If Commander has a universal experience, it’s this: you kept a “totally fine” two-land hand… and then spent four turns playing the world’s saddest draw-go deck.
In MTG Commander you’re building 99 cards + your commander. That means your land count has to do a lot of work for consistency. You also get a free first mulligan in multiplayer, which helps, but it doesn’t magically fix a greedy mana base.
TLDR
For most decks, start at 37 lands.
Go up to 38–40 if your curve is higher, your commander is expensive, or your ramp is light.
Drop to 34–36 only if your deck is low-curve and packed with cheap ramp and card draw.
The “default” land count that works for most Commander decks
If you only want one number, use 37.
Why 37? Because Commander games reward hitting your early land drops more than most people admit. Missing land three or land four doesn’t just slow you down. It often means you don’t develop at all while three other players do.
A simple baseline that shows up across a lot of Commander deckbuilding advice is:
- 37–38 lands for a typical midrange EDH deck
- plus a reasonable ramp package so you’re not stuck playing one spell a turn forever
Some writers push that baseline higher (closer to 40) because casual Commander tends to be slower, swingier, and full of expensive plays you actually want to cast. And honestly, that tracks. More lands means more games where you participate instead of watching. (A noble goal.)
So when someone asks “how many lands should I run in Commander,” the safest answer is:
- 37 if you’re not sure
- 38–40 if you want fewer non-games
The three knobs that change your land count fast
1) Your mana curve (and your commander’s mana value)
Your curve is the biggest driver.
- If your deck is full of 4–6 mana spells and your commander costs 5+, you want more lands.
- If your deck lives at 1–3 mana and your commander is cheap, you can get away with fewer.
Also remember commander tax exists. Recasting your commander once or twice is common, and that extra mana adds up. A deck that “functions” without its commander can run a leaner land count. A deck that falls apart without it usually can’t.
Rule of thumb:
- Cheap commander + low curve → 35–37 can work
- Mid curve → 37–38
- Big spells / expensive commander → 38–40
2) Ramp count (and what kind of ramp it is)
Ramp isn’t the same as lands, but it does affect land count.
- Land ramp (that puts lands into play) is stable.
- Mana rocks and dorks can get blown up.
- Treasure ramp can vanish the moment you spend it.
So if your deck’s “ramp” is mostly fragile, I wouldn’t cut lands aggressively. If your ramp is mostly land-based (and you have enough of it), you can shave a land or two.
A very normal Commander starting point is around 10-ish ramp pieces. If you’re running way less than that, you usually want more lands. If you’re running way more, you might be able to trim lands—but only if your curve supports it.
3) Card draw and card selection
Draw smooths land drops, but there’s a catch: you still need mana early to cast your draw spells.
Decks that churn cards (cantrips, engines, commanders that draw) can sometimes run fewer lands because they see more of the deck. But if you keep hands that depend on drawing into lands, you’ll still brick more often than you want.
If your deck reliably draws extra cards by turn 3–4, you can consider shaving a land. If your draw doesn’t show up until turn 5, it’s not helping you hit early drops.
MDFCs and “lands that are also spells”
Modal double-faced cards (the ones that can be a land on one side) are basically cheating in the most socially acceptable way.
They let you increase your functional land count without feeling like you cut “real cards.” In practice:
- A few MDFCs often means you can stay around 37 but feel like you have 38–39 when your opening hand needs it.
Just don’t pretend every MDFC is a perfect land. Some enter tapped. Some cost life. Some are awkward early. Still, they’re one of the cleanest ways to reduce mana screw without bloating your deck.
A simple way to tune your land count after a few games
Here’s an easy test that doesn’t require spreadsheets:
Play 8–12 games (or goldfish a bunch of opening hands) and track two things:
- How often do you miss your 3rd land drop?
If it happens a lot, add a land (or two). Commander is brutal when you stumble early. - How often do you flood and do nothing with the extra mana?
If you’re flooding but still winning because you have mana sinks and utility, you might be fine.
If you’re flooding and losing because you’re drawing blanks, you can trim a land or add more mana sinks / draw.
Most people only react to flood (“ugh I drew lands”) and ignore screw (“that was just unlucky”). But screw creates more non-games than flood. If you’re torn, bias toward the extra land.