Commander guides
Rules, deckbuilding and table talk for Magic's favorite multiplayer format, written for players new and old.
How to play Commander: the rules that make it different
Commander is Magic's most popular way to play with friends. Here are the rules that set it apart from a regular game, explained with examples.
Building your first Commander deck: a simple template
A practical starting template for a 100-card Commander deck: how many lands, ramp, card draw, removal and threats, and how to adjust it for your commander.
Commander deckbuilding by the numbers: the math behind lands, ramp and draw
Why 37 to 38 lands is the usual starting point, how many ramp, draw and removal cards to play, and how many sources of each color you need, with the probability math worked out.
Commander brackets and Game Changers, explained
How Wizards of the Coast's 1-to-5 bracket system describes a Commander deck's power, what Game Changers are, and how to place your own deck.
Mana bases for Commander: how many lands and colors you need
How many lands to play in a Commander deck, how many sources of each color you need, and which lands to choose on any budget.
The pre-game talk: matching decks to your pod
The short conversation before a Commander game, often called Rule 0, that makes games fun for everyone. What to say, what to ask, and how to handle a mismatch.
Upgrading a precon on a budget
Preconstructed Commander decks are a great start. Here's how to find the weak spots and upgrade one step by step, without spending much.