Most Commander decks should begin with 38 lands. It is not a sacred number; it is a stable default for a 99-card singleton deck that wants to make its early land drops. From there, adjust for the deck’s mana curve, ramp package, card selection, commander, and appetite for extra lands.
A practical EDH land-count guide
| Land count | When it can fit |
|---|---|
| 40–42+ | Landfall, lands-matter, high curves, expensive commanders, or decks that turn excess lands into cards and effects. |
| 38–39 | The best starting range for a typical casual EDH deck. |
| 36–37 | A lower curve with a healthy package of cheap ramp and draw. |
| 33–35 | Highly tuned lists with cheap commanders, efficient selection, and many low-cost mana sources. |
| Below 33 | Specialized competitive shells built around very low curves, fast mana, and aggressive mulligans—not a general casual template. |
These are starting ranges, not guarantees. Two decks with the same average mana value can need different land counts because one draws cards cheaply and the other does not.
When to run fewer than 38 lands
Cutting lands makes sense when the entire mana system supports the decision. Look for a low mana curve, a commander that costs two or three, many one- and two-mana ramp pieces, cheap card selection, and a game plan that functions on limited mana. A mana rock that costs four does not help you cast your fourth land drop, so “I run ten rocks” is not enough by itself.
Competitive EDH decks often run far fewer lands because their curves, tutors, fast mana, and mulligan decisions are built for that environment. Copying the land count without copying the rest of the engine produces a casual deck that simply fails to play Magic more often.
When to run more than 38 lands
Add lands when your commander is expensive, your average mana value is high, or missing the fourth and fifth land drops prevents the deck from operating. Landfall and lands-matter decks often want 40 or more because drawing a land is not a tax—it advances their engine. Extra land drops also require extra lands in hand; effects that let you play two lands do nothing when you keep running out of them.
Lands with cycling, channel, spell-like abilities, or useful graveyard interactions can reduce the cost of running a higher count. They give the deck mana when needed and another use when flooded.
Do mana rocks and MDFCs count as lands?
Count a modal double-faced card as a land only if you are genuinely willing to play its land face at the stage of the game when you need the drop. A card whose land enters tapped or costs three life is flexible, but four flexible cards do not always replace four unconditional lands without consequence.
Mana rocks, mana dorks, rituals, and cost reducers are mana sources, not lands. Track both numbers. Your deck might contain 37 lands and 11 other sources, but those 11 still need the right opening mana, must survive removal, and may not fix every color.
Use your opening hands and game log
Goldfish at least 20 opening hands before your first game. Record how often you can keep, cast early setup, and reach the mana needed for your commander. Then test in real pods. Over the next 15–20 games, log whether you missed an early land drop, flooded without a mana sink, or could not produce a required color.
Change two lands at most, keep the rest of the list stable, and collect another block of games. WUBRG’s deck version history is useful here: note the land-count change, then compare the revised deck’s results with the previous version. That is much more reliable than removing two lands after one flooded loss and adding them back after the next mana screw.
EDH land-count FAQ
Is 38 lands too many in Commander?
No. Thirty-eight is a reliable starting point for a typical casual Commander deck. It may be too many for a very low-curve, highly tuned list and too few for a dedicated lands strategy.
Is 35 lands enough in EDH?
It can be, but the deck should have a low curve, sufficient cheap acceleration, and reliable card access. Thirty-five lands is not a safe default for every deck.
How many total mana sources should a Commander deck have?
There is no universal total because source quality and cost matter. Start with 38 lands, add roughly 8–12 appropriate ramp pieces, and test whether the deck consistently reaches the mana its plan requires.