It might not be released for another three months, but yesterday, Wizards properly revealed Avatar: The Last Airbender. Showcasing new cards, mechanics, and products during a livestream, there was plenty for players to be excited about. Given the current prices of some Avatar: The Last Airbender products, it seems excited might be putting it lightly.
While there were lots of exciting cards revealed yesterday, there was one major omission. Bizarrely, it appears that the Avatar: The Last Airbender MTG set doesn’t have Commander decks. Technically, there is still a slight chance that they’ve not been announced yet, but it certainly seems we’ve seen everything. If you ask us, this is a massive misstep.
No Avatar: The Last Airbender Commander Decks
It’s no secret that preconstructed Commander decks are hugely popular products. We’ve known this for well over a decade at this point, and Wizards is well aware of it, too. Arguably, Wizards has been too aware of it recently, as the number of precons being produced was difficult to keep up with.
After plenty of complaining, this led Wizards of the Coast to slow down in 2025, reducing the number of sets and products. For better or worse, this meant Aetherdirft and Edge of Eternities only had two Commander decks each. Spider-Man doesn’t have any precons at all, though that’s likely due to it originally being a smaller set.
Now, it has been all but confirmed that Avatar: The Last Airbender will have no Commander decks. While this should make the set slightly easier to digest, it definitely feels like the wrong decision. Time and time again, we’ve seen that preconstructed Commander decks just work, especially for Universes Beyond sets.
As much as Standard has been on the rise, Commander is still the go-to format for Magic: The Gathering. Having an accessible, and more importantly, affordable inroad into this format is a godsend for new players. Sure, Avatar: The Last Airbender might have Jumpstart, but Commander is what people are actually playing.
By not having precons, Wizards is forcing new and old players to build dedicated Avatar: The Last Airbender decks. While this isn’t inherently a bad thing, building a new deck from the ground up is not a small investment. Sure, it might be a wonderful creative process that embodies the core of MTG, but it’s expensive, time-consuming, and knowledge-intensive.
Do it Yourself
There is a long list of reasons why having new players build their own Commander decks isn’t a good idea. For starters, accessibility is arguably the most damning factor. When a set has precons, anyone can walk up to an LGS, buy a deck, and sit down to play immediately. Without precons, you’re forced to prepare beforehand, as the chances of an LGS having all the cards you want and need are exceptionally unlikely.
On top of this, building a deck at an LGS is bound to be significantly more expensive than a precon would be. EDHREC recently made a guide for an Ally Typal deck built around Karata, the Fearless, which is bound to be a popular choice. This deck would cost around $220 on TCGplayer, and that doesn’t include Katara.
In comparison, the MSRP for a Universes Beyond precon is $69.99. Most precons actually end up cheaper than this, especially as demand fades over time. The Scions & Spellcraft deck from Final Fantasy, for instance, currently costs around $52. Notably, this deck also includes 25 new-to-Magic cards, further adding to the flavor.
Flavor is another major element that MTG players will be missing out on without precons. While you can build a deck only using Avatar: The Last Airbender cards, doing so would limit its power and potential. Precons, however, don’t have this restriction, especially since reprints can be given new art.
Speaking of reprints, Commander precons are also a fantastic way to make some expensive MTG cards significantly cheaper. Thanks to being in demand and often reprinted, precons can help tank the price of cards. Now that we’re not Avatar: The Last Airbender precons, old Ally Typal cards are bound to get even more expensive.
A Poor Replacement
While Avatar: The Last Airbender doesn’t have any precons, the set does have a new product. Partially revealed yesterday, there’s a new Commander’s Bundle, which sounds like it should be a precon replacement. In reality, this name feels misleading, as the product is actually just a slightly different, and more expensive, basic bundle.
According to Wizards, the Commander’s Bundle contains two unique Booster Fun cards, nine Play Boosters, a Collector Booster, three Commander staples, and 30 lands. Worryingly, while the Commander staples, Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, and Swiftfoot Boots are fixed, the other Booster Fun cards are somewhat random.
Supposedly, these Booster Fun cards are “classic spells […] that are perfect for any Commander’s arsenal.” While this does sound compelling, it still doesn’t seem like anything close to a precon replacement. The chances you’ll be able to build a Commander deck with the packs, promos, and lands inside are basically zero.
In reality, while it does have a slightly unusual name, the Commander’s Bundle clearly isn’t meant to be a precon replacement. The two products are leagues apart and are basically only connected by their names. Even with this in mind, it’s a huge letdown that Wizards doesn’t have a more useful Commander product for new players.
Jumpstart to the Rescue?
As we alluded to earlier, the Avatar: The Last Airbender MTG set does actually have an accessible replacement to precons. The set’s Jumpstart Boosters and boxes provide an easy way for players to start playing Magic. All you need is two packs to shuffle together into a deck, and you’re off to the races.
To make things even more accessible, Wizards is even making an Avatar: The Last Airbender Beginner Box. This product contains Jumpstart tutorial decks and a guide on how to play, to ease the onboarding process. While this is a great way to teach new players, it’s by no means a perfect replacement for precons.
Outside of teaching new players the game, Jumpstart really doesn’t have a wide audience. As such, new players may find themselves funneled toward Commander, trying to build around the new eternal legal cards. While these new cards are an upside of Jumpstart, we’re back to building custom decks again, which is the major issue.
Ultimately, while we’re not happy about the lack of precons for Avatar: The Last Airbender, Wizards has made their decision. Looking ahead, we can only hope that this mistake isn’t made again. While too many precons have been a problem in the past, there’s no denying they’re successful, useful, and tons of fun.
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