MTG Ramp in Non-Green Decks: Practical Packages That Do Not Pretend You Are Simic
This post helps Commander and casual MTG players build reliable ramp packages in non-green decks by explaining what actually works (rocks, catch-up, treasures, big-mana engines), so you can cast your spells on time without cosplaying as Simic.
TLDR
- Non-green ramp is mostly artifacts, plus a few color-specific “cheats” (white catch-up, black big mana, red treasure bursts). That’s normal.
- Start with a baseline of 6 to 8 cheap ramp pieces (mostly 2 mana). Then add a package that matches your deck’s plan.
- Skip the fantasy: treasures and rituals are great, but they are not a stable mana base by themselves.
- If you play Commander, some classic “fast mana” is banned now. Build like it, and you won’t get surprised at the table.
- The fastest way to tune this is to proxy test your packages in casual games. Sanctioned play is still real cards only.
The problem with MTG ramp in non-green decks
MTG ramp in non-green decks has one recurring tragedy: somebody tells you to “just ramp more,” and what they mean is “please become a forest.”
You are not a forest.
Green’s ramp is stable because it usually turns cards into lands, and lands are annoyingly hard to remove in most casual metas. Non-green decks ramp by turning cards into artifacts, temporary mana, or conditional land drops, which is powerful, but less forgiving.
So the goal is not “ramp like green.” The goal is:
Build a ramp package that is stable enough to start playing Magic, then add acceleration that matches how your deck actually wins.
A quick framework: the three jobs ramp can do
When people argue about ramp, it’s usually because they’re talking about different jobs.
Job 1: Early acceleration and color fixing
This is the “I want to cast my commander on time” job. In non-green decks, this is mostly 2-mana rocks that also fix your colors.
Job 2: Midgame mana engines
This is the “I want to double-spell forever” job. Think cost reducers, big-mana lands, and repeatable treasure engines.
Job 3: One-turn bursts
This is rituals and big treasure turns. It’s great, but it’s also the most likely to leave you empty-handed and sad if you don’t back it up with card draw.
If you build your ramp package without knowing which job you need, you get a deck that technically ramps and practically does nothing.
The baseline package: your “I would like to participate” rock suite
If your deck is non-green, start with a baseline that looks like this:
The non-green baseline (aim for 6 to 8 cards)
- 1 to 2 “best-in-slot” rocks you can run in almost anything
- 3 to 5 two-mana fixing rocks (Signets, Talismans, and friends)
- 1 to 2 utility rocks that turn into cards later
Here’s a practical checklist for choosing them:
Pick these first
- 2 mana, fixes colors, no conditions
- Helps you cast your commander on curve
Then add
- 2 mana rocks that replace themselves later (or at least do something besides exist)
Avoid as your core
- 3 mana “do-nothing” rocks unless your deck is slow, your commander is expensive, or your meta is sleepy
Signets vs Talismans (because this always comes up)
- Talismans can tap for colored mana immediately, which matters on the turn you cast them.
- Signets are great fixing, but they need an extra mana to “turn on” each time.
In practice: play whichever you own, then optimize later. Your deck is probably losing to “kept a 2-land hand and hoped” more often than it’s losing to “picked the wrong 2-mana rock.”
What changed: the “fast mana” reality check in Commander
If you’re building Commander ramp packages from older advice, you might be accidentally recommending cards that are not legal anymore. Several famous accelerants were added to the Commander banned list in 2024. Build with current legality in mind and your deck will travel better between pods and stores.
Also, if your ramp plan quietly relied on banned cards, that’s not a plan. That’s nostalgia with a mana cost.
The actual packages: pick one that matches your deck
Now the fun part. After your baseline rocks, add one of these packages based on your colors and game plan.
Package A: White “catch-up” ramp (the honest way to keep up)
White’s best ramp is usually conditional land development. It’s less “zoom” and more “politely refusing to fall behind.”
Add 3 to 6 of these if you are in white and your deck wants consistent land drops:
- Archaeomancer’s Map style effects
- Deep Gnome Terramancer style effects
- Knight of the White Orchid / Loyal Warhound type creatures
- Keeper of the Accord style effects
- Smothering Tithe if your table actually draws cards (they will)
When this package shines
- You expect longer games
- You want to hit land drops through turn 6
- Your meta is not obsessed with mass land destruction
What you give up
- It’s conditional. If you are the “ahead” deck, some of these do less.
- Some pieces are slower than green ramp, because the universe is unfair.
Package B: Black big mana (the “I have 12 mana and problems” package)
Black ramps best when it multiplies swamps or turns life into resources. You are not accelerating like green. You are building a mana engine and daring the table to stop you.
Add 3 to 6 of these if you are in black and your deck has heavy black costs or big mana payoffs:
- Cabal Coffers + Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth style setups
- Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx in devotion-heavy builds
- Crypt Ghast / Nirkana Revenant style doublers
- A couple of rituals if your deck can draw cards and convert one big turn into a win
When this package shines
- Mono-black or very black-heavy two-color decks
- Reanimator shells that want one huge turn
- Decks with mana sinks (activated abilities, big X spells, repeatable draw)
What you give up
- Coffers engines ask for deckbuilding support. They are not plug-and-play in 3-color “mostly black” decks.
- Rituals are gasoline. If your hand is empty, gasoline does not help.
Package C: Red treasure and burst mana (the “one big turn” package)
Red ramp is often temporary: treasures, rituals, and explosive turns. It works great when your deck can either:
- draw a ton of cards, or
- use one huge turn to end the game, or at least put it in a headlock.
Add 3 to 7 of these if you are in red and your deck can convert bursts into real advantage:
- Treasure makers that scale with spells or combat
- Big rituals that reward multiplayer tables
- Impulse draw plus treasure style cards that keep the engine running
When this package shines
- Spellslinger
- Sacrifice shells
- Aggro decks that want to double-spell early and keep pressure up
What you give up
- Treasure plans can fold to artifact hate.
- One-shot mana turns are not “ramp” if you cannot reload your hand.
Package D: Blue “discounts and artifacts” (the “I’m fine, I swear” package)
Blue’s most reliable ramp is still artifacts, but blue gets two special perks:
- Cost reduction (which plays like ramp if you cast multiple spells a turn)
- Artifact payoffs that turn rocks into actual engines
Add 2 to 6 of these if you are in blue and your deck is spell-dense or artifact-heavy:
- Medallion-style cost reducers (especially in mono-blue or heavy-blue shells)
- Artifact synergy pieces that turn mana rocks into more mana, cards, or both
- Rocks that also support your plan (for example, tapping creatures, caring about artifacts, or enabling improvise-style gameplay)
When this package shines
- Control decks that want to hold up interaction and still advance
- Artifact decks where every rock is also a synergy piece
- Spellslinger builds that chain multiple spells per turn
What you give up
- Cost reducers do nothing if your deck is not casting multiple spells.
- Artifact engines draw attention. People become extremely brave when they see you having fun.
Copy-paste ramp packages (realistic, not magical)
Below are “starter packs” you can drop into a list, then tune based on curve and commander cost.
| Deck type | Baseline rocks (start here) | Add-on package | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azorius control | 6 to 8 cheap fixing rocks | Blue discounts and artifact value, plus a couple white catch-up pieces | Your goal is casting commander on time while holding up interaction |
| Boros equipment | 6 to 8 cheap fixing rocks | White catch-up ramp plus equipment-based land ramp | You want repeatable mana so your “attack step deck” can keep attacking |
| Dimir reanimator | 6 to 8 cheap fixing rocks | Black big mana plus 1 to 3 rituals | Rituals are best when they enable one decisive reanimation turn |
| Rakdos sacrifice | 6 to 8 cheap fixing rocks | Red treasure engines plus black resource engines | Your treasures should fuel card advantage or damage loops, not just sit there |
| Mono-white midrange | 5 to 7 rocks | White catch-up ramp (heavier) | Yes, you can play fewer rocks if your land package is doing real work |
| Mono-black big mana | 5 to 7 rocks | Coffers package plus doublers | Build with mana sinks so you do not just “make 20 mana and pass” |
Common traps (and how to stop doing them)
Trap 1: “I’m non-green so I’ll just play more 3-mana rocks”
You can, but now you are ramping on turn 3 and feeling proud about it on turn 7.
Fix: Make most of your ramp cost 2 mana, then add a couple 3 to 4 mana pieces only if they do something special (huge output, card draw, synergy).
Trap 2: Counting treasures you “usually make” as real ramp
Treasures are real when they are repeatable and reliable. Otherwise they are a bonus.
Fix: If treasure is your plan, include card draw and payoffs so those treasures become momentum, not a one-time coupon.
Trap 3: Ramp that does not fix your colors
Non-green decks lose games because they are missing colors, not because they are missing mana.
Fix: In 3+ colors, prioritize rocks that fix first, then rocks that produce extra.
Trap 4: Building a ramp suite that only works when you are already ahead
Some “catch-up” pieces and conditional ramp look great until you realize your deck is the one trying to be proactive.
Fix: Mix conditional ramp with baseline rocks so you can function whether you are ahead, behind, or just being ignored because the table is busy arguing about someone else’s commander.
The five-minute tune-up checklist
If you want a quick, practical tuning pass, do this:
- Count your 2-mana ramp. If it’s under 5 in a non-green deck, that’s usually the first fix.
- Check color fixing. If you are 3+ colors, make sure most ramp actually makes the colors you need.
- Cut “do-nothing” 3-mana rocks unless you are a big-mana deck or they are doing serious fixing.
- Pick one add-on package (white catch-up, black big mana, red treasure burst, blue discounts) and commit enough slots that it actually shows up.
- Make sure you have card draw. Burst ramp without cards is just a dramatic way to do nothing faster.
Proxies for testing, and the boring legality note
Ramp packages are perfect for proxy testing because you are swapping modules, not changing your whole deck identity. Use proxies for casual play, budgeting, accessibility, and playtesting.
For sanctioned events, you need authentic cards, with limited judge-issued proxy exceptions for damaged cards during the event. Do not build a tournament plan around playtest cards.
FAQs
How much ramp should I run in a non-green Commander deck?
A common range is 8 to 12 ramp pieces, with most of them at 2 mana. Big-mana decks go higher. Low-curve decks can go lower if they have strong card draw and a clean mana base.
Are 3-mana mana rocks bad?
Not inherently. They are just slower. They get better when:
- your commander costs 6+, or
- they produce extra mana, or
- they fix awkward mana in 4 to 5 colors, or
- they have real utility beyond mana
Are Signets or Talismans better?
Talismans are usually faster because they can tap for colored mana right away. Signets are excellent fixing but require an extra mana to activate. In most casual decks, play the ones you have, then tune based on your curve.
What are the best white ramp cards for keeping up with green?
White’s strongest options tend to be catch-up land ramp and tax-style mana generation. They work best when your deck is built to hit land drops and play longer games.
What do I replace banned fast mana with?
You replace it with a boring answer: more 2-mana fixing rocks, plus a color package that actually fits your deck (white catch-up, black big mana, red treasure engines). It is less flashy. It wins more games.