How to Choose Your First Commander

Your commander is the single most important card in your deck. It determines what colors you can play, what strategies are available to you, and how your deck plays out from game to game. Choosing the right commander, especially for your first deck, can make the difference between falling in love with the format and bouncing off it entirely.

The good news is that there is no wrong answer. But some commanders are friendlier to new players than others.

What Makes a Good Starter Commander

Not every legendary creature is a good choice for your first deck. Here is what to look for.

Built-in card advantage: Commanders that draw you cards or generate value just by being on the battlefield are forgiving. If your deck stumbles, your commander can help you recover. Look for commanders with abilities like "whenever X happens, draw a card" or "at the beginning of your upkeep, create a token."

Clear direction: The best starter commanders tell you what to do. If your commander says "whenever a Zombie enters the battlefield, do something," you know your deck should be full of Zombies. Commanders with vague or open-ended abilities can lead to analysis paralysis when deckbuilding.

Reasonable mana cost: Commanders that cost 3-5 mana are ideal. If your commander costs 7 mana, you will spend the first several turns just trying to cast it. And with commander tax, recasting it gets expensive fast. A 4-mana commander that gets killed twice still only costs 8 mana to recast, which is manageable.

Resilience: Commanders that have some form of protection (hexproof, indestructible, or "when this creature dies" triggers) are helpful because your opponents will try to remove your commander. A commander that still provides value even if it dies is much better than one that does nothing unless it sticks around.

Understanding Color Identity

Your commander's color identity determines which cards you can include in your deck. Every mana symbol on the card (including the text box) counts. The number of colors in your commander's color identity matters more than you might think.

Mono-Color (1 Color)

Pros: Simple mana base (mostly basic lands), easy to understand, focused strategy.

Cons: Limited card pool, fewer answers to specific threats, some colors have blind spots.

Best for: Absolute beginners who want the simplest deckbuilding experience.

Example: Krenko, Mob Boss (mono-red) - Makes Goblin tokens, swings for massive damage. Your deck is Goblins and cards that make Goblins better. Simple.

Two Colors

Pros: Good balance of card pool access and mana consistency, plenty of commander options.

Cons: Mana base needs a few dual lands, slightly more complex.

Best for: Most new players. Two colors gives you enough tools without overcomplicating things.

Example: Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait (blue-green) - Draws cards whenever a land enters, lets you play extra lands. Incredibly forgiving and teaches good fundamentals.

Three Colors

Pros: Large card pool, access to powerful three-color commanders, flexible strategies.

Cons: Mana base becomes important (need lands that produce all three colors), more cards to evaluate.

Best for: Players who have built one or two decks and want more variety.

Example: Prossh, Skyraider of Kher (black-red-green) - Creates tokens when cast, excellent for sacrifice strategies. Strong out of the box.

Four or Five Colors

Pros: Access to almost every card in Magic, can build nearly any strategy.

Cons: Mana base is expensive and complex, too many choices can be paralyzing, games are slower.

Best for: Experienced players only. Not recommended for a first deck.

Ten Great Starter Commanders

Here are ten legendary creatures that consistently produce great experiences for new players.

Aggressive / Combat

Lathril, Blade of the Elves (black-green) - Elf tribal. Build a board of Elves, attack, make more Elves, drain opponents. The strategy is straightforward and satisfying.
Isshin, Two Heavens as One (red-white-black) - Doubles attack triggers. Fill your deck with creatures that do things when they attack and watch the value double. Easy to build, powerful in practice.
Krenko, Mob Boss (red) - Makes Goblin tokens equal to the number of Goblins you control. The math gets out of control fast. Very linear, very fun.

Value / Card Advantage

Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait (blue-green) - Draws cards and plays extra lands. You will never run out of things to do. One of the most forgiving commanders in the format.
Prosper, Tome-Bound (black-red) - Exiles cards from your deck and lets you play them while making Treasure tokens. Incredible value engine.
Sythis, Harvest's Hand (green-white) - Draws a card and gains life whenever you cast an enchantment. Build your deck with enchantments and watch the value pile up.

Tribal / Theme

Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver (blue-black) - Zombie tribal with built-in token generation and card draw. The precon is excellent and easy to upgrade.
The Ur-Dragon (five colors, 9 mana but rarely needs to be cast) - Dragon tribal. The eminence ability reduces the cost of all your Dragon spells by 1 from the command zone, so you get value without ever casting it. When you do cast it, it draws cards and cheats permanents into play on attack.

Control / Interaction

Meren of Clan Nel Toth (black-green) - Returns creatures from your graveyard to the battlefield. Teaches graveyard strategy and value over time.
Talrand, Sky Summoner (blue) - Creates a 2/2 Drake whenever you cast an instant or sorcery. Fill your deck with cheap spells and counterspells.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Do not pick a commander just because it is "the best": The strongest commanders in the format (like Thrasios, Triton Hero or Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy) tend to be best in highly optimized builds. At a casual table, they paint a target on your head without the deck to back it up.

Do not overthink it: You will build many Commander decks over time. Your first one does not need to be perfect. Pick something that excites you, build it, play some games, and learn from the experience.

Do not ignore your playgroup's power level: If your friends are playing casual precons, bringing a tuned combo deck will lead to bad games for everyone. Talk to your playgroup before building.

Do not forget about your mana base: A cool commander means nothing if you cannot cast it. Make sure your deck has enough lands and mana sources to reliably play your spells.

Using Tools to Help You Decide

If you are stuck choosing a commander, try browsing EDHREC for popular commander options sorted by color and theme. You can also describe your playstyle to an AI deckbuilding tool like Manacove - something like "I want to play an aggressive deck with tokens on a $50 budget" - and get personalized commander recommendations.

The right commander is the one that makes you excited to shuffle up and play. Trust your instincts, pick a card that speaks to you, and start building.