How I Build Decks: 2022 Deck Building Template

How to build commander decks like a pro. Today we look at how much ramp, removal and card draw you should run.

RW Angel Reanimator

Casual Aurelia:

Jegantha Tap Creature Tribal:

[teddymason]

Even before this vid you've been my biggest deckbuilding influence for like 5 or so years now. Love ya man

[felipefspb]

Just by watching your videos regularly I could tell more or less which deck templates you adopted and sometimes use it in my own deckbuilding processes. However I like having a bit more card draw, something between 12 and 13 and anything between 0-2 tutors. Glad to see I've been on point most of the time with my own decks as well. Excellent video!

[earthbowser]

For a card that fills multiple functions, do you count it in multiple categories?

I noticed that in your overall template, it adds up to about 90ish cards before lands. How do you decide which categories to cut down?

I also noticed that in your actual decks, you don't include the "Meat of your deck" category that your template shows as dedicating 20-30 cards to. Why is that?

[chrismarlow]

I checked my own deck after watching this video. I fit your template almost exactly! Big boros player myself and always agreed very heavily with what you say about boros cards and how to play. Only thing I want to add is I reckon the best white board wipes offer a lot so I always run the following in any deck:
- Tragic arrogance
- Ondu inversion
- Hour of revelation (if heavy white)
- Vanquish the horde
- Farewell (used to be Fumigate)
You can so easily slow people down by 2+ turns when you're hitting multiple permanent types, it's one of the best things white has to offer. So I prefer slightly more than most templates recommend, unless your playgroup gets annoyed with you.

[Naptiva]

Great write up PJ. I’ve been subscribed and watching your vids for a while and have picked up on these. Two categories that I think should be considered are 1) Targeted land destruction. Utility lands are great for this and I’m finding it nearly every gain I wish I could destroy a cradle, coffers, field of the dead, etc. 2) Graveyard Hate- removing graveyards targeted or en masse is also something im finding useful to stop recursion or just hose what other opponents want to do.

Another small category I think about it is planeswalker removal (as it relates to my removal sweet). For example, huge fan of baleful mastery for its alternate cost because it covers planeswalkers as well. Also when it comes to my removal sweet, I also like to try and have a few pieces of exile removal instead of destroy. No, I don’t want that blightsteel coming back from your graveyard.

[SupremeDirt]

been getting back into mtg after a long break and was feeling a little lost with building, this was super helpful

[pauldyson]

Good to see your handsome face, homie.
Lee is ramp; Lifeson is removal; Peart is card draw.

[penguinwarcry]

A though that might confuse newer players, (and sorry if you said this and I missed it). Categories can overlap, you can have a board wipe that gains life or a finisher that also fits into the main theme of your deck that could still be used even if it doesn't win on the spot because it functions with what your trying to do generally.

So when you say you have 3 life gain cards and 3 win conditions that may only be represented by 4 cards because they do more than one thing. Or an elf deck could count a mana dork as both ramp and toward an elf related win condition.

[ADamItalian]

Can you kinda elaborate on what is ramp. cards that get lands, or mana rocks, or something between the 2 or even something else.

[fullnelsonalchemist]

I’m building a control style deck with Tiamat and this is super helpful in 2023. Now to figure out the right amount and flavor of Dragons I want…that’s going to be tough.

[christopherdukett]

How do you have any room left in the deck for your plan after adding so much ramp and removal and draw? I understand that some things have multiple functions, but that still doesn't leave much room.

[Starsoulklr]

Certainly one card I picked up several copies for removal from your videos is Volcanic Offering. Non-basic land and creature pinpoint removal with input from the other players.

[Dalenthas]

Says "The Holy Triumvirate", shows picture of Rush. I'm listening.

[inamecomeunico]

Hey really cool video, super interested to learn more from your Commander experience!

I'm not used to templates, probably beacause I don't make many decks, recently I started making some more since I bought 10 deckbixes+sleeves combo, and I wanted to vary a lit bit, from my good old Omnath, locus of Rage and Tajic, Blade of the legion decks

[shawngibson]

Thank you! Just wanted to help out that sweet sweet algo. Great info here!

[thesprtdragon]

It definitely feels like the higher in powerlevel you climb the smaller the "meat or your deck" section becomes, up until in the most optimised cedh lists it's basically non-existent.

[jaredknighten]

Cards that put Lands in your hand are more Tutory Ramp than card draw.

I like that this video is brief compared to a few other videos like this.

Edit: I added all of the low numbers; there's only enough room for 30 Lands. How does that work?

[sharkley]

I love this video and your deckbuilding style. Especially that you play a lot of Boros which is weak in ramp and card draw.

[thewholephil]

I’m running into a real problem when trying to understand the “meat” part of this template. When I add up all the card types I keep coming up with 80-90. Where would all the lands go?

[irvingmontero]

Hi, excellent video, I am still struggling with the number of lands, I have a gruul werewolf deck, how many lands do you recommend me to put ? I currently have 34