173 of MTG's Best Budget Commander Staples!

One of Commander’s biggest boons is having the ability to build a truly powerful strategy for cheap. Many of the format’s strongest cards are surprisingly affordable. Just look at Sol Ring Sol Ring {T}: Add {C}{C}. , for example. Sol Ring is both one of the best and most affordable cards in all of Commander, making it the ultimate budget Commander card.

If Sol Ring had as few printings as Mana Crypt Mana Crypt At the beginning of your upkeep, flip a coin. If you lose the flip, this artifact deals 3 damage to you.
{T}: Add {C}{C}. , they would likely have very similar secondary market values.

If you’re looking for some singles to be stocking stuffers for loved ones or your MTG playgroup that they will definitely use, without breaking the bank, look no further.

Instead of the usual approach of ranking a list of cards, however, we are going to go over a few different types of cards you may find in Commander, and give some cheap options for those cards. This will cover more cards and, ultimately, hopefully, make the article more useful for everyone.

Here are some of the best MTG Commander cards on a budget!

Mana Rocks

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Sol Ring is both one of the most powerful and the cheapest cards in Commander. Sadly, this combo doesn’t pop up too often otherwise, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some great mana rocks out there for cheap.

One alternative cheap mana rock that some players may not think of is Sol Talisman Sol Talisman Suspend 3—{1} (Rather than cast this card from your hand, pay {1} and exile it with three time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When the last is removed, you may cast it without paying its mana cost.)
{T}: Add {C}{C}. . This Sol Ring comes in a bit delayed but is just as useful once it enters play. If you have a deck that synergizes with Time Counters, this could be even better.

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Signets are a great place to start. These mana rocks all come down on turn two and can help fix your decks in a ton of different colors. Generally, in Commander nowadays, two-mana mana rocks are still quite powerful, but you should have a good reason to play mana rocks with a mana value of three or more. In their cheapest iterations, at the time of writing, all Signets are under a dollar on TCGplayer.

Here is a list of different Signets for you to consider:

Arcane Signet Arcane Signet {T}: Add one mana of any color in your commander's color identity.
Selesnya Signet Selesnya Signet {1}, {T}: Add {G}{W}.
Izzet Signet Izzet Signet {1}, {T}: Add {U}{R}.
Orzhov Signet Orzhov Signet {1}, {T}: Add {W}{B}.
Simic Signet Simic Signet {1}, {T}: Add {G}{U}.
Dimir Signet Dimir Signet {1}, {T}: Add {U}{B}.
Boros Signet Boros Signet {1}, {T}: Add {R}{W}.
Azorius Signet
Golgari Signet Golgari Signet {1}, {T}: Add {B}{G}.
Rakdos Signet Rakdos Signet {1}, {T}: Add {B}{R}.
Gruul Signet Gruul Signet {1}, {T}: Add {R}{G}.

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Similar to Signets are Talismans. These function a little bit differently than Signets, directly adding mana to your mana pool instead of filtering one mana into two different colors, at least in the case of the guild Signets.

These are a bit more painful, dealing one damage to you if you choose to add colored mana, but they also give the option to add colorless mana for free. Like Signets, Talismans cost two mana to cast, and many are also under a dollar on TCGplayer. The rest float between $1-2.

Here is a list of the Talismans:

Talisman of Resilance
Talisman of Curiosity Talisman of Curiosity {T}: Add {C}.
{T}: Add {G} or {U}. This artifact deals 1 damage to you.
Talisman of Conviction
Talisman of Progress
Talisman of Unity
Talisman of Dominance Talisman of Dominance {T}: Add {C}.
{T}: Add {U} or {B}. This artifact deals 1 damage to you.
Talisman of Hierarchy
Talisman of Impulse
Talisman of Creativity (around a dollar)
Talisman of Indulgence ($2+)

Otherwise, don’t forget about Commander’s Sphere Commander’s Sphere {T}: Add one mana of any color in your commander's color identity.
Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card. . Three mana is a bit expensive for a mana rock, but you can cash this one in for another card if you don’t need it anymore. Mind Stone and Fellwar Stone are more popular mana rocks on a budget.

Ramp Spells

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If instants, sorceries, or even auras are more your speed, there are some budget Commander options for those as well! Cultivate Cultivate Search your library for up to two basic land cards, reveal those cards, put one onto the battlefield tapped and the other into your hand, then shuffle. and Kodama’s Reach Kodama’s Reach Search your library for up to two basic land cards, reveal those cards, put one onto the battlefield tapped and the other into your hand, then shuffle. are ancient mainstays for Commander players trying to fix their mana base on a budget. These are great for a deck with a color identity of three or more different colors yet don’t break the bank.

If you’re looking for something a bit more efficient, there are also a series of two-mana spells that can emulate similar results. Rampant Growth Rampant Growth Search your library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle. is another straightforward option to get your mana a turn ahead.

Farseek Farseek Farseek Search your library for a Plains, Island, Swamp, or Mountain card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle. and Nature’s Lore Nature’s Lore Search your library for a Forest card, put that card onto the battlefield, then shuffle. (both $1-2) have some unique synergies with nonbasic lands. While these cards do need to find a land with a certain basic land type, they don’t necessarily need to be basic. This allows you to dig into some cheaper dual lands like Highland Forest to help fix your manabase on a budget.

Enchantress decks love the opportunity to use cards like Utopia Sprawl Utopia Sprawl Enchant Forest
As this Aura enters, choose a color.
Whenever enchanted Forest is tapped for mana, its controller adds an additional one mana of the chosen color. and Wild Growth Wild Growth Enchant land
Whenever enchanted land is tapped for mana, its controller adds an additional {G}. . These cards can get you ahead on mana as early as turn one and have incredible synergies with cards like Enchantress’s Presence Enchantress’s Presence Whenever you cast an enchantment spell, draw a card. . For two mana, the popular Pioneer card Wolfwillow Haven is another interesting piece of ramp.

Mana Dorks

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If you have synergies with creatures, maybe your plan is better suited to using mana dorks as ramp. These can start accelerating your mana rather quickly but are also a lot easier for your opponent to remove, so be careful!

It may seem somewhat surprising, but at the time of writing, Ignoble Hierarch Ignoble Hierarch Exalted (Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, that creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
{T}: Add {B}, {R}, or {G}. ‘s price is… somewhat reasonable? As long as the sketch art doesn’t bog you down, finding a copy of this for $1-2 is perfectly reasonable. Not only can this card accelerate your mana, but you can also gain Exalted buffs on your attacking creatures.

Here is an otherwise plentiful list of cheaper mana dorks to consider:

Fyndhorn Elves Fyndhorn Elves {T}: Add {G}.
Avacyn’s Pilgrim
Solemn Simulacrum Solemn Simulacrum When this creature enters, you may search your library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
When this creature dies, you may draw a card. (not really a mana dork, but you get the point)
Sakura-Tribe Elder Sakura-Tribe Elder Sacrifice this creature: Search your library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
Apprentice Wizard
Bramble Familiar
Elves of Deep Shadow
Arbor Elf Arbor Elf {T}: Untap target Forest.
Joraga Treespeaker
Palladium Myr
Burnished Hart

Removal

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There are plenty of powerful removal options for budget Commander decks. This is, in big part, thanks to the relentless reprintings of some cards like Swords to Plowshares Swords to Plowshares Exile target creature. Its controller gains life equal to its power. and Path to Exile Path to Exile Exile target creature. Its controller may search their library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle. ($1 each) in recent Commander preconstructed decks. While White’s options are fantastic, what does that mean for other colors?

Green gets access to Beast Within Beast Within Destroy target permanent. Its controller creates a 3/3 green Beast creature token. ($1), a powerful removal spell that can take care of any permanent in exchange for a Beast token. Unless your plan is fully focused on taking out lands, you also get Stroke of Midnight and Generous Gift (which can take out lands), with similar effects in White.

Red has Chaos Warp Chaos Warp The owner of target permanent shuffles it into their library, then reveals the top card of their library. If it's a permanent card, they put it onto the battlefield. , which as the name suggests, has a rather chaotic upside associated with it. A similar card that could be decent removal in Commander is the recently released Zoyowa’s Justice. This is capable of removing an artifact or creature of any size, and gets around Indestructible, but has a similar downside to Chaos Warp.

Multicolored MTG mages have access to a truly disgusting number of cheap and versatile removal options. Despark Despark Despark Exile target permanent with mana value 4 or greater. , Vindicate, and Utter End Utter End Exile target nonland permanent. are some powerful examples in Orzhov colors that can deal with a wide range of different threats.

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If you’re looking for cheap options that can deal with opposing Commanders without sending them back to the Command Zone, Darksteel Mutation Darksteel Mutation Enchant creature
Enchanted creature is an Insect artifact creature with base power and toughness 0/1 and has indestructible, and it loses all other abilities, card types, and creature types. can shut down all abilities, transforming an opposing Commander into an indestructible insect. Kenrith’s Transformation, while not quite as good, has a similar effect.

In blue, Imprisoned in the Moon can also be quite difficult to deal with, turning an opposing Commander into a land. In black, Oubliette Oubliette When this enchantment enters, target creature phases out until this enchantment leaves the battlefield. Tap that creature as it phases in this way. (Auras and Equipment phase out with it. While permanents are phased out, they're treated as though they don't exist.) ($1.50), phases an opposing Commander out of the game until the enchantment is dealt with. All of these cards deal with Commanders in a way that the Command Zone cannot solve.

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Finally, board wipes have a lot of powerful, cheap options as well. Blasphemous Act Blasphemous Act This spell costs {1} less to cast for each creature on the battlefield.
Blasphemous Act deals 13 damage to each creature. ($2) is one of the most popular ones in all of Commander, capable of taking out a board of creatures for just one red mana. Merciless Eviction is a bit restrictive in its color identity, but can easily deal with multiple different kinds of permanents. We’ll list out some more boardwipes on the cheap for you to consider:

Akroma’s Vengeance Akroma’s Vengeance Destroy all artifacts, creatures, and enchantments.
Cycling {3} ({3}, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
Austere Command Austere Command Choose two —
• Destroy all artifacts.
• Destroy all enchantments.
• Destroy all creatures with mana value 3 or less.
• Destroy all creatures with mana value 4 or greater.
Descend Upon the Sinful
Divine Reckoning
End Hostilities
Fated Retribution
Fell of the Mighty
Fated Retribution
Hallowed Burial
Hour of Reckoning
Hour of Revelation
Mass Calcify
Planar Cleansing
Realm-Cloaked Giant Realm-Cloaked Giant Vigilance
Wrath of God Wrath of God Destroy all creatures. They can't be regenerated. ($2)
Boompile Boompile {T}: Flip a coin. If you win the flip, destroy all nonland permanents.
Nevinyrral’s Disk Nevinyrral’s Disk This artifact enters tapped.
{1}, {T}: Destroy all artifacts, creatures, and enchantments.
Oblivion Stone
Perilous Vault
Bontu’s Last Reckoning
Deadly Tempest
Decree of Pain Decree of Pain Destroy all creatures. They can't be regenerated. Draw a card for each creature destroyed this way.
Cycling {3}{B}{B} ({3}{B}{B}, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
When you cycle this card, all creatures get -2/-2 until end of turn.
Extinguish All Hope
In Garruk’s Wake
Duneblast
Gaze of Granite
Chain Reaction Chain Reaction Chain Reaction deals X damage to each creature, where X is the number of creatures on the battlefield.
Disaster Radius
Obliterate ($2)
Starstorm
Aetherspouts
Crush of Tentacles
Curse of the Swine
Devastation Tide Devastation Tide Return all nonland permanents to their owners' hands.
Miracle {1}{U} (You may cast this card for its miracle cost when you draw it if it's the first card you drew this turn.)
Engulf the Shore
Evacuation
Whelming Wave

If you’re looking for some more boardwipe options, maybe not at a budget, we found many of these cards here.

Win Conditions

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Some of the more difficult cards to find on a budget can be win conditions, but the definition of a win condition is also a difficult one to nail for Commander. Regardless, we’ll give a few different cards that we consider win conditions on a budget.

If you’re trying to swing in with creatures for damage, it’s tough to beat cards like Overrun Overrun Overrun Creatures you control get +3/+3 and gain trample until end of turn. (Each of those creatures can deal excess combat damage to the player or planeswalker it's attacking.) and End-Raze Forerunners on a budget. Both of these cards, timed properly, can easily kill at least one of your opponents out of nowhere.

Infinite combos can be surprisingly cheap to assemble financially. Not every table likes them, though, so there’s definitely a time and place for them. That said, if you’re trying to win the game reliably on a budget, these can help. Not all of the combos below are infinite ones, but they all cost a total of under $2 on TCGplayer, and are definitely win conditions within themselves.

Niv-Mizzet, Parun Niv-Mizzet, Parun This spell can't be countered.
Flying
Whenever you draw a card, Niv-Mizzet deals 1 damage to any target.
Whenever a player casts an instant or sorcery spell, you draw a card. or Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind Flying
Whenever you draw a card, Niv-Mizzet deals 1 damage to any target.
{T}: Draw a card. and Curiosity or Snake Umbra
Composite Golem and Kenrith, the Returned King Kenrith, the Returned King {R}: All creatures gain trample and haste until end of turn.
{1}{G}: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
{2}{W}: Target player gains 5 life.
{3}{U}: Target player draws a card.
{4}{B}: Put target creature card from a graveyard onto the battlefield under its owner's control. (and a way to kill the opponent)
Door to Nothingness and Radiant Performer
Rukarumel, Biologist and Realmbreaker, the Invasion Tree
Dualcaster Mage Dualcaster Mage Flash
When this creature enters, copy target instant or sorcery spell. You may choose new targets for the copy. and Invasion of Alara ( Sublime Epiphany Sublime Epiphany Choose one or more —
• Counter target spell.
• Counter target activated or triggered ability.
• Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand.
• Create a token that's a copy of target creature you control.
• Target player draws a card. can also be used, but is $2-3)
Naru Meha, Master Wizard and Invasion of Alara (Sublime Epiphany can also be used, but is $2-3)
Jeskai Ascendancy Jeskai Ascendancy Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn. Untap those creatures.
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, you may draw a card. If you do, discard a card. and Sprout Swarm
Body of Research and Brion, Stoutarm (This might be my favorite)
Akki Battle Squad and Volrath, Shape Stealer
Channelhoard Wurm and an Extra Turn spell that doesn’t exile itself ( Walk the Aeons Walk the Aeons Buyback—Sacrifice three Islands. (You may sacrifice three Islands in addition to any other costs as you cast this spell. If you do, put this card into your hand as it resolves.)
Target player takes an extra turn after this one. , for example)
Mayael’s Aura and Willowdusk Seer
Intruder Alarm Intruder Alarm Creatures don't untap during their controllers' untap steps.
Whenever a creature enters, untap all creatures. and Jan Jolsen, Chaos Crafter
Felidar Guardian Felidar Guardian When this creature enters, you may exile another target permanent you control, then return that card to the battlefield under its owner's control. and Saheeli Rai Saheeli Rai +1: Scry 1. Saheeli Rai deals 1 damage to each opponent.
−2: Create a token that's a copy of target artifact or creature you control, except it's an artifact in addition to its other types. That token gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step.
−7: Search your library for up to three artifact cards with different names, put them onto the battlefield, then shuffle. (this costs less than $2!?)

While we only included combos with two cards in them, there are a lot more to see at Commanderspellbook.com, where we found most of these combos. There are even far more two-card combos there as well. Just double-check the combos before using them, as we found a few that don’t work as advertised.

Utility Lands

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Last, but certainly not least, let’s talk about utility lands. If you’re playing Commander on a budget, one easy way to reduce your cost is to stick to a smaller color identity. This can seriously reduce the amount of stress that you experience when building your mana base.

That said, a mana base full of Swamps or Mountains is not only boring but could be strictly worse than employing a few lands that can play double duty. Getting flooded is one of the most common ways to lose a game of MTG, so having a few lands that can do more than just tap for mana can give you some other stuff to do in the meantime.

One of the best utility lands out there, Bojuka Bog Bojuka Bog This land enters tapped.
When this land enters, exile target player's graveyard.
{T}: Add {B}. ($1) functions as a tapped black land and can exile a player’s grave on entry. Having graveyard hate is crucial to combating many common powerful strategies in Commander.

If you’re having trouble connecting with a Commander that wants to deal combat damage, Rogue’s Passage Rogue’s Passage {T}: Add {C}.
{4}, {T}: Target creature can't be blocked this turn. is your best friend. Alternatively in a Gruul-colored deck, Kessig Wolf Run can help a Commander finish off a player or just punch through opposing creatures for damage.

Temple of the False God isn’t really a utility land, but it is a ramping option that is infamously inconsistent. This can be powerful, but it’s budget land for a reason.

Alchemist’s Refuge Alchemist’s Refuge {T}: Add {C}.
{G}{U}, {T}: You may cast spells this turn as though they had flash. can allow you to play at instant speed in Simic-colored decks. The ability is rather expensive considering you kind of need three extra mana for it, but if counterspells are flying all over the table, playing something at your endstep can help you push something through on your next turn.

War Room War Room {T}: Add {C}.
{3}, {T}, Pay life equal to the number of colors in your commanders' color identity: Draw a card. ($2) is a great option for mono-colored Commander decks. Paying one life to draw a card for four(ish) mana is expensive, but having this stitched on a land means it will not take up deckbuilding space and can become a recurrable outlet to help with flooding.

If you have an artifact focus, Buried Ruin Buried Ruin {T}: Add {C}.
{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this land: Return target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand. is a cheap option that can pull an artifact out of your grave to your hand if you don’t need it anymore.

Karn’s Bastion Karn’s Bastion {T}: Add {C}.
{4}, {T}: Proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.) is a powerful tool usable in any deck that can benefit from Proliferations. Like usual, five(ish) mana is a lot for this ability, but sticking it on a land frees up valuable deckbuilding space.

Looting lands like Desolate Lighthouse and Gier Reach Sanitarium can help turn your dead lands into usable cards while on a budget.

Looking to get some Ninjitsu triggers or some other sort of effect that wants you to connect to opponents with your creatures? Creeping Tar Pit is a budget manland that can turn into an unblockable creature.

If equipment is your weapon of choice (pun is very intended), Axguard Armory is your budget utility land. Able to turn into a search spell that can find BOTH an equipment and an Aura, it’s rather shocking that this Boros-colored land isn’t worth more.

If opposing Field of the Dead Field of the Dead This land enters tapped.
{T}: Add {C}.
Whenever this land or another land you control enters, if you control seven or more lands with different names, create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token. or Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle This land enters tapped.
Whenever a Mountain you control enters, if you control at least five other Mountains, you may have this land deal 3 damage to any target.
{T}: Add {R}. decks have you down, there are a ton of budget Commander options keyed to blowing up problematic lands. Ghost Quarter Ghost Quarter {T}: Add {C}.
{T}, Sacrifice this land: Destroy target land. Its controller may search their library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle. , Field of Ruin Field of Ruin {T}: Add {C}.
{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this land: Destroy target nonbasic land an opponent controls. Each player searches their library for a basic land card, puts it onto the battlefield, then shuffles. , Demolition Field Demolition Field {T}: Add {C}.
{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this land: Destroy target nonbasic land an opponent controls. That land's controller may search their library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle. You may search your library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle. and more can all blow up opposing nonbasic lands on a budget.

Kher Keep doesn’t create particularly powerful creature tokens, but if your deck wants to go wide, it is a great budget land option.

Here’s a list of even more budget Commander utility lands for you to consider:

Riptide Laboratory
Emergence Zone Emergence Zone {T}: Add {C}.
{1}, {T}, Sacrifice this land: You may cast spells this turn as though they had flash. ($1)
Rivendell ($1.50)
The Shire ($1)
Mines of Moria
Tolaria West ($1.50)
Blast Zone Blast Zone This land enters with a charge counter on it.
{T}: Add {C}.
{X}{X}, {T}: Put X charge counters on this land.
{3}, {T}, Sacrifice this land: Destroy each nonland permanent with mana value equal to the number of charge counters on this land.
Vitu-Ghazi, the City Tree
Castle Ardenvale Castle Ardenvale This land enters tapped unless you control a Plains.
{T}: Add {W}.
{2}{W}{W}, {T}: Create a 1/1 white Human creature token.
Castle Embereth Castle Embereth This land enters tapped unless you control a Mountain.
{T}: Add {R}.
{1}{R}{R}, {T}: Creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn.
Castle Vantress Castle Vantress This land enters tapped unless you control an Island.
{T}: Add {U}.
{2}{U}{U}, {T}: Scry 2.
Barad-Dur
Memorial of the Folly
Zhalfirin Void
Arch of Orazca
Terrain Generator Terrain Generator {T}: Add {C}.
{2}, {T}: You may put a basic land card from your hand onto the battlefield tapped. ($2)
Rix Maadi, Dungeon Palace
Faerie Conclave
Flamekin Village
Drownyard Temple Drownyard Temple {T}: Add {C}.
{3}: Return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.
Detection Tower

What Are You Interested in?

There are already a ton of different Commander cards to consider in this article, but we didn’t cover everything. Cards that generate a ton of value on a budget, like Tatyova, Benthic Druid Tatyova, Benthic Druid Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, you gain 1 life and draw a card. , for example, were not an area that we delved into.

This should provide a huge wealth of different cards for you to consider for your Commander decks on a budget in the future, but we do plan on expanding this article even further, so be sure to check back!

Until then, have fun building your own wacky budget Commander lists using these promos to fill out the holes!

173 of MTG's Best Budget Commander Staples!

Riley Hicks

Mana Rocks

Ramp Spells

Mana Dorks

Removal

Win Conditions

Utility Lands

What Are You Interested in?