Commander Deckbuilding Template for the New Era | 658

02/18/25 • 113 min

Building your own Commander deck from scratch can be intimidating. It’s not just about finding powerful cards. A great brew needs to strike the perfect balance.

This episode, we’re here to make that task much easier with our new and improved Deckbuilding Template. We’ll lay out the ideal ratios of ramp, card draw, disruption, and more, all based on The Command Zone’s years of deckbuilding expertise. Whether you’re an experienced player or new to the art of the brew, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

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Support the show and become a Patron! Be a part of our community, receive awesome rewards, and more! https://www.patreon.com/commandzone

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RAYCON:

Raycon’s latest model of Everyday Earbuds are better than ever! To save 20% on your entire Raycon order go to: https://www.buyraycon.com/command

MANDO:

Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with Mando and get $5 off your Starter Pack with promo code COMMAND at: https://mandopodcast.com/command

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CARD KINGDOM:

The Command Zone is sponsored by Card Kingdom! If you want to receive your cards in one safe package and experience the best customer service, make sure to order your Magic cards, sealed product, accessories, and more at Card Kingdom: http://www.cardkingdom.com/command

ARCHIDEKT:

Discover, build, catalog, and playtest on Archidekt, the deck-building website that makes it easy to brew brand new lists or manage your old favorites. Go to http://www.archidekt.com/commandzone to get started today!

ULTRA PRO:

Huge thanks to Ultra PRO for sponsoring this episode! Be sure to check out their amazing APEX sleeves and super classy MANA 8 product line. If you want to keep your cards protected and support the show, visit: https://ultrapro.com/command

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Relevant Links:

The NEW Commander Deck Building Template | The Command Zone 379:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K9PEeLG_6M

Do This One Thing to Win More Games | How to Playtest | The Command Zone 596:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swjL6prGShE

Frank Karsten:

Twitter: @karsten_frank

How Many Lands Do You Need in Your Deck? An Updated Analysis, by Frank Karsten:

https://tinyurl.com/how-many-lands

Aetherhub Hypergeometric Calculator:

https://aetherhub.com/Apps/HyperGeometric

The Ultimate Guide to Lands | The Command Zone 455:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg7nFiDNeHs

Salubrious Snail's Calculators:

https://www.salubrioussnail.com/calculators

Salubrious Snail's Manabase Tool:

https://www.salubrioussnail.com/manabase-tool

Aetherdrift’s Best Cards (In the 99) | The Command Zone 656:

https://youtu.be/Yh0MkQcaPS0

Advanced Deckbuilding: Mastering Your Mana Curve | The Command Zone 453:

https://youtu.be/LB6HotI0ntI

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@thecommandzone

@CommandCast

@commandcast.bsky.social

@CommandCast

@JoshLeeKwai

@jfwong

@wachelreeks

https://www.facebook.com/commandcast/

Email us:

[email protected]

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Commander Rules and Ban List:

https://magic.wizards.com/en/banned-restricted-list

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Building your own Commander deck from scratch can be intimidating. It’s not just about finding powerful cards. A great brew needs to strike the perfect balance.

--------

Support the show and become a Patron! Be a part of our community, receive awesome rewards, and more! https://www.patreon.com/commandzone

--------

RAYCON:

Raycon’s latest model of Everyday Earbuds are better than ever! To save 20% on your entire Raycon order go to: https://www.buyraycon.com/command

MANDO:

Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with Mando and get $5 off your Starter Pack with promo code COMMAND at: https://mandopodcast.com/command

--------

CARD KINGDOM:

ARCHIDEKT:

ULTRA PRO:

--------

Relevant Links:

The NEW Commander Deck Building Template | The Command Zone 379:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K9PEeLG_6M

Do This One Thing to Win More Games | How to Playtest | The Command Zone 596:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swjL6prGShE

Frank Karsten:

Twitter: @karsten_frank

How Many Lands Do You Need in Your Deck? An Updated Analysis, by Frank Karsten:

https://tinyurl.com/how-many-lands

Aetherhub Hypergeometric Calculator:

https://aetherhub.com/Apps/HyperGeometric

The Ultimate Guide to Lands | The Command Zone 455:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg7nFiDNeHs

Salubrious Snail's Calculators:

https://www.salubrioussnail.com/calculators

Salubrious Snail's Manabase Tool:

https://www.salubrioussnail.com/manabase-tool

Aetherdrift’s Best Cards (In the 99) | The Command Zone 656:

https://youtu.be/Yh0MkQcaPS0

Advanced Deckbuilding: Mastering Your Mana Curve | The Command Zone 453:

https://youtu.be/LB6HotI0ntI

--------

@thecommandzone

@CommandCast

@commandcast.bsky.social

@CommandCast

@JoshLeeKwai

@jfwong

@wachelreeks

https://www.facebook.com/commandcast/

Email us:

[email protected]

--------

Commander Rules and Ban List:

https://magic.wizards.com/en/banned-restricted-list

--------

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Previous Episode

[Brackets] Are Here! Will They Work? | 657

The new Commander [Brackets] system has been officially unveiled in all its 5-tiered glory! But what exactly does the system look like? And how is it different from the old ways? Most importantly, will [Brackets] solve Commander’s power level problem? This episode, we’re breaking it all down and bringing you our analysis. Let’s get bracketing!

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Support the show and become a Patron! Be a part of our community, receive awesome rewards, and more! https://www.patreon.com/commandzone

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Wizards Official [Bracket] Introduction Article:

https://tinyurl.com/commander-brackets

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SHOPIFY:

Power your business with Shopify. Start your one-dollar-per-month trial period today by going to: https://www.shopify.com/tcz

HELLOFRESH:

Thanks to HelloFresh for sponsoring today's video. Go to https://strms.net/hellofresh_the_command_zone, use our code COMMANDJAN10, and receive 10 free meals + free breakfast for life! One breakfast item per box while subscription is active if you’re in the US. The link and code are valid in all countries and the respective local discount will apply.

RAYCON:

Raycon’s latest model of Everyday Earbuds are better than ever! To save 20% on your entire Raycon order go to: https://www.buyraycon.com/command

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CARD KINGDOM:

ARCHIDEKT:

ULTRA PRO:

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Relevant Links:

Gavin Verhey:

Twitter: @GavinVerhey

Holiday Snowdown | Game Knights 41:

https://youtu.be/3olyqHMah9Q

Cards that Change Your Deck's Power Level | The Command Zone 584:

https://youtu.be/0qnFxDNz0bI

Rachel's Rainbow Dash Deck:

https://archidekt.com/decks/7034967/my_little_pony_magic_is_friendship

Rachel's Gylwain Deck:

https://archidekt.com/decks/6705110/gylwain_makes_a_movie

Rachel's Dragon's Approach Deck:

https://archidekt.com/decks/4593603/galazeth_prismari_the_dragons_are_coming

Rachel's Phelddagrif Deck:

https://archidekt.com/decks/562172/phelddagrif_keruga_hippos_in_love

Rachel's Rakdos Deck:

https://archidekt.com/decks/171808/rakdos_lord_of_big_free_stuff

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@thecommandzone

@CommandCast

@commandcast.bsky.social

@CommandCast

@JoshLeeKwai

@jfwong

@wachelreeks

https://www.facebook.com/commandcast/

Email us:

[email protected]

--------

Commander Rules and Ban List:

https://magic.wizards.com/en/banned-restricted-list

--------

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Next Episode

The Problem with Deckbuilding Templates | 659

We recently unveiled our new and improved Commander deckbuilding template. This episode, we’re here to tell you why it’s... WRONG!

Okay, well not “wrong” exactly, but over-simplified! Templates are a great place to start, but if you’re looking to take your deckbuilding to the next level, you can’t expect to paint-by-numbers. Let’s discuss when and why it’s often correct to bend the rules and, sometimes, even outright break them!

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Commander Deckbuilding Template for the New Era | The Command Zone 658:

https://youtu.be/OSNV6224cHg

--------

Support the show and become a Patron! Be a part of our community, receive awesome rewards, and more! https://www.patreon.com/commandzone

--------

FACTOR:

Eat smart with Factor. To get 50% off your first box plus free shipping, use code FACTORPODCAST at https://www.factormeals.com/factorpodcast

RAYCON:

Raycon’s latest model of Everyday Earbuds are better than ever! To save 20% on your entire Raycon order go to: https://www.buyraycon.com/command

SHOPIFY:

Power your business with Shopify. Start your one-dollar-per-month trial period today by going to: https://www.shopify.com/tcz