Ramp is very important in Magic: The Gathering Commander. When playing against his 1v3 players who are eager to hit their win conditions, it’s important to be able to hit them before their opponents. Colorless mana rock artifacts are a good way to accomplish this, but each color of MTG pie has its own way of accelerating mana production.
That said, blue doesn’t have the clearest means of achieving this. Blue is primarily focused on card drawing and countering spells, and increased mana production doesn’t fit either tactic. However, blue has some knack for producing mana, which it can use to give it an edge over its opponents.
Updated by Axel Bosso on April 9, 2023. I noticed that the blue lamp card is still searched fairly regularly. So I thought it would be a good time to update the list and keep up to date with all the images and formatting rules. Here are some blue ramp cards that are perfect for Magic’s Commander format.
Ten Renowned Weaponsmith, Soldevi Machinist, Vedalken Technician
Blue has a lot of creatures like the one above. They tap colorless mana that can only be used to activate artifact spells and artifact abilities. These three are awesome because they’re 2-mana creatures that can tap for 2 mana. Additionally, Vedalken Engineer can actually tap 2 mana of any color for use in artifacts and artifact abilities.
Beyond that, they are traditional manna dorks. Soldevi Machinist and Vedalken Technician he is a 1/1 creature, while the renowned Weaponsmith he is a 1/3 creature. A Distinguished Weaponsmith is a Heartpiercer for one blue mana He can tutor a Vial of Bow and Dragonfire, so using these artifacts gives an added bonus.
9 high tide
High Tide is a 1-mana blue instant that provides a ramp (one turn only). However, it can pay big dividends depending on when you cast High Tide. High Tide causes each island in play to tap additional blue mana until the end of the turn.
It’s a situational ramp rather than a permanent ramp, but it can be game-changing when used to cast powerful, expensive spells, or fire bursts of instants and sorceries. .
8 dreamscape artist
The Dreamscape Artist has a rather peculiar ability with blue. It’s a 3-mana 2-drop that lets you find 2 basic land cards and put them into play tapped by tapping yourself, discarding a card, and sacrificing a land to him. ‘s creature. This works as a ramp and mana lock, but it’s pretty costly.
If you’re running a mono-blue deck and need a ramp, the pick is slim. This is a very unique ability for blue, so it’s especially useful. Greenery works much better for this purpose, but if you don’t have access to greenery but need a lamp, Dreamscape Artist can do the job.
7 apprentice wizard
Apprentice Wizard is another blue mana dork that can produce colorless mana. However, activating Apprentice Wizard requires one blue mana, and that colorless mana can be spent on anything, not just artifacts and artifact abilities. Apprentice Wizard costs 3 mana to cast, but the effect is very good.
Green has a better effect, but it’s worth remembering that blue isn’t specialized for lamps. Still, Apprentice Wizard is very good and worth having in your blue deck.
6 grand architect
Grand Architect is another blue mana generator that specializes in colorless mana, which can only be used on artifacts and artifact abilities. But Great Architect allows you to tap any blue creature in play for two colorless mana, not just itself. One blue mana can turn an artifact creature you control blue.
Using the artifact creature Pili-Pala creates an infinite combo that produces unlimited mana of any color. Even without it, Grand Architect is a powerful mana generator for blue artifact builds.
Five guardian of the moon
Patron of the Moon is a legendary spirit creature that costs 7 mana, but if you sacrifice a Moonfolk creature, Patron of the Moon can be cast at instant speed and costs 7 mana to the sacrificed Moonfolk. Minus the mana cost seen.
Once out, Moon Guardian is a 5/4 flier. It’s nothing remarkable, but for one mana of any color, Moon Guardian will bring two of his lands from your hand into play tapped. If you have enough land in your hand, this allows for quick and massive land production.
Four Peregrine Drake and Great Whale
Peregrine Drake and Great Whale have very similar effects. Peregrine Drake costs 5 mana and he untaps 5 lands when he enters the battlefield. Dawn is 7 mana and he untap 7 lands. Peregrin Drake is 2/3 with Flying and Great His Whale is 5/5.
On the surface, these two just pay for themselves, but they’re also one of the easiest infinite mana combos in the game with another creature called the Deadeye Navigator. This card can be combined with either Peregrine his Drake or Great his Whale through its Soulbound ability, giving either card the ability he flickers for 2 mana and then returns to play. This will trigger Peregrine Drake or Killer Whale’s enter-the-battlefield ability again, giving you two extra 5 or 7 mana. Repeat this process to your heart’s content.
3 Teferi, Archmage of Time
Teferi, Archmage of Time was the first Planeswalker Teferi card, appearing in the blue Commander 2014 deck. It can also be your commander. This is his 6 mana, and its +1 ability allows you to look at his 2 cards from the top of your library, add 1 to your hand, and 1 more of his to the bottom of your library. can be placed in The -1 allows you to untap the target’s four permanents. This includes land.
This adds no land to the field, but can reuse up to 4 lands each turn. Additionally, Teferi’s -10 ability gives the planeswalker an emblem that allows him to activate his abilities at instant speed even during the opponent’s turn.
2 Lord High Artificer, Urza
Urza, Lord High Artificer was definitely the MVP of the first Modern Horizons set. It’s a four-mana creature with 1/4 power and toughness. He creates a 0/0 constructed artifact creature that gets +1/+1 for each artifact you control, and can tap untapped artifacts you control for blue mana. For five mana of any color, Urza can shuffle your library, exile the top card, and cast that mana this turn without paying his cost.
Urza has many uses, but one of its biggest uses is its ability to turn artifacts into mana locks. Urza is a Modern All-Star, but he’s also a Giant in Commander.
1 mana drain
Mana Drain could easily hold the title of the best counterspell ever printed in Magic: The Gathering. It’s an instant that costs 2 blue mana to counter a spell, gaining an amount of colorless mana equal to the countered spell’s mana cost at the start of the next main phase.
This is just incredible. Hardstop all kinds of spells and turn them into mana for the next main phase. It’s a counterspell and a ramp spell, and it’s hard to beat.