Commander mana base guide
The First Sliver
Mana Base
Optimal land base for The First Sliver — 36–38 lands, black / green / red / blue / white color requirements, and budget builds from $50 to $500+.
black / green / red / blue / whiteA starting mana base for The First Sliver is a 36–38-land build tuned to its black / green / red / blue / white color identity and its tribal / combo / cascade game plan. The First Sliver is a tribal deck that rewards a critical mass of one creature type, 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.
8
black sources
8
green sources
8
red sources
8
blue sources
8
white sources
Never skip
Priority lands for The First Sliver
Candidates to evaluate against your budget and the rest of your deck.
- 01Cavern of Soulstribal_protection
- 02Reflecting Pool5c_fixing
- 03Mana Confluence5c_fixing
- 04Sliver Hivetribal_specific
Choose your tier
The First Sliver manabase by budget
How to build a The First Sliver 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 The First Sliver.
- ◆Detected primary archetype: Tribal.
- ◆Secondary themes: Combo, .
Method
How to build a mana base for The First Sliver
- 01Set land count to 36–38. The First Sliver is a tribal deck that rewards a critical mass of one creature type and needs that count to reliably hit drops.
- 02Cover color requirements. For a 37-land black / green / red / blue / white build, 8 black, 8 green, 8 red, 8 blue, 8 white sources — Frank Karsten's manabase math for a 100-card singleton.
- 03Slot priority lands first — Cavern of Souls, Reflecting Pool, Mana Confluence, Sliver Hive. 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 The First Sliver deck run?
A starting point for The First Sliver is 36–38 lands. As a tribal deck that rewards a critical mass of one creature type, 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 The First Sliver?
The best mana base for The First Sliver starts with these priority lands: Cavern of Souls, Reflecting Pool, Mana Confluence, Sliver Hive. Fill the rest of the black / green / red / blue / white 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 tribal plan.
What is the best land base for The First Sliver on a budget?
A budget The First Sliver land base can start with basic lands and affordable fixing that fits the black / green / red / blue / white 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 The First Sliver 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 The First Sliver need fetch lands?
The First Sliver 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 The First Sliver have?
The First Sliver is a black / green / red / blue / white Commander (color identity: B, G, R, U, W). This determines the entire land base — every non-basic must fit inside this identity. For a 37-land deck, The First Sliver needs 8 black sources, 8 green sources, 8 red sources, 8 blue sources, 8 white sources as starting source-count targets. Paste your decklist into the builder to account for its colored mana requirements.