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EDH budget guide

Building a budget Commander manabase

Updated

You can build a full 37-land Commander manabase for under $50 that hits its color drops 85%+ of the time. The trick: max basics, add every color-fixing tapped dual you have access to, and slot 4-6 utility lands. Upgrades from there are shocks, then pain lands, then fetches.

The under-$50 manabase

The core: 10-15 basics, 8-10 tapped dual lands (guildgates, refuges, taplands), the free auto-includes (Command Tower, Exotic Orchard, Path of Ancestry), and 4-6 utility lands specific to your archetype.

In a 2-color deck, this hits color drops 90%+ of the time. In 3-color, ~85%. In 5-color, you'll need Chromatic Lantern support at this budget.

Auto-includes at every budget

These belong in every multicolor deck regardless of budget. Total cost under $5 for the pack.

  • ◆Command Tower — enters untapped, taps for any color in identity
  • ◆Exotic Orchard — taps for any color an opponent can produce
  • ◆Path of Ancestry — enters tapped, scries when tribal
  • ◆Reliquary Tower — hold every card
  • ◆Bojuka Bog (if black) — free graveyard hate

Upgrade path

As your budget grows, upgrade in this order for max value per dollar:

  1. 01$50: max basics, guildgates, and the auto-include pack.
  2. 02$100: add check lands (Dragonskull Summit, Sunpetal Grove) — enter untapped when you have a basic.
  3. 03$150: add pain lands (Underground River, Adarkar Wastes) — always untapped, cost 1 life.
  4. 04$250: add shock lands (Watery Grave, Sacred Foundry) — pay 2 life for untapped.
  5. 05$400: add slow fetches (Bad River, Rocky Tar Pit) — enter tapped but fetch a shock.
  6. 06$500+: add fetches (Polluted Delta, Windswept Heath) and triomes.
  7. 07$1000+: add the original ABU duals (Underground Sea, Tundra).

What to skip on a budget

The most-hyped budget-breakers rarely earn their slot at $50-100:

  • ◆Mana Confluence, City of Brass — $20+ each, painful in Commander
  • ◆Ancient Tomb — $60+, only good with 2-mana ramp
  • ◆Cabal Coffers — $30+, needs Urborg to shine
  • ◆Original duals like Underground Sea — $200-800 each, save for last

Questions & Answers

FAQ

Can I build a Commander manabase under $50?

Yes — a $50 Commander manabase runs mostly basics, tapped dual lands (guildgates, refuges), Command Tower, Exotic Orchard, and a few utility lands. In 2-color decks it hits colors 90%+ of the time; in 3-color, ~85%. Add Chromatic Lantern support for 4+ color budget decks.

What is the best budget dual land in Commander?

The best budget duals are the check lands ($3-5 each: Dragonskull Summit, Sunpetal Grove) — they enter untapped when you have a matching basic. Above that tier: pain lands ($5-10), then shocks ($15-25), then fetches ($30+).

Do I need fetches on a budget manabase?

No — under $200 total manabase budget, skip fetches entirely. Prismatic Vista ($8) is the one exception in 3+ color decks. Below that, panorama fetches and slow fetches from Onslaught cover the same effect for $2-4 each.

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