01 / The diagnosis
Commander Mustard costs five mana, a lot for a commander who does not draw cards or make tokens himself. But the payoff is much stronger than his novelty art suggests: other Soldiers gain vigilance, trample and haste. For another four mana, Soldiers you control each gain an attack trigger that deals one damage to the defending player.
The mistake is to build Boros goodstuff and hope Mustard makes it better. He doesn't. He wants actual Soldiers—and as many bodies as your deck can afford. Mustard himself is a Soldier, so his activated ability can give him the attack-damage trigger, too, even though his passive keyword buff affects only the other Soldiers.
02 / The prescription
Build a recruitment pipeline, not a conventional creature curve. Cheap Soldiers establish the type line; instant-speed token makers let you rebuild; anthem effects make each body dangerous; and Mustard converts a wide battlefield into a stampede.
Ballyrush Banneret discounts your Soldiers. Preeminent Captain cheats a Soldier out of your hand when it attacks. Captain of the Watch brings three more Soldiers along. Myrel, Shield of Argive doubles down on troop production and makes it harder for opponents to intervene during your turn. None of these replace Mustard; they supply the army that gives his ability meaning.
The question isn't how big the Soldier is. It's how many of them can attack.
03 / The game plan
Open with two- and three-mana Soldiers, cost reducers and token spells. Deploy Marshal effects selectively; one large creature is less useful than four bodies with an anthem.
Cast Mustard when your board already has a few Soldiers. The others gain haste, vigilance and trample, so newly cast Soldiers can attack immediately. Use removal or protection to keep your commander online through combat.
When you can pay 2RW, activate Mustard before declaring attackers. Every Soldier that receives the granted ability and actually attacks triggers a point of direct damage. Two activations grant two separate triggers per attacking Soldier.
04 / Six pieces worth rescuing
These aren't the most expensive staples in the format. They're the cards that demonstrate why this particular commander works.
Discounting Soldier spells makes it easier to deploy multiple threats the turn before Mustard arrives.
Cheats a Soldier from hand into combat. That Soldier did not 'attack' for triggered-ability purposes, so don't count its Mustard ping that combat.
Protects your turn against many responses and creates Soldier tokens when she attacks. Those new tokens become your next wave.
Instant-speed burst of 1/1 Human Soldiers based on a target opponent's creature count, perfect for replenishing after an opponent commits to the board.
Every attacking Soldier gets bigger for the other attacking Soldiers sharing its type, making a wide board lethal fast.
An anthem plus noncombat damage as creatures enter; protects your plan from needing every Soldier to connect in combat.
05 / Rules that matter
06 / What kills this plan?
- Do not spend all your slots on five- and six-mana lords. The commander rewards critical mass, especially one- and two-mana bodies and token makers.
- Protect the board against sweepers. Boros Charm and Unbreakable Formation are often better than another anthem when everyone knows you're going wide.
- Pay attention to must-attack timing. The ability costs 2RW, so plan your mana before declaring attackers rather than assuming the ping is free.
- Mustard gives other Soldiers haste and trample, not to himself. His own attack-trigger damage only comes from the activated ability.
07 / The $100 build challenge
This is a 34-card starter package for the commander, not a verified $100 list or a full, playtested 100-card deck. Prices vary by printing and over time. Try inexpensive functional reprints first; prioritize a consistent mana base, protection, and whatever effect the commander uniquely rewards.
Copy the core or send it to our Deck Workshop. Then use the Fill to 100 helper to propose lands and missing roles; review every suggestion before accepting it.
View all 34 starter cards and roles
| Role | Card — opens Scryfall |
|---|
Each listed card appears once unless it is a commander. This incomplete package needs lands and additional spells before it is a valid 100-card deck.
Our verdict
Mustard looks like a joke commander until the table realizes five ordinary Soldiers can be ten attack-trigger damage before anyone blocks. The rescue is not an infinite combo. It's making lowly Soldier tokens collectively frightening.
Deep Cuts EDH is fan commentary, not official Wizards guidance. Deck strategies and power estimates are editorial, not independently playtested.