At some point playing with a Precon isn’t enough anymore. You start to see what’s missing, what you don’t like, what you’d want the deck to do but it doesn’t. That moment is the beginning of deckbuilding — and honestly, it’s one of the most satisfying parts of Commander. This guide walks you through the process from the start: how to choose a Commander, how to build the right card balance, and how to playtest and refine what you’ve made.
Step 1 — Choose Your Commander
Your Commander isn’t just a card you put in the Command Zone. It’s the identity of the entire deck. It determines your colours, tells you which cards are legal, and — if you choose well — shows you what the deck wants to do.
Before you open EDHREC, ask yourself: what playstyle do I enjoy? If you’re not sure, check our guide to deck archetypes.
→ MTG Deck Archetypes — Aggro, Control, Midrange, Combo
- Choose a Commander with a clear direction. The best first Commander is one that immediately tells you what the deck wants to do. Krenko, Mob Boss wants Goblins. Edgar Markov wants Vampires. Meren of Clan Nel Toth wants creatures that die and come back.
- Start with 2-3 colours. Mono-colour and two-colour decks have more stable mana bases and are easier to build. Four or five-colour decks are more flexible but require a better — and more expensive — mana base.
- Read your Commander’s printed ability. If the Commander only works with specific things, your deck needs enough of them. If it does something on its own, you have more room for generic cards.
Step 2 — The Anatomy of a Commander Deck
A 100-card Commander deck needs to do many things at once. This table is a reliable starting point — not a rigid rule, but a framework that works.
| Category | Slots | Why you need it |
|---|---|---|
| Lands | 36 | The foundation of everything. Below 34 and you’ll regularly run out of mana. |
| Ramp | 10 | Cards that give you extra mana early. Artifacts (Sol Ring, Arcane Signet), spells that fetch lands. |
| Card Draw | 10 | Keeps your hand full. Without draw you empty out fast and run out of options. |
| Removal | 6 | Single-target: destroy specific cards that are causing problems. |
| Board Wipes | 3 | Destroy ALL creatures simultaneously — a reset when you’re losing control. |
| Protection | 4 | Protect your Commander from removal. Swiftfoot Boots, Lightning Greaves, counterspells. |
| Win Conditions | 4-6 | How do you close out the game? 2-3 clear paths is enough. |
| Theme Cards | 25-27 | The cards that make the deck feel like yours. |
The Most Common Beginner Mistake
Putting in 28 lands because they want to play more cards. Result: no mana by turn 3.
36 lands is the standard. Don’t go below 34 without a specific reason.
Step 3 — The Tools
You don’t need to know every card from memory. These tools do the work for you.
- EDHREC (edhrec.com) Find your Commander and see which cards appear most often in similar decks. Ideal for understanding what each archetype does.
- Archidekt (archidekt.com) Deck builder with automatic Bracket calculation. See in real time whether your deck is moving up a Bracket due to Game Changers.
- Scryfall (scryfall.com) Card search with advanced filters. E.g. ‘cards that draw in black/red under €3’.
- CardMarket (cardmarket.com) Single card prices from European sellers. Always check here before buying.
Step 4 — The Process
Start with the theme, then fill the gaps
Put the thematic cards in first — the ones that make the deck what you want it to be. Then look at how many slots remain for ramp, draw, removal and protection, and fill those.
If you’re building Vampire tribal, for example, put in the Vampires you want first. Then add ramp that works well with Vampires (Phyrexian Tower, Black Market Connections), draw that fits the theme (Skullclamp, Necropotence), and then the generic staples.
Playtest before you buy
Use Archidekt or Moxfield to do a goldfish playtest — play 10-15 hands solo and see whether the mana curve works, whether you draw enough cards, and whether your Commander comes down on a reasonable turn. Only then buy singles.
Cheap upgrades first
Don’t start with the most expensive card you want. Start with the ones that cost €1-3 and make a big difference: Arcane Signet, Mind Stone, Swiftfoot Boots, Chaos Warp. Those first.
→ Commander Staples Worth Picking Up
Step 5 — Brackets and Power Level
Before you finish the deck, check its Bracket on Archidekt. The system automatically counts Game Changer cards and tells you which Bracket the deck belongs to.
If you’re targeting Bracket 2-3 (the most common in Greece), make sure you haven’t included Game Changers unintentionally. For more on the Bracket system:
→ Commander MTG in Greece — The Complete Guide
The First Playtest — What to Look For
The first 5-10 games aren’t about winning — they’re about learning how what you’ve built actually works. Ask yourself:
- Running out of mana? Add 2 lands or 2 ramp pieces.
- Empty hand before turn 5? You need more card draw.
- Can’t answer threats? Missing removal. Add at least 2 more pieces.
- Stuck in the mid-game? Win conditions aren’t clear or accessible enough.
- Never happy to see a card? Cut it. Always happy to see it? Keep it.
After 10 games, replace the 3 cards you were never happy to draw. That’s the most efficient upgrade you can make.
| Related Guides Commander MTG in Greece — The Complete Guide How to Upgrade Your First Commander Precon: Commander Staples Worth Picking Up The Best Commander Precons |
| Warlock Collectibles is a new Greek MTG and TCG store, launching in 2027 with European pricing. We’re currently setting up distributor partnerships ahead of our official launch. Be the first to hear about pre-launch offers and new products: warlockcollectibles.com | info@warlockcollectibles.com |
