MTG Commander Deckbuilding Fundamentals
TLDR
- Start with a plan, not a pile. Your deck needs a way to win, a way to not lose, and a way to not run out of gas.
- Use “template numbers” as a seatbelt, not a religion. Adjust for your commander, your curve, and your pod.
- Mana comes first: if you miss early land drops, everything else is just vibes.
- Build in redundancy and resilience so one removal spell does not turn your deck into a sad museum exhibit.
- Playtest like a scientist, not like a gambler. Track why you lost, then fix that exact thing.
This post helps Commander players build decks that actually function by using a non-cargo-cult checklist, so they can tune faster, avoid non-games, and stop blaming “bad luck” for predictable math.
The MTG Commander deckbuilding checklist (read this before you add your 47th “cool card”)
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: “Commander deckbuilding fundamentals” are mostly about preventing the classic Commander experience of doing nothing for six turns, then loudly claiming your deck is “just unlucky today.” This MTG Commander deckbuilding checklist is how you build a deck that plays games.
Cargo-cult deckbuilding is when you copy a template because someone made a clean infographic, and you never ask what problem those numbers were solving. We are going to ask. Annoyingly. On purpose.
1) Define the table you are building for (yes, before card choices)
Commander is a social format with a rulebook attached, not the other way around. If you build a deck for “high power” and sit at “battlecruiser precons and snacks,” the deck will be technically functional and socially disastrous.
Checklist
- Target game pace: Are games ending around turns 6 to 8, 9 to 12, or “eventually, after we all learn each other’s middle names”?
- What is normal in your pod: Fast mana, tutors, stax, combo finishes, mass land destruction, extra turns.
- Your deck’s promise: “This is a creature deck that wins through combat” plays very differently than “This is a compact combo deck with protection.”
If you are playing with strangers, do a quick Rule 0 chat. It saves time and friendships.
2) Write your deck’s job description in one sentence
If you cannot describe your deck’s plan in one sentence, you do not have a plan. You have a scrapbook.
Examples:
- “Make tokens, pump them, kill people in combat.”
- “Ramp hard, land a value engine, then close with big X-spells.”
- “Assemble A+B combo, protect it, win on the stack.”
Checklist
- Plan A: How do you win when things go right?
- Plan B: What do you do when Plan A gets disrupted?
- How you stabilize: What do you do when you are behind and getting hit?
Your commander should support the sentence. If your commander is just “a strong card,” that is fine, but be honest about it. “Goodstuff” is a strategy. It is also a lifestyle choice.
3) Lock in the format constraints (so you stop accidentally cheating)
This is the boring part that prevents the even more boring part where you rebuild your deck because one card is illegal.
Checklist
- 100 cards exactly including your commander.
- Singleton (one copy of any card name) except basic lands.
- Color identity matters. It is not just your commander’s colors, it includes mana symbols on the card, too.
If you are new, the easiest way to avoid mistakes is to build in a deckbuilder that enforces color identity. Your future self will thank you, quietly, from the land of fewer edits.
4) Mana first: build a mana plan that matches your deck, not your optimism
Most Commander “my deck didn’t do anything” stories are mana stories wearing a trench coat.
4a) Lands: pick a baseline, then earn your way lower
A common safe starting point for many midrange Commander decks is around 36 to 38 lands. Some decks can go lower. Many decks should not.
Checklist
- Baseline lands: Start at 37 if you want fewer non-games.
- Curve reality check: If your deck has a lot of 5+ mana spells, do not get cute with 33 lands. You are not a genius, you are a cautionary tale.
- Multicolor tax: More colors usually means more fixing needs. That often means more lands that enter tapped, which often means you want a little more land count or cheaper ramp to compensate.
4b) Ramp: count what actually ramps, not what “feels like ramp”
Ramp is anything that increases your mana production ahead of schedule. Discount effects can help, but they are not always the same as raw mana.
Checklist
- How early does your ramp work: Two-mana ramp is glue. Four-mana ramp is a vacation.
- How many ramp pieces: A common starting zone is around 10-ish ramp sources, then adjust up for high-cost commanders or up-tempo pods.
- Ramp that fits your deck: Land ramp is resilient. Artifact ramp is flexible. Creature ramp is fragile but fast.
4c) Fixing: you cannot cast spells you cannot pay for
You do not need the perfect mana base. You do need a mana base that casts your commander on time, consistently.
Checklist
- Early color access: Can you cast your commander when you want to?
- Pips matter: Double and triple colored costs are real. Plan for them.
- Tapped lands budget: Too many tapped lands makes your deck “fair” in the same way a flat tire makes your car “safe.”
5) Card flow: make sure you can see enough cards to play Magic
Commander punishes decks that do not draw cards. It does not always punish them quickly. It waits until you are emotionally invested, then it makes you topdeck lands for six turns.
Checklist
- Draw sources: A common starting point is around 8 to 12 pieces of draw or card advantage.
- Mix of draw types: Burst draw (refill), repeatable draw (engine), and selection (filtering).
- Synergy draw: If your deck cares about creatures, attacks, artifacts, enchantments, or graveyards, your best draw often lives inside that theme.
Rule of thumb: if your deck’s plan involves multiple pieces, you need more card flow, not less. “I just need to draw the right half” is not a plan.
6) Interaction: build “not dying” into the deck, on purpose
If your only interaction is “hope nobody does anything scary,” you are not playing Commander. You are running a live demo for why removal exists.
Checklist
- Single target removal: Enough to answer problems that stop you from playing.
- Board wipes: A few, but not twelve. You are trying to win, not reset the game until everyone misses bedtime.
- Stack interaction (if your pod needs it): Counterspells, protective spells, ways to stop combos.
- Graveyard hate: At least one or two pieces, because graveyards are basically second hands now.
A practical way to tune interaction is to ask: What actually beats me in my meta? Then include answers to those exact things.
7) Protection and resilience: assume people will touch your stuff
Your commander will get removed. Your engine piece will eat a disenchant. This is not personal. It is what happens when your cards are good.
Checklist
- Protect the plan: A handful of protection pieces if your deck relies on a key permanent.
- Recovery tools: Recursion, backup engines, or redundancy.
- Don’t fold to one card: If a single hate piece turns off your entire deck, you are not “focused.” You are brittle.
Ask yourself: If my commander gets removed twice, does the deck still function? If the answer is no, you are building a commander-dependent deck. That can be fine. Just build accordingly.
8) Win conditions: decide how you close, then support it
Many Commander decks are excellent at “doing a lot” and terrible at “ending the game.” Value is not a win condition. It is a hobby.
Checklist
- Primary win method: Combat, combo, burn, drain, lock, inevitability.
- How many finishers: Enough that you can find one, not so many that you draw only finishers and die holding them.
- Win condition coherence: Your win cards should line up with your plan A sentence.
A useful test: Can you explain how you win to a stranger in ten seconds? If you need a whiteboard, simplify.
9) Synergy packages: build modules, not spaghetti
This is where “deckbuilding fundamentals” becomes “deckbuilding that feels good.”
Instead of adding one-off synergy pieces that do not connect, build small packages that reinforce your plan.
Checklist
- Pick 2 to 4 packages that support Plan A (examples: sacrifice package, token package, artifact value package).
- Aim for redundancy: Multiple cards that do similar jobs.
- Avoid lonely cards: If a card only works when you already have the perfect board, it is probably a win-more card.
If your deck has three different subthemes fighting for the same slots, pick one. You can build the other two later. Commander is not a limited-time offer.
10) The sanity check: curve, average mana value, and play pattern
You do not need to obsess over math, but you should notice when your deck is 40 cards that cost five or more.
Checklist
- Early plays: Do you have things to do on turns 1 to 3?
- Midgame plan: Do you reliably develop by turns 4 to 6?
- Clunky hands: How often are you forced to keep slow hands because you cannot mulligan forever?
Goldfish a few opening hands. If you cannot consistently play lands and develop, fix mana before anything else. Yes, even before that “perfect” seven drop.
11) Test like an adult: change one thing at a time
Most tuning mistakes come from changing 14 cards at once, then having no idea what helped or hurt.
Checklist
- Track the loss reason: Mana screw, no draw, no interaction, ran out of threats, got comboed, got out-valued.
- Fix the common failure: Add lands, add draw, add answers, lower curve, add redundancy.
- Change 3 to 5 cards max per iteration, then test again.
The goal is not perfection. The goal is fewer non-games and more “my deck did the thing, and we had a real match.”
12) Where proxies fit (and where they absolutely do not)
Proxies are great for testing, accessibility, and keeping your deckbuilding brain from being held hostage by cardboard prices. They are not a magic loophole for sanctioned events.
Checklist
- Casual play and testing: Ask your pod, keep proxies readable, and be honest about intent.
- Sanctioned tournaments: Expect authentic cards. Official tournament rules allow limited judge-issued proxies for specific situations, not “I printed a deck last night.”
If your goal is better games, keep proxies clean and readable. The point is to reduce friction, not create a side quest where everyone squints at your battlefield.
FAQs
What are the basic Commander deckbuilding rules?
Commander decks are 100 cards including the commander, singleton except basic lands, and every card must fit your commander’s color identity.
How many lands should I run in Commander?
Many midrange Commander decks start around 36 to 38 lands and adjust based on curve, ramp, and how fast the pod is.
How much ramp and card draw should I include?
A common starting point is around 10 ramp sources and 8 to 12 draw or card advantage sources, then adjust for your commander and game plan.
Do I need board wipes in every deck?
Not always, but having access to a few reset buttons helps you avoid losing to wide boards or snowballing value engines.
Can I use proxies at my LGS or in a tournament?
Many casual tables and some stores allow proxies for unsanctioned play if everyone agrees. Sanctioned events generally require authentic cards, with narrow judge-issued proxy exceptions.