Last updated on November 1, 2022
Liliana, Untouched by Death | Illustration by Bastien L. Deharme
The new Starter Commander decks are definitely emblematic of Wizards continuing its push of the Commander format. These decks are designed to help new players get into the format at a low entry price. They’re a good product to get new friends into Magic, or for veteran players to just mix things up with a cheap precon battle.
I think it’s important to consider how well the decks play since these are intended as an introductory product. Trying to get your friends into the game with precons that aren’t any fun is more likely to turn them off Magic. It’s also important to see if these decks are really worth it for playgroups that are already established.
So let’s take a look at Starter Commander and see if it’s really worth grabbing, or if it’s a product you should skip. Ready? Let’s get started!
All About Starter Commander
What Is Starter Commander?
Curse of Disturbance | Illustration by Kieran Yanner
Starter Commander is a set of five preconstructed Commander decks with a release date of December 2, 2022. They’re an easy entry point for new players, or a good way for existing players to introduce their friends and family to the game.
How Does Starter Commander Compare to Other Commander Products?
Starter Commander is a little different than typical Commander precons in a few ways.
The first is that there are no new cards introduced in this set. This was definitely a smart move on Wizards’ part because cards unique to a certain product can drive the price through the roof, like what Dockside Extortionist did with Commander 2019’s Mystic Intellect precon. The commanders here also aren’t new cards but some existing legendary creatures.
The other difference is that Wizards says they’re putting emphasis on “practical” cards for these precons. That means the strategies are pretty straightforward and are easy to pick up even for new players.
Should I Buy Starter Commander?
I think Starter Commander is a great product to introduce players to Magic or Commander. Even the Starter Commander deck with the lowest overall card value would cost double their price to put together with singles, so it’s definitely a good deal.
Most of the commanders crack the top 500 most popular on EDHRec, meaning that these decks are good jumping-off points for players who want to continue their Magic journey. On the flip side, this isn’t really the product for you if you’ve been playing for a while and are looking for some good value. Most cards in the decks are worth less than $3, and the most expensive card in the entire set is just over $10.
Starter Commander definitely gets my recommendation as a good introductory product. For established players, I’d say you should only buy this if you’re planning to introduce new players to the game or just want to grab some new decks at a low cost to play out of the box with your playgroup.
And if you’re searching for value, skip this one. Even though the card totals are much higher than the asking price, there aren’t enough individually valuable cards that these decks would ever be worth it as an investment for collectors.
First Flight
Commander (1)
Planeswalker (1)
Creature (26)
Archon of Redemption
Cartographer's Hawk
Emeria Angel
Hanged Executioner
Remorseful Cleric
Sephara, Sky's Blade
Steel-Plume Marshal
Angler Turtle
Diluvian Primordial
Faerie Formation
Inspired Sphinx
Sharding Sphinx
Sphinx of Enlightenment
Windreader Sphinx
Skycat Sovereign
Aven Gagglemaster
Kangee's Lieutenant
Tide Skimmer
Warden of Evos Isle
Cloudblazer
Empyrean Eagle
Jubilant Skybonder
Kangee, Sky Warden
Thunderclap Wyvern
Pilgrim's Eye
Skyscanner
Instant (11)
Absorb
Sphinx's Revelation
Condemn
Crush Contraband
Disenchant
Generous Gift
Rally of Wings
Swords to Plowshares
Aetherize
Counterspell
Negate
Sorcery (5)
Cleansing Nova
Storm Herd
Time Wipe
Winged Words
Migratory Route
Enchantment (8)
True Conviction
Ever-Watching Threshold
Gravitational Shift
Banishing Light
Soul Snare
Vow of Duty
Favorable Winds
Staggering Insight
Artifact (9)
Bident of Thassa
Arcane Signet
Azorius Signet
Commander's Sphere
Hedron Archive
Sky Diamond
Sol Ring
Talisman of Progress
Thought Vessel
Land (39)
Moorland Haunt
Port Town
Prairie Stream
Temple of Enlightenment
Coastal Tower
Command Tower
Meandering River
Sejiri Refuge
Tranquil Cove
Plains x15
Island x15
Commander, Theme, and Strategy
Isperia, Supreme Judge | Illustration by Maxime Minard
The commander for First Flight is Isperia, Supreme Judge, may she rest in peace, and the is flying creatures. All these decks have very simple strategies similar to the old planeswalker decks since they’re meant to introduce players to the game.
Your goal here is to get flying creatures out and buff them with cards like Gravitational Shift and Favorable Winds. Isperia provides decent card draw once it’s out and there are also cards like Staggering Insight that help with this. There are some counterspells and removal that give this deck a bit of a control subtheme, but it doesn’t lean too heavily on it.
There are several cards in the deck that players can use to try and get their opponents to attack them, like Angler Turtle and Bident of Thassa. This is helpful with Isperia, Supreme Judge on the board because it can draw you a good number of cards.
Notable Cards: Reprints and $$
The most expensive cards in the deck are Gravitational Shift and Talisman of Progress. The Talisman plus dual lands like Port Town and Prairie Stream are nice inclusions as good inclusions for any Azorius () mana base.
The Verdict
First Flight’s strategy is definitely nice and simple for new players. I think it’ll perform well against most of the Starter Commander decks since they aren’t all super well-equipped to deal with flying creatures.
That said I can’t really get too excited about this one. It’s a little too simple for my taste, and Isperia, Supreme Judge’s effect is good card draw but there aren’t enough specific payoffs to make it feel like the essential commander for this deck.
- 100-card White-Blue Commander deck
- 1 Foil-Etched Legendary card + 99 nonfoil cards
- Accessories—deck box, 10 double-sided tokens, punchout counters, strategy insert, and reference card
- First Flight—swarm opponents with flying creatures that are hard to block without wings or a good reach
- The perfect introduction to Magic’s most popular format—join your friends in epic multiplayer battles with a ready-to-play MTG deck
Grave Danger
Commander (1)
Planeswalker (1)
Creature (29)
Geralf's Mindcrusher
Laboratory Drudge
Cemetery Reaper
Champion of the Perished
Gravespawn Sovereign
Josu Vess, Lich Knight
Liliana's Standard Bearer
Midnight Reaper
Overseer of the Damned
Scourge of Nel Toth
Unbreathing Horde
Havengul Lich
Vela the Night-Clad
Eternal Skylord
Fleshbag Marauder
Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Lazotep Reaver
Liliana's Devotee
Lord of the Accursed
Lotleth Giant
Loyal Subordinate
Mire Triton
Spark Reaper
Undead Augur
Vengeful Dead
Vizier of the Scorpion
Withered Wretch
Diregraf Captain
Gleaming Overseer
Instant (5)
Undermine
Lazotep Plating
Sinister Sabotage
Cruel Revival
Murder
Sorcery (12)
Army of the Damned
Crippling Fear
Necromantic Selection
Necrotic Hex
Zombie Apocalypse
Enter the God-Eternals
Deep Analysis
Distant Melody
Feed the Swarm
Syphon Flesh
Victimize
Pilfered Plans
Enchantment (4)
Liliana's Mastery
Open the Graves
Curse of Disturbance
Vampiric Rites
Artifact (9)
Grimoire of the Dead
Arcane Signet
Commander's Sphere
Dimir Signet
Heraldic Banner
Sol Ring
Talisman of Dominance
Unstable Obelisk
Wayfarer's Bauble
Land (39)
Choked Estuary
Sunken Hollow
Temple of Deceit
Command Tower
Dismal Backwater
Jwar Isle Refuge
Salt Marsh
Submerged Boneyard
Island x13
Swamp x18
Commander, Theme, and Strategy
Gisa and Geralf | Illustration by Karla Ortiz
The commander for Grave Danger is Gisa and Geralf, Innistrad’s zombie-loving brother-sister duo. This is a zombie tribal deck with a reanimation theme.
Grave Danger’s strategy largely revolves around filling your own graveyard with good zombie creatures and then reanimating them. Gisa and Geralf’s abilities clearly signal to players what this deck is meant to do making it an easy strategy to pick up on, if not slightly more complex than some of the other decks. Newer players have to get used to the idea of milling themselves and being less attached to their own creatures since they have ways to get them back.
This deck includes some aristocrats elements because the reanimation theme makes sacrificing a creature a lot less of a loss. It also includes several board wipes that are theoretically much more devastating for its opponents.
Notable Cards: Reprints and $$
The best card in this deck value-wise is Liliana, Untouched by Death. It’s also a great inclusion for this deck because this Liliana perfectly fits the theme and would definitely be a good card to keep if you’re looking to upgrade this deck.
The deck also includes some great zombie tribal cards like Cemetery Reaper and Champion of the Perished, which are nice for new players to have if they want to stick with this precon. Then there’s Gray Merchant of Asphodel, A.K.A. Gary, which is a staple in mono-black decks.
The Verdict
The theming in this deck is really tight, and I think it perfectly straddles the line between “simple to understand” and “effective at higher levels of play.” As someone who’s been wanting to build Gisa and Geralf, I’m considering picking this deck up just to get a jump start on it.
While I really like this deck I could see it being potentially discouraging to play in the environment of Starter Commander decks specifically. It doesn’t have a lot of ways to deal with flying creatures and may have trouble against First Flight and Draconic Destruction. But I still think it is fun enough that players won’t care.
In terms of value, this is the least valuable of any of the decks, but it’s still double the value of Amazon’s asking price.
- 100-card Blue-Black Commander deck
- 1 Foil-Etched Legendary card + 99 nonfoil cards
- Accessories—deck box, 10 double-sided tokens, punchout counters, strategy insert, and reference card
- Grave Danger—command an army of undead with sibling necromancers Gisa and Geralf
- The perfect introduction to Magic’s most popular format—join your friends in epic multiplayer battles with a ready-to-play MTG deck
Chaos Incarnate
Commander (1)
Planeswalker (1)
Creature (22)
Archfiend of Depravity
Bloodgift Demon
Rakshasa Debaser
Sangromancer
Scythe Specter
Sepulchral Primordial
Titan Hunter
Brash Taunter
Combustible Gearhulk
Geode Rager
Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
Magmatic Force
Tectonic Giant
Wildfire Devils
Kaervek the Merciless
Stormfist Crusader
Solemn Simulacrum
Indulgent Tormentor
Vampire Nighthawk
Guttersnipe
Thermo-Alchemist
Burnished Hart
Sorcery (14)
Deadly Tempest
Dredge the Mire
Profane Command
Reign of the Pit
Blasphemous Act
Fiery Confluence
Ambition's Cost
Feed the Swarm
Read the Bones
Sign in Blood
Syphon Mind
Explosion of Riches
Hate Mirage
Mana Geyser
Instant (8)
Soul Shatter
Chaos Warp
Wild Ricochet
Abrade
Breath of Malfegor
Rakdos Charm
Terminate
Unlicensed Disintegration
Enchantment (4)
Dictate of the Twin Gods
Sunbird's Invocation
Spiteful Visions
Theater of Horrors
Artifact (10)
Coveted Jewel
Arcane Signet
Commander's Sphere
Lightning Greaves
Nihil Spellbomb
Rakdos Signet
Sol Ring
Talisman of Indulgence
Wayfarer's Bauble
Worn Powerstone
Land (40)
Foreboding Ruins
Smoldering Marsh
Stensia Bloodhall
Temple of Malice
Akoum Refuge
Bloodfell Caves
Cinder Barrens
Command Tower
Molten Slagheap
Myriad Landscape
Urborg Volcano
Swamp x15
Mountain x14
Commander, Theme, and Strategy
Kardur, Doomscourge | Illustration by Helge C. Balzer
Kardur, Doomscourge helms Chaos Incarnate. While there are some chaos cards, the idea behind the deck seems to just be making stuff happen. There’s a bit of goading, some direct damage spells meant to punish other players, and a few true chaotic cards like Explosion of Riches and Wildfire Devils.
The deck’s strategy is to use cards like Spiteful Visions and Kaervek the Merciless to chip away at your opponents’ life totals. Kardur’s ability can also help with this since it spreads damage out across all your opponents on a somewhat consistent basis.
Goading your opponents’ creatures is a good way to make sure that they continue to deal damage to one another and keeps them from attacking you. You can use cards like Deadly Tempest and Rakdos Charm to close things out Once you’re up on life.
Notable Cards: Reprints and $$
The most expensive card in Grave Danger is Lightning Greaves, and it’s also one of the more notable inclusions. It’s a format staple and honestly isn’t terrible in any Commander deck since it’s great for protecting commanders.
Archfiend of Depravity is also relatively valuable for these decks and definitely does some work against your opponents. It’s likely to be one of the meanest cards played in games using just Starter Commander precons.
Blasphemous Act is another format staple. It’s also one of red’s better board wipe options, so it’s nice to see it included here.
The Verdict
Right off the bat, I think Chaos Incarnate will make Starter Commander games a lot more fun for players. Forcing players to attack speeds games up and prevents boring stalemates that are likely to bore new players. Cards like Chaos Warp can also lead to fun and unexpected moments that liven things up.
I think this precon will hold up pretty well against other decks in Starter Commander. It has a decent number of answers and goad abilities to help point big threats at other players. I do think a lot of effects in this deck might come off as scary to new players, so whoever grabs Chaos Incarnate might get early experience with being hated off the table.
- 100-card Black-Red Commander deck
- 1 Foil-Etched Legendary card + 99 nonfoil cards
- Accessories—deck box, 10 double-sided tokens, punchout counters, strategy insert, and reference card
- Chaos Incarnate—force your friends to fight each other while you pick them off one by one
- The perfect introduction to Magic’s most popular format—join your friends in epic multiplayer battles with a ready-to-play MTG deck
Draconic Destruction
Commander (1)
Planeswalker (1)
Creature (28)
Akoum Hellkite
Demanding Dragon
Dragonkin Berserker
Dragonmaster Outcast
Drakuseth, Maw of Flames
Dream Pillager
Flameblast Dragon
Hoard-Smelter Dragon
Mordant Dragon
Runehorn Hellkite
Scourge of Valkas
Thunderbreak Regent
Thundermaw Hellkite
Tyrant's Familiar
Verix Bladewing
Foe-Razer Regent
Harbinger of the Hunt
Steel Hellkite
Dragon Mage
Dragonlord's Servant
Dragonspeaker Shaman
Furnace Whelp
Rapacious Dragon
Drumhunter
Loaming Shaman
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Draconic Disciple
Savage Ventmaw
Instant (8)
Magmaquake
Spit Flame
Provoke the Trolls
Unleash Fury
Beast Within
Blossoming Defense
Hunter's Insight
Return to Nature
Sorcery (9)
Chain Reaction
Sweltering Suns
Hunter's Prowess
Primal Might
Shamanic Revelation
Clan Defiance
Vandalblast
Cultivate
Harmonize
Enchantment (6)
Crucible of Fire
Frontier Siege
Dragon Tempest
Elemental Bond
Garruk's Uprising
Fires of Yavimaya
Artifact (7)
Dragon's Hoard
Arcane Signet
Atarka Monument
Commander's Sphere
Sol Ring
Swiftfoot Boots
Talisman of Impulse
Land (40)
Cinder Glade
Game Trail
Haven of the Spirit Dragon
Temple of Abandon
Command Tower
Kazandu Refuge
Path of Ancestry
Rugged Highlands
Shivan Oasis
Timber Gorge
Mountain x18
Forest x12
Commander, Theme, and Strategy
Atarka, World Render | Illustration by Karl Kopinski
Atarka, World Render is the head dragon in charge of Draconic Destruction. This is a relatively straightforward dragon tribal deck without any specific sub-themes.
Your strategy for this deck is mainly to drop some big dragons and swing with them. Atarka and cards like Crucible of Fire help increase your dragons’ damage output. Aside from buffing up your dragons, you also have ways to give them trample with cards like Garruk's Uprising which help punch through the decks that are heavy on fliers in Starter Commander.
Notable Cards: Reprints and $$
The most valuable card in Draconic Destruction is Dragon Tempest. It’s incredible in any dragon deck and can even help close out a game.
This is actually the most valuable of all the Starter Commander decks. It includes several cards over $4 including Thundermaw Hellkite, Elemental Bond, and Vandalblast.
This precon also includes great dragon tribal cards like Spit Flame, Dragonmaster Outcast, and Magmaquake.
The Verdict
I think Draconic Destruction is my first choice right out of the box. It’ll play well against the rest of the Starter Commander precons and can possibly even stand up to some low-level decks if you’re interested in trying the deck elsewhere. I think the deck might suffer from a steep mana curve and little ramp, though, but there’s a decent amount of cost reduction to help make up for that.
I think this precon also serves as a good starter dragon deck since it gives you two of the more important colors for dragon decks. This could be a good starting point for players to splash some blue and convert it into a Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm deck.
This deck also has a few good lands to get players started. Haven of the Spirit Dragon works for any color dragon deck, and Cinder Glade benefits from having basic land types.
- 100-card Red-Green Commander deck
- 1 Foil-Etched Legendary card + 99 nonfoil cards
- Accessories—deck box, 10 double-sided tokens, punchout counters, strategy insert, and reference card
- Draconic Destruction—scorch your enemies with a might dragon army
- The perfect introduction to Magic’s most popular format—join your friends in epic multiplayer battles with a ready-to-play MTG deck
Token Triumph
Commander (1)
Planeswalker (1)
Creature (26)
Mentor of the Meek
Champion of Lambholt
Citanul Hierophants
Hornet Nest
Hornet Queen
Rishkar, Peema Renegade
Scavenging Ooze
Thunderfoot Baloth
Verdant Force
Dauntless Escort
Trostani Discordant
Avacyn's Pilgrim
Eternal Witness
Farhaven Elf
Great Oak Guardian
Jade Mage
Jaspera Sentinel
Leafkin Druid
Loyal Guardian
Nullmage Shepherd
Reclamation Sage
Sporemound
Voice of Many
Maja, Bretagard Protector
Selesnya Evangel
Selesnya Guildmage
Instant (8)
White Sun's Zenith
Aura Mutation
March of the Multitudes
Devouring Light
Path to Exile
Rootborn Defenses
Scatter the Seeds
Sylvan Reclamation
Sorcery (8)
Citywide Bust
Hour of Reckoning
Collective Unconscious
Harvest Season
Camaraderie
Harmonize
Nissa's Expedition
Overrun
Enchantment (11)
Commander's Insignia
Dawn of Hope
Dictate of Heliod
Felidar Retreat
Collective Blessing
Conclave Tribunal
Valor in Akros
Curse of Bounty
Karametra's Favor
Overwhelming Instinct
Presence of Gond
Artifact (6)
Idol of Oblivion
Slate of Ancestry
Arcane Signet
Commander's Sphere
Sol Ring
Talisman of Unity
Land (39)
Canopy Vista
Fortified Village
Temple of Plenty
Blossoming Sands
Command Tower
Elfhame Palace
Graypelt Refuge
Holdout Settlement
Tranquil Expanse
Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree
Forest x15
Plains x14
Commander, Theme, and Strategy
Emmara, Soul of the Accord | Illustration by Mark Winters
Token Triumph is commanded by Emmara, Soul of the Accord. This precon’s theme is creature tokens, and the strategy revolves around making said creature tokens.
There are plenty of ways to make these tokens, whether it’s creature abilities like Hornet Queen or spells like March of the Multitudes. There are also cards like Presence of Gond that allow you to safely tap Emmara while doubling up on the number of tokens it makes.
You also want to make your tokens bigger so they can stand up to your opponent’s creatures. This deck includes a couple of handy anthems in the form of Dictate of Heliod and Collective Blessing. There’s also the ever-helpful Hour of Reckoning, which is a great way to clear your opponents’ boards while keeping yours intact.
Notable Cards: Reprints and $$
The most valuable card in this deck is actually the most valuable in the whole set: Citanul Hierophants. This is a very helpful tool in a token deck, but it’s disappointing that it wasn’t swapped for the slightly cheaper Cryptolith Rite, which is a bit better. This is kind of a pattern in this deck.
Ajani, Caller of the Pride can be a fun wincon and is also just a helpful way to buff your tokens.
Curse of Bounty is an interesting inclusion that I really enjoy in this deck, and I think it helps speed up potentially slow precon games.
Felidar Retreat is always great in a token deck.
The Verdict
While Token Triumph has some good cards I think it suffers the most from the strict pricing restrictions Wizards seems to have put on cards in these decks. Forget big-ticket items like Doubling Season and Parallel Lives, but even cheaper options like Finale of Glory and Divine Visitation are also left out here.
There’s even a much clearer commander in the form of Rhys the Redeemed, but it seems like Wizards wanted to go with commanders that were under a dollar. Avenger of Zendikar is in tons of precons, is pretty cheap, and including it still keeps this deck’s value lower than Draconic Destruction.
While it may be disappointing to see some great Selesnya () tokens staples missing, this deck does have a solid foundation that can be built on with those staples. I worry about how this deck will hold up against Draconic Destruction and First Flight seeing as it doesn’t have as many cards to deal with fliers, but I think Token Triumph is a decent starting deck to build on top of.
Just maybe not the best-out-of-the-box deck here.
- 100-card Green-White Commander deck
- 1 Foil-Etched Legendary card + 99 nonfoil cards
- Accessories—deck box, 10 double-sided tokens, punchout counters, strategy insert, and reference card
- Token Triumph—overwhelm foes with a multiplying army of expendable token creatures
- The perfect introduction to Magic’s most popular format—join your friends in epic multiplayer battles with a ready-to-play MTG deck
The Best Starter Commander Decks
For Value
In terms of card value, Draconic Destruction is the best bang for your buck. You get about three times the deck’s price in the value of cards, which is a steal. This precon also has a good distribution of worthwhile cards as instead of just having one very valuable card while the rest are super cheap.
- 100-card Red-Green Commander deck
- 1 Foil-Etched Legendary card + 99 nonfoil cards
- Accessories—deck box, 10 double-sided tokens, punchout counters, strategy insert, and reference card
- Draconic Destruction—scorch your enemies with a might dragon army
- The perfect introduction to Magic’s most popular format—join your friends in epic multiplayer battles with a ready-to-play MTG deck
For Competitive EDH
This was a hard call since none of these precons are competitive out of the box and mostly just have good potential. But with the understanding that all these decks need to be upgraded, I think I’d have to go with Token Triumph as the best cEDH precon.
It has a solid enough foundation that can be built on with some staples like Second Harvest and Avenger of Zendikar. Emmara, Soul of the Accord should likely be replaced by Rhys the Redeemed, and King Darien XLVIII would also be a solid inclusion.
- 100-card Green-White Commander deck
- 1 Foil-Etched Legendary card + 99 nonfoil cards
- Accessories—deck box, 10 double-sided tokens, punchout counters, strategy insert, and reference card
- Token Triumph—overwhelm foes with a multiplying army of expendable token creatures
- The perfect introduction to Magic’s most popular format—join your friends in epic multiplayer battles with a ready-to-play MTG deck
For Fun
I think Grave Danger is probably the most fun of these precons as-is. It uses a fun playstyle and is powerful enough to stand up to the other Starter Commander decks. I also think it does one of the best jobs with its theme, which is always a bonus.
- 100-card Blue-Black Commander deck
- 1 Foil-Etched Legendary card + 99 nonfoil cards
- Accessories—deck box, 10 double-sided tokens, punchout counters, strategy insert, and reference card
- Grave Danger—command an army of undead with sibling necromancers Gisa and Geralf
- The perfect introduction to Magic’s most popular format—join your friends in epic multiplayer battles with a ready-to-play MTG deck
Where to Buy Starter Commander
Starter Commander decks can be bought at your local game store starting December 2, 2022 as well as from online Magic retailers.
Commanding Conclusion
Curse of Bounty | Illustration by Kieran Yanner
Starter Commander seems like a successful product for what it’s trying to do. These decks do a good job of introducing some popular themes and tribes to new players and make picking up the game easier. I don’t know if there’s as much here for veteran players looking for value or competitive decks, but I think it would be a fun activity to get together with your playgroup and try these out for a more casual game.
Are you thinking of buying any Starter Commander decks? Which precon caught your attention the most? Do you think this is a good product for new players, or should Wizards focus on making more competitive decks at a slightly higher price? Let me know what you think in the comments below or over on Draftsim’s Twitter.
Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next one!
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