The Best MTG Commander Precons For Beginners

Let’s be honest: learning MTG by playing Commander is perhaps the worst way to go about things. That said, most new players will likely want to play Commander with their friends, since that’s the most popular way to play Magic: The Gathering.

So, once you’ve learned the basics of MTG through some more beginner-friendly formats, many new MTG players will want to dive into Commander. Since this format is far more complex than most others, you’ll want to be careful about which deck you use to start.

While you can always build your own deck and learn the game with some of MTG’s best beginner-friendly Commanders, many new players may also choose to buy a Commander precon and skip the deck-building process entirely.

Even with these preconstructed decks, there’s a fairly big difference in complexity between them. Because of this, picking the right precons can make Commander that much easier to get the hang of.

Here, we’ll discuss the best Commander precons for beginners who are still learning the game.

Foundations Commander Precons

Wizards of the Coast has recently released a series of Commander precons to help newer players get into the format. Named the Foundations precons, these decks host straightforward strategies that are easy to understand and are more budget-friendly. The decks are notably mono-color, too, making them even easier to play.

Notably, these aren’t the only MTG precons Wizards of the Coast released for new players, but in my opinion, they are the best. The reprint value and the power of the decks are a step up from past Starter precons, at least in my experience.

This makes the Foundations precons a great way to introduce new players to MTG, but there is a catch. While the Foundations precons may play a bit better, Starter precons like these are traditionally extremely weak, which means you may not win much.

For a new player, this isn’t a big deal since you’re still learning the ropes, but it does mean you’ll eventually need to upgrade your deck once you get the hang of things. This could be even more true depending on how powerful your friends’ decks are.

Fortunately, we have a few upgrade guides for the more popular MTG Foundations precons, like Reign of Dragons and Calling All Angels, to guide you if you want to stick with the same strategy. Alternatively, if you want to start out with a more powerful but complex precon, there are some options.

MTG Hosts of Mordor

This recommendation comes from personal experience. It was a great way to help a newer MTG player in my Commander pod pick up the game, and it’s one of the best precons WOTC has ever released.

Hosts of Mordor isn’t just one of the best Commander precons for beginners. It was also the outright most powerful Commander precon out of the box some years ago. This is due to the deck’s overall game plan, which lets Hosts of Mordor be a casual Commander slayer.

This deck is entirely based on going super late and taking over the game with huge bodies. A plethora of board wipes helps buy tons of time until your Commander, Sauron, Lord of the Rings Sauron, Lord of the Rings When you cast this spell, amass Orcs 5, mill five cards, then return a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Trample
Whenever a commander an opponent controls dies, the Ring tempts you. , takes over the game with a bunch of other massive bombs.

Most casual Commander decks don’t play well against strategies like this, which lets Hosts of Mordor perform extremely well for a precon. Any fast combo strategies will eat this deck for breakfast, but those typically don’t appear much in bracket 2-3 Commander.

While a few cards are tricky to understand, this deck is mostly removal, card advantage, and a ton of massive bodies, which isn’t overwhelming for a new player.

The deck’s grindy inevitability factor also prevents a newer player from running out of resources and watching everyone else play, which is perhaps one of the most boring aspects of playing Commander.

The only catch is that Hosts of Mordor is quite expensive to purchase, available for about $125 on TCGplayer with the full box. Fortunately, you do get your money’s worth here, with the reprint value in this precon being worth around $125, and an extra bonus inside.

Remember those Commander precon Collector Booster Sample Packs? Hosts of Mordor was printed before Wizards of the Coast phased those out, so there’s an extra little pack to open. You can get some really powerful cards in here, like The One Ring The One Ring Indestructible
When The One Ring enters, if you cast it, you gain protection from everything until your next turn.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 1 life for each burden counter on The One Ring.
{T}: Put a burden counter on The One Ring, then draw a card for each burden counter on The One Ring. , Orcish Bowmasters Orcish Bowmasters Flash
When this creature enters and whenever an opponent draws a card except the first one they draw in each of their draw steps, this creature deals 1 damage to any target. Then amass Orcs 1. , or Delighted Halfling Delighted Halfling {T}: Add {C}.
{T}: Add one mana of any color. Spend this mana only to cast a legendary spell, and that spell can't be countered. , which can give you a huge boost in value if you luck out.

MTG Built From Scratch

Built From Scratch was the Commander precon I learned Commander with, and one I would easily recommend to other players. The Commander precon is also just a good deal right now, making it a great pickup for any artifact fans.

Like the Foundations precons, Built From Scratch is a mono-colored Commander deck, which should make the mana base easy to manage. The strategy is rather simple to understand, too, with the entire deck focused around reanimating big artifacts from your graveyard.

Since this deck was built back in 2014, there’s tons of upgrade potential for Built From Scratch, too. There are all kinds of new, incredible artifact bombs, like Portal to Phyrexia Portal to Phyrexia When this artifact enters, each opponent sacrifices three creatures of their choice.
At the beginning of your upkeep, put target creature card from a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control. It's a Phyrexian in addition to its other types. , Deep Space 9 Deep Space 9 When Deep Space 9 enters and at the beginning of your upkeep, exile the top four cards of your library. Put all permanent cards exiled this way onto the battlefield.
Station (Tap another creature you control: Put charge counters equal to its power on this Spacecraft. Station only as a sorcery.)
9+ | Creatures you control get +3/+3. , and Krang, Utrom Warlord Krang, Utrom Warlord Flying, trample, indestructible, haste
Other artifact creatures you control have flying, trample, indestructible, and haste. that pair perfectly with Daretti, Scrap Savant Daretti, Scrap Savant +2: Discard up to two cards, then draw that many cards.
−2: Sacrifice an artifact. If you do, return target artifact card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
−10: You get an emblem with "Whenever an artifact is put into your graveyard from the battlefield, return that card to the battlefield at the beginning of the next end step."
Daretti, Scrap Savant can be your commander. .

There are also a lot of new artifact reanimator cards, like Daretti, Rocketeer Engineer Daretti, Rocketeer Engineer Daretti's power is equal to the greatest mana value among artifacts you control.
Whenever Daretti enters or attacks, choose target artifact card in your graveyard. You may sacrifice an artifact. If you do, return the chosen card to the battlefield. , that can make your strategy more consistent. Factor in the deck’s powerful reprints, and Built From Scratch has huge potential.

Worth about $90 on the secondary market, Built From Scratch offers a $120 reprint value thanks to a few very powerful reprints. Goblin Welder Goblin Welder {T}: Choose target artifact a player controls and target artifact card in that player's graveyard. If both targets are still legal as this ability resolves, that player simultaneously sacrifices the artifact and returns the artifact card to the battlefield. , Wurmcoil Engine Wurmcoil Engine Deathtouch, lifelink
When this creature dies, create a 3/3 colorless Phyrexian Wurm artifact creature token with deathtouch and a 3/3 colorless Phyrexian Wurm artifact creature token with lifelink. , and Ruby Medallion Ruby Medallion Red spells you cast cost {1} less to cast. are incredible value here, and they play very well in Built From Scratch.

The only downside to this pick is that, to win games in modern-day MTG, Built From Scratch will likely need some upgrades. MTG is a completely different game now than it was 12 years ago, but Built From Scratch’s strategy is, in my opinion, extremely fun to play and easy to understand. That’s exactly the kind of deck that can help new players discover the wonder of MTG Commander.

MTG Eldrazi Unbound, With a Catch

If you decide that you like the playstyle of Green Stompy Starter precons like Tramplesaurus Rex where you just play big, beefy dudes, Eldrazi Unbound is the obvious progression from there. Some of the mechanics in this deck are a bit difficult to understand, but you’re basically just playing a very powerful Mono-Green Stompy deck in colorless.

Zhulodok, Void Gorger Zhulodok, Void Gorger Colorless spells you cast from your hand with mana value 7 or greater have "Cascade, cascade." (When you cast one, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card that costs less. You may cast it without paying its mana cost. Put the exiled cards on the bottom in a random order. Then do it again.) is basically a dream come true for fans of decks like this, rewarding you with extra bombs every time you play a massive colorless spell. Of course, Zhulodok itself has some very respectable stats, too, making a Commander damage win a possibility.

Notably, Eldrazi have received serious support since Eldrazi Unbound was released, thanks to Modern Horizons 3 coming out after this precon. Yeah, that certainly makes me feel old, but it’s good news for new players who want to try this deck out.

With massive upgrades like Kozilek’s Command Kozilek’s Command Choose two —
• Target player creates X 0/1 colorless Eldrazi Spawn creature tokens with "Sacrifice this token: Add {C}."
• Target player scries X, then draws a card.
• Exile target creature with mana value X or less.
• Exile up to X target cards from graveyards. , Glaring Fleshraker Glaring Fleshraker Whenever you cast a colorless spell, create a 0/1 colorless Eldrazi Spawn creature token with "Sacrifice this token: Add {C}."
Whenever another colorless creature you control enters, this creature deals 1 damage to each opponent. , and Sire of Seven Deaths Sire of Seven Deaths Reach, first strike
Vigilance, menace
Trample, lifelink
Ward—Pay 7 life. , turning this Zhulodok precon into a menace is rather trivial. MTG’s Eldrazi Titans, some of the flashiest cards to play with, also slot into this deck naturally.

Of course, money is once again the catch here, but unlike Hosts of Mordor, Eldrazi Unbound is straight-up just a bad deal. The precon is, frankly, overpriced, worth around $400 at the absolute cheapest on Mana Pool. Yes, you do get the Collector Booster Sample Pack, but it’s not worth it this time.

You’ll quite literally save over a hundred dollars by building this deck from scratch, so if you have the time, that’s the better way to build this precon. Still, if you’ve dreamt of playing Eldrazi as a new player, Eldrazi Unbound is the easiest Eldrazi Commander precon to play.

If money is tight, you can instead pick up Modern Horizons 3’s Eldrazi Incursion precon for about half the price, but it’s far more complex to play. On top of offering a five-color manabase, Eldrazi Incursion’s Commander Ulalek, Fused Atrocity Ulalek, Fused Atrocity Devoid (This card has no color.)
Whenever you cast an Eldrazi spell, you may pay {C}{C}. If you do, copy all spells you control, then copy all other activated and triggered abilities you control. You may choose new targets for the copies. (Mana abilities can't be copied.) has a very complicated triggered ability.

Unfortunately, this deck isn’t a good financial deal, either, so your best bet as a new player is to build an Eldrazi deck from scratch. Still, if you’re set on playing a simple but powerful precon, Eldrazi Unbound does offer that at a steep, steep price.

So, while Eldrazi Unbound might not be the best precon for MTG beginners financially, there are plenty of other precons to choose from. No matter which deck you choose to start with, these precons should help you get a grasp on Commander while having a lot of fun.

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