<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Library of Leng" href="#" target="_blank">Library of Leng</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by<a href="https://www.instagram.com/daniel_gelon/?hl=en"> Daniel Gelon</a></em></p>
<p>I know that you saw that title and you're probably one of two people:</p>
<ol>
<li>You will not read this article, and you'll rush to the comments to tell me how it's actually better to learn <em>Magic</em> through Arena, Jumpstart, or Pauper</li>
<li>You will read this article, but still tell me how it's actually better to learn <em>Magic</em> through Arena, Jumpstart, or Pauper</li>
</ol>
<p>So, I'm at peace with being told I'm wrong here. I'm writing this one for me. Or, if perhaps I'm wrong about you, and you can be persuaded to see it my way, welcome.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Adrix and Nev, Twincasters|spg|156"></div></div>
<h2>The "Best" Way to Learn "Magic"</h2>
<p>There is an obligatory distinction I must make here. Sometimes when we talk about the "best" way to do something, we don't clarify our intentions or our goals. Two people's goals with being the best at something might differ greatly. In some cases, the "best" way to learn <em>Magic </em>prioritizes being a fun person to play with. For others it's about your ability, your skill, your stratagem.</p>
<p>Before you all think I'm moving the goalposts, I'm not. I genuinely think Commander is the best way to learn the <em>rules</em> of <em>Magic.</em> For the purposes of this article, I'm talking about the "best" way to learn <em>Magic</em> in terms of strategy, not just how to have fun; I mean the best way to hone one's ability at <em>Magic</em>.</p>
<p>Also, in terms of intention, when people talk about the "best way to learn <em>Magic</em>" it is <em>always</em> in the context of how people are currently learning it: the most popular current format, Commander. This is going to be a conversation about the best way to learn <em>Magic</em> to be the "best" player in the format you want to play. Which, statistically, will be Commander. Keep that in mind.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archaeomancer|spg|149"></div></div>
<h2>The Easiest Versus the Best</h2>
<p>Now, I want to address the Arena, Jumpstart, and Pauper discourse. The argument as to why these formats are the best to learn the rules of the game is that these are the least "complex," least front-loading formats to start with. They have the fewest internal meta strategies, the fewest number of players, or fewest cards to cover. Well, compared to Commander of course.</p>
<p><em>Magic</em> is an incredibly complex game that can feel like drinking from a firehose when you first start. Especially with formats like Brawl, Commander, and even Standard that can be really overwhelming. Minimizing all the things you need to learn might be the ideal way to teach, right?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archmage Emeritus|spg|150"></div></div>
<p>There are two concepts I want to introduce here: productive struggle and a growth mindset. Let's talk about productive struggle first. It is "intended to help students develop strong habits of the mind — perseverance, flexible thinking and active learning," according to the <a href="https://pce.sandiego.edu/productive-struggle-in-the-classroom/">University of San Diego</a>. I went on to read this article called <em><a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/neuroscience-behind-productive-struggle/">The Neuroscience Behind Productive Struggle</a></em> that cited <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/662537/">this study</a>. The article said:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">"Two groups of 8-year-olds tossed beanbags at a target three feet away. For the next 12 weeks, half of the kids continued to practice with the same target, while the other half practiced with targets at two and four feet away. At the end of the experiment, both groups completed a final test with the original target, three feet away.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">Surprisingly, the group that practiced with targets two and four feet away performed significantly better than the group practicing at three feet...The increased difficulty [was] created by productive struggle. Sometimes the learning strategies that are most effective for students can feel like the least effective. Productive struggle leads to better learning."</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Barbara Wright"></div></div>
<p>Again, the most direct and streamlined strategy might be the least efficient in building a skill. Learners need a reasonable challenge to engage their brains better in the process of learning. This article goes more deeply into the science of myelin—the part of the brain's process of making brain signals stronger and faster. Feel free to read the article linked above for more information, but ultimately, "Anytime a student learns a skill or concept, myelin is produced, making brain signals faster and stronger." Productive struggle is necessary in better learning.</p>
<p>Before we explain how that works in <em>Magic</em>, let's talk about a "Growth Mindset." I'm normally very resistant to any self-help, easy-fix-to-your-life schemes or concepts, but it's not as self-help as it sounds. According to a <a href="https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/teaching-guides/foundations-course-design/learning-activities/growth-mindset-and-enhanced-learning">Stanford University article</a>, "Research has shown that when students have a growth mindset, they are more likely to challenge themselves, believe that they can achieve more, and become stronger, more resilient and creative problem solvers."</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Codie, Vociferous Codex|spg|157"></div></div>
<p>What is a growth mindset? Stanford professor Carol Dweck coined the term in her book <em>Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (2006)</em>. It simply means, "a learner’s belief that their intelligence can expand and develop." The opposite of this is a, "fixed mindset." This is the belief "their intelligence is a fixed, immutable trait." This fixed mindset becomes problematic because learners will believe that challenges and setbacks are beyond them, resisting the challenge altogether.</p>
<p>In her study in 2014, Dweck's team learned that "students with a growth mindset will often see challenges or setbacks as an opportunity to learn. As a result, they respond with constructive thoughts (e.g., 'Maybe I need to change my strategy or try harder'), feelings (such as the thrill of a challenge), and behaviors (persistence)."</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Comforting Counsel"></div></div>
<p>I'm bringing up these two ideas to explain why the avenue of the easiest thing might come from a fixed mindset about learning. John Carroll and <a href="https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2023/11/28/learn-anything-easily/">Scott H. Young argued</a> that "the difference between students isn’t in their potential to learn particular things, but in how fast they can learn them. In short, some people learn quickly, and some people learn more slowly, but they could all reach the same destination if given the proper support." Anyone can learn everything, but it's a matter of time, not ability.</p>
<p>Speed might be a factor, but even with something like Jumpstart or Pauper, there might not be enough of the kind of productive struggle necessary to hone someone's skill the way we are measuring. If someone is learning <em>Magic</em> to play Commander, but learns how to play through Pauper, there might not be enough productive struggle to increase their ability for the more taxing job of playing Commander. If you're playing Pauper to learn how to play Pauper, I think that's fine. Same with Standard.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Confiscate|cmr|62"></div></div>
<h2>Chunking and Overwhelmed Learners?</h2>
<p>I've mentioned that productive struggle is important and Commander is probably one of the more complex formats to get a hold of, especially for a new player. What if it's too much? What if all this information is so overwhelming that the learner backs out and doesn't play at all? Surely it's easier to start with baby steps and ramp up the difficulty with Commander after they've gotten their feet wet, right?</p>
<p>I'll give you a little credit. Some of the sources online partially—sorta, kinda, maybe—agree with this. They talk about "chunking." According to <a href="https://www.pearson.com/en-au/schools/insights-news/unlocking-the-power-of-chunking-reducing-cognitive-load/?srsltid=AfmBOor0HUJHISdnr3usazabW9YzcXXvv8vS1HOtsqZNE4fISG8W-Osx">Pearson</a>, "at its core, chunking refers to the process of breaking down large amounts of information into smaller, manageable 'chunks' which act as a scaffold for our novice learners. This technique takes advantage of how our brains naturally organise and process information, helping students grasp complex concepts more easily and maximise learning efficiency."</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cruel Tutor|por|87"></div></div>
<p>I've used chunking as a teacher. This seems like a slam-dunk for you all, right? Jumpstart or Pauper teaches the basic strategies to learn about <em>Magic</em> in a way that is in more manageable, chunked pieces of learning. Yes-ish, but mostly no. Again, Pearson says, "When we overload students with information, it can lead to cognitive fatigue and disengagement. This is where chunking comes in: by breaking content into smaller units, we reduce the mental load, enabling students to move information from working memory to long-term memory more efficiently."</p>
<p>To implement chunking, you must take a preexisting set of steps necessary to achieve a specific goal and break <em>that</em> down into manageable parts. Teaching Commander through Pauper doesn't exactly do that. Understanding mana efficiency, removal theory, combat strategy, life total management, and the meta are completely different. Not only that, it's actively teaching bad strategies for the meta they're learning for. Even talking about priority is difficult to conceptualize and transfer knowledge from because Commander has multiple opponents and Pauper doesn't.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark Tutelage|wot|28"></div></div>
<p>Granted, the kinda-sorta-yeah part is that tapping mana and going through phases are bite-sized things you could teach through Jumpstart or Pauper — but you could just as easily cover those basics in a five-minute conversation or a non-game demonstration, outside any format. If someone is learning Commander, another format shouldn't be used. Instead, we need to take a game of Commander and chunk that experience into bite-sized portions. Teach with straightforward decks with commonly seen cards, to build that recollection, identification, and strategy.</p>
<p>This might overwhelm learners, yes, but the question is if it will make a better player, and sadly Pauper and Jumpstart don't stack up here either.</p>
<h2>Beef with Mistakes</h2>
<p>One little tangent before I move on to my final point: I think everyone is resistant to teaching through Commander because of the sheer number of mistakes that will need to be corrected throughout this process. <em>Magic</em> is super complex, and even more complex in Commander. Mistakes happen even with seasoned players. Surely, a ton of mistakes will ruin the learning process, right? It is actually really effective learning to make a ton of mistakes. According to <a href="https://meded.university/do-we-learn-faster-by-making-mistakes/">MedEd University</a>:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grim Haruspex|spg|152"></div></div>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">"The research from Johns Hopkins University reveals that making mistakes during a learning task can actually lead to faster learning. When individuals make mistakes, their brains not only remember the correct information better but also learn faster from those errors, even in completely different tasks. This enhanced memory of errors helps the brain generalize from one task to another, making it more likely to retain and apply the correct information in future situations."</p>
<p>Making mistakes actually makes you learn faster. I will even go further. Actively correcting a mistake when you make it helps even more. <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fixing-families/202508/the-best-way-to-learn-a-new-skill-go-deep">Psychology Today</a> even says that "mistakes are essential to the learning process, and probably most important. When mistakes happen, stop, isolate the mistake, and correct it. Perhaps repeat the process several times. This is how identification and solidification of a specific skill occur." Correcting things in the moment is more effective than waiting until another moment to correct it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ian Chesterton"></div></div>
<p>I've seen it a million times with casual games with beginners — heck, even with longtime players — that when a mistake is made, they'll say, "I'll learn better if I don't correct, and just do better next time." But that's just false. "Watching [children] fall down, struggle with pronunciation, and get their fingers tangled in the laces become special memories that build the child’s self-confidence and capacity to learn via mistakes."</p>
<h2>The Real Reason I'm Talking About Commander the Most</h2>
<p>I'm sure a bunch of you are grumbling that I'm framing learning <em>Magic</em> in relation to Commander. "What if they want to learn Standard? Your whole argument for Commander falls apart." Well, reader, I've been baiting you to my final point. I do this with love.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lecturing Scornmage"></div></div>
<p>Commander is actually the best way to learn <em>Magic</em> in general because it's the most fun way to play <em>Magic</em>. I know this isn't completely true, but statistically, the people who love <em>Magic</em> probably love Commander. <a href="https://tcgprotectors.com/blogs/magic-the-gathering-blog/standard-vs-commander-mtg-which-format-to-play">TCGProtectors</a> said "Commander is MTG's most popular format in 2026 — over half of players enjoy it for its creativity and social feel." Even on the <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/formats">Magic MTG Format's page,</a> Commander is listed first among the most popular formats, followed by Standard and then Draft. Not Jumpstart or Pauper. I guess Arena is popular enough to reference against Commander, that is if you are teaching by throwing them into the meta of Standard immediately.</p>
<p>Why does it matter that Commander is more fun to play? What does that have to do with learning better? Everything, really. Joy, buy-in, and investment is everything to the learning process. I told you before that some of the articles I've read talk about chunking, but personalization or emotional investment being necessary in effective learning is mentioned in a lot more.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Library of Leng|spg|158"></div></div>
<ul>
<li>According to <a href="https://www.theschoolhouse.org/post/engage-students-unwilling-to-learn">The School House</a>, "Helping your child pursue what genuinely interests them can dramatically shift from passive disengagement to active curiosity."</li>
<li><a href="https://aliabdaal.com/studying/how-to-learn-anything-faster/">Ali Abdaal and Scott Young</a> argued: "So the general principle here is that we learn best when we’re in the environment where we’re actually going to be using the skill."</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/the-springboard/how-to-teach-anything-to-anyone-8b40e7f33012">Alex Garoffolo on Medium</a> stated: "Whether you’re selling somebody a used car, teaching them how to operate heavy machinery, or trying to get them to exercise more, always remember and directly answer WIFM. I want to know what’s in it for me. If you don’t tell me WIFM (up front and repeatedly), you’ll lose me."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.gradpartnership.org/student-engagement/">The Grad Partnership</a> stated that learners, "who are behaviorally engaged are more likely to stay on track academically, build positive habits for long term success, and develop essential relationship and self-regulation skills."</li>
<li><a href="https://instructionalempowerment.com/library/why-is-deeper-student-engagement-important-strategies/">Instructional Empowerment</a> stated that a neuroscience expert, David Sousa, noted: "that engaged students: Have more motivation to participate in class, Enjoy achieving their learning goals, Are more likely to persist through challenges in learning, Feel intrinsically motivated to gain new and deeper understanding."</li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Magus of the Library|spg|154"></div></div>
<p>I could list a lot more, but my editor is probably worried about how long this article is getting. Sorry Nick.</p>
<p>My point here is that most people playing <em>Magic</em> enjoy Commander. Engagement and investment are vital to learning. You can't teach someone to love and engage with <em>Magic</em> with a format or experience that didn't drawn them to the game in the first place. If your enjoyment of a skill affects your ability to learn, Commander is the most efficient and effective thing to reach for when teaching the <em>Magic</em> skill. If they like it enough, they'll stick around through the firehose lessons until they can play more and more effectively.</p>
<p>They might not learn the rules as quickly or as easily as a person learning by playing Pauper, who just wants to play Pauper, but if they want to play Commander — which statistically the people learning this game want — they'll learn how to efficiently play Commander by playing Commander.</p>
<p>At least that's what I think. Let me know what you think. I'm <a href="https://linktr.ee/strixhavendropout">@strixhavendropout</a> on everything.</p>


Why Commander Is the Best Way to Learn Magic

<p style="text-align: right;"><em>Header image by the author</em></p>
<p>Commander precons are a great entry-level item to help bring people into the format. Since <em>Magic </em>is a complicated game, being able to just pick up a fully playable deck out of the box is great for new, and even long-time players.</p>
<p>However, sometimes the prices of those products can rise to unreasonable heights; which is where I come in! My name is <a href="https://linktr.ee/pillowfortmtg">Tyler 'Savesya' Bucks</a>, and I'm going to be showing off some pre-constructed decks that you can pick up right now for a bargain.</p>
<p>As we go through this article, I'll be linking to each deck (feel free to click those blue underlined words) which'll take you to a page right <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon">here on EDHREC</a>.</p>
<p>There you'll see the full list, possible upgrades and even a few options for where you can pick them up for yourself.</p>
<p>So, let's kick things off with five decks that were designed to be a bit more budget friendly right off the shelves.</p>
<h2>The Two-Color Starter Commander Decks</h2>
<h4><em>Typical TCGPlayer Market Price is Under - $30</em></h4>
<p><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/The-Original-2-Color-Starter-Decks.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-184851 aligncenter" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/The-Original-2-Color-Starter-Decks-300x169.png" alt="" width="568" height="320" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/The-Original-2-Color-Starter-Decks-300x169.png 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/The-Original-2-Color-Starter-Decks-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/The-Original-2-Color-Starter-Decks-768x432.png 768w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/The-Original-2-Color-Starter-Decks.png 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 568px) 100vw, 568px" /></a></p>
<p>We're starting with probably the <em>best</em> options for budget Commander precons on the market, since they were specifically made to be good entry level decks.</p>
<p>Since that's the case, these might not be the for more enfranchised players, however they do still offer a great play experience.</p>
<p>If you've been looking to get someone into the format, these are perfect for doing that. I'll briefly go into each deck, and show off an interesting card that's hidden in their 99s:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Isperia, Supreme Judge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gisa and Geralf"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kardur, Doomscourge"></div></div>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/first-flight">First Flight</a>: Helmed by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Isperia, Supreme Judge" href="#" target="_blank">Isperia, Supreme Judge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, this deck is filled with flyers, and value pieces that support your air forces. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm Herd" href="#" target="_blank">Storm Herd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a wild inclusion here, but would definitely be fun for a new player to resolve, showing just how epic things can get in this format.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/grave-danger">Grave Danger</a>: This deck is led by the brother and sister duo of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gisa and Geralf" href="#" target="_blank">Gisa and Geralf</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and looks to flood the board with an undead army. This list also has a bit of a graveyard sub-theme, which makes the classic Commander card <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Havengul Lich" href="#" target="_blank">Havengul Lich</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> a perfect fit for the 99.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/chaos-incarnate">Chaos Incarnate</a>: Here's my personal favorite from the bunch, which looks to sew mayhem around the table. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kardur, Doomscourge" href="#" target="_blank">Kardur, Doomscourge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> sits in the command zone, just waiting to hit play and force people to attack. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Titan Hunter" href="#" target="_blank">Titan Hunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great sign-post card for this deck, since it shows just how important is to force creatures into combat.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atarka, World Render"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emmara, Soul of the Accord"></div></div>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/draconic-destruction">Draconic Destruction</a>: Now this is a deck for the fans of big stompy threats at heart. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atarka, World Render" href="#" target="_blank">Atarka, World Render</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> helms this deck, and pushes things in a Dragon-centric direction. To prove that point, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scourge of Valkas" href="#" target="_blank">Scourge of Valkas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is here to add all kinds of burn damage when your creatures hit the board.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/token-triumph">Token Triumph</a>: Finally, we have a deck lead by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emmara, Soul of the Accord" href="#" target="_blank">Emmara, Soul of the Accord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is all about filling your battlefield with creatures. Since this commander and a lot of the deck can be deployed early, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Camaraderie" href="#" target="_blank">Camaraderie</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a perfect late game card that refills your hand, gains you life, and buffs your board.</p>
<h2>Aetherdrift Commander Deck - <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/living-energy">Living Energy</a></h2>
<h4><em>TCGPlayer Market Price - $27</em></h4>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Saheeli, Radiant Creator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pia Nalaar, Chief Mechanic"></div></div>
<p>This is a deck that I'm a little bit surprised isn't more sought after, because it can really pack a punch out of the box. The main gameplan for this one is building up energy counters in order to copy your artifacts, and send them into combat.</p>
<p>Which is a great combination of goals, since the more artifacts you cast, the more energy that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Saheeli, Radiant Creator" href="#" target="_blank">Saheeli, Radiant Creator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes. The backup commander is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pia Nalaar, Chief Mechanic" href="#" target="_blank">Pia Nalaar, Chief Mechanic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> who pushes the deck in a more Vehicle-centric direction.</p>
<p>If you're looking to upgrade this list, it'll be a lot of fun to add in all kinds of artifacts that have interesting enters effects. This is one of those decks where you'll consistently be looking at new cards from upcoming sets and scanning the textboxes of artifacts, just waiting to see if they'll make it into this 99.</p>
<h2 class="product-details__name" data-testid="lblProductDetailsProductName">Edge of Eternities Commander Deck - <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/counter-intelligence">Counter Intelligence</a></h2>
<h4><em>TCGPlayer Market Price - $28</em></h4>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kilo, Apogee Mind"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Inspirit, Flagship Vessel"></div></div>
<p>From one artifact deck that cares about counters, to another; this time around we're adding Spacecraft to the mix. It's all centered around loading up your permanents with charge counters, which breathed new life into a lot of classic cards from back in the early days of Commander.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kilo, Apogee Mind" href="#" target="_blank">Kilo, Apogee Mind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has exploded onto the scene, rising to the #108 spot here on EDHREC in less than a year. Your other option to lead the deck is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inspirit, Flagship Vessel" href="#" target="_blank">Inspirit, Flagship Vessel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is a little more convoluted, but still a fun build around if you're going fully into charge counters.</p>
<p>If you've been looking for a different kind of artifact or counter deck, this is for list is for you. Plus, once we get closer to the <em>Star Trek</em> set, we'll be getting a whole lot of Spacecraft support, which means it might be Inspirit's time to shine.</p>
<h2 class="product-details__name" data-testid="lblProductDetailsProductName">Lorwyn Eclipsed Commander Deck - <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/blight-curse">Blight Curse</a></h2>
<h3><em>TCGPlayer Market Price - $32</em></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Auntie Ool, Cursewretch"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Reaper, King No More"></div></div>
<p>Next up, we have another kind of counter deck, however this one brings a little <em>blight</em> to the party. This list can draw a whole lot of cards when you start loading up your opponent's board with all those -1/-1 counters.</p>
<p>Leading the deck is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Auntie Ool, Cursewretch" href="#" target="_blank">Auntie Ool, Cursewretch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who gives you a good amount of card advantage as the game goes on, since this list is aimed at lowering other creature's stats. The backup commander is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Reaper, King No More" href="#" target="_blank">The Reaper, King No More</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which adds a theft twist to the mix.</p>
<p>I love precons like this, because they shine a spotlight on older cards that might not see much play. As you look over the contents of this list, you'll notice a whole lot of singles that don't usually find homes in a broad number of decks, but they put in plenty of work here.</p>
<h2 class="product-details__name" data-testid="lblProductDetailsProductName">Bloomburrow Commander Deck - <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/family-matters">Family Matters</a></h2>
<h4><em>TCGPlayer Market Price - $36</em></h4>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zinnia, Valley&#039;s Voice"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arthur, Marigold Knight"></div></div>
<p>Flying in from <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/blb"><em>Bloomburrow</em></a>, we have the most expensive precon we're talking about today, which's all about copying the creatures you cast. Its jam packed with great enter the battlefield effects, which leads to a lot of interesting plays as the game goes on.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zinnia, Valley&#039;s Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Zinnia, Valley&#039;s Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows you to make smaller versions of your creatures, which means you'll be doubling up all the powerful effects in this list. The other option for leading the deck is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arthur, Marigold Knight" href="#" target="_blank">Arthur, Marigold Knight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which offers an interesting way to cheat out more members of your team when you move to combat.</p>
<p>This is another precon that you can consistently upgrade as time goes on, since every new creature you see in these colors could be added to the list. If you've been looking for a new take on a <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/blink">blink</a> or <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/tokens">token</a> style deck, then this may be just what you've been searching for.</p>
<h2>The New Foundations Starter Decks</h2>
<h4><em>Projected MSRP - $30</em></h4>
<p><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/The-Upcoming-Mono-Color-Starter-Decks.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-184850 aligncenter" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/The-Upcoming-Mono-Color-Starter-Decks-300x169.png" alt="" width="568" height="320" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/The-Upcoming-Mono-Color-Starter-Decks-300x169.png 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/The-Upcoming-Mono-Color-Starter-Decks-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/The-Upcoming-Mono-Color-Starter-Decks-768x432.png 768w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/The-Upcoming-Mono-Color-Starter-Decks.png 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 568px) 100vw, 568px" /></a></p>
<p>Let's close things out by looking forward to October of this year, when we'll be getting a new batch of mono colored starter precons. These will follow in the footsteps of the first batch by being cheaper to pick up, and offering solid themes for newer players.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Giada, Font of Hope"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sai, Master Thopterist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghoulcaller Gisa"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Giada, Font of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Giada, Font of Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> leads the white deck, that's all about building an army of Angels. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sai, Master Thopterist" href="#" target="_blank">Sai, Master Thopterist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> commands the blue list, that looks to be centered around artifacts and token flyers. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghoulcaller Gisa" href="#" target="_blank">Ghoulcaller Gisa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is back, this time without her brother, to lead a black deck of Zombies and sacrifice outlets.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lathliss, Dragon Queen"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghalta, Primal Hunger"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lathliss, Dragon Queen" href="#" target="_blank">Lathliss, Dragon Queen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> looks to control the game with a mono red horde of Dragons and Treasure tokens. While <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghalta, Primal Hunger" href="#" target="_blank">Ghalta, Primal Hunger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> leads the green deck, which is all about getting big Dinosaurs onto the board.</p>
<p>I'm so happy we're seeing a return of this product, because budget concerns are one of the biggest barriers of entry for new players. Plus, since they're all only one color, it'll hopefully lead to straight forward gameplay, since you won't have to worry about mana fixing. So, if you know someone who's been on the fence about trying this format, be sure to point them in the direction of one of these new decks towards the end of this year.</p>
<h2>My Final Thoughts on Budget Precons</h2>
<p>As many readers may already know, I make a whole lot of budget decks which are typically designed to cost less than most new precons.</p>
<p>While I do stand behind all of those lists, I still often suggest that newer players buy one of these products if they like the commander, and are just getting into the format.</p>
<p>Usually, these decks have higher priced singles hidden within them, as well as staple level cards that are good to have in your collection.</p>
<p>Plus, you can usually go on YouTube and watch people play that exact deck in order to learn how it works out of the box.</p>
<p>However, if you're not fully interested in the precon's playstyle, and just want to pick them up for value, you're usually better off simply buying the several cards you want from the list and letting the product stay on the shelf.</p>
<p>So, whether you're just interested in having a precon in your collection, buying with an upgrade in mind, or looking for a good gift without breaking the bank, the decks in this list are perfect for you. Let me know in the comments below which one of these is your favorite.</p>
<p>Also, if you're looking for more budget content, you can find my articles <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/tyler-bucks">here on EDHREC</a>, as well as on my YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ThePillowFort">The Pillow Fort</a>; I'd love to see you there!</p>


https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Commander-Precons-That-You-Can-Buy-on-a-Budget-Textless.png

The Best Commander Precons You Can Buy on A Budget!

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flubs, the Fool" href="#" target="_blank">Flubs, the Fool</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.adamrex.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Rex</a></em></p>
<p>Hello, and welcome to <em>How To Be New</em>, the series where I give advice to new players, from a new player. If you’re here because you’ve never played <em>Magic</em> before but you saw the new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tifa, Martial Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Tifa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> card and now find yourself in the middle of a 15-hour <em>Magic</em> researching fugue state, go get some sleep! For the rest of you, welcome in. Today we're talking about how to cut cards from your Commander deck when you have more than 100.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flubs, the Fool"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Laboratory Maniac"></div></div>
<hr />
<p>Ok, so, let me start with an anecdote. My friend, very graciously, gave me a copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flubs, the Fool" href="#" target="_blank">Flubs, the Fool</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> when he found out I was getting into Commander. He was right to do so. I fell in love instantly. All the fun of playing <em>Magic</em> without all the confusion of having to make decisions?? That sort of thing’s perfect for a guy like me.</p>
<p>So I went into my collection that weekend. I have a lot of random bulk from various other dalliances with <em>Magic</em> in my past, including a full collection of the <em>Fallout</em> precons, so I had a lot to work through. Obviously I wanted things that would support <em>landfall</em>, since Flubs let me play extra lands. I also decided I wanted to do +1/+1 counters, since I saw that recommended for Flubs decks somewhere online. And obviously I wanted some things to help play cards from exile, since that synergizes very well with Flubs’ card draw ability.</p>
<p>By the time I got all of my candidates together, I was at over 200 cards. Not including lands. In what was going to be a <em>landfall</em> deck.</p>
<p>At least a couple of these had to go.</p>
<p>But which ones? How could I bear to cut any of my new friends? I had read every single one of these cards and imagined the dream scenario in which they would single-handedly win me the game. Now how could I possibly be expected to relegate some, or even most of them, back into the disorganized maelstrom which roils inside the big white box next to my desk? It’s scary in there. It’s certainly not the kind of place for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lily Bowen, Raging Grandma" href="#" target="_blank">Lily Bowen, Raging Grandma</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. As my elder, she deserves my respect.</p>
<p>I ran into this constantly when I was beginning my Commander journey. There’s just so many fun <em>Magic</em> cards which can support all kinds of different plans. But you need to sit down at the table with just 100 of them. Here’s how I learned to do that.</p>
<h2>Step 1: Start With a Guide</h2>
<p>There are so many excellent guides out there for how to set up your Commander deck. They’re fantastically helpful when determining how many lands to run, how much removal, how many mana artifacts, etc. So which one should you choose?</p>
<p>There’s an extremely easy answer: any of them. Absolutely any of them will be fine. These are great places to start when building your deck, but will absolutely differ from deck to deck and from player to player. So just find one to look at and start setting your deck up using those numbers. For this guide, we’ll be using this one that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSNV6224cHg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Command Zone</a> recently put together. Do I agree with every part of it? No. And that’s why it’s a perfect place to start.</p>
<p><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-150362" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template-300x141.png" alt="" width="753" height="354" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template-300x141.png 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template-1024x483.png 1024w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template-768x362.png 768w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template-1536x724.png 1536w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template.png 1910w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 753px) 100vw, 753px" /></a></p>
<h2>Step 2: Add the Lands</h2>
<p>This guide wants you to run 38 lands. I’ve heard many other players say that's a great target number. It will absolutely ensure that from your opening draw, you should have enough lands to not miss any land drops and be able to do all of the wonderful things you want your deck to do.</p>
<h2>Step 3: Don’t Touch The Lands</h2>
<p>Set those lands far away. Face down. Don’t look at them. Have your partner or roommate hide them from you if need be. Don’t touch those things. Consider them a foundational cornerstone of your deck. Put a post it note on your desk with “38” written on it so you don’t forget the number and move on to the rest of the guide. You’re going to want a good read on how the cards in your deck play together, and in order to do that, you’ll have to actually play them. So just go with a little more mana than you think you might need, at least for your first couple of games.</p>
<h2>Step 4: Fill In the Rest of the Guide</h2>
<p>Go through and, to the best of your collection's ability, follow the guide you’re using to the letter. Do exactly what it instructs you to do. As you’re going through, do you feel like 10 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">mana rocks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are too much for your three-cost commander? Are you building a group hug deck and feel like maybe 18 disruption cards will sort of counteract what you’re trying to do at the table? Good. Those are useful feelings to have. Keep those with you as you fill out the nonland cards in your deck to the specifications in your guide of choice.</p>
<h2>Step 5: One In, One Out</h2>
<p>Now that you’ve got a sense for your whole deck, start to make some of those changes you were leaning towards before. But do it on a one in, one out basis. You can cut one card to swap in one other card. When you start to do this in sweeping moves or go too fast you’ll start to lose count, and soon you’ll find yourself deep in the dregs of everyone’s least favorite deckbuilding activity: counting through a big stack of cards (and then having it come up different when you do it again). Slow and steady wins the race here.</p>
<p>Take into consideration what you want in your deck. Personally, the “Plan Cards,” as they’re listed here, are my favorite part of EDH deckbuilding, and I have a really hard time keeping those down to just 30. So I’ll usually cut some disruption, and possibly some ramp, to fit in some of those cards that bring me joy every time I draw them. And what’s more, at this point, <em>I don't know</em> what’s going to be good yet! So I’m going to include everything I might want to try out and deal with the consequences later.</p>
<h2>Step 6: Cut a Couple Lands, as a Treat</h2>
<p>Look, 38 lands sounds really great, but I almost always go a little lower. If you’re playing, for example, Boros (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) or like to live dangerously (Izzet, <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>), you can definitely cut a few. You’ve been very good so far, you deserve a little bit of self care. After all, if you draw dry in a game, you’ll have nobody to blame but yourself!</p>
<h2>Step 7: Play The Deck</h2>
<p>The <em>most</em> important step in this process is actually going to the game store and trying the deck out! Getting it out on the table is the only way you’ll be able to evaluate which cards should stay or go. It’s sometimes useful even to goldfish it (this is stolen advice from Am I The Bolas, and it means dealing yourself a hand and playing by yourself on your own table, just to see how things might shake out in a real game), maybe even more than once.</p>
<p>One other thing I like to do is take a small sideboard with a few cards you wanted to include but didn’t make the cut. Swap them in between games for some cards which seemed underwhelming in the first game. Continue to tinker like this to your heart’s content and <a href="https://youtu.be/Sr2PlqXw03Y?si=3Jcg5s9i36vT5hbJ&amp;t=11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">baby, you got a Commander deck going!</a></p>
<hr />
<p>To close the loop, as we fast forward to about six months from the day where I had to cut about 150 cards for my 100 card Flubs deck, I’d wager that maybe seven or eight of those cards are still there. It’s now a deck I call “Doctor Flubsenstein’s Monster” which seeks to reunite Flubs with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Laboratory Maniac" href="#" target="_blank">his creator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and win by playing through the rest of the deck. It no longer places +1/+1 counters. It deals some with playing cards from exile. Honestly, even most of the <em>landfall</em> triggers have fallen out. This deck isn't concerned with things like damage or combat. Now it’s a timeless tale about mankind’s yearning for the one thing that cannot be produced in a lab: love.</p>
<p>But you don’t get to tell a whimsical sci-fi tale of tragedy, yearning, and man’s reach exceeding his grasp if you don’t get those 100 cards to the table. So use a guide, try it out, and rework the deck if it isn’t working. Whenever the process gets tiring, start over with a different deck idea.</p>
<p>Congratulations, you’re now a Commander player.</p>


New Player Guide - How to Cut Cards From Your Commander Decks

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Call the Spirit Dragons" href="#" target="_blank">Call the Spirit Dragons</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/liiga" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Liiga Smilshkalne</a></h6>
<p>Hello, and welcome to <em>How To Be New</em>, where I give a new player's perspective on how to start playing Commander before the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jumbo Cactuar" href="#" target="_blank">cactus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes everyone quit.</p>
<p>As this series makes the jump from Commander's Herald to EDHREC proper, this week's article addresses both new <em>and</em> veteran players, and it concerns my biggest, most persistent frustration since beginning my journey into Commander last October.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Abzan Ascendancy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jeskai Ascendancy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mardu Ascendancy"></div></div>
<p>Okay, so <em>Tarkir: Dragonstorm</em> has just come out. The new set takes place on the plane of Tarkir, a place where a lot of things have happened in <em>Magic</em>'s history. For instance, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Spice8Rack/featured" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spice8Rack</a>, one of my favorite <em>MTG</em> YouTubers, has a <a href="https://youtu.be/dAksq3bCjLY?feature=shared" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four-hour-long video about Tarkir</a>. Now, Spice has been known to run long, but their videos usually (and by "usually" I mean "always") end up much shorter than that.</p>
<p>Suffice it to say that Tarkir is an important place for <em>Magic</em> players. From what I gleaned from Spice's video (which I had open on my second monitor as I grinded daily <em>MTG Arena</em> quests), a lot of the things in Tarkir have to do with five Clans. Each of these Clans are associated with a combination of three of <em>Magic</em>'s five colors of mana, and the names of these Clans, first introduced in 2014, are still used as shorthand by many <em>Magic</em> players when describing these combinations of colors.</p>
<p>This is a mistake.</p>
<p>For you, a new player who still groups your lands in a way that feels inefficient but that you don't know how to improve upon, these color combination names are absolute gibberish, and why wouldn't they be?! The other five three-color combos were named in a <em>different</em> set in 2008! And the ten two-color combos were named all the way back in 2005, when planeswalkers were still just a glint in Mark Rosewater's eye.</p>
<p>Between all of those, that's 20 unhinged words to have to learn, plus the four four-color combo names (you thankfully don't hear them as much, and honestly, just based on word count alone, those I actually am fine with abbreviating). That's too much information to be expected to learn, especially considering you're supposed to learn it alongside at least one 100-card (without repeats!) deck, plus the most frequent cards played by other players, plus so many different mechanics. It's like studying for the ACT, but somehow more useful.</p>
<p>Any veteran players reading may be surprised to hear this, but please do hear these words: the color combination names are the hardest thing to learn as a new player, especially because very often they're said casually in conversation without an actual card on hand that one could actually look at for reference. By the time your brain has processed the sounds you've made into an unfamiliar word which you find yourself unable to derive further meaning from, the conversation has long moved on. It's truly like hearing another language. Or the word "nonplussed." It's a conversational stun counter for new players.</p>
<p>To tell you the truth, the two-color pairings are much more palatable for me. Maybe it's because they're just so well-written to convey the general vibe of the pairing they represent. Across the board they have a real <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouba/kiki_effect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bouba/Kiki</a> thing going on. Izzet sounds like the aggressive chaos of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. Boros sounds warm but regal in a very <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> sort of way. Golgari (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) sounds like the exact noise Swamp Thing would make. They're perfect.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Boros Charm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rakdos Charm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Simic Charm"></div></div>
<p>As a newer player, those two-color names will be some of the first things you pick up. You'll definitely learn the name for the color identity of your first couple of decks. But past that, you might as well make flash cards. Or just ignore them until you pick them up through osmosis... which I assume must happen at some point? Unless every veteran Commander player actually did make flash cards... which, I mean, I wouldn't put it past them. I firmly believe that if <em>Wizards</em> released a card which required the player to recite a Shakespearean soliloquy for three free mana, we'd all know "To be, or not to be" as well as we know "Do you pay the one?"</p>
<p>So I say all of this, not just to provide you a warm, comforting blanket over your shoulders after you've gone numb at hearing the word "Jund" one too many times, but because <em>Tarkir: Dragonstorm</em> is here, and with it, an unprecedented chance to internalize some of these color combinations. Because I've been playing Commander for six months now, and "just picking them up as I go along" has not been cutting it.</p>
<p>Check out your local game store for any leftover prerelease kits. There are five different kinds, each of which relate to one of the three-color Clans in Tarkir. Each box will contain an extra pack of cards specific to the color combination you've selected, and given that I can identify Temur (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) since I play a commander in that color combination; I should know Grixis <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, which accounts for two of my Commander decks, but it simply doesn't stick in my brain; I guess "Temur" is more fun, and I can associate it more closely with my boi <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flubs, the Fool" href="#" target="_blank">Flubs, the Fool</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> than I can associate "Grixis" with these two <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Valeyard" href="#" target="_blank">absolute</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Don Andres, the Renegade" href="#" target="_blank">bastards</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) maybe this will help you get one or two of these crazy combo names down.</p>
<p>So keep faith, friends. You may not know all these gibberish color words, but as long as you're learning to say "<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>" with a confident yet conciliatory tone, then your Commander education is coming along just fine.</p>


Why Do the Magic Color Combinations Have Names?

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares|J13|1" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | art by <a href="https://samwolfeconnelly.com/">Sam Wolfe Connelly</a></h6>
<h1>Threats and Resource Management</h1>
<h4><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/how-to-build-a-commander-deck" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Article 1: How to Build a Commander Deck</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/how-to-choose-your-commander">Article 2: How to Choose Your Commander</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/beginner-content-how-to-win-a-commander-game">Article 3: How to Win a Commander Game</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/commander-mana-curves-for-beginners">Article 4: Commander Mana Curves</a> |</h4>
<p>Hello there, and welcome to the world of Commander, <em>Magic: The Gathering's </em>most popular format! My name is Brian, and I aim to be your guide for navigating this format that we at EDHREC know and love so much. In this series, we're focused on helping out players new to the format get started. If you missed the previous articles, make sure to check out the links above.</p>
<p>Today, we're talking about two somewhat related topics: threat assessment and managing your resources. The former has a big effect on the latter; if you're going to spend resources to deal with a threat, you need to make sure it's worthwhile. We touched on these a bit in Article 3, but I wanted to expand on them a bit further to hammer home their importance to your gameplay.</p>
<h3>Definitions</h3>
<p>I'm going to define a "threat" in two ways. The first is anything that will make you lose the game. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck. The other type of threat is something that stops you from winning the game, like an opponent playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rest in Peace" href="#" target="_blank">Rest in Peace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> against your graveyard deck. Both types of threats need to be dealt with ASAP if you're planning on winning (or not losing) the game. We'll get into how and when they're dealt with in more detail below.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Impact Tremors"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rest in Peace"></div></div>
<p>Resources are a little more straightforward. In <em>Magic,</em> there are two main resources: mana and cards. Some players (especially black mages like me) might argue that your life total is also a resource, but we'll focus on the first two for today's article. Mana and cards go hand in hand. If you have a lot of mana and no cards (commonly called mana flood), you can't do much of anything.</p>
<p>Conversely, if you have a lot of cards but no mana to play them (mana screw), you'll be outpaced by your opponents.</p>
<p>Some of the most popular and powerful commanders are cards that increase access to these resources. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Muldrotha, the Gravetide" href="#" target="_blank">Muldrotha</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives you access to more cards, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> reduces the cost of your Dragons, giving you access to more mana.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prosper, Tome-Bound" href="#" target="_blank">Prosper, Tome-Bound</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait" href="#" target="_blank">Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are examples of commanders that give you both, probably why they're so popular!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Muldrotha, the Gravetide"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait"></div></div>
<h3>Threats</h3>
<p>Threat assessment is an important part of Commander, especially given the multiplayer nature of the format. You'll have to be on the lookout for threats from three different opponents, all of whom need to be watching out for the threats coming from you and the rest of the table.</p>
<p>This means everyone will be adding and removing threats to the game. The tough part is deciding when <strong>you</strong> should be the one to deal with a threat.</p>
<p>Let's go back to the Krenko example. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will become a problem real fast if the Krenko player can untap with it. All three of that player's opponents should consider it threat level midnight, and use their combined resources to take it out before it wins the Krenko player the game. It's an easy example, but as we'll see when we get to resources, it's important to asses it properly.</p>
<p>Other cases might have a little more nuance. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rest in Peace" href="#" target="_blank">Rest in Peace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might be a threat to your graveyard deck but not to the other players. You can't rely on them to deal with it for you. After all, why should they spend the resources to help you? For this reason you need to save resources for cards that really impede YOUR gameplan.</p>
<p>Of course, you probably won't have the luxury of dealing with only one threat at a time so prioritizing them is another skill you need to practice. Let's say you're playing your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Muldrotha, the Gravetide" href="#" target="_blank">Muldrotha</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck against <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>/<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rest in Peace" href="#" target="_blank">Rest in Peace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>You've got ways in your deck to deal with both. In this case, I might aim for the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rest in Peace" href="#" target="_blank">Rest in Peace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> first. Once it's gone, I can use leverage my commander's ability to then deal with the Krenko player while simultaneously opening up my avenue to win the game. In the meantime, my opponents might deal with the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, saving me the need to do so.</p>
<p>As a game evolves, threats will come and go, shift their level of importance, and be the topic for table politics. Commander games can get very complicated for this exact reason, and there isn't really a "correct" formula. A lot of it will come from playing your deck and experiencing how other decks operate. Get into the habit of asking yourself "what stops me from winning?" and you'll get better and better at threat assessment.</p>
<h3>Resource Management - Gameplay</h3>
<p>Outside of win conditions, ramp and card velocity are the most important aspects to a Commander deck. Why? They give you access to more resources, which you desperately need. At the start of the game, it's your 100 cards versus your opponents' collective 300. At the beginning of turn 2, it's your one land versus your opponents' collective three.</p>
<p>This wild imbalance means you need to catch up fast, and if your opponents are good players, they'll be wanting to do the same thing. You can't just sit there and amass mana and cards without using them, (despite what many blue players might think) so let's look at a few ways to effectively use the resources you have access to.</p>
<p>This is where threat assessment plays a big part. Let's say you're holding a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in hand, and your opponent has some big monster like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghalta, Primal Hunger" href="#" target="_blank">Ghalta, Primal Hunger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on their board. Do you fire off the Swords right away?</p>
<p>Heck, no! Ghalta might seem threatening, but I'd rather not spend my card to deal with it unless I absolutely have to. If it's likely to hit one of my opponents, I'm happy to sandbag my card and force my opponent to deal with the big Dino.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Swords to Plowshares"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghalta, Primal Hunger"></div></div>
<p>Here's another example: It's turn two, I've got five cards in hand and two lands on the battlefield. One of my cards is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reckless Impulse" href="#" target="_blank">Reckless Impulse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a very efficient card velocity spell. If you've got nothing else to do on turn 2, it might be tempting to fire it off. But it's really unlikely that I'll be able to do anything with those exiled cards by the end of my next turn. It's probably better to take the turn off and wait to use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reckless Impulse" href="#" target="_blank">Reckless Impulse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> later when it's more likely to be more impactful.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reckless Impulse"></div></div>
<p>Both of these examples are simplified, but they work to demonstrate the concept of resource management during a game. Remember it's your cards and mana versus three times that, so keep it in mind during a game to maximize what you have!</p>
<h3>Resource Management - Deckbuilding</h3>
<p>If you didn't read Article 3 (and you should) we used the example of casting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> versus <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrath of God" href="#" target="_blank">Wrath of God</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Using Swords will actually be resource negative for you: you spent your mana and card to deal with one opponent's creature, but the other two players spent no mana and no cards. On the other hand, casting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrath of God" href="#" target="_blank">Wrath of God</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into a big board allows you to spend four mana and a card to deal with far more than that from your opponents.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Utter End"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wrath of God"></div></div>
<p>This is not me saying that you should never play targeted removal like Swords. In fact, Swords is one of the best ways to deal with a single threat <em>because</em> it only costs one mana. Imagine if the example was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Utter End" href="#" target="_blank">Utter End</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> versus <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrath of God" href="#" target="_blank">Wrath of God</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> instead. Would you rather pay four mana and a card to deal with one thing or a lot of things? It becomes a lot more clear which one is better.</p>
<p>In this way you can "manage" your resources via deckbuilding choices. Unless I'm paying a premium for flexibility, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Within" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Within</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, I want my single-target removal under three mana. Otherwise, I want to be able to hit more than one target; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Casualties of War" href="#" target="_blank">Casualties of War</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for example.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beast Within"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Casualties of War"></div></div>
<p>I want to write an entire article comparing types of interaction, so I'll leave it there for now. The lesson is to think about how you can include and use certain cards that will negate your starting 1:3 resource deficit, while simultaneously allowing you to deal with opposing threats</p>
<h3>Wrap Up</h3>
<p>Alright, I know that was a lot more conceptual than the previous beginner content you might have seen from me or other writers. If you want me to expand or clarify anything, drop me a comment below. Threat and resource management are skills that take practice, but I'll leave you with the two main things to consider:</p>
<ol>
<li>What stops you from winning the game?</li>
<li>What is the best way to negate the resource imbalance between you and your opponents?</li>
</ol>
<p>Look out for more beginner articles from me soon, and if you're looking for cheap and effective decks, check out my other series <em>Brew For Your Buck</em> here on EDHREC. Until the next time, have fun assessing threats and managing resources!</p>


Threats and Resource Management

<h1>How to Win a Commander Game</h1>
<h4><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/how-to-build-a-commander-deck">Article 1: How to Build a Commander Deck</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/how-to-choose-your-commander">Article 2: How to Choose Your Commander</a></h4>
<p class="p1">Hello there, and welcome to the world of Commander, <em>Magic: The Gathering's </em>most popular format! My name is Brian, and I aim to be your guide for navigating this format that we at EDHREC know and love so much.</p>
<p class="p1">In this series, we're focused on helping out players new to the format get started. If you missed the previous articles, make sure to check out the links above.</p>
<p class="p1">Today we’re discussing how to win a game of commander. I’m not going to get into the various ways to reduce opposing life totals to zero, dealing 21 commander damage, milling the table, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thassa’s Oracle" href="#" target="_blank">Thassa’s Oracle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p class="p1">Those are all deck specific. What I’m talking about is more general, and can be used for any deck, anywhere. We’ll cover some deck building elements, gameplay concepts, and the all important social aspect to maneuver your way to a win. Winning is not everything in this casual format, but it does feel good when you do!</p>
<h3 class="p1">Deckbuilding</h3>
<p class="p2">Before you even sit down to play, the composition of your deck needs to consist of ways to finish the game. Check out <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/how-to-build-a-commander-deck/">Article 1</a> for more details, but this is the first thing I’m thinking about during the deckbuilding process. Most of the time, these cards will synergize directly with your commander.</p>
<p class="p2">For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teysa Karlov" href="#" target="_blank">Teysa Karlov</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doubling up your death triggers means your wincons could be something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vengeful Bloodwitch" href="#" target="_blank">Vengeful Bloodwitch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zulaport Cutthroat" href="#" target="_blank">Zulaport Cutthroat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p class="p1"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vengeful Bloodwitch"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Teysa Karlov"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zulaport Cutthroat"></div></div></p>
<p class="p1">The rest of your deck should support using those cards to win the game. Work your way backwards as you build, asking yourself how the rest of your choices support using these cards to win the game.</p>
<p class="p1">In our example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> could be considered one of your card velocity options, since it is extremely potent with Teysa to dig through your deck, along with helping to kill off your small creatures to trigger your win cons</p>
<h3>Card Advantage</h3>
<p class="p1">Another deckbuilding consideration that can help you win is including cards to help you achieve card advantage. You may have heard this term used to describe drawing cards, but I consider that card <em>velocity</em>.</p>
<p class="p1">To me, card <em>advantage</em> is how to leverage your cards to nullify as many of your opponents' cards as possible. Remember, you have 100 cards against your opponents' collective 300. So including cards that can even the score can also help you win.</p>
<p class="p1">A classic example is targeted removal versus wrath effects. Consider <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> versus <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrath of God" href="#" target="_blank">Wrath of God</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. When you use Swords to remove an opposing creature, you’ve spent one card to remove one opponent’s card. But the other two opponents are now up a card on you, so you’ve created negative card advantage.</p>
<p class="p1"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Swords to Plowshares"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wrath of God"></div></div></p>
<p class="p1">On the flip side, if each of your opponents have a creature on the battlefield and you use Wrath, you’ve spent one card to remove three, putting you neutral.</p>
<p class="p1"><span class="Apple-converted-space">Anything more than that, and you're ahead! </span><span class="Apple-converted-space">Don't get me wrong, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an incredibly efficient removal spell, but I make sure I'm to including enough cards that can take out more than one threat at a time.</span></p>
<h3 class="p1"><strong>Mulligans<span class="Apple-converted-space"> &amp; Turn Planning</span></strong></h3>
<p class="p1"><span class="Apple-converted-space">One of my biggest level ups playing Commander was when I really started paying attention to mulligans and sequencing my first few turns. A mix of lands and spells is nice to see in those first seven cards, but it's important for those spells to be relevant in the early game. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="Apple-converted-space">Ask yourself when looking at that first seven, "what do my first three turns look like?"</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="Apple-converted-space">If your cards don't do anything in the first couple turns, I'd consider pitching that hand and drawing a new hand. I'm always hoping for some mana acceleration (like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcane Signet" href="#" target="_blank">Arcane Signet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) and card velocity (like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reckless Impulse" href="#" target="_blank">Reckless Impulse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) so I can continue to have things to do after the first couple of turns. Don't forget, your commander counts as a card to play too!</span></p>
<p class="p1"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcane Signet"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reckless Impulse"></div></div></p>
<p>On the other hand, I'll tend to throw back a hand that has a recursion spell (like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eternal Witness" href="#" target="_blank">Eternal Witness</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) since it probably won't be useful in the first couple of turns.</p>
<p>It may seem obvious, but I'll also put back hands with too many high mana value spells. It may be exciting to see your most powerful spells when you start the game, but if your opening hand is four lands, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terror of the Peaks" href="#" target="_blank">Terror of the Peaks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of Fire" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of Fire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Copper Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Copper Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, your first couple of turns might be pretty rough, especially if you don't draw another land.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Terror of the Peaks"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crucible of Fire"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancient Copper Dragon"></div></div>
<h3 class="p1"><strong>Hand</strong> Dumping</h3>
<p>The concept of "hand dumping" is still something I struggle with. The instinct to play out all your cards and use your mana every turn makes sense. Let's say you're playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait" href="#" target="_blank">Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If you play it as soon as have six mana, you'll give your opponents plenty of time to eliminate it before you can get any value from it.</p>
<p>On the other hand, if you can play Aesi and immediately follow it up with a land drop, you can guarantee that you'll at least draw a card before your opponents can do anything about it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait"></div></div>
<p>Another good example would be an <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/equipment">Equipment deck</a>, the most popular archetype in Boros (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-wr" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) If you've got a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Fire and Ice" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Fire and Ice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in your hand, maybe you want to hold on to it, even if you don't have something to do on turn three.</p>
<p>The reason? Well if you need a turn to play it, it could get destroyed before you can ever equip it. You might consider waiting until you can cast it and equip it in the same turn.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sword of Fire and Ice"></div></div>
<p>Finally, you may want to hold on to your cards if you know your opponent can deal with them. Let's say one opponent just used <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mystical Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Mystical Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to find <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrath of God" href="#" target="_blank">Wrath of God</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> because they need a way to deal with your other opponent, who has a huge board of Goblin tokens thanks to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko, Mob Boss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Even if you can spend the mana, it certainly doesn't make sense to play your creatures knowing that they'll get swept away soon.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mystical Tutor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krenko, Mob Boss"></div></div>
<h3>Threat Assessment</h3>
<p>The other way that hand dumping can work against you is leaving you without any answers to opposing threats. Let's say I'm playing my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ratadrabik of Urborg" href="#" target="_blank">Ratadrabik of Urborg</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck, and I decide to use my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anguished Unmaking" href="#" target="_blank">Anguished Unmaking</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to nab my opponent's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>It's tempting after all, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerful card and has probably given them a big advantage already. But, on their next turn, another player casts the scourge of my existence, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rest in Peace" href="#" target="_blank">Rest in Peace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. All of a sudden my deck is completely shut off, and I used my interaction on something that wasn't immediately threatening me.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ratadrabik of Urborg"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anguished Unmaking"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rest in Peace"></div></div>
<p>It's important to understand what will be the biggest roadblocks stopping you from winning the game. It could be a card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rest in Peace" href="#" target="_blank">Rest in Peace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> shutting off your graveyard deck, or your opponent's commander that will win them the game if untap with it. Another good question to ask yourself while playing: "what stops me from winning the game?"</p>
<h3 class="p1">The Social Aspect</h3>
<p>Commander is a multiplayer game. That's an obvious statement, but it's important to remember that you're not the only one trying to win. However, you can use that to your advantage.</p>
<p>Deals and helping each other are commonplace in our game, and I'd argue one of the most essential skills to learn if you want to increase your win percentage.</p>
<p>Let's go back to the Ratadrabik example. When that Rest In Peace comes down, and I'm out of ways to get rid of it myself, I'll ask my other opponents to kill it for me. Why? Because if my deck doesn't work then maybe I can't deal with a threat that will end the game.</p>
<p>Another example that comes up all the time is a commander with "boots". Many decks will play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Greaves" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Greaves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and/or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swiftfoot Boots" href="#" target="_blank">Swiftfoot Boots</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as ways to protect their commander. If that commander if becoming a big threat, but you only have a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pongify" href="#" target="_blank">Pongify</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to deal with it, you can work with another player to use their <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Disenchant" href="#" target="_blank">Disenchant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to kill the boots.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lightning Greaves"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pongify"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Disenchant"></div></div>
<p>Here's the catch: In both examples, I was being socially proactive. No one is going to work with you if you don't ask. When you ask yourself "what stops me from winning the game?" but you can't deal with it, now ask "who else does it stop from winning the game?". Just like the rest of <em>Magic, </em>social interaction is something that takes practice, so give it a try during your next game!</p>
<h3>Wrapping up</h3>
<p>We covered a lot today, and hopefully that means you learned a lot! If you have any questions, be sure to ask down below in the comments. If you're a more experienced player and have some more tips of our newer friends, be sure to drop those down there too. Be on the lookout for more beginner articles from me, and you can also check out my budget deckbuilding series, <em>Brew For Your Buck, </em>right here on EDHREC. Until next time, happy playing!</p>


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Threats and Resource Management

Beginner Content - How to Win a Commander Game