Mana curve can be a difficult matter when it comes to creating your Commander Deck. That's why we have compiled the best tips for you.

While Magic: The Gathering's popular Commander format offers players a wide variety of great options when it comes to preconstructed deck options, the construction of a player's own personalized deck is an integral aspect of Magic. However, with various deck construction requirements such as the singleton nature of the format and card color restrictions, making a brand-new Commander deck isn't as simple as one may anticipate.RELATED: The Best Combat Tricks in Magic: The Gathering Although one of the most integral elements of deck building in the Commander format is managing a deck's mana curve, this is also often one of the most often overlooked elements of a deck by newer players. So today, we're going to dive into everything you need to know about the mana curve in the Commander format!

A deck's mana curve is effectively the number of cards of each mana value that are contained within a given deck. This term is referred to as a mana curve, as if a player were to organize the cards in their deck by mana cost, a visible curve would form, as it is recommended that fewer cards of higher mana values such as seven or eight should be included in a deck than those with lower mana values such as two or three.

Mana Curve is integral in deck construction, as it allows for a much more optimized gameplay experience, allowing a deck to function as intended with a higher rate of consistency. For example, a player with a deck with an unoptimized mana curve that prioritizes mana-intensive spells over those that can be reliably played earlier within a game will often struggle to do more than twiddle their thumbs in the early stages of a game. Meanwhile, if the majority of cards within a player's library have more reasonable mana values, a player can more reliably start establishing a board state and working towards their goals in the early stages of a game.

A Mana Curve in the Commander format differs greatly from that of a deck in a format like Historic, Modern, or Standard. This is because, within the Commander format, there is a heavy emphasis on mana ramp, with a lessened focus on one-mana spells than the aforementioned formats due to Commander's increased scopes and life totals.

For example, while a Modern deck may have a heavy emphasis on highly efficient one-mana and two-mana spells, many of the most potent spells synonymous with the Commander Format from Kodama's Reach to Rhystic Study can be found within the two-mana and three-mana slots. While it is advantageous to still include potent one-mana spells in a Commander deck such as a Sol Ring, it's often more advantageous for the highest concentration of spells of a Commander deck

The Commander format is synonymous with impressive mana ramp, from the previously mentioned Kodama's Reach to the wide range of useful mana rocks in the format. There are notably plenty of great mana ramp options within the two-mana range from mana rocks, like signets and talismans, to green sorceries such as Three Visits and Nature's lore. This is key, due to the fact that an accessible mana ramp provides a player with more readily available mana; the amount of ramp that a deck includes can directly impact their mana curve. If a deck is capable of reliably providing a player with additional mana early into a game, a mana curve can reflect this.

For instance, if a deck can regularly assemble a board state that is capable of producing six mana by turn four, the mana curve of that deck could comfortably consider including a handful more cards in the four-mana, five-mana, and six-mana slots than they could otherwise. It should still be noted that utilization of potent two-mana and three-mana spells is still advantageous, as within this example, that player could potentially reap more value through casting two impactful three-mana spells rather than a six-mana spell.

Unlike a format like Draft or Sealed in which a recommended mana curve is much more cut and dry, a Commander deck's recommended mana curve is much more complicated, as factors such as a deck's commander, colors, and mana ramp can significantly impact the deck's Mana Curve. For example, a ramp-heavy Mono-Green Omnath, Locus of Mana deck may benefit from the inclusion of more spells with a mana value of six or greater, while an Izzet Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain deck may benefit from the inclusion of a high quantity of low-mana artifacts rather than big, splashy spells.

Though these various factors can greatly impact the mana curve of the deck, the following values can serve as a solid baseline to consider when constructing your next Commander deck. However, it is very important to note that no two Commander decks are the same and that a deck should alter its mana curve to better serve its given commander and strategy, so by no means should you feel as though you must stick to these values if more or less spells of a given mana value would better service your deck.

Next: Magic The Gathering: Commander Format Variants Worth Checking Out

Staff Writer, Paul DiSalvo is a writer, comic creator, animation lover, and game design enthusiast currently residing in Boston, Massachusetts. He has studied creative writing at The New Hampshire Institute of Art and Otis College of Art and Design, and currently writes for TheGamer. In addition to writing, he directs and produces the podcast, "How Ya Dyin'?" He enjoys collecting comics, records, and wins in Magic: The Gathering.