Learn to Play
Deck-Building Tips
Building your own Commander deck? Here are a few simple guidelines we lean on ourselves at Waypoint Hobbies.
- Start with your commander — let its colors and abilities define your deck’s strategy, rather than forcing in every powerful card you own
- Mind your curve — a good spread of cheap, mid, and top-end spells keeps your deck consistent turn after turn
- ~36–38 lands is a reasonable starting point for most 100-card decks, adjusted for your curve and ramp
- Synergy beats raw power — a deck where every card supports the game plan is usually more fun to play (and play against) than a pile of strong cards with no cohesion
Building Blocks, Examples
Every good Commander deck has a different job depending on its colours. Here’s what each one could do and what it means in plain English, with a real example card.
Removal
- W
Cards that deal with a threat on the other side of the table — usually a creature that's causing problems.
Swords to Plowshares: Swords to Plowshares costs one mana and makes any creature disappear. Cheap, simple, and always useful.
Control
- U
Cards that stop your opponents' plans before they happen, rather than cleaning up after.
Counterspell: Counterspell does exactly what it says: pay two blue mana, counter target spell. Nothing fancy, just efficient.
Sacrifice
- B
Cards that make an opponent sacrifice one of their own permanents — handy against threats you can't otherwise target.
Diabolic Edict: Diabolic Edict forces a chosen player to sacrifice a creature of their choice, even ones protected from targeted removal.
Damage
- R
Cards that deal direct damage — to a creature to remove it, or straight to a player to close out the game.
Lightning Bolt: Lightning Bolt is the gold standard: one red mana for three damage to any target. Fast and flexible.
Ramp
- G
Cards that get you extra mana faster, so you can cast your big spells earlier than normal.
Rampant Growth: Rampant Growth fetches a land straight out of your deck and onto the battlefield — like playing two lands in one turn.
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