Have you ever watched friends battle with awesome, unique decks in a game of Magic: The Gathering, and thought, “Wow, I want to do that!”? Commander is a super fun way to play Magic with friends. It’s like a party where everyone brings their favorite cool creatures and spells. But when you’re new to the game or Commander, looking at all the cards and trying to build your first deck can feel a little overwhelming, right?
It’s like trying to pick your favorite flavor of ice cream from a giant freezer! So many choices! You want a deck that’s fun to play, doesn’t cost too much, and actually wins some games. It can be tricky to know where to start without getting lost in all the details. That’s why we’re here to help!
This post is your friendly guide to finding the perfect Commander deck for you. We’ll break down what makes a good beginner deck and point you towards some awesome choices. By the end, you’ll feel confident picking out your first Commander and ready to join the fun!
Top Commander Decks For Beginners Recommendations
- READY-TO-PLAY COMMANDER DECK FOR NEWCOMERS AND FANS: Join friends in epic battles! This Magic: The Gathering Starter Commander Deck, First Flight (White-Blue), is ready to play straight out of the box
- INTRO TO MAGIC’S MOST POPULAR FORMAT: Commander is a multiplayer way to play Magic! Learn how to play with your own deck, easy-to-follow rules, strategy tips, and reference card
- 100 CARD WHITE-BLUE DECK: With the First Flight deck, take wing with the sphinx Isperia, Supreme Judge, and overwhelm foes with a squadron of flying friends
- FOIL-ETCHED LEGENDARY CREATURE CARD: Includes 1 legendary creature card with gorgeous art and a foil-etched treatment. This card serves as your "commander" with unique abilities that make plays even more powerful
- INCLUDES ACCESSORIES AND DECK BOX: Also comes with 10 two-sided tokens, a deck box for storage, and punchout counters to keep track of creature buffs
- READY-TO-PLAY COMMANDER DECK FOR NEWCOMERS AND FANS: Join friends in epic battles! This Magic: The Gathering Starter Commander Deck, Chaos Incarnate (Black-Red), is ready to play straight out of the box
- INTRO TO MAGIC’S MOST POPULAR FORMAT: Commander is a multiplayer way to play Magic! Learn how to play with your own deck, easy-to-follow rules, strategy tips, and reference card
- 100 CARD BLACK-RED DECK: With the Chaos Incarnate deck, embrace the chaos of war with the demon berserker Kardur, Doomscourge, and overwhelm foes with a multiplying army
- FOIL-ETCHED LEGENDARY CREATURE CARD: Includes 1 legendary creature card with gorgeous art and a foil-etched treatment. This card serves as your "commander" with unique abilities that make plays even more powerful
- INCLUDES ACCESSORIES AND DECK BOX: Also comes with 10 two-sided tokens, a deck box for storage, and punchout counters to keep track of creature buffs
- READY-TO-PLAY COMMANDER DECK FOR NEWCOMERS AND FANS: Join friends in epic battles! This Magic: The Gathering Starter Commander Deck, Draconic Destruction (Red-Green), is ready to play straight out of the box
- INTRO TO MAGIC’S MOST POPULAR FORMAT: Commander is a multiplayer way to play Magic! Learn how to play with your own deck, easy-to-follow rules, strategy tips, and reference card
- 100 CARD RED-GREEN DECK: With the Draconic Destruction deck, go on the attack with Atarka, World Render, and double down on dragon damage to overwhelm foes with a multiplying army
- FOIL-ETCHED LEGENDARY CREATURE CARD: Includes 1 legendary creature card with gorgeous art and a foil-etched treatment. This card serves as your "commander" with unique abilities that make plays even more powerful
- INCLUDES ACCESSORIES AND DECK BOX: Also comes with 10 two-sided tokens, a deck box for storage, and punchout counters to keep track of creature buffs
- READY-TO-PLAY COMMANDER DECK FOR NEWCOMERS AND FANS: Join friends in epic battles! This Magic: The Gathering Starter Commander Deck, Grave Danger (Blue-Black), is ready to play straight out of the box
- INTRO TO MAGIC’S MOST POPULAR FORMAT: Commander is a multiplayer way to play Magic! Learn how to play with your own deck, easy-to-follow rules, strategy tips, and reference card
- 100 CARD BLUE-BLACK DECK: With the Grave Danger deck, ally with the human wizards and siblings Gisa and Geralf and overwhelm foes with a multiplying army of zombies
- FOIL-ETCHED LEGENDARY CREATURE CARD: Includes 1 legendary creature card with gorgeous art and a foil-etched treatment. This card serves as your "commander" with unique abilities that make plays even more powerful
- INCLUDES ACCESSORIES AND DECK BOX: Also comes with 10 two-sided tokens, a deck box for storage, and punchout counters to keep track of creature buffs
- READY-TO-PLAY COMMANDER DECK FOR NEWCOMERS AND FANS: Join friends in epic battles! This Magic: The Gathering Starter Commander Deck, Token Triumph (Green-White), is ready to play straight out of the box
- INTRO TO MAGIC’S MOST POPULAR FORMAT: Commander is a multiplayer way to play Magic! Learn how to play with your own deck, easy-to-follow rules, strategy tips, and reference card
- 100 CARD GREEN-WHITE DECK: With the Token Triumph deck, ally with the elf cleric Emmara, Soul of the Accord, and overwhelm foes with a multiplying army
- FOIL-ETCHED LEGENDARY CREATURE CARD: Includes 1 legendary creature card with gorgeous art and a foil-etched treatment. This card serves as your "commander" with unique abilities that make plays even more powerful
- INCLUDES ACCESSORIES AND DECK BOX: Also comes with 10 two-sided tokens, a deck box for storage, and punchout counters to keep track of creature buffs
- GET ALL 5 FOUNDATIONS COMMANDER DECKS—Face off against your friends with all 5 Foundations decks: Calling All Angels, Keen Engineering, Wretched Ranks, Reign of Dragons, and Tramplesaurus Rex
- WELCOME TO THE MULTIVERSE—The perfect way to start playing Commander with your friends. Bring these 100-card decks to the table and battle with 3–5 players
- THRILLING MULTIPLAYER BATTLES—Battle your friends with powerful creatures and spectacular spells in Commander, Magic’s most popular multiplayer format
- FOIL LEGENDARY CARDS—Every Foundations Commander Deck includes 1 Mythic Rare Legendary Creature card with a shiny Traditional Foil treatment to command your deck in style
- CONTENTS—This bundle includes all 5 MTG Foundations Commander Decks; each 100-card deck also comes with 10 double-sided token cards, 1 deck box, 1 strategy guide, and 1 reference card
- WELCOME TO THE MULTIVERSE—The perfect way to start playing Commander with your friends. Bring this 100-card deck to the table and square off against up to three other combatants!
- THRILLING MULTIPLAYER BATTLES—Battle your friends with powerful creatures and spectacular spells in Commander, Magic’s most popular multiplayer format
- ONE GOOD STOMP IS ALL IT TAKES—Tower over the rest of the food chain with Ghalta and let high-power creatures run wild on the battlefield. Higher attack power reduces Ghalta’s casting cost, so unleash her as soon as possible and trample the competition!
- FOIL LEGENDARY CARD—Every Foundations Commander Deck includes 1 Mythic Rare Legendary Creature card with a shiny Traditional Foil treatment to command your deck in style
- CONTENTS—1 ready-to-play Tramplesaurus Rex Foundations MTG Commander Deck (100 cards), 1 deck box, 10 double-sided token cards, 1 strategy guide, 1 reference card
- TINY TAILS, BIG ADVENTURE—Put your best paw forward and enter the world of Bloomburrow. Battle your friends with armies of adorable critters and prove that bravery comes in all sizes!
- BRING THE TABLE TO LIFE—Make trash and smash all who stand in your way with the Racoon Bard, Bello, at your side. One critter’s trash is another one’s treasure.
- EPIC MULTIPLAYER BATTLES—Commander is a multiplayer way to play Magic, an epic, free-for-all battle full of strategic plays and social intrigue
- INTRODUCES 10 COMMANDER CARDS—This deck introduces 10 never-before-seen Commander cards to Magic: The Gathering, including 3 foil cards (one of which is Borderless!)
- CONTENTS—1 ready-to-play Animated Army Bloomburrow Commander Deck, a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack, 10 double-sided tokens, and 1 deck box
Commander Decks for Beginners: Your Gateway to Epic Battles
So, you’re ready to jump into the exciting world of Commander, the most popular way to play Magic: The Gathering! Commander is a multiplayer format that’s all about big spells, powerful creatures, and creating amazing stories at the table. But where do you start? Preconstructed Commander decks are your perfect first step. They give you a ready-to-play deck filled with cool cards and a strong commander to lead your army.
What to Look For in a Beginner Commander Deck
When you’re picking your first Commander deck, think about what sounds fun to you. Do you like smashing with big monsters? Do you prefer clever tricks and spells? Do you want to build up a powerful army and overwhelm your opponents? Each preconstructed deck has a theme and a commander that guides its strategy.
Key Features to Look For:
- The Commander: This is the most important card. Your commander is always available and has special abilities that make your deck work. Look for a commander whose abilities sound exciting and fit the playstyle you want.
- Synergy: This means how well the cards in the deck work together. A good deck has cards that help each other out. For example, some cards might make your creatures stronger, while others help you draw more cards.
- Mana Curve: This is about having a good mix of cards that cost different amounts of “mana,” the energy you use to play cards. You want enough cheap cards to play early and powerful cards to play later.
- Color Identity: Each commander has a color or colors. The cards in your deck can only use mana of those colors. Different colors do different things. Red is for fast attacks, Green is for big creatures, Blue is for spells and drawing cards, Black is for destroying creatures and making deals, and White is for protecting your creatures and healing.
Important Materials and What They Mean
Commander decks are made of Magic: The Gathering cards. These cards are usually made of thick paper with a special coating. The quality of the cards matters because you’ll be shuffling them and holding them a lot.
What Makes a Deck Great (or Not So Great):
- Card Quality: Good quality cards feel nice to hold and shuffle. They don’t bend easily.
- Deck Balance: A balanced deck has a good mix of creatures, spells, and lands (which give you mana). Too many of one thing can make the deck hard to play.
- Power Level: Some decks are stronger than others. For beginners, it’s good to start with a deck that’s not too complicated but still has powerful options.
- Art and Theme: Magic cards have amazing artwork! A deck with a cool theme and art that you like will make playing even more fun.
User Experience and Use Cases
Preconstructed Commander decks are designed for ease of use. You open the box, and you’re ready to play! This is perfect for new players who don’t want to spend hours building a deck from scratch.
How You’ll Use Your Commander Deck:
- Learning the Game: These decks help you learn the rules of Magic and the Commander format quickly.
- Playing with Friends: Commander is a social game. You can play with two or more friends.
- Customization: Once you get comfortable, you can start swapping out cards to make your deck even better and more personal!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is a Commander deck?
A: A Commander deck is a special type of Magic: The Gathering deck that you use to play the Commander format. It has 100 cards, and one of those cards is your commander, who leads your deck.
Q: Are preconstructed Commander decks good for beginners?
A: Yes! They are made for new players. They give you a full deck that works right out of the box.
Q: How many cards are in a Commander deck?
A: A Commander deck has exactly 100 cards. Your commander is one of those cards.
Q: Can I change the cards in my Commander deck?
A: Absolutely! Once you’ve played with the preconstructed deck for a while, you can start swapping cards to make it stronger or fit your own style.
Q: What is a “commander”?
A: Your commander is a legendary creature that you choose to lead your deck. It’s always available to you during the game.
Q: Do I need to buy anything else to play Commander?
A: You’ll need your Commander deck and some friends to play with! You might also want sleeves to protect your cards.
Q: What does “mana curve” mean?
A: Mana curve is about having a good mix of cards that cost different amounts of mana. This helps you play cards at every stage of the game.
Q: What are the different colors in Magic: The Gathering?
A: The colors are White, Blue, Black, Red, and Green. Each color has its own strengths and ways of playing.
Q: How do I win in Commander?
A: You win by reducing your opponents’ life totals to zero. You can also win if an opponent takes 21 points of combat damage from your commander over the course of the game.
Q: Where can I find preconstructed Commander decks?
A: You can find them at local game stores, online retailers, and sometimes in big box stores.