Commander, or EDH, is a popular and unique format in the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. Players choose a legendary creature as their “Commander” and make a 100-card deck with it. The rules and strategies for Commander are very different from other Magic formats. It’s a fun and challenging format for new and experienced players. In this guide, we’ll cover the basic rules and principles to make a successful Commander deck.
Understanding Commander Format
Choosing a Commander In Commander, your choice of Commander is critical. It not only determines the colours you can use in your deck but also sets the tone for your entire strategy. When selecting a Commander, consider the following factors:
Your Commander must be a legendary creature. This is indicated by the legendary supertype.
- Your Commander’s colour identity decides which colours of mana can be used in your deck. If your Commander is red and blue, you can only use red, blue, and colourless cards in your deck.
- Deck Size A Commander deck consists of exactly 100 cards, including your Commander. The “singleton” rule in Commander decks only allows one copy of each card, except for basic lands. Crafting a good deck with this rule is a unique challenge in Commander.
Importance of Deck Building in Commander
Commander is not just about playing cards; it’s about crafting an experience. Building a Commander’s deck is a creative process. You design a unique deck for your playstyle. Here’s why deck building is so important:
- The 100-Card Rule: Since you need exactly 100 cards, each card in your deck should serve a purpose. There’s no room for redundancy, and every card must contribute to your strategy.
- The singleton rule lets you try many different cards. You’ll discover unique and powerful cards that might not see play in other formats.
The Creative Challenge
Commander deck building is also a creative outlet. It allows you to express your personality and style through your deck. Do you want to lead goblins, cast spells, or create combos to win? Your deck becomes an extension of who you are as a player with endless possibilities.
Mana Base
Lands and Mana Sources The mana base is the foundation of your Commander deck. Balance lands and mana sources for consistent spell casting. Consider the following:
- Basics vs. Non-basic lands have special abilities, but don’t forget basic lands for mana stability.
- Mana Fixing: Commanders with multiple colours in their colour identity require mana fixing. Make sure to use lands and artefacts that can make different colours of mana so you can cast your spells.
Ramp and Acceleration Commander games need speed for success. These cards help you get ahead in mana and cast your powerful spells earlier:
- Use Azorius Signet or Talisman of Indulgence for mana fixing and acceleration.
- Use Cultivate and Kodama’s Reach to ramp by fetching lands from your library.
Card Categories
Understanding Card Types Commander decks are diverse and can include various card types. To build a good deck, it’s important to understand the role of each card type. The primary card types are:
- Creatures: Creatures are the backbone of many Commander decks. They can attack, defend, or have special abilities that enhance your strategy.
- Sorceries and Instants are spells that you can use only once. They have various effects like removing cards or drawing new ones.
Non-Creature Permanents Apart from creatures, several other non-creature permanents play vital roles in Commander decks:
- Artifacts and Enchantments: These provide additional effects, protection, or ramp. Cards like Sol Ring or Rhystic Study are Commander favorites.
- Planeswalkers and Lands can be strong in Commander. They have unique abilities and can enhance your deck.
Building Synergy
The synergy between your Commander and the rest of your deck is important for success. You should aim to make the most of your Commander’s abilities and playstyle. Here are some ways to achieve that synergy:
- Combining Commander Abilities: Some Commanders have abilities that work well together, creating powerful combinations. Brago, King Eternal can blink creatures and other things, giving different benefits.
- Commanders need triggered abilities for efficient decks; get cards that can do it. For example, Panharmonicon doubles the triggers of “enter the battlefield” abilities.
Card Synergy Commander decks are full of unique interactions and card synergies. To build a successful deck, you need to consider how your cards work together:
- Combos and Interactions: Some cards have powerful interactions when played together. Recognizing these combos and including them in your deck can give you an edge.
- Building a deck around a specific theme can be rewarding and add flavour to your deck.
Interaction and Protection
Commander games often have strong threats that need to be handled. Including removal spells and counterspells in your deck is essential. Here are some considerations:
- Spot Removal: Cards like Swords to Plowshares can eliminate a single problematic creature.
- Board Wipes: Mass removal spells like Wrath of God can clear the board of threats.
Protecting Your Strategy While dealing with your opponents’ threats, it’s vital to protect your strategy and your Commander:
- Use cards like Swiftfoot Boots or Lightning Greaves for Hexproof and Shroud.
- Use counterspells to protect your plan and react to opponents’ moves.
Balance and Adaptation
Balancing Your Deck Achieving a balanced deck is crucial for success in Commander. Consider these elements when building your deck:
- Mana Curve: In Commander, a balanced mana curve helps you cast spells at various game stages.
- Including card draw and advantage engines in your deck helps you keep a full hand and more choices.
The Commander format is diverse, so your deck should be adaptable to it. Factors to consider include:
- Understanding the Playgroup is important. Tailor your deck to match their power level and preferences.
- Add flexible slots to adjust strategy based on metagame and opponents.
Playtesting and Fine-Tuning
Proxying Cards Commander decks can be expensive due to rare and powerful cards. To test your deck before making significant investments, you can use proxies. You can evaluate your deck’s performance without spending money on expensive cards.
The Playtesting Phase Regularly playtesting your deck against different opponents and in various scenarios helps you identify its strengths and weaknesses. Through playtesting, you can fine-tune your deck to make it more effective.
Iterative Deck Building Building a Commander deck is an ongoing process. As you playtest and gain more experience, you’ll discover what works and what doesn’t. Don’t be afraid to make changes and adjustments to improve your deck continually.
Related Article: Who is the Most Powerful Elder Dragon?
Deck Archetypes
Aggro Decks Aggro decks aim to win through combat damage quickly. There are two primary approaches to aggro in Commander:
- Go wide or go tall: Flood the board with many creatures or make one creature powerful.
- Voltron Strategies: Voltron decks enhance their Commander to become a formidable one-hit-kill threat.
Control decks disrupt opponents’ plans and maintain control of the game. Key elements of control decks include:
- Counterspells stop opponents’ spells. Permission spells give you control over the game.
- Stax and Lockdown: These strategies aim to restrict your opponents’ resources and options.
Combo decks win by using specific card combinations. Some aspects of combo decks include:
- Infinite Combos: These combos generate infinite resources, damage, or other advantages, securing victory.
- Combo decks use tutors to find the necessary pieces for their combos and achieve victory.
Deck Themes and Styles
Flavour and Storytelling Commander decks provide a fantastic opportunity to infuse flavour and storytelling into your gameplay. Consider the following themes:
- Tribal Decks: Build a deck around a specific creature type, such as Elves, Goblins, or Zombies.
- Themed Decks: Create a deck that tells a story or follows a specific theme, like pirates or dragons.
Alternative Win Conditions While defeating your opponents is the primary goal, some Commander decks explore alternative win conditions:
- Milling and Alternative Victory: Some decks focus on milling opponents’ libraries or achieving victory through alternate means, such as infection.
- “Group Hug” and Politics: These decks offer assistance and benefits to all players, creating complex political dynamics at the table.
Social Dynamics
The Social Contract Commander is a social format. Players have an unspoken agreement. This contract involves:
- Some playgroups have extra rules or bans that change the official Commander rules.
- Knowing the power level of your deck and your opponents’ decks is important for a fun game.
Politics and Alliances Commander games often involve diplomacy and alliances. Here are some elements to consider:
- In Table Diplomacy, you can team up with other players, make deals, and form truces to reach your goals.
- Play the Long Game: Plan for long matches, and use long-term strategies and alliances.
Conclusion:
Mastering Commander deck building is a rewarding journey. The format offers endless possibilities for creativity, strategy, and storytelling. Whether you’re a new player looking to dive into the Commander format or an experienced Magic veteran seeking a new challenge, building a Commander deck is a path to unique and unforgettable gameplay experiences.
Commander is the joy of strategy, friendships, and discoveries in each game. Gather your favourite legendary creature. Start building your 100-card masterpiece. Embark on a Commander adventure for hours of fun and memorable moments.
