Why You Shouldn’t Upgrade Your Commander Deck
You shouldn’t upgrade your Commander deck because frequent upgrades can lead to accidental power creep, making it challenging to gauge whether your deck is meeting your expectations, and potentially disrupting the delicate balance of your gameplay. By resisting the urge to constantly upgrade and modify your deck, you can develop a deeper understanding of its strengths and weaknesses, allowing you to make more informed decisions about when and how to make changes.
Understanding Commander Decks
Commander decks are a unique and dynamic aspect of the Magic: The Gathering universe, offering players a distinct set of challenges and opportunities for creative expression. To fully appreciate the value of stability in your Commander deck, it’s essential to understand the fundamental rules that govern deck construction and gameplay.
Commander Deck Rules
A Commander deck must contain exactly 100 cards, including the commander, and no card can have a color identity that doesn’t match or is not a subset of the commander’s color identity. This rigid structure provides a foundation for strategic deck-building and tactical gameplay.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the benefit of not upgrading my Commander deck? The primary advantage of not upgrading your Commander deck is that it allows you to develop a deeper understanding of its strengths and weaknesses, making it easier to identify areas for improvement and optimization.
- Can I use any legendary creature as my Commander? Your Commander must be a single legendary creature, although two cards can be used as dual commanders if they both have the Partner ability.
- How many lands should I have in my Commander deck? The ideal number of lands in a Commander deck varies depending on the commander’s cost and the deck’s overall strategy, but a common range is between 35 and 42 lands.
- What is the legendary rule in Commander? In Commander, you can only have one copy of any card except basic lands, and the total number of legendary creatures in a deck is not restricted.
- Can I use planeswalkers as my Commander? Some planeswalkers can be used as your Commander, but only if the card explicitly says “this card can be your commander” on it.
- What is the 21 commander damage rule? A player that’s been dealt 21 or more combat damage by the same commander over the course of the game loses the game.
- How many of each card should I have in a Commander deck? Commander decks are exactly 100 cards: 1 commander + 99 other cards (or two partner commanders + 98 other cards), and only one copy of each card (by name) can be included, aside from basic lands.
- What is the benefit of using Sol Ring in my Commander deck? Sol Ring is the ultimate turn one play, providing a significant advantage in terms of mana acceleration and card advantage.
- Can I use banned cards in my Commander deck? Commander is an eternal format, which means that everything is legal in Commander, with the exception of Silver-bordered or Acorn cards and cards specifically banned in Commander.
- What is the 8×8 rule in Commander? The 8×8 Theory for EDH/Commander involves starting with your Commander and 35 lands, choosing 8 effects you wish to see, and then picking 8 cards for each effect, yielding a clean 64 cards.
- How many Planeswalkers can I have in my Commander deck? There is no limit to the number of Planeswalkers you can have in your Commander deck, as long as you abide by the singleton and color identity rules of the format.
- What is the commander rule 11? Commander Rule 11 tells you that the only cards that are allowed to be brought in from outside the game are Companions.
- Can I use Force of Will in my Commander deck? Force of Will is not Modern legal, and thus only played in Vintage and Legacy, but it is legal in Commander.
- What is the perfect Commander deck ratio? MTG’s Commander decks should contain around 35% to 40% land cards, although this ratio can vary depending on the deck’s overall strategy.
- Is Upgrades Unleashed a good precon? The Upgrades Unleashed precon might not be as powerful as other precons, but it’s a great starting point for many different builds and can be a valuable addition to your collection.