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Mana Forge

How to build a Commander deck

New to Commander (EDH)? Here's the whole thing in six steps — pick a commander, follow a proven deck template, and build it free. No experience needed.

  1. 1

    Pick your commander

    Everything starts with one legendary creature. Your commander sits in the command zone, you can always cast it, and its color identity decides which cards the rest of the deck may use. Pick one whose ability sounds fun to build around. Browse every commander by color, tribe or theme, or start from the most popular ones this month.

  2. 2

    Know the three rules

    Commander has three that shape every deck: 100 cards total (your commander plus 99); singleton — one copy of each card, except basic lands; and everything must fit inside your commander's color identity (the colors in its mana cost and rules text). You start at 40 life, and 21 combat damage from a single commander also knocks a player out.

  3. 3

    See what already works

    Don't build from a blank page. Open your commander's page to see the cards other players actually run with it, pulled from community deck data — the staples, the synergy pieces and the typical win conditions. It's the fastest way to find the 60-70 cards that almost pick themselves, so you can spend your energy on the fun choices. Every commander on Mana Forge has one.

  4. 4

    Fill the 99 with a template

    A reliable deck needs more than a theme — it needs mana, cards and answers. The community-standard starting split below keeps you from the two classic beginner mistakes: too few lands, and no way to interact with the table. Treat it as a shape to adjust, not a law. Once you've got your commander's synergy cards, backfill the rest to roughly these numbers.

    A starting 99-card template

    37
    Lands
    10
    Ramp
    10
    Card draw
    10
    Removal
    3
    Board wipes
    ~29
    Theme & win-cons
  5. 5

    Watch the curve and the cost

    Keep your average mana value low enough to actually cast your spells — most decks want the bulk of the deck at five mana or less. And keep an eye on price: a great deck doesn't have to be expensive. Budget commanders and budget staples get you a long way, and every deck here shows a live total so you catch a card before it spikes.

  6. 6

    Test it, then tune it

    Your first list is a draft. Play a few games, notice what sits dead in your hand and what you're always glad to draw, then cut the under-performers for more lands, ramp or removal. Play online with friends on a shared virtual tabletop, or just goldfish it solo in the builder until it hums.

Ready to build?

Pick a commander and Mana Forge shows you what to run, prices the deck as you go, and lets you play it online — free, no account needed to start.

Start building, it's free →