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The 7 Most Common Deckbuilding Mistakes in MTG
Even experienced players make these mistakes. Learn to spot and fix them before they cost you games.
1. Too Many Expensive Cards
The Mistake: Filling your deck with 6+ mana bombs because they're powerful.
Why It's Bad: You'll never cast them. Your hand fills with uncastable spells while opponents develop their boards.
The Fix: Limit expensive cards to 4-8 total. Focus on 2-4 mana plays that advance your plan.
Example: Instead of 15 seven-mana creatures, run 3-4 finishers and fill the rest with ramp, draw, and early plays.
2. Not Enough Ramp
The Mistake: Running only 2-3 ramp pieces because "I have enough lands."
Why It's Bad: Commander is a ramp format. Players who ramp win. You'll fall behind every game.
The Fix: Run 8-12 ramp pieces minimum. Include Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, and format-appropriate ramp.
Example: Green decks need land ramp (Cultivate, Kodama's Reach). Non-green decks need mana rocks (Signets, Talismans).
3. Ignoring Card Draw
The Mistake: Assuming you'll draw into what you need naturally.
Why It's Bad: You'll run out of cards by turn 6-7. Empty hand = no options = losing.
The Fix: Include 10-15 card draw effects. Mix engines (Phyrexian Arena) with burst draw (Harmonize).
Example: Blue decks get cantrips (Opt, Brainstorm). Green gets Harmonize, Shamanic Revelation. Black gets Phyrexian Arena.
4. No Removal Package
The Mistake: "My deck is aggressive, I don't need removal."
Why It's Bad: Opponents will resolve threats you can't answer. One unanswered threat can end the game.
The Fix: Run 8-12 removal spells. Mix targeted removal (Swords to Plowshares) with board wipes (Wrath of God).
Example: Include Beast Within (hits anything), Swords to Plowshares (efficient), and at least one board wipe.
5. Fragile Mana Base
The Mistake: Running too few lands or all basics in a 3+ color deck.
Why It's Bad: Color screw and mana flood. You'll lose games to mana problems, not strategy.
The Fix: Run 33-37 lands. Include fixing (Command Tower, Exotic Orchard) and basics in appropriate ratios.
Example: 2-color deck: 20 basics each + 5-7 utility/fixing lands. 3-color: More fixing, fewer basics.
6. No Clear Win Condition
The Mistake: Building a "goodstuff" deck with no plan to actually win.
Why It's Bad: You'll play a long game but never close it out. Opponents will win while you durdle.
The Fix: Include 2-5 clear win conditions. Know how your deck wins and build toward that.
Example: Token deck needs anthems or overrun effects. Combo deck needs the combo pieces. Control needs finishers.
7. Ignoring Your Commander
The Mistake: Building a generic deck that doesn't synergize with your commander.
Why It's Bad: Your commander is your guaranteed card. If your deck doesn't use it, you're playing 99-card singleton.
The Fix: Build around your commander's ability. Include cards that work with it, not against it.
Example: Krenko needs goblins and untap effects. Talrand needs instants and sorceries. Build the synergy.
How to Avoid These Mistakes
Use ManaTap AI's Deck Analyzer to catch these issues automatically:
1. Import your deck - Paste your decklist
2. Get instant analysis - See what's missing or unbalanced
3. Review suggestions - Get AI-powered fixes for each problem
4. Optimize - Apply suggestions and rebuild
Quick Checklist
Before finalizing your deck, ask:
If you answered "no" to any, fix it before playing!
Conclusion
These seven mistakes are the most common reasons decks fail. Fix them, and you'll see immediate improvement in your win rate. The key is balance: ramp, draw, removal, and win conditions in the right ratios.
Want to check if your deck has these problems? Use ManaTap AI's free deck analyzer →
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Learn more about deck building: How to Build Your First Commander Deck | Mana Curve Mastery