<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vial Smasher the Fierce" href="#" target="_blank">Vial Smasher the Fierce</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/deruch">Deruchenko Alexander</a></em></p>
<p>Greetings and salutations my dear brewers, and welcome to my Summer special!</p>
<p>Every year, when going on vacation, I try leaving you a little treat, something rather peculiar and most often quite silly.</p>
<p>This time, I had it served on a silver plate. Mark my words: today, August 14th, is a day to be remembered. Today, my dear and glorious editor in chief, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/nick-wolf">Nick Wolf</a>, turns 40. I therefore officially welcome him into the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Old Fogey" href="#" target="_blank">Old Fogey</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Club!</p>
<p><img decoding="async" class="sFlh5c FyHeAf iPVvYb" src="https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTZjMDliOTUyNzZmNXNpNWJ1dmlsM3ZucG5uaTVscjFieXN4cjdseWZ4cHpoZmdhMCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/pWO49XP9L7TxbgQVib/giphy.gif" alt="Happy Birthday Party GIF by The Office - Find &amp; Share on GIPHY" /></p>
<p>These are joyful times, worthy of the uttermost celebration, abundant drinking of preferred beverages, and unlimited debauchery (well, maybe not the latter, and thank the Mana for Oxford commas, but I digress).</p>
<p>Fun fact: three weeks ago, my latest <em>Trim</em> featured <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/trimmed-feldon-of-the-third-path-goes-big-badaboom">Feldon of the Third Path</a>, and it's apparently Nick's favorite commander. In other words, I was unknowingly off by three weeks.</p>
<p>But all hope is not lost! He also told me about his second favorite commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vial Smasher the Fierce" href="#" target="_blank">Vial Smasher the Fierce</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. And went as far as to suggest that pesky Goblin could be the main feature of this anniversary brew.</p>
<p>I felt compelled to oblige... on my own terms. But first, let's have a look at the commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vial Smasher the Fierce"></div></div>
<p>This is a very fun little Goblin, and there are many, many ways to build around her. You can partner with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrasios, Triton Hero" href="#" target="_blank">Thrasios, Triton Hero</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to make a disgusting value engine.</p>
<p>You can take the fun route with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sakashima of a Thousand Faces" href="#" target="_blank">Sakashima of a Thousand Faces</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to try and make as many clones of Vial as humanly possible, even giving some to your opponents, only to wreak wonderful chaos. Or you can go solo.</p>
<p>With Nick gently nudging my tender areas (aka smashing my pancreas with his elbow), I had no choice but to undertake this route.</p>
<p>You know how we old people are. We like to complain (especially if you're French, hello!), we're slow to take decisions, we don't like convoluted stuff, and mostly we don't give an F... about anything any more.</p>
<p>I thought this should be a strong feature for Nick's deck. Therefore, I decided it would contain no cards costing less than four mana. He's turning 40, it's time he embraced the power of the four (and the five, and the six...)!</p>
<p>So yeah, this is going to be a deck with an abysmally bad curve. I wouldn't recommend taking your chances in environments higher than Bracket 2. You've been warned.</p>
<p>I'm also going to try keeping this rather budget friendly. This is no regular <em>Trim, </em>and there will be a few expensive pieces of cardboard, but I'll do my best to keep it around the $100 threshold.</p>
<p>And with these rules set in place, let's begin the build.</p>
<hr />
<h2>First Brick – Veggies Take a Long Time to Grow</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Fire Crystal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dance with Calamity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Volcanic Salvo"></div></div>
<p>So, where to start.</p>
<p>I'd suggest, as the name of the paragraph implies, tackling the veggies first. Yes, it's redundant, but us old geezers like to rant.</p>
<p>Anyway, since the curve is going to be abysmally high, I'm going to need all the help I can get. This means a rather high land count – 38-39-ish sounds about right – as well as a hefty ramp package – 15-16 should do the trick.</p>
<p>In essence, the plan is rather simple: cast your commander on turn three, some ramp or outlet on turn four-five, and reach for the sky from there.</p>
<p>It is paramount that you don't miss a single land drop until at the very least turn four, as you won't be able to do much before then, aside from the occasional <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Myriad Landscape" href="#" target="_blank">Myriad Landscape</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>For ramp, I've gone with basically all the proven classics in these colors that wouldn't throw me over budget. Think <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gilded Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Gilded Lotus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vibranium Dynamo" href="#" target="_blank">Vibranium Dynamo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brass&#039;s Bounty" href="#" target="_blank">Brass&#039;s Bounty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and the like.</p>
<p>There are a few more expensive pieces here and there – <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Darkness Crystal" href="#" target="_blank">The Darkness Crystal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at $4.44; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Market" href="#" target="_blank">Black Market</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at $4.75; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Fire Crystal" href="#" target="_blank">The Fire Crystal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at $5.32 – but overall I've managed to keep this rather reasonable.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chromatic Orrery" href="#" target="_blank">Chromatic Orrery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would have been a fantastic addition, but at more than $37, that was a no-go.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Peer into the Abyss"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Money"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skull Storm"></div></div>
<p>Draw is in the usual range, with 11 spells providing more options. This is a little on the low-end of what I like to play, but since this is first and foremost a silly brew, I want to believe it will work out.</p>
<p>Among these fine outlets, you'll find silly things like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Peer into the Abyss" href="#" target="_blank">Peer into the Abyss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the fabulous <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dance with Calamity" href="#" target="_blank">Dance with Calamity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Twilight Prophet" href="#" target="_blank">Twilight Prophet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is almost another copy of your commander, or the surprisingly effective <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rakdos, Patron of Chaos" href="#" target="_blank">Rakdos, Patron of Chaos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>As for removal, there are nine pieces of targeted disintegration, and four ways to blow the field to smithereens.</p>
<p>Several of those can benefit from a reduced mana cost – <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Volcanic Salvo" href="#" target="_blank">Volcanic Salvo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pyrokinesis" href="#" target="_blank">Pyrokinesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curtains&#039; Call" href="#" target="_blank">Curtains&#039; Call</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> – While other will be absolutely spectacular when cast. I'm thinking <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of the Cabal" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of the Cabal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skull Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Skull Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Board wipes follow the same logic. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blasphemous Act" href="#" target="_blank">Blasphemous Act</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a classic, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Money" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Money</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="In Garruk&#039;s Wake" href="#" target="_blank">In Garruk&#039;s Wake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> much less so.</p>
<p>Finally, a few protection outlets will make sure creatures look at other player's boards. Situational, but fun.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Second Brick – A Fireplace Is for Burning Your Enemie's Corpses</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fiendish Duo"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaervek the Merciless"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Whip of Erebos"></div></div>
<p>Now that the tedious part is over, let's see what's left.</p>
<p>In a way, the veggies already reflect what I wanted to achieve with this deck: spells that are either cheaper than they look, or spectacular fireworks worth every mana spent to cast them.</p>
<p>First, there's the five unilateral damage doublers. I would have played even more of those if not for their high price tag – <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="City on Fire" href="#" target="_blank">City on Fire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is $13, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fiery Emancipation" href="#" target="_blank">Fiery Emancipation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is $14, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Twinflame Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Twinflame Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is $24 – but even without these there are plenty of fun outlets.</p>
<p>Think <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angrath&#039;s Marauders" href="#" target="_blank">Angrath&#039;s Marauders</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fiendish Duo" href="#" target="_blank">Fiendish Duo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obosh, the Preypiercer" href="#" target="_blank">Obosh, the Preypiercer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Fun times, fun times.</p>
<p>Then there are the burn outlets. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaervek the Merciless" href="#" target="_blank">Kaervek the Merciless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will basically serve as a second commander in the 99; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shadow of Mortality" href="#" target="_blank">Shadow of Mortality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will often cost <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and deal a mortal blow somewhere; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prisoner&#039;s Dilemma" href="#" target="_blank">Prisoner&#039;s Dilemma</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is among the most expensive cards in the deck, but well worth its salt.</p>
<p>Finally, a few random outlets here and there. Some give lifelink to your creatures or your spells. Some provide graveyard recursion. And let's add a few expensive creatures that can be cast for much less than their actual hefty cost.</p>
<p>All in the service of third degree burns.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Third Brick – Old-Timers Never Die</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Awaken the Ancient"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Feldon of the Third Path"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Where Ancients Tread"></div></div>
<p>I could not in good faith devise a birthday deck without referring to the passing of time, to decrepitude, to decay, to dilapidation. My friend, my boss, my Nick, these are to remind you that you are, quite literally, getting old.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feldon of the Third Path" href="#" target="_blank">Feldon of the Third Path</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: This is the one and only exception to the four-mana threshold set in the beginning, but since it's his favorite commander, I think good old Feldon deserves his spot here.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Awaken the Ancient" href="#" target="_blank">Awaken the Ancient</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Tell me Nick, are you hating more and more that pesky alarm clock? Trust me, it gets worse.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Where Ancients Tread" href="#" target="_blank">Where Ancients Tread</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Careful where you walk my friend, lest you break a leg.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Dawning Archaic" href="#" target="_blank">The Dawning Archaic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: A fitting portrait, if you ask me.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Old Flitterfang" href="#" target="_blank">Old Flitterfang</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Mmmmh, yummy birthday cake!</li>
</ul>
<p>All this leads to:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Vial Smasher, the Old" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Vial Smasher the Fierce
[/Commander]
[Double Damage]
*1 Angrath&#039;s Marauders
*1 Fiendish Duo
*1 Gratuitous Violence
*1 Obosh, the Preypiercer
*1 Spiked Corridor // Torture Pit
[/Double Damage]
[Wipe]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Blood Money
*1 Decree of Pain
*1 In Garruk&#039;s Wake
[/Wipe]
[Removal]
*1 Baleful Mastery
*1 Chandra&#039;s Incinerator
*1 Curse of the Cabal
*1 Curtains&#039; Call
*1 Phthisis
*1 Pyrokinesis
*1 Skull Storm
*1 Volcanic Salvo
*1 Volcanic Vision
[/Removal]
[Ramp]
*1 Black Market
*1 Brass&#039;s Bounty
*1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
*1 Dreamstone Hedron
*1 Empowered Autogenerator
*1 Firemind Vessel
*1 Gilded Lotus
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Mana Geyser
*1 Pyromancer&#039;s Goggles
*1 Sisay&#039;s Ring
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Stonespeaker Crystal
*1 The Darkness Crystal
*1 The Fire Crystal
*1 Thran Dynamo
[/Ramp]
[Draw]
*1 Ambition&#039;s Cost
*1 Ancient Craving
*1 Apex of Power
*1 Bloodsoaked Insight // Sanguine Morass
*1 Combustible Gearhulk
*1 Dance with Calamity
*1 Feed the Infection
*1 Incendiary Command
*1 Peer into the Abyss
*1 Rakdos, Patron of Chaos
*1 Twilight Prophet
[/Draw]
[Protection]
*1 Brash Taunter
*1 Disrupt Decorum
*1 Wild Ricochet
[/Protection]
[Misc]
*1 Avatar of Fury
*1 Bygone Colossus
*1 Judith, Carnage Connoisseur
*1 Rise of the Dark Realms
*1 Whip of Erebos
[/Misc]
[Burn]
*1 Kaervek the Merciless
*1 Painful Quandary
*1 Prisoner&#039;s Dilemma
*1 Shadow of Mortality
[/Burn]
[Old Fogey]
*1 Awaken the Ancient
*1 Feldon of the Third Path
*1 The Dawning Archaic
*1 Where Ancients Tread
*1 Old Flitterfang
[/Old Fogey]
[Lands]
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Command Tower
*1 Dragonskull Summit
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Foreboding Ruins
*1 Forgotten Cave
*1 Graven Cairns
*10 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Rakdos Carnarium
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Shadowblood Ridge
*1 Smoldering Marsh
*1 Sulfurous Springs
*7 Swamp
*1 Tainted Peak
*1 Temple of Malice
*1 Temple of the False God
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<hr />
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>I hope you all enjoyed this wacky brew in high-mana-value land. I hope you won't get too mad at me Nick (please don't fire me). I hope you all have a great summer.</p>
<p>And don't worry, <em>Inside Out</em> and <em>Beyond Universes Within</em> will be back after my no-so-well-deserved holidays.</p>
<p>See you next week for a more regular <em>Trim!</em></p>


Old Age Is A Vile Smasher

The Top 40 Five-Mana Commanders

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Confluence|EXP|042" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Confluence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | art by <a href="https://www.howardlyon.com/">Howard Lyon</a></h6>
<h4><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/how-to-build-a-commander-deck" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Article 1: How to Build a Commander Deck</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/how-to-choose-your-commander">Article 2: How to Choose Your Commander</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/beginner-content-how-to-win-a-commander-game">Article 3: How to Win a Commander Game</a> |</h4>
<p>Hello there, and welcome to the world of Commander, <em>Magic: The Gathering's </em>most popular format! My name is Brian, and I aim to be your guide for navigating this format that we at EDHREC know and love so much.</p>
<p>In this series, we're focused on helping out players new to the format get started. If you missed the previous articles, make sure to check out the links above.</p>
<p>Today, we're talking about mana curves. What is a mana curve, why it's important, how to examine your deck's curve, and what to keep in mind when you're adding or removing cards.</p>
<h3>What is a mana curve?</h3>
<p>If you're new to the game, you may have not heard of a mana curve before. A mana curve is the distribution of mana values of the nonland cards in your deck.</p>
<p>If that still doesn't make sense, that's okay. It's much easier to visualize. Here's the mana curve of a deck recently featured in my other series, <em><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/brew-for-your-buck-mary-read-and-anne-bonny-budget-combo">Brew For Your Buck</a>:</em></p>
<p><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.31.03.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-143409 aligncenter" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.31.03.png" alt="" width="1796" height="400" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.31.03.png 1796w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.31.03-300x67.png 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.31.03-1024x228.png 1024w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.31.03-768x171.png 768w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.31.03-1536x342.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1796px) 100vw, 1796px" /></a></p>
<p>Much better. You can see the "curve" on the graph, with most of the cards clustered in the 2-4 mana range.</p>
<h3>Why does it matter?</h3>
<p>Okay, so who cares? You should! Having a well-structured mana curve means you will be able to play out your cards, making your deck more effective, meaning you'll win more, which is ultimately more fun! I often see newer players struggle in games because they can't play enough of their cards.</p>
<p>It's a frustrating experience for them, and takes away from the dynamic gameplay of a multiplayer format, making it less fun for the rest of the table.</p>
<p>Here's another way to think about it: Let's assume that the average game of Commander lasts about 12 turns. How many five mana cards are you reasonably going to play in those 12 turns? Better yet, how many total cards will you see during the game? It's probably less than you think.</p>
<p>Adjusting your mana curve to maximize the effectiveness of your deck is one of the most important deckbuilding decisions you can make.</p>
<h3>Commander Matters</h3>
<p>There are many different ways and reasons to adjust your mana curve, and as usual, it starts with your commander. There are two reasons: 1) you probably want to cast your commander as soon as you get to that point in the curve, and 2) your commander's abilities will affect the other decisions around your mana curve. Let's take a look at two of my personal decks:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rose, Cutthroat Raider"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Belbe, Corrupted Observer"></div></div>
<p><a href="https://archidekt.com/decks/10673136/rosie_the_riveter">Rosie the Riveter</a>:</p>
<p><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.16.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-143412 aligncenter" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.16.png" alt="" width="1800" height="372" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.16.png 1800w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.16-300x62.png 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.16-1024x212.png 1024w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.16-768x159.png 768w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.16-1536x317.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://archidekt.com/decks/10673122/beldrazi">Beldrazi</a>:</p>
<p><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.04.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-143411 aligncenter" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.04.png" alt="" width="1808" height="390" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.04.png 1808w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.04-300x65.png 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.04-1024x221.png 1024w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.04-768x166.png 768w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.04-1536x331.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1808px) 100vw, 1808px" /></a></p>
<p>The mana curves for these two decks are wildly different. The first one is weighted heavily towards mana value 1-3, while the second has a huge spike after six mana. Why? It's all about the commanders.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rose, Cutthroat Raider" href="#" target="_blank">Rose</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> wants me to attack all three of my opponents so I can make the max amount of Junk tokens, so I focused on cheap creatures for turns one through three so that by turn four, I can cast Rose and get the maximum benefit.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Belbe, Corrupted Observer" href="#" target="_blank">Belbe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (with the help of some key one drops) can pretty easily generate six mana as early as turn two, so I want to have plenty of Eldrazi haymakers to cast way ahead of schedule.</p>
<p>Despite the big difference in the mana curves, in both cases you can see the importance of the commander's mana value, and the resulting mana value of the cards around it. I love these examples since they showcase the extremes of how your mana curve can change based on the commander.</p>
<h3>Nuts and Bolts</h3>
<p>Okay, hopefully you've got the concept down, so let's get into some actionable things to consider during your deckbuilding:</p>
<h4><strong><em>In general</em><em> </em>it is better to lower your curve where you can</strong>.</h4>
<p>Belbe in the example above shows that doing so is not always the case, but if you're just starting out, keeping your curve low will yield the fastest results. There is a reason why <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampant Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Rampant Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is played in nearly 810,000 decks and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Natural Connection" href="#" target="_blank">Natural Connection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is played in only 6,000.</p>
<p>Putting a bunch of 6+ mana cards in your deck might seem fun and powerful, but if you can only cast two of them in a game, drawing a bunch of them isn't very effective. Look for cards that do something similar but for less mana.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rampant Growth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Natural Connection"></div></div>
<h4>Concentrate the majority of your cards between 2-4 mana.</h4>
<p>There are a lot of effective cards printed in this mana value range that can really swing the tide of the game. Keeping your cards in this range will also open up a lot more options during gameplay and let you react to different game scenarios.</p>
<p>If you're at five mana, you can cast two 2-drops, a 4-drop, or cast your three mana commander like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vadrik, Astral Archmage" href="#" target="_blank">Vadrik</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and hold up a two mana <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to protect it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vadrik, Astral Archmage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Counterspell"></div></div>
<h4>Make sure your high mana cards are impactful</h4>
<p>On the flip side, when you do play one of your higher mana value cards, make sure it's something that's extremely impactful. A generic example is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which will send opposing boards back to the stone age.</p>
<p>Something a little more niche might be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terror of the Peaks" href="#" target="_blank">Terror of the Peaks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm" href="#" target="_blank">Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cyclonic Rift"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Terror of the Peaks"></div></div>
<h4>Consider the "actual" mana value of your cards</h4>
<p>Many cards that are commonly played in Commander have cost reduction effects attached to them. The most common example of course is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blasphemous Act" href="#" target="_blank">Blasphemous Act</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It will show up on your curve as an 8+ mana card, but in reality you can cast it for a lot less than that.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, an X spell like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hangarback Walker" href="#" target="_blank">Hangarback Walker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will show up as zero mana value, but you probably won't be casting it for no mana since it will insta-die.</p>
<p>An advantage of X spells is that they can slot in at multiple spots on the curve, but consider them at the mana value you'll be casting them most often.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blasphemous Act"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hangarback Walker"></div></div>
<h4>Look for cards with "multiple" mana values</h4>
<p>Similar to the last point about X spells, there are also cards that have "multiple" mana values. These cards are often powerful because of their flexibility.</p>
<p>One of my favorite card types, Adventures, are a good example. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Virtue of Persistence" href="#" target="_blank">Virtue of Persistence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is considered a seven mana card, but it helps offset its high cost by having Locthwain Scorn as a mode you can cast early while you wait to get there.</p>
<p>The mana value of split cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wear // Tear" href="#" target="_blank">Wear // Tear</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is equal to the mana value of both halves (three in this case) but you can cast either (or both in this case) half for less than that.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Virtue of Persistence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wear // Tear"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Mana Curve Tools</h3>
<p>Now that you've got those mana curve concepts in your tool belt, you can apply them to your deckbuilding. The last thing to touch on are the tools available to help you mana all of these numbers. Look no further than <a href="https://archidekt.com/">Archidekt</a>.</p>
<p>The graphs I included above all game from my lists from Archidekt. Those screenshots are just of the basic and general mana curve, which is where you should focus your attention early. As you become a more experienced deckbuilder, you can dive even deeper, including filters by color...</p>
<p><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.15.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-143416 aligncenter" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.15.png" alt="" width="1812" height="1000" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.15.png 1812w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.15-300x166.png 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.15-1024x565.png 1024w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.15-768x424.png 768w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.15-1536x848.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1812px) 100vw, 1812px" /></a></p>
<p>...or by any number of other options, including personalized categories if you make them:</p>
<p><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.35.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-143417 aligncenter" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.35.png" alt="" width="1798" height="652" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.35.png 1798w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.35-300x109.png 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.35-1024x371.png 1024w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.35-768x278.png 768w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.35-1536x557.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1798px) 100vw, 1798px" /></a></p>
<p>If you have a deck that you feel like isn't firing on all cylinders, try plugging it into Archidekt and seeing what the mana curve section reveals. You might be surprised at the results, and you'll have a good starting point for improving your mana curve if necessary.</p>
<h3>Wrap Up</h3>
<p>Whew! We covered a lot today, and I hope it wasn't too overwhelming. The idea of a mana curve is really important for our game, and not just in Commander. It's even more of a focus in other formats that are much faster and more competitive than Commander, where even a tiny slip up might spell disaster.</p>
<p>If your decks aren't performing as well as you'd like, I highly encourage you to review your decks and check out your mana curve. And when you build a new one, make sure you take these ideas into account! I promise it'll lead to more plays and as a result, more fun.</p>
<p>Look out for more beginner articles from me soon, and if you're looking for cheap and effective decks, check out my other series <em>Brew For Your Buck</em> here on EDHREC. If you have any questions or comments, drop them down below and I'll be sure to address them. Until then, happy deckbuilding and watch out for the curve!</p>


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