Commander mana base guide
Marchesa, the Black Rose
Mana Base
Optimal land base for Marchesa, the Black Rose — 36–38 lands, black / red / blue color requirements, and budget builds from $50 to $500+.
black / red / blueA starting mana base for Marchesa, the Black Rose is a 36–38-land build tuned to its black / red / blue color identity and its aristocrats / counters / reanimator game plan. Marchesa, the Black Rose is an aristocrats deck that profits from creatures dying, so its manabase leans toward a balanced mix of untapped fixing plus tapped lands that earn their slot with late-game upside. Choose a $50, $100, $250, or $500 budget below to generate a land list. This guide covers priority land picks, color-source math, and a free builder that generates the full list with TCGplayer checkout.
Karsten math
Color requirements
Frank Karsten's source counts for a 37-land deck, by color.
11
black sources
11
red sources
11
blue sources
Never skip
Priority lands for Marchesa, the Black Rose
Candidates to evaluate against your budget and the rest of your deck.
- 01Phyrexian Towersac_outlet
- 02High Marketsac_outlet
- 03Volrath's Strongholdcreature_recursion
- 04Bojuka Boggraveyard_hate
Choose your tier
Marchesa, the Black Rose manabase by budget
How to build a Marchesa, the Black Rose land base at each popular price point. Click a tier to open the builder pre-loaded with the commander and budget.
- $5036–38 lands
Start with affordable color sources and basics; reserve utility slots for the commander’s plan.
Build at $50 → - $10036–38 lands
Prioritize dependable color access. Compare the suggested upgrades with the $50 build.
Build at $100 → - $25036–38 lands
Compare stronger fixing and useful land interactions. Availability and prices determine what fits.
Build at $250 → - $50036–38 lands
Explore functional upgrades first. Expensive printings are optional, and a larger budget does not guarantee a stronger deck.
Build at $500 →
Solver reasoning
Why these lands
- ◆We have a hand-tuned profile for Marchesa, the Black Rose.
- ◆Detected primary archetype: Aristocrats.
- ◆Secondary themes: +1/+1 Counters, Reanimator.
Method
How to build a mana base for Marchesa, the Black Rose
- 01Set land count to 36–38. Marchesa, the Black Rose is an aristocrats deck that profits from creatures dying and needs that count to reliably hit drops.
- 02Cover color requirements. For a 37-land black / red / blue build, 11 black, 11 red, 11 blue sources — Frank Karsten's manabase math for a 100-card singleton.
- 03Slot priority lands first — Phyrexian Tower, High Market, Volrath's Stronghold, Bojuka Bog. These earn their spot regardless of budget.
- 04Fill by budget: $50 = check + pain lands, $100 = add selective shocks, $250 = fetches, $500+ = original duals.
- 05Verify by running landfiller — the solver returns the exact list at your budget with a one-click TCGplayer cart.
Questions & Answers
FAQ
How many lands should a Marchesa, the Black Rose deck run?
A starting point for Marchesa, the Black Rose is 36–38 lands. As an aristocrats deck that profits from creatures dying, it leans toward a balanced mix of tapped and untapped lands, with tapped lands earning their slot through late-game upside. Adjust the count for your actual curve, ramp, draw, and playtesting. The builder supports 30–42 lands.
What is the best mana base for Marchesa, the Black Rose?
The best mana base for Marchesa, the Black Rose starts with these priority lands: Phyrexian Tower, High Market, Volrath's Stronghold, Bojuka Bog. Fill the rest of the black / red / blue land base with untapped duals matching your budget — pain lands and check lands at $100, shocks + a few fetches at $250, and original duals at $500+. Always leave 1–2 utility land slots for the aristocrats plan.
What is the best land base for Marchesa, the Black Rose on a budget?
A budget Marchesa, the Black Rose land base can start with basic lands and affordable fixing that fits the black / red / blue identity. Evaluate utility lands against the colors your deck needs. Use the $50 budget preset to see which cards fit current prices. Casting consistency depends on your full deck; no fixed percentage is guaranteed.
How much does a Marchesa, the Black Rose manabase cost?
Choose a land budget from $20 upward. The builder recommends specific lands using available card prices and reports the total. Start with $50 or $100, then compare the land changes before spending more.
Does Marchesa, the Black Rose need fetch lands?
Marchesa, the Black Rose works fine without fetch lands. Compare fetches with affordable fixing and consider whether your deck has suitable fetch targets or land-entry synergies. Their value depends on the complete list, not a fixed budget threshold.
What color identity does Marchesa, the Black Rose have?
Marchesa, the Black Rose is a black / red / blue Commander (color identity: B, R, U). This determines the entire land base — every non-basic must fit inside this identity. For a 37-land deck, Marchesa, the Black Rose needs 11 black sources, 11 red sources, 11 blue sources as starting source-count targets. Paste your decklist into the builder to account for its colored mana requirements.