The budget brewing guide
How to build a Commander deck on a budget
Start with what your deck needs to do, then decide where spending more actually helps. The cheapest replacement is only useful if it still fits your commander, your colors, and the games you want to play.
1. Decide what your budget includes
Separate the estimated value of the whole deck from the amount you still need to spend. Cards you already own count toward the first total but may cost nothing to use in this deck. Decide whether your target includes the commander, basic lands, shipping, and taxes before comparing lists.
In Deck99, the deck budget is a target for card costs. It is separate from the app’s optional Pro subscription. The free builder tracks the estimated total as you add cards; collection tracking helps you see what you already own.
2. Write down the deck’s plan before cutting cards
Describe how you expect to win in one sentence. Then identify the cards that make that plan function. A sacrifice deck may need repeatable sacrifice outlets more than another expensive generically powerful creature.
Keep the supporting jobs covered: lands that let you cast your spells, ways to develop mana, ways to see more cards, and interaction. There is no single correct count for every commander. Use your curve and playtesting to decide what this particular deck needs.
3. Review expensive slots by the job they do
Start with the cards taking up the largest share of your budget. For each, ask whether you need its exact text or just a broader role such as removal, card draw, or mana fixing. Replacing one costly staple can preserve more of your deck’s plan than cutting several inexpensive synergy cards.
Compare mana cost, timing, targets, restrictions, and repeatability. A sorcery cannot replace an instant when your plan depends on responding during another player’s turn. Check color identity and current legality before committing to a replacement.
An example from the swap library
A cheaper reset, with a real tradeoff
Original card
Cyclonic Rift
$28.56 estimated card price
Budget alternative
River’s Rebuke
$0.31 estimated card price
$28.25 less for this card slot
River’s Rebuke can clear one player’s nonland permanents. You give up instant speed, Cyclonic Rift’s two-mana single-target option, and the overloaded effect that hits every opponent. Consider it when removing one opponent’s board on your turn is enough for your plan.
USD price snapshot from Deck99’s public swap library, September 18, 2026. Prices change and exclude shipping and taxes. These are card prices; exploring curated swaps in Deck99 is free.
Explore the curated swap library4. Give the mana base its own review
Count colored mana requirements, especially spells you want to cast early or that need several symbols of the same color. A cheaper land entering tapped has a different cost in a fast deck than in a slower one. Replacing every dual land with a basic can save money while making a multicolor deck less reliable.
Use a curated mana base as a starting point, then adapt it to your actual spells. Check opening hands and early turns after each round of changes instead of assuming a preset is finished.
5. Test the cheaper version before buying
Compare the old and new lists. Did your curve get higher? Did you lose instant-speed interaction or enough sources of a color? Try sample hands and playtest in a way your group agrees on. Keep notes about which compromise actually mattered.
Recheck card prices before checkout and include shipping. A deck total is an estimate, not a retailer quote, and splitting a purchase across sellers can change what you pay.
Try it with a deck you already have
Open the guest builder, choose your commander, and use Import to paste a text decklist. Set your card budget, review the estimated total, and explore curated swaps where available. Review any unmatched or skipped cards after importing.
You can start without registering. Create a free account when you want to save the deck to your account.