Art: Izzy · ™ & © Wizards of the Coast

Kess, Dissident Mage

UBR

Legendary Creature — Human Wizard · from $3.84

Flying Once during each of your turns, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from your graveyard. If a spell cast this way would be put into your graveyard, exile it instead.

Build with this commander Start with a starter shell Card details, printings & prices

A typical Commander deck

A starting template, not a rule — counts to fill in around the commander.

Lands3736–38 for most decks; fewer with cheap curves
Ramp10mana rocks, dorks, land ramp — mostly 2–3 mana
Card draw10repeatable engines beat one-shot cantrips
Targeted removal6answers for creatures AND artifacts/enchantments
Board wipes3sweepers reset boards you've lost
Synergy & win conditions33the deck's actual plan

Staples in these colors

The 100 cards that fit this color identity in the most EDHREC decklists (EDHREC rank via Scryfall).

Budget

57 of 100 at $5 or less · 40 at $1 or less

#	Card	Type	MV	Price
1	Sol Ring	Artifact	1	$1.07
2	Command Tower	Land	0	$0.26
3	Arcane Signet	Artifact	2	$0.34
4	Exotic Orchard	Land	0	$0.19
5	Reliquary Tower	Land	0	$4.28
6	Swiftfoot Boots	Artifact	2	$1.43
7	Lightning Greaves	Artifact	2	$3.86
8	Path of Ancestry	Land	0	$0.16
9	Counterspell	Instant	2	$1.33
10	Fellwar Stone	Artifact	2	$0.47
11	Rogue's Passage	Land	0	$0.31
12	Evolving Wilds	Land	0	$0.09
13	Thought Vessel	Artifact	2	$2.23
14	Blasphemous Act	Sorcery	9	$0.72
15	Bojuka Bog	Land	0	$1.12
16	Terramorphic Expanse	Land	0	$0.10
17	Chaos Warp	Instant	3	$0.32
18	Myriad Landscape	Land	0	$0.25
19	Mind Stone	Artifact	2	$0.21
20	Dark Ritual	Instant	1	$0.44
21	An Offer You Can't Refuse	Instant	1	$3.01
22	Polluted Delta	Land	0	$19.85
23	Flooded Strand	Land	0	$12.78
24	Skullclamp	Artifact	1	$4.85
25	Solemn Simulacrum	Creature	4	$0.27
26	Misty Rainforest	Land	0	$35.98
27	Bloodstained Mire	Land	0	$14.54
28	Fabled Passage	Land	0	$0.65
29	Windswept Heath	Land	0	$11.19
30	Rhystic Study	Enchantment	3	$61.06
31	Wooded Foothills	Land	0	$17.96
32	Verdant Catacombs	Land	0	$29.16
33	Scalding Tarn	Land	0	$36.86
34	Watery Grave	Land	0	$9.86
35	Marsh Flats	Land	0	$32.04
36	Arcane Denial	Instant	2	$1.88
37	Commander's Sphere	Artifact	3	$0.19
38	Reanimate	Sorcery	1	$6.56
39	Negate	Instant	2	$0.12
40	Arid Mesa	Land	0	$31.40
41	Cyclonic Rift	Instant	2	$29.75
42	Steam Vents	Land	0	$9.63
43	Demonic Tutor	Sorcery	2	$62.80
44	Toxic Deluge	Sorcery	3	$5.04
45	Swan Song	Instant	1	$10.72
46	Blood Crypt	Land	0	$8.68
47	Ancient Tomb	Land	0	$56.94
48	Brainstorm	Instant	1	$0.56
49	Deflecting Swat	Instant	3	$70.85
50	Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth	Land	0	$56.13
51	Sulfur Falls	Land	0	$0.20
52	Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth	Land	0	$16.76
53	Fierce Guardianship	Instant	3	$59.21
54	Temple of the False God	Land	0	$0.19
55	Dragonskull Summit	Land	0	$0.45
56	Chromatic Lantern	Artifact	3	$0.38
57	Sunken Hollow	Land	0	$0.29
58	Otawara, Soaring City	Land	0	$26.57
59	Feed the Swarm	Sorcery	2	$0.19
60	Talisman of Dominance	Artifact	2	$0.49
61	Smoldering Marsh	Land	0	$0.27
62	City of Brass	Land	0	$9.17
63	The One Ring	Artifact	4	$109.88
64	Faithless Looting	Sorcery	1	$0.36
65	Frantic Search	Instant	3	$0.82
66	Mystic Remora	Enchantment	1	$10.97
67	Vandalblast	Sorcery	1	$1.74
68	Phyrexian Arena	Enchantment	3	$1.92
69	Jeska's Will	Sorcery	3	$39.58
70	Drowned Catacomb	Land	0	$0.50
71	Deadly Rollick	Instant	4	$26.52
72	Cavern of Souls	Land	0	$47.72
73	Propaganda	Enchantment	3	$1.84
74	Shivan Reef	Land	0	$0.22
75	Vampiric Tutor	Instant	1	$48.13
76	Mana Confluence	Land	0	$34.75
77	Urza's Saga	Enchantment	0	$34.67
78	Mana Drain	Instant	2	$50.65
79	Lotus Petal	Artifact	0	$35.11
80	Talisman of Creativity	Artifact	2	$0.45
81	Wayfarer's Bauble	Artifact	1	$0.31
82	Talisman of Indulgence	Artifact	2	$0.47
83	Black Market Connections	Enchantment	3	$10.78
84	Victimize	Sorcery	3	$0.57
85	Deadly Dispute	Instant	2	$0.29
86	Roaming Throne	Creature	4	$47.06
87	Ashnod's Altar	Artifact	3	$8.15
88	Big Score	Instant	4	$0.41
89	War Room	Land	0	$0.79
90	Blood Artist	Creature	2	$2.78
91	Underground River	Land	0	$0.51
92	Sulfurous Springs	Land	0	$0.49
93	Abrade	Instant	2	$0.17
94	Ponder	Sorcery	1	$1.82
95	Morphic Pool	Land	0	$28.50
96	Herald's Horn	Artifact	3	$2.88
97	Mana Vault	Artifact	1	$91.59
98	Training Center	Land	0	$17.67
99	Pongify	Instant	1	$2.21
100	Chrome Mox	Artifact	0	$51.19

Curve of these staples

Most played with Kess, Dissident Mage

The 25 most-played cards in 7 settled top-16 lists running Kess, Dissident Mage at 16+ player events since Mar 8, 2026, ranked by lists played — top-4 counts shown for context. Results from Topdeck.gg.

#	Card	Played in
1	Arcane Signet	100% · 7 of 7
2	Blood Crypt	100% · 7 of 7
3	Bloodstained Mire	100% · 7 of 7
4	Command Tower	100% · 7 of 7
5	Dark Ritual	100% · 7 of 7
6	Demonic Tutor	100% · 7 of 7
7	Entomb	100% · 7 of 7
8	Force of Will	100% · 7 of 7
9	Mystic Remora	100% · 7 of 7
10	Mystical Tutor	100% · 7 of 7
11	Polluted Delta	100% · 7 of 7
12	Rhystic Study	100% · 7 of 7
13	Sol Ring	100% · 7 of 7
14	Steam Vents	100% · 7 of 7
15	Swan Song	100% · 7 of 7
16	Talisman of Dominance	100% · 7 of 7
17	Talisman of Indulgence	100% · 7 of 7
18	Vampiric Tutor	100% · 7 of 7
19	Watery Grave	100% · 7 of 7
20	Ad Nauseam	86% · 6 of 7
21	Brain Freeze	86% · 6 of 7
22	Chrome Mox	86% · 6 of 7
23	Fellwar Stone	86% · 6 of 7
24	Flusterstorm	86% · 6 of 7
25	Gamble	86% · 6 of 7

Combos with Kess, Dissident Mage

2 combos using this commander that fit its color identity, from Commander Spellbook.

Glorious End + Kess, Dissident Mage + The Twelfth Doctor
Target opponent loses the game at the beginning of their next end step
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Crucible of Worlds + Ghirapur Orrery + Kess, Dissident Mage + Walk the Aeons
Infinite turns · Lock
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo

Top finishes

8 finishes placing top 16 at 16+ player events with this commander. Results from Topdeck.gg.

13th of 19 — Texarmana Challenge III on Topdeck.ggSep 26, 2026 · 0–3–1 · by Michael Hall
5th of 44 — [518] Northern Wardens Fringe Fest: The Sequel on Topdeck.ggJul 19, 2026 · 2–2–1 · by Kyle Cappello
14th of 19 — Friday Night CeDh! on Topdeck.ggJun 12, 2026 · 0–3–0 · by Phil Wappner
5th of 32 — TITANS OF THE UNDERGROUND - SEASON 2 ROUND 4 on Topdeck.ggMay 23, 2026 · 2–2–1 · by Jeremy Glaze
16th of 40 — May the Draws Be With You CEDH Tournament on Topdeck.ggMay 16, 2026 · 1–2–2 · by Jeremy Glaze
9th of 18 — Trouble in Paradise on Topdeck.ggMay 3, 2026 · 1–3–0 · by Cody
16th of 16 — Rule Them All - cEDH Tournament 2026 Aprile on Topdeck.ggApr 30, 2026 · 0–3–0 · by Manuel coraggio
13th of 16 — Commander Academy: cEDH Fundamentals - Silent Wagers on Topdeck.ggMar 8, 2026 · 0–3–1 · by LAI JIA JUN

All 8 finishes →

Card data and images courtesy of Scryfall; popularity ranking from EDHREC decklist data included in Scryfall bulk. Combo data courtesy of Commander Spellbook. Tournament results courtesy of Topdeck.gg. Deckwarden is unofficial Fan Content and is not endorsed by Wizards of the Coast.

Commanders