If you’ve ever brewed a Commander list that looks awesome, but plays like it’s missing a few screws, you need a deckbuilding checklist. Not a “buy these ten staples” list. A boring, practical, annoyingly effective checklist that makes sure your deck can actually function before you start stuffing it full of theme cards and pet inclusions.
That’s the whole idea behind Tomer Abramovici’s Commander Quickie on MTGGoldfish: start with minimum functional requirements, then spend the remaining slots on synergy. It’s the deckbuilding version of eating protein before dessert. You can still have dessert. You just stop passing out halfway through dinner.
This article breaks down how to use a deckbuilding checklist, what the “baseline numbers” are, and how to adjust them without turning your deck into an accountant’s spreadsheet.
What a deckbuilding checklist is (and what it isn’t)
A deckbuilding checklist is a minimum set of categories most Commander decks need:
- enough mana to cast spells
- enough card draw to not topdeck by turn six
- enough interaction to not die to the first scary permanent
- a couple of “utility” tools like graveyard hate and recursion
- at least one clean way to end the game
It is not a rulebook. It’s not saying “every deck must run exactly 10 draw spells.” It’s a starting structure you can tweak once you know what your deck is trying to do.
If your deck feels inconsistent, the checklist usually points at the problem in about five minutes. Which is nice, because “play 20 games and take notes” is great advice that nobody has time for.
The baseline deckbuilding checklist (the one you can start with today)
Tomer’s budget Commander checklist is simple, readable, and honestly hard to argue with as a starting point:
- 50 mana sources (usually 37 lands + 13 ramp)
- 10 card draw
- 6 targeted removal (spread across creature, artifact, enchantment answers)
- 3 board wipes (adjust based on creature count)
- 2 graveyard recursion
- 2 flexible tutors (more at higher budgets)
- 1 graveyard hate
- 1 “surprise I win” card (a finisher that ends games without a novel-length setup)
Then the rest of the deck is your theme package.
The reason this works is that it forces you to build the skeleton first. Most Commander decks fail because the skeleton is weak. The deck is all muscles and no bones. Looks impressive, can’t stand up.
Why this checklist fixes so many decks
Most Commander deck problems are boring problems:
- not enough lands
- not enough ramp
- draw that’s too slow or too conditional
- interaction that only hits creatures
- no way to catch up when behind
- no real finisher, just “hope the table runs out of answers”
A deckbuilding checklist doesn’t make your deck “more powerful” in a flashy way. It makes it more functional. And functional decks win more games almost by accident.
Also, it makes your deck more fun to play. Mana screw and empty-hand topdecking are not personality traits. They’re symptoms.
How to count cards honestly (so your checklist isn’t lying to you)
This is where people get spicy in comments sections.
Here’s a clean way to keep yourself honest:
Mana sources
Count:
- lands
- ramp that produces extra mana (rocks, dorks, land ramp)
Do not count:
- “mana reducers” that only sometimes help
- cute synergy pieces that might generate mana later
- cards that are only ramp if you’re already winning
If you keep a hand and you can’t reliably cast spells, your mana section is lying.
Card draw
Count:
- repeatable engines (draw every turn, draw on triggers)
- burst draw that actually refills your hand
Be careful with:
- “draw one if X happens” cards that often draw zero
- very expensive draw that comes online after you’re already behind
If you keep running out of cards while other players have a grip of seven, you don’t have “enough draw.” You have draw-shaped objects.
Targeted removal
Your six pieces of targeted removal should not all kill creatures. Commander is full of problems that are not creatures.
A healthier removal suite hits:
- creatures
- artifacts
- enchantments
- and ideally something that interacts with combos or graveyards
If you want a deeper breakdown, our piece on interaction counts is worth keeping around: How Many Removal and Counterspells Is “Enough” in Magic the Gathering?
Board wipes
Board wipes are how you stop losing when you’re behind. They are also how you stop the “one player snowballed and now we’re all watching” game.
Creature-heavy decks can run fewer wipes. Creature-light decks often want more. But “zero wipes” is usually a fantasy that ends with you staring at a battlefield you can’t answer.
Graveyard hate
You don’t need to build your deck around it. You just need one piece, because graveyard decks and recursion are everywhere. One slot buys you a lot of safety.
Recursion
Recursion is the glue that makes singleton decks feel less random. Two pieces is a solid baseline. It keeps you from folding to one removal spell on your key engine.
Tutors
Tomer’s checklist recommends two flexible tutors on a budget, and notes that higher budget lists can run more. Tutors raise consistency, but they also change what your deck needs elsewhere. If you can tutor for your best draw engine, you can usually trim weaker draw cards. If you need these on a budget, try printing proxies from PrintMTG.
“But my deck is different” (yes, it is, and that’s the point)
A checklist is a starting point, not a cage. Here are common reasons to tweak:
Your commander provides a category for free
If your commander draws cards, you can often trim draw a bit.
If your commander is removal on a stick, you can trim interaction a bit.
But don’t cut the category to zero. Commanders get removed. A lot.
Your deck is low curve and proactive
If your average mana value is low and your deck is trying to be fast, you may not need as many lands. You might also want cheaper ramp and fewer expensive “value” cards.
Your deck is high curve and wants long games
If you’re playing big spells, you need more mana consistency. The “not enough mana” problem gets worse the more you want to cast eight-drops like it’s normal.
Your meta is weird
If your group is all creature piles, you can bias toward creature removal and wipes.
If your group is combo heavy, cheap interaction and graveyard hate matter more.
If your group is battlecruiser, your finisher slot matters a lot because games can stall.
How to use a deckbuilding checklist to cut down to 99 cards
This is the most underrated use.
Most people brew a list at 120 cards and then start cutting whatever feels least exciting. That is exactly how you end up cutting lands and draw first. Because those are never exciting.
Instead, do this:
- Fill the checklist categories first.
- Lock them in.
- Only cut from the theme package until you reach 99.
It’s not glamorous, but it works. Your deck ends up with enough mana, enough draw, and enough interaction to actually play Magic, not just shuffle.
One more thing: your mana base can still sabotage you
You can run 37 lands and still stumble if half of them enter tapped. Slow mana turns a functional deck into a deck that’s always a turn behind.
If you suspect that’s happening, read this next: The “Too Many Taplands” Problem: When Slower Lands Lose You Games
A deckbuilding checklist gets you to “the deck works.” A clean mana base gets you to “the deck works on time.”
Conclusion
A deckbuilding checklist is the fastest way to turn a cool idea into a deck that actually plays well. Start with minimum requirements. Make sure your deck can produce mana, draw cards, answer threats, and end the game. Then spend the rest of your slots on the fun part: theme, synergy, and weird Commander nonsense.
You still get to be creative. You just stop losing because you built a 99-card wish list with 32 lands and a dream.