support cards there are that let creatures crew as if their power was higher, this allows you to crew any Vehicle easily. If you have cards that can revive out of the graveyard, this allows Shorikai, Genesis Engine to set up the graveyard, all while setting up for your Vehicles.