The 10 biggest mistakes new Commander players make in Magic: The Gathering, including mana base, mulligans, ramp, card draw, and deckbuilding fundamentals.

The 10 biggest mistakes new Commander players make

Every Commander player remembers their first few decks.

Most of us made the same mistakes:

The funny thing is that many of these mistakes don't feel like mistakes at the time.

They often feel smart. 

Until you play enough games to realize why experienced players keep giving the same advice over and over again.

Here are the biggest traps that catch almost every new Commander player.

1. Running too few lands

This is probably the most common mistake in Commander.

A lot of players look at their deck and think:

"I'd rather play another cool spell than land number 37."

The problem is that Commander is still a mana game.

If your deck can't consistently make land drops during the first few turns, it doesn't matter how powerful the rest of the cards are.

Most Commander decks perform best somewhere around:

  • 36 lands
  • 37 lands
  • 38 lands

Especially at casual and mid-power tables.

2. Keeping greedy opening hands

We've all done it.

You draw:

  • two lands
  • a powerful card
  • a dream curve

And immediately tell yourself:

"I'll draw the third land."

Sometimes you do.

Many times you don't.

One of the biggest improvements a Commander player can make is learning that a solid six-card hand is usually better than a terrible seven-card hand.

A good mulligan saves far more games than most players realize.

3. Not playing enough ramp

Commander is a format where players routinely cast:

  • seven mana spells
  • eight mana spells
  • ten mana spells

Trying to keep up without ramp is extremely difficult.

Cards like:

help your deck function consistently.

A surprising number of new players build decks full of powerful cards but forget to include enough ways to actually cast them.

4. Playing too many expensive cards

Big creatures are fun.

Huge spells are fun.

But a hand full of seven and eight mana cards usually isn't.

Many new Commander decks end up with a curve that is far too high.

If your first meaningful play happens on turn five, you're probably going to spend most games playing from behind.

A smoother curve almost always creates a stronger deck.

5. Using all your removal too early

New players often panic when they see a scary permanent.

Sometimes that's correct.

Sometimes it isn't.

One of the hardest skills in Commander is learning when NOT to use removal.

The first threat isn't always the biggest threat.

Experienced players usually save removal for cards that:

  • actually win games
  • lock the table
  • create huge advantages

Patience is often stronger than reaction.

6. Attacking the wrong player

Commander isn't just a card game.

It's also a political game.

Many players attack whoever is closest, whoever annoyed them last turn, or whoever looks vulnerable.

The better question is:

"Who is actually winning?"

Sometimes the player with the biggest board isn't the most dangerous player.

Threat assessment takes time to learn, but it's one of the most important Commander skills.

7. Ignoring card draw

Nothing feels worse than topdecking for six turns straight while everyone else is drawing extra cards.

Card draw keeps your deck moving.

It helps:

  • recover from board wipes
  • find answers
  • hit land drops
  • maintain pressure

A deck that never runs out of cards often feels much stronger than a deck full of individually powerful spells.

8. Building around a commander instead of a game plan

A lot of newer players build decks like this:

"My commander looks cool."

And that's the entire strategy.

A good Commander deck needs more than a commander.

It needs:

  • ramp
  • card draw
  • removal
  • mana fixing
  • a way to win

Your commander should support the plan, not be the entire plan.

9. Refusing to adapt

Every playgroup is different.

Some groups are:

  • battlecruiser
  • casual
  • high power
  • combo-heavy

A deck that dominates one table may struggle badly at another.

One of the fastest ways to improve is simply paying attention to your local meta and making adjustments.

Commander rewards flexibility.

10. Focusing on flashy cards instead of consistency

This is the mistake that sits behind many of the others.

Everybody loves exciting cards.

Nobody gets excited adding:

  • another land
  • another ramp spell
  • another draw spell

But consistency wins games.

The strongest Commander decks aren't always the decks with the most powerful cards.

They're usually the decks that do what they're supposed to do every single game.

Final thoughts

Most Commander players don't lose because their cards aren't strong enough.

They lose because their decks aren't consistent enough.

Learning:

will improve your results far more than simply adding expensive staples.

The good news?

Almost every mistake on this list is easy to fix.

And once you start fixing them, you'll notice the difference surprisingly quickly.

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